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In 1979, a single Alien action figure shocked parents – and now it’s up for auction again. The modern film industry owes so much to George Lucas, who really pioneered the idea of mass merchandise after the success of Star Wars and its action figures. Kenner’s Star Wars action figures were a hit, and the toy company eagerly looked for other opportunities. Unfortunately, not all were particularly appropriate, and one ill-advised Xenomorph action figure has become the stuff of legend. Incredibly, it even led Kenner to ask for a PG cut of Alien; Fox said no, and the rest was history (and, initially, poor sales).
Fast forward 47 years, and Kenner’s surreal 18-inch Xenomorph has become a prized collectible. A fresh copy has just gone for sale at Heritage Auctions, described as “one of the strangest and boldest mass-market toys of the era, complete with articulated limbs, poseable tail, translucent head dome, and spring-loaded inner jaw feature.” According to Heritage, the figure is loose but complete, with only mild wear. At time of writing, the current bid is just $310; the figures typically go for more than that, although boxed and sealed copies tend to be the most valuable.
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Kenner’s Xenomorph Action Figure is One of the Most Controversial Children’s Toys Ever Made
“This is a toy that was intended to capture the Star Wars market,” expert Phil “Windebieste” Wlodarczyk told Other Strangeness. “It didn’t. It actually failed miserably. It was shunned by conservative parents. It kept kids awake at night. It just didn’t sell well.” The core problem is that Kenner didn’t really understand what Alien was all about, and expected the Xenomorph to be a sort of jump-scare monster – not a terrifying, murderous beast worthy of an R rating. Today, figures like this Xenomorph are sold to adult collectors. That market didn’t exist in 1979, and this was sold to kids.
“At the time Kenner thought Alien would be released as a PG movie, so it made sense to make a toy of the titular character,” Wlodarczyk explained. “Kenner literally sold millions of Darth Vader toys the previous year. Obviously bad guys are popular with kids and… they thought the Alien character would be some kind of monster in the closet style bogeyman that would jump out and go ‘BOO!,’ making kids giggle. A kind of safe, comic book villain much like Vader was; and not so Evil and bad that it would rip your face off. Well, it turned out that was what the Alien is all about… Kenner even approached Fox to have the movie cut to PG levels, reducing the chestburster scene bloody reveal of the creature to PG levels. Fox said no.”
Parents, needless to say, weren’t impressed. The Xenomorph didn’t sell well, and had a very short run on shelves. That makes it a prized mid-level collectible today, with unboxed copies selling for hundreds of dollars. Heritage Auctions’ latest example is currently selling a little lower than would usually be the case, so this is a good chance for any collectors to own a rather bizarre piece of Alien action figure history.
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