The Luke Skywalker in Stormtrooper Disguise action figure has had just about the same crazy journey as it’s partner-in-crime, the Han Solo in Stormtrooper Disguise.  Besides a bunch of basically terrible sculpts in the early years of the Hasbro line, we finally got a decent one in the first Marvel comic packs, but was painted in frustratingly stupid comic colors with weird blue highlighting.  It was a terrible time to be alive. Hasbro then mocked us with a re-re;ease without the blue coloring, but the helmet still maintained the stupid red lenses.  Finally, Hasbro put out the same sculpt in proper movie colors, and fans were…okay with it, I guess.

And as with VC143, it is also on its way in the Vintage Collection.  It will first be released as part of the recently announced SDCC Exclusive 3-pack (same format as the Doctor Aphra Con exclusive set).  As we understand it, the new figure will address some of the issues of not being a little short to be a stormtrooper.  It looks to provide that tweak and a new headsculpt to an otherwise identical figure. There are also rumors that one, two, or all three of the figures in the set will eventually see release as separately carded figures in the main line.

Until then, we have this as the best available Luke Skywalker in his stormtrooper disguise.  It does look pretty nice, but it suffers from a lot of the problems that have driven collectors (Chris) crazy for a decade.  Hasbro has been unable to perfect the ubiquitious stormtrooper action figure in, like, ever.  (Until now!)  Despite basic super-articulation, the figure poses awkwardly due to the lack of ball jointed hips, can barely hold the weapon due to the rigid and unforgiving nature of the hands. 

The removable helmet has a wonky sculpt, one that collectors have railed against for a long time.  The head underneath isn’t a terrible representation of Luke, but it’s not great either.  Another issue is the removable belt canister.  Why is this removable at all?  Hasbro did resculpt a belt with the pegs on it, along with the matching hole being on the canister itself.  It does stay in place well, unlike the maddeningly loose one on the companion Han figure.  But again, why have it be removable at all?  Seems superfluous.

This figure is soon to be made obsolete by the imminent arrival of the aforementioned 2019 SDCC exclusive.  But until then, this is definitely the best available version of the figure, even though it’s sub-par.  All should be well in a few months.  This gets a 5/10.

Build-A-Droid 

Spacetrooper (First Release) contains the head and third leg for the astromech R5-A2.  This droid can be spotted rolling through Mos Eisley around the time Luke and Obi-Wan are stopped by the sandtrooper checkpoint, but don’t find the droids they are looking for. Source:  A New Hope.