Hasbro Star Wars Power of the Jedi TIE Bomber Review

When Kenner Toys - the original manufacturer of Star Wars toys and collectibles - introduced its 3.75-inch scale action figures and their associated vehicles, action playsets and accessories in 1978, little did its executives realize that fans and collectors still buy and collect the "next generation" versions of the then-revolutionary toys spun off from the Star Wars movies.

I've been a collector of the Star Wars figures and their many extras since I was 15, and I'm constantly amazed by how far Kenner and its former corporate rival, Hasbro Toys, have expanded the various collections over the past 31 years.

Take the TIE Fighter "family" of Imperial starfighters, for instance.  When Kenner produced the various Classic Trilogy collections from 1978 to 1985, collectors such as yours truly only had the following Twin Ion Engine starfighters to choose from:

• Imperial TIE Fighter
• Darth Vader's TIE Fighter
• TIE Interceptor

While these toy replicas were neat additions to any Star Wars collection, they were essentially variations on the basic Imperial TIE Fighter.  They had different solar panel "wing" designs, true, but they all shared the same central ball cockpit/fuselage, which robbed the Darth Vader's TIE Fighter of its authenticity as a replica of the TIE Advanced x-1 seen in Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope.

The one TIE variant that Kenner Toys never did as a "full size" vehicle for the action figures was the TIE Bomber, a twin-pod attack craft briefly seen in two scenes of Star Wars - Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.  The Ohio-based toy company certainly knew of its existence - it was based on an Imperial boarding craft design that was eventually shelved but inspired the bent-wings of Vader's fighter.  Kenner even produced a Micro-Collection die-cast metal TIE Bomber in 1981, but never got around to making one for the 3.75-inch action figures.

Considering the techniques Kenner implemented when designing TIE Fighter-related detailing, perhaps it's just as well that it didn't produce any TIE Bombers back then.  The solar panels on the "wings" were on adhesive labels that had to be added by collectors - or, if they were kids, parents - and were tricky to place correctly.  If you didn't align the sticker correctly or if an air bubble formed while you were putting the stickers onto the bare plastic, there weren't too many options.  Either you took off the labels and sent a "missing parts/labels" form to Kenner and waited for a new label sheet and tried again, or you learned to live with the marred look of your TIE Fighters.

The Power of the Jedi: TIE Bomber

 Bombers are the prime assault bombers of the Empire. In traditional attacks, TIE Fighters first soften up the target, and then the TIE Bombers come in to finish the job. Their sophisticated targeting sensors enable them to hit specific targets without damaging surrounding areas. This allows them to disable vital areas so the Imperial forces can take control of the crippled vessel or space station. TIE Bombers carry a heavy and diverse payload that allows them to not only attack ships and stations but also perform ground bombing and deploy orbital mines. In The Empire Strikes Back, TIE Bombers are deployed to locate the Millenium Falcon when it hides in an asteroid field. - From the TIE Bomber package blurb

The TIE Bomber consists of two cylindrical pods laid out side-by-side, with the Vader TIE Fighter-like bent wings at the extreme ends of the twin fuselage.  The wings' detailing is - as in the newer versions of the basic TIE Fighter and TIE Interceptor - no longer rendered in those detestable labels but rather molded and painted in the proper "solar array" colors of Imperial gray and solar-cell black. 

The starboard pod contains the cockpit, which has a hatch on top and the typical "spider web" motif transparisteel cockpit viewport used in all the TIE models. The port pod is the missile/weapons pod, which features a forward missile port, the ventral targeting sensor suite, a bombing chute that holds three "high yield proton bombs" made of bright orange plastic, and a button on top to release bombs from the chute.

Weapons and Accessories :  

That variant, which is the one I happen to own, is essentially the same vehicle in different packaging.  As in the Star Wars Legacy Clone Attack on Coruscant, this is a reissue; the only difference is that Hasbro may have done this because they realized that the TIE Bomber was a much sought after collectible and they didn't want to further tick off collectors who were not happy with its already limited availability.* 

TIE Bomber Technical Specifications:

In addition to sporting the blue-and-gold colors of the "Saga" collection, the 2003 edition of the TIE Bomber's packaging includes technical specifications of the Imperial assault craft.  Otherwise, the 2003 edition's display-ready packaging bears the same photo-realistic background of the cratered asteroid and black starfield.

Finally, as in many of Hasbro's post-1990s starships and vehicles, a 3.75-inch figure has been included; in this case, it's a revamped Imperial Pilot with bending knees so he can "sit" in the seat of the TIE Bomber cockpit.

Knowing quite well that TIE Bombers will be purchased mostly by adult collectors who saw the Classic Trilogy when they were kids, Hasbro designed the packaging of its vehicles with this in mind. Taking a cue from the redesigned TIE Fighter (with TIE Fighter Pilot) packaging, Hasbro created a miniature diorama by enclosing the toy in front of a photorealistic backdrop depicting a cratered asteroid just like the ones seen in The Empire Strikes Back.

My Viewpoint: Speaking from a collector's point of view, this is a beautifully executed rendition of the TIE Bomber; its pods and wings are full of authentic-looking details, with the "body" and wing framework in Imperial battleship gray, and the solar panels shaded with a darker, almost black color. Except for the bright orange "proton bombs," the TIE Bomber looks more like a professionally-made movie prop rather than a toy.

Finally, there's the 21st Century version of the Imperial Pilot figure; it is a refined, more articulated and more detailed version of the original TIE Fighter pilot. Whereas the 1980s version just sat there (or stood there) staring fixedly to the front, the 21st Century upgrade can move his head from side to side and has bendable knees. The basic black flightsuit with silver belt buckle and Imperial insignia on both helmet and shoulder patches is also done with better detailing than the original figure's. As a collector, I really like the added value of a figure that in the past I'd have had to purchase separately.

As with all the Star Wars action figures, vehicles, and playsets, Hasbro recommends this toy for children 4 and up since the small parts pose a clear and present choking hazard, especially for children under 3 years.

* One of the not-so-nice things about Star Wars collecting is the fact that Hasbro often enters into exclusive-release agreements with certain retail and toy chains which limit the availability of certain toys.  Sure, you can get this toy on the Internet now, but when a "Wal-Mart exclusive" or a "Toys R Us exclusive" is released, several things happen.  Either savvy - but otherwise honest - collectors rush out to buy them, or sleazy stock boys and sometimes managers will sell whole consignments to scalpers, who in turn make a tidy profit by selling them online or in comic book stores.