PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA All-New LikenessPower of the Force Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 69570 No. 69824
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, Rifle, Freeze Frame Action Slide
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: Summer 1998
Appearances: Star Wars
Bio: Held captive in the Death Star, the princess is interrogated by Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin. Leia was ordered to reveal the location of the secret Rebel base or see her home planet of Alderaan destroyed. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)
Image: Adam Pawlus' place.
Commentary: While I'll never be 100% certain, it seems like the development of this Princess Leia Organa figure sprang up from two things in 1995. One, that the 1995 Princess Leia took a severe beating from fans despite being a huge seller due to her, shall we say, handsome features. Two, a mail-in figure from Kellogg's-- Han Solo in Stormtrooper Disguise-- was supposed to include a double-grip Stormtrooper blaster as an accessory. Kellogg's would not allow a gun with their cereals, so that was not to be.
So! Three years later we got this figure, who has hands posed to grip a double-weapon and an entirely new sculpt which throws out the proportions and features of the original, save for some very basic elements. Under her gown, she doesn't seem to have pants on (as seen through the cut on the side) but she does have big white boots. Not knowing what's supposed to be under there, I can only assume this is correct, or a brazen attempt to tart up this otherwise fairly modest get-up. She can no longer sit, but she seems to have little problem standing. Her hands are posed specifically to fire a gun, and she looks best with the double-grip Stormtrooper blaster. She does, however, look just fine with her normal sporting blaster.
By the standards of 2010, she looks good, but not as crisp and generally realistic as later releases. She does, however, look like a fine Kenner action figure from the 1990s. Sadly, it was around her release where the designers began favoring aesthetics far over play value, so if you want a Leia that can sit down this isn't it. The main reason to buy this figure today is as an evolutionary step in the line, or for the gun for Han Solo-- who has also since been upgraded and replaced. I like it, but if you're new to the hobby and cutting corners this may not be the best Leia you can buy.
Collector's Notes: Since you may be able to stumble on her for a few bucks, well, why not buy one? She's not rare and as far as I know was only released in this configuration-- no multi-packs or anything. For cheap, she's worth grabbing, but I wouldn't advise dropping more than original retail on her alone.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 1,314: June 28, 2010
4 comments:
" as far as I know was only released in this configuration-- no multi-packs or anything."
Wait...as far as you know?! I thought you were an expert on crappy 90's Star Wars figures.
Crappy she may be, Bravo, but she's still the Go-To Leia in every one of my dioramas. Yes, I have a Saga Vintage in packaging on the wall, but her face is painted like a 14 year old hooker.
DO I want a better one? Yes. I want like, 7 of them. IS there a better one? No,'fraid not. Not yet, anyway.
And when they finally get around to updating what is easily the most identifiable human head in all of Star Wars, can I have some articulated Tarkins that look like Peter Cushing, too? I'm sick of lopping the heads off the old ones to put on the new ones.
I haven't held this figure in my hands in 10 years, so I was speaking in general terms.
I lost interest in Leias when they scaled them down to accurate scale, which means that Leia comes up to Vader's knee cap. I'll take "heroic" license over what looks like placing a M.A.S.K. figure next to a He-Man figure (exagerrating, of course).
Maybe we can petition Hasbro to make a Monkey Leia Hockey Team battle pack.
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