The History of the Daleks series has reached the 3rd Doctor era and for 2022 we got hold of the 9th release in the series from Planet of the Daleks. It featured a re-release of the Planet of the Daleks Supreme Dalek and a revised version of the 'Invisible' Dalek from the story.
The set uses essentially the same box design as all the previous History sets, including the angled front panel which does partially obscure the Supreme Dalek. There has been one change in that there is no window now for the box, and the figures are held within a plastic tray that is glued to the backing card. This means you can no longer repack these figures once opened as the tray will have to be ripped from the box. We also lose the printed card back that recreates scenes from the storyline. The packaging does retain the very in depth background write-up across the bac of the box covering the story itself and the props used.
The Planet of the Daleks Supreme Dalek was one of the first classic Daleks released in the Doctor Who line, appearing in 2008 in the first Dalek Collectors Set. Considering it has been 14 years since the figure was on the shelf, it is a welcome re-release. But it also comes with some improvements on the original with the gold paint job much more metallic this time round. The Supreme also features the same unusual elements as seen on the prop including the torch-like eye-stalk and the wider movie Dalek base to give it more height.
We have had a partial Invisible Dalek before, released in 2013 as part of the Toys R Us Dalek & Doctor 2-packs. That release used a clear cast Dalek but it was still partially painted to show the Dalek mid-reveal. This new 2022 version is the full 'Invisible' Dalek cast entirely in clear plastic including the eye stalk, weapon, and plunger. The downside of utilising this sort of translucent plastic is the revealing nature of the inner workings of the toy. You will see the inner joints and parts - but overall the 'Invisible' look does work and the finish is pretty cool, especially when back lit.
The Planet of the Daleks set isn't an army-building set like some of the History of the Daleks releases but it does bring us a re-release of a very limited Supreme Dalek last sold some 14 years ago and gives the figure an updated metallic paint job. The invisible Dalek is also a new substantial variant without the partial paint job applied to the 2013 version. While the packaging updates are a little annoying, particularly for in-box collectors who have the full line to date, the set is still giving great value for money and bringing classic Dalek figures back to the masses.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...