Sea Slug (1987)

I only have memories of a few of the 1987 vehicles. I stopped buying Joes early that year, and the only ’87 vehicle I picked up was the Sky Sweeper. Yeah, not the best choice of a vehicle to go out of the line. I did look through the year’s catalog, and thought that the Cobra Sea Ray looked interesting. A friend had a younger brother who was still into GI Joes, and upon visiting his house one day, I saw the Sea Ray and Sea Slug. I remember sneaking a look at them and being somewhat intrigued, but not moved enough to make an embarrassing trip to the store and buy a toy. Looking back, I guess the fact that I bothered to even look at them showed that the Joe collector in me hadn’t completely moved on.

While I think a good portion of the 1987 vehicles are fun in a mostly goofy way, I find many of the year’s drivers (particularly the Cobras) to be among my favorites. Sea Slug scores points for standing out in a crowd. I suppose that’s what drew me to look at the figure even when my interest in Joes had waned. First off, the color. Yowza–he’s really purple. And it’s not a deep royal kind of purple, either. It’s a 1980’s Joker pinstripe suit purple. I was always disappointed that the helmet isn’t removable, since other ’87 Cobra drivers had the feature.

The file card says these guys are another offshoot of the Eels, and that they’re quite tough. I’d have to think so considering their namesake. A Slug, sea or not, just doesn’t seem like a creature that would strike fear into an enemy.

12 comments

  • IIRC, the BF 2000 figures showed up in late 1987, the vehicles actually didn’t appear in stores until 1988. Maybe it wasn’t the same everywhere.

    Notice that Sea Slug’s holster contains a pistol like the one he came with, ableit smaller.

  • I love this figure’s alliterative name, unique mold, eye-catching late 80s colors, stylish insignia, and fitting laser pistol.

  • If I recall correctly, I read that the Sea Ray was going to be recolored as part of the 1989 wave of Tiger Force vehicles, the Tiger Ray. And that the Sea Slug figures have a chest logo that is notorious for rubbing off easily.

  • I’ve always liked this figures lower legs. I think it has something to do with the classic 1950’s Sci Fi feel i get from them . In fact the entire figure “feels” more like a sci fi character than a GI Joe character.

  • I took a break from comic and toy collecting around 1987 as well, so I missed stuff such as this. I like the Cobra vehicles from that year better than I do the Joe ones.

    Sea Slug here is one of those hidden gems that tend to get lost in the shuffle unless you’re a fan of the guy. I would’ve liked to have seen him reappear in deep Cobra blue sometime during the later vintage era or its revival.

  • He is a great driver. He’s diesel as hell, look at those upper arms! I love his silver logo too. The boots are decidedly sci-fi. I’d love to see this guy re-colored but the purple on him never bothered me like some others (spearhead, light foot, etc)

  • He has the colors of real sea slugs…

  • Love the figure and the writeup! 1987 was such an underrated year for Joes.

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  • Glad to see more people noticing 1987’s drivers and some of their other vehicles besides the ones people love to beat up on (Pogo, Buzz Boar, Road Toad, Coastal Defender) and giving them credit for being interesting and imaginative. 1987 as a whole for Hasbro was a very imaginative year. GI Joe’s 1987 line has the hits & misfires such imagination produces.

    Anyone know what Hasbro was smoking in 1986 when they were coming up with Golobulus, Cobra-La, Raptor, Crystal Ball, Psyche Out, the Pogo, Buzz Boar, Coastal Defender as well as the Transformers Headmasters (heads detach and turn into a little figure) and Targetmasters (living weapons)? 1987’s lines were really trippy.

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