(MEGO) - ZIRA - Planet Of The Apes

 I believe this was issued as a TOPPS variant a couple years ago, while the Escape From The Planet Of The Apes version of Zira was issued in the main retail line? Please correct me in the comments if I'm wrong.

I can't say I had a crush on Zira as a kid per say, but I found her fascinating and was intrigued by her. I had a teacher in 2nd grade that reminded me of her, but luckily she didn't do lobotomy's on us. Though I think some of my classmates would have benefited from that, and I really wish she would have. It would have brought such peace to the learning process.

This is one of those reissues that brought me absolute total %100 satisfaction. It is SO well done, and although I do like the new bandless body, I've been relatively happy with the modern female banded body. For this figure it works perfectly.

It's always said that Kenner's Princess Leia was the first female action figure that boys played with, it was really this one (The Super Gals by Mego - as cool as they were - were still way too feminine and girly for the most of the era's boys to actually get - even though many of us secretly desired them). There's a perfection to this figure that by not making it too manly and ugly, nor making it overly girlie, boys didn't feel strange wanting or purchasing it, and it didn't really put any ideas in parents head either. But that's just logistics, the bottom line is that the figure itself is just a total classic and this reissue really did it justice.

I've owned a few Zira's over the years. An original, the Emce reissue, and now this one. The original will always be the best because it's the original (in my opinion, doesn't have to be yours), but this one pretty much ties it. The Emce version looked good, but the elastics decayed and snapped after awhile, the clothing deteriorated, and it just kind of fell flat, but it was better than nothing.

This one though, this one has quality all over it. The body was tight but not restrictive or defective feeling when I opened her. Good movement, and she seems to stand on her own pretty well. The head has really nice paint apps and is well manufactured. It retains the vintage charm without screaming reissue. It might be a little cleaner or brighter than the original, but it's not glaring and that's really important to me. Yes display is important, but I DO TAKE these things off the shelf and have imaginative time with them.

The clothing is above average for one major reason, this outfit is clearly TAILORED to fit the body which is a major problem with the Emce reissue (I'm not ripping on Emce, I was their biggest fan at the time and still admire the effort and acknowledge their importance and understand their restrictions) and some of the originals I've seen. With this particular figure, the fitting of the outfit is essential to the look of the figure. When it's baggy and floppy it just looks like a mess and is hard to hold and manage in your hands. This one fits perfect. So much so, if I do ever get another original issue of the figure, I might buy a second one of these to use the clothes.

The packaging is a definite improvement over the first waves of the relaunch. Obviously I would have wanted these on 70s Apes cards or boxes, but at that time I'm sure there were style guide logistics involved forcing MEGO to use the same style as Neca or whoever else etc...

Sadly I noticed no 50th anniversary figures issued in 2023 or 2024, so I'm skeptical we'll get them on 70s cards, but never say never. If MEGO was able to do it with WGSH for their 50th, then anything is possible. There doesn't have to be an anniversary to do these things, and I'm sure they would do well no matter when released.

I'd like to see MEGO do the Battle Action Stallion, The Torture Throne, and maybe the Wagon Catapult sets. As cool as the Forbidden Zone or Tree House would be, I'm skeptical we'll see those shortly, though maybe some day. Cost and space are becoming a major hinderance these days for a lot of people, and it probably reflects in the sales.

If you need a Zira and are hesitant to get an original, take it from me, GET THIS ONE! It's a little more spendy that the Escape From The Planet Of The Apes version, but I think it's worth it. On the shelf she's basically indistinguishable from the original issue to my eyes (as old and tired as they are, my imagination is always alive). Historically, this is a very important figure in collecting history, and a big part of Boys Action history, for that alone it makes it an essential part of any vintage collection from the Gen X era.