Halo 3's Master Chief Invades Tussauds' Vegas Museum

Note to Elvis, Princess Diana, and Britney Spears: Take cover!

Master Chief, the plasma-ray packing protagonist in Microsoft's forthcoming Halo 3 videogame, will stand alongside the other celebrities in Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Las Vegas.

The "life-sized" figure of Master Chief was unveiled at a ceremony at the famed museum on the Strip last week. The wax version of the futuristic soldier stands an impressive 7-foot, 2-inches tall. That beats by an inch what was until now the museum's tallest resident -- a statue of NBA star Shaquille O'Neal.

Master Chief is the first videogame character to be enshrined in a wax museum, according to Tussauds officials.

The event is the latest indication that Halo 3, set to debut on September 25th for the Xbox 360 console, will smash sales records for game discs. Internet retailers such as Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and BestBuy.com have taken more than a million pre-orders for the first person shooter.

Master Chief is a biologically enhanced soldier who has to blast his way through a futuristic, 3-D landscape to survive and accomplish missions. Version 3 of the game, developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft, features a host of new levels, weapons, vehicles, and level types.

Most retailers are selling the title for around $60. A special "Legendary Edition" sells for about $130 and includes a helmet-style case, bonus discs, and collector's art. Microsoft is also planning to introduce a special Halo 3 version of the Xbox 360 that's emblazoned in the same green and gold colors sported by Master Chief.