At the height of the merchandising zeitgeist that Playmates launched into toy aisles during the 1990s, they created an unholy union between their two top product lines: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Star Trek.
Official Collectible Trading Card Biography:
“When the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise go into hyper space and nosh down to many alien pizzas, it’s up to Chief Medical Officer Raphael to clear the air. Using his highly sensitive Mutant medical classic tricorder, Chief Medical Officer Rapheal quickly determines the state of things. Whether he’s beaming down to some unknown planet or attending some illogical ceremony on the planet Vulcan, Chief Medical Officer Raphael brings with him good common sense and a classic Foot blastin’ phaser, just in case common sense dictates blastin’ the baddies.
It was not until recently that I realized that his indescribable mash up of two of my lifelong franchises existed. Imagine my excitement when I dusted off this carded figure from a dealer’s overstock box earlier this month at Wizard World Philly. It must have been fate that brought me to Chief Medical Officer Raphael that day (It was nearly 25 years after I walked out of KB Toys in the Neshaminy Mall with my first ever Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Series 1 Raphael).
As one of the later releases in the Playmates line, Chief Medical Officer Raphael has seven points of articulation (neck, arms, elbows, legs) and decent paint applications. The Star Trek/TMNT theme mashup is very effective, giving Raphael the appropriate tunic color, rank, and insignia. With a grimace reminiscent of Dr. McCoy this a great addition to any Star Trek or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fan. And now I have to do track down the remaining three figures in this line.