The Collective: Khan’t Wait for DST’s New Mego Style Figure

NEW FEATURE: The latest regular column to add to the TrekMovie.com mix is “The Collective” from regular contributor and all around expert in ‘stuff’ John Tenuto. Every week or so John will bring news, reviews, retrospectives and more from the worlds of toys and collectibles. This first week brings breaking news on a new Khan figure done in the MEGO style, plus a look back at Mr. Singh’s history with Trek collectibles.

NEW KHAN MEGO FIGURE
Today, Diamond Select Toys announced the first original Mego-style Star Trek action figure in twenty years, and his name is Khan Noonien Singh. The recent retro MEGO line has included detailed recreations of the popular 1970s Mego Star Trek action figures. A Khan figure, however, was never produced by Mego. This represents a broadening of the retro Mego line which to date includes versions of Kirk, Spock, the Klingon, and the Andorian. This month, McCoy and the Romulan figures are available, with Scotty (“Scottie”) and The Keeper coming out this summer. The Khan action figure will also be available this summer. The new Khan figure was developed by EMCE Toys and features sculpting by James Brady, known among Mego fans for his customizing work. It is expected that there will be more original MEGO-style figures, but as of now they aren’t saying who’s next.


Mine is the superior MEGO figure (click to enlarge)

Khan as collectible…a late bloomer
DST chose a very popular character for the first original Mego-style figure. Khan has been a Trek perennial ever since his appearance in the classic TOS episode “Space Seed.” He returned to challenge Ahhhhdmiral Kirk in 1982’s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Ironically, though, most of the Khan-related collectibles were not made available until long after TWOK. The first Khan action figure came out in 1995 from Playmates. Art Asylum released a Khan Minimate in 2002, and a 7″ action figure in 2003. In 2007 DST celebrated the 25th anniversary of TWOK with a trio of Khan action figures (“Space Seed” Khan, TWOK Khan and the exclusive Comic Con Genesis radiation “Khan”). In 2008 DST brought out their first Minimates Khan.


Various Khan figures released since 1995 (click to enlarge)

Recently Hallmark ornaments has also showed Khan the respect he deserves. In 2005 they had a “Space Seed” red outfit Khan ornament and just last Christmas came a TWOK Enterprise scene ornament featuring the voice of Ricardo Montalban. Nothing says Christmas like Khan’s threats to Kirk, “You still remember Admiral. I cannot help but be touched. I of course remember you.” Ah, the closeness of “old friends” during the holidays.


Kris Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaangle

Also in 2007, Star Trek: The Experience had an exclusive shirt that showed Kirk yelling Khan’s name. One of the only Khan collectibles actually available in 1982 was a 5×7 trading card from LTCC. Over the last decade Rittenhouse has released several other Khan autograph cards. The Hamilton Collection, which continues to offer Star Trek items, presented very popular plates during the 1990s. Khan graced the cover of “Space Seed” “The Power of Command” “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” and “The Life of Spock” plates.


Khan: The Dish…best served cold

Coming Next Week…isn’t it romantic
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the next ‘The Collective’ column will be dedicated to Star Trek gift ideas for your significant other.

43 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

First…. Don’t even care about the figures!!!

intriguing

Those “Bridge Set” figures look neat,,

:)

*Waits to see how many people type,,,,,*
Khaaaaaaaaan !!!!!

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

1. Paul McDowell – February 5, 2008
“First…. Don’t even care about the figures!!!”

Thanks for wasting our time then.

Khan’s hair in TWOK was disturbingly un-masculine, and disturbingly 80’s. I’ll take TOS Khan any day!
(Well I don’t mean TAKE, more like prefer… never mind.)
Uh, third..! (Actually probably about sixth.)

That tis the most realistic figure i’ve seen in a long time. I want that diorama too.

Have the plate. lol.

Love RELIANT the view finder model. just need the other 7 segments (??) and you’d have a whole bridge…cool!!

Cool! I want one.

The Hallmark Enterprise-Reliant scene violates canon! There should be ample walking space between the railing and the viewscreen!

And the Comic Con Genesis Radiation Khan does something his silver screen inspiration never did — stand on his own two feet.

Plus, did anyone notice that the Khan figure in the middle is wearing Texas-style cowboy boots? Yee-haw!

It is amusing that Khan shared the same helmet hair with Peg Bundy.

I don’t like Khan. He killed Spock! I don’t know why toy companies have such an obsessive desire to reproduce him. The red pant suit looks hilarious on the cloth figure. I’m excited that they’re going to be producing new cloth figures, but what does a feller have to do to get a Tellarite?

The ‘diorama’ is actually a Hallmark ornament. You must buy it if you don’t already have it. It talks, lights up, and reenacts the first volley of phasers between the Enterprise and the Reliant with animated viewscreen effects.

FIRST!

I am so tired of that…

I don’t usually get into collectibles, but that TWOK Khan is kinda cool. It’s great that they have the uglied-up version too.

Khan was my fav villian out of them all. Something about Ricardo Montalban in that mullet, among other things … ;)

Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|

Are the Star Trek collectible plates being produced anymore? I briefly flirted with collecting them, but just couldn’t continue doing the books, the comic books, the models ad naseum. oh.my.gawd (gulp). I really AM a TREKKIE (please don’t ask me if I own a uniform). ;)

#11:””””The ‘diorama’ is actually a Hallmark ornament. You must buy it if you don’t already have it. It talks, lights up, and reenacts the first volley of phasers between the Enterprise and the Reliant with animated viewscreen effects.””””

That’s it. I NEED one. lol. Please help me find it. Thanks in advance.

#4 – You beat me to it, DAAAAAHHHHMMMMNNN YOU!

LOL;-)

#3 – You, too, wiseass. LOL :-)

Man I wish I had known how much money could be made selling this stuff. I would have kept all my TOS models and action figures instead of trying to create my own special effects Super 8mm movie. Black cat fire works and gasoline–sigh…

Ya know, I hope Ricardo can relate to what an impact he had for us – and moviegoers in general. I don’t know his take on it, vis-a-vis his role as Khan vs. his overall body of professional work, but he was one of the all-time, over-the-top, kick-ass villiains that were ever captured on film. If there is, or ever will be, a Movie Villain Hall Of Fame, Ricardo Montalban should be enshrined on the first ballot, lest the honor be a hollow victory. The man is Robert Plant with pecs. ;-)

Ricardo MontalBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN! ;^)

WHEN ARE THEY GONNA MAKE A GOOD USS RELIANT SHIP FOR FAWKS SAKE ITS NEVER HAPPENED YET..

#19, Right-on man! Would have been really neat if they’d a found a way to shoe-horn Hervé Villechaize in there….. Taaaaatoooooooooooo!

#19 Viking

THAT’S IT!!!

Robert Plant with pecs!

Spot on! Thank you! That’s been buggin’ me for years, why I thought Mr. Rourke was so hot in a mullet and everything else!

Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|

Mego Khan? This rocks!!!

I hope they get around to TV-inspired Klingons and Captain Pike!

KAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHNNNN…. I was overcome by the sudden need to type it…..i couldn’t contol myself, the uge was to great

Like what’s on that plate.

The new figure has big hips

KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHN!!!!!!!!!!!

#25 – me too.

#26 – ha!

KHHAAAAAAAANNNN!!!!!!!

This is one of the new features I’m actually looking forward to reading. I love collectibles in any form.

Very cool. Hopefully sales will be good and this will be the beginning of a whole new line of MEGO “style” TOS characters!

Well done EMCE toys!

I hope they do a whole bunch, including bringing back Lt. Uhura and finally doing Sulu and Chekov. Let’s hope they do an old school playset like the old Mego USS Enterprise gift set.

I hope this means we can expect Mego-style originals of Sulu, Chekov, Chapel and Rand!

Great job on the Khan mego, it will go great with my TOS megos, Brady did a great job with the head.

OK, so Khan died at the end of STTWOK. So what? This is science fiction. What’s 26 years? It was the best of the Trek movies. Ricardo Montalban today looks better than a lot of 40 year olds I see in the Circle-K. You can’t mention Trek without somone yelling Khaaaan (when they don’t misspell it.) If Khan isn’t in the new Trek, I’m boycotting.

#36

Pththththtttt. Go play with the baby. :-)

Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|

Dear “Wee, look at me, I’m first” people,

Look, I’m sorry you got picked last for dodgeball. I’m sorry your mother likes your sibblings better than you. I’m sorry all you friends snatched up the pretty girls for Prom Night and you went with the exchange student who didn’t speak English and tipped the scales at 250. I’m sorry Blockbuster has passed you up for promotion 10 times. I’m sorry your Chevy Geo stalls out at red lights. I know life has been hard.

But if beating your fellow geeks to the punch when it comes to posting on SciFi blogs is the only way to feel like a winner, maybe its time to find another means of self validation.

I kid because I care.

Your loving friend,
Otter

Neat stuff, wish I could find a money tree so I could afford these and the all the upcoming ST XI items, does anyone know where that money tree is?

speaking of collectable, I still have a ST TOS blue zip on jacket that I purchased as a kid in 1971 from a Star trek TOS model bridge kit, the one where you send a check for 5 bucks and the coupon in the box or somthing. Anyone know how much this thing is worth in mint condition?

LONG LIVE KHAN NOON SINGH THE GREAT STAR TREK VILLAIN EVER!!IM LOOKING FORWARD TO ADDING THIS KHAN MEGO FIGURE TO MY KHAN COLLECTION .YES A KHAN COLLATIONS I HAVE BEING A BIG FAN OF KHAN SINCE THE 1966 SHOW .I HAVE A BIG KHAN MEMORIAL COLLITION I BEING DOING IT FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS. NO I DON’T OWN ANY THING FOR THE SHOW OR THE MOVIE THAT’S ORIGINAL BUT I LOVE THE MOVIE .I HOPE THE THEY KEEP MAKING MORE KHAN ITEMS .I OWN TOW CUSTOM MADE MEGO KHAN FIGURE ONE FOR THE TV SHOW AND THE MOVIE THERE WELL MADE .I ALSO OWN THE PROTO TYPE 15 INCH KHAN HEAD THAT’ WAS GOING TO ME MADE PLAYMATES’ . BUT NEVER DID THEY ONLY MADE KIRK AND SPACK TO BAD HOPE TO SEE MORE STAR TREK II ITEMS. IT’S BOUT TIME THEY GIVE KHAN HIS JUST DO .!!!!!!!!!!

Kahn lives and is actually shipping as I type this.
Next is Uhura, Sulu, Checov and a more accurate Gorn.

OMG, those Khan figures are awesome!! Yet the smallest looks like a Lego one.