ARCHIVE: Toy Rocket Exclusive Star Trek: Wrath of Khan CHEKOV

Article originally published 08/13/2007 at figures.com

At last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Diamond Select celebrated the 40th anniversary of Star Trek by offering fans the chance to collect five different ‘Mirror Universe’ action figures. This year, Diamond celebrated another Trek milestone at Comic-Con. This time around, it was the 25th anniversary of the epic film The Wrath of Khan that is receiving a full order of exclusive action figures. One of the WOK exclusives at this year’s Con was Executive Officer Pavel Chekov, available from Toy Rocket. Chekov’s appearance in the film was unforgettable, with the embattled officer being the first to encounter not only Khan himself but also becoming the unwilling recipient of a Ceti eel. In this review, I’ll take a look at the strides Diamond Select has taken with their Trek figures.

PACKAGING
There isn’t much deviation from Diamond’s previous TOS lines, though none is needed. The carded figure looks great displayed in its packaging and its accessories are clearly visible. The reverse side of the card features movie stills of each character, grouped by their appearance in Diamond’s upcoming multiple series of Khan figures. It seems that DST has beefed up the cards on their Trek packaging, as these feel much sturdier than last year’s ‘Mirror, Mirror’ exclusives. This is an added bonus for collectors who prefer to keep their figures in the packaging.

SCULPT AND CHARACTER LIKENESS
Being a longtime Trekkie, I am always wary of sculpting discrepancies in the action figures that are released… especially those in six inch scale. The inmates at Art Asylum are responsible for sculpting the entire line of Khan figures. Art Asylum has always done a spectacular job with sculpting the aliens in the Trek universe. However, with human figures they are at times hit-and-miss. I’m pleased to report that, at least with Pavel Chekov, Asylum has raised the bar for character likeness. This figure truly looks like the helmet-haired Chekov that I remember from the film. In truth, you only need to get the hair right to nail the Chekov likeness. However, the rest of this figure’s facial features look spot-on. A slight pointy nose notwithstanding, Trek fans will be happy that they will finally own a Chekov figure that looks like their favorite Russian helmsmen.

PAINT AND COLOR
Dressed in his red and black Starfleet uniform, Chekov doesn’t have much in the way of detail when it comes to paint. Nonetheless, the silver and grey highlights of the figure’s buttons, buckles, snaps and other insignia are impressively crisp. There isn’t any smudging around the eyes or hairline, which is a definite improvement over some of DST’s previous Trek lines.

ACCESSORIES
I have to admit, this figure includes one of the coolest accessories in the history of Trek figures. Every Trekkie and Trekker alike has wanted to get their hands on a full-grown Ceti eel and this is their chance. The eel looks great and is in scale with the 6” Chekov. Also included is a pair of interchangeable hands (which pop off and back on with ease), a phaser and a wrist communication device. These accessories are advertised only as ‘Starfleet Gear’ on the packaging, which may leave the uninformed Trek fan confused.

ARTICULATION
By my count, Chekov sports a surprising 18 points of articulation. I’m amazed because the dark paint used for Chekov’s uniform hide the joints extremely well. As a plus, the posability of the figure also ensures that he can stand on his own. I don’t expect Chekov to be shelf-diving anytime soon, even when he has been posed holding his phaser at a battle-ready stance.

OVERALL IMPRESSION
The Toy Rocket exclusive Khan Chekov was initially only available at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con for $15. This was a great price for such a highly-detailed and film-accurate figure. Now, fans can order Chekov from Toy Rocket's website for $15.99, plus shipping. This remains an excellent price, especially considering that fans can also purchase the other four SDCC exclusive figures from the site. Whether you are a lifelong Trekkie or just a fan of what is arguably the best Trek film ever, I would recommend picking up these amazing figures today. Just be sure to send me your Ceti eel… I’m working on an army :)