On this #WhateverWednesday post from the archives, we’re still celebrating 25 years of X-Men with this Marvel Legends Wolverine!
This X-Men 20th anniversary version of Wolverine shows just one of the few upgrades that Hasbro has done from the old ToyBiz X-Men line. Hugh Jackman has been playing this character for a long time. It is rightfully so because “Deadpool & Wolverine” debuted to the sixth-biggest box office opening of all time around this time last year. It also had the largest ever opening weekend for an R-rated film.
While the ToyBiz figures that came out with the first X-Men film back in 2000 were fun at the time, they did have some issues, but I think Hasbro finally got these actors’ likenesses down pretty well.
This week is the 25th anniversary of X-Men hitting theaters in the US!
Recommended music: X-Men Main Theme [Note, this track goes with the X-Men animated series, as Michael Kamen’s film score wasn’t available to cross-post on Instagram – DM]
On this #SomethingElseSunday, we’re celebrating 25 years of X-Men on the big screen!
Yes, the Blade film, a couple of years earlier, technically took a Marvel comic book character and turned him into a box office success with that R-rated vampire flick. Still, X-Men really led the way for the modern superhero comic book film franchise.
The idea for a live-action X-Men film goes all the way back to Orion Pictures in the early 1980s. However, the film was in development hell for a decade, so the movie rights moved to Fox. Fox had seen success with its animated X-Men television series aimed at kids and sought to find the right director, writers, actors, and vision to make the franchise a success with adult audiences.
With a budget of around $100 million and a gross of around $300 million worldwide, the new century was sure to have a comic book film always present for summertime filmgoers for years to come. There have now been 11 X-Men films released in the past two dozen years, as well as crossovers with the three Deadpool films, and future films celebrating these characters and even the original cast with next year’s Avengers: Doomsday.
I thought rather than focus on a single scene from the original film, I’d add in my existing X-Men movie action figures to the original theatrical poster. Since I don’t actually have figures for all 10 characters featured here, you’ll have to read into the film tagline of “trust a few, fear the rest” as a few actor’s faces were not replaced with toys.😄 Hopefully, Hasbro will continue to put out more figures from this film, as many of the characters have not been covered since the original ToyBiz line and are in need of an update.
Tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of X-Men hitting theaters in the US!
Recommended music: Primus – Wynonna’s Big Brown Beaver
Coming at you this #StarWarsSaturday, we’re still inside Echo Base during The Empire Strikes Back. Today, from the Original Trilogy Collection, it’s Chewbacca (Escape From Hoth)!
INT. HOTH – REBEL BASE – MAIN HANGAR DECK
HAN Chewie!
The Wookiee grumbles a reply.
HAN All right, don’t lose your temper. I’ll come right back and give you a hand.
Chewbacca puts his mask back on and returns to his welding as Han leaves.
…
Han would not, in fact, come right back to give Chewie a hand. Yes, I had to go back a full 20 minutes earlier in the film from last week’s picture of Han working on the Falcon to get this shot, but I didn’t want to leave the Wookiee out of it.
Hasbro included this Chewbacca in the short-lived OTC line, which debuted in the fall of 2004 to support the Original Trilogy being released on DVD for the first time, and ended before the Revenge of the Sith line started in the spring of 2005. Unfortunately, this Chewie is a straight-up repack of the Power of the Jedi Chewbacca (Millennium Falcon Mechanic) from four years earlier.
The release had some decent accessories like the welding torch and RW-80 welding goggles (for safety’s sake). However, the sculpt on the figure is a real dud. I don’t mind that the goggles are a tight fit since Chewie is only seen holding them in the film. However, the lack of articulation is annoying when trying to pose the figure on top of the Falcon. There are seven swivel joints; however, Hasbro missed the left elbow joint and completely skipped articulating the knees. Finally, the “Escape From Hoth” moniker is a bit misleading, as it didn’t really feel like Chewie was trying to escape anything, just four minutes into the film.😜
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!
Moving ahead this #StarWarsSaturday from the archives, we’ve got another podracer pilot. From The Vintage Collection, it’s Mawhonic!
This figure is an unusual choice for TVC. He’s a straight-up repack of Mawhonic’s debut figure from the “Discover The Force” line from the year before. The head sculpt and detail on the body are great, but he is super short. I guess he fits right in as Sebulba’s rival, who is the first racer taken out during the race, and the figure is the same height as a young Anakin.
“And in the front row: Nearside pole position: Mawhonic!” ―Fode
The Phantom Menace turned 25 years old last year, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!
Recommended music: Huey Lewis and the News – Workin’ For A Livin’
“All right! That’s it.” For this #StarWarsSaturday, we’re back inside Echo Base on Hoth. Today, from The Vintage Collection, it’s Han Solo (Echo Base Outfit)!
As alarms begin to sound and rebel soldiers rush to their battle stations, Han rushes to do some last-minute repairs to the Millennium Falcon, so he and Chewie can escape Hoth as well, very similar to the last film if you think about it.
Released in the first wave of The Vintage Collection figures back in 2010, I can still remember this beautiful assortment of action figures swinging from the pegs. In fact, I can remember taking a picture of the display at Toys R Us with my (flip?) phone at the time, and staring at the screen while sitting in the best seats of my life behind home plate at Coors Field for a Colorado Rockies baseball game.
Even though I wanted them all, I don’t remember the circumstances of when I actually acquired this Han figure. It must have been a loose purchase, as I have no memory of owning his welding mask. A unique accessory to this release, I had to use a different accessory to stand in for the picture. He also came with a welding torch, but that was a repacked accessory from a previous Chewbacca figure.
The standout item from this figure, however, was not Captain Solo’s welding tools but rather his COAT. You see, Han wears this brown jacket very briefly in the film, and it should not be confused with the heavier brown (but remembered as blue) jackets seen elsewhere on Hoth. The Harrison Ford likeness is decent on this figure, comes with 14 points of articulation, and good gripping hands for working on the Falcon. While Hasbro missed a small detail of putting Solo’s rank badge on his jacket, the rest of the paint applications are great.
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!
Behold, this #StarWarsSaturday from the archives, we’ve got another podracer pilot. From The Saga Collection, it’s Dud Bolt!
This figure was released in 2006 on a single card packed with Mars Guo. It was rereleased six years later in a 5-pack of podracer pilots with minimal paint changes. For some reason, a rifle that originally came with Durge was included. His character does get a shout-out in the film and serves as a bodyguard of sorts for Sebulba until crashing on the last lap of the Boonta Eve pod race.
“And back again, it’s the mighty Dud Bolt with that incredible racing machine, the Vulptereen 327!”
Behind the scenes, the character’s name is a play on the term “deadbolt” and is one of two pod racer pilots who were practical puppets on the set, and not CGI.
The Phantom Menace turned 25 years old last year, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!
Recommended music: John Williams & Vienna Philharmonic – The Imperial March
Marching on this #StarWarsSaturday, we’re still looking in on the ice planet of Hoth. Today, from The Power of the Force 2, it’s the Hoth Battle playset!
After 20 whole minutes into The Empire Strikes Back, we take a break from what is happening with the Rebellion on Hoth, and finally get a full glimpse of the actual. Yes, there was an Imperial Probe Droid seen earlier, but I’m referring to full-on officers of the Empire and their boss, Darth Vader.
This scene is also the first full use of the track “The Imperial March.” While a barely audible version, played on a piccolo, technically accompanies the probe droids sent down to Hoth at the beginning of the film, this is the more familiar rendition of the theme. It’s easy to see why The Imperial March is also considered Darth Vader’s theme, as it recurs frequently when he is on-screen later in the film.
While I unfortunately don’t have the upcoming roster of Imperial officers in action figure form just yet, I wanted to touch on this scene before going into the whole Battle of Hoth. With the Imperial March booming from our speakers, we see Admiral Ozzel and Captain Piett discussing the visual information sent back from a probe droid in hopes of finding the hidden Rebel base. When Vader joins them and sees power generators on the screen, he is instantly convinced:
That’s it. The Rebels are there. – Vader
My lord, there are so many uncharted settlements. It could be smugglers, it could be… – Ozzel
That is the system. And I’m sure Skywalker is with them. Set your course for the Hoth system. General Veers, prepare your men. – Vader
The Hoth Battle playset from the POTF2 line was a callback to the vintage line, and at a bargain price point of just $14.99. It features a scaled-down version of what we see above ground during the Battle of Hoth. The set includes a rotating turret with a top hatch and a side door, a firing laser cannon, and ice bases that can be separated to change the look of your terrain depending on the size of your display or play area (as seen in the picture above).
The playset also features these undersized power generators with a large lever in front that, when pressed, makes the generators “explode.” While it’s a fun take on the scene, I really wish Hasbro would give us more points of view on the action around Echo Base.
The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old last month! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!
Recommended music: Johnny Clegg And Savuka – Scatterlings Of Africa
Coming at you this #StarWarsSaturday from the archives, we’ve got another podracer pilot. From The Legacy Collection, it’s Clegg Holdfast!
Holdfast is not just a racer; his backstory says he’s also a journalist for some reason. This TLC release is a decent figure of the character that was repacked in a set with other pod racer pilots. The repack still has the same oil splattered look, a blaster (is that for racing?), and no ankles.🤪
The Phantom Menace turned 26 years old as of last month, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!
On this blazing hot #StarWarsSaturday, we’re dreaming of chilling on the ice planet of Hoth. Today, from The Legacy Collection, it’s Chewbacca!
During The Empire Strikes Back, Han and Chewbacca head out into the snow to investigate the source of a strange signal. When Chewie’s growl causes them to be discovered by an Imperial probe droid, it immediately fires upon the pair. It only hits snow, but Han briefly returns fire, and the droid self-destructs. Unfortunately, this is just after the droid signals back to the Empire with the location of the Rebellion’s secret base.
This is the version of Chewbacca that was included in the Recon Patrol 5-Pack with Han and three droids. While the figure is a repaint of a great Chewy sculpt that debuted in the VTSC Early Bird Kit in 2005, it included a light amount of snowy deco in this release three years later. Hasbro did release a snow-covered Chewbacca a full decade earlier during the Power of the Force 2 line. That POTF2 release has a bit too much snowy deco and can’t really be used in any other scenes. Also, this TLC version is a superior sculpt with nine more points of articulation. It also features a much more accurate two-piece bowcaster as an accessory.
The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old last month! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!
For this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives, we don’t have just another podracer pilot, but instead have this pair of pod race announcers. It’s Fode and Beed!
This figure from the Power of the Jedi line corrects the version that was included in The Phantom Menace line just a year earlier. The TPM figure was not based on the likeness of the character we actually see on-screen. Instead, it was designed to reflect the character concept art. Besides the design change, the heads of the characters played by Greg Proops and Scott Capurro were on the wrong side of their body. The pair of comedians was originally filmed with makeup on their heads with the rest of their bodies in blue suits; however, the effect never worked convincingly, so Fodesinbeed Annodue became the completely CGI character we eventually see in the film.
“It’s Skywalker! The crowds are going nuts! – Fode and Beed
The Phantom Menace turned 26 years old as of last month, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!
Recommended music: George Daugherty and the The Sydney Symphony – That’s All Folks! (Merrie Melodies Theme)
Finally, this #StarWarsSaturday, from The Vintage Collection, it’s FX-7!
When Luke is rescued during The Empire Strikes Back and placed in a Bacta Tank to help heal his recently sustained wounds, it is the FX-7 medical assistant droid that monitors Luke’s treatment. You may also recognize them from providing health to an ailing player in the old Star Wars Battlefront video games.
While Hasbro released FX-7 in the Power of the Jedi line to provide a modern update to your 1980 medical droid team, they repacked it nine years later for this Vintage Collection “Hoth Rebels” 3-pack with Han Solo and a Hoth Rebel Trooper. While there are minimal changes to the paint from the previous version, you’ll likely never need an upgrade for the 3.75″ scale. The sculpt and paint application is solid, all 18 arms extend out and have an additional swivel joint, and the body and head rotate 360 degrees with a very satisfying clicking sound.
That’s all I’ve really got to say about FX-7, as I’m on vacation, and this medical droid is a satisfactory piece of my collection.
The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old last month! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!
Recommended music: Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock – It Takes Two
Today we’ve got another podracer pilot on this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives. From The Saga Collection, it’s Teemto Pagalies!
Hasbro put this figure out on a single card in 2002. It was then released again, 10 years later, in a 5-pack of podracer pilots with minimal paint changes. While the character is barely seen on screen, he gets plenty of back story in books and comics in doing things like being a heavy drinker, getting saved from bounty hunters by Qui-Gon, and buying a slave’s freedom with his pod racer winnings (where have we seen that before?)…😄
The Phantom Menace turned 26 years old as of last month, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!
Recommended music: Ville Vannemaa Cassiopeia – Bacta Tank Blues
Back at it this #StarWarsSaturday, from The Power of the Jedi line, it’s Luke Skywalker in Echo Base Bacta Tank!
After Luke is rescued during The Empire Strikes Back, he is placed in a Bacta Tank to help heal his recently sustained wounds. In the Star Wars universe, bacta is a magical fluid that treats injuries and speeds up the healing process, so dumping a medical patient into a huge tank seems to be the way to go.
Luke and the Bacta tank were released in the POTJ line way back in 2001, for what seems like a stellar price now – $9.99. Hasbro has yet to make this set for vintage-style figures, or Black Series scale, but you’ll never need another one as far as 1/18 scale goes.
While the Luke-in-his-bacta-diaper figure isn’t anything too impressive, it doesn’t need to be, and will look just fine if you decide to submerge him in water or any other clear bubbly liquid. Hasbro had the foresight to include a small hose so you can literally blow air into the tube to simulate Luke’s underwater breathing.
There is also a small platform attached to the tank that is meant for an FX-7 figure (who had yet to receive a modern figure at the time of this set’s release), though it is technically too far away for the medical droid to attach whatever he does to the tank as seen in his brief seconds of screen time. The Medical Diagnostic Computer [see last week’s 2-1B post] came from this set but should not be placed on the platform, even though that is what Hasbro showed on the package.😜
The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old last month! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!
Recommended music: The California Raisins – I Heard it Through the Grapevine (Live)
You heard right, it’s another podracer pilot on this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives. From The Vintage Collection, it’s Ben Quadineros!
“..There goes Quadinaros’ power couplings”🤪
Hailing from the Tund System, this is definitely one of the goofiest looking characters to grace the screen of anything Star Wars. It looks like a prune version of a California Raisin. It was also an alien that was mentioned quite frequently by film director and Star Wars fan, Kyle Newman, before the figure was made. The articulation on this figure is quite solid. This is fortunate, because I’m sure Hasbro will never bother to release him again.😄
The Phantom Menace has now turned 26 years old as of last month, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!
Recommended music: Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie – Tea For Two
We’re back inside Echo Base during The Empire Strikes Back this #StarWarsSaturday. Today, from The Vintage Collection, it’s 2-1B!
Following a rescue from the frigid blizzard conditions by Han Solo and Zev Senesca, Luke is placed in a Bacta Tank to help heal his recently sustained wounds.
This version of the medical droid 2-1B is labeled as The Vintage Collection having been released in the “Rebel Set” 3-pack with a Hoth Rebel Trooper and Hoth Princess Leia, it was actually a repaint of a FOURTEEN-year-old Power of the Force 2 figure from 1997. The paint on this version might have slightly more blue mixed in with the silver but is otherwise the exact same figure.
Even though this character was included in the vintage Empire Strikes Back line 45 years ago, it still has not received a modern update with elbows, knees, or ankles. Thankfully, the paint apps are good, he holds his Medical Diagnostic Computer just fine, and the design of the feet helps keep him standing upright in your Echo Base display.
The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old last week! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!
Dale's Toys 