George Lucas (In Stormtrooper Disguise) - TSC - Vintage (Exclusive)

Celebrate the legendary Star Wars films that changed the universe forever, with The Saga Collection. This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and transported us to a galaxy far, far away. To commemorate these landmark films, we are honoring their creator, George Lucas. We pay homage to both his remarkable accomplishments in film as well as the legions of Star Wars fans that he inspired by presenting a likeness of the director himself, clad in one of the saga's most iconic designs -- the distinctive armor of an Imperial stormtrooper. May the Force be with you!

You probably never thought you’d have an opportunity to secure a George Lucas (In Stormtrooper Disguise) action figure for your collection, did you? But as the reward for collecting all of the required Ultimate Galactic Hunt figures with exclusive stickers, plus $4.95 for shipping and handling, George Lucas (In Stormtrooper Disguise) was the reward. If collectors purchased one of each of the “Vintage” The Saga Collection figures, and then placed the proof-of-purchase stickers from the packaging onto a general order form, it would entitle them to one of these exclusive action figures. Hasbro shipped the FREE George Lucas (In Stormtrooper Disguise) action figure in beautiful vintage-styled Kenner packaging like the five mainstream figures. Interestingly, the front card art of George Lucas (In Stormtrooper Disguise) is the same as 1978’s Star Wars Stormtrooper figure. The reverse side of the card celebrates George Lucas’ success of the Star Wars franchise). You’ll also find an image of George Lucas directing actors in Sandtrooper gear, an incredible historical reference image. The text on the back is also unique in that it directly talks about George Lucas. The Ultimate Galactic Hunt promotion was difficult for collectors to lockdown. Hasbro stringently required one proof-of-purchase sticker from EACH of the five VTSC figures released as part of the exclusive promotion. What is the issue you might ask? The VTSC Biker Scout was the most highly sought after army builder figure in recent memory, and it was nearly impossible to find the figure to acquire the required proof-of-purchase sticker with the words “Biker Scout” on it. Eventually, Hasbro conceded the difficulty of this and began to accept combinations of any five labels to make things easier for collectors. Collectors appreciated the gesture.

When George Lucas (In Stormtrooper Disguise) began arriving at collectors’ doorsteps, the reactions from collectors were palpable. Most of us became astounded with disbelief on how accurately Hasbro nailed the action figure’s likeness to the Star Wars’ Maker. A dead ringer for the director and creator, George Lucas (In Stormtrooper Disguise), has a more accurate portrait than most of Hasbro’s other Star Wars action figures. George Lucas (In Stormtrooper Disguise) comes with a head sculpt that’s amazing. It’s beyond impressive and shows what Hasbro is capable of achieving across the board. For the Stormtrooper body of this figure, Hasbro went back in time and chose the tooling from 2002’s Star Wars “Saga” Stormtrooper Troop Builder Set. This set was a Fan Club exclusive and featured an update to its base figure. What sets this version apart from the original 1999’s POTF2 [FB/CT] Stormtrooper figure is the blaster damage effect. Hasbro removed it. Hasbro’s goal was to choose a clean look for George Lucas, and ensure the armor is pristine and white. Despite its near-decade old tooling, you will probably be surprised how “modern” this figure comes across despite its use of old parts. When out of the package, George Lucas (In Stormtrooper Disguise) is a good-looking action figure. Hasbro also sculpted an all-new removable helmet to complete the look for a full disguise. The figure also comes with a modern “downsized” E-11 blaster that fits well into the left hand and loosely in the right hand. We’re happy with the results. The 1999 POTF2 [FB/CT] Stormtrooper figure brought this character far ahead in the basic figure line, and it pushed the boundaries of previous Star Wars figures. It’s no wonder it holds up acceptably well today. After all of these years, it mainly works for a novelty figure like George Lucas (In Stormtrooper Disguise).

George Lucas (In Stormtrooper Disguise) comes packaged in a clamshell that Hasbro taped together. The first wave of the mainstream VTSC figures came both taped and heat-sealed after all of the illegal figure swapping done to 2004’s The “Vintage” Original Trilogy Collection. We imagine that Hasbro felt it was safest to only go with tape sealing for a mail-away exclusive. No one would be able to tamper with the figure from the offer processing fulfillment office to a collector’s home. Inside the clamshell is a The Saga Collection insert containing all of the relevant stock data exclusive to this figure. Although the front of the card is a replica of the 1978 Star Wars Stormtrooper figure, we feel that Hasbro could have gone the extra mile and exclusively design artwork for the George Lucas (In Stormtrooper Disguise) action figure. We appreciate the new details on the card back, but we also wanted to see something new and fresh on the front. Light speed ahead of the silly SW [S - P1] Commander Jorg Sacul (Rebel Pilot) released in May of 2002, George Lucas (In Stormtrooper Disguise) is a tremendous success based on the merits of the head sculpt alone. Coincidentally, if you look VERY carefully on the card back, you’ll see that Hasbro used the 2002 SW [S - P1] Commander Jorg Sacul (Rebel Pilot) head sculpt for the sample shown in the group photo of figures. George Lucas (In Stormtrooper Disguise) quickly commanded a premium on the aftermarket, and it’s expected that it will maintain its value throughout the years. Mail-away figures of this notoriety become highly sought after once all of the orders get fulfilled. In this case, the George Lucas (In Stormtrooper Disguise) offer expired November 30, 2006 (your documents needed to be postmarked by this date) with a grace period of December 8, 2006 (Hasbro fulfillment must have received it by this date). For those who got their orders in immediately, units began shipping July 2006.