BIB FORTUNA Galactic Heroes
Jabba's Palace Target Exclusive Gift Set
Item No.: Asst. 87389 No. 87446
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Cardboard display packaging, 8 additional Galactic Heroes
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: November 2007
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Bib Fortuna was a male Twi'lek from Ryloth. Bib served as a majordomo to Jabba Desilijic Tiure for many years. Considering he served Jabba for decades, it is unsurprising that few in the Galaxy hated the Hutt as much as he did—the Twi'lek majordomo had tried many times to have Jabba killed. A member of the Una clan, Bib Fortuna was friendly with many B'omarr monks in Jabba's Palace. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' photo studio.

Commentary: One of the weirder things about Hasbro's Galactic Heroes line is that they keep putting in odd throwbacks to the Kenner line. Bib Fortuna, for example, has a unique staff that was originally released with (and as far as I can tell, was created for) the 1983 Kenner release. The figure is pretty good-- it combined the movie design and colors with the squat, adorable, and in this case articulation-free. It's a wonderful collectible, and it's a pretty solid toy. The figure holds together well and seems pretty durable. Granted, all you can do is pick it up and move it around, but for the purposes of the Galactic Heroes range, that should be pretty sufficient. He has a blaster in one hand-- which I don't think he ever did in the movie-- plus a staff in the other-- which he certainly didn't have in Return of the Jedi. Still, he's a solid toy, he's got a nice mean face, cute little fangs, and generally looks better than Kenner's original toy. Heck, I think he's visually more interesting than the 2006 Hasbro figure, which was excellent, but I'm a sucker for these "heroes"-style figures that Hasbro does for all their big boys brands. (Except Joes, which they ought to change.) Bib's red eyes are cute, his blue outfit with dark robes looks nice, and there's really not much bad I can say about this figure. As a stylized version of one of the most recognizable aliens in Return of the Jedi, this is an excellent mini-figure. Get one if you can.

Collector's Notes: This set also features C-3PO (exclusive deco), Jabba the Hutt (exclusive figure), Luke Skywalker (exclusive resculpt), as well as Princess Leia, Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Nikto, and a Gamorrean Guard. Just Bib by his lonesome goes for about $3-$5 on eBay as he was only released in this exclusive set and, so far, nowhere else.

Day 642: February 7, 2008