Doctor Who Classics: Figures we'd Like to See - Monsters and Villains - Part Two: The Seventies

Action figures have been kinder to the Seventies, which is unsurprising as it is the most popular period of classic Doctor Who. The performances of Pertwee and Baker, and the behind the scenes talents of the likes of Barry Letts, Terrance Dicks, Robert Holmes and Philip Hinchcliffe, made Doctor Who’s golden age. But surprisingly there are still a plethora of unmade monsters and villains from this decade of Doctor Who, which is just criminal! So let’s delve into the Pertwee years and the first six of the Tom Baker years…

Silurian

Why? Why do we not have this!? If I was told the line was ending tomorrow I would have to choose this as the ‘must have’ figure. The Silurians have made several appearances in the new show since 2010, so it’s not as if people don’t know what they are. Granted they look totally different to their new series counterparts, but this should work in their favour. Come on, this design makes for a much cooler action figure! It’s also nice to be able to show the evolution of these characters from their 1970 original design to their 2010 redesign. A must have figure! Bloody hell, Dapol managed it!

Ogrons and Draconians

Again, why do we not have these? A release of an Ogron in a ‘Day of the Daleks’ and/or ‘Frontier in Space pack would make my day. They’re great beefy monsters that would look really cool with the Daleks. Stick them in a set with two metallic gun metal grey Daleks (yeah, why do we still not have those? And no, I don’t mean standard matt or gloss grey as per ‘Genesis’, I mean metallic!) and a Supreme Dalek with accurate gold neck bin, not black this time, and we have a winner! Or bung in  a red jacket 3^rd Doctor complete with Ogron gun!

Then there’s the Draconians. Jon Pertwee’s favourite monster design. Only seen once, yet used in a variety of spin-off material and other merchandise, these would look awesome. Package one or two with an Ogron and a Dalek and we have a cool set right there! Two more must haves!

Lord Izlyr and Commander Azaxyr

If you read Part One last week you will know the score with these guys. A tweak of the Ice Lord from ‘Seeds of Death’ that can be repainted for both variants from either Peladon story. Stick them with a retooled/repainted Ice Warrior or a rotocast Alpha Centauri and Aggedor, which I’ll come to later…

Wirrn

Ah yes! Another very good story with an only seen once monster, like most monsters from Tom Baker’s tenure. This is another one where kids will love it as it is a giant wasp/flying ant thing! A great design that would look much better in toy form than the actual suits. A fully rotocast body with articulation at the wings and legs. Add a rotocast Wirrn grub for good measure!

Eldrad

Must live! In both female and male forms! If Bif Bang Pow can do it, then Character should be on to it too! A lovely design that would pop on the shelf if the paint could have that nice metallic blueish/purple sheen. The male Eldrad could also be repainted in a bronze/copper colour to act as another Castrian. Pack it with the Hand of Fear itself, and an Andy Pandy Sarah Jane. That would be awesome!

Kraal

Not an overly praised story, but I’ve always been fond of it. I also think the Kraals would make great action figures, and again, if Bif Bang Pow can do it, why not Character? Release it with a Sarah Jane figure with detachable face…  creepy stuff.

Alpha Centauri, Aggedor and Arcturus

Okay, not likely to happen but I think these should crop up, especially Alpha Centauri! She/he/it is lovely and is a visually interesting character, one that I think the sculptors at Designworks could make look really great! If she was rotocast like the Gel Guard then that would be cheap and cheerful! Repaint her to match her darker complexion in ‘Monster of Peladon’ and you have two releases right there. (Yes, she is neither a monster nor a villain but she’s an alien so cut me some slack!)



Aggedor is another loveable monster that begs for a release in the same set or a re-release in the two.

Arcturus is a funny one and even less likely. I think he looks very cool and because he’d just be a block of plastic with a little head in a glass dome, I think he’s doable. A nice addition to a ‘Curse of Peladon’ boxset.

Mutt (Solonian Mutant)

A picture paints a thousand words so just look at this ugly bugger and tell me that it wouldn’t be a great action figure. Although it’s long, I do like the story of ‘The Mutants’. Also, let’s not forget the Mutt cameo in ‘The Brain of Morbius’ either! The insectoid appearance is brilliant, package two with a paisley neck-tie Pertwee and we’re on for a winner.

Auton in Carnival costume

A nice and easy one. We’ve seen the suit wearing Primeval figures be used as fodder for many figures in the classics line (here’s looking at you, Roboman, Scaroth and Scarman), so with a slight retool this would make the perfect base for a ‘Terror of the Autons’ Auton. A removable mask or an interchangeable head would be brilliant, but not a necessity. Package it with a repainted ‘Spearhead from Space’ Auton and alter the head, and maybe a Delgado Master in suit. Marvelous!

Exxilon and Bellal

‘Death to the Daleks’ has a special place in my heart as being one of my earliest Doctor Who memories. To this day I think the Exxilons are brilliant. The design is ingenious! Even on crystal clear DVD I fail to see what is a polystyrene rock and what is an Exillon. The creepy moaning noises and they’re big bug eyed stare also add to the creep factor. An easy one for this would be to do one cloaked Exxilon and release them together in two different colours, the tan/grey and the reddish brown. One with spear, the other with bow and arrow. Heck, tweak the destroyed Imperial Dalek to match the ‘Death’ design and you have one of many destroyed Daleks from that story, perfect for your Exxilons to run and chant around.

Bellal is another cool little one. If it weren’t for him being so teeny I’d suggest using the body of an Exxilon, but this one would require new tooling and as such will probably never happen. But if they put it with a muddy booted 3^rd Doctor, I’d be happy to see him.

Azal

It won’t ever happen, but I’d love to see this as a massive 12” rotocast figure. Even if it means limited articulation. Now I know things like this can be a possibility. I’ve seen it with the Masters of the Universe Classics line, which is an equally small production range. They’ve released three giants using the rotocast technique, with less articulation than the standard figures, and they look great together. Not only will children see how massive he is compared to the standard figures, but it’s basically the freaking Devil! Kids and collectors will go nuts for that! It may not be totally to scale but if the Bok figure is as teeny as he appears then clearly it is not a big deal for Character.

Mehendri Solon, Condo and a Sister of the Flame

This will never ever happen. But I love ‘The Brian of Morbius’ and Philip Madoc is a marvelous actor, with this being one of my favourite on screen Doctor Who appearances. I shan’t even try to imagine how they’d release these two, but I think they should have a go.

Add a member of the Sisterhood for good measure and Morbius’ brain in a jar and his clay bust as accessories. Brilliant!

Taren Capel

Now this could happen. A change of head and arms to the existing SV7 and you have the man himself. Package him with the unreleased Voc Robot with syringe in the head.

The Pirate Captain

I’m not big on the Graham Williams/Douglas Adams years, but this guy needs a figure. The late Bruce Purchase is superb in this story. Bloody brilliant! The design matches that too. He’s a robot pirate. What’s not to want here? He’d be freaking cool on the shelf in a particular part of the 70s that doesn’t have an awful lot of coverage. He must come with his Polyphase Avitron! Release him with the 4^th Doctor and K-9!

Nyder

I wasn’t going to list him, but with professor Scarman on the way I thought why not? He has just as much chance. Considering we’ve had a few ‘Genesis of the Daleks’ releases I would still revel in the release of this chap. The Wisher Davros looks lonely sans Nyder. They just need to be together. Stick him with a re-release of Davros, a Dalek, I don’t care. But I’d be very happy to see this fellow on the shelf!

Anti-Man and the Antimatter Monster

Again, if Bif Bang Pow can do it… The Anti-Man maybe never see the light of day, but it would make for a cool toy. He was another creature that gave me the heebie jeebies as a child. I'm sure the Sharaz Jek/Humanoid Axon body is ideal for this one. The Antimatter Monster is a simple one, just do it like the Gelth build-a-figure. A translucent shape on a stand. Stick in a Sarah Jane or an accurate 4^th Doctor to make up for that Tardis release fiasco.

Mandrel

Okay so they’re cuddly and a bit daft looking, but I think in toy form they’d be rather fun! A cool bulky figure that would stand out on the shelf. Release one or two with Romana perhaps?

Vogans

Another story from my early days! Although this Cyberman tale has it’s downfalls, it still has a special place in my heart because I saw it from such an early age. It was probably the first 4^th Doctor and Cyberman story I’d seen. So the Vogans would be a nice addition. I’d be happy to see the main ceremonial version e.g. Vorus, but the other end of the scale in the form of characters like Tyrum would also be cool. It’ll never happen though.

Ambassador (of Death)

Okay, I’m not a fan of this story. Shock horror! Too much back and forth and people getting captured, but I do think it’s a very good concept just a bit too long. Therefore I think these are a good candidate for toys. No likeness rights to worry about and the sculpt can be used three times in a set. Twice as the Ambassadors, and thirdly a helmetless version with the 3^rd Doctor’s bonce on top! An opening visor to reveal the alien face beneath would also be a lovely touch. We know it’s possible, they did it with the Impossible Astronaut.

Primords

These things terrified me as a child. They may be green hairy blokes, but their feral look coupled with that nightmarish sound still chills my blood to this day. With professorial figures like Bracewell and Constantine, a new head or two on an existing/retooled body is an easy way around getting two or more variations of this figure out there. Or, like the Ambassador, if they were to release a set they could do one in lab coat, another in a newly sculpted radiation suit, and the same again with the 3^rd Doctor’s bonce on top!

Hieronymous

Not one I am desperate for by any means, but he’d be neat! Especially if you could remove his mask to reveal a blob of glowing energy beneath. They could be clever and use a translucent plastic head which is totally blank. Reuse the sculpt and retool it so you have a couple of the cultists too!

Savage and High Priest

I loathe ‘Colony in Space’. Six episodes of pure sleep induction. But I have fond memories of watching Pertwee grapple with the Savages in this story, and they’re interesting enough to look really cool on the toy shelves. A set with two savages, a High Priest and a retooled ‘Sea Devils’ Pertwee in clay mud boots and no neckerchief would be sweet! Or maybe throw in the Master in his Adjudicator robes! Not top of my list, but still cool to see!

Li H’sen Chang

Not likely by any stretch of the imagination, but if Bif Bang Pow are...  you get the idea. If they packaged him with Magnus Greel in his other costume, that would be cool. Stick it with the 4^th Doctor in his Sherlock Holmes outfit and that would be brilliant!

Nimon

A foot into the the 80s here, but the beginning still aired in 1979. A story I do not like one bit I’m afraid, but the Nimon are cool beasts. I think creative liberties will be needed to make it look less like ‘bloke in platforms and a black leotard wearing a Bull’s head’ and more like an actual alien creature. Release one or two with Romana.

Nucleus of the Swarm

Okay, so this… well it wouldn’t happen for a start, but it’s a pretty unpleasant looking shrimp thing. A rotocast of this would be the obvious option as it can barely move. A solid transparent plastic that’s painted over with a few articulated arms. Put an accurately coloured K-9 in there too! (Seriously, how much trouble was it to repaint him!)

Rutan

An opaque green plastic ball with tendrils… don’t ask how they’d get it in to stores, I can’t think of anything!

 

Krarg

Ah yes, from the long lost “SHADA!!!!!!!! Ssssshhhhhhh!!!!!!!” Phew, sorry about that, I was possessed by Tom Baker for a second. Anyway, this is a fun monster design that may not be overly practical as a toy, but I think it would be fun. (Yeah, I know this is 1980 but ah well).

The Cailleach and Ogri

Another one I’m not desperate for, but it’s rather creepy looking! Not fussed with Vivien Fay. Unlikely to happen, but I wouldn’t say no! The Ogri would act as a cool accessory, even if it is just a block of stone. 





Movelan
So these are near the bottom because they look bloody ridiculous. That's not to say I wouldn't mind one or two, after all they played a big part in Dalek history. Pack it with a Dalek, or better still the unreleased Fourth Doctor. 

The Shadow

Again, not desperate for this fellow. A guy in a Skull mask is pretty cool. Maybe with his henchmen using the same/tweaked sculpt?

Fendahl Core

Meh, I’ll be honest she’s not one I’m in great need of. The Fendahleen was marvellous; she’d be there just to finish of the ranks from that story. If she had that little creepy smile it would be a lovely touch.

Blimey, that was a fair old few! So even though the 70s make the bulk of our classic Doctor Who figures there are still plenty of untapped potential! Come on Character! The first few at least are definite must haves! I should add that I was going to put standard Sontarans on the list from ‘Invasion of Time’, which is of course an easy tweak of what exists. I didn’t think a full entry was needed for that!

Join me next week for our final part on Monsters and Villains when we look at the end of Tom Baker’s time in the Tardis and the rest of the 1980s! Until next time!