Kyle Katarn (Human Commando)

Kyle trained to be a Stormtrooper Officer at the Imperial Academy on Carida. In his final mission as a cadet, Kyle ordered that a group of surrendering Rebels, including the young woman Jan Ors, should be spared. The Rebels were able to counter-attack, and Kyle's unit was almost completely wiped out. The death of his father and the realization of the Empire's evil caused Kyle to abandon the Empire's service and join the Rebellion. With Jan Ors as his mission officer, Kyle undertook a variety of dangerous commando missions for the Rebellion. Most notable among those missions are the successful theft of the original Death Star plans, the rescue of General Crix Madine from an Imperial detention facility, and the destruction of the Empire's Darktrooper project.

Parts: Head (Kyle Katarn), Torso (Kyle Katarn), Arms (Unknown G.I. Joe figure), Hands (Kyle Katarn), Legs (Kyle Katarn), Boots (Endor Han Solo), Bryar Pistol (Kyle Katarn), Blaster Rifle (Lando Calrissian), Rail Detonator (Kyle Katarn).

Supplies: X-acto knife, emery board, file, super glue, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: Illustrations from the Dark Forces trade paperbacks by Dark Horse and screenshots from the PC game Dark Forces.

Step One: First, I split the torso and removed the arms from the Kyle figure. I replaced the arms with the new ones and reassembled. I needed to modify the arm pegs just a bit to get a good fit.

Step Two: Next, I sanded down the extra gadgets on the arms. Then, I cut off the hands and replace them with the gloved hands from Kyle's original arms.

Step Three: I also cut off those huge, hideous boots and replaced them with the boots from the Endor Han Solo figure.

Step Four: I matched the original paint job, and then added a lot of detail. I changed the hair and beard color to a lighter brown. The snaps and buckles on Kyle's equipment were painted a tarnished metal color. The kneepads and body armor were given some scuffs and scratches.

Step Five: I painted the weapons according to my references. Then, I very lightly drybrushed them with gunmetal or aluminum paint to show wear and tear. The Rail Detonator was given a sling made of very thick thread. I slung it around Kyle's back, so that it appears as if he can grab it and use it quickly.

Step Six: Once the figure was completely dry, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.