The Scream of 31 Days of Toy Terror: Lak Sivrak from Star Wars: The Power of the Force by Hasbro

    I love pulling out random figures of on-screen monsters and such for The 31 Days of Toy Terror and since this year's installment, The Scream of 31 Days of Toy Terror, is all about monsters and such from movies, I'm really getting the chance to check out some of my favorite Star Wars creatures. Today I'm checking out one of the figures from Kenner's Star Wars: The Power of the Force II line: The Shistavanen wolfman Lak Sivrak! I distinctly recall getting this figure, along with a few others, back at a Service Merchandise on a rainy evening back in 1998. My mother had taken me out to dinner and we were checking out the local Service Merchandise when I stumbled upon quite a few new Star Wars figures. Jackpot! As a middle schooler at the time, a Friday night not spent at a friend's house consisted of watching some Nick at Nite, playing with Star Wars figures, a little N64, and staying up late to watch Cartoon Network. That being, said, back to Lak Sivrak: Despite being released for the first time in 1998, after the Special Editions had been released, Lak Sivrak was actually cut from the film! Yup! A new alien, the Pacithhip, Ketworl, took his place. Lak Sivrak still lives on in our hearts, however, and in the Expanded Universe/ Legends continuity. Wait, in the EU he actually died at the Battle of Endor while piloting an X-Wing fighting against the Empire. He's still alive in the New Canon, though, hanging out with his love, Dice Ibegon. Let's check out a spooky space Wolfman after the break...

 The Facts:

Height: 4 inches

Articulation: Swivel hips, swivel waist, swivel shoulders, and a swivel head.

Accessories: Baster pistol, vibro-blade, and Free Frame Action Slide.

Original Retail Price: $6

Year of Release: 1998

 The Positives:

* If you talk to a number of Star Wars fans, you'll find that Luke and Obi-Wan's visit to Chalumn's Cantina is probably one of the most popular scenes from the entire saga. As soon as the two walk through the doors of the Cantina, Obi-Wan's words about Mos Eisley take on a new meaning. The Cantina is a rough place and Lak Sivrak definitely look like he belongs there. While he's a fierce looking wolf-like alien, Lak is also sporting somewhat normal clothes. He kind of has the Star Wars equivalent of a casual suit on with a stylish belt. He's also rocking the earth tones because, you know, he's slumming it up on Tatooine.

* The headsculpt is fantastic! It really feels like Kenner captured the look of the character but did just a bit of tweaking to make the head look less like an off the shelf monster mask (which it was) and more like an actual creature. It's pretty nicely painted, particularly the piercing eyes and the yellowed fangs. Ignore the paint wear on the nose: That's simply due to the fact that I've had this guy for over 20 years and he saw his fare share of battles!

 * You also probably should dig his gnarled claws! He's got lots of hair on them, yellow nails, and ripped jacket sleeves. While collectors tend to look back and laugh at some of the super-muscular proportions of the POTF2 line, Kenner really did have an eye for detail on these figures.

* Lak Sivrak is also sporting some dog-like feet. I love how he stands! He stands up just fine, but he looks really unique due to the dog-leg like bend of his ankles.

* The POTF2 figures typically sported 6 points of articulation, adding in a waist swivel that the vintage toys didn't have. The articulation was quaint by today's standard but, at the time, it was definitely the industry standard. Other companies were just starting to add more articulation and G.I. Joe was just getting ready to make a comeback, but at the time these were still fun, durable action figures.

 * Lak Sivrak includes a blaster pistol which I'm pretty sure was invented for the toyline. It's always been one of my favorites as it looks like it's designed to pack quite a punch. The larger, square shaped barrel tip and the boxy design always made me think that this was a weapon designed to pack some power rather than designed for speed or elegance.

 * Lak Sivrak's second weapon is a vibro-blade that actually can mount to his arm via a clip on the back. Vibro-blades were popular in the EU (Expanded Universe, not European Union) and it was cool to see one acknowledged on a Star Wars package. Lak's always seemed like a really powerful melee weapon, maybe similar to a space chainsaw. It also looks like it has a small blaster mounted on it, too, just for kicks. It's a very Kenner-esque weapon, especially in that respect.

*Lak also came with a "Freeze Frame" film still, but I have no idea where mine is.

 The Negatives:


* Lak Sivrak's pistol fits OK in his right hand, but it sits kind of loose. His paws just don't seem made for holding a blaster pistol. I really would have liked a hand posed more in a traditional pistol grip for the blaster.

 
    Yeah, he's not really a horror character, but a space werewolf (Shistavanen) really counts as a pretty cool movie monster. I've always loved this guy and since Lak Sivrak's doesn't appear in any of the special editions now, he's not a very good candidate for an updated Black Series or The Vintage Collection figure. He's still one of my favorite POTF2 figures, though, and an Epic example of the fun toys Kenner was making at the time. Lak Sivrak's still prowling around the New Canon but who knows when he'll get another shot at glory in Star Wars lore?




This is the first figure of Lak Sivrak I've reviewed (though he does appear on a sticker in the Micro Machines C-3PO/ Cantina transforming set).

For more reviews from Star Wars: The Power of the Force 2, check out the following:
Han Solo in Stormtrooper Disguise (Froot Loops exclusive)