By Z. Rice
The launch of The Nacelle Company’s inaugural Star Trek Wave 1 action figure line has been so successful that current orders – most notably for Weyoun and Sulu – are expected to take weeks to ship out to customers. But Trek fans think it’s worth the wait. To sum up how Trekkies/Trekkers are feeling about the Nacelle figures in one word, it’s seen.
Brian Volk-Weiss, the driving force behind The Nacelle Company and an avid Trek fan and collector himself, has clearly brought to life the action figures he’d most like to collect. The face sculpt and details are remarkable, down to the grooves in Weyoun’s ears and distinctive yellow-brown of Tuvix’s hybrid eyes. The paint work and fabric sculpting are gorgeous – with realistic folds and texture, and intricate patterns and adornments. And the characters are curated Star Trek cult classics you won’t find anywhere else.
What might be most fun about these figures, however, and a significant addition to their value, are the accessories. Beyond the multiple alt hands and heads, beyond phasers and communicators across series, movies, time periods, universes, Nacelle has also layered in deep cut choices among these already deep cut characters. It’s an insider Trek dream. Even better, many of these accessories can be used with previously existing Star Trek action figures, especially the similar-sized Art Asylum/Diamond Select discontinued lines that are among Volk-Weiss’s declared favorites. The accessories are meant to share the love, which makes me want to share mine.
My top 10 Nacelle Star Trek Wave 1 accessories were chosen for their versatility, imagination, and significance in canon. From tiny to enormous, niche to stalwart, here are my 10 favorites.
Mirror Jonathan Archer – Bottle and 2 glasses with green liquid
What is it? It’s green. Green drinks are something of a running gag throughout Star Trek, most overtly seen in Star Trek: The Original Series‘ “By Any Other Name” and Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s “Relics,” but canonically appropriate for any Trek drinking scenes.
Peter Preston – Alt Head
He stayed at his post. Peter with his burn-scarred face could be paired with any Scotty figure – though especially the Diamond Select Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan 2007 SDCC exclusive figure – as long as there are tissues near the display case.
Captain Hikaru Sulu – Device on chest to adjust jacket (open or closed)
I love this accessory for its innovation. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Captain Sulu comes with 2 uniform looks without the hassle of removing his jacket. With a snap off and on, Sulu can switch to a more casual look to save the day.
Captain Rachel Garrett – PADD with image of Narendra III battle
This accessory gets points for historical significance. Even after the Khitomer Accords, there would be no Federation-Klingon alliance without the Enterprise-C sacrificing itself in defense of the Klingons at Narendra III. (There would also be no Commander Sela, Romulan daughter of Tasha Yar, but that’s another story.)
Weyoun – Alt head
Weyoun is a man of many faces, and not just because they’re all cloned. His smile is simpering and fawning, and his gaze intense and threatening. With Nacelle’s alternate head, Weyoun can smile at Odo one moment and glare at the Jem’Hadar the next.
Weyoun – Chopsticks with pepperoni pizza
This may be the most obscure Trek accessory in the entire line. Give Weyoun the chopsticks and he instantly becomes Weyoun 6. His life was brief, but he will always have Odo’s blessing. And chopstick-stabbed pepperoni.
Tuvix – Orchid in a glass jar
The symbiogenetic orchid – the catalyst for one of Star Trek‘s most enduring ethical debates. Did Janeway destroy a new lifeform or save her two crewmen? Tuvix was two men and an orchid, and thanks to Nacelle, he lives on.
Captain Hikaru Sulu – Teacup and Saucer
I’ve always thought of Sulu as a tea man, from losing his USS Excelsior NCC-2000 teacup in the wake of Praxis’s destruction to enjoying Tuvok’s Vulcan blend in Voyager. With this accessory, we have Captain Sulu: explorer, captain, and elegant sipper of tea.
Captain Edward Jellico – Picard’s fishbowl wall
Livingston! Trek fans will immediately recognize the iconic lionfish that lived in Picard’s ready room. Jellico may not have been a fan, but collectors certainly are – I’ve seen plenty of Picard displays on Instagram featuring the fishbowl wall, and in my opinion, the fish completes him.
- Valkris – Genesis Device
The Genesis Device may be one of the most epic action figure accessories of all time. While it’s listed as a single accessory, it’s actually three: the torpedo, its casing, and a control station with pressable button. It’s also massive, requiring a larger box than any other figure in the line. While Valkris appears in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, the Genesis Device is most closely associated with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. With this accessory, anyone who owns a Khan figure—especially Diamond Select’s 25th Anniversary release—can recreate one of the most iconic scenes in Trek history. Fans have already shared their versions of these heart-wrenching tableaus on Instagram, and they give a Trek and action figure fan life. (Though not Spock, alas.)
Nacelle’s Wave 2 figures are available for preorder now, and if Wave 1 proved anything, it’s that the accessories deserve as much attention as the figures themselves. While many fans are eagerly awaiting Star Trek: Generations Kirk’s horse, I’m most excited for Generations Sailor Geordi’s holodeck arch. Like several of Wave 1’s best accessories, it has the potential to enhance countless existing Trek displays. No Dixon Hill, Sherlock Holmes or other holodeck scene is truly complete without a “Computer, arch.”
Keep up with all of The Beat’s Star Trek coverage here.
