Review: The EXO-6 Mirror Spock Is A Star Trek Figure You Should Consider

Spock – Mirror Universe 12” figure

Maker: EXO-6
Price: $198
Grade: A

Star Trek figure maker EXO-6 launched in 2021  and impressed so much us with their first releases they made our Best of 2021 list. They haven’t slowed down, releasing more figures in 2022 with even more to come. Today we take a closer look at their Mirror Spock figure.

Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner in “Mirror, Mirror”

The Star Trek original series episode “Mirror, Mirror” is still one of the most wildly entertaining and iconic in the show’s history, one that spawned numerous follow-ups on Deep Space Nine and Enterprise as well as parodies and homages in other media (we owe it for giving us an evil, goateed David Hasselhoff on an episode of Knight Rider, for example). Written by Jerome Bixby, the story throws Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, and Uhura into a parallel universe where the Enterprise is part of the “Terran Empire” and runs like a fascistic pirate ship where officers advance in rank by murdering their superiors. Fun!

Viewers (and TOS’s long-suffering, penny-pinching producer Robert Justman) got two sets of Enterprise characters for the price of one, and the foolproof suspense device of having Kirk and his fellow officers having to lie, cheat and steal their way through an hour of television with death the clear result of any false move on their part.

It was a field day for the actors, in particular for Leonard Nimoy, whose Spock, as McCoy notes, has an “easy way” of fitting into the barbaric parallel universe. “Mirror Spock” is aloof, coldly calculating, logical—and dangerously ruthless, as he demonstrates by casually torturing poor transporter officer Kyle nearly to death with the Terran Empire’s convenient hand-held “agonizer” device at the beginning of the episode. Festooned like the other Terran officers with thigh-high boots, showy militaristic medals, a gold sash and a sharp, angular dagger, Mirror Spock also boasts a distinctive goatee that makes him look deadlier and more piratical than anyone on the ship. The placid Leonard Nimoy adjusts his normal Spock performance, seemingly by just a few micrometers, and transforms Spock into a chilling, quietly menacing character who becomes utterly unforgettable.

Activate transporter… EXO-6 Mirror Spock figure with transporter pad stand

Nanjin Tam’s EXO-6 company has created a small crew of fantastic 12” Star Trek action figures and with Mirror Spock—and their announcements at this spring’s Star Trek convention in Chicago—they have really raised the game. Their Star Trek First Contact Picard and Data figures were excellent, and since then they’ve started a Star Trek Voyager line with a much-needed, first female character in Kathryn Janeway, who comes complete with phaser rifle and coffee mug, and Robert Picardo’s beloved holographic Doctor.

Mirror Spock is the company’s first TOS figure—Tam was heavily involved in QMx’s Star Trek line from a few years ago, which produced three very good figures of TOS Kirk, Spock, and McCoy as well as a great Khan, Scotty, and Sulu—but Mirror Spock is a considerable improvement in paint detail, facial sculpt and other areas, and Exo-6’s product previews in Chicago promise a whole new level of high-end Trek figures.

That is unprecedented… EXO-6 Mirror Spock detail on uniform and facial sculpt

Godwin Nerona’s Mirror Spock head sculpt and the subtle, realistic paint details (even the multiple hands look painted, unlike the standard flesh-colored plastic hands you get with a lot of other 12-inch figures) perfectly capture Nimoy’s Mirror Spock and the chillingly merciless look in his eyes, perfect for holding a phaser on a hapless Prime Universe Kirk or mind-melding some answers out of soft and sentimental Dr. McCoy. There’s a hint of a fiery glint in his eyes, his ears are captured with a beautiful delicacy and the painted look of his goatee is startlingly realistic for this scale.

Dr. McCoy has a plenitude of human weaknesses… Mirror Spock demonstrates his mind-meld hand on a QMx McCoy figure

With this figure, EXO-6 begins showcasing an important innovation: tailored bodies that add to the character resemblance. Leonard Nimoy was taller and thinner than William Shatner; George Takei and Walter Chekov were smaller guys like Shatner. Mirror Spock is gaunter and slenderer in build than QMx’s Spock, which used a standard, muscular body. Hopefully, we’ll see a slightly shorter Kirk (Shatner’s head always feels a bit large in relation to his body, which is why many figures of Kirk—even QMx’s—look weirdly off when you look at the whole figure).

Your authority on this ship is extremely limited… EXO-6 Mirror Spock with QMx Spock

The Mirror Spock body is quite poseable—you can easily achieve the difficult “Terran salute” (although its intentional resemblance to fascistic Roman and Nazi salutes may make you hesitate from reproducing it in your living room) and hands are provided to hold Spock’s phaser (which is “holstered” backward on its “velcro”/magnetized perch on the hip like an Old West gunslinger’s) and his distinctive Terran dagger (which can be unsheathed to threaten underlings).

Terror must be maintained… EXO-6 Mirror Spock articulation

Spock’s uniform is lovingly reproduced, from the shiny tunic (similar to the Enterprise dress uniform) and medals (one small pin on my Spock turned up missing, which I ascribe to a small demotion), golden sash and the beautifully scaled and textured knee-high boots, which allow for some impressive movement of the figure’s delicate ankle joints. Spock is wearing kind of an ascot or dickey to give him a turtleneck-like collar, and after you remove the protective clear plastic from his neck you may need to push the back of the ascot downward so as not to reveal the figure’s neck joint.

Phaser holstering Terran style… EXO-6 Mirror Spock detail on phaser

EXO-6’s bodies hold their poses extremely well and the removable hands fit very snugly—it takes a strong tug to remove them and pop them back on but you don’t have to worry about them randomly dropping off like other 1/6 figure hands tend to. The figure’s adjustable shoulders even allow for Spock’s standard “at ease” hands-clasped-behind-him pose. The agonizer does not appear to be magnetized—the Velcro positions for the phaser and dagger are obvious and there are no other locations where the agonizer can be attached but I assume this is character-specific. Spock uses other peoples’ agonizers to torture them; he is in no danger of torturing himself so he don’t need no stinking agonizer!

Your agonizer, please… EXO-6 Mirror Spock and agonizer with QMx Scotty

The EXO-6 Mirror Spock figure is another win for the company and is highly recommended for collectors. It sells for $198 and can be purchased directly from exo-6.com. and from Entertainment Earth.

Closer look at Mirror Spock

Here is a short video giving you a look at the likeness.

More to come from EXO-6

EXO-6 promises two more TOS Mirror Universe characters—one is the leering, scar-faced security officer Sulu, and it’s a doozy. The head sculpt and paint job of Sulu sneering in Kirk’s direction as he announces his assassination plan might just be the most stunning capture of a single screen moment in modern action figure history (and Nanjin Tam has assured us that the final figure will look even better than the one on display in Chicago). With Star Trek – The Motion Picture Kirk, Spock and possibly even Disco McCoy in the works plus amazing figures of Lord Kruge from Star Trek III, Christopher Pike, Spock and a Talosian from “The Menagerie” (yes, wheelchair Pike is promised), this line looks to be a godsend for Trek collectors who’ve had to watch Star Wars and Marvel fans have all the fun. Find out more at exo-6.com.

EXO-6 Mirror Sulu

 


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Spock somehow looks like a much thinner Albert Salmi.

He does look like he’s skipped a couple bowls of plomeek soup.

It’s only the top pic where the Salmi resemblance cuts in, mainly the expression of semi-befuddlement round the eyes; when I scanned further down, the intended likeness registered much more.

I saw DeNiro: You Talking To Me? To me?

Really disappointed. This guy looks nothing like Ethan Peck.

Ha!!

LOL!

Current Spock is ripped. Some creative soul needs to do up a romance novel cover featuring a shirtless Spock and T’Pring…

In the top pic he looks more like Frakes than Nimoy.

I own the first 5 when Mr Nanjin worked for QMX. I just wish he finishes what he started then. With Chekov and Uhura!!!!!!!!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/3fYgcpCS546V8w4q6