Prototype/Test Sample Cornelius
At the end of 2025, I purchased this rare 1974 prototype/early test sample Cornelius action figure made by Mego for the 8” Planet of the Apes line.
Pictured Above: Prototype Cornelius 8" action figure
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Pictured Above: Prototype Cornelius (Left) and Production Cornelius (Right)
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I purchased the figure from a collector in the U.K. who got it on eBay many years ago.
Pictured Above: Original auction photos
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The prototype head is different from a production head in several ways. First, it's cast in a tan-colored vinyl that is lighter in color and much softer/squishier than a production head. Second, the eyes, eyebrows, and hair are hand-painted. The eye paint is different too. There is no eyelash line above the eye and no brown iris (just a black pupil). Finally, the lips are unpainted.
Pictured Above: Prototype head (left) next to production head (right)
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Pictured Above: Prototype eye paint (left) and production eye paint (right)
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The prototype Cornelius head is cast in the same vinyl as the prototype Soldier Ape head. Also, the paint job is very similar in terms of color and application. In hand, they look and feel identical.
Pictured Above: Prototype Cornelius head (left) next to prototype Soldier Ape head (right)
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The production head has painted ears, but the prototype head does not. Although production heads are cast in a tan-colored vinyl, everything except the face was painted brown (including the hair, ears, and neck plug), and then the ears were painted over to match the face. Because the prototype head is hand-painted, the painter was able to paint the hair around the ears, using the natural color of the vinyl for the ears.
Pictured Above: Prototype Cornelius head (left) next to prototype Soldier Ape head (right)
In addition to the differences with the head, the prototype outfit has two major differences from the production outfit. First, the hieroglyph stamp on the chest plate is much larger, the image is reversed, and there are no lines around the neck.
Pictured Above: Prototype Cornelius chest plate (left) next to a brown production chest plate (middle) and a purple production chest plate (right)
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The chest plate stamp is identical to the prototype pictured in the 1974 Toy Fair dealer catalog, in the 1974 mini insert catalog, and on the sides of the Mego Planet of the Apes Treehouse and Village playset boxes.
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Pictured Above: 1974 Mego Toy Fair Dealer Catalog (Left) next to Prototype Cornelius (Right)
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Pictured Above: 1974 Mego Toy Fair Dealer Catalog (Page 17)
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Pictured Above: 1974 Mego Mini Insert Catalog
Pictured Above: Mego Planet of the Apes Treehouse Playset Box Side Panel
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The second difference is the fur cuffs. The prototype figure has course reddish-brown fur on the outside and long, thick black fur on the inside.
Pictured Above: Mego Planet of the Apes Village Playset Box Side Panel
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Pictured Above: Prototype Cornelius fur cuff (left) next to a production fur cuff (right)
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Pictured Above: Inside of prototype Cornelius fur cuff (left) next to a production fur cuff (right)
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The prototype figure pictured in the 1974 Mego Toy Fair dealer catalog appears to have similar fur cuffs with course reddish-brown fur on the outside and long, thick black fur on the inside.
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Pictured Above: 1974 Mego Toy Fair Dealer Catalog (left) and prototype Cornelius figure (right)
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Pictured Above: 1974 Mego Toy Fair Dealer Catalog (left) and prototype Cornelius figure (right)
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I'm aware of only one other prototype Cornelius tunic (which I do not own). According to the owner, it was purchased in the 1990s from a store called Dr. Tongues. The tunic is identical to mine except the chest plate and arm bands are made from blue leather instead of brown and the arm bands are not sewn down.
Pictured Above: The Other Prototype Cornelius Tunic
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U.S. Releases
Cornelius was released on both the Type 1 and Type 2 ape body. His outfit is supposed to be green, but early examples can range from brown to orange to even bright yellow!
Pictured Above: Type 1 Cornelius with Standard Green Outfit (Left), Early Brown Outfit (Middle Left), Early Orange Outfit (Middle Right), and Rare Early Yellow Outfit (Right)
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Pictured Above: Type 1 Cornelius with Standard Green Outfit
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Pictured Above: Early Type 1 Cornelius with Brown Outfit
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Pictured Above: Early Type 1 Cornelius with Orange Outfit
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Pictured Above: Early Type 1 Cornelius with Yellow Outfit
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I purchased my yellow outfit Cornelius on eBay in 2023. The entire outfit is bright yellow from top to bottom, inside and out. There is a paper Mego tag sewn into the inside of the shirt. The outfit most likely started out as green and faded to yellow from 50 years of heat and humidity, similar to yellow sleeves/shorts Removable Mask Robin and yellow leggings Aquaman.
Pictured Above: eBay Auction Photos
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Cornelius's leather chest plate and arm bands can range in color from dark brown to maroon.
Pictured Above: Brown Chest Plate (Left) and Maroon Chest Plate (Right)
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Pictured Above: Type 1 Cornelius with Standard Green Outfit and Maroon Chest Plate/Arm Bands
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Some Type 2 Cornelius figures have green metallic green hair paint instead of brown.
Pictured Above: Type 2 Cornelius with Metallic Green Hair
Pictured Above: Brown Hair Cornelius (Left) and Metallic Green Hair Cornelius (Right)
Foreign Releases
Cornelius was produced and sold by Mego distributor Cipsa in Mexico. Unlike his American counterpart, the Mexican Cornelius did not come with pants.
Pictured Above: Cipsa Cornelius (Left) and Mego Cornelius (Right)
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Cornelius was distributed in Japan by Bullmark in a large window box. The figure is a standard Type 1 figure.
Pictured Above: MIB Bullmark Cornelius
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Galen is identical to Cornelius, but with green painted ears.
Pictured Above: Cornelius with Brown Ears (Left) and Galen with Green Ears (Right)
Like Cornelius, early Zira figures can have brown clothing instead of green.
Some brown Ziras have been found with a slit sewn into the skirt.
Pictured Above: Regular Zira Skirt (Left) and Skirt with Slit (Right)
Some later Zira figures have green metallic green hair paint instead of brown.
Pictured Above: Brown Hair Zira (Left) and Metallic Green Hair Zira (Right)
Dr. Zaius was released on both the Type 1 and Type 2 ape body.
Pictured Above: Type 1 Dr. Zaius
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Some early Dr. Zaius figures have an orange shirt instead of brown, and black superhero style boots instead of the regular hieroglyph boots.
Pictured Above: Early Type 1 Dr. Zaius with Orange Shirt and Black Superhero Style Boots
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Pictured Above: Early Orange Shirt (Left) and Standard Brown Shirt (Right)
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Pictured Above: Early Superhero Style Boot (Left) and Standard Hieroglyph Boot (Right)
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Type 2 Dr. Zaius figures can have blonde hair instead of orange.
Pictured Above: Type 1 Dr. Zaius with Orange Hair (Left), Type 2 Dr. Zaius with half Orange Hair/Hal Blonde Hair (Middle), and Type 2 Dr. Zaius with Blonde Hair (Right)
Pictured Above: Type 2 Dr. Zaius with Blonde Hair
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Pictured Above: Dr. Zaius Figures on Display
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Pictured Above: Type 2 Dr. Zaius with Half Orange Hair/Half Blonde Hair
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Foreign Release
Dr. Zaius was produced and sold by Mego distributor Cipsa in Mexico. Unlike his American counterpart, the Mexican Dr. Zaius did not come with pants.
Pictured Above: Cipsa Dr. Zaius
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Pictured Above: Cipsa Dr. Zaius (Left) and Mego Dr. Zaius (Right)