Tag Archives: 90s

#4047: Han Solo & Tauntaun

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

HAN SOLO & TAUNTAUN

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (KENNER)

Okay, so the coin reviews are officially done, which means I have to look at something else for these weekly Star Wars reviews.  Oh no, whatever shall I do?  Perhaps I’ll do a bit of wrap-up on some of the other sub-lines of Power of the Force I haven’t yet finished?  Back in November, I looked at the last of the creature sets I had in my possession, but, aha, I still had one I *didn’t* own yet.  Guess what I own now.  Did you guess the last creature set?  Because that’s what I was hinting at. Anyway, here’s Han Solo and the Tauntaun!

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Han Solo and Tauntaun are one of the 1998 Creature sets from Kenner’s Star Wars: Power of the Force II.  They served as a rather logical follow-up to the prior year’s Luke and Tauntaun, as well as a companion piece to the Luke and Wampa from the same year, wrapping up the three Empire-based Creature sets.

HAN SOLO

Hey, it’s Han Solo in his Hoth gear.  What a classically well-selling figure.  What’s that?  Oh, it’s not?  Wow.  Yes, the single carded Han in Hoth gear is rather infamously one of the worst selling figures from the red card days of PotF (which is why he’s one of only two red card figures that was never re-released on a green card), so there wasn’t exactly a rush to get another one out there.  But, it’s not like you can really pair the Tauntaun with a Han that’s not in the Hoth gear, so their hands were sort of tied.  The figure stands 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 8 points of articulation.  Like the Luke with the Tauntaun, this figure aims for “actually able to sit on the Tauntaun” by adding a pair of knee joints to the articulation set-up, which is quite nice.  Beyond that, he’s actually quite a bit different from the single-card release.  The single decided to have his hood pulled down, revealing the cold-weather cap that he’s wearing but that is never actually seen in the movie, which was an odd choice.  This one reverses that, pulling the hood back up, allowing for a more screen accurate appearance.  His detailing is also far sharper on this one, a very nice shift from the very soft sculpt of the single.  Even the paint is improved, with a bit more accenting to the fur lining of the hood, as well as changing the color of his goggles to the more proper yellow.  Han is packed with a single blaster pistol, same as all the other Hans.

TAUNTAUN

Hey, it’s Han’s Tauntaun.  “Hantaun” if you will.  Will you?  I will for sure.  I feel like I can’t be the first one to come up with that, right?  Unless everyone’s just been distracted by the “Luke warm” joke and never moved any further.  This figure represents the main reason for the set’s existence, since the aim was to address that the vintage line treated the two Tauntauns as pretty much the same, while this line wanted to handle the two designs distinctly.  Also, easy way to re-use a lot of tooling.  From the neck down, it’s the same as the prior Tauntaun.  It’s perfectly fine, and that’s an okay sculpt.  About the only downside, really, is that you don’t get the morbid “slice open the guts to stick Luke inside” feature of the original, but I guess that’s okay.  The new head is rather similar to the original, but now it’s got two unbroken tusks, as opposed to Luke’s.  Yay, it’s different!  Also, the paint is a little different, too.  Not a lot, but enough that you can notice.  Noticeably different paint!  Yay!  Also included with this figure is the rein, which is the same piece from the Luke set.  It’s a good, standard piece, and it’s kind of hard to mess that up.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I’ve kind of known for a while that this set would be one of the last pieces I’d get from this line.  Because the single Hoth Han and the Luke and Tauntaun set were both rather rough sellers, this one wasn’t exactly ordered in high numbers, and didn’t really get much coverage at retail, making it one of the few genuinely scarce PotF items.  As such, you don’t really just buy it, because it’s rare enough that asking prices tend to be high.  I’ve been keeping my eye out for a not stupidly expensive one consistently since November of last year, and I finally managed to line it up a couple of weeks ago, which quite excited me, I’ll tell you, since it’s become a minor grail for this collection.  In hand, it’s maybe not that different than what came before, but the minor tweaks add up to quite a fun little set, and one that also retroactively makes me appreciate the Luke and Tauntaun set just a little bit more as well.  The creature sets are an interesting mix of genuinely impressive and just sort of phoned in, which is pretty accurate to Power of the Force on a larger scale, I suppose.

#4046: Lieutenant O’Neill

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

LIEUTENANT O’NEILL

SEAQUEST DSV (PLAYMATES)

“Name: Tim O’Neill

Rank: Lieutenant J.G.

Assignment: Communications Officer, seaQuest DSV 4600

UEO Military ID#: LB668-7749-AP5

Security Access: A1C

Date of Birth: May 25, 1992

Character Profile: Shy and introverted. Mild demeanor. Polite and earnest. Inquisitive nature and tenacious work habits led to success as problem solver. Overcame severe claustrophobia to serve aboard submarines.

Personal History: Model student from East Lansing, Michigan, until becoming cadet at Annapolis. Navel Academy Graduate 2013. Earned Master’s Degree in advanced language studies. Fluent in 6 different languages. Completed Submarine Training at Pearl Harbor Base. Original seaQuest crew member 2014.

Mission Specialty: Responsible for overseeing all aspects of seaQuest communication transmissions and receptions with other below surface sources, and with upworld entities.”

One of the rather unfortunate things about SeaQuest was how much of the cast it lost over its three year run.  Only three actors made it from start to finish (well, technically four, since Frank Welker voiced Darwin the whole time, but he was only credited as “special vocal effects”), and one of them, was Ted Raimi (brother to director Sam Raimi) as Lieutenant JG Tim O’Neill.  Though more on the minor side in the first season of the show, O’Neill still got a figure in the short-run of the line, which worked out well in the longer run, given his increased presence as the show continued.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

O’Neill was released in the one and only series of Playmates Toys’ SeaQuest DSV line from 1993.  As noted in the intro, O’Neill’s arguably one of the more minor characters to get a figure, at least going by the show’s first season, but he did get a proper focus episode rather early on, and, more than likely, was also chosen because the glasses help him look a bit different from the other crew members.  The figure stands 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 14 points of articulation.  As with the rest of the line, O’Neill gets a totally unique sculpt.  The head is a fairly decent likeness of Raimi.  The hair’s maybe not quite how he wore it for most of the show, but it’s close to the pilot look, which certainly influenced the figures the most.  The glasses are a bit thick and clunky, but far from the worst, and I appreciate that they went for a separate piece.  O’Neill’s body sculpt once again show’s Playmates’ dedication to bringing some extra character into how each of them wore their uniforms, with O’Neill’s being the most uptight and rigid set-up of the crew released.  O’Neill’s color work is pretty much on par with the rest of the line.  It’s generally pretty clean, and he gets a nice little splash of red on his collar, which is neat.  O’Neill is packed with a Stun Gun, SeaPoc, Personal Audio Link, a rather sizable Communications Away Pack (befitting his status as the communications guy), a display stand, and a small rubber Giant Deep Sea Cephalopod.  Perhaps the only thing really missing here would be some sort of headset, given how frequently O’Neill sported one during his time on the bridge, but otherwise, not a bad batch of extras.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

O’Neill represents the first SeaQuest figure I bought as an adult, or at least got as an adult, since it was purchased on my behalf.  My parents found a whole set of them at an antique store shortly after I’d started college, and I got a text asking if I wanted an O’Neill, which, well, yeah, I did, since he’s my favorite crew member of the figures released.  So, he got to be one of the figures that sat on my dorm room desk for the better part of that year, which is I suppose pretty cool for him.

#4044: Spider-Man with Real Web-Shooting Action

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

SPIDER-MAN with REAL WEB-SHOOTING ACTION

MARVEL SUPER HEROES (TOY BIZ)

“Spider-Man gained his amazing powers when he was bitten by a radioactive spider! Now he’s super-strong, super-athletic, and able to crawl up any wall! Not only that, but he’s got an amazing “spider-sense” that warns him of trouble before it happens. To help him catch criminals, Spider-Man invented a secret weapon — web shooters that shoot out webbing at lightning speed. In fact, the webbing is so strong that it can trap even the toughest super-powered enemy! ”

Though typically more of a solo hero, Spider-Man’s spot as Marvel’s top super hero has frequently been leveraged in the world of merchandising as a way to get the other heroes in the door, rather than jumping straight to just the Spidey-exclusive stuff.  This was especially evident with Toy Biz’s early run with the license, where their main Marvel line was still very heavily leveraged on Spidey.  The first assortment of Marvel Super Heroes just had one Spidey and one antagonist for him, but as the line progressed, both the web-slinger and his nemeses became more plentiful.  Here’s one of the first “variant” Spider-Man figures, quite a novel thing at the time.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Spider-Man with Real Web-Shooting Action was one of two Spidey variants in Series 2 of Toy Biz’s Marvel Super Heroes line.  Since the figure in Series 1 was a bit more general purpose, Series 2 focused on recreating specific powers via gimmicky action features.  The figure stands just under 5 inches tall and has 7 points of articulation.  At this point in the line, Spidey was still operating on the same articulation scheme as everyone else.  Likewise, he’s using a variation of the Series 1 molds for the character, which also have a lot more in common with everyone else in the line than they do later Spider-Men.  That means he’s rather chunky, oddly proportioned, and very stiff.  None of that really adds up to the ideal sort of Spider-Man.  This is especially notable on the head, which is small, has a very long, but also very thick neck, and just generally doesn’t look like any notably incarnation of Spidey’s quite distinctive mask.  He does at least have the benefit of losing the obvious suction cups present on the original figure’s hands, so his left hand is now just a flat hand with noting attached to it.  Unfortunately, to facilitate his action feature, his right arm is totally straight, at an odd angle in relation to the rest of the body, and his hand permanently has a big whole in the front of it.  Also, his hand is in a fist, as opposed to, oh, I don’t know, maybe the very distinctive pose his hand is usually in when he’s shooting web?  Weird choice.  His color work is…fine.  Much like the sculpting, it’s kind of weird and off kilter, and the web lines of the costume don’t really line up with usual depictions of his look.  Also, it’s very fuzzy on the lines, which makes the whole thing look wonky.  In accordance with his “Real Web-Shooting Action,” Spidey includes missile with a rubber “web” attachment on the front.  Look, I don’t want to split hairs here, but, umm, that’s not a “real web-shooting action.”  Because a missile isn’t “real” web.  So, you know, weird choice of words.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The MSH Spider-Men are an interesting and eclectic bunch of figures that generally all look very similar and are easily confused.  Also, they all have completely different selections of accessories that don’t really correspond with the main figure, which can be extra confusing.  Several years ago, a bunch of the MSH figures got traded into work, and there was a bag specifically of Spider-Men, which I of course grabbed.  This was the only one in the bag that was complete.  It’s not a great figure.  it’s not even a good figure.  You might call it a bad figure.  But, it’s also one of the first Spider-Man variants, and so it’s neat and sort of quaint.  Earnest, perhaps.  So, we’re gonna let it have that.

Flashback Friday Figure Addendum #0073: Chewbacca

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Flashback Friday Figure Addendum and tagged with , , , ,

CHEWBACCA

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (KENNER)

Oh-ho-ho, it’s Fridaaaay, you knoooooow!  Would you believe…I’m talking about Star Wars again?  Probably?  I mean it does sort of track, right?  Yeah.  Well, with another week successfully made through, I’m capping things off with a return look at Chewbacca!

“As Han Solo’s partner, Chewbacca the Wookiee (or Chewie, as Solo calls him) distinguished himself as a talented pilot, starship mechanic and smuggler. After being rescued from Imperial slavers by Solo, Chewbacca pledged a life debt to the rogue pilot and followed him to several different planets as their relationship grew and the two became close friends and partners. When Solo acquired the light freighter Millennium Falcon, he and Chewbacca began their career as intergalactic smugglers. Chewbacca’s reputation as a brawler gave him a distinct advantage in shady business negotiations, and it was he who initiated the deal to transport Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker from Tatooine to Alderaan.”

Okay, so here’s something of an odd thing that slipped through the cracks of my review schedule: somehow, in all of the Power of the Force reviews I’ve written here on the site, I’ve managed to leave one single figure from the initial assortment un-reviewed for far longer than I realized. I speak of today’s entry, the line’s first take on Chewbacca, who has thus far escaped my reviewing focus. Not to worry, dear reader, I’ve got him all set for today, so lets take a look at this crazy monkey man who really isn’t a monkey man!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Chewbacca was, as noted in the intro, part of Kenner’s first 1995 assortment for their revamped Power of the Force line. He joined standard versions of Luke, Han, Leia, R2, C-3PO, Obi-Wan, Vader, Lando, the Stormtrooper, and Boba Fett in bringing Star Wars back to toy shelves for the first time in over a decade. This would mark Chewy’s second time getting a 3 3/4-scale figure, following his old vintage release, placing him in the same category as Vader, the Stormtrooper, and Boba Fett. The figure stands 4 inches tall and he has 6 points of articulation…technically. There’s a neck joint there, but best of luck really getting any sort of motion out of it. This guy got an all-new sculpt, which would serve as the basis for Chewy’s Shadows of the Empire figure as well. Chewbacca’s vintage sculpt was definitely on the scrawny side of things and…well, this one definitely goes for the other end of the spectrum. Way on the other end of the spectrum. This guy’s like two of the vintage guy. Chewy may have been bigger than the other characters, but he wasn’t a body builder like this one. He falls into a similar category to Vader, who was likewise a little on the small side for his vintage release, and then ballooned way up for his ’95 figure. It’s downright goofy looking, and ends up making Chewy look a lot more simian than he did in the films, especially with that less shaggy, more carefully groomed appearance he’s got. At the very least, the texturing on the fur isn’t too bad, though the bandolier isn’t quite so lucky; it looks stretched to fit Chewy’s new bulk, and ends up missing out on some of the better detail work of later versions. The major details are there, but not much beyond that. Chewbacca’s paintwork is fairly decent, perhaps the best of the initial batch, in fact. He actually gets some nice accenting on his fur to give it its proper variations in color, a definite step up from the vintage counterpart. Chewbacca was packed with both his usual bowcaster and also a more generic and definitely very ’90s gun, just in case one wasn’t enough for him.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Part of the reason Chewbacca got overlooked for review is because he kind of got overlooked in my collection, too. As I mentioned in my Bounty Hunter Chewbacca review, that was my standard, and quite frankly, my go-to Chewbacca as a kid. I didn’t actually have a basic Chewy; he was one of the figures that was in the batch of figures my Grandmother had for me and my cousin at her house. It meant I got to play with one, but it wasn’t ultimately mine. When the figures got split up between us, Chewy went with my cousin, and I never thought much about it, having moved onto better Chewbaccas. When filling in my collection, I actually forgot about this figure, until managing to find one loose a couple of Christmases ago while on vacation. I then forgot I had that figure and hadn’t actually reviewed it until I took it down off the shelf for the photo that ended my recent C-3PO review, at which point I got him onto the schedule as soon as I could. And, here we are. He’s not great, or anything. He’s goofy and not very accurate, but also not as fun as the Bounty Hunter Chewy, so he’s just sort of here.

Poor Chewbacca, the overlooked figure.  I actually forgot about that bit, but it’s a late 2020 review, so I’ve forgotten a lot of what I was writing during that stretch of time.  Each addendum from that period’s like a fun little mystery!  Honestly, it’s not a bad review, and I think it tackles the weird, overly simian Chewy from the early line pretty well.  I just looked at the mold again for the coin release and…well, it’s still very goofy.  I mean, I love it, but it’s goofy.  My figure was missing his wonky secondary gun when I first reviewed him, something I’ve since addressed, so here he is in all his two-gun-wielding glory!

#4043: Snowtrooper

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

SNOWTROOPER

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (KENNER)

Dear readers, we’ve finally arrived, after a seven week stretch, at the end of the Power of the Force coin reviews!  As noted last week, the last few of these are the ones that don’t really have as much in the way of new to offer.  While the seven figure set was heavier weighted on the heroes side, there were two “villains.”  I already looked at Emperor Palpatine, but there was a trooper in the mix, specifically of the Snowtrooper variety.  Why “snow?”  I got no idea, but why question it now.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Snowtrooper is the seventh and final figure in the Toys “R” Us-exclusive “Millennium Minted Coins” line-up from the Star Wars: Power of the Force II line, released in 1998.  This was the line’s third and final Snowtrooper, following the single and the deluxe.  The figure stands 4 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation.  The Snowtrooper’s sculpt is a straight re-use of the single release mold.  It’s kind of restricted in its movement, but generally a reasonable sculpt.  It’s accurate to the design, if perhaps a bit soft on the detailing.  So, what’s the thing that makes this worthwhile?  The paint, of course!  The original release’s paint was fine, but ultimately inaccurate to the source material.  The deluxe release had a more accurate layout, so this one matches that.  It’s the sort of thing that you aren’t likely to notice on its own, but side by side it’s a notable change-up.  Like the single release, the Snowtrooper is packed with a medium blaster rifle.  He also includes the required Millennium Minted Coin, which rather amusingly refers to him as “Hoth Stormtrooper” so as to keep its accuracy to the vintage release, despite the box calling him “Snowtrooper.”

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Count this figure as yet another on the pile of “didn’t really think I’d need it” when I started collecting the line, since it’s pretty similar to the others.  I got him because I didn’t have him, but wasn’t expecting much.  So, I gotta say, he’s actually a pleasant surprise.  The new paint’s not drastic, but it’s a change, and it’s ultimately a better figure for it.  Of the three Snowtroopers in the line, this one’s probably my favorite.  And that’s a wrap on the figures with the coins.  This set was one I didn’t think much of when I went in, and I was honestly kind of expecting them to be kind of lame.  While they’re totally a fairly hollow cash-grab, I found it to be a surprisingly nifty set of figures.  The coins are actually cool, and all of the figures do feel at least like a minor step-up from the single releases.

#4040: Green Goblin

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

GREEN GOBLIN

MARVEL SUPER HEROES (TOY BIZ)

“Green Goblin is one of Spider-Man’s oldest and deadliest enemies. With his jet-powered Goblin Glider, mayhem-making pumpkin bombs and his terrifying cackling laugh, Green Goblin spreads doom, destruction and panic wherever he lies. When it comes to making Spider-Man’s life miserable, nobody does it better than Green Goblin. What makes him so terrifying and so hard to capture is the fact that there’s no rhyme or reason to Green Goblin’s crime sprees. No one, not even Spider-Man, can predict what he’ll do next!”

Last week, I discussed the rotating “nemesis” duties of Doc Ock and Green Goblin.  With Norman Osborn dead for almost 20 years by that point (and still a couple of years off from a resurrection as well), and Harry mostly retired from the role, Goblin was rather out of the spotlight when Toy Biz launched their Marvel lines in the ‘90s, hence Doc Ock serving as Spidey’s main antagonist in the debut assortment.  Even in death/retirement, you can’t totally ignore Green Goblin, though, so he made his way into the next assortment, with a figure I’m looking at today!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Green Goblin was released in Series 2 of Toy Biz’s Marvel Super Heroes line, which hit in 1991.  This was Goblin’s fourth time in proper figure form (following his 8-inch Mego, as well as the Comic Action and Pocket Heroes figures at the smaller scale), and the first of a handful he’d get during Toy Biz’s run.  He’s in his classic attire, because at this point, there wasn’t much variation at all for the character, even across three different people occupying the mantle.  As such, it could really be Norman, Harry, or even, if you’re feeling especially obscure, Bart Hamilton.  Because somebody needs to show poor Bart some love.  The figure stands just shy of 5 inches tall and has 7 points of articulation.  On the movement front, it’s worth noting that his right shoulder’s a bit restricted by his action feature, which allows him to throw his pumpkin bomb.  You can still get it to hold poses with some doing, but it’s a little more work.  Goblin’s sculpt was totally new to him, and would remain unique to this figure….which is probably for the best.  It’s a wonky sculpt, for sure.  It’s playing more into the cartoony and exaggerated side of the character, and it ultimately trades all of the potential menace for looking weird.  He just ultimately looks goofy.   I do like the texturing on the scales for his arms and legs (though personally I do find them to end up looking a bit busy when compared to the figure from the Animated Series tie-in), but his proportions are super weird, with a very narrow (and high) waist, very wide hips, and arms that are different lengths.  His right hand is contorted into some sort of odd flipper thing, meant to hold the pumpkin bomb, but it doesn’t quite work out very practically.  There are two variations on this sculpt, in a similar fashion to Thor, with or without a lever to launch the arm action.  Mine is the one without, which looks a bit nicer.  His color work is perfectly fine.  Nothing particularly crazy, but he does all the things he’s supposed to, and the application is mostly alright, apart from some slight slop around some of the edges.  Goblin is packed with his glider and a pumpkin bomb.  They’re both nice enough pieces, but he can’t very easy hold the bomb, and there’s not really a way to balance him on the glider without it falling over.  But, for just playing around, it’s not bad.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The only Green Goblin in my collection in the ‘90s was the Famous Covers one, which is honestly one of that line’s stand-out pieces.  I eventually got a 5-inch Goblin early in the ‘00s, courtesy of a sale at a comic store, but that was the Animated Series one.  That one’s honestly pretty fantastic, and I had no real need to track down this one until I got more into properly completing the run.  This one’s rather new to me, as I got him late last year in a larger batch of early-run Toy Biz figures.  He’s not great, but also, I think he’s got more quirks to him than last week’s Doc Ock, so I ultimately enjoy him a bit more.  The Animated one is still the definitive take, but this one’s an interesting stepping stone to better things.

Flashback Friday Figure Addendum #0072: Beast

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Flashback Friday Figure Addendum and tagged with , , , ,

BEAST

X-MEN (TOY BIZ)

Hey, we made it to Friday again!  Alright!  I’m so proud of us!  We just keep making it happen!  Yay!  …Look, I hope no one finds the Friday pep-talks too off-putting.  I figure we could all use a bit of a regular pick-me-up these days.  I certainly can.  Today’s pick-me-up comes in the form of a guy who certainly possesses the strength to actually pick me up, because it’s Hank McCoy, aka The Beast!

“Blue-furred and boisterous, the Beast’s monstrous exterior conceals the fact that he possesses the mind of an articulate, well-read genius! Ever ready to answer the call should either man or mutant be in peril, the Beast employs both his dexterous digits and his scientific skills as a member of the X-Men.”

The ’90s X-Men line-up was a pretty sizeable, even just going by the cartoon’s more paired down version of the cast, which for a burgeoning toy line can be a slightly daunting prospect. It took several assortments to make their way through the main cast. Founding member Beast was a later addition, though certainly not the latest. I’m taking a look at that figure today.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Beast was released in Series 6 of the Toy Biz X-Men line. Aside from the cartoon-creation Morph, he was the only X-Man proper in the line-up. The same figure would subsequently be re-issued as part of the “Classics” line-up which put out all of the main cartoon cast in one assortment, and then again as part of the Marvel Universe line. The three figures are essentially identical, and it’s worth noting that my figure comes from the “Classics” release. This figure’s sculpt would also serve as the inspiration for both the 10-inch and Steel Mutants figures. The figure stands just over 5 inches tall and he has 11 points of articulation…in theory. In reality, it’s more like 7, because his action feature makes the joints at the knees and ankles effectively useless. Said action feature is dubbed “Mutant Flipping Power” and means that there are springs in his knee and ankle joints, which are supposed to allow him to flip. In my experience, it was never a very reliable feature and just made it rather hard to keep the figure standing. Tied into the feature was this weird switch thing on the figure’s back, for which I’ve never figured out the purpose. His sculpt definitely follows that early ’90s look for the character, at his most bulked up and monstrous. Nevertheless, he’s still got that sophisticated Henry McCoy expression on his face, as if he’s contemplating the moral quandaries of his current heroic endeavor. The rest of the sculpt is surprisingly smooth for such a hairy guy, especially when compared to other, similarly textured characters from this and surrounding series. I can only guess they were going for more of a stylistic thing on Hank. The figure’s pretty light on the paint front, with most of him being just molded in a light blue. There’s a bit of paint for his shorts and belt, as well as his eyes and teeth. For whatever reason, his eyes are solid yellow; he’s gone back and forth between having pupils and pure white eyes, but the yellow’s more of a Nightcrawler thing usually. Beast was packed with a suction cup-sporting bar to hang from, which was cool enough, though the suction cup long ago fell off of mine.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I don’t actually recall much about getting this figure. I think he was one of those “my Dad got one and then I also wanted one” figures. I certainly would have wanted him for the purposes of filling out my X-Men line-up. He’s an okay figure. The action feature gets in the way here more than on most Toy Biz figures, which can be annoying, but his sculpt’s fairly decent, and he definitely fit with that toon aesthetic. 

I reviewed this one at the tail end of 2019, and it’s another one of those ones kind of lost to the blur of that period of time, so I remember very little about actually writing it.  Seems like I generally did alright by him.  Since writing this review, looking at card backs for the figure reveals that the weird flippy thing on his back is *supposed* to aid in his whole back-flip ability.  It doesn’t, but it’s supposed to.  At the time of review, I had *most* of my figure’s primary accessory, his bar with attached suction cup, but it was missing the suction cup, which felt important, so I found a replacement.  The Classics re-release (which was the one I had) also gave him GW Bridge’s machine gun for…reasons. Also, the back of the box showed him with Apocalypse’s staff, and the packaged images I’ve found online don’t have it, but I’ve got way too many Apocalypse staffs in my possession to have come from my Apocalypse, and I do recall my Beast including one, so I’m leaning towards maybe there was a running change?  Or, perhaps I’m just crazy.  Maybe I’ve just been unknowingly stealing other people’s Apocalypse staffs this whole time.  Wouldn’t be the weirdest thing I’ve done.

#4039: Bespin Han Solo

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

BESPIN HAN SOLO

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (KENNER)

As I make my way through the home stretch of the Power of the Force coin reviews, I’ve officially passed the figures that really offer anything actually new, so, you know, that’ll be a ton of fun, right?  Right.  Since one of the aims of the subset of the line was new variants of the franchise’s heavy hitters, it’s no shock that all three of the central trio were present.  I’ve already looked at two of the three, so today, let’s round out the trio with Han Solo!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Bespin Han Solo is one of the seven Toys “R” Us-exclusive “Millennium Minted Coins” set from Kenner’s Star Wars: Power of the Force II line, released in 1998.  While Luke and Leia were both sporting their Endor gear from Return of the Jedi, Han breaks up the theme by being based on his main look from Empire, which is a twofer, being from a different movie, and also being his main look, not a specific variant.  The figure stands 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 6 points of articulation.  Structurally, he’s pretty much identical to the main line release of Bespin Han.  Honestly, that’s not awful.  Apart from the fact that the head sculpt doesn’t really look like Han, it’s past the crazy bulky proportions of the earliest sculpts in the line, and generally looks the part.  The only issue with this particular release is that he can’t stand particularly well, so he needs a stand to keep him upright.  Color wise, he’s again pretty much the same as the single release.  Apart from the jacket being the wrong color (a forced error mandated by Lucasfilm’s licensing in the ‘90s), the paint work is pretty well handled, and fairly cleanly applied.  Paint is also the one distinguishing point for Han’s blaster accessory; though totally black in all other releases, this one gets a bit of silver paint at the front, which is a fun change-up.  He also includes the requisite Millennium Minted Coin, as well as a display stand, which is especially helpful, given his troubles with standing.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Like the Chewbacca figure from a few weeks ago, this figure wasn’t really on my list until very late in my Power of the Force collecting, given just how similar he is to both the standard and Cinema Scene releases.  Ultimately, there’s not a ton going on with him that’s not going on elsewhere, but the added paint app on the blaster is honestly a pretty cool thing, even if it’s kind of small.  I do appreciate there being *something* different to justify another purchase if you’re the sort of crazy person buying them all.

#4038: Lucas Wolenczak

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

LUCAS WOLENCZAK

SEAQUEST DSV (PLAYMATES)

“Name: Lucas Wolenczak

Rank: Non-UEO Personnel

Assignment: Cheif Computer Analyst, seaQuest DSV 4600

UEO Military ID# CIV07-2000-ZZ2

Security Access: AIC/Unlimited access to ship’s computer systems.

Date of Birth: February 28, 2002

Character Profile: Genius level IQ matched with typical teenage emotions. High-energy. Impulsive. Curious. Fun-loving. Has father/son relationship with Captain Bridger. Close, mutual bond with ship’s dolphin, Darwin.

Personal History: Need for acceptance and approval caused behavior problems in school. Led to singular focus on mastering computers. Difficulties due to parents’ divorce, frequent changing of schools because father’s business, and boredom created by superior intelligence. At father’s request, assignment aboard seaQuest “arranged” by Admiral William Noyce to provide sense of discipline. Developed Vo-Corder Communicator used by Darwin and hologram program for main computer.

Mission Specialty: Responsible for programming and troubleshooting all ship’s computer systems – including weapons CPU’s, navigation, engines, and central computer. Utilizes innovative and unorthodox solutions outside UEO computer procedures.”

This Monday, the 13th of April, would have been the 50th birthday of Jonathan Brandis, known for amongst other things, his role as prodigy Lucas Wolenczak on SeaQuest DSV.  I didn’t actually know this when I put this review on the schedule a couple of months ago, but it’s fitting, and perhaps give this intro a bit more focus than it might have otherwise had.  Brandis was one of only three actors to remain with the show for its entire run, and also became a breakout star for the series, as well as something of a teen idol during the show’s run.  Though unquestionably a central piece of SeaQuest, and a huge part of what success it had, after the show’s run, Brandis struggled to find steady work, resulting in major bouts of depression (which, in more recent years, was also believed to be worsened by an undiagnosed bipolar disorder), and, ultimately Brandis’s death by suicide in the fall of 2003, at the age of 27.  It’s an undeniably sad piece of history for a show that tried to be so very optimistic for the future.  I know this is just a silly little toy review site (okay, that’s kind of a lie; it’s helped me through more than a few dark times), but it’s important to note what a toll the realities of the world can take on some of us, and how all we can really do is try to take care of ourselves to the best of our abilities.  And perhaps, try to look out for those around us who may be struggling.  In the words of Michelle McNamara, Patton Oswalt’s late wife: “It’s chaos; be kind.”

Anyway, that’s my serious moment here on the site, now I guess I’ll go back to being a silly little toy review site, and take a look at this Lucas Wolenczak figure.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Lucas Wolenczak was release in the only series of Playmates’ SeaQuest DSV tie-in line in 1993.  Lucas was one of the most obvious choices for the line, as effectively the show’s secondary lead in the first season (and effectively it’s primary lead by the end).  Lucas was also noteworthy for being the only member of the main cast *not* to be sporting the standard black jumpsuit, making a nice stand-out visually.  The figure stands just over 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 14 points of articulation.  His movement is the standard for the line, so it’s quite good, and superior to what they were doing with Trek at the time.  His sculpt was all-new, and would remain totally unique to him.  The head sculpt is a strong recreation of Brandis’s likeness, especially in the face.  The hair is perhaps a bit more tame than it was in the show, but that’s consistent with the other figures in the line, and really just goes along with the transition to action figure.  Below the neck, Lucas is wearing an outfit that I don’t believe he ever actually wore on the show.  He’s got a wetsuit with shorts, some water shoes, and a denim jacket thrown over it.  In the first season, Lucas usually just wore civilian attire, always very ‘90s, which might not have been very exciting, I suppose.  As it stands, this is a look that, even if it’s not one from the show, feels like it’s something Lucas might wear, so I ca dig it.  Lucas’s paint work keeps him removed from the others, with a bit of actual color, specifically some rather lovely green.  I particularly like the jacket, and how it’s got an actual denim sort of pattern to it, as well as a pretty cool “UEO” insignia on the back.  Lucas is packed with a PAL (Personal Audio Link), SeaPoc computer, mammal vo-corder, EVA Skindiving mask, Spear gun, and a display stand.  The tech is all sensible enough, but the spear gun does seem a tad out of place.  Also included is a small rubber hammerhead shark, for those that enjoy small rubber hammerhead sharks.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Crocker was the one I got during the actual run, and Bridger I got shortly after, and Darwin was sort of luck of the draw.  Lucas?  Lucas is a figure I actively searched for.  I didn’t get him new, but my dad did, and I was pretty well obsessed with that figure.  Unfortunately, I got to the age where I could properly enjoy the show in mid-2003…which was not a great time for finding a Lucas figure.  I was 11 at the time, and my Nana died the same year, and I recall that Brandis’s death was hard on me as well.  I didn’t know him (though my dad did, having run a con with him as a guest in 1994, and would share stories about working with him), but it still felt like losing someone important, in the context of being an 11-year-old who’d also just lost a grandparent.  It took me about a year or so to find a Lucas figure that wasn’t very expensive, but I did, albeit loose and without his accessories (those I got later).  As with the rest of the line, he’s rather a nice figure.  One has to wonder if the line had taken off, if there might have been many more Lucas figures.  That might have been cool.  But this one’s quite nice.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.

#4036: Dr. Octopus

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

DR. OCTOPUS

MARVEL SUPER HEROES (TOY BIZ)

“Mankind beware! Dr. Octopus is an evil scientist who will stop at nothing in order to become the ultimate crime lord! With his suction-cupped tentacles, Dr. Octopus can climb almost any smooth surface. And with his two-grasping tentacles, he can lock onto any object with a merciless, unbreakable grip of steal!”

Throughout Spider-Man’s history, Dr. Octopus and Green Goblin have spent quite a bit of time circling each other as Spidey’s primary nemesis.  In the ‘70s, when Mego offered up the first proper figures of Spider-Man and his associated rogues, it was Goblin who got the nod, but by the ‘80s Secret Wars line, Goblin was dead, so Ock made his figure debut.  Since Goblin was still dead in 1990, when Toy Biz took over the license, it was Ock who once more got the nod as Spidey’s first antagonist in Marvel Super Heroes.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Dr. Octopus was released as part of the first series of Toy Biz’s Marvel Super Heroes line in 1990.  This was Doc Ock’s second figure, and first under Toy Biz’s tenure.  He’s sporting Ock’s classic costume from the ‘70s into the ‘80s, which disappeared from the comics the same year this figure was released.  It was the only time Toy Biz released this look during their 5-inch run.  The figure stands just under 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation, as well as four bendy arms for the tentacles.  Ock’s sculpt was all-new, and unique to him.  It’s in the same general style as the other early line figures, taking a bit from Toy Biz’s DC Super Heroes line and its Super Powers influence.  It’s…not one of the strong sculpts from the early run.  His body shape is just sort of odd; Ock is usually depicted as a little on the heftier side, but here he’s just weirdly shaped, not like an actual person.  His arms are very long, his shoulders are very narrow, and his hips are very wide.  Also, he appears to have boobs?  The head is rather large, and it’s ugly, but not really in the way that Doc Ock is usually ugly.  He just looks really malformed.  The tentacles are at least a bit better.  It’s hard to screw up the basic banded metal look, and they didn’t, so good for them.  The front two have pincers for gripping, and the back two have suction cups.  They can’t hold him aloft, but they can aid in keeping him standing, which is honestly pretty nice.  Ock’s paint work is basic, and not anything crazy.  The hair is red, which seems wrong, and coverage is spotty in a few places, but it generally gets the job done.  Ock doesn’t get any accessories, but with the tentacles, he feels like a pretty equivalent value to the other figures in the line.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

As a kid, I found myself between releases of Doc Ock, having missed this one and the initial cartoon release.  I never really had any particular attachment to the character, at least until Spider-Man 2 came along, so the figure from that line would have been my first Doc Ock.  I got this one about five or six years ago, when he got traded into work with a bundle of other Marvel Super Heroes figures.  He’s not great, if I’m honest.  A lot of these earlier Toy Biz figures have a certain charm, but Ock’s not one of them.  The tentacles are cool, but the figure attached to them is *rough.*