MARA JADE Heir to the Empire #530th Anniversary Collection Comic Pack Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87504 No. 87522
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #10
Includes: Blaster, hat, lightsaber, Luke with accessories
Action Feature: Removable hat, blaster fits in holster
Retail: $9.99
Availability: Summer 2007
Appearances: Heir to the Empire
Bio: Five years have passed since the Battle of Endor. Luke Skywalker is the first Jedi in the fledgling Republic, but the dark legacy of Emperor Palpatine still threatens him. The smuggler Mara Jade has long wanted to find Luke and kill him because of his role in the death of her former master, the Emperor. Her chance to strike arrives at last, but events cause her to join forces with him to escape Imperial forces. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)
Image: A desk.
Commentary: While some fans maligned this figure and her companion's lack of articulation. But what do you expect for $10? The nearly-perfect Mara Jade figure was a huge step up from her 1998 release, with a better head, improved articulation, and for some reason, an empurpled costume. (Typically, she's seen in black or very dark blue.) This release has ball-jointed knees and shoulders, with normal hips, wrists, swivel elbows, a normal waist, and a ball-jointed head. She looks pretty good, but obviously ankle joints and ball-jointed elbows would have been nice additions since, most likely, this is going to be the last Mara for another nine years. Her lightsaber's grip is really, really rubbery. Like, crazy rubbery. You might find some are greatly distorted on purchase, but they're pretty simple to straighten out. If you want a Mara figure, this is the best one your money can buy. That is, until the future, when Hasbro goes back to the well for another release.
Collector's Notes: There are a few Mara variants, but they're uncommon. The neck ball-and-socket was retooled early on, resulting in some figures being able to keep together easier than others. Also, this set has a variant lightsaber to watch for-- Mara sometimes comes with a green blade. I've never seen this in person, and would love to buy one.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 891: November 12, 2008
While nicely articulated (and lacking any glaring deficiencies like, say no elbows), I prefer the first Mara figure to this one mainly because... she's so ugly. She has a minor case of gigantism, and the sculpt really makes her look hideous. I understand we're talking about a face less than half an inch high, but yeesh. I'm glad I still have the old one.
ReplyDeletei did a fairly easy custom to this figure that greatly improved mara: swapped the head with GI Joe Covergirl and painted the purple bits black.
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