Sgt. Stalker (2005)
Time to revisit a figure that’s become one of my favorite modern o-ring Joes. I’ve harped on it before; I really really miss these guys. I really miss GI Joe in general. Maybe we’ll see him return to toy departments some day.
Looking at the comic pack figures through the lens of the recent rise of factory custom o-ring Joes and Cobras puts them in a different sort of universe. The limited parts usage and unique takes on classic paint schemes brings them together in an interesting way. I can see them all interacting in an alternate what-if Joeverse that existed if Hasbro decided to continue its classic molds alongside modern efforts.
The new head and paint scheme bring back memories of the early issues of the Marvel comic in a big way. Some may be turned off by the highly saturated elements of the figure, but my Joeverse accepts all hues on an equal footing, so I’m cool with it. Plus, it’s freaking original Stalker, man. You just can’t make him badly in my eyes. Even the Stars and Stripes version is a hit.
This isn’t a bad color scheme for this figure. But, I think the #26 comic pack version on Duke’s chest is spectacularly better. It’s funny that this guy is really hard to find since he was in the Oktober Guard packs.
For that comic pack, I’d have made Clutch in Cobra disguise, but Stalker was on the cover.
Sadly they never made helmeted Scarlett, either. Or Flash.