Although the 2002 relaunch had its share of controversy among collectors, I have always given it credit just for at least trying something a little different in terms of the GI Joe line’s look. Destro has a more sci-fi bent than his previous incarnations. The grimacing mask has always reminded me of a Terminator skull, but the oddest bit about Destro’s mask–the exposed ears. What’s going on here? Whatever the case, this is a techno Destro, with some comic book super-villain style mixed in.

This Destro, like the other first wave figures, was never refitted with an o-ring. I find that a shame, as there are some intriguing figures in that initial assortment that I think would get more use in my collection had they utilized the standard articulation. As it stands,
there’s a certain charm to the first series of the relaunch era’s figures.

When things went back to the o-ring shortly after the debut figures were released, I give Hasbro further credit for sticking to their guns when it came to reinterpreting the characters we’d come to know through the years. Destro wasn’t immediately redesigned to look like his 1983 self, in fact, over the next few years, Destro would get more redesigns, both of which were even more interesting departures from the norm.

The legacy of Cobra cold weather troops continued in the relaunch series, first with a disappointingly odd looking new Snow Serpent figure early in the line. The Valor vs. Venom series followed it up later with a much more attractively designed figure. Though it’s not named as such, this figure takes its cues from the Snow Serpent of old, from the helmet design to the web gear and fur coverings. It retains the fur cape of the previous version however, a feature that I found to be an interesting addition.

The Snow Wolf is not nearly as well equipped as the ’85 Snow Serpent. Snow shoes have been replaced with crampons, and there is no backpack, parachute pack (it’s part of the mold this time) or mortar. A rifle and a unique sidearm are present, along with a holster that can hold the pistol. The functioning holsters were a nice upgrade for the 2000s series, and one that I’m glad continues to be a part of modern figure design.

The upgrades continue with a removable helmet. I don’t recall wanting the old Snow Serpent to have a removable helmet back when I was a kid, but when I became interested in GI Joe figures again as an adult, the concept intrigued me. The prevalence of removable helmets has certainly been one of the positives of modern GI Joe figures. The ski masked mug underneath is a nicely generic look, although the nose seems a little oddly large and strangely placed on his face. Maybe since these guys are supposed to be spliced with animal DNA (courtesy Dr. Mindbender of course), they gained a vestige of the long snout of a wolf.

If you weren’t reading the Marvel comic in the first couple of years of the Real American Hero era, you may not have known that Hawk was the leader of the team. Sure, his file card denoted his rank, and made mention of his leadership abilities, but the fact that the team leader was included only with a vehicle has always seemed odd to me. Shouldn’t the guy in command be highlighted in some way on all the packaging? Even less successful lines like Eagle Force got this right. Maybe it’s all down to the fact that the beginnings of the small Joe line were focused more on the vehicles than the figures. Regardless, by the time the cartoon rolled around, Duke was in the spotlight, and Hawk had to languish in animated form until the second season. I don’t want to get into the whole Hawk vs. Duke thing, but I will say that I’m a fan of both the comic and the cartoon, so they both hold a place of interest for me.

What can you say about the figure itself that sets it apart from the other initial offerings? Well, he’s outfitted with some pretty flashy silver straps and pouches. Maybe that was supposed to be the command indicator. After all, none of the other original thirteen Joes got the same treatment. Okay, Short-Fuze had silver pouches and Steeler wore a gold undershirt, but i think Hawk beats them both in the bling department.

Finally, a Father’s Day note. People ask me how I’m able to continue on with this blog, day after day. Some of it is a love for toys in general, and a love for the GI Joe brand specifically. But a large part of it comes from being raised by parents who not only accepted but encouraged my interests as a child, without judgment, whatever direction they took. As a result, I feel that I’m an adult who values his own efforts regardless of the task at hand, and is capable of seeing most any endeavor through to completion. My father had (and still has) a large part in shaping who I am. It is my goal to pass that same level of caring and support on to my own children. Maybe some day my son or daughter will be driven to pour themselves into a project that means a lot to them. As a father, I’ll be there to support and encourage, no matter where their future takes them.

To all the other fathers out there, I hope you had a wonderful day!

This updated figure does a better job of recreating the look of the Night Creeper’s helmet from the old card art. The original head sculpt, while an interesting design, just didn’t portray the wrap and hood as well as this version. Most of that is due to the fact that the new one is actually two pieces, and the wrap is totally removable.

Night Creeper is also a case of web gear done right, as the chest armor and belt are unobtrusive, and fit well. Accessories are also upgraded, with extra paint apps on both the sword and more detailed crossbow. This has to be the coolest crossbow I’ve seen on a GI Joe figure. I’d love to see it in neon orange.

Speaking of which, I’m still holding out hope for a Night Creeper Leader homage at some point, although I can’t decide if I’d prefer to see the 1993 or 1994 version. Wait, there’s also the slightly different DIC animation version. Hmm, I think I’d like all three.

Night Adder showed up a little later in the movie run. A lot of those later wave toys were difficult for me to track down. I can also only recall seeing this guy on shelves once. I’m glad I did, since he emerged as one of my favorites of the first movie line.

Cobra has had animal handlers or characters with animal sidekicks in the past, but they’ve never presented a dog handler. I’m honestly a bit surprised at that, considering that Cobra needs to maintain security at its facilities just as much as the GI Joe team. Since this is Cobra, instead of an official security team like an MP and K9 unit, we basically have a big bruiser of a guy with a vicious looking dog.

The Resolute Roadblock body was a perfect choice for this imposing character. It sports some of the best range of motion of the modern construction style, particularly in the arms. The modern style also lends itself to differing builds for figures, and this one naturally is quite a bit larger than standard size. To add to Night Adder’s personality, he’s covered in tattoos, some of which are pretty inventive nods to Joe lore. My favorite is the “Cobra LA” across his stomach, a play on everyone’s favorite ancient underground society.

Whether intentional or not, the helmet has the appearance of a muzzle. It took me a while to realize that the head comes from the Rise of Cobra Ice Viper. The holes in the sides of the head are telltale signs of the previous figure’s visor.

Hasbro finally obliged with my wishes for an official figure with a comic pack in 2004. Featuring Snake Eyes in his arctic uniform, along with the oft-requested Kwinn and a Scarlett in karate outfit, it was an exciting set for its time. As a Marvel comic fan since the 80s, I was excited about all of the comic sets, but this one in particular was a must have.

When the comic packs focused on the early Marvel issues, there was an attempt to recreate the look of the characters from the printed page. Sometimes the results were successful, other times they left a bit to be desired. I was most interested in the figures that incorporated early 80s parts. Snake Eyes is a good example of this, and strikes me as a real “what if” figure, since he’s made mostly from 1982-83 parts. It’s as if the designers limited themselves to what would have been on hand to create this figure in 1983. The limited parts idea is a very interesting concept, and one that has even been the subject of a Joecustoms.com group project.

There isn’t a much better early 80s GI Joe figure than Snow Job, and the repainting of his mold in new colors brings out some elements that aren’t as noticable in the all white original. The way that the jacket continues onto the waist was unique for the time, and with the black paint job, the detail is even more apparent. I think the mold works well as another character in this case, thanks to its more nondescript look.

The figure isn’t an exacting representation of what was on the comic page, but the concept and execution make for a cool figure that could have existed back when I was a kid reading my favorite GI Joe comic.

First off, is it wise to climb a mountain shirtless? I’m no Edmund Hillary, but I would think one would need some kind of covering on one’s torso, since your average rock surface is very unforgiving to human skin. This poor guy’s got exposed nips. One slip, and he’s in for some deep hurting. Ouch. Maybe he should just wear the parka on the way up the mountain, instead of carrying it on his back.

Both outfits are relatively simple affairs, but I think the starkness works well, and there is quite a bit of play value for a lower price point set. The climbing harness is interesting, although I have to wonder how long it’ll hold up, being made entirely of elastic. Almost all of my 90s Hall of Fame figures’ elastic straps have lost their strength over time, and stretched out.

I must say, there are some really interesting colors going on with this set, in regards to both outfits. I’m a sucker for outlandish camo patterns, and the parka included has the same kind of geometric style that thrilled me in the Adventures 2010 line. The mask also made an appearance in that same fantastically futuristic line. It’s sort of a take-off on the iconic Snake Eyes mask of the 80s. The blue and silver combo looks nice, although I can’t rightly say why Joe needs a mask to climb a mountain. At least he won’t scrape up his face if he slips.

Joe is equipped with a very nice scoped rifle and a missile-firing attachment that may look familiar to those who collected the 90s Hall of Fame line. There’s a firing grappling hook that includes what must be forty yards of string. He also has a pickaxe to help him get on up that mountain.

There weren’t very many sets in the Double Duty line, and that’s a shame. Most of them tread a fun and funky line between adventure and military, and in a way harked back to the interim Adventures of GI Joe segment, which was sandwiched between the original military focused figures and the Adventure Team of the 70s. There’s something pretty cool about both looks here. Even though Double Duty portrayed a GI Joe of the everyman variety, that shirtless mountain climber is dying for an awesome code name.

The 1991 Grunt on which this figure is based has mystified me. He looked a little too civilian, with his open collared shirt and strange pants. Speaking of which, exactly what is going on with his pants? They kind of look like flight suit pants, with all the zippers and pockets. Maybe they’re 80s parachute pants. With this repaint, the outfit looks even more like a civilian, or at least something more along the lines of airfield support personnel. Is this even supposed to be Grunt? Even the 1991 original had the black flattop. Did he dye his hair when he left the Joe team?

Looking at the green recolor of the Lifeline case, one might think he’s supposed to be a medic. The case actually holds the secret of the awesome extra play value item included in the package. I’m talking about the free GI Joe tattoo maker. Okay, actually, it’s just a rubber stamp, but we can pretend, can’t we? This has to be the most amazing in-package premium since face camo. I can’t wait to stamp my own GI Joe tattoos! Hide the kids!

In a stroke of whacked-out genius, the ink pad for the tattoo maker is inside the Lifeline case. Now that’s truly blurring the lines between toy and reality. For the first time, Joes can interact with a package insert. Grunt likes to wield his stamper and deface the sides of Cobra vehicles and bases. Luckily, he’s got arms large enough to be able to heft it. Take that, Cobra!