H appy birthday, Lara! This month marks 30 years since Ms Croft first swan-dived into our lives with her unique blend of athletic prowess, archaeological expertise and giant knockers. More than 100 million Tomb Raider games have been sold since. We all remember the good times: the bold design and sheer playability of the original titles; the establishment of Lara as a 90s icon, embodying both lads’ mag culture and girl power; the way she made games cool, even appearing on the cover of the Face. We’ve had blockbuster movies, big budget reboots, and shiny reissues . And who could forget the time we got to powerwash her house ?

But no one gets to 30 without a few skeletons in the closet – or in Lara’s case, butlers in the freezer. So here’s a look at the darker parts of her past.

Lara Croft, corporate shill

Lara Croft sells Lucozade in 1999. Photograph: Core Design

Lara’s image has been used to hawk a multitude of products over the years, from cereal and soft drinks to reasonably priced Spanish hatchbacks.…