LUKE SKYWALKER Spinning Base!
Power of the Forice Epic Force Figures
Item No.: Asst. ??? No. ???
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Base spins
Retail: $14.99
Availability: 1998
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Blah blah blah Luke blah blah Force blah blah an amazing secret revealed blah blah hand cut off. (Taken from the set's box.)

Image: Adam's toy room.

Commentary: Kenner did a lot of experimentation, and the 1990s was really great to allowing them try out new things with the insanely hot Star Wars license. This Luke Skywalker figure was part of a line which was birthed out of a package concept-- someone at Kenner said "wouldn't it be cool to have a way to see a figure rotate in the packaging?" People at the company agreed, and they went ahead and deployed this new package style on a larger scale figure, more of a statue than a toy, and surprisingly well done for its time. The figure is screwed (or glued) down to the base, which has a rotating wheel which causes the figure to "spin" in the package, allowing you to essentially play with the toy without opening the box Later figures would also incorporate movement in the limbs, but Luke here just spun around and looked neat.

The figure itself had limited (OK, basically no) articulation and the entire figure's selling point was that it was bigger, with better paint applications and more detail than his smaller, more muscular counterparts. This roughly 6-inch figure had a decent likeness of Mark Hamill, and I have to say that with a little paint it'd probably look stunning in today's marketplace. Both hands are posed holding the lightsaber, looking ahead to an uncertain future with a battle against an unseen opponent. Cool, eh? The outfit isn't damaged-- like so many Bespin Luke figures are-- so it's a nice piece to add to your collection, if you want a nice display item. In a world of 3 3/4-inch figures, some of these sublines really stand out nicely. Get one of these for your desk at work.

Collector's Notes: This line, essentially an ancestor of the fan-favorite Unleashed line. One key difference is that fans didn't much like this range. The entire Epic Force line, despite having some fairly hard-to-get figures, is pretty much worthless-- many of which showed up on closeout, like Luke here. You shouldn't pay more than five bucks for him, but he's actually pretty neat. Unlike Unleashed figures, these have stronger designs and are less prone to falling over due to heat and/or gravity. This is something that really stands up well to the test of time, while my Unleashed Pilot Luke leans to the left a little. The line itself is a forgotten piece of the past, odds are if you weren't collecting from 1997-1999, you never even heard of it.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 754: May 29, 2008