DST/ EMCE Spotlight- Captain Pike (Mego Style Figure)

Figure Name: Captain Pike
Manufacturer: Diamond Select & EMCE Toys



Captain Pike was released by Diamond Select Toys in 2011.



The Rundown: After rounding out the main bridge crew with their Sulu and Chekov figures, DST & EMCE must have felt the need to explore other featured characters for more "good guy" options in their Trek range. As far as TOS male heroes go, the next logical choice after the main crew would have to be Captain Christopher Pike. The guy had it all; Dashing good looks, a sweet laser pistol, and the ability to beat big-headed aliens. Let's take a look at how his manliness fits the Mego form...



Just like the Salt Vampire we looked at yesterday, Pike features a sturdier body than the previous DST/ EMCE Trek releases. The body is held together with screws and feels a bit heftier than before. I'm not sure why it was changed, but I prefer this newer, tougher body. I've noticed the chest on my Retro Khan has begun to split at the seams, so hopefully this new body will prevent that.



Pike features an all new head sculpt done in Mego style. I'm sorry to say it... But I am not a fan of this head. While I do see a decent Jeffrey Hunter likeness here, it looks like it's been stylized to fit a more "cartoonish" look. All of the other "new" Mego heads from EMCE (like Khan and Chekov) fit right in with the vintage figures. The Pike head looks more like it was made for Mattel's Retro-Action superheroes line, lacking the realism that made Mego's Trek releases so cool.



Unfortunately, the slightly cartoonish look of the head isn't the only problem- The head is also quite large. When I first saw the prototypes for this wave, I commented that the heads were a bit large due to them being prototypes. In most cases, original sculpts for toys are a little bigger than the actual figure due to the shrinkage that takes place in the production process. I assumed that the Pike head seen in the prototype was an original sculpt mounted on a production body and the final product would be properly scaled. Sadly, it doesn't seem that this was the case, as Pike's melon is much larger than those of the other figures.



At this point, it's going to seem like I am bashing the crap out of this head sculpt... but I have one more gripe. Unlike the other figures, Pike's skin is painted on instead of the head being molded in flesh-tone plastic. I have no idea why this decision was made, but I really feel that it adds to the cartoony look of the head. Had it been molded in flesh-toned plastic, the head would have fit a bit better with the rest of the line. Oh... and the paint doesn't match the plastic used for the body, leaving you with a Pike that looks like he's been tanning with a bag over his head. Ouch.



Okay... enough with bashing his head in. So what's good on Pike? Well, he's got a new shirt that is AWESOME! It reflects the turtleneck look of the pilots while still maintaining a consistency with the rest of the releases. EMCE did such a nice job on it that I picked up a couple of extra Pikes for...



...customs of Kirk & Spock from "Where No Man Has Gone Before"! Sure, the rank piping is a bit off, but they'll do in a pinch. ;)



Accessories: Pike includes the same belt, phaser, and communicator used on all the EMCE crew reissues. I'll bet you thought I'd take issue with them including these when Pike never used this type of equipment? Well, you'd be wrong! All the mego releases used these weapons, regardless if they used them in the show or not, so their inclusion with Pike makes perfect sense.



Even with the head issues, I am still stoked to own a Mego Pike. Do I wish he was a bit better? Sure. But the shirt rocks... and it's a freaking Mego Captain Pike! The head is going to be a deciding factor on whether you need him for your collection or not... but with most sites only offering him in a pair with the AWESOME Salt Vampire, the choice may be out of your hands. If you want a Salt Vampire, you may be stuck buying the Pike regardless if you like the head or not... and you DO want that Salt Vampire! And don't forget- DST has made it clear that the production of Chapel and Vina depends greatly on the sales of Pike & Salty. With that in mind, it may be worth trying to overlook any issues you may have with the head and just ordering the pair.

AA/ DST Spotlight- Captain Pike And Command Chair

Figure Name: Captain Pike (and Command Chair)
Manufacturer: Diamond Select Toys



DST released this Pike and chair set as a New Force Comics exclusive.



The Rundown: For the most part, DST's TOS "Command Chair" releases focus on just Kirk, but thankfully this release mixed that up a little. DST hasn't given us much in the way of "Cage" inspired figures, with only this Pike and a cheap-o Spock as the only 2 releases (and there's also AA's Vina as an Orion Animal Woman to throw in there). At least this Pike is really nice...



Let's take a look at Pike first. The figure doesn't have an overabundance of new parts, just the shirt and the head. The shirt sits kinda high on the neck, sometimes making him look like a turtle retreating into it's shell, but it looks good if you can get it situated right.



The head sculpt is really nice, with a really great paint job. They did a really good job of capturing Jeffrey Hunter's eye color.



Pike includes the command chair as seen in "The Cage". He looks pretty good sitting in it, but it does accentuate the shirt problem I mentioned earlier.



The chair is basically the same as in all of the other releases. This time it's a bit more blue and the panels are a little different. There's also the scanner/ viewer thing on the side (just like the "Where No Man Has Gone Before" version)...



The scanner is nice, but is VERY easily broken off. Great care should be taken around it!

Accessories: Nothing other than the chair. I REALLY wish DST would invest in a Pike-era laser gun for the figures. Pike needs a weapon!

Box bio:





Pike really is a solid release, even with the little nitpicks. The chair is cool, Pike is awesome, and I'm a sucker for any "Cage" stuff. New Force is sold out of him now, so your only chance at getting him is the secondary market. If I were a betting man, I'd say Pike is a prime contender for the Toys R Us Reissue treatment. I doubt DST would take the time to make the laser gun for him though...

Playmates Figure Spotlight- Captain Christopher Pike (12")

Figure Name: Captain Christopher Pike (12")
Manufacturer: Playmates Toys



Pike was released by Playmates as part of it's 4th wave of 12" figures. Nope, no boxed pic.



The Rundown: Pike may be my favorite 'human' character produced in the 12" line. I think it's just a really solid figure all the way around. Let's start with the head-



Here's one case where Playmates did a MUCH nicer job on a 12" head sculpt than on a figure's 4" head sculpt. The head sculpt is pretty darned good, and they did a very nice job of capturing the look of Jeffrey Hunter's eyes. In fact, I think this may be their nicest 12" human head sculpt.



Pike uses the same standard body used for all the male characters, but for some reason it just looks like it fits better with Pike, which may have something to do with the jacket. What a surprise that jacket is! It's not something that Playmates really had to do...but boy am I glad they did! The jacket fits very well and is just an awesome addition to the figure. Kudos to Playmates for including it with the figure! The great part is that he looks great without it too as Playmates did a fine job on the 'ribbed collar' shirt as well.

I highly recommend this one if you're thinking of getting into the 12" line!



Accessories: Again, Playmates went the extra mile on this one. We get a unique sculpt "Cage"-style laser pistol and communicator! Pretty spiffy stuff! Oh, and you also get a tricorder for some reason...

-James

Star Trek 'Potpourri" Spotlight- Captain Pike Unproduced Sci Fi Metropolis 12" Figure

Figure Name: Captain Christopher Pike
Manufacturer: Sci Fi Metropolis (Unproduced)



The Rundown: If you follow my blog, you probably remember my first post about the unproduced Sci Fi Metropolis line (Dr. McCoy). Pike here was another figure of the group of 8 from the original proposal. A non-irradiated Pike from "The Cage" was planned for later down the line, but "Menagerie" Pike here was finished first.



Now the one I have is not a final production piece, so it's tough to gauge how things would have gone in production. The chair is one solid (and HEAVY) piece. The torso and head are seperate pieces that just sit on the chair. I'd assume the torso would have been mounted and the chair would have been hollow in the final version. I would hope that the light bulb would blink as well, but I have no idea. Wheels would probably be put into the chair as well, but again, that's a guess.



Man, look at that head! The deatailing in his scarred face is amazing, especially the big scabby gray thing on his right side. Mine is hand painted, but again, judging by their previous offerings, the production piece would have looked just as nice. What a bummer that we get stuck with the cruddy Ultimate Quarter Scale figures over these masterpieces...

-James