NYPD and FDNY Action Figures
	The return of Captain Action's hands

		The NYPD (New York Ploice Department) and FDNY (Fire Department of New York) figures made by Real Heroes inc are marketed as limited edition collectors figures in memory of the New York Police and Fire fighters lost on 9/11/01.  The figures are highly articulated and come with a bevy of accessories, but for Captain Action fans the most interesting aspect of these figures is their hands.  They are nearly dead ringers for the hands Ideal used on the original Captain Action figures.  One of the things that set Captain Action apart from other 12" Action Figures at the time was the accuracy and usability of Captain Action's hands.  Unlike GI Joe, Captain Action could hold his accessories very well.  Perhaps this was one of the reasons that the vast majority of Captain Action Uniforms did not include Gloves (the exception is Buck Rogers).  Although they are molded in a different type of plastic, the real heroes figures hands are an amazing match for the Captain's.  Below are pictures which show a side by side comparison of the right hands of a NYPD action figure and a vintage Ideal Captain Action figure.
		Above and to the left is a picture of the NYPD figure's right hand still wired to the box.  Above is a vintage Captain Action alongside the NYPD figure.  The remaining three pictures detail the top, inside and outside of the two hands showing the similarities.  These figures are available at Target.  BEfore you rush out and buy them expecting to pop the hands out of the sockets and use them as replacements for your vintage C/A figures, we would just like to point out that getting these hands out of their sockets has not proven an easy task.  Some suggest soaking the arms in hot water or using a blow dryer to soften the material in order to allow the hands to come out.  As we have not tried either, all we can say for sure is that so far the hands have resisted all our attempts to remove them.  So if you want to try, we wish you success, and if you find an easy way to take them out, please share it with us!
		Page design and content copyright January 2003  by Daniel Webster.