POP Funko - STAR SAPPHIRE!

POP! Heroes #456 - Star Sapphire - NYCC / Entertainment Earth - Funko 2022

Star Sapphire is a character that has undergone a lot of characters transitions. Her costumes, human hosts, allegiances, and power sets get revamped and retconned every few years. I always enjoyed this character as a cool pink female version of Green Lantern, but I honestly never fully invested in her because I thought the costume was embarrassingly skimpy and clearly catering to the lustful male gaze. Scantily clad female superheroes, especially when their outfits defy the laws of physics, rarely make it into my collection. I had accepted that Star Sapphire would always find herself excluded. But one of the great things to come out of 2011's New52 reboot at DC was that Star Sapphire finally had a costume that both looked cool and wasn't composed of hot-pink pasties.  Aside from a couple Heroclix pieces, this NYCC Exclusive Funko Pop is the first time we've seen this costume in plastic. I hope McFarlane is taking notes and prepping a Multiverse figure as we speak. Let's check out Star Sapphire below!

DC Direct - STAR SAPPHIRE FATALITY!

Blackest Night Action Figure Box Set– Star Sapphire Fatality – DC Direct 2011

This is a figure that I have coveted for a long time. When this box set was originally released I was very squeamish about about scantily clad superheros. I still have guilty pangs like I'm supporting some toxic objectification of women by purchasing things like this. But I've grown since then and embraced a more fluid perception of body positivity (although I still think these outfits were likely designed my men with dubious intentions). A few years after the Blackest Night storyline, I picked up the Carol Ferris Star Sapphire and really fell in love with its sculpt and overall presence. Knowing that this Fatality figure shared the same body made me want her even more. But I was faced with the age old problem of high eBay prices and really sloppy paintjobs. It took many years, but I finally found it in a store last week. Getting her inspired me to gather all my Star Sapphire collectibles together for the first time. (They look great and I'm going to display them as a group now!) Let's check out Fatality below!

Two Years of DC Heroines from IMAGINEXT!

An Assortment of Imaginext DC Super Friends Ladies - Fisher-Price 2018-2019

I love Imaginext so much but I get overwhelmed with the sheer amount of figures I've collected over the years. So this post is collecting 23 amazing DC Super Friends ladies I've assembled over the past two years (and there are at least two I couldn't locate amidst my clutter to photograph).  I'm exhausted from editing 214 photos, but giddy about having them all unpackaged now. Way back in early 2012, the release of the Imaginext Catwoman was the push I needed to start this blog - which is funny because I never ended up reviewing that particular figure. But every time there is a new release I feel a nostalgic sense of excitement. The presence of female characters in the line is increasing at a shocking rate, and the two female-centric 6-packs in 2018 is a perfect example of Imaginext's new focus on gender inclusion. It was a very slow trickle for may years, but lately it's been an absolute flood (and I couldn't be happier about it). Let's check out two years of DC Imaginext ladies below!

DC Universe Busts - STAR SAPPHIRE!

Women of the DC Universe Busts - Series 3 - Star Sapphire - DC Direct 2011

I really miss the days of regular DC Direct product. The variety of action figures was unprecedented. You could rely on a unique Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman figure every month. I know the repetition of characters and the inconsistent scales drove fans nuts, but I loved it. Occasionally a favorite character of mine would get that A-list treatment and I would be on cloud nine (2007-08 were spectacular for me). But beyond the action figures, I really was obsessed with the Women of the DC Universe Mini-Bust line. Each series (there were three) had roughly 12 busts all designed by an iconic artist: Series 1 Adam Hughes, Series 2 Terry Dodson, and Series 3 Amanda Conner. At the time I was very selective with what characters I would purchase, but as the years have passed I have backtracked and I'm sure I'll eventually have them all. I've always loved the look of the classic Star Sapphire and this bust is the nicest looking representation of her in my collection. Let's check out the Star Sapphire mini-bust below!

Character Spotlight on STAR SAPPHIRE!

A Collection of Various Violet Lanterns - DC Direct & Mattel 2001-2012
 
I really tried to get this post completed in time for Valentine's Day but the fates were against me.  Star Sapphire is a longtime villain in the DC Universe first appearing in 1947.  Originally she was a foe of the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick (although this early character was much different than the scantily-clad pink ladies we see today).  The most popular character to hold the mantle was Carol Ferris, the girlfriend and boss of Hal Jordan.  Back then, the role of Star Sapphire was granted to women who resembled the Zamaron Queen (the Zamarons are basically an alien race of Amazons).  In the mid-2000s, the history of the character was revamped to be a title embraced by an entire corps of Violet Lanterns.  Their role in the "emotional spectrum" was love.  This led to a notable interlude when Wonder Woman became a Star Sapphire as well.  There has been a lot of excellent merchandising of this mantle in recent years.  I certainly don't have them all, but the ones I do have are great (of course I stole eBay pics to fill in all the gaps).  Let's check them all out below!