HAN SOLO Endor Raid
Power of the Force Collection
Item No.: Asst. 84851 No. 84880
Number: #0237
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Includes: Blaster, charges
Action Feature: Quick-Draw Action
Retail: $4.99
Availability: Summer 2002, 2005
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy room. Version shown is from the Rebellion vs. Empire Battle Pack from 2005.

Bio: Raised by his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru on their Tatooine moisture farm, young Luke dreamed of being a pilot for the Rebel Alliance. He realized his destiny after being saved from the Tusken Raiders by the mysterious Obi-Wan Kenobi, who told him of his past and began to teach the boy the ways of the Force. When the Empire killed Luke's family, he and Kenobi set off to find Princess Leia, whose message hidden inside the droid R2-D2 beckoned them to join the Rebellion. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: Over the years, Han Solo has had dozens of action figures. Some of them are even great. Getting Han Solo's head correct has been a problem for the ages. In the original Kenner line, they made two different head sculpts for the first figure, neither of which was really great. This continued for years, and while some aren't half bad, this 2002 release wasn't much of an improvement. The face doesn't really look much like Harrison Ford, and the semi-translucent-ish quality of the plastic used on some of the figures didn't help. His awkward pose only got worse with the added "quick-draw action," which causes him to twist and sort of draw his blaster when you push a well-hidden piece on his belt. The mechanism was very nicely integrated, but the actual action feature basically sucked. Han has a working holster, and two suction cup "charges" which may stick to a flat surface, if you're lucky. The figure holds together nicely, but not as well as he should, and the various gimmicks prevent him from being much more than a vehicle for the ill-fated feature. Don't buy this one unless you have to.

Collector's Notes: Popular, this figure is not. Initially released in 2002, it was seen on blowout at Kay-Bee Toys and other stores in 2003 and beyond. It's really important to make a good, fun toy and apparently fans of all ages were turned off by the awkward pose, bad sculpt, and iffy action feature. Despite the unpopularity, the mold was reused in 2005 to create a Battle Pack focusing on trilogy characters in the midst of the Revenge of the Sith marketing blitz.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 776: June 20, 2008