Imperial Scanning Crew (Stormtrooper TK-421/Imperial Technician) - TVC - Special Action Figure Sets

The Millennium Falcon is captured by the Death Star. A scanning crew searches the ship for the crew while Stormtrooper TK-421 stands guard outside the ship.

It took Hasbro an unfathomable four years to the day to finally get out the running change variant of 2009’s LC Imperial Scanning Crew (BD32) figure. We can tell you that Hasbro has personally been sick to death of Jedi Temple Archives’ incessant questioning and hounding asking them when we would finally see this figure released. Well, our part of the whining paid off because all collectors know the answer to that question now. The Imperial Scanning Crew (Special Action Figure Set) has been picked up as a Kmart exclusives and includes the lost Imperial Scanning Crew figure (now simply called an Imperial Technician) and the first time release of Stormtrooper TK-421, another long-awaited release that Star Wars fans have desperately wanted to see get made into an action figure as well. Kmart has been ringing in some of the greatest exclusives Star Wars fans have ever seen in a long time. Strategically focused on making collectors happy, Hasbro has even acknowledged in Q&A sessions that this is the one retailer left that truly understands the heart of the collector who grew up with the original vintage Kenner figures of the late seventies and early eighties. While 50% vintage-inspired and 50% modern, the all-new Special Action Figure sets are first time offerings, but tickle the mature collectors in all the right places and give us exactly what we want: Original Trilogy goodness.

There are two Special Action Figure Sets released simultaneously this time. The Imperial Scanning Crew and Death Star Scanning Crew are essentially the same concept, but Hasbro had to give them each a unique name so that they would stand apart from each other. But each set focuses on the Imperial Technician where each box contains one half of the full scanning device that has remained half-baked and incomplete since 2009. Let us tell you know. The MIA scanning box half which is now available for the very first time is reason enough to purchase this set. It makes it almost a crime that Hasbro held out this long on collectors to complete what may just be the neatest interactive accessory set that we can recall. Whereas the 2009 Legacy Collection figure just gave us the wheeled bottom half of the scanning box, the Imperial Scanning Crew (Special Action Figure Set) puts in perspective for collectors just how much of the box was actually missing. Not only do you get the top portion, you also receive the detailed innards of the tray, a scanning gun with a hose that inserts into the tray, a scanning tool (both the gun and the tool have their own homes in the tray) and finally a lid to cover it all up. It’s splendidly amazing. Oh how we wish this figure got released in the Legacy Collection so we could have army-built them more evenly back in the day. You’ll have a lot of catching up to do now. Trust us.

Hasbro spared no expense to decorate the “new” section of the scanning box. The inside and outside have simple but nice paint operations and the sculpting of the tiny parts inside are nothing short of impressive. When fully assembled with the “old” half of the box, it looks like you have a miniature prop from the movie. Hasbro did a phenomenal job on the design and interaction of these pieces. We are impressed beyond belief. But that's not the only surprise here. The other pleasant surprise in this set is the officially designated Stomrtrooper TK-421 action figure. We must state immediately that Hasbro used a sculpt that we actually loathe, but the nostalgia factor of this character makes us overlook its faults... somewhat. Based on 2006’s TSC Shadow Stormtrooper, an all-new belt has been design for TK-421 and he comes with an all-new commlink accessory. The commlink is probably the smallest accessory we have ever seen included with a 3.75” Star Wars action figure. Watch this piece like a hawk or it will get sucked up into the rest of your collection and eventually lost forever. Together, Stormtrooper TK-421 and Imperial Technician make up 50% of the “scanning crew scene” from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. You’ll absolutely want to get the other half because there is some worthy first time offerings in that set as well. Simply put, we’re overly impressed with these Kmart exclusives. We can’t wait to see what they have up their sleeves next.