2002 Night Rhino

When G.I. Joe returned in 1997, it was not just a figure line.  It also included a full array of vehicles.  Hasbro understood that vehicles were integral to the Joe line.  And, between 1997 and 2000, Hasbro was keen to get classic molds into collector hands, often in new colors.  Starting in 2001, though, the vehicles took a turn.  Instead of all classic remakes, Hasbro started interspersing some new molds from other toy lines and even took a hand at updating a classic mold.  Sadly, the results weren't great for sales.  And, the 2001 vehicles lingered at retailers throughout the year.  They'd eventually find their way to close-out and discount retailers for 1/2 their original price.  As the vehicles slowed, so did the figure sales.  And, Hasbro announced that the o-ring renaissance of that early collector era was ending in favor of an all new approach to G.I. Joe.  The final wave of ARAHC figures was cancelled at retail.  But, one final release did squeak out in early 2002: the Night Rhino.

The main reason this vehicle managed to get to retail was because it was a Toys R Us exclusive.  Toys R Us was a strong retail partner for Hasbro.  And, during this time, TRU was both a dumping ground for cheap, overstock Hasbro toys as well as collector themed exclusives that would drive foot traffic.  Toys R Us was the only retailer willing to take a chance on o-ring Joes in 1997 and 1998.  It was the success of these lines that lead to the broader retail presence in 2000.  Even then, Hasbro partnered with them on exclusives like the Hiss III.  And, their 2002 exclusive was this repainted 1988 Warthog.  

The Warthog was one of those rare post 1987 vehicles that was generally acceptable to collectors of the early 2000's.  If you go even further back, into the late 1990's, when anything made after 1985 was suspect, you'd still find the Warthog was an allowable vehicle for your collection.  (You just had to ditch the Sgt. Slaughter as he, at the time, was not cool.)  It had good colors, featured one of the last tow hooks in the line, was armed to the teeth and held a huge amount of figures.  It was everything you could have wanted from an armored vehicle at the time.

The Night Rhino is actually very square.  It is a rather tall vehicle.  So, in person, it's a bit blocky.  The shapes work for its purpose, though.  And, its that height that offers much of the Night Rhino's play value.  The main feature is the three person crew who each have their own command seats.  There is a slot for a driver.  One for, I presume, the commander and maybe missile controller.  And, one slot for a gunner.  Each features the two position seating option that debuted on the 1984 Slugger.  You can insert the figures all the way into the seats so they are completely protected.  Then, you can close all the hatches above them to seal them in.  The fun part is that the driver's door slides over his position while the other two have flip-up doors.  It's one of those little things that you don't really think about.  But, the engineering to make the three position crew work was quite amazing.  

The vehicle is armed to the teeth...kind of.  The main weapons are two huge missiles on the vehicle's rear.  They are massive, but work against the size of the overall vehicle.  There are 12 "smoke grenade" launchers on the vehicle's side.  As a kid, these would have been a devastating weapon.  But, also one whose usefulness would have waned in time.  I liked my armor to have anti-infantry capability.  Otherwise, it was too easy for an enterprising Viper to get up close and pop a grenade into the driver's visibility slit.  This is where the Night Rhino is just OK.  It gets a lone, mounted gun in the gunner's position.  Mounted guns like this weren't overly common in the vintage Joe line.  So, each appearance was something I loved.  But, this machine gun only swivels 360 degrees and does not move up or down.  It's also positioned where it's awkward for a figure to properly hold it.  But, the idea of the machine gun is enough and makes the Night Rhino a formidable weapon.

The third play feature is that the Night Rhino is a troop carrier.  Two bay doors open in the back to reveal a large, open area where you can store figures.  They can sit on the bench seats and are held into place with a seatbelt bar.  There's just enough room to carry a small squad.  You can easily get a fully accessorized crew of 7 figures into the Night Rhino.  And, you can probably fit a few more if the figures you choose happen to have a light accessory complement.  Joe hadn't gotten any sort of personnel carrier since the Whale in 1984.  So, this design filled a few holes in the Joe team's motor pool.

The Night Rhino also floats.  The wide plastic base needed to house the full crew and carrier compartment meant a wide, flat bottom plastic piece.  This allowed the Night Rhino to be amphibious.  In the water, the vehicle sits much lower.  And, the overall profile is much sleeker.  I'd go so far as to say that the entire vehicle looks cooler when it's partially submerged than it does when it's on land.  Any vehicle that was going to hold figures was likely to float.  And, Hasbro took full advantage of this in the 1980's.  

I only had one encounter with Warthog in my pre-collector days.  Around 1990, I babysat a kid who lived behind us.  His parents had just moved into the neighborhood.  He was fairly young.  But, he had a magnificent collection of G.I. Joe vehicles in his basement.  Here, I had my first and only encounter with the Hiss II, MCC and the Warthog.  His toy room was well put together, though.  So, I was loathe to get all the vehicles out for fear of making a mess.  I did look over the toys, though, and marvel at how much improved the 1988 and 1989 designs were from those I had stopped buying in 1987.  For a brief moment, I considered buying a Warthog.  But, that never came to pass.  I did buy a lone 1989 Night Viper that summer.  But, that was the last Joe purchase I'd make until December of 1992.

One of the great strikes against the 1988 Warthog is that is has turned very brittle in the 35 years since its release.  Sadly, the Night Rhino is following the same path.  Part of this is the cheap plastic that Hasbro used during the early 2000's.  But, the other part is that the Night Rhino mold features lots of small and precisely measured pieces that don't use much plastic.  And, these tend to be door hinges.  So, they are meant to get lots of use.  It's left me being wary of using the Night Rhino too much for fear of snapping off one of the rear, bay doors.  Every time I open one, it makes a cracking sound that leaves me certain I've broken the door.  

I couldn't remember when the Night Rhino actually appeared at retail: early in the year or late in the year.  Fortunately, my photo library answered that question.  The first photos in which the Night Rhino appears were taken on March 10, 2002.  So, it was an early in the year release that hit right around the same time as the infamous Wave V that was an internet exclusive.  I do recall opening mine in a cold, dark garage after getting home from work one night.  I couldn't wait to get it into action.  And, you'll see it among photos I took in 2002 and 2003.  

Today, the Night Rhino remains an oft used vehicle for my photos.  It's just interesting enough for people to spend time reviewing any photo in which it appears.  It has limitations on how it displays figures.  But, you can get some really nice photos of armor operators in action when they are positioned in the command positions at the vehicle's front.  It's more difficult to get good photos of figures disembarking from the carrier compartment in the back, though.  The steps are steep and the doors are high off the ground.  So, it's tough to get figures into a realistic looking pose.  The opening doors do provide a good support for figures to hold onto.  So, that helps getting one or two figures into a fun photography position.  That's where you'll still see it most often.  

The Night Rhino's one of the vehicles that, in hand, is incredibly useful.  But, had it not been released at retail during the repaint era, it's unlikely I would have one.  There were several vehicles that I really wanted to add to my collection when I first started being able to buy any Joe I wanted.  Sadly, one of the first was the Hammer.  The Hammer looks great in photos.  But, as a toy, it SUCKS.  It was brittle, impossible to use with figures and just a general piece of junk.  That soured me on spending time and money on further childhood vehicle desires.  So, I never actually bought a Warthog and it was only through the acquisition of this Night Rhino that the mold entered my collection.  I suspect that, had I acquired one at a late date, I'd have regretted not picking it up sooner, though.  As, in hand, the Night Rhino delivers pretty much what it promises.

The private equity planned destruction of Toys R Us has left retail devoid of any options to release toys like this Night Rhino.  Now, the sparse 3 3/4 vehicles are the domain of "Fan Channels" or crowd funding...if they exist at all.  Even the mighty Star Wars line has nary a vehicle as part of its retail presence.  It's a shame.  During the 1990's and even into the 2010's, Toys R Us was a reliable partner for major toy companies to release vehicles and playsets.  It offered the shelf space and was willing to let a high quality item sell out in time.  It's national presence meant it could afford to finance a full run of toys like this Night Rhino.  With TRU long gone, there is no place left to fill that niche.  Some larger online toy sellers have tried.  But, usually, those were with items that companies had already produced and needed to dump somewhere.  So, the days of fun, unexpected releases like this Night Rhino are pretty much over.

The Warthog had a few uses.  Hasbro's version was released in 1988.  In Europe, there is an exclusively colored variant of the Warthog with a slightly different green base color.  It was then lost until 2002 when it appeared as this Toys R Us exclusive.  The final use came in 2006 when a desert version of the Warthog was released as a convention exclusive.  This is the most difficult of the 4 versions to track down.  There was a decent amount of potential left in the Warthog.  I once said I wouldn't hate a Cobra colored version that was released as a new version of Hiss Tank.  But, every single version that was ever made was extremely well done.  So, you can't be too mournful for the lost opportunities.

During the upswing in Joe pricing, mint and complete and boxed Night Rhinos crossed $150 and sometimes even went over $200.  Now, prices have subsided quite a bit.  You can get boxed versions for $80 or less.  If the plastic is holding up, that's not a terrible price.  Original Warthogs will cost the same or more.  And, they are much more likely to be too brittle to use.  So, the Night Rhino remains one of the best alternatives for a version of the vehicle.  In looking back, I kind of wish I'd picked up a couple more when they were at retail.  It's a nice vehicle.  But, the more I think about it, the more I realize that one is probably enough.  The vehicle has some display limitations and the idea behind all the great play features remains a better idea than practical usage.  It remains a vehicle that's worth owning, though.  And, every collector should at least give a thought to adding a version of the Warthog to their collection.

2001 Wetdown

I should love the Torpedo mold.  It was one of the most interesting designs of the first two years of the Joe line.  He had memorable and iconic accessories.  And, he was really hard to find until the fall of 1983 ushered in the holidays.  But, for some reason, the figure has never really clicked with me.  Even as a kid, Torpedo often found himself as the operator of the Whale's hidden little sled under the troop door.  Here he'd sit, forgotten and rarely used.  Mostly, this was because Cobra had no divers against whom Torpedo could fight.  But, as the Cobra maritime force grew, my interest in Torpedo did not.  This carried over to my adult collection and Torpedo has never been a figure that's been overly important to me.  These blase feelings towards the mold carried over to a now obscure 2001 release.  While the figure used the entire Torpedo mold and accessories, he now had a new name: Wetdown.

Wetdown is emblematic of the flaws that somewhat doomed the ARAHC line.  This figure is, essentially, the same as the 1983 Torpedo.  In 2026, collectors love new versions of older, decaying figures that have gotten expensive.  In 2001, though, vintage Joes were plentiful, still in solid shape and very affordable...provided the figure wasn't an army builder.  So, the need for barely repaints was much less than what we desire today.  So, interest in figures like Wetdown was tepid.  He lacked the freshness of the first wave of the ARAHC from 2000.  Wetdown's wave with Double Blast, Cobra Commander, Destro and Sure Fire was laden figures that just felt like they were low effort releases.  Even the Wet Suit with whom Wetdown was packed lacked any panache as he was a downgrade over every other Wet Suit that Hasbro had released to that point.  

For some reason, the ARAHC ran out of steam.  Shortly after Wetdown's release, collectors would learn the reason why.  Hasbro had started up work on a new Joe line that was going to use new construction and feature a new story and characters that were interspersed with the classics.  The JvC line sucked up all the resources and creativity and left the ARAHC as a hollowed out shell of its potential.  While the JvC line didn't end up being my cup of tea, it did feature much of the flair that defined the vintage Joe designs.  Bright, bold colors, updated characters, new specialties and a gaggle of new gear all made for much better toys that were more exciting than the drab figures that defined the ARAHC line that immediately preceded it.  

It is that drabness, though, that defines Wetdown and helps him stand apart from a vintage Torpedo.  While the black and grey palette is identical to the 1983 figure, the actual hues on the grey are much darker and more flat.  It makes the figure appear dark.  On his own, Wetdown isn't that bad.  He's just...Torpedo.  In making him a new character, I wish Hasbro had taken some color changes to set him apart from Torpedo.  By using such similar colors, Wetdown gets an imposter vibe that's tough to shake.  You can't use him and Torpedo together as they appear too similar.  (He might work with the '97 Torpedo.)  But, there's really no reason to have both a Torpedo and a Wetdown.

The new code names that were used in the 2000's are just bad.  There's no getting around it.  The most uncreative people in the world named the figures.  Most of them have two words.  And, the result is just dumb.  What worse, by 2000, there was a vibrant Joe customizing community that was already full of hundreds of fan created code names that were actually decent.  So, even the dullards could have plagiarized something better than Wetdown.  (Actually, it might be spelled Wet Down, as two words.  I don't care enough to go back and change it, though.)  But, they didn't.  Adding up the banal code names, uninspired paint jobs and repetitive mold choices, the ARAHC was kind of doomed right from the beginning.

With all this working against him, it's no surprise that Wetdown has never much mattered in my collection.  Were it not for the fact that I was an ardent completist in those days, I doubt I'd even have him in my collection.  And, it was his pure worthlessness on the secondary market that kept him in my collection when I purged it off.  If I didn't have, I'd forget he exists.  Not because he's bad.  Just because he's not interesting.  I'd just use the original Torpedo if I wanted a figure that looks like this.  But, I rarely do.  As I said before, Torpedo just didn't hit the right notes for me.  I loved all the later divers, though.  Both versions of the 1986 Wet Suit were vital to my childhood collection.  The '94 Shipwreck remains one of my favorite figures.  So, it's not divers that are the issue, it's just Torpedo.

Wetdown included the standard Torpedo gear.  He includes a silver spear gun.  At first, this weapon was unique to Wetdown.  And, it's kind of cool as the silver shows off the sculpting on the weapon that can be lost on black plastic.  The weapon later appeared with JvC Wet Suits and is much more common than Wetdown is.  The same is true of Wetdown's backpack.  Wetdown's version lacked any paint...a cost savings measure.  But, again, the same pack appeared multiple times in the JvC line.  He also included the standard black display stand that was required for all figures in this era.  Finally, he has a pair of black fins.  These are similar to the 1997 Torpedo's.  Though, there are slight plastic differences between the two.  The Torpedo mold needs Torpedo's gear.  The early Joe team got it right when it came to matching a figure sculpt to accessories.  And, one of the ARAHC's strengths was that many of the figures included their vintage gear to accentuate the overall value of their new, retail release.  So, that definitely works in Wetdown's favor.

After Torpedo's debut in 1983, he wasn't seen again in the vintage line.  He didn't even get another version.  (Wet Suit took over the SEAL character role and got all the updated sculpts.)  But, the mold was sent to India where Torpedo was a staple of early Funskool releases.  The most famous is a yellow Torpedo figure.  It's relatively hard to find.  Though, a few cases of them were unearthed in the 2010's.  The mold was returned to Hasbro for the 1997 releases.  Hasbro got some quick mileage out of the Torpedo mold.  First, he was released in 1997.  Then, this 2001 use for Wetdown was released.  But, then, the mold disappeared.  On one hand, it would have been good to see another Torpedo mold appear in 2004 or 2005 as part of a Comic Pack.  On the other hand, there wasn't much left to do with Torpedo and we didn't need another black and grey use of the mold.

Wave III of the ARAHC probably saw a truncated production run.  At least relative to Waves II and IV.  Wave III never really popped up in the clearance and discount stores of 2001 while those other waves were ubiquitous through 2002 and beyond.  But, that hasn't really translated to reduced availability or higher prices.  You can find Wetdown's relatively easily.  Dealers try to sell the figure in the $15-$20 range.  They don't sell.  He's, at best, an $8 figure.  Carded versions with Wet Suit sell in the $20 range.  That's the direction to take if you want the figure in your collection.  

With figures like this, don't take my cynicism as a reason to not own him.  Twenty Five years have passed since Wetdown was released.  And, he's holding up much better than 1983 Torpedo figures.  So, that has some value.  And, there are collectors who love to have newer versions of vintage Joes that have the softer plastic and that are less brittle than the originals.  I'm not sure why Torpedo never did it for me.  But, if you love the look of the the original, then there's value in this Wetdown for you, too.  He's definitely a figure where individual collector's mileage may vary.  Mine's just very, very short.

2001 Double Blast - Around the Web

I'm working on 2 profiles right now.  Both are arout 85% done.  But, we got a foot of snow and had a pipe burst.  So, didn't get them done.  Did manage to get the photos, though.  So, I'm hoping to drop one on Wednesday or Thursday of this week.  I want them both to fully flesh out the full story of the figure, though.  Otherwise, I'd probably just publish as is.  

In the meantime, here's a quick Around the Web showcase of the 2001 Double Blast.  Like most of the more obscure A Real American Hero releases, he's tough to find much content on.  Some of the figures just aren't different enough from their originals to warrant usage.  If you want a realistically colored 1984 Roadblock figure for a photo, you use the 1984 Roadblock.  The only thing Double Blast offers is that he's cheaper and less prone to breakage.  But, you want a Roadblock.  You settle for a Double Blast.  

Which isn't to say he's a bad figure.  25 years ago, when he was released (yes, that's right, this figure is 25 years old!) the swarm of bland, drab figures allowed him to be swallowed in banality.  Now, though, you can find value in him.  He looks like Roadblock.  He has all of Roadblock's gear.  And, the quality has held up fairly well.  So, it's not terrible to have a Double Blast lying around for when you need something just a little different for a Roadblock photo.

2001 Double Blast Profile

2001 Double Blast by jonita_rodriguin

2001 Double Blast by idealisticcrusader

2001 Double Blast by corpscommandercody

2001 Double Blast by offc0ur5e

2001 Double Blast by thedustinmccoy

2000 Firefly - Around The Web

This was an emergency replacement of another post.  That one will go up in two weeks.  I searched for an antithesis to that, planned figure post and came up with this 2000 Firefly.  It's a classic mold done up in very traditional (though, not Cobra) colors.  In general, it's a strong version of Firefly.  In the fall of 2000, you could make the case it was the best Firefly.  Or, at least on par with the vintage version since it had all the cool accessories along with softer plastic hands.  But, no collector of that era actually made that argument.  The two main reasons were the paint wipes and the altered face mask.  For me, it was the ungloved hands that superseded the mask changes.  But, I was in the minority on that point.  

Fun fact: no two versions of this Firefly are the same.  The marbelized plastic that debuted in 2000 ensured that every figure had slight nuances.  And, you can even find major changes where a figure may have a brown head, green head or a balance of the two.  The same is true of the rest of the mold.  If you like the green, you can find a figure that features a lot of it.  The brown is similar.  If you're really ambitious, you could kitbash a nearly all green or all brown figure from a plethora of figures.  But, no one's really done that.

This Firefly is among the most used ARAHC figures from 2000 and 2001.  Since he's Firefly, you see him more often than other characters.  The colors and gear work to make a figure that fits into scenes just like the original, grey figure.  But, is also a better match for outdoor shots among the plants and trees.  So, check out the content below and let the creators know you stopped by.

2000 Firefly Profile

2000 Firefly by fosilru

2000 Firefly by themexicangriswolds

2000 Firefly  by Yo Valley Joe

2000 Firefly by instachampa

2000 Firefly by thedustinmccoy

2000 Firefly by thebackyardcommando

2000 Firefly by R.T.G.

2000 Firefly by thedustinmccoy

2000 Firefly by thebackyardcommando

2000 Firefly by toy_haven_aka_patch

2000 Firefly by mikesjoetography

2000 Firefly by strikeforce_codename

2000 Firefly

In 1997, Hasbro brought back a collector series of G.I. Joe figures as Toys R Us exclusives.  These figures went through several design stages before they were finally brought to retail.  Hasbro's intent for the series was to use many of their most popular molds of the most popular characters.  One of the original products that was considered included a repaint of the highly loved 1984 Firefly figure.  The hand painted designs showed a figure with a grey base but some green highlights.  But, by the time the 1997 figures came out, Firefly had long been removed from the assortment.  In 1998, though, the Firefly mold returned.  Instead of the forest theme, though, Hasbro repainted him into an excellent winter theme.  It is one of the highlights of the repaint era for sure.  The Toys R Us sets, though, ended in 1998 as Hasbro geared up for a broader return of Joe to retail.  When the first wave of 2000 figures showed up, collectors were finally greeted by a woodland Firefly.  The ARAHC release was both much maligned by collectors and also very welcomed.  It was an odd juxtaposition.  But, it perfectly fits this figure's legacy.

Upon this Firefly's release, collectors rejoiced at another paint job of a hugely popular character becoming available.  At the same time, they maligned some of the design choices that Hasbro made with the figure.  All of the 2000 series figures were given "PAINT-WIPES" in an attempt to add the "gritty realism" that Hasbro thought fans of the time really wanted.  The result is that many of the figures look like they fell into the tar pits.  For Firefly, though, the effect is somewhat lost on the dark green and brown body.  There is really only one area where they are apparent: the figure's hands.  This Firefly is bare-handed and not wearing gloves.  Every other version of Firefly using his mold has gloves.  (The Wreckage figure, who is a Joe, though, does also feature bare hands.)  It's kind of an off-putting image to see Firefly with bare skin.  And, the choice to not glove Firefly's hands is made all the worse by the paint wipes that just make it seem like he's been making mud pies all day.  The hands were most criticized aspect of this figure and, even today, can be a contentious point with many collectors adamant that the hands ruin an otherwise excellent figure.

Really, though, this Firefly isn't all that well done.  Hasbro let the marbelized plastic body handle most of Firefly's colors.  Aside from that, he only has red explosives and black grenades on his chest.  The did give him a black undershirt and boots to provide a little color.  But, this figure is a far cry from the Firefly repaints of 2004 and 2005 that fully showcased the mold's details and gave the figure remarkable life with 6 or 7 different colors.  Also, it should be noted that the green and brown marbelized plastic on Firefly is not consistent.  This means that every single Firefly is really a unique figure.  But, some versions have more green plastic while some have more brown.  It's possible to find figures that appear to be green with brown accents and others that appear brown with green accents and still more that are right in the middle.  This offers modern collectors choices since they can find a Firefly that best fits their aesthetic preferences.  But, it can also leave you bewildered at the fact that photos of the figure you find online do not match the figure you have in hand.

The other major change to Firefly's look is his mask.  Hasbro treated collectors a a giant, black Cobra sigil on Firefly's forehead.  In red, this would have been too much.  But, the black blends with the figure and prevents the logo from being too over the top.  The bigger change, though, is that Firefly's eye slit is now broken into two, separate eye holes.  (Insert Rick and Morty joke here....)  The mask now has a painted barrier between the eyes.  For some, this was not a well liked update.  Personally, I don't mind it.  When the only real exposure collectors had to the Firefly was the 1984 version, this update seemed bigger than it was.  Now, it's as much part of the figure as the open mask of the 1984 is.  I like the update since it gives some differentiation to this Firefly.  But, it's not really a huge enhancement or detriment.

This Firefly struggles to find a niche.  The green and brown base help make him a woodlands version.  And, he is a nice match for the 2002 green Vipers.  If you want an outdoors Firefly, this is probably the version for you.  Over the years, I've found him a good option for outdoor photography.  At the same, time, though, I usually end up opting for other figures.  They work well enough and have the iconic coloring that seems to attract people's attention.  But, the original Firefly is surely better.  And, the 2004 Urban Assault release as well as the 2005 Comic Pack versions are, easily, superior figures.  This version works in that he's different and having options for a character as important as Firefly is useful.  But, if you are economizing a collection, this is an easy version to pass over since there are so many better options for the mold.

Firefly's gear is iconic.  Getting it back in 1998 was a treat.  And, getting it in 2000 was even better.  The black version of the rifle was something collectors had always wanted.  No one knew we'd be sick of the gun in just a few years.  So, these early versions of Firefly were a treat.  I had quickly lost the cover to Firefly's pack when I was a kid.  So, that's a piece that I've always held in high regard.  This figure includes a unique coloring of the pack: again using the marbelized green and brown plastic.  So, once again, you can find versions that are drastically different in primary colors from each other.  Missing, though, was Firefly's walkie talkie.  (Sorry, I'm hard pressed to call it a phone since it was released in 1984....)  The upside is that a black version of it appeared with other 2000 figures and many others since.  But, it was an odd omission.  Firefly's original card artwork showed him with a pistol.  I've always wondered if the figure was originally going to include two weapons before Hasbro either removed the gun or simply replaced it with the radio.

Hasbro got all they could from the Firefly mold.  After the US release, Hasbro also released Firefly in Europe and Japan.  The mold then showed up in India.  Funskool released a Firefly that was nearly identical to the 1984 coloring for a few years in the 1990's.  During that time, the mold was colored light blue and yellow and also used in the Complan Commandos line as Rocker.  Hasbro got the mold back around 1997 and released Firefly in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003 (2 Convention repaints and a repainted Joe named Tiger Force Wreckage), 2004 and 2005.  And, in 2005, the body was released again but with a new head.  Firefly's chest was going to be used on the "Tiger Force Steel Brigade" figure, but it was never released.  There is also an unproduced green body 2002 Firefly as well as an alternate Urban Assault figure that were widely available to collectors.  Hasbro made Firefly in grey, green, red, black, blue, crimson and even a weird orange and green variant.  There's something for everyone if you collect Firefly.

This Firefly had a very odd pricing history.  In the fall of 2000, you could buy all of this figure you wanted for $8 at Toys R Us or KB Toys or $5.84 at Wal Mart.  I bought half a dozen or more and left many multiples of that number behind.  Everyone had the figure and didn't think anything of finding him.  That all changed in January of 2001, though.  Firefly was discontinued from the Joe case assortments right as the line's popularity took off.  Hordes of new collectors came online in early 2001: only to discover they had just missed the first wave of retail Joes.  Firefly quickly rose in price.  MOC versions of him and Undertow were $30 purchases by the summer.  And, by the fall, you could sell MOC sets for $75.  (At the same time, a mint and complete with filecard Starduster was $30 and MOC Satans were $50!)  Then, though, Hasbro started releasing the Firefly mold in what seemed like every wave.  By 2005, this Firefly had fallen from grace and you could get MOC figures for around $20.  From there, the figure went into a freefall, with MOC figures running $10 well into the 2010's.

Now, left to the open market, this Firefly is pretty cheap.  Mint, loose and complete figures run in the $6-$10 range depending on timing and the filecard.  Dealers, though, routinely get $16-$20 for the figure, mostly just due to having the figure available at any given time.  You can still get carded versions for around $20.  And, since you get the excellent Undertow figure in the same pack, it's probably the way to go.  The 2000 Firefly certainly isn't the worst release of the mold.  But, it's close to the bottom...only because so many subsequent figures were excellently done.  For cheap, this guy is a valuable pick up.  But, the figure has limitations and the color scheme really doesn't offer anything drastically different enough from better releases to be a must buy.

2001 Tripwire

Hasbro had a short break between the death of the Joe line in 1994 and its first reappearance as a collector themed line in 1997.  But, really, 1997 Hasbro was a completely different company than the one that existed in 1994.  The people who had made the vintage Joe line were gone.  In their place were new people who lacked the connection to the brand.  And, instead of trying to find a recipe that would have given them massive retail success, they fell upon a select few, elder members of the collecting community to guide their design choices.  The result is a short era of safe, bland and uninteresting figures whose value is almost entirely tied up in the nostalgic ties that barely repaints evoked among a certain set of adults.  The figures of this era aren't, necessarily, bad.  They're just boring.  They take no chances and don't challenge anyone's sense of comfort when thinking about their collecting habits.  

This was the core problem with the A Real American Hero Collection (ARAHC) that was released in 2000 and 2001.  Too many of the figures blended together.  To uninitiated parents and casual collectors, the shelves appeared to be full of the same figure over and over again.  Nothing stood out: either good or bad.  The figures were, though, relatively good.  Collectors liked them and bought a fair amount.  But, the line couldn't compete with the adult collector driven but still kid supported Star Wars line.  A few figures, though, really did work in the muted color schemes.  Among them was the 2001 Tripwire.

You can make an argument that this is the best Tripwire figure.  (Though, you'd be wrong as the Funskool figure is the best!)  But, it's really not all that different from the 1983 version.  The green is a little darker.  The main difference is that the unique grey from the original version has been replaced by a more common black color.  The color lacks the sheen of vintage black figures who still appeared shiny and vibrant and was, instead, a very flat black.  This was the type of thing that the cool, hip adult collectors of 2001 pretended that they wanted.  And, Hasbro gave us a whole line of figures who were almost exclusively the boring green and black colors.  And, that line didn't last a year at retail.  2002 brought a ton more color to the line and it launched the Joe renaissance of the early 2000's where the brand had retail viability for a couple of years.  

The thing about this figure is that the 1983 Tripwire is pretty much perfect.  His lighter green gives him some distinction from some of his contemporaries.  But, his grey highlights were a rarity in the vintage Joe line.  For that reason, Tripwire stood out.  A relatively boring figure became memorable with just a few design choices.  For the 2001 figure, all of that personality was stripped away from Tripwire.  Were he a lone release of this ilk, that would have been OK.  But, most of the ARAHC was ripping the soul from classic figures in order to appeal to a false sense of "gritty, military realism" that NEVER existed in the Joe line.  It left a line of figures that people like.  But, you don't see them used since, in pretty much every case, the vintage figure that was replaced by the later repaint is better.  And, they are not different enough to warrant using the later design.  It would be one thing if this was the only desert tan Tripwire that was released.  That would have been safe, but also useful.  Instead, it's the same ground we tread before: only 18 years later and not as good.

Of the ARAHC figures released in 2000 and 2001, this Tripwire remains one of the most frequently seen in various photos and dioramas (such as they exist in 2023).  He's one of the few figures who often replaces the original.  I suspect this is because this Tripwire is good enough and it offers the exact same aesthetic to a scene that the original figure provides.  Tripwire is great as a vehicle operator or support figure.  And, his covered head also allows you to use him as an army builder.  (Fun fact, the 1983 Tripwire head looks amazing on a Steel Brigade body if you have some part swaps you want to try.)  So, you can have a couple of them if you want.  But, most people like to use Tripwire as the lead: clearing the way for his team mates to safely navigate a passage.

The ARAHC started strong, gained momentum and then completely petered out in about 8 months.  The first figures popped up in October of 2000 and by the summer of 2001, the figures were backed up all over the country.  By October of 2001, the figures were showing up in discount and closeout outlets.  The final wave was cancelled from retail and only salvaged by two online retailers because Hasbro was so far into the production process with the figure wave.  (Despite the angry retorts to the contrary, I still fully believe the Crimson Viper was planned for Wave V but was pulled from there and moved to the 2002 convention release.)  Tripwire and his terrible packmate, Big Brawler, were staples of closeout stores well into 2002.  But, even at $5 for two figures, few people really stocked up on the set and even the army builders from this final retail wave were easy to find for more than a year if you frequented outlet malls or the offbeat closeout stores that still existed 21 years ago.

One huge upside of the ARAHC figures was that they, mostly, included the figure's original gear.  The Joe design team of the 1980's spent inordinate amounts of time matching characters and their accessories.  So, keeping the figure's paired with original gear worked well.  This Tripwire includes his pack, three landmines and minesweepeer that debuted with the original release.  Sans this gear, Tripwire is useless as a standalone figure.  He can still work as a vehicle driver.  But, Tripwire needs his gear to stand out among the other Joes.  For some reason, I've never actually plugged the 2001 Tripwire's minesweeper into his backpack.  I like the look of it still in its rigid, original form.  This makes no sense.  But, you can still pose the figure without this gear actually plugged into the pack as was intended.

Oddly, Tripwire is one figure that really got utilized quite well.  The original 1983 figure is solid.  He was sold all over the world and there are slight arm chevron variants to track down.  In 1985, Hasbro went nuts and gave us the awesome red and orange Listen & Fun Tripwire.  It's completely ridiculous.  Which makes it awesome!  This darker figure appeared in 2001.  From there, Hasbro sent the mold to India where the amazing Funskool Tripwire was produced.  If you want a realistic Tripwire, you have options.  If you want a surreal repaint, you can get one that fits that criteria.  And, if you want a solidly colored but weird figure, the Funskool is there for you.  Sure, a tan Tripwire would have been nice.  But, you've got 4 distinct releases with two of them being something completely different from anything else in the line.  (BTW, I forgot 2 releases, Blades and the Tiger Force Tripwire - Thanks to JRizzo in the comments.)

Tripwire figures aren't all that desired.  While dealers will try to get $20-$25 for a loose, mint and complete figure, the reality is that you can get a carded set for less than that price.  Open market figures are between $7-$10 with deals to be had by those who are patient.  These days, it's far and away the cheapest Tripwire.  And, as the colors are good, it's adequate for the character unless you want something weirder to represent the team's mine detector.

2001 Destro

So, one of the great failures of the Joe line is that Hasbro has a long history of releasing overly similar figures over and over again.  This didn't happen too often prior to 1997.  But, for some reason, post 1994 Hasbro got into barely repainting certain molds.  This practice hit its crescendo in 2001 when, in Wave III of the ARAHC, Hasbro released a 1987 Cobra Commander homage and 1992 Destro homage that were so similar to their vintage counterparts that it was nearly impossible to tell them apart unless you had them in hand.  This was a frustrating development as, at the time, both the '87 Cobra Commander and the '92 Destro figures were alarmingly cheap and available.  In fact, you could get these figures for only slightly more than you'd pay for the new retail versions.  Worst of all, both figures could have been amazing repaints and we never got an opportunity to explore those possibilities.

The biggest frustration with this 2001 figure comes from the fact that the mold has a number of sculpted details that were not painted on the 1992 release.  But, Hasbro didn't update the paint masks to make a better figure.  A little silver paint on the legs and arms would have gone a long way towards refurbishing the figure and drastically improving it.  The only real difference between this 2001 figure and the 1992 is that the 1992 has red dashes running down his legs.  There is a slight color difference in the collar's red color.  But, it's tough to see without the two figures sitting side by side.  In 1997, Hasbro had given this figure a chromed head.  But, they didn't do that with this 2001 figure.  And, it suffers for it.

The real question, though, is why wasn't this figure at least an Iron Grenadier homage with a golden helmet?  That seems like a no-brainer, especially since Hasbro didn't know they had the 1988 Destro mold available until 2005.  But, in 2001, the Iron Grenadiers were not, yet, a truly accepted subset.  Collectors were still 1987 and prior focused.  And, while Iron Grenadiers weren't hated at the time, they weren't popular, either.  You could get all the 1988 Iron Grenadier figures you wanted for cheaper than pretty much any other infantry type army builder.  

This Destro mold got a bit of use.  He was one of the new 1992 molds that was not carried over to 1993, though.  So, he didn't get a subsequent repaint.  However, around 1994, this Destro appeared on Chinese cards.  These were widely available at discount stores in the U.S.  That Destro is the pretty much the same as the 1992 figure, but includes a different rifle.  The mold then appeared in a great purple in 1997.  It was repainted for this 2001 figure and then the body appeared again in a Comic Pack in 2005.  The Comic Pack had a new head.  But, the color scheme was, basically, the same as the 1992 figure.  The head was used for the 2005 Convention Destro.  But, the body was not.  So, despite 5 uses of the mold, there are really only two color schemes: the original and the 1997.  The mold had lots of potential and it's a shame that it was never repainted in Iron Grenadier colors with a golden mask.

Destro only includes his pistol and a black battle stand.  The spring loaded launcher that was used in 1992 and 1997 didn't make this release.  That's probably not terrible.  Though, Destro's launcher is one of the better and more useful spring loaded accessories.  I do love Destro's pistol.  It's the main reason I bought the figure back in 1992.  But, it would have been cool to see a backpack that was a homage to Destro's 1983 weapon filled pack.  I've found a few smaller pistols that also work well with Destro.  You'll see him with a variety of weapons below to give him a bit more depth.

This Destro isn't worth much.  The 1992 figure isn't hard to find and is relatively affordable.  So, there isn't much demand for the 2001 figure.  Despite the fact that this figure was only released in Wave III and includes the surprisingly good Fast Blast Viper, you can buy carded sets for about $17.00.  Dealers will ask $30.  But, those don't sell.  Mint and complete with filecard loose figures sell for about $2 if they are left to the open market.  Making this guy one of (if not the!) cheapest figures in the line.  Dealers will ask $8 or so.  But, it's better to just buy a carded version to also get the Fast Blast Viper.  If you just want a Destro that looks like this, the 2001 is probably a better option than the 1992 as it's has softer plastic, doesn't discolor like other 2000's era figures, includes proper gear and is substantially cheaper than the 1992 release.  But, if you already have the 1992 Destro, there's simply no reason to obtain this 2001 version.

2001 ARAHC Big Ben

This arctic Big Ben is the figure that killed the ARAHC line.  It was released just before Christmas in 2000.  But, within just a few months, this Big Ben and his pack-mate, White Out, would ruin what had been an incredibly promising start to a Joe resurgence at retail.  It's not this figure's fault, though.  The reality is that he is an amazing update to a a character who was incredibly obscure at the turn of the century.  But, things conspired against him and a series of bad decisions by Hasbro turned this promising repaint into one of the greatest pegwarmers of all time.

In 2000, collectors fell into two camps: those who felt the line ended after 1985 and those who felt it ended after 1987.  It was nearly impossible to find loose figures made after 1989 as the kids who collected them had yet to really come online.  As such, figures from 1990 and beyond were all but unknown.  One of the reasons I started my site in late 1999 was because I felt that figures from the final years of the line deserved a place that would spotlight them so more collectors would become aware of their quality.  So, when Hasbro pulled out some molds from the 1990's as repaints for the new line of Joe figures at retail, it was, for many collectors, the first time they'd really paid any attention to the figure molds or characters.  And, in the case of Big Ben, they found a decent sculpt with great gear and a useful character.  And, loose 1990 Big Bens weren't exactly common at the time.  So, for many collectors of the day, the ARAHC repaints would be their first interactions with these molds.  While there was some grumbling by the most militant of Joe collectors about the later mold inclusions, they were, generally, welcomed by the community since they seemed like new figures instead of just a standard repaint.

Now, we get to the meat of why this figure destroyed Joe's chances at retail.  In 2000, the first wave of the ARAHC figures saw a modest launch.  They were sold at Toys R Us, KB Toys, and Wal Mart.  I do not recall if K-Mart picked up the first wave.  But, Target definitely did not.  However, the first wave sold relatively well.  While it was never hard to find from October through December of 2000, it also didn't back up very much with the exception of the Cobra Commander/Chameleon two pack.  

The reason those Cobras backlogged, though, was because they were 3 to a case.  So, their overabundance was the result of a deliberate choice by Hasbro to try and help stave off demand.  Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow were also 3 per case, but they sold more quickly.  The remaining figure packs were all 2 per case.  As the waves sold through, the Cobra Commander and Chameleon pack was the only real pegwarmer.  But, if you hit a few Wal Marts or Toys R Us stores in a given day, you'd find every pack from the wave.  

The strong sales both got other retailers (most importantly, Target) to start carrying the line and also expand the retail space allotted for the figures.  So, Wave 2 (it should be noted that Hasbro named the waves with Roman Numerals.  So, from here on out, I'll refer to them by that nomenclature.  This only slightly matters because there were nearly two Wave 5's released in 2002.) quickly started hitting retailers.  And, it hit in force.  Stores got shipment after shipment of them.  And, for a while, they sold pretty well.  But, here's where two fatal flaws in Hasbro's logic converged to kill the line.

In 2001, interest in G.I. Joe surged.  The combination of greater internet access, more children of the '80's coming online, a new comic and even the broader acceptance of buying online at places like Ebay lead to an uptick in interest that still hasn't been matched by the 2007 Anniversary figures or even the Classified 6" series of figures.  Hundreds of new collectors came online every month.  And, they were eager to buy up the memories of their childhood.  Hasbro, was all too willing to meet the demand for these new figures.  The problem was, though, that Hasbro stopped making Wave I cases.  And, as such, only shipped Wave II cases in 2001.  And, the Wave II case breakdown was pretty bad.  It had three new 2 packs: Duke and Sidetrack, Major Bludd and the Rock Viper and Big Ben and White Out (a 1983 Snow Job repaint.)  The figures were all fine.  The case was rounded out with the carry overs of Snake Eyes/Stormshadow and Dusty/Law.  To get to 12 figure packs per case, Hasbro decided to include 4 Big Ben/White Out packs per case.  No other figure pack saw this case ratio.  And, it was baffling.  Sure, Snow Job was popular.  But, in 2001, mint and complete Snow Jobs that were pristine white were still cheap and plentiful.  And, no one really cared about Big Ben.  So, the fact that they got the massive overpacks instead of the army builder was an odd choice.

And, it quickly proved disastrous.  After a couple of months, Big Ben/White Out packs were falling off the shelves of most retail stores.  While the other figures in the case weren't hard to find, you'd often only find a couple of them.  They weren't pegwarming that badly.  Just the extra Big Ben/White Outs were the problem.   But, here's where everything compounds.  For whatever reason, Hasbro didn't have a Wave III ready to go.  So, Wave II cases shipped for 6 months.  With nothing to take their place, the mountains of Big Ben/White Outs grew and grew.  Only, now they were joined by all the other figures in the case, too.  After months of not finding anything new, many casual buyers moved on.  And, the pegwarmers got worse.  By the time Wave III finally shipped in June of 2001, its production run was reduced as there wasn't room at the stores for too many new figures.  Wave III sold well enough.  But, it also wasn't around for very long.  Hasbro dumped Wave IV to discount retailers just a couple of months later and the ARAHC was scrapped.  Wave V was cancelled at retail and became online only.  (At least one pack was cancelled out of this wave.  And, while gate keeping dickheads liked to decry the rumor of a Crimson Viper, the fact that one appeared in a Convention set in 2002 lends credence to the theory that the figure had retail origins.)  

Wave II cases started appearing at regional and overstock retailers.  And, by early 2002, you could still buy all of the figures you wanted from Wave II for about $5/pack all over the US.  But, as hard as it is to believe, the situation in Canada was actually worse.  Canadian retailers got the same case ratios.  But, the figures pegwarmed even harder there than they did in lower latitudes.  Collectors did their best: many buying dozens of Rock Vipers they didn't even really want.  But, the avalanche of Big Ben/White Out figures was simply too much.  Retailers lost faith in the brand.  And, more importantly, they completely lost faith in vintage style Joe repaints.  They felt something new was necessary and that the old molds simply didn't have any more retail life in them.

Looking back, one simple tweak could have saved Hasbro from much of this.  Hasbro had three packs that were out of production in 2001.  And, at the time, the Firefly/Undertow pack would rise as high as $75 on the aftermarket.  General Tomahawk/Dialtone easily fetched $35.  There was huge unmet demand for the discontinued packs since so many new collectors had joined the community after they had disappeared from retail.  (The 3 per case of Cobra Commander/Chameleon helped keep their demand lower.  But, even tossing in 1 of them would have solved a lot of backup.)  Had Hasbro just updated the case ratios to include 2 each of those figures instead of Big Ben/White Out, we likely have a very different history of retail Joe releases in the early 2000's.  But, we also know that Hasbro had plans to scrap the vintage style figures very early on.  And, the retail failure may have given them cover they desired to ensure the transition from vintage figures to the JvC went more smoothly.  (It didn't.)

It was an unjust fate for this figure, though.  I'll argue that this Big Ben repaint is one of the more sensical and useful repaints that Hasbro produced in the 2000's.  Big Ben's sculpt was always bulky.  And, it looks like he's wearing a cold weather jacket.  So, painting in white for use in snowy environments was a natural progression and showed a bit of insight by the Hasbro team of the time.  The gloves on his hand are about the only flaw as they are colored in a way that you can call them gloves.  But, at the same time, they are close in color to Big Ben's face.  So, it also kind of looks like he's bare handed.  But, that's a small quibble with an otherwise strong color scheme.

The coloring on this figure is difficult to determine.  He was always more of a creamy, off white color than a pure white figure like most of the vintage Arctic figures were.  His pack and satchel, though, are bright white.  As the 2000's plastic is discoloring at an alarming rate, it's difficult to determine just how off white this Big Ben should be.  One of the photos below was taken in 2002.  In it, he looks whiter than the figure is today.  But, this could be a function of the overexposed flash that I used when I took the photo two decades ago.  So, be mindful of the coloring on this figure when you look to acquire one.  The upper arms are going to be the first to go and you can see a slight difference between them and the rest of the figure in the newer photos below.  But, the figure always had a cream-ish hue and was never pure white.

One other oddity on this Big Ben is that he features an AT logo on his arm.  This is an homage to Adventure Team.  Except, there's nothing documenting that fact.  So, there's no real reason for this to appear on the figure aside from the Hasbro executive at the time desperately trying to tie the 3 3/4" line to the 12" line of his youth.  It was a hail Mary to attract 40-something aged collectors who had grown up with the 12" line instead of exclusively catering to the burgeoning 20-something collecting demographic that was quickly dominating any Joe online forum.  It's an interesting anachronism.  But, it's also a vivid example of why vintage Joes never made a proper comeback.  They were always made to appeal to everyone except the kids who grew up with them and made the brand so powerful in the 1980's.

Early photos of carded sets featuring this Big Ben showed him including a bi-pod for his rifle.  However, this accessory was removed late in the process and never shipped with any Big Ben that was produced in the 2000's.  This is unfortunate.  As, in my view, the bi-pod fundamentally changes the visual representation of this rifle.  It really made no sense why this wasn't included.  Especially, since 2002 Big Bens included an XMLR rifle that more than offset the cost savings of the bi-pod's exclusion.  It seems the photos of the carded sets with the bi-pod have been lost to time.  Otherwise, Big Ben included all the gear of the vintage figure: a rifle, huge backpack, satchel and grenades.

For me, this figure remains bittersweet.  I was so excited to find one at Christmas in 2000.  I even wanted to take him to snow in the mountains to get some photos of him.  But, just a few months later, the figure was just the bane of my existence as it was everywhere.  And, it was just painful to see the hatred the figure got from a frustrated collecting community when, pegwarming notwithstanding, the figure was actually a spectacular repaint of one of Hasbro's premier designs from the '90's.  This figure was also further diminished when Hasbro released two more decent Big Ben repaints in 2002 and yet another one in 2003 and continued to use his chest and other parts on figures through 2005.  Big Ben overkill helped bury this figure.  And, after two decades, some of that stink still persists despite the actual figure's overall quality.

Dealers now try to sell this figure for up to $30 or more.  You'll see them selling carded versions in the $40 range.  But, on the open market, the carded set is about $20.  If you can find complete figures, they are likely in the $10-$12 range, which seems high.  For a figure that pegwarmed for so long as as hard as it did, these prices seem out of whack.  But, this Big Ben is also a pretty strong figure.  So, some collector interest also makes sense.  If you're a fan of arctic Joes, you need this Big Ben as it's a solid addition to a winter team.  His history as a retail disaster is behind him and for younger collectors who don't recall piles of him at every store, you can look at the figure on his own and appreciate it for the quality repaint it is.

2000 General Tomahawk - Around The Web

When G.I. Joe returned in 2000, it featured an initial wave of molds that ranged from the line's earliest years to the later molds.  As the collecting community was heavily focused on 1987 or earlier figures, though, the new releases did offer the community a glimpse at some figure molds that were mostly ignored.  Among them was the 1992 Talking Battle Commanders Hawk figure.  

This isn't really a great look for Hawk.  But, it is a great figure to represent a generic type general character.  He was a staple of early custom work.  And, the reuse of the mold in 2000 both brought the look for Hawk to the forefront and allowed for more customizing stock to be available.  The flat back on the figure greatly limits its use.  But, the marbled plastic means that no two figures are the same and allows for them to be used in groups and still look somewhat different.  There's not a ton of content on this figure out there.  But, here's what I could find.

2000 General Tomahawk Profile

2000 General Tomahawk by Purple_Cobra75

2000 General Tomahawk by Lava Boss

2000 General Tomahawk at JoeADay.com

2000 General Tomahawk by NightForceTunnelRat

2000 General Tomahawk at Generals Joes Reborn

2000 General Tomahawk by gingerbeardtoys

2000 Undertow - Around The Web

The A Real American Hero Collection debuted in 2000.  At the time, it was an amazing assortment of figures.  The lone Cobra army builder, though, was the oddly chosen Undertow.  At the time, he was an obscure figure that not many collectors even owned.  But, that made him desirable as the new releases showed collectors just how great the Undertow mold was.  And, the colors that were chosen carried over to the Lamprey and Sub Viper, too.  Here's the best of him from around the web.

2000 Undertow Profile

2000 Undertow by scarrviper

2000 Undertow by GIJoe_Rama

2000 Undertow at General's Joes Reborn

2000 Undertow by thedustinmccoy

2000 Undertow by relena_warcraft

2000 Undertow by elevatemetoahigherhumanform

Funskool Pepsodent Undertow by The Dragon Fortress

2000 Undertow by Relinquished1979