Questions for June 22, 2005
Q&A Archive

1
Hey, Mark. (That must be a really convenient name for this job.) I have a couple of questions. Are the Evolutions figures going to have any lame action features? I'd prefer it if they didn't...that way, we won't need a Collection 2 Vader, Anakin or Darth Sidious.

And could you guys over at Rebelscum kind of get a list going of things the fans would like to see next, to give to Hasbro at Comic Con? Personally, I'd love to see an Obi-Wan Kenobi (Episodes Two through Four, preferably) Evolutions set, and a Collection 2 Mace Windu would probably be neat. I think the cannon-firing Yoda doesn't have an action feature apart from the cannon, though I could be wrong. (Yeah, I uh, don't like the action features too much.)

And I'm just curious on this one: how rare are Battle Droids and C-3P0's near where you live? I can't find a single one at any of the three Wal*Marts I've been to. (Plenty of Super Battle Droids, though.) I am going to TRU on Monday, so I might be able to find one there...at a higher price, of course.

Do the lightsabers that come out of their hilts aggravate you as much as they do me and my sister? They keep breaking off in the hilt! -Doug the H-Nut

Based on what we saw and were told at Celebration III, the Evolutions figures would be more like the Vintage OTC figures; heavy on articulation and detail – no action features. Aside from wanting a single carded version of these figures, you’re absolutely right; the Evolution sets should negate the need for Collection 2 type versions of these particular characters.

We’ll certainly be asking Hasbro about future sets at Comic Con, as well as running various polls on the site related to the line. Between all that, hopefully they get a clear picture of what fans would like to see next.

I see both 3PO and Battle Droids on occasion, but I don’t see them hanging around for very long. You may have better luck at Toys ‘R’ Us, but that’s likely a factor of the fact that they are priced slightly higher.

Yep, the two-piece sabers can be quite aggravating, especially so when the blade refuses to sit straight in the hilt. Other than permanently gluing them in place (or in your case back together) it’s something we’ll just have to get used to.


2
I have heard debates over who Anakin's father is, and I myself am not sure. Either it's Darth Plagueis or it's Palpatine, I know that, but who was it that really "created" Anakin? When Anakin is talking to Palpatine in one of their one-on-one scenes, Palpatine calls him SON. Does that mean Palpatine is his father? Did Anakin know this already, or did he not catch it when Palpatine said it?

It’s interesting that Lucas would throw that part in regarding Plagueis’ ability to manipulate the Midichlorians into creating life. It certainly calls into question whether Anakin is the “Chosen One” we thought he was or not. Unfortunately that little hint/tidbit is just kinda thrown out there and not really answered. For better or worse, at least as far as the movie goes, this is totally left up to our interpretation. Does Palpatine believe Anakin to be one of Plagueis’ manipulations? If indeed Plagueis did ‘create’ Anakin, he would have had to have been alive some seven years prior to The Phantom Menace; not exactly enough time for his story to become a “Sith legend.” Yet, you definitely get the felling from Palpatine, in his telling of Plagueis’ death, that he had a hand in the Sith Lord’s demise but… Again, as far as the movie is concerned it’s all a bunch of loose ends; the only possible explanation we’ll ever see will be within the expanded world of novels and comics and frankly there are those that buy that and those that refuse to. I like to think that Anakin is the ‘Chosen One’ foretold by the Jedi prophecy and that Palpatine corrupts and twists him into the Dark Lord he becomes. In my mind, that make the story all the more tragic, and his redemption in Return of the Jedi that much more meaningful. As for Palpatine referring to him as ‘son,’ I think that’s just a form of familiarity not intended to infer a familial connection.


3
Do you think that a wave of Unleashed could ever come out with Luke and Han as Stormtroopers and Chewbacca in Binders that could all be connectible a la ANH? I think that would be really cool. Also I was wondering if they might come out with an "old" Obi-wan, Alec Guiness style? Have you heard anything??

I would be mighty impressed if Hasbro developed an assortment of Unleashed figures based on the Cell Block Rescue. Luke and Han in their Stormtrooper gear (with removable helmets or alternate head sculpts of course), and Chewbacca half out of binders and firing away with that huge blaster… Maybe this is one of the ‘big’ things they referred to in Indianapolis; we’ll just have to wait and see. Still no word on a classic ANH Obi-Wan, though I have to imagine they will get around to it eventually. If they do start pairing up certain figures, they’re sure to touch on the classic duel aboard the dreaded Death Star. One thing for sure, it would make a nice display next to the current set of Anakin and Obi-Wan from Revenge of the Sith.


4
It was mentioned in 'Question Mark' #161 about how Hasbro probably wouldn't make a Padmé figure as part of their next line because it is not directly related to the action of the film. Well, even if it isn't action related, making another Padmé would be a fantastic idea, for one reason: the first Padmé figure, I believe it was #19 on the line, had a terrible head sculpt and I know I'm not the only one to think that. Some collectors I am friends with are as well frustrated with the fact that #19 looks nothing like Natalie Portman. Isn't that at least a good enough reason to create another Padmé?

Well, Hasbro did follow up their Attack of the Clones Arena Padmé, but it was with a similar version of the same figure (sans action feature) and it was released the following year. Considering they did a nice job on the rest of the ROTS figure, I doubt Hasbro would be that quick in releasing a second Mustafar Padmé, just to address a likeness issue. Because of the audience they feel they have in a movie year, Hasbro tends to stack the deck towards the action sequences, which makes the likelihood of another Padmé rather slim. Still, anything could happen…


5
Some time ago in the Toy-Fair images there was a non-animated Obi-Wan Kenobi in Clone Trooper General Gear from the Clone wars cartoon. I thought that he was going to be in one of the Battle Packs but I have been looking at my Entertainment Earth Catalog and he is not in either of the three packs that are coming out. Can you give me any information on this figure? I have been contemplating make a custom because I loved it so much but if there is an actual Hasbro one coming out I would love that more.

While the ‘figure’ may not actually be there, the Jedi vs. Sith Battle Pack includes accessories for you to build your own Obi-Wan General. Hope that helps!


6
I'm probably sure someone has brought this up before, but I've never seen the answer. Why does the Hasbro Mace Windu's electronic lightsaber look nothing like the actual saber in the movies? I think Mace's is the best looking lightsaber, but the Hasbro version looks more like a Darth Maul half lightsaber. Any chance Hasbro will come out with a "correct" version? I'm left to admire the one from Rubies that only lights up but has no sounds. -Ray (San Francisco)

The current Hasbro version is actually based on images of the saber Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu) wore in several promotional/studio shots for The Phantom Menace. At that time Hasbro had used the design to create a Color Changing Lightsaber set, which was eventually cancelled. When Attack of the Clones rolled around they used the existing mold from the cancelled set with a purple blade for the Electronic assortment, rather than starting from scratch and putting out the money to recreate Windu’s saber used in the movie. Now, with Revenge being the last film, and the character being killed off, I suppose Hasbro couldn’t justify investing the money in developing a toy that would most likely see a limited run.

Very disappointing if you ask me; Hasbro has done very well with this line, starting with Attack of the Clones it has preformed extremely well for them at retail and continues to do well for them this year. I would have thought that in light of this Hasbro would finally make a Windu saber like the one he used on the last two movies, but I guess it simply wasn’t in the budget. The good news is Master Replicas has an awesome Mace Windu lightsaber that is well worth every penny of the $119 price tag.


7
I am a big Master Replicas fan. Granted I do not own anything by them. That is about to change in the next few weeks. I really like the Force F/X line. I am wondering as to why the original Luke ROTJ piece came and went so quick? I was not aware these pieces were limited edition. Also will we see an Obi-Wan Lightsaber made anytime soon? It only seems to me that they would have to do a slight retool on Luke’s saber and they would have it. He was so good in the new movie that it only seems fitting. Any word yet of them releasing a TIE fighter or Vader’s TIE fighter? - Jamison

The F/X ROTJ Luke saber was not limited, but once Master Replicas was finished with the production run, they pretty much retired the piece. So far there’s been no indication they’ll put that particular F/X saber back into production, but theoretically they could always create an ‘updated’ version. Still, no word on that yet, but the original saber can be found on eBay at a fairly decent price. According to Master Replicas, there’s a ROTS Obi-Wan Kenobi F/X saber planned for 2006. At this time it’s hard to say how similar it will be to the Luke ROTJ F/X design, but I’m hoping they’ve worked out something that looks a little more like the actual prop (though I understand the reason, I’ve never really been happy with the thickness of the neck portion between the hilt and emitter). I haven’t heard of any vehicle plans for MR after the Snow Speeder and Second Edition AT-AT. Considering Code 3 is doing a bang up job in this department, it’s probably counter productive for MR to put that much time, effort, and money into prop vehicles.

Update: I stand corrected, again... Rebelscum reader Mike Zenzano sends the following in regards to more MR prop vehicels:

Hey Mark,

In reference to Question 7, Master Replicas has let out on these boards and others that a 32-36" Millennium Falcon Studio Scale is in the works for 2006. Barry has hinted at other things in line for next year but never confirmed at anything including an X-Wing Fighter but the only one we have solid would be the MF.....so far

Dang! Looks like I better start spendin' more time in our Props forum - that's pretty cool news... Thanks Mike!


8
I guess I would have to say that I am a minor Star Wars fan. I don't collect action figures, but I do love the movies. I have a question about a Star Wars promo set that I have, and cannot find a reference to it anywhere. From what I've seen on Rebelscum.com you don't usually answer questions like this, but you are currently my only hope.

When EP1 was released, I worked at B Dalton, a subsidiary of Barnes & Noble. Both stores had promo banners they hung from the ceiling to promote Star Wars books and merchandise. I was able to procure a set of these banners or signs after the promotion ended, and am now interested in selling them. But I do not know what they are worth, and that is where you come in. I am including pictures of the signs (three in all) so you can know what they look like. Each one feels like thick cardboard and has its picture printed on both sides, with two very small holes along the top for hanging. I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me an idea of what the three of them together might be worth, or, failing that, at least direct me to a site or expert who can.

I thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Christina Mott

Well unfortunately, based on what I see current and completed on eBay, there doesn’t seem to be much of a market for these types of displays. If I were to hazard a guess, you may get anywhere from five to fifteen dollars for the set, but that may be generous. If you’re serious about selling them, and not worried about getting top dollar, list them on eBay (with a reserve maybe) and see what kind of action you get. Short of that, keep checking eBay for these or similar items and see what they end up going for. Best of luck.


9
Although this is a movie year for figures thanks to ROTS, what are the chances of Hasbro doing a few redesigned releases, as well as some passed over figures? I am a big Episode I collector, here is what I have in mind:

Rep Been (Gungan advisory council)
Naboo Pilot Bravo Five (played by actress Celia Imerie)
Various members of the Naboo Advisory Council
Jedi Council members from Episode I not already released as individual figures.
Remaining versions of Queen Amidala.

The various handmaidens in distinctively different outfits

Eirtae (blonde hair) Battle Dress Outfit
Rabe (Asian) Senate Appearance (Blue)
Yane (unknown!) Pre senate / Celebration scene Grey

EPISODE II

Queen Jamilla
Senator Amidala (various)
Corde’ (Senator decoy)
Captain Typho (Naboo Security Outfit)

Also it would be cool if certain supporting original trilogy era characters could be re-released as new figures with the heightened articulation that has been recently implemented. What do you think of the long-term chances of the following?

Wedge Antillies (With removable helmet)
Mon Mothma (Return Of the Jedi)
Kyle Katarn (with optional blue and green lightsaber blades!)

-Andy Kinnear (Bristol, England)

There’s certainly a lot to think about there, but based on Hasbro’s past performance I don’t feel there’s much of a chance for figures like Rep Been, Bravo Five, or any of the Naboo Advisory Council members. Since Hasbro has sculpts from the Jedi Council Screen Scenes, there’s a chance they could re-card those figures for individual sale. I wouldn’t necessarily want to see them do that, but it could happen and probably would happen before they created new sculpts of those figures. Queen Amidala in any outfit is always a viable figure choice; I have to think Hasbro will continue to add new Queen and Senator Amidala figures to the collection as we move forward. As for various handmaidens it’s hard to say; we’ll likely see very generic versions if we do see more, banking on the notion that fan’s will buy five of each to help complete scenes. For her minor part in the film, I have a hard time seeing Hasbro release a Queen Jamilla figure. Though they didn’t have much screen time either, Cordé and Typho could turn up due to their close connection to Padmé and key action sequences in Episode II. Regarding the classic characters, Wedge is about the only one I would think Hasbro might eventually update; Mon Mothma is far too minor a character and Kyle Katarn is EU, and dated EU at that.

10
I see other Star Wars mythology questions answered in Question Mark, so I hope this is appropriate. My question is: if Jedi are forbidden to marry, how do they perpetuate their order? Is the force passed through the bloodline or is it a random gift (and the Skywalker family is a rare exception)? -Thom

As we saw with Qui-Gon and Anakin in Episode I, the Jedi primarily recruit from the population at large. If a Knight or a Master encounters or identifies a child with high Force potential they will begin the process of enlisting them into the Order. This typically involves parental consent forms, long winded speeches about sacrifice for a higher calling, though in a few Expanded Universe stories the Jedi have been labeled as “baby stealers.” While the idea has never really been put forward (at least not to my knowledge) the Jedi have also been known to ‘seed’ the population with potential Jedi candidates. Again, in Episode I Qui-Gon remarks about Ani’s Jedi traits and asks Anakin’s mother who his father was. This would seem to indicate that Qui-Gon initially suspects Anakin’s father may have been a Jedi Knight. Because attachment is forbidden, Jedi don’t usually have offspring to pass their abilities onto. The situation with the Skywalker twins is most unusual by movie standards; however in the time following Return of the Jedi (according to the Expanded Universe) it has become quite common.


Until next time...


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