Thursday, July 1, 2010

Darth Vader's Star Destroyer Action Playset (ESB)




Yes, it’s not just a playset, it’s an “Action Playset!” And it’s not just a star destroyer, it’s “Darth Vader’s Star Destroyer!” Representing the command bridge/meditation chamber/gunnery station portion of a Star Destroyer comes this playset. It includes Darth Vader’s meditation chamber (where we see him from the back with his helmet off), a command bridge where his subordinates are down in the trenches flipping switches and where he can talk to the bounty hunters, a laser cannon (presumably one of many on a Star Destroyer), a round dais where Vader can stand (well, the figure can’t kneel now, can he?) and talk to the Emperor on a pink translucent “holographic” screen that can be lowered. The chamber has a light that makes the interior glow, and you can, inexplicably, hang figures by their feet from the ceiling. I don’t know if this is Vader’s alternative to Force-choking or what. The backside also has a decal showing some gripping arms, I assume to latch onto ships. It only came out in an ESB box.

Why should you get this playset? Five reasons:

1. Holding out hope for that Vader with removable helmet (that never materialized in the original line).

2. Hang figures from the ceiling? What is this, a wampa cave? That’s so ridiculous you’ve got to get it.

3. This can fit right into that full-scale Super Star Destroyer replica you made. You know, the reason your parents have to park in the driveway?

4. Have Vader communicate with the Emperor! What did you say? The Emperor figure isn’t coming out until the next movie? Screw this.

5. You can shoot at the Millennium Falcon, if it ever comes in range of your gun (and that frickin' George from Accounting doesn't get it with his tractor beam).

Backstory:

In The Empire Strikes Back, we are introduced to Vader’s command ship, the Super Star Destroyer, the Executor. The Executor was 19 kilometers long, and sported over 5,000 turbolasers and ion cannons, 250 concussion missile tubes, and 40 tractor beam projectors. It was crewed by 279,144 Imperials, and contained a meditation chamber where Vader could breath without his mask. The ship was built in secret in Kuat Drive Yards and Fondor Shipyards, along with its sister ship, the Lusankya. Building was completed shortly after the Battle of Yavin.

Want more? Wookiepedia article on the Executor

40th in alphabetical order

No comments: