Recommended music: Ohana Bam – Rebels
It’s another snowy #StarWarsSaturday, and we’re still on the icy plains of Hoth during The Empire Strikes Back. Today, from the Hasbro Shadow of the Dark Side line, it’s the Anti-Vehicle Cannon!
EXT. HOTH – ICE PLAIN – SNOW TRENCH AREA
Rebel troops fire the dishlike ray gun while explosions erupt around
them.
EXT. HOTH – ICE PLAIN – BATTLEFIELD
Two walkers lumber toward the Rebel base as a speeder between them
explodes in a ball of flames.
EXT. HOTH – ICE PLAIN – SNOW TRENCH
The dishlike ray gun is hit by a laser bolt and instantly explodes.
…
Other than last week’s mention, the lines above are the only times ‘ray gun’ appears in The Empire Strikes Back script. For the vintage toy line, Kenner added a Radar Laser Cannon accessory to both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi packaging. The idea came back in 1996 with The Power of the Force 2 line, where the carded Deluxe Hoth Rebel Soldier included an Anti-Vehicle Laser Cannon that could fire a missile and explode.
Hasbro brought this accessory back in 2010 with the Target-exclusive Shadow of the Dark Side Defense of Hoth multipack. The set also came with the Laser Tower, two Hoth Troopers, and a new K-3PO.
In a significant upgrade from those previous two releases, this Anti-Vehicle Cannon is actually scaled up to work with your 3.75” Hoth Troopers, so they can look directly into the periscope without needing to stand on a box or other height enhancement. However, the accessory includes a power box that can be stood on for shorter figures, a power cable to connect it to the cannon, and a firing missile. The details have also been improved over previous versions, with more paint hits, a swivel base, and opening doors.
The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!
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