Paul of Toy Bender and Robot’s Pajamas has offered up an interesting pair of figures I’ve never even heard of for today’s Show and Tell.

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These two fellows here are Captain Scarlet and Captain Black from the British television series Captain Scarlet. The show was made by the same people who made the much more famous Thunderbirds, but I’ve always liked Captain Scarlet a lot more. The show features a group of super agents who battle some evil Martians called the Mysterons. Captain Black was once a good guy who was turned evil (and indestructible) by the Mysterons. The same thing happened to Captain Scarlet, but for some bizarre reason he maintained his original personality and therefore he’s on the side of the good guys. This lead to the great gimmick of Captain Scarlet “dying” horrifically at the end of each episode.

I originally acquired them at a comic book convention where Scarlet was in a beat-up box. I made an offer on it and the guy sold me both for less than it would cost for one of the figures. I’m glad  I got them, because they are some of my most favorite toys that I own. What I love about these dolls (they have as little articulation as your average Ken doll) is that they are so dead on to what you’d see on the show. Even better is the fact that each one comes with accessories straight out of the show. Captain Scarlet is armed with the only weapon that will completely destroy a Mysteron agent and Black has a rifle he used for an assassination job. Both of them feature the shows signature removable caps that have a drop down microphone. Almost best of all is that both figures talk! Yep, they spout lines from the show. Captain Scarlet has light up bits on his shoulders just like he’s got on the show.