Last
week, I wrote about my love for The Black Hole (1979) as a fourth
grader, and I still vividly remember collecting Mego’s line of three-inch
action figures from the line. In fact, I
still own several of the figures here in my home office…nearly thirty-five
years later!
Included
in the first release of Mego’s The Black Hole action figures are:
Maximillian, Commander Reinhardt (Maximillian Schell), V.I.N.C.ent, Captain Dan
Holland (Robert Forster), Charlie Pizer (Joseph Bottoms), Dr. Kate McRae
(Yvette Mimieux), Dr. Alex Durant (Anthony Perkins) and journalist Harry Booth
(Ernest Borgnine).
And
really, who could resist owning an action figure of Ernest Borgnine?
Like
the Buck
Rogers in the 25th Century action figures produced by Mego
the same year, these Black Hole figures are held together
at their joints by small silver, metal pins.
It was very easy, as I recall, to snap-off the character arms or legs
because these pins would grow loose or fall out.
Similarly,
even routine play with these Mego figures could result in character thumbs and
hands being permanently amputated. On
top of this considerable drawback, none of the human figures in the Black Hole
line carry weapons of any sort (a bow to Disney’s “no gun” policy, apparently).
Uniquely,
The
Black Hole action figures may today be more well known for rarities and
unproduced toys than the quality of the actual releases. The second wave of action figures -- which I never saw in stores -- included
some of the movie’s most popular characters, including Old B.O.B., the Black
Sentry – Captain S.T.A.R., and the (terrifying to kids…) Cygnus Humanoid.
If
the first line of offerings had proven more successful, Mego had plans to
produce a Cygnus command center play set, and also a beautifully-done U.S.S.
Palomino toy. You can see images of both
prototypes at one of my all-time favorite net haunts, the Mego Museum.
Like
the Mego Star Trek: The Motion Picture line of 1979, the Black
Hole action figures tanked in stores, though not with me,
personally. I remember often running
into a local Bradley’s store, past the main room, past the gardening center, straight
to the toy aisles, where figures from both series sold for just a 1.00
apiece. I bought up every single one
available, on multiple trips, and always dreamed of finding a Klingon, an
Arcturian, Old B.O.B. or Captain S.T.A.R.
To
this day, that dream hasn’t come true, but there’s always E-Bay, right?
John your childhood adventures in collecting Black Hole figures in 1979 and 1980 bring back my our adventures at that time.
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