Figure Name: Klingon (Commander)
Manufacturer: Mego Toys Corp.
The Klingon was produced as part of Mego's 12.5" Star Trek: The Motion Picture line.
The Rundown: Mego did some really crazy versions of Star Trek characters (like their 8" classic Gorn and Talos figures), but in a few instances they REALLY nailed them. This Klingon from TMP is one of the latter. Easily my favorite of the 12.5" line, and maybe my favorite 'bumpy-headed' Klingon ever made...
Look at that costume! Remember that this figure is 30 years old now! I don't think a current company would have put that much detail into a mass-market 12" figure. Mego really pulled out all the stops on this one and did a phenomenal job of reproducing what really amounted to a cameo character in the film.
Mego handled the chest 'armor' of the Klingon by reproducing it as a plastic shell around the cloth outfit. The effect is great and really sets the figure apart from the standard cloth outfits of the other characters. The sculpt on the chest armor is very detailed and looks great even by today's standards.
A separate holster drapes across the chest and houses the Klingon's weapon. The holster has a small peg to keep the holster closed over the weapon. It's a really nice addition to the figure (plus I've always been a sucker for working holsters on figures).
Like the other figures in the line, the Klingon has little plastic shoes over his cloth leggings. Do I wish they were full boots? Of course. But again, these were mass-market dolls made 30 years ago for an insanely low-price point, so I can understand some cost cutting. I do love the shoe mold though, with it's curly point. It's a perfect look for the Klingon (the boot was also used in Mego's Buck Rogers line).
The head sculpt is really pretty awesome. The back of the box lists the figure as the Klingon Commander, which would make this the Mark Lenard-portrayed Klingon. If this figure is based on his likeness, then it's a fair approximation of his face. Since you could say this is a generic Klingon though based on the front of the box, there would be no issues with how closely the figure had to resemble a certain face. Going by that, this is a really great generic Klingon head. The forehead bumps are especially nice and even have a separate paint app to help make them 'pop' a bit more. (Oh, and like the other Mego 12.5" figures, the Klingon's head often turns a grayish color. Head over to megomuseum.com for tips on how to get rid of that zombie look.)
Accessories: The Klingon came with his aforementioned uniform pieces, and this small gun. The gun was also used in the Buck Rogers line, but it works just fine with the Klingon here too. Oh, and it fits really well in the holster.
The Klingon is a really phenomenal piece of work and is easily the highlight of the 12.5" line. Even if you don't buy the whole line, you should really give this guy a chance if you can find him at a decent price. I bet he'd even look good with the current movie 12" stuff (which should be hitting clearance soon enough...)
Oh, and here's the little package bio-
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