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Latest Blog Posts: Princess Leia Organa (Boushh Disguise) (ROTJ 1983-84)    Today'sentry is Leia - wait for it - in bounty hunter Boushh disguise!Yes, for all you guys out there, this is a woman figure, but forfigures back then this was pretty darn good. Of course, when wefirst saw this character in the movie, everyone was trying to figureout who it was, until she started to free Han - that made it prettyobvious before she took the helmet off. It was also a little hardto believe a character as short as this was holding Chewbacca atbay. I mean, really? I was once told a Wookiee would tear your armsoff if they lost. Five reasons that this figure is still cool (despite being a girl): 1.The helmet. Not only is it removable and Leia's head is still inproportion, but if you want to pretend it's the real Boushh, you canjust leave the helmet on. 2.The helmet is packaged in a separate bubble on the card. It makesit look like it's floating above the figure's head, as if anointingher with a crown or some lofty purpose. Yeah, I know, weird reason,huh? 3. Blaster rifle.Holy cow - what other character carries a blaster that's as big asthem? No wonder Han marries her later (in the novels)! 4. This figure just makes it cool for boys to actually own a woman doll, I mean, action figure. Negative1: No thermal detonator. Although the later release of this figurein the 1990's had a thermal detonator, it was permanently built intoher hand. Oh, what a choking hazard we missed out on! Backstory: The novel and graphic novelsShadows of the Empireexplained what happened in between Empire Strikes Back and Returnof the Jedi (It was a big media blitz for LucasFilm at the time.Anyone remember it? Anyone?). A bounty hunter named Boushh waskilled by the crime syndicate Black Sun (led by Xizor, a wannabesuccessor to the Emperor) after trying to embezzle funds. His killerhappened to keep Boushh's uniform, which Leia took to wearing as adisguise in plot point of the story. She later used it to infiltrateJabba's palace and do a poor, but well-intentioned attempt at savingHan - although it is unclear if this went according to plan or notwith Luke coming and Lando already there. Boushhwas a member of a near-human race called Ubese, from Uba IV thatoften worked as mercenaries. Due to their secretive nature they oftenwore helmeted breathing masks, like the one in the film. Interestingtidbit: the same guy who did Leia's Boushh voice in ROTJ also didE.T.'s voice. No word though on why Boushhhadto be spelled with two "H's." I mean, honestly, who does that? Want more?Leia's Wookieepedia article.Boushh's Wookieepedia article. 122nd in alphabetical order  Princess Leia Organa (SW 1978-79)    Leia- the only human female action figure made from the whole freakin'trilogy - at least in the original 93 figure line. The Leia in whitecape came on the original Star Wars 12-back card, and an ESB andROTJ card. Her figure and card picture never changed with eachrelease, however. I don't know if it was true ornot, but this figure's neck always seemed skinnier than the rest ofthe figures, which is probably why I had a couple with no headsafter a while. She came with a skinny gun too, which must be modeledafter the one she shot a stormtrooper with right at the beginningof the movie (on the blockade runner ship that also showed up inRevenge of the Sith).After that you see her firing stormtrooper-issue blasters, whichalways seemed a little big in her hands. Considering how petite shewas, Natalie Portman was a good idea to play her mom. Why should you own this figure? Five reasons: 1. Take off the cape and you have the beginnings of that 70's disco diorama you've been dreaming of. 2.Those buns. I mean, what is with those buns? Am I only the only guywho, while watching the first movie, thought at the end, "So that'swhat she looks like with the hair down. She's hotter than Ithought!" 3. Her action figure looks a lot cheerierthan her character in the first one. Jeez, did someone blow up yourhome planet or something? 4. Waaaaaay better thanthe first Leia in white cape figure that came out with the new linein the 90's, also called "monkey-face" Leia, and for good reason. 5.Pair her with the Han in Bespin outfit and you have the topper toyour geek wedding cake. Let's just hope your wife doesn't getticked. Backstory: Watch the end ofRevenge of the Sithforthe beginning. She's born, mom dies, she's adopted by Bail Organaand his wife, raised on Alderaan, served in the Senate, kidnapped inStar Wars IV(the first movie), planet blown up, kissed her brother (twice),found out Luke was her brother, fell in love with Han, was touched byEwoks. In the novels after the movies, her and Hanhave twins (Jaina and Jacen), then a third child (Anakin). Sheserves as president (or the legal equivalent) in the new galacticruling body, and after she quits that she trains and becomes afull-fledged Jedi. Want her full story? Check outher Wookieepedia article 121st in alphabetical order  Power Droid (SW 1977-79)    Saying“Gonk” and walking. That was the big scene for the Power Droid inthe movie. A few different Power Droids are seen in the movies (well,in SW and ROTJ), but the model for the figure was probably the onein the Jawa sandcrawler. This figure comes withnothing. It came on SW, ESB, and ROTJ cards. It could, possibly,rank right up there as the most boring vintage Star Wars figure toplay with. Really. No accessories. Had almost no screen time. Wasnot pivotal – at all – to the plot. Boooooorrrrring. Still, I haveto convince you: Why should you get this figure? Five reasons: 1. Nothing says “gonk” like a Power Droid. 2. Surprise your manager with a Power Droid instead of an ink cartridge. 3. Mascot to the box manufacturers of the world. 4. Goes great with a Jawa sandcrawler. 5. Recreate a droid office party. The Power Droid is the guy no one talks to. Backstory: Themodel of the figure is most likely an EG-6, manufactured by VerilLine Systems. Other models in the films were the EG-4, and the GNK.They were basically walking batteries and served all sides. A PowerDroid can be seen getting tortured in Jabba’s dungeon in ROTJ. Want more?Its Wookieepedia article 120th in alphabetical order  PDT-8 Personnel Deployment Transport (ESB)    ThePDT, or Personnel Deployment Transport, was one of the fivemini-rigs made during ESB (there were more during ROTJ). These weresmaller vehicles that could be purchased more easily than most of thelarger vehicles that wereactuallyin the movies. A way to give kids more play without gouging their piggy banks. ThePDT had a couple swiveling small lasers, two open figurecompartments that had opening doors anyway, and two swiveling sideengines. The engines actually seem pretty oversized for the vehicle,but I’m no designer. Why should you own this mini-rig? Five reasons: 1. Small, white, sporty – like a VW Bug without the payments. 2.The picture on the package – what, are they going to put the droidsin and blow the thing up? What are they watching? What's the bigdeal? Is it FX-7's driving test? 3. Looks much likethat alien assassin’s ship from “The Last Starfighter.” Given thatthat movie came out in 1984, I would suspect they got a littleinspiration from this toy. I smell laaaaawsuit! 4. The ridiculousness of an open-cockpit ship on Hoth? C’mon, get it just for that! 5. A sweet ride. Backstory: Sinceit is white and pictured with Hoth figures, presumably this wasused by the Rebellion at Echo Base. This is still conceivable sincethere is much of the base never shown on film, and the galaxy is abig place. It could, theoretically exist in the Star Wars universe,even if we've never seen it used. Wookieepedia article (not much else here) 119th in alphabetical order  Patrol Dewback (SW)   Greenand with attitude - no, I'm not talking about the Incredible Hulk,I'm talking about the Patrol Dewback! This iguana-like creature wasseen in the first movie while the stormtroopers were looking for thedroids on Tatooine. Do you think riding the Dewback was the preferablejob, or being on foot? The dewback camewith a removable saddle and harness. To put the figure in the"saddle" was really to put it in a collapsible panel on its back. Theharness made it look like there were legs straddling the beast. Movethe tail back and forth and the head would do the same. TheDewback only came in a Star Wars logo box, but also came out with a"Collector Series" emblem in 1983. The box is hilarious, like akeystone cops caper. Luke and the gang are conspicuously hiding out,and peeking, behind a sand dune. All the stormtroopers are looking inthe same direction - directly away from the gang. Afterthe Special Editions of the original films, where a CG Dewback wasinserted in the original, the figure was re-released with aSandtrooper with bendable knees, and the Dewback had a more lithephysique. Why should you own this figure? Five reasons: 1. Basically, it's like having your own iguana, without having to worry about it pooping on your shoulder. Or moving. 2. Freak out your own iguana. If you have an iguana. You freak. 3. How many riding animals can you get for your original figures? It was pretty much a tauntaun and this. 4. Humiliate your stormtroopers - "Who gets to march behind the Dewback today?" 5.Give the dewback the respect it deserves - let it languish in yourtrunk for 20 years until your forget what in the hell it is. Backstory: Dewbacks,native to Tatooine, got their names from the dew that wouldaccumulate on their backs overnight. In packs of 2-5 they would lickeach others' back in the morning. Many Tatooine inhabitants used theseanimals as packs animals and as food sources. They usually came ingreen, but could also have shades of red , brown, gray, and blue.Dewbacks were cold blooded, and thus very sluggish if still active atnight. Their use as domesticated animals was often because of theirability to rebel sand fleas, unlike the hairy Tatooine bantha. Want more?Its Wookieepedia article 118th in alphabetical order  Paploo (ROTJ 1983-84)   Yes, eventually I had to post another Ewok. Like I’ve mentioned in previous posts, and I’ll reiterate here, small figures like this cheesed kids like me. I just felt like it was less bang for the buck, you know? At least give us a large accessory to make up for the figures, um, shortcomings. A spear, a bow – no. Paploo comes with a ‘battle staff’ which looks suspiciously like a walking stick or a crutch. Paploo came on either an ROTJ card with Anakin offer (the ghost-of-Anakin figure was a mail-away before he was carded) or a POTF card. The photo on the card was actually of another Ewok, Romba. In the Ewoks animated series the characters Teebo and Paploo got mixed around, so they had each others names. When will people ever learn that all Ewoks do not look alike – this is an urban myth! Why should you get this furry figure? Five reasons: 1. Recreate the scene where he steals the speederbike (yes, it was this Ewok), except this time he tragically runs into a tree. 2. That Ewok Village playset needs all the Ewoks you can get, or else it might as well be a Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves playset, and we wouldn’t want that. 3. The fur was more realistic than that slicked-down Chewbacca figure. 4. With only 8 Ewok figures in the original line, you have to get them all for the playset, the Glider, the Catapult, and the Ewok Battle Wagon. Crap, they had a lot of vehicles! 5. Paploo vs. Jawa. Two little guys enter, only one makes it out alive. Backstory: As mentioned in my top 5 list, Paploo was the Ewok that stole the speederbike and distracted the Imperials. How such a primitive creature figured out how to start, let alone drive a speederbike is beyond me. I don’t think I could even drive Harley-Davidson and I have a clue! Paploo also temporarily replaced Chief Chirpa when they thought the village was cursed because of the arrival of the Imperials. In ROTJ Paploo was played by Kenny Baker, who played R2-D2, and was scheduled to play Wicket. However, he was sick the first days of shooting, so Warwick Davis took his place. You may have also seen Kenny Baker as Fidget in the movie Time Bandits. Want more?His Wookieepedia article 117th in alphabetical order  Nikto (ROTJ 1983-84)    Nikto was another of Jabba’s many generic bodyguards during the events of ROTJ, although it should be noted that Nikto is the name of the species and not an individual. There were at least three distinct ones during the events of the movie, and the figure is based on only one. Nikto came with the same “battle staff” thatBaradaand Yak Face (not released in the U.S.) came with. He also came on both an ROTJ card and a POTF card (rarer), which seems like kind of a cheat for Kenner since there were probably more deserving characters for the POTF line than this one. Why should you get this figure? Five reasons: 1. The wholeKlaatu,Barada, Nikto thing (see below). 2. If you’re lucky enough to get the Tatooine Skiff (very rare), than you have to get this figure. 3. That Sarlacc Pitt isn’t going to feed itself you know. 4. Necessary for your Jabba diorama for 1st grade show and tell. 5. Necessary for the Jabba diorama you try to hide from potential girlfriends. Backstory: Niktos are from the planet Kintan, which was bombarded by radiation from a nearby dying star. This caused more rapid evolution than normal, so there are at least 5 genetically-compatible subspecies existing on the planet. They all have the leathery skin and little facial muscles in common however. About 25,000 years before the Battle of Yavin, the Hutts discovered the Niktos, living in fear because of the rise of a cult. The Hutts eradicated the cult, earning the loyalty of the Niktos. For the next 25,000 years the Niktos had little involvement in the galaxy as a whole because of their dedication to the Hutts, including Jabba who employed several up until his death. Nikto's name came from the phrase "Klaatu barada nikto" said in the movieThe Day the Earth Stood Still. Want more?His Wookieepedia entry 116th in alphabetical order  Nien Nunb (ROTJ 1983-84)    Nien Nunb is one of those figure no one seems to know what to do with. Do I take Han and Chewbacca out of the seats of the Millennium Falcon and put Lando and Nien in, or do I let it be? If not, what else do I do with him? Have him celebrate in the Ewok Village afterwards? Nien came with a blaster pistol - the same one as the Imperial TIE Fighter Pilot. He only came on an ROTJ card, since he really wasn't POTF-worthy. He has no problem fitting into the cockpit of the Falcon, mainly because it was built for a Wookiee. Nien was originally offered as a mail-away, but like all the other mail-aways from the original line he was eventually put on his own card. Why should you get this figure? Five reasons: 1. Make up your own subtitles for what he says to Lando: "Your general's cape really shows your feminine side." 2. Re-create the scenes where he keeps telling people he's not related to the other Sullustan in the Rebellion. 3. That blue vestsoaccentuates that red jumpsuit. 4. He's got balls for adjusting Chewie's seat. 5. At least he didn't start wearing clothing he found in the Falcon right away, like Lando did at the end of ESB. Backstory: Nien worked for the SoruSuub corporation until they joined with the Empire, then he began stealing and smuggling from them. He eventually hooked up with Lando, who later brought him into the Rebllion riding shotgun in the Falcon while making the run on the second Death Star. His home planet is Sullust, and he has one sister named Aril. Lando later had him runnign spice operations on Kessel. In ROTJ, he was actually a puppet, and not a small person in a costume. That's why he was so articulated. He was voiced by a student from Kenya who just used his native language of Haya. His full Wookieepedia entry 115th in alphabetical order  MTV-7 Multi Terrain Vehicle (ESB)    MTV, eh?The release of the MTV-7 was in 1981.MTV the network started August 1, 1981.Coincidence?Who copied who?The world may never know, but I do know this: the MTV-7 has as much relevance to music as the other MTV does today.Go ahead –tryto find a video on there. MTV stands for “multi-terrain vehicle.”Pretty generic, but it is a nifty little mini-rig from ESB.It is a one-man (or woman – sorry Leia) cockpit with a rotating blaster on the front, two roller wheels and springs that allow you to lower and raise the cockpit in relation to the ground.If you pushed it down and let go fast you could make it jump a little bit. Realistically, the “tires” would be pretty crappy on real snow and ice, but it’s a toy so I’ll let that slide.It was a cute little vehicle (yeah, you want all your Star Wars toys to be cute) and cheap, so enjoy! Why should you buy this vehicle?Five reasons: 1. Cheap mini-rig – extra vehicles for you to play with. 2. The closest SW vehicle to a monster truck.Enjoy, redneck sci-fi fans! 3. Give a snowtrooper a break – this is the only vehicle they let him drive. 4. The only SW vehicle that can do push-ups. 5. One of the SW vehicles you’ll let your younger siblings use (you keep the good ones hidden). Backstory: Not in any of the movies, but wholly created by Kenner, the MTV-7doesshow up in some of the material written about Blizzard Force, an elite Imperial cold-climate squad. Wookieepedia entry(short) 114th in alphabetical order  MLC-3 Mobile Laser Cannon (ESB)   The MLC-3 is supposed to stand for “Mobile Laser Cannon” and was one of Kenner’s many mini-rigs. It maneuvers on treads (wheels) and has two laser cannons that move in tandem, up and down. The cockpit has a transparent bubble to see through. Basically, it looks like a small, white tank. Why should you own this vehicle? Five reasons: 1. C’mon – how many tanks can you get from the Star Wars universe? 2. Small, cheap, fits a figure. 3. Two large-ish guns! Yeah! 4. With that bubble, looks a lot like some retro-future design that would look great as a decoration. 5. Could double as a G.I. Joe tank for Snow Job. Backstory: Never seen in the films (because Kenner made it up) but it can probably be considered part of the Star Wars universe. It did appear in an issue of the Marvel Star Wars comic. However, vehicles like this would usually have repulsorlifts instead of treads, and “laser cannons” are being generous. Guns this small in the SW universe are usually blasters, and lasers are usually on larger things. It could also be taken as just a lower tech vehicle that the Rebels had to work with. ItsWookieepedia entry 113th in alphabetical entry  Rating
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