Captain Pikes Starfleet Laser Pistol
Of all of Star Trek, my favorite episode will always be the pilot episode The Cage and its subsequent series re-edit The Menagerie Part 1 & 2. Less Sci-fi Adventure and more Outer Limits, The Cage tells the story of the pre- Captain Kirk crew commanded by Captain Christopher Pike and the USS Enterprises visit to Talos IV, a mysterious planet with omnipotent aliens and survivors of an ill-fated space exploration mission. It really was a twisted and somewhat tragic episode and it stuck with me when I first watched it as a kid in the 1980’s.
Not to waste footage, Desilu Productions subsequently reedited the pilot updated with the new Captain Kirk crew, with the plot concerning the mutiny of Mr. Spock and the now invalid Captain Pike with the USS Enterprise and their controversial return back to Talos IV. It was a cleverly edited episode that added a new dimension to Mr. Spock’s Character and its bittersweet ending also stuck with me when I watched it as a kid.
In the 1990’s Playmates acquired the Star Trek toy License and overall I believe they did an excellent job with the line, releasing many items that appealed to both kids and collectors alike, including this Captain Pikes Starfleet Laser Pistol. Unfortunately I was not collecting toys in the 1990’s and I was just content with admiring Star Trek toys in the toy aisles at Target and Toys R Us.
Fortunately my friend, Nathan Wilson from Rhino Records Claremont, knew I was a huge 1960’s Star Trek fan, especially of the more obscure Christopher Pike character, and picked up this Playmates Captain Pikes Starfleet Laser Pistol for me for Christmas. It was great to add this wonderful and unique Laser Pistol to my American Sci-fi collection.
Although it was a very simplistic release, Captain Pikes Starfleet Laser Pistol is a solid and fun toy pistol. Made with sturdy plastic, it has a good weight and balance to it. The sculpt of the pistol is well produced, the gold and silver paint application capturing the classic look and era of the original prop.
There are only two features associated with this relaese. One is a flip up sight that flips out on the back, simple yet effective, just use one’s nail to flip it out of the recess on the top of the toy.
The second is a battery-operated light up tip and a dual sound effect. To change the sound effects just simply twisted the silver end of the pistol to either direction. Just pull the long trigger to activate the sounds and lights.
Solid enough for kid play but unique enough for serious Star Trek Collectors, Captain Pikes Starfleet Laser Pistol covers both groups very well. Although not as recognizable or iconic as the Star Trek Phaser, the Captain Pikes Starfleet Laser Pistol is a must own for the 1/1 scale Cospla Star Trek collection or if you are a fan of 1960’s retro Star Trek. Thanks again Nathan for hooking me up with this all those years ago.
©2013 Review and Pictures by Leonardo Flores and CollectionDX