ALPHA-17 CLONE COMMANDOSThe Legacy Collection Wal-Mart Exclusive Evolutions
Item No.: Asst. 87874 No. 91518
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blasters
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.96-$24.96
Availability: August 2009
Appearances: Rogue Leader comic books
Bio: Elite commandos conduct fierce battles and covert operations from the earliest days of the Clone Wars to the final days of the Galactic Empire. The lethally effective Alpha (Alpha-17) accompanies Jedi generals on missions and trains clone troopers on Kamino. Fi Skirata (RC-8015) serves as a team medic in Teroch Squad and Omega Squad, easing tensions with his sense of humor. Storm commandos receive special training to fight the Rebel Alliance; also called shadow scouts, they wear dark armor that deflects light and energy. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)
Image: Adam Pawlus' floor.
Commentary: While the Evolutions packs started as a way to get what was once unusual-- "Vintage"-quality figures with 14 joints and superior detailing-- the line dwindled down to being mostly repacks and repaints, and not a place to find new and exciting designs. The line's final wave was exclusive to Wal-Mart, and later Ross, where we got figures like Alpha-17. By this point in the line, he was the 6th figure to make use of this body, and while they did add a new head sculpt it's not like a new slightly-different Clone Trooper head under the helmet is going to sway fans to buying a figure that may look similar to one, two, or three they already have.
The articulation is great, and the design is starting to show its age at this point. The frayed, blowing-in-the-wind plastic "skirt" piece is no longer unique and the gauntlet which is connected to the pauldron is just a little awkward, hindering movement. It's still a nice figure, but the character of Alpha appeared in dozens of comics-- and not once in red armor. An illustration from the Star Wars Insider once showed him in red, but as fiction goes, I don't really place a high level of importance on drawings made to accompany prose-- they don't seem to be subject to the same approvals as the comics do. As a stand-in for Fordo, it's an OK figure-- but now that we have a real Fordo, you can probably let this one go.
Collector's Notes: Since being dumped at Ross stores, the set lost a little bit of its gee-whiz factor. Still, the price shot up-- it's now $20-$30. When it first came out, several Wal-Mart stores had it mispriced at as little as $12.96.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 1,648: October 7, 2011
Yeah, Alpha actually was promoted to Captain as opposed to being a Lieutenant (hence him wearing different armor and having different markings.)
ReplyDeleteAnd, this Evolutions Pack was also sold at K-Mart stores before being "leased" to Ross. But what really puzzles me, is that this set was a shelf-warmer! It was/is an AWESOME set!