This figure was part of Kenner's Power of the Force 2 line and was the first in its scale to reveal Darth Vader's badly scarred face and head. I was for some reason amazed that this figure was made -- it seemed too gruesome to be a toy back in 1998, when McFarlane was just getting started with its brand of creepiness -- but I knew I had to have one.
I don't think I ever found this one "in the wild," instead paying $12.99 (more than twice the regular retail price) at one of those "collector's stores" whose staffers often come by their merchandise by arriving at real toy stores before anyone else.
Even though Hasbro has since surpassed the gory detail of this figure (see the battle damaged Anakin Skywalker from 2005's Revenge of the Sith line), this was the first time we got to see under the helmet on a Vader figure, which to me was a big deal.
a big deal, indeed
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