Low Light (2001)

I’m a huge fan of the 1991 figures. There’s not a one that I don’t find some reason to like. It’s a series that, for better or worse, seems to bridge what came before with what would come to be. It was our first exposure to spring-loaded weapons as a routine. It also featured several reinterpretations of existing figures. Wherever they showed up, I was always happy to see the molds from that year get new life, even if they were simple repaints. A lot of the series’ molds were given life later: at the end of the RAH line, into the ’97-98 exclusives, and even through the new sculpt era packs. Heck, I don’t even mind the Funskool versions.

First off, this mold already saw a re-release as part of the legendary Dino Hunters set. He wasn’t exactly decked out in colors that blend well into night operations. This time, as part of the Real American Hero Collection, the famed night spotter gets a more subdued look, and repainted in these colors looks like he could be used as a military police operative. Perhaps I’m more inclined to think so since he was included in a two pack with Sure Fire, an military police character. I can picture this figure perched on a darkened rooftop, communicating with guys like his pack mate, or Shockwave and Bullhorn on a hostage negotiation situation.  The mostly solid color is a very unified paint scheme, and I’m also glad to see the face camouflage go by the wayside. Low Light still has dark hair, so for those who don’t dig the fact that the formerly blonde Joe may have broken out the dye bottle, he can always be used as a new character.

Thankfully all of the excellent 1991 version’s accessories were included. The large helmet and visor are still present, but they still don’t bother me too much, even years later. Again, this is one of those figures that can hold and store all of its weapons and accessories. Both the flashlight and knife have places to plug into the backpack. I love those little details.

 

9 comments

  • This version of Low Light actually looks more like Clutch without the face camo, right down to the slicked (greased?) back hair. I wish that he’d been packed in with the equally awesome Bullhorn complete with that figure’s own bevy of accessories and in a similar color scheme.

  • I always wondered why there was such a lack of consistency with figures that were revamped versions of earlier characters. The least Hasbro could do was keep track of character traits once in a while–if that was the case, then in 1991 we’d have a brown-haired Dusty, blonde Low-Light, and brown-haired Grunt. Even earlier, in 1988, we’d have a blonde Night Force Psyche-Out

  • Yes, this is so not Lowlight but with a simple head-swap, to differentiate him from the 91 version, he is a member of my GI Joe SWAT team. P

  • I could have sworn this was Clutch

  • I bought this & the 2-pack with Gung Ho & Leatherneck for my son years ago (& they subsequently made it back into my collection when he showed no signs of interest in action figures). I never really liked any of the figures I picked up from this line, most especially Low Light, who was one of my favorites from the 80s; the black hair & the ridiculously over-sized night vision goggles just turned me off to the figure.

    Thank goodness for the modern era figures.

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  • I agree with the military police operative assessment. This figure (with a swapped Dinohunter “yellow” hair head) became a member of my own made up pseudo police force within my team.

    Most of the original DEF figures along with guys like Long Arm, Tripwire, Chuckles, and Bullhorn, joined Low-light as a SWAT-style urban/ base security force of its own.

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