Barada - Kenner - Vintage The Power of the Force (1985)
Star Wars Collectible News, Photos, and Reviews

JTA Special Report: The Power Of The Force Too

Posted by Paul | April 15, 2012 at 07:15 PM ET

In 2012, it's easy to scoff at the line that reintroduced the collecting community to Star Wars figures. Buff versions of Luke, Han, Boba and Stormtroopers were all the rage. We noticed and criticized their disproportionate frames, but didn't care enough to boycott them and bought them up like there was no tomorrow. We're now approaching almost nearly 20 years since the line was reintroduced in 1995 and believe it or not, there are some products in The Power Of The Force line that are still noteworthy for your collection. We've distilled a list of ten (10) products from The Power Of The Force that you'll want to secure for your collection one way or another because it's likely there will never be an opportunity to get them the same way again. Are you interested? You better be! So please click through to see why you definitely need The Power Of The Force "too" for your awesome Star Wars collection!

The Power Of The Force Too

Article Concept by Tray Chester
Article written by Paul Harrison
Graphic Design by Chuck Paskovics
Old The Power Of The Force item images stolen borrowed from web searches on Google.

Back before Special Editions and back before George Lucas decided to slice and dice up the beloved first three Star Wars films, we really had no inkling that Ewoks blinked or that Greedo shot first. (They all didn’t do anythign of the sort.) Many awesome enhancements were made to the films, but some of the more aggressive changes made fans scratch their heads in wonder and disbelief. Did Boba Fett really stop and face the camera? Did Lapti Nek get cut out of Return Of The Jedi like a B-side album track?? And many of the changes even angered fans, whether it made sense or not for Lucas to change them. The earliest Hasbro lines are controversial on their own merits, but they have served the Star Wars community in a special way because they have forever immortalized many of the original and unaltered looks of so many Star Wars characters from the films. In particular, the long running The Power Of The Force line (1995-2000) not only gives us some of these original unedited and pre-Special Edition takes or interpretations of these characters, but the line also showcased other important figures and vehicles that are noteworthy as well. It's likely that Hasbro will never revisit these items in the same fashion again so you want to take notes. We hope you enjoy our countdown.

You can click on any of the images in the Top 10 and the links will take you to current eBay auctions. If you're interested in any of these items, eBay is a great way to find them. We wish you the best of luck! Special thanks to JTA reader Tray Chester for this great article idea and for his help in compiling our Top 10 list.

10. Pote Snitkin (1998)
You’re probably wondering why this character even made it into our Top 10 being that he can barely be seen in Return Of The Jedi. But that is basically the point. Pote Snitkin essentially served as a catalyst for Hasbro to not overlook basic figures that were either “blink and you’ll miss it” or “deleted scenes” types of characters. Not only does Pote Snitkin hold up well by even current standards, he was a weighty action figure that felt like an incredible value even when Hasbro Star Wars figures were selling for under $5 each.
9. Speeder Bike With Speeder Bike Pilot (Expanded Universe) (1998)
One of the most popular sub-lines during The Power Of The Force era was the Expanded Universe. Not only did it bring Star Wars fans figures from the comics and video games, it also brought us our first concept art figures (and vehicles). This particular product introduced us to the first toy version of the artwork of Joe Johnston, a man who lives in Ralph McQuarrie’s shadows but was equally important in many ways to the Original Trilogy. The Speeder Bike With Speeder Bike Pilot figure and vehicle combination (which retailed for less than $10 and were all-new sculpts) included what looked like a Rebel Trooper more than an Imperial soldier. This is a must-have item for fans of concept art, and Hasbro hasn’t’ done much homage paying to Joe Johnston in the basic figure line up. Here is a great way to enjoy that.
8. Airspeeder With Airspeeder Pilot (Expanded Universe) (1998)
McQuarrie’s work has been hailed for years as the reason why the Original Trilogy looks the way it does, and we have to agree with that sentiment. Hasbro decided to create a wave of concept art figures with their corresponding vehicles and the Airspeeder With Airspeeder Pilot set was based on Ralph McQuarrie’s early sketches when he was trying to design the world of Hoth and the battle sequences on that planet. This snowy set is another great addition to any collection and the Airspeeder was the precursor to the snowspeeder, one of the most popular toys when we were kids.
7. Darth Vader (CommTech) (1999)
This figure is special in many ways.  This was the first Darth Vader figure to come without a lit lightsaber (and a lightsaber hilt [permanently] attached to his belt). And it was also the first figure to come with a cloth cape and skirt. But what makes this figure extra special was the material used for the soft-goods. A stunning drape, the perfect degree of opacity without being “see through” and a texture made it incidentally the best fabric used to date. Sadly, the material hasn’t been used since. It must be expensive or something.
6. Han Solo (In Stormtrooper Disguise) (1995)
OK, OK. We know this sculpt just doesn’t hold up by today’s standards. But it’s special for a few reasons. One, it was the very first modern figure to reintroduce the Star Wars brand, and two, how cool was it that it was a mail-away figure (from Froot Loops no less!)? Once the line got pumping, other mail-away offers would also come into the line, but Han Solo (In Stormtrooper Disguise) was solely responsible for creating the 1995 buzz about Star Wars toys and igniting a new passion that lasts today.
5. Cloud Car With Cloud Car Pilot (Expanded Universe) (1998)
We had to squeeze every concept art figure and vehicle set into this top 10. You would be remiss to pass up on what we consider the best of the three. The Cloud Car With Cloud Car Pilot set is probably the closest concept art vehicle to the one that appeared in the film. Brightly colored orange, the most fascinating aspect of this figure is the included pilot, who looks more like one of Cloud City’s random denizens instead of the actual pilot that flew this ship. It’s likely that Hasbro will never revisit this concept vehicle or figure again, so this may be your one and only chance.
4. 12” Electronic Boba Fett (KB Toys exclusive) (1998)
You should probably ensure you have this very cool 12” figure in your collection just for the fact that it’s a relic from KB Toys which is no longer in existence. But more importantly, this 12” Electronic Boba Fett figure (if it still works) plays the ORIGINAL Boba Fett voice (performed by Jason Wingreen) long before the dark times, before Temura Morrison. One of the biggest bones of contention about the Special Editions was the changing of Boba Fett’s voice. (Heck, even that Boba Fett was a clone ruffled one too many feathers.) While we now begrudgingly understand why the change to Boba Fett was necessary (at least in George’s eyes), it’s nice to know that there is something to keep that Original Trilogy spirit alive.
3. Anakin Skywalker (FlashBack) (1999)
One of the holiest grails of the original Kenner vintage line is Anakin Skywalker, but that’s only if you have it carded. As a loose figure, it’s essentially valueless, but Hasbro seemed to think that it was important to create a modern version of that classic action figure. They did so in the FlashBack phase of The Power Of The Force line, simply released as Anakin Skywalker. By today’s standards, this figure is a relic and in dire need of a newly updated action figure. We have always believed that the 1985 Kenner figure was meant to represent Anakin’s spirit and not his earthly body, but the modern figure is clearly his fleshly being. We would love to see an update of this figure in either form so we can have a definitive modern replacement to this classy classic figure. However, since the alterations to the films, this is most likely the last homage to the late Sebastian Shaw. 
2. Jedi Spirits (Cinema Scene) (1999)
And speaking of spirits, this remains one of the greatest multipacks Hasbro has ever created or produced. It isn’t entirely perfect of course, but making spirit and/or holographic characters with minimal articulation is ideal for the best aesthetic result. Not only does that apply here, but the Jedi Spirits Cinema Scene also contains the original spirit version of Anakin Skywalker, long before Hayden Christensen took over the role. This set is a must-have for your collection. It still looks fantastic even today.
1. Darth Vader (With Removable Helmet) (Freeze Frame) (1998)
There wasn’t a figure Star Wars fans wanted more than a Darth Vader with a removable helmet. Our wish came true in 1998 as the highly desired Freeze Frame phase of The Power Of The Force line came to be. One of the line’s earliest figures, Darth Vader was simply articulated and simply accessorized, but he came with a cool micro film cell and a lightsaber and that was enough to satiate our longing for the first ever 3.75” Vader that showed us the man behind the mask. This version of Darth Vader also has another pre-Special Edition feature. Darth Vader comes with his eyebrows, something that George Lucas deemed needed to be photo shopped out of his original version of Return Of The Jedi. (Burn victims wouldn’t have their eyebrows. It makes sense, but it messes with our unadulterated Original Trilogy.)

We are more than a decade away from when the last POTF2 items were available at retail. Not all of the products we’ve itemized have ideal sculpting or articulation, but they are important to the line in the ways we expressed. Let us know what you think!

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