PROFESSOR DATA

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION (PLAYMATES)

Oh wow, more Star Trek?  So soon?  Could that possibly be right?  It seems it is.  And, when it comes to Star Trek figures specifically in my collection, a very surprisingly high percentage of it is Data, something I’ve touched on in the past.  Data’s incarnation of the franchise, Next Generation, was kind of drowned in finales and wrap-ups, but the first wrap-up, within the show proper, was “All Good Things.”  It gave us a glimpse into a possible future, and brought with it the potential for new variants of the main characters, which is something toy companies love.  And me personally?  I gotta have that Data!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Professor Data was released in Playmates Star Trek line in 1997.  He was after the line had switched over to one more all-encompassing set-up, though his set did include a handful of other “All Good Things” figures.  Since two of Data’s three looks in the finale were just general designs from earlier in the show, they went with his extra future-y, dressed down, professor garb.  The figure stands about 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 12 points of articulation.  He’s got all the traditional articulation for the line, for better or for worse.  His jacket further restricts the waist and hips, but it’s honestly not much of a loss.  Professor Data uses the standard Data head (since Data doesn’t actually age the way the others do, he’s supposed to just look the same).  He’s got a new body sculpt, which has some kind of off proportions, not uncommon for the line.  He does seem particularly wide and squat, and his arms seem a touch long.  In general, he also feels a little boxy.  He’s also a bit devoid of texturing, which is a shame.  That said, he fits right in with everything that Playmates was doing at the same time.  His color work is decent enough.  The hair line’s a little sloppy on my figure, but that’s the only notable issue.  I actually really like the pattern on the jacket.  Professor Data is packed with a display stand, as well as a tray, teapot, teacup, and decanter, all in a dark blue.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This guy holds the record for the longest I’ve searched for a Star Trek figure.  Admittedly, it was really just him and the Gorn that were really on the list, and I managed to get Gorn a while back.  I’ve been looking for this guy since some time in the early ’00s, and I just never managed to find him.  I don’t know why, because it’s not like he’s crazy rare or anything, but I just never seemed to land in front of me or be in the collections I was looking through.  Thankfully, a large Trek collection came through All Time last year, and I finally had the chance to snag one.  He’s goofy, and a bit silly, and perhaps not the greatest Data, but I’m quite happy to finally have him.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.