Figure of the Day: Day 508: Mon Mothma

MON MOTHMA Republic Senator
Revenge of the Sith Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 85174 No. 85296
Number: III-24
Includes: Tiara thing, stick thing, base thing
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.24-$6.99
Availability: March 2005
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: A member of the Galactic Senate, Mon Mothma is troubled by the expanding power of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. She secretly begins to assemble groups that will eventually become the Rebel Alliance. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Commentary: Mothma: friend to children. (No wait, that's Gamera.) Mon Mothma was one of the first figures made for the final prequel. She was also completely cut from the movie, which is a bit of a shame given that all the Rebels introduced at the end of Return of the Jedi pretty much showed up out of nowhere now. The figure's costume is very similar to the figure based on Return of the Jedi, with nearly identical jewelry, a strikingly similar haircut, and the biggest most notable additions being the removable crown piece and the very high neck on her dress. The likeness is good, the articulation is somewhat limited, but let's face it: this is not a figure you're likely to buy because you loved her story, or the figure's character. You buy it to complete the set. She can stand, point, and wave her arms and that's about it. It's not a bad looking figure, although Hasbro could make her look a little better with some more paint, a different batch of plastic, and maybe a slightly better head. This will never, ever happen, so buy the existing one and enjoy it because unless she appears on TV, you'll probably never see her again.

Collector's Notes: This was a poor seller. Mon Mothma came out in the wake of the hugely popular Revenge of the Sith line, which sold very well. At least the Jedi, troopers, aliens, and droids did-- anything labeled "SENATOR!" tended to not be quite as hot. There's not a lot of action in this figure, so it's appeal is pretty much entirely as a collectible or as custom fodder. I like the figure enough, but if Hasbro never made it, odds are you wouldn't really miss it from your collection. Sure, you can be the founder of the Rebellion, but if you don't appear in the movie in any significant way, your appeal goes away real quick.

Day 508: September 26, 2007