The action figure tools and accessories of a hero or villain is equally important as the character itself. One can even say it's the persons weapon, power or item that truly makes them what they are within that universe.
Melee weapons, projectile launchers, staffs and lasers are just the tip of the iceberg in the world of accessories and extra pieces. Most bladed weapons and firearms are replicated or based off of a realistic version or design. Of course there are always larger than life exceptions but generally speaking, most story developers try to maintain understandable elements to futuristic or magical oriented items so they can translate correctly.
In my experience collecting I find the cheaper "knock off" type action figures usually leave something to be desired with proportions and functionality. Most licensed toy lines get the blades and guns spot on because there's really no other choice. And then there's the variant versions of characters which could have accessories that had absolutely nothing to do with the show, movie or comic etc... but can still be fun, interesting or just plain old strange at times.
I have a severe O.C.D. issue with keeping track of weapons and accessories, I've been that way ever since I was a young kid. I always knew exactly how many lightsabers and blaster rifles went back into my Darth Vader action figure carrier ... and it drove me crazy when I played with other kids and they would switch items with others. What's truly strange about it is that at the same time I started switching around body parts on my duplicate G.I. Joes and Masters of the Universe toys too. Years upon years later, now I'm deep into customization which is all about rotating parts and weapons around.
In this new bi-weekly column, I plan to show you several different weapons and accessories from various toy lines. You will read about the the inspiration for the weapons, supplementing extra parts for customizing, the real life comparisons of the items and perhaps even the possibility of it being real in our future or maybe even in the past. So stay tuned because this column will be "magically charged" and "locked n' loaded" every two weeks from here on out!
Keep collecting,
M. Paul