Ozone (1993)

When I came back to GI Joe collecting in the 90s, my collecting philosophy was very much one of picking and choosing. I was back into the brand, but wasn’t picking up each and every release. I saved that effort for the Toy Biz Marvel lines, at least for a while. Oops. Anyway, as I perused the Joe selection through

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Robo-JOE Revisited

Ah, Robo-JOE. Is there any more lovable a loser to come out of the waning years of the Real American Hero era? Crazy idea, funky execution. Conceptually, I love it. The bright color and paint splatter is just a bonus. Maybe someday he’ll give Bulletman a run for his money in the annals of legendary GI Joe goofballs. If you

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Roadblock (1994 Star Brigade)

I find the second series of Star Brigade figures to be much more interesting than their prececessors. Not only were some new parts mixed in among the reused elements, but the generic card art was jettisoned in favor of character specific packaging, in keeping with the rest of Real American Hero era. When there’s a giant (preferably painted) portrait on

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Lobotomaxx (1994)

As part of the final series of Real American Hero GI Joe, and the second Star Brigade, all semblance of reality is out the window with this figure. Avert your eyes, pure military Joe fans. What follows may be too upsetting to stomach.  If you’re a toy nut like me, however, bask in the green green glow of sheer insanity.

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TARGAT (1993)

The second iteration of TARGAT is missing two essential elements of its initial version. First, they’re apparently no longer affiliated with the Iron Grenadiers (at least it’s not mentioned on the file card) the TARGAT troops nevertheless make a welcome second appearance. Most everything else remains the same as far as the troops’ function. The specialty makes a lot of

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Astro Viper (1993)

I really like Star Brigade, the fairly grand experiment at the end of the original small scale GI Joe line. Maybe experiment is the wrong word. Some may say desperate attempt to boost sales. Was Hasbro prescient, foretelling the successful relaunch of Star Wars under their banner? Were they trying to catch some of that galaxy far away’s lightning in

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General Hawk (1993)

As pilot of the Armor Bot, one of the last large GI Joe vehicles produced in the original Real American Hero line, Hawk bookends the line as a driver figure. Sure, his ride isn’t as iconic as the MMS, but it is an imposing and fun toy. I suppose Hawk’s presence in Star Brigade isn’t too farfetched, as he donned

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Heavy Duty (1993)

Man, has Hasbro been in love with Heavy Duty since his debut or what? Being a recent addition from just two years earlier, he got a spot on the Armor Tech team alongside longtime Joes like Duke, Hawk and Rock N Roll. Considering the color scheme, I would have assumed that he was Stalker, but not so. Then again, a

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Ozone (1994)

The flurry of sub-teams at the end of the Real American Hero line is not looked on favorably by some Joe fans. This I feel is unfortunate, because the concepts introduced, while they ranged from the sensible to the outright goofy, brought some more variety into the toyline. The story from those inside Hasbro at the time goes  that Joe

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