ImPerfect Organisms.

Not all merchandise is created equal. Sometimes, anomalies creep into the system. Either the Quality Control team aren’t paying attention or it’s Friday afternoon and they’ve just returned from the pub with a couple more hours of labour to go. Either way, errors can occur during production and make their way unnoticed through the entire process and onto shelves where consumers end up with them in their shopping trolleys.

A production error can be anything that fails the standards as dictated by the manufacturer in their quality control documentation. They can range from individual items that may have gone unnoticed due to someone on the line yawning at the wrong moment; to entire production runs possessing errors that were not detected resulting in all samples of the product appearing on retail shelves inescapably displaying the error.

This section of HIDEOUS PLASTIC is dedicated to documenting and celebrating factory defect ALIEN product samples that have made their way into collector’s hands. I like to think of them as ‘ImPerfect Organisms’, released onto the market by legitimate licence holders whose staff happened to blink at the wrong time – or simply just didn’t care.

This page is still work in progress and the intention is to expand its content. Anyone with any licenced ALIEN production error samples who would like to see them documented on this page, please let me know. I always credit individuals whose work appears on this blog.

Kenner Scorpion Alien with incorrect comic book inclusion.

Some production errors are subtle, easily missed and can even be considered with a dismissive wave of the hand. This Series 1, 1992 Scorpion Alien figure is definitely a case in point. Typically, these figures were packaged with the Scorpion Alien figure along with a facehugger which would fit snuggly on the faces of the human(oid) characters in Kenner’s ALIENS line up. A 16 page comic book was also typically included. The rolled up comics present inside the blister pack were specific to the character within the package. As such, the Scorpion Alien would normally feature the Scorpion Alien comic. Makes sense, right?

Nonetheless, this package features something different. Included with this figure is a comic intended for the Mantis Alien, a figure that would later appear as part of Kenner’s ALIENS Series 2. So what is the reason behind the Mantis Alien comic appearing with the Scorpion Alien? That’s one question, but curiously, this isn’t an isolated case. Other Scorpion Alien figures with Mantis comics inside are also known to exist. This exact same error has been previously documented by the Kenner ALIENS Toy Blog, which is a completely different sample of the same packaged figure I have in my possession. The fact this is not an isolated instance of this error suggests this anomaly may not simply be attributed to a lapse in attention during production and assembly. It may have been deliberate. These anomalous packaged items may have been the result of a running change. Just speculating here, but it’s possible during the packaging process, this batch of Kenner’s Scorpion Alien ran out of intended print material and a print over-run of Mantis Alien mini comics were available. Just so long as a mini comic was included in the product then, who cares if it’s not the appropriate item? That’s OK, right?

Here’s a couple of close ups of the Mantis Alien comic inside the Scorpion Alien package along with an image of another sample of the Scorpion Alien featuring the correct Scorpion Alien comic inclusion.

Having one of these in my possession and knowing of one other sample probably means this particular error item is relatively common.

NECA Kane figure packed into incorrect box.

Some errors just happen once. This makes them extremely rare and unusual. Does it make them more valuable, though? Who knows? Probably not. The value many such errors simply comes from talking to friends about them and attempting to understand how such errors happen.

Take this NECA 40th Anniversary Kane in his compression suit figure. It looks great inside its perfectly emulated, blue retro-themed package but one small albeit significant detail marks it as an erroneous factory flaw item. This figure is simply in the wrong package. This factory sealed item containing Gilbert Kane is mounted inside a box intended for a completely different figure, The Alien. It says so right there towards the bottom the box, just beneath the retro themed ALIEN logo. Maybe you could argue this package is correct due to the presence of the facehugged version of Kane’s head as an accessory, but we all know that’s not the case.

“The ALIEN” itself is the character that you would anticipated to be present in this box. As you would expect, it should be the adult creature and not the compression suited Kane inside. The very logo immediately above the figure’s name literally and visually demonstrates what the contents should be. instead, we get Kane. This item is unopened and contents undisturbed and never removed.

It’s no wonder he looks confused. Wonderful stuff.

NECA Snake Alien back-to-front in package.

This back to front internal contents error NECA Snake Alien is another example of final product assembly gone wrong. The entire insert tray and its contents have been packaged inside the clam shell incorrectly, leaving the front of the tray hard up against the back of the packaging and the less than attractive underside of the tray visible at the front. This type of error doesn’t occur very often. How doe this happen? Maybe, someone got bored at their job on the assembly line, failed to pay attention and this is the result. Nonetheless, everything appears to be intact and present. The figure, comic and the wrap around paper label that should be displayed on the clam shell front are all there. It’s all present in relation to each other – just none of it is oriented correctly.

One thing is for certain, the nature of the clam shell packaging precludes any discussion that this item may have been tampered with by a third party to be placed in situ this manner. By its very nature, NECA’s clam shell packaging is destroyed (or at the very least shows obvious signs of tampering) if any attempts are made to open it. This back to front sample left the factory packed and sealed in this orientation.

Quality Control staff should have identified this item and sent it to the reject bin.

NECA Classic ALIEN Series Neomorph inverted in package.

To date, NECA have released only a single ALIEN figure in their “Classic” series, ALIEN Covenant’s pallid Neomorph. While it’s still unclear if we will see more Kenner inspired ALIEN figures released by NECA as part of their Classic ALIEN range, this Neomorph is for now unique in more ways than one.

This wonderful item is sealed inverted in package. Upside down items like this aren’t common and they frequently get opened. It’s perfect otherwise, but its obvious imperfection is what earns this particular sample a deserved place on this page. Brilliant. I personally feel this item earns its merits just as it is.

NECA ALIEN 3 Dog Alien with inverted backing card.

The clam shell package nature of older NECA figures makes them ideal candidates for opportunities to display the light card back inserts as inverted. This NECA Dog Alien released in 2014 is a great example. At a glance when viewed from the front, there appears to be nothing wrong with this item. You could easily believe the upper area of the front package is intended to be blank as it displays no errors. The truth is revealed upon closer inspection.

The front of the unopened package conceals the header at the bottom and it is visible behind the figure. The lower all black portion of the card front is displayed at top, providing no information at all. Looking at the reverse side of the package reveals all information about the item is also upside down proving the card has been placed inside the clam shell in an inverted orientation.

Super7 ALIEN ReAction figures inverted in package.

Sometimes shared unique errors can occur to different samples across multiple lines of production. Here are a pair of Super7 ALIEN ReAction figures from different production runs sharing the same issue. Both items are from Wave 2 of their ALIEN line but clearly not the same item, yet common problems across both samples are obvious. Inverted samples like this are uncommon. Once again, someone probably wasn’t paying attention and the blisters were mounted on the wrong location on the card. …or maybe someone dropped the cards and failed to sort them out into a correct orientation. Once again, these anomalies are anyone’s guess as to how they may have happened. Nonetheless, they’re great, unique items but their value is questionable at best regardless of their “one off only” presentation. Clearly, any tampering by a third party would be evident on any packaging as such activity is not possible to conceal but these items are clean and unmarked.

Super7 Exploded ALIENS figures.

Not all quality errors necessarily happen at the place of manufacture. Other problems may reveal themselves well after an item has left the factory. These Super7 ALIENS ReAction figures demonstrate a lack of adequate assembly. Comfortably nestled in the security of his protective blister, these ALIENS items have fallen apart while still inside their packaging.

First is this 2020 release ALIENS Midnight Warrior which has exploded in packet to become multiple loose pieces, floating within the safety of the package cavity.

The fact that all the body pieces are present inside the blister lends well to the argument this figure left the factory in perfect condition but at some point in its undocumented history, it lost its physical integrity and collapsed into separate pieces.

Still contained within the unopened haven of its blister package, here is another Super7 ALIENS figure released in 2021. It has the same issue and has completely spontaneously separated into its component parts inside the protection of its unopend blister package. Outstanding.

I like to think of these samples as “Smartgun Damage” variants. Some assembly required, sure. Nonetheless, being left untouched in sealed condition makes them more intriguing.

Photos for this item were provided by an Anonymous contributor. Thank you.

Super7 ALIEN ReAction figure missing parts in sealed package.

Occasionally, a product may make it all the way through the production process to retail and at a glance appear to be perfectly alright. It’s not until later that closer inspection of a retail item where something wrong is noticeable. Such is the case with this Wave 1 ReAction ALIEN. At a glance, it looks like a perfectly fine piece albeit a little creased on the card. Looking closer, it’s apparent the clear dome that should cap the upper surface of the head is absent. This figure managed to evade quality control to be packaged in this incomplete state.

Missing domes is a four decades old and long standing inadvertent tradition with ALIEN toys and collectibles. Many different loose ALIEN figures from a variety of product lines loose their domes once removed from their packaging. This is one of those rare cases where the dome has been absent prior to leaving the factory and the figure was packaged this way. Photos above show the dome free figure still secure with untampered seals around the blister.

Thank you Baptiste Coudert for photos of this curious item.

Super7 ALIEN ReAction figures with Paint Errors.

Production error samples aren’t limited to unopened items with flaws easily rectified by opening the contents and setting them free. Loose and uncarded ReAction figures with unintended and accidental features are also known to exist. Such unpacked samples often display paint application errors.

This ALIEN Wave 3 Brett ReAction figure displays incorrect paint details, attributable to either a mask or brush slippage or other undocumented error on his face lending a “scarface” quality to this sample. A minor but still an obvious lapse in product quality.

Thank you Paul Snell for sharing images of your “Birthmark Brett” with us all.

This sample of Wave 3 Ash also displays a conspicuous facial paint error. Compared to the complete sample below, it’s obvious Ash is lacking paint details of his eyes and eyebrows.

Ash without eyes is definitely more disturbing. Then again, we all know the “eyes are the windows to the soul” and we all know androids have no soul.

The items below are Super7’s 2019 ALIEN Day exclusive figures, released to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the movie. Both are translucent blue plastic with silver glitter throughout. Note the item on the left is complete, with black paint applied to it in select places while the item on the right is completely devoid of any paintwork whatsoever.

While the complete item has a great presentation with black painted on select parts of the torso, legs and elsewhere, I do like the naked and unpainted version without any extra decorative embellishments, too.

Super7 ALIEN ReAction figures with Assembly Errors.

Of course, production errors and uniquely unintended features aren’t exclusively limited to minor paint application malfunctions subtly displayed and easily missed. Some Quality Control mishaps are far more dramatic. Here for an example is another sample of the same 3.75 Brett figure appearing above with this one in possession of two left arms. Assembly errors like this aren’t common but they do crop up from time to time.

The obvious counterpoint to be made here is this figure has been removed from its package and the right arm possibly may have been swapped out for another limb. Except attempts at such disassembling of these figures usually leave a telltale sign they have been taken apart and this figure shows no sign of being tampered with. It was clearly made this way. Besides, why would anyone consciously do that? Maybe for the obvious gag, I guess.

“Right, Brett baby?” “Right.” Or, as is clearly the case here, two lefts do not make a right.

Much like the Brett ReAction figure pictured above, this item has been assembled incorrectly. This version of Super7’s facehugged Kane displays two right legs. While one right leg is correctly attached, the other leg – a duplicate right leg – means the 180 degree orientation of the limb displays the toes facing backward. While the Brett figure may demonstrate that “two lefts don’t make a right”, much the same can be said here. Except two rights don’t make it right, either.

Once again, this opened sample demonstrates no signs of tampering or prying to open the figure. The facilitation of any meddling that may have been responsible for this condition is not in evidence. It simply left the factory in this state.

The item below may be considered as a companion piece to the Kane figure above. This is a different sample of the same facehugged Kane in his compression suit except this item boasts a pair of right arms. Only the right hand is closed and capable of holding an accessory while the left hand should be open palmed and not able to hold anything. Kane here is capable of holding two items, one in each of his two right hands.

As is the case with all these figures with duplicated parts/features, this item shows no signs of being tampered with. He was made this way.

This sample of the Alien from SPACE VILLAIN blind box series A1 has two left legs. There’s no accounting for this strange assembly. Except maybe someone simply wasn’t paying attention to details on the production line or maybe night shift simply wasn’t for them.

Again, no signs of tampering are present on this item. It was simply made this way. Two left legs and no explanation whatsoever. Make of it what you like. It is what it is. Faulty and a curiosity at that.

Here’s an interesting “companion piece” to the item immediately above. Once again, this ALIEN ReAction figure has issues regarding its parts assembly. Whereas the sample above has two left legs, this item has the opposite problem. It has been assembled with two right legs. It’s problems extend well beyond mismatched limbs and it also possesses a number of other deficiencies as well. None of the five dorsal appendages are present on the figure’s back and it also lacks any paint, which a figure from this specific product line should have.

This item’s future as a ReAction figure was abruptly cut short prior to its completion. Having had its incorrectly attached limb identified, this sample was removed from the production line and was never completed. This sample was intended to be released as a blood spattered Alien as part of Super7’s Wave 3 ALIEN ReAction figures but it failed to progress along the assembly line to this end due to early interception by quality control and removed from production. As a result, it also lacks a variety of body parts and paintwork and provides an insight into the assembly process.

A finished Wave 3 sample of the Alien is present in the images above for comparison. The deficient figure’s copyright information stamped on both of its (identical) legs also matches the information present on the complete figure. This is definitely a match. Once again, there is no sign of any tampering or willful intent to disassemble this figure and swap out limbs. Furthermore, the cavities on its back also lack any glue residue or evidence of broken stumps. It simply left the factory in this condition.

Super7 ALIEN ReAction figure – Mysterious mysteries of the mysterious.

From this point, we go deeper into the realm of unexplained Super7 ALIEN ReAction figures. This following item has nothing outwardly wrong with it and it’s easy to pass it by without a second glance; but wait! There is definitely something incorrect about this figure. It looks fine, perfect even. There’s no duplication of legs or arms. It’s painted evenly. There’s nothing decidedly wrong with it…

This figure was released as part of Super7’s final series of ALIEN ReAction figures in 2021, the “DANGER! XENOMORPH COLLECTION” and this Xenomorph from the 2nd movie is painted the wrong color. This ‘ALIEN WARRIOR (ATTACK)’ action figure was never released in this metallic blue finish. An Alien figure from this same series was released by Super7 and while it did display a similar integument it employed the sculpt of the creature from the original movie. The sculpt for this anomalous sample based on xenomorphs from the 2nd movie was also released as part of the same series but it was painted with a gold finish. Super7 never released this Xenomorph sculpt based on the creatures based on ALIENS in this blue metallic color scheme. Below are both regular releases from Super7 (Left & Middle) with the anomalous figure on the right.

So what are we to make of this oddity? There’s no sign of any tampering with the item to show paint has been removed and been recolored by a third party. This is how it was originally painted. Some people I’ve spoken to claim it could be a color test, which would make it a product development sample. Others suggest it’s painted incorrectly and should have been accordingly discarded into the reject bin.

Either way, this sample has made its way into the wild. It’s since found its way onto this page dedicated to items that simply should not have made their way into hands of the general public. So here it is, now a permanent resident of the page dedicated to anomalous Super7 “ReJection” figures. You certainly belong here, ‘strange form’, until I find out more about you.

Funko POP!, David figure wrongly identified.

So far, we’ve investigated error items that are unique in nature. Someone sneezed and missed inspecting an item on the production line. Yeah. That’s possible. Regardless, in the QC department, someone slipped up and something odd slipped through. Such occurrences happen resulting in packaged items that only happen once. Maybe twice.

What happens, though, when a product fault happens earlier in the process? What happens when a design error fails to be detected and results in the entire production run carrying the same anomaly, with every sample of the product heading to retail featuring the same, common error asserted across the entire product run? Yes. That happens, too.

This item below may easily be cause for a case of mistaken identity but Funko released their ALIEN Covenant series of POP! figures including an incorrectly named Walter figure. Instead of being identified as Walter the name David appears on the packaging.It might have been an easy mistake for Funko to make. After all, both characters were played by Michael Fassbender and they’re both androids, machines built to serve their respective ship’s crew. But this here is certainly not David in the box. The attire is entirely attributed to Walter. It is absolutely true that David replaces Walter during the course of the movie and is seen wearing this same uniform, albeit stained and dirty. There is one other significant detail that determines the true identity of this figure other than what is claimed on the box. David masquerades as Walter long after his left hand is amputated and bandaged. Clearly, this figure has both arms intact without any bandage, it cannot be David.

It’s an interesting error. It might not be an error that will ever amount to much but it is certainly curious and head scratching. Besides, almost all Funko POPS look the same to me, anyway.

Super7 ALIEN ReAction Figure Carry case.

2013 saw Super7 launch their retro themed ALIEN ReAction figure line up. In 2016, they released a matching blue vinyl carry case, modeled after the classic Kenner Star Wars carry case released forty years ago. All the features of the Super7 item emulated the Kenner case, but in an appropriate ALIEN theme. A pair of styrene trays within the case allowed for the storage of twenty four 3.75 inch action figures. Just like its forebear, the ALIEN case also features appropriate retro styled, movie themed artwork adorning the top of the case.

Except, unlike the Star Wars item, this artwork was fitted upside down within the clear vinyl window. And we know it’s upside down because so many other details of the ALIEN case accurately mimic the older Kenner item right down the style and attachment of the handle, materials and the press studs used along with other features are represented accurately. The inverted artwork is a clear anomaly.

Significantly, the entire product run of the ALIEN carry case displays this error. Every single sample of the carry case displays this inverted artwork “feature”. The mistake was never identified and so all samples produced in this line carried this error. Here’s the four decades old Star Wars carry case for comparison.

A manufacturer could create a factory defect of this clumsy nature only once, right?

RIGHT???

Well, actually…

Hiya Toys ALINE range.

This all brings us to Hiya Toys. Now, let’s get one thing straight from the outset, in the 3.75 inch range, Hiya Toys is a superior product with exceptional detail and an abundance of articulation that make other figures in a larger scale green with envy. They make great product; but it’s in the area of the lack of copy proofing that leads them to their inclusion on this page. Let’s take a look at why they’re here.

A close inspection of the image above reveals a curious detail. You will notice this “ALIENS -exquisite- mini” figure prominently displays a typographical error on the front of the box. That’s right. This is Hiya Toys “ALINE QUEEN”. A great figure in its own right but such an awkward spelling error on the front of box is embarrassing to say the least. It’s not a problem for users on Facebook to mince up their English and pepper their posts with all manner of anomalous spelling and grammar but for a professional, licenced organisation like Hiya Toys who obviously take pride in the quality of their product, this kind of prominent error is beyond curious.

What’s even more more head scratching is the fact this isn’t an isolated incident for Hiya Toys. At least three other product items in this same range of ALIENS figures feature this common error. You will also find available for purchase, Hiya Toys “ALINE WARRIOR”, “ALINE WARRIOR (BROWN)” and “BATTLE DAMAGE ALINE WARRIOR”. That’s a total of four mass produced items in the same product line that share a common typo featured on the front of the box. What’s more, each box features different artwork unique to each package item making the error even more curious as the same box clearly isn’t simply re-used three times over. The duplicated error was made multiple times.

Hiya Toys last entry on this page is their set of six Alien eggs and facehuggers. Once again, great sculpting and detail on the product but clumsy use of English on the front of the box earns its place here. Their ALIENS “ALIENS ALIENS EGGS SET” has at least one too many uses of the word. Great stuff!I guess it could be worse. This product could have easily suffered the fate of being labelled ALIENS “ALINES ALINES EGGS SET”. Actually, that would be kind of neat.

As with the other Hiya Toys items documented above, this error appears in plain sight on the front of the box. All boxes leaving the factory have these erroneous details printed on the front. As these retail items hit shelves across the world, you just have to wonder, at what point was the head of Hiya Toys Quality Control department summoned into the Manager’s office and requested an explanation. Hiya Toys make a great product – but they really need to hire someone at their China factory with some competence in English.

Additional anomalous and unique Kenner ALIENS product line samples featuring production errors can be found on The Kenner ALIENS Toy blog.

I am hoping to explore more of these anomalous ALIEN production curiosities at a future date and further expand this section. If you have a production error sample and would like to see it featured on this page, please do let me know. I love this stuff. And sharing it with everyone gives me great joy.

-Windebieste.