ARCHIVE: DST Star Trek The Wrath of Khan SERIES 1

Article originally published 01/21/2008 at moviemaniacs.net

It is one of the most iconic scenes in the cinematic history: A beleaguered Admiral James T. Kirk, trapped in a cave beneath the surface of the planet Regula, screaming out at his distant nemesis… Khaaaannn!! In the hearts and minds of Trekkies, The Wrath of Khan (TWOK) is sheer perfection, a jewel in the crown of the Star Trek franchise.

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of this film, Diamond Select commissioned the inmates at Art Asylum to forge a new line of action figures. What was produced was not only a testament to the DST’s devotion to TWOK, but a gift to all those in Trek fandom who have made the film one of the most celebrated pieces of science-fiction celluloid. In this review, I take an in-depth look at three of the figures from Series 1 of DST's TWOK line: Admiral Kirk, "Double-Cross" Kirk and the malevolent Khan Noonien Singh.

PACKAGING:
Remaining consistent with their previous Trek releases, DST’s Khan line has the same colorful and eye-catching packaging design. Each carded figure is displayed in a clear plastic bubble shaped like the Starfleet logo. The placement of both the figure and its accessories provides you with a clear look each, which should make you "mint-on-card" collectors happy. The cardboard backing includes full-color photos from the film as well as a brief description of TWOK’s plot... for those of you who have been living under a rock for the past quarter-century.

SCULPT:
The sculptors at Art Asylum have a long history of producing the various crews of the Enterprise in figure form. From The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, to even the inhabitants of the Mirror Universe, Art Asylum’s partnership with DST has delighted Trek fans with a long line of detailed figures.

It is no surprise then that the first series of TWOK figures are equally stunning. Of the three figures I was able to get my hands on, Khan is easily my favorite. The sculpted detail of Khan’s boots, shirt and even his hair look great. Khan’s facial sculpt is every bit the representation of Ricardo Montalban’s portrayal of the character. However, I do wish that the sculptors would have opted for a more menacing look on Khan’s face, in place of the somewhat serene look of the figure.

The same head sculpt is used for both versions of James Tiberius Kirk figures. Kirk also has a complacent look on his face but this lends itself nicely to the figure, even when the eyeglasses (an accessory that comes with the Double-Cross Kirk) are added. Kirk’s Starfleet uniform looks great and matches up well with the uniforms of the other Enterprise crew that were previously released at San Diego Comic-Con.

PAINT:
The inconsistencies in paint apps that I found with this figures are, I hope, a production issue. It is odd, because there are significant differences between the regular and Double-Cross versions of Kirk. The Admiral Kirk figure sports clean and crisp paint apps, with little or no overlap or discoloration on even the tiniest details of the uniform. By contrast, the Double-Cross Kirk looks quite rough in places. The border around the bloodstained flap of Kirk’s uniform shows where paint has smudged, run into other colors and just plain looks bad. The black highlights on the back of the uniform show the same thing. Again, one can hope that this is a production issue and is not a common occurrence in all Double-Cross Kirks. Khan escapes these problems and shows nice coloration and crisp details, especially around the eyes and mouth.

ACCESSORIES:
This is the area where DST’s Trek figures are beginning to really shine. I take nothing away from the figures themselves, which are now a fixture of my Trek display, but the accessories are awesome.

I first lauded Art Asylum’s take on the Ceti Eel in my review of the SDCC Exclusive Chekov. This thing is stunning... and now I have two! Khan comes equipped with not only another full-size Ceti Eel but also the dish and tongs that he used to implant the baby eels in the ear canals of poor Chekov and Captain Terrell. Khan also comes with an extra set of hands that, when attached, can hold both the dish and the tongs together, making for a film accurate (and very creepy) display.

Admiral and Double-Cross Kirk both come with an extra set of hands (which snap on and off easily), a collapsible communicator and phaser. The Double-Cross Kirk also includes the infamous pair of spectacles that were given to him by Dr. McCoy at the beginning of the film. Beware though, this accessory is tiny! I almost lost mine to the eternal abyss of my carpet on two different occasions.

ARTICULATION:
Staying true to their previous Trek figures, DST included an impressive amount of articulated joints, many of which are hidden. Khan and both Kirks each feature 17 points of articulation, including ankles, knees, elbows and a ball-joint head. One point that I will keep bringing up with Diamond’s Trek figures is their lack of peg-holes in the feet. These figures can be posed into a wide number of stances, but without foot stands, many of the poses simply make DST’s Trek figures prime shelf-diving candidates.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:
Being a lifelong Trekkie, I immediately have to own any Wrath of Khan merchandise (yes, even the flamethrower). What makes these so figures so attractive to the casual Trek fan is that Art Asylum and DST’s love of the movie is shown so evidently. The Khan is a must-own, if for no reason than to add another Ceti Eel to your collection. Captain Terrell, the fourth figure in the series, looks to be short packed, which will make him more difficult for fans to track down. Still, you can pick up your own Kirk and Khan for around $15 each, which is a great price considering how well articulated these figures are and the nifty accessories they are packed with. Series two (featuring Spock, Uhura, Saavik & Regula Kirk) is due to be in stores in June.