Figure of the Day: Day 135: Clone Commander (Red)

CLONE COMMANDER Battle Gear
Revenge of the Sith Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 85173 No. 85422
Number: III-33
Includes: Rifle, pistols, rappel line
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.24-$5.99
Availability: April 2005
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Clone Commander CT-65/91-6210, known as Deviss, was a clone trooper commander who led K Company out of Commander Bly's 327th Star Corps in the Grand Army of the Republic. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: The Revenge of the Sith shelf of Adam Pawlus.

Commentary: Proof positive that fans don't care where a figure comes from if it's cool, the Clone Commander was based on an earlier concept of Commander Bly. Before the movie came out, people assumed he was in it. (No dice.) Of course, we didn't care-- as fans, we're so clone-crazy that if it looks cool, we'll buy six of them. And look cool, he did-- this figure was loaded with accessories, had 13 points of articulation (only missing a waist), and had a nifty binocular thing on his helmet. He is, in short, awesome... which is no doubt why Hasbro released a green redeco and of course a redeco as Commander Bly.

The best/worst/best again thing about Clone figures these days is their near-perfection. The figure is modeled after the design from the movie quite closely, there really aren't a lot of shortcomings to complain about beyond the aforementioned waist issue and the total lack of weathering. This is one super-clean figure, and the designs have some nice dirt on the boots and a lot of paint scuffs that make the character look a little more distinctive. This figure could be redecorated and reissued, perhaps with the "official" name Commander Deviss, and there would still be a market for it. It's a nice figure, as it has guns that fit in his twin holsters and enough play features to make it one of the best figures-as-toys Hasbro has made in recent years. It can do pretty much anything, but I should take note that the rappel line accessories kinda suck. The rope is too short, otherwise I'd be quite enamored with the idea as I tried to make similar contraptions for my vintage figures using twist-ties and rope.

Collector's Notes: Despite being super-popular, this figure was common for periods of time in 2005. You should have no problem obtaining one for a fair price, but it does seem it might cost slightly more than retail because a) it's popular and b) it doesn't suck. This figure was originally scheduled to be reissued by Hasbro in 2006, but they decided to reissue the harder-to-find green version of the figure instead.

Day 135: September 18, 2006