ODY MANDRELL with Otoga 222 Pit Droid
Episode I Collection 3
Item No.: Asst. 84105 No. 84117
Number: n/a
Includes: Removable Helmet, Pit Droid, CommTech Chip
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Summer 1999
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: For unbelievable speed and hair-raising action, there is no better sport than Podracing. At the Boonta Eve race, Ody Mandrell's luck runs out during a pit stop when a pit droid gets sucked into his massive engine and shot out the back. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelf.

Commentary: With Episode I, fans assumed that we would quickly see the entire selection of Pod Racers and Jedi Masters in short order-- after all, with such rich designs and nifty concepts, surely Hasbro would release all of Ody Mandrell's associates, right? Wrong. Other than Ody, Hasbro only made figures for Sebulba and Gasgano (and Anakin) during the film line's initial run, with others trickling out over the past couple of years. They were good figures and a decent value-- Ody has excellent detailing, lots of color, and six points of articulation. Oh, and a second figure packed with him. While the character received little screen time and no real Expanded Universe stories of note, he's distinctive, colorful, and quite the chatterbox. The figure sold fairly well at first, which is a good thing even though it's one of the lesser figures to come out of the Pod Race sequence. It's excellent, you should get one.

Collector's Notes: Who knew this is pretty much where Hasbro would draw the line? After Ody, a carded Sebulba would follow in Power of the Jedi. And then there was Teemto Pagalies in 2002... and then you don't see much for a while. The bulk of Episode I product is now dirt cheap, so if you want one, it's not going to cost you a lot. (MORE IMAGES)

Day 187: November 9, 2006