What happens when a survivalist’s best pair of jeans fall into a vat of radioactive sludge? He joins the GI Joe Eco Warriors, of course. Then he dons his official OSHA Inspector yellow hard hat and takes to US military bases, scouring them for negligent and willful violations of proper HAZCOM and HAZWOPER protocols. Outback used to spend his time in
Read moreThe presence and popularity of the 1986 Viper within Joe fandom goes without saying. The updated faceless Cobra trooper appeared more battle ready than the previous ’82-83 blueshirt, and is many a fan’s favorite army builder. The design continues to resonate into the most recent toyline. The 1994 Battle Corps figures were rife with re-dos and repaints of previously released
Read moreStalker has the distinction of being one of the Joes to see both the beginning and end of the Real American Hero line. The line really looked like it was heading back to its military beginnings with some of the 1994 offerings. Over the course of the RAH run, Stalker has had two types of looks: the beret-wearing Ranger and the
Read moreSo here’s yet another version of the Joe team’s top sergeant. Duke garners mixed feelings amongst collectors, whether they consider themselves fans of the comic, the cartoon or even just the figures. Some can’t stand him and consider him a usurper of Hawk in the comics. I’ve never really had a big problem with Duke, and I don’t necessarily see his presence
Read moreWhat can I say about Firefly that hasn’t been said before? He’s the ultimate mystery man of Cobra, a saboteur garbed in grey camouflage, his face forever hidden behind his trademark mask. His figure origin dates back to the watershed year of 1984, when all-time Joe classics like Storm Shadow, Baroness and Thunder were unleashed for the first time. Okay
Read moreThe 1993 Joe series was a monstrous year in terms of total figures, with over one hundred individual figures released among the regular line, drivers, mail-ins and the Street Fighter spin-off. The Battle Corps series in itself saw 36 figures, a great many of which were redesigns or repaints of existing characters. Joes and Cobras alike were refreshed that year,
Read moreLet’s get the name out of the way first. According to his file card, Ice Cream Soldier’s code name is meant to be ironic, given that he’s a flamethrower commando. So you may ask yourself, “how did Hasbro think up such a stupid name? That’s just pure laziness calling him Ice Cream Soldier.” Well, suppress your nerd rage for a
Read moreWhere do Joes get their code names? Is it a meticulous process presided over by members of command, looking at a soldier’s personality back ground and accomplishments, and sometimes throwing in a pun here and there, or is it done on a peer basis, with the other Joes informally coming up with a nickname that just seems to stick? Sometimes
Read moreCobra’s Night Creeper forces have been around since 1990. Say what you will about ninjas, this force of technological ninjas is an original concept–at least they’re not Arashikage. Design-wise, the group presents a unique look for being based upon the ninja archetype. Merging armor, stealth gear and powered weapons seems like a natural evolution for the famed assassins. Any military
Read moreDial Tone is a fan favorite who’s gotten a lot of play among Joe fans in the last year. His exclusion from the 25th anniversary line was remedied when the Collectors Club released him as 2011’s membership figure. Even better, he was also released carded at the con, and included in the new Mission Brazil set. I think his original
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