[Original Review by Chris 2/17/2014]

When Hasbro showed the running change to the Imperial Scanning Crew at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con, fans were overjoyed.  Some 17 years later in 2013, Hasbro finally delivered the second half of that running change in the form of the K-Mart exclusive Imperial Scanning Crew two pack.  This delivers the second half of the scanning equipment which is essentially the only part that is seen on screen. 

The Stormtrooper in this set is the specifically named TK-421 who is the Stormtrooper who ventures up the Falcon ramp after Solo club punched the technicians.  He is distinguished by the lack of a grenade on the back of the belt and that is captured in this figure.  He also has a comlink that (barely) clips to his belt.  If you easily lose accessories, this one will drive you mad.  It’s wee tiny.  I didn’t even know it was part of the set.  I heard the faint sound of a small plastic accessory hitting the ground when I was opening the figure.  A sound that only the trained ear of an obsessive compulsive collector will hear.  Fortunately I located the minuscule accessory sparing my wife from an Incredible Hulk incident.  The figure itself is largely based on the VOTC Stomtrooper and oh how I have grown to hate that figure.  Between the ballerina like narrow stance and the rigidly pre-posed hands, there’s not a lot of options for posing this figure.  It does look okay just standing there next to the Falcon ramp however. 

The Imperial Technician (Imperial Scanning Crew member) is the running change figure that was promised back in 2009, but never came to fruition in the Legacy Collection.  Running changes proved difficult in the Legacy Collection as all three that were planned never materialized.  When comparing this figure to its 2009 counterpart, there appears to be a wash on the jumpsuit to give it a slightly grimy “shop mechanic” appearance.  While this is neat for the grungy A New Hope, you might not want to use this guy for the more parade dress oriented Emperor’s arrival scene from Return of the Jedi. 

The real star of the set is the second half of the scanning equipment.  Sadly the part we received four years ago was the rolling base which hardly appears on screen.  In 2009, if we had known we were only getting one half of the scanning equipment, this is the one we would have preferred.  It includes what I assume is the remote control for the cart which actually plugs into a recess in the interior of the chest.  It also includes what appears like a vacuum cleaner head which has a hose that also plugs into the interior of the chest.  All of the equipment is stored under the removable lid.  When combined with the rolling base, this is some accessory. 

Men in general don’t like to utter the phrase “I don’t know”.  In 1977 when two gray jump suited gentleman rolled a steamer trunk up to the ramp of the Millennium Falcon, theaters erupted in a chorus of “Daddy, what’s that?”.  Many dad buttocks were clenched in anticipation of uttering that dreaded phrase.  Now thanks to this set, not only can a new generation of dad’s identify the scanning equipment, they can also discuss the inner workings in detail.  8 out of 10.

[Original Review by Bret 1/30/2023]

First off, since many of you will have recently read the updated review of the sister set, Death Star Scanning Crew, which was published two weeks ago, you may remember that I had forgotten to include the POTJ figure in the lineup of various Imperial Officers.  Someone had pointed out it was missing.  When I went to find it to retake the photo, I also found 2 other headsculpt variants of that base figure which were released in the Saga line.  But my forgetfulness was not complete until I also stumbled upon another missing figure, 2009’s COL Dyer (played by Ben Burtt in ROTJ) who was knocked over the railing of the bunker interior by Han Solo, emitting a Wilhelm Scream in the process.  That figure is notable for Hasbro correctly removing the rank badge, as neither he, nor LT Renz (unnamed by Hasbro, but who was the inspiration behind the previous figure) had the prop on their uniforms.  You can see the image HERE.

Now that we’ve taken care of the administrative part of the agenda, let’s move on to the main event.  This set, along with its sister, were pretty nifty K-Mart exclusives.  In order to differentiate the two, Hasbro decided to call one of them “Death Star Scanning Crew” and the other “Imperial Scanning Crew.”  A bit odd, but I guess the alternative was “Death Star Scanning Crew I and II.”  This one was by far the more interesting of the two, but not necessarily because of the figures.  So in the interest of keeping you hostage, I’ll save the best for last.

First of all, we get another Scanning Technician.  The one in the other set was a straight repack (well, perhaps with a very slight wash to the uniform).  This one has an alternate headsculpt, so it’s unique.  That might make this set worthwhile to some.  It’s a decent figure, and while certainly not up to today’s standards for articulation, it makes for an excellent generic Imperial, and is great for diorama fodder.

The second figure is that of the first (and only) Imperial Stormtrooper with an on-screen name in Star Wars.  In the new canon, and I swear I’m not making this up, TK-421 was Tarkin’s secret lover.  In fact, he “owned” the mouse droid MSE-6-G735Y that was on it’s way delivering a sexy note from Tarkin to 421 when it encountered the prisoner transfer of Chewbacca in the hallway.  Anyway, Pol Treidum, the officer who asks why TK-421 was not at his post, is likely the inspiration for the figure in the sister set, although for some reason, he went unnamed by Hasbro.  TK-421 was not at his post because he was either dead or unconscious on board the Millennium Falcon, whichever source you choose to believe.  Interestingly, when Luke dons the armor disguise and emerges from the ramp, he motions to Pol Treidum that the radio in his helmet is faulty.  Well, good thing for Luke TK-421 carried a spare communications device, which conveniently was forgotten during this exchange, but was then necessary for Luke to use during the trash compactor debacle.  That device is included as an accessory that clips on to TK-421’s belt.  Losing this accessory is the source of a constant fear that haunts my sleep.  Hasbro tried to double down on the fear factor by including a similarly microscopic accessory with The Mandalorian Rescue Set (the “stowed” Whistling Birds gauntlet attachment).  As you would know, the Stormtrooper figure is garbage compared to its modern update, but is still notable due to the name, the unique belt, and the communicator accessory.

The real star of the set is the “other” part of the scanning equipment.  We’d had the rolling cart for years, thanks to the original release of the TLC scanning crew figure.  But this piece is what we really needed.  It’s quite outstanding, with the recognizable geometric pattern on the outside, and a removable cover.  Inside, you’ll find the cart remote, which can be seen in the hand of the left-most technician as the team rolls the cart to the Falcon.  It’s also pretty tiny, but is huge compared to TK-421’s panic-inducing comm link.  It also stores via a more secure notch inside the box, which is then covered - not just hanging out there all willy-nilly, precariously “clipped” to a figure’s belt with soft plastic [cold sweats].  Also stowed inside the box is the scanner itself, which has a hose that connects to the inside of the box.  It kind of looks like a pneumatic The crew figures can hold either accessory well.  This piece attaches to the cart from the other set, and completes the accessory.  It’s one of my favorite in the entire history of the line.  It’s detailed, well executed, and finishes off one of the more iconic scenes in the film.

The positives are the awesome scanning accessory, the technician alternate headsculpt, and the unique TK-421 figure.  However, while the technician is certainly more than passable considering the character’s minor role, the stormtrooper is pretty terrible by today’s standards.  Despite the uniqueness of the set, it’s showing its age.  I can’t give it more than a 6/10, but it’s absolutely something worth having in your collection.