Super7 Killer Bootlegs Rhamnusia's Revenge Action Playset with Draco Knuckleduster and Phantom Starkiller Action Figures Super7, 2021
Day #2,358: November 25, 2021
Rhamnusia's Revenge Action Playset with Draco Knuckleduster and Phantom Starkiller More Kennery Than Kenner?
Killer Bootlegs Boodega Exclusive
Item No.: No. F1201 Manufacturer:Super7 Includes:Backdrop, supports, 2 figures with lightsabers and vinyl capes Action Feature:Figures glow in the dark, playset glows blue in the dark, backdrop is black light reactive Retail:$75.00 Availability: October 2021 Other: Arguably a good deal
In a year with a lot of neat things, the glow-in-the-dark/black light Rhamnusia's Revenge Action Playset with Draco Knuckleduster and Phantom Starkiller is one of many really good things I picked up. At $75 it seems expensive, but if you buy Super7 ReAction figures you know they start at $18 and Kenner-style playsets are usually $75 or more with no figures in them. The whole deal gives you quite a bit of stuff for the price, and fans of glowing things or black light things will find a lot to like for the asking price. You'll also find things to complain about, because complaining makes life fun.
The figures are new colorways of existing Killer Bootlegs items which get pretty limited distribution as it is. The playset appears to be a new backdrop with a new base, a departure from previous sets like Alien and Planet of the Apes. According to the box, it's an aquatic moon base - which is silly as this may imply your figures can walk on water.
The set sold quickly and was commanding a premium on eBay surprisingly fast - so if you want one, start asking for a reissue or variant.
I bought this set primarily because I wanted to get my hands on the Aquatic Moon Base playset. It looks like a mix of old Kenner playsets from the 1970s and sci-fi black light poster ads I saw in kid's magazines in the 1980s. The backdrop itself is a gorgeous piece of artwork with a giant ringed planet against a comic art-inspired background, but there's an extra level to it - a space ship piece has fold-out tabs to add some dimension to it. It's great artwork and would make a cool poster, and if you have a black light it's going to dazzle the eye. If you don't, it still looks plenty cool.
The plastic base itself is less reactive, and is molded glow-in-the-dark blue plastic with dark blue painted highlights. It's nice! I didn't even realize it was meant to glow until I took it in a dark room. Sadly the paint prevents the entire thing from glowing, but the blue space texture looks superb and it has foot pegs sized for Super7's ReAction figures. (This means Glyos and modern Hasbro 3 3/4-inch figures won't use the pegs well.) It looks gorgeous, and is a great display piece - but as you'll no doubt notice, offers neither action nor play. Its inspirations, like the Kenner Creature Cantina or Land of the Jawas or Ice Planet Hot playsets, all feature moving elements like elevators, caves, or levers to move figures or cause them to look like they've been shot. Here, it's just foot pegs and light effects - it's still excellent, but something like a cave for the figures would add more of an air of interaction. (Of course, all anybody wants is something that looks awesome, and this looks awesome.)
It's worth noting the glow blue plastic used for the base is really, really good. If you collect Glyos-compatible figures, you may have noticed they can glow - albeit dimly - several hours after you charge them. The Super7 playset is the same way, and seems to glow just as well as the blue glow The Outer Space Men action figures. It's impressive, and due to its limited nature (and the weirdness of it) I assume not a lot of people are going to want it. This means that a lot of people are missing out.
Phantom Starkiller (the skull-face red-robed figure) seems like a riff on 1970s and 1980s toys - you can see elements of Charon, Darth Vader, and others. The figure is cast in great glow plastic, but largely covered up by non-reactive paint. This means that the reds and blues of this figure won't light up under black light, which is a pity - they look as if they should. The face and hands glow in the dark, and only the green elements - the teeth, chest, belt buckles - will react to black light. The lightsaber-like weapon slides in and out of the arm like the 1978 Kenner Star Wars figures, but it's a tight fit - partially because the slot was painted, giving the piece less clearance. It's a wonderful design and a great paint job, I love the black trim around the eyes and under the hood, and the red, green, and blue look amazing together. I'm also amazed by the figure's cape, which has black and blue thick vinyl giving it a better-than-retro look. There are some pretty amazing tiny details, like yellow and blue lights on the yellow/orange screen on the figure's chest. It's also worth noting all the joints turn and swing freely with zero problems, minus the vinyl cape arguably being in the way of any vehicle piloting. I assume fans would happily pay $25 for it on his own, and my only complaint is they covered up all that wonderful glow plastic with paint that doesn't sing under black light.
Joining him is Draco Knuckleduster, another pastiche of figures that seems to draw inspiration from the Stormtrooper (Hoth Battle Gear), Darth Vader, various (possibly Remco) Mummy figures, the TIE Fighter Pilot and/or AT-AT Driver (but more specifically Action Force Red Wolf), and other toys of that era. There's a lot more wonderfully green glowing plastic here, and the green paint reacts well to black light. The twisty red sword is awesome, but neither this nor its companion retract in the arm fully. (Of note, neither do the non-extendable tip Kenner ones, plus these are longer and less fragile than the revised weapons from Kenner. But I digress.) I love the layout, I love the detail, and I love the fact that all of these guys seem to glow just as well as the stuff out of the Glyos factory. He has a red and black cape around his waist, plus a sculpted rocket pack. While his head can't turn - much like old Kenner troopers - the arms and legs swing forward with no problems. Of the two, I think this one will delight fans of toys that glow a lot more - I love the sculpted detail on the arms and the helmet just looks awesome. The sprinkle-colored chest is a delight, and the three mouth vents remind any toy fan of countless space villains. It's a shame these guys aren't easier to get - there are tons of colorways out there, too. They're just scarce.
"Event" exclusives without the event are an odd beast, but Super7 and Hasbro and the rest are coming up with some pretty good stuff. I usually have complaints about the pricing, but Super7's tend to be pretty fairly priced - often the same (or close to the same) as what you would pay for a non-exclusive item. Super7's playsets tend to be closer to this price or more expensive without two included action figures, so I see this one as something of a weird bargain gift set and one of the best surprises I picked up this year. (And this is a year with four HasLab items, a giant Playmobil Enterprise, and one of the weirdest exclusive deco Blackarachnia figures we'd ever hope to get.) I love this gift set - great colors, great art, great design, and awesome materials that I hope hold up forever. I've noticed the backdrop is curving a bit - which is odd - but that can hopefully be flattened out before anything weird happens. Get this set if you have the inclination, you won't be sorry.
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