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The Black Hole 1979 -1980
Mego released their Black Hole toy line in 1979 with high hopes, but the movie was a disappointment, which also translated over to the toys. The Black Hole line featured a primary 3.75 inch series, and a 12 Inch series as well. The 3.75″ featured two waves of twelve total figures, while the 12 Inch line consisted of six figures. Several items were only made available overseas, such as three of the second wave figures, the Laserscope Fighter, and a series of 8 Inch magnetic figures.
For more information about Mego’s Black Hole line, see bottom of page for a complete summary.
Black Hole (1979-1980): 3.75 Inch Figures – Series 1
Mego released eight new figures for Series 1 of their 3.75 Inch series of action figures for the Black Hole line from 1979-1980.
Captain Dan Holland
Market Value:
Carded $60 – $80
Loose $15 – $25
Captain Dan Holland
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Moderately easy to find on the secondary market
Notes: Captain Dan Holland was portrayed by Robert Forester in the Black Hole movie and was the commanding officer of the Palomino. It was great that Robert Forester was rewarded with his own action figure, after a long resume of film work dating back to 1967.
Charles Pizer
Market Value:
Carded $60 – $80
Loose $15 – $25
Charles Pizer
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Moderately easy to find on the secondary market
Notes: Charles Pizer was portrayed by Joseph Bottoms in the Black Hole movie and was the first officer of the Palomino. Pizer was Captain Holland’s right hand man, but the Pizer 3.75 inch figure looks pretty similar to the Dan Holland figure, but with a slightly different hair color.
Dr. Alex Durant
Market Value:
Carded $60 – $80
Loose $15 – $25
Dr. Alex Durant
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Moderately easy to find on the secondary market
Notes: Dr. Alex Durant was portrayed by Anthony Perkins in the Black Hole movie and acted as the Senior Science Officer aboard the ship. Who knew that we would one day have an Anthony (Norman Bates) Perkins action figure? The likeness of this figure was actually pretty decent.
Dr. Hans Reinhardt
Market Value:
Carded $60 – $80
Loose $15 – $25
Dr. Hans Reinhardt
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Moderately easy to find on the secondary market
Notes: Dr. Hans Reinhardt was portrayed by Maximillian Schell in the Black Hole movie and was the commanding officer of the U.S.S Cygnus. Hans turned out to be the big bad guy in the movie, as his scientific curiosity of black holes took over his good judgment.
Dr. Kate McCrae
Market Value:
Carded $60 – $80
Loose $15 – $25
Dr. Kate McCrae
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Moderately easy to find on the secondary market
Notes: Dr. Kate McCrae was portrayed by Yvette Mimieux in the Black Hole movie and acted as a Scientist aboard the ship. Kate shared an ESP link to V.I.N Cent in the movie, which is how they would communicate. McCrae is the lone female figure in the Black Hole line.
Harry Booth
Market Value:
Carded $60 – $80
Loose $15 – $25
Harry Booth
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Moderately easy to find on the secondary market
Notes: Harry Booth was portrayed by Ernest Borgnine in the Black Hole movie and acted as the ship’s journalist? Who knew that we would one day get an Ernest Borgnine action figure! That being said….besides the mustache, it would be very difficult to actually tell it was Ernest Borgnine.
Maximillian
Market Value:
Carded $225 – $275
Loose $75 – $100
Maximillian
Accessories: Figure Stand
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The Maximillian figure is one of the coolest figures in the black hole action figure line, mostly because he was the hovering death robot from the movie, and who doesn’t want that figure! Maximillian comes with a nice figure base to display him on. This figure is not considered rare, but can get a tad pricey due to the popularity of the character.
V.I.N Cent
Market Value:
Carded $225 – $275
Loose $75 – $100
V.I.N Cent
Accessories: Figure Stand
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: V.I.N Cent was voiced by the iconic Roddy McDowell in the Black Hole and turned out to be a small flying version of C-3PO in the movie. V.I.N Cent comes with a nice figure base to display him on. This figure is not considered rare, but can get a tad pricey due to the popularity of the character.
Black Hole (1979-1980): 3.75 Inch Figures – Series 2
Mego released four figures in total for the 2nd wave of Black Hole 3.75 Inch figures, but only one of them was released in the United States (Sentry). The other three (Old B.O.B, S.T.A.R, and the Humanoid) were only released in Canada and Italy.
Humanoid
Market Value:
Carded $900 – $1,200
Loose $400 – $600
Humanoid
Accessories: Cloth Cloak
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: This item is rare and does not come up for sale very often
Notes: The Humanoids were the worker bees on the Cygnus ship. There were multiples of them, and it was later found they were actually the zombie like original members of the crew. This is a great looking figure but unfortunately, it was only released in Italy and Canada for some reason. That being said, this is considered a rather rare figure and does not come up for sale very often on the secondary market.
Old B.O.B
Market Value:
Carded $900 – $1,200
Loose $400 – $600
Old B.O.B
Accessories: Figure Stand
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: This item is rare and does not come up for sale very often
Notes: Old B.O.B was voiced by the iconic Slim Pickens in the Black Hole. Similar to V.I.N Cent, this is a cool looking figure but unfortunately, it was only released in Italy and Canada for some reason. That being said, this is considered a rather rare figure and does not come up for sale very often on the secondary market. Also, like V.I.N Cent, the figure comes with a stand for display purposes.
Sentry
Market Value:
Carded $200 – $250
Loose $75 – $100
Sentry
Accessories: Laser Pistol
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The Sentry figure was the only Series 2 figure to be released in the United States, as the other three were only released in Italy and Canada for some reason, This is a real shame because all of the Series 2 figures are super cool and probably the best figures in the series. That being said, this is considered a rather rare figure and is tough to find still carded.
S.T.A.R
Market Value:
Carded $900 – $1,200
Loose $400 – $600
S.T.A.R
Accessories: Laser Pistol
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: This item is rare and does not come up for sale very often
Notes: S.T.A.R was the elite sentry who acts as one of the commanders of the unit. It just so happens that he is also one of the top sharp shooters on the Cygnus. This is a cool looking figure but unfortunately, it was only released in Italy and Canada for some reason. That being said, this is considered a rather rare figure and does not come up for sale very often on the secondary market.
Black Hole (1979-1980): 3.75 Inch Playsets
Mego did not release any playsets for their 3.75 Inch Black Hole action figure series. A Cygnus Bridge playset was proposed but unfortunately never made it to release. A Palomino Ship was also produced as a prototype, but ultimately met the same fate, as it was never actually released to the public.
Cygnus Bridge
Cygnus Bridge
Notes: If the proposed Cygnus Bridge looks kind of familiar, it should, because it’s basically the same vacuum-formed plastic playset that was also used for the USS Enterprise Playset from the Star Trek Motion Picture 3.75 Inch line. For any fan of the Black Hole movie or Mego collector, this probably would’ve been a nice piece for the collection and made for some fun playability, at least until the playset began tearing apart. Ultimately, the Black Hole line just didn’t do well enough to necessitate a playset.
The Palomino
The Palomino
Notes: The Palomino Ship actually made it a bit further than the Cygnus Bridge playset because Mego got to the point where they were actually including it in toy commercials and their new toy catalog, but like the Cygnus Bridge, the Black Hole line just didn’t sell enough toys to justify the production of a large scale ship like the Palomino. Still, this would have been really awesome to own as a kid and it’s a shame that it never made it to release.
Black Hole (1979-1980): 3.75 Inch Vehicles / Accessories
Even though a Palomino Ship was proposed, the only actual vehicle that was released for the Black Hole line was the Laserscope Fighter, but was only released in Italy for some reason.
Laserscope Fighter
Market Value:
Boxed $400 – $500
Loose $100 – $150
Laserscope Fighter
Accessories: Dan Holland Figure, Canopy, Nose Cone, Landing Gear, Engine, Decals
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: This Laserscope Fighter was just a re-purposed Laserscope Fighter from the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Mego line. It seems like a strange decision by Mego, which would probably explain why this item was only released in Italy with the foreign packaging. The one positive about the vehicle is that it came with a free Captain Dan Holland figure.
Black Hole (1979-1980): 12 Inch Basic Figures
In addition to the twelve 3.75 Inch figures, Mego also released six different figures in their 12 Inch format as well for the Black Hole line from 1979-1980.
Captain Dan Holland
Market Value:
Boxed $50 – $75
Loose $20 – $35
Captain Dan Holland
Accessories: Cloth Jumpsuit, Shoes, Decal
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Captain Dan Holland was portrayed by Robert Forester in the Black Hole movie and was the commanding officer of the Palomino. It was great that Robert Forester was rewarded with his own action figure, after a long resume of film work dating back to 1967.
Charles Pizer
Market Value:
Boxed $50 – $75
Loose $20 – $35
Charles Pizer
Accessories: Cloth Jumpsuit, Shoes, Decal
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Charles Pizer was portrayed by Joseph Bottoms in the Black Hole movie and was the first officer of the Palomino. Pizer was Captain Holland’s right hand man and the figure had a pretty nice likeness to the actor.
Dr. Alex Durant
Market Value:
Boxed $50 – $75
Loose $20 – $35
Dr. Alex Durant
Accessories: Cloth Jacket, Shirt, Pants, Shoes, Decal
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Dr. Alex Durant was portrayed by Anthony Perkins in the Black Hole movie and acted as the Senior Science Officer aboard the ship. Who knew that we would one day have an Anthony (Norman Bates) Perkins action figure? The likeness of this figure was actually quite nice.
Dr. Hans Reinhardt
Market Value:
Boxed $50 – $75
Loose $20 – $35
Dr. Hans Reinhardt
Accessories: Cloth Jumpsuit, Shoes, Necklace
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Dr. Hans Reinhardt was portrayed by Maximillian Schell in the Black Hole movie and was the commanding officer of the U.S.S Cygnus. Hans turned out to be the big bad guy in the movie, as his scientific curiosity of black holes took over his good judgment.
Dr. Kate McCrae
Market Value:
Boxed $50 – $75
Loose $20 – $35
Dr. Kate McCrae
Accessories: Cloth Jumpsuit, Shoes
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Dr. Kate McCrae was portrayed by Yvette Mimieux in the Black Hole movie and acted as a Scientist aboard the ship. Kate shared an ESP link to V.I.N Cent in the movie, which is how they would communicate.
Harry Booth
Market Value:
Boxed $50 – $75
Loose $20 – $35
Harry Booth
Accessories: Cloth Sweater, Pants, Shoes
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Harry Booth was portrayed by Ernest Borgnine in the Black Hole movie and acted as the ship’s journalist? Who knew that we would one day get an Ernest Borgnine action figure. Fun Fact: The head on this figure is definitely out of proportion with his body, and is strangely the only one like this in the line.
Walking V.I.N Cent
Market Value:
Boxed $750 – $1,000
Loose $300 – $400
Walking V.I.N Cent
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: This item is rare and does not come up for sale very often
Notes: The Walking V.I.N Cent toy is probably the rarest toy released from the Black Hole line during its run. It was released by GIG Toys and was unfortunately only available in Italy (of course). This version was slightly bigger than the 8 Inch magnetic version, with the big difference of course being the fact that this V.I.N Cent could move around on the floor.
Black Hole (1979-1980): 12 Inch Playsets
Mego did not release any playsets for their 12 Inch Black Hole action figure series.
Black Hole (1979-1980): 12 Inch Vehicles / Accessories
Mego did not release any vehicles or accessories for their 12 Inch Black Hole action figure series.
Black Hole (1979-1980): 8 Inch Basic Figures
A series of 8 Inch magnetic toys were released by GIG Toys in 1980, but only released in Italy. These toys were not directly Mego items, but were made to work like their Micronauts figures and are often mistaken for Mego products.
Maximillian
Market Value:
Boxed $250 – $300
Loose $75 – $125
Maximillian
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: Maximillian was arguably the coolest character from the movie, so it is nice to see another release of the character. This 8 Inch version was modeled after the Micronauts line, as Maximillian could come apart with magnetic action. Unfortunately, the 8 Inch magnetic Maximillian, released by GIG Toys, was only available in Italy.
Robot S.T.A.R
Market Value:
Boxed $400 – $500
Loose $100 – $175
Robot S.T.A.R
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: Robot S.T.A.R was a neat looking character from the movie, so it was nice to see another release of the character. This 8 Inch version was modeled after the Micronauts line, as S.T.A.R could come apart with magnetic action. Unfortunately, the 8 Inch magnetic S.T.A.R, released by GIG Toys, was only available in Italy.
V.I.N Cent
Market Value:
Boxed $250 – $300
Loose $75 – $125
V.I.N Cent
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: V.I.N Cent gets his third differently sized version with this foreign release . This 8 Inch version was modeled after the Micronauts line, as V.I.N Cent could come apart with magnetic action. Unfortunately, the 8 Inch magnetic V.I.N Cent, released by GIG Toys, was only available in Italy.
By 1979, Star Wars had taken the toy industry by storm and all the other toy companies across the globe were just trying to catch up by finding the next big thing. Mego toys had famously passed up the opportunity to make toys based on the Star Wars movie, so they were desperate to find their own powerhouse science fiction franchise. After already snatching up licensing deals with Logan’s Run and Star Trek the Motion Picture, Mego grabbed the Disney produced Black Hole license as well. New figures were released in 1979 with very high hopes. The Black Hole movie met with mixed reviews and turned out to be a bit of box office disappointment. This translated over to the merchandising items for the movie as well, including Mego’s action figure lines. Mego had big plans for the line but the lack of demand at the box office meant an abrupt end to the series. The Black Hole line of action figures proved to be a big disappointment for Mego and discontinued in 1980. Many toy industry experts point to the Black Hole line as one of the biggest reasons why Mego met with an untimely end just a couple of years later.
The Black Hole Series toy line actually featured two different action figure lines with a classic 12 Inch series, along with a new 3.75 Inch series as well. The 3.75 Inch series was the main line and featured two series containing twelve figure in total. The series included all the main characters of movie. The crew of the Palomino included Captain Dan Holland, Charles Pizer, Kate McCrae, Harry Booth, Alex Durant and of course V.I.N Cent. The members of the Cygnus crew included Hans Reinhardt and Maximillian. The 2nd series included four great looking characters in Sentry, Humanoid, S.T.A.R and Old B.O.B. Interestingly enough, Sentry was the only figure from Series 2 released in the United States. A vehicle, The Laserscope Fighter, was also released for the 3.75 line but only available in Italy. For the 12 Inch line, Mego produced six characters, including Captain Dan Holland, Charles Pizer, Kate McCrae, Harry Booth, Alex Durant and Hans Reinhardt. Mego’s head sculpts for the 12 inch figures are actually quite nice with a lot of attention to likeness details but the 3.75 Inch line suffered the typical paint jobs that other Mego lines endured at the time with a lot of paint fading. A series of 8 Inch magnetic figures were also released in Italy under the GIG Toys brand in 1980. These figures are incredibly difficult to find on the secondary market nowadays.
The packaging for the 12 Inch and 3.75 Inch lines of the Black Hole were very similar, and they definitely fit the theme of the line with a great rendering of an actual black hole on the front of the card. The 3.75 inch was the basic blister pack carded Mego design with the figure inside of a bubble on the right side of the package, and the previously described black hole portrait on the left. The classic Black Hole movie logo was blended into the artwork to the left of the blister pack. The name of the each character is just above each card bubble in very faint letters. The 12 inch versions featured similar artwork but the figure sat on the left side with the box flap to the right. There was a small window also on the left side where you could see the figure inside. The Black Hole action figure packaging was actually very attractive and definitely grabbed your attention on the toy shelves.
3.75 Inch Card Back
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Fisher Price Movie Viewer
12 Inch Package Back
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