MAJOR MIANDA Scythe One TIE Fighter Pilot The Legacy Collection Battle Over Endor
Item No.: Asst. 97639 No. 21452
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #2 of 2
Includes: Pistol, helmet, 3 additional figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: January 2010
Appearances: Return of the Jedi
Bio: Bravery. Skill. Loyalty. These are defining characteristics of the starfighter pilots on both sides of the conflict at the Battle of Endor. Whether they are Rebels or Imperials, these elite pilots are all focused on the same goal: victory. They are deeply aware that they are deciding the future of the galaxy, and will do everything they can to complete their mission. (Taken from the figure's packaging. Note, there's no character-specific copy on the packaging.)
Image: The backdrop from the packaging.
Commentary: While the eight figures between these two sets seem all new, Major Mianda is the least notable of the bunch. At first glance we thought these pilots were new, but this one earns the "just different enough to make you mad" award of the set. The action figure is based on the 2009 Evolutions pilot, which was also packed with some vehicles. It is, however, slightly different-- the figure comes with a standard Stormtrooper blaster instead of the unique blaster that actually fits in the holster, and there's an added paint operation on the helmet. Right above his eyes, on the ridge, are five silver dots. This is what makes this figure different-- no joke. So if you're collecting them all, that's why you want this version: 5 tiny silver dots and a gun.
But is the figure any good? Sort of-- it's not bad, but it ignores one key fact. Major Mianda was established as not being a clone in Decipher's trading card game, which, on the whole, established a ton of names of previously unnamed characters. I'm not sure if I should file this into "retcon" or "Hasbro ignoring established albeit obscure information," but Mianda's head under the helmet is indeed a clone on the toy. I was expecting the figure to be using a different mold without a removable helmet, so I'm not sure if I should be thrilled it has a removable helmet or annoyed that they didn't spring the nickel to do it right.
For those of you who don't have all the TIE Pilots so far, this figure uses the body of the 2008 TIE Fighter pilots complete with ball-jointed knees, while the rest of the elements are based on 2008 and 2009 Evolutions figures. The figure's arms have ball jointed shoulders and elbows, swivel wrists, and a ball-jointed head. The figure is great for actually sitting inside a vehicle, and, frankly, we could use more TIE Pilots. Oddly, this mold has been released with various markings on the helmets but very few have been made that are just the standard all-black glossy design.
Collector's Notes: While still new, this set doesn't have a lot of history yet but it's pretty nifty-- the set includes Grizz Frix and his astromech droid, which should prove to be popular. You know, until fans get bored with it, that should be about a week or two.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 1,490: March 1, 2011
1 comment:
Without many changes, it's a lazy entry for a exclusive set. I realize they wanted pilots and astromechs, but a Mon Calamari crewman, a star destroyer crewman (even just the unreleased scanning crewman) or a recolored Major Panno would've been more appealling to me. I'm all for obscure "characters" getting made, but the pilots are getting old, especially given there's been no mass release (none exclusive) starfighters for the rebel pilots since...oh...2005?
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