Roadblock (2005 Comic Pack)

Poor 1984 Roadblock. Stuck with a weird shaped head, comparatively scrawny arms and a barrel chest. As a figure, he was hardly a match for his tough looking card art intepretation, but I suppose for a 1984 Joe, he didn’t fare too badly. After all, even the hulking Gung Ho was decidedly less bulky in 1983 than his media tie-in incarnations.

Fast forward to 2005 and the same Roadblock body mold was refitted for a comic pack release. This time, the head was much improved. But that was about it. With all the larger, more buff arms produced during the ensuing years since ’84, the Joe team’s gourmet chef was hampered again by spindly arms. And yellow pants. Yellow. Pants. I know it’s supposed to evoke the feel of the four color comics of old, but holy cow. They’re positively Funskoolian in their tackiness.

And now, submitted for your approval, a one act playlet starring Stalker and Roadblock…

Stalker: Marvin, my man, I feel your new head sculpt, and I can forgive your early 80s arms, but those pants. Wow.

Roadblock: Look who’s talking, sucker. I’ve seen your Talking Battle Commanders figure. Anyway, we’ve got bigger problems, meaning some snakes to stomp. Cobra Commander, you better take pause; because I’m coming for you in my banana yellow drawers.

End Scene.

12 comments

  • Dreadnok: Spirit

    I really like the head sculpt.

  • Okay, you have officially created the motto for the Banana Pants Brigade. Internet, get on that! Yeah, the head sculpt on Roadblock was great, but there were just some strange enough color choices in that whole three pack that I just couldn’t bite on it and Marvin’s yellow pants were a big part of that. There’s a play on the “Fetch me my brown pants” joke here too, somewhere, but I just can’t quite get it to gel…

  • I won this figure on Listia. I admit, the pants might be off-putting, but you can get used to it. I only wished that the belt’s color matched the rest of the webgear. If I had my druthers, I would’ve used the upper arms of the ’91 Dusty and the lower arms of Salvo to beef up this figure.

  • An unnecessary release that personified all that was wrong with the comic packs.

    Imagine if this pack had included a remade v1 cobra commander and a claw instead.

  • You know there arnt enough figures wearing Banana coloured pants

  • Dreadnok: Spirit

    A banana yellow Cobra Commander? That’s amazing.

  • I get it. The yellow pants date back to his debut appearance in #22. Cute touch, but it’s still not a must have variant.

    On the other hand, that new head sculpt redeems the original ’84 mold. Too bad the skin tones don’t match, it would’ve been an easy swap otherwise.

  • Man, not just yellow pants, but banana yellow pants. Reminds me of the banana-flavored Laffy Taffy candy. Of course, if anybody started singing the Banana Boat song around Roadblock while he was wearing those pants, Roadblock would shove their face onto a hot griddle. Neapolitan Joe is right, though, about the new head.

  • Not the worst figure in the 3-pack, that goes to the white gloved Destro using the same 1992 Destro body that wore out its welcome in 1992 with an all-new pin-head added.

  • Those pants definitely have a Funskool look, he could be displayed with those guys and fit right in. And the headsculpt, while an improvement over ’84, has a Ming the Merciless vibe or something like that going on…definitely better than the original, but I think it’s the eyebrows!

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