June 8th, 2024 150 comments

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Doctor Who Ruins of Skaro 5.5″ Collector Figure Set

Available to order while stocks last from www.character-online.com

If sold out you can search for this set on www.ebay.co.uk or www.ebay.com

‘Ruins of Skaro’ A new Doctor Who Online Exclusive from Character Options

Character Options is excited to announce the release of a brand-new, online exclusive, Doctor Who collector figure set, The Ruins of Skaro featuring Daleks and Movellans!

Set Contents at 5.5 Inch Scale:

• 2 x Movellan Robots with Blaster Accessory 1 x Grey Dalek with Bombs

Inspired by the 1979 Episode; Destiny of the Daleks, this new three figure online exclusive presents the two main protagonists in that classic story, The Movellans and the Daleks. The striking and beautiful Movellan robot figures each come with a blaster accessory, whilst the Dalek figure is pre-loaded with bombs. As expected, the set comes in special window packaging with unique diorama printed insert.

About the Destiny of the Daleks (1979) Episode

In the story, The TARDIS has brought the Fourth Doctor and his fellow Time Lord, Romana to a barren radioactive planet. Unknown to them this is Skaro, birthplace of the Daleks, and the city ruins around them are the scarred remains of the old Kaled city. They see a spacecraft descend and bury itself into the ground nearby but when they approach, they are attacked by high energy weapons. Escaping the weapons’ fire, they explore further into the city where soon the Doctor becomes trapped under falling masonry. Going for help across the unstable ground, Romana falls down a shaft and is soon captured by a patrol of Daleks!

It is soon revealed that the Daleks are waging an endless Space War against a race of humanoid robots called Movellans, and need to find their creator, Davros to help them break the impasse. After a deadly chase through the underground ruins, Davros is indeed found and revived by the Daleks. Realising the Daleks plans, and that the Doctor has beaten the Daleks on numerous occasions, the Doctor is targeted by the Movellans for the exact same reason…to help them defeat the Dalek battle computers! Davros learns that the Movellans have the Doctor and orders the last surviving Daleks to be loaded with bombs to try and destroy the Movellan ship before it can take off.

In the Episode the aesthetically beautiful Movellan robot humanoids are a stark contrast with the rag tag assemblage of battered Daleks. In this war, the Daleks are on the back foot against an aggressor that’s better armed, better organised, and frankly better looking, and things are not going to plan. The contrast is clearly demonstrated in the detailing of the figures within the set.

Al Dewar, Creative Director, commented:

‘I have been looking forwards to this release for a long time as this story is a huge, huge favourite of mine. Speaking as a lifelong fan of Doctor Who, I love it! There is the Fourth Doctor with Romana, a cameo by a sick K9, plus brilliant robots and psychotic mutants!

We know that at the time the Dalek props were in a desperate state but that plays nicely into the plotline that the Daleks are losing a prolonged Space War against an adversary that’s equally as good as they are! I mean … if these were the best assemblage of Daleks they could spare to go rescue Davros then what is the rest of the fleet like?

And then Wham! These characters called The Movellans, that seem to have no flaws and move with such grace, suddenly turn up and seem to be even more logical and on point than the Daleks .. until we discover they are in fact robots. The genius of the story for me is we know the Daleks are ruthlessly logical creatures with all emotion removed and they are suddenly on the back foot and almost desperate. That realisation that without the ‘emotive human factor’ they are no better than robots themselves, isn’t lost on them. It presented a very different Dalek storyline and being shot in such a desolate location, both Daleks and Movellans really stand out!

Personally, I find it hard to see the Movellans as villains; they were a real revelation ahead of their time; with a multicultural, multi-gender command crew, that on paper just seemed so cool and in control. These creatures outperformed the battered bunch of Daleks at every turn. Take the Doctor and Davros out of the equation and the Daleks were doomed!

So, it’s great to add these fabulous, classic series figures to the Character Option’s Doctor Who line up. We tried to do the aesthetics of the characters justice, so they have some neat features to help keep that elegant, streamlined look. And the contrast of shiny silver and white is fabulous with a little bit of Skaro mud thrown in for authenticity.

To complete the trio is a long- awaited figure in the form of the ‘Bomb’ carrying Dalek. This edition has the correct number of explosives around the waist and the colour is matched to the previous B&M Destiny release. They represent what was an iconic sequence in the story with the battered Daleks heading towards the Movellan ship.

For a story that has a mixed reception on its release, I believe that fans such as myself appreciate its uniqueness and its well-deserved place in Doctor Who history. The air of gloom given to the planet Skaro, the melancholy soundscape, the rich trope of characters has resulted in a story that holds up well all these years later. I hope that the collectors will really appreciate the effort and time put into this set and I can finally stop hiding the Movellans under my desk.’

The Ruins of Skaro Online Exclusive set will be available to purchase for £39.99 including post and packaging at www.character-online.co.uk. This is a limited number run and will be restricted to just two sets per order.

Categorised under: Doctor Who 5" scale figures, Toys