The upside is that Voltar has a good bit of content on him out there. As Iron Grenadiers are relatively popular subjects for photos, Voltar often appears among them. So, there's lots of good content on Voltar out there.
Showing posts with label Voltar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Voltar. Show all posts
Saturday, February 19, 2022
1988 Voltar - Around The Web
The other new subset that debuted in 1988 was Destro's Iron Grenadiers. Originally incepted as a foil to Battle Force 2000, the subset became a dumping ground for some abandoned Cobra La expansion. As a concept, Iron Grenadiers was pretty cool. And, most of the figures were pretty well done. But, some could have used a little work. Among them was Voltar. While the color of the figure gets a the brunt of the criticism, the reality is that Voltar's mold is really just a bit much. He's got tons of details. But, many of them are details for the sake of additional work on his mold. In this case, a few little subtractions from the mold might have done a world of wonder.
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
1988 Voltar
In 1988, Hasbro pivoted the G.I. Joe brand a bit. Cobra was de-emphasized for that year and a new villain for G.I. Joe was introduced: the Iron Grenadiers. Lead by the popular Destro, the Iron Grenadiers brought a third dynamic to the Joe world. They were given several figures and large run of highly complex vehicles. The figures and vehicles were unified by a black and gold theme. However, there was a single deviation from this palette in 1988. Along with the army building figures and Destro, Hasbro also released Destro's top general for his troops: Voltar. Voltar featured a unique color base with some unifying elements. He is a figure that suffers from poor color choices, but still remains somewhat popular.
My younger brother got a Voltar figure at some time in 1988. He was the least interested in Joes and quickly left the figure and moved on to other things. At the time, I was not buying or playing with Joes. But, I kept an eye on anything my brothers acquired. The same brother had gotten an Iron Grenadier figure the same year and I had found that design incredibly cool. When I saw the Voltar figure, I initially thought he was pretty nice looking, too. I found him discarded in our spare room one day and put him together with all his gear. As I looked at the assembled figure, I thought he was very nice. However, in short order, I found that he wasn't all that much fun to use. The bizarre color and golden accessories were just a combo that didn't really work for me. I tried to incorporate Voltar into a story, but he couldn't retain my attention.
In the comic, Voltar was kind of the same. He wasn't all that interesting and his appearance did little to increase my interest in the character. So, Voltar quickly fell into obscurity. When I opened up my box of Joes in 1997, there was a nicely conditioned Voltar still there. However, as I was looking for figures to represent the characters I had designed a few years earlier, Voltar was never really considered. He couldn't beat out the 1992 Firefly, 1994 Metal Head or the 1993 Dr. Mindbender for a coveted spot on my new Cobra roster. That speaks volumes to my opinion of the figure.
Voltar's gear is odd. His gun is a rather terrible sub machine gun. I've never liked it and grew to hate it when Hasbro kept recoloring it as part of 1993 and 1994 weapon trees. The gold color is gaudy and somewhat fresh for a 1988 release. But, the design is really limiting. Voltar then includes a golden backpack. It is large, but doesn't really seem to do anything. It's designed as a communications pack. But, that seems out of place for a general. It has a handle on it as well as a protruding arm. The arm is actually a perch for Voltar's most unique accessory: a vulture. The bird is well designed enough to recognize as a vulture. And, it has a red head to further the illusion. As animal companions go, it was better than Spearhead's bobcat. But, not quite up to Polly or Freedom standards. The figure looks much better with his full load of equipment and they match his look quite well.
The introduction of the Iron Grenadiers in 1988 is somewhat peculiar, too. The G.I. Joe Movie was released in 1987 and, at the time that the 1988 figures would have been in pre-production, it was not yet known that the Transformers movie would flop and G.I. Joe would be relegated to off hours TV airings and VHS sales. We do know that Cobra La would have continued into 1988 and some of those designs (the Nullifier specifically) were co-opted into other parts of the line. But, this was a rebranding of already designed toys. So, Destro and his Iron Grenadier cohorts was likely always planned for a 1988 release. It may be that Cobra Commander's movie fate lead the brand stewards to bring about a new enemy with a new leader while they tried to get everyone to forget about the Commander. In the comic, the introduction of the Iron Grenadiers brought another interesting dynamic. They were not, specifically, enemies of G.I. Joe. Really, they were just a third faction out for themselves and, at time, the personal interests of Destro himself. They were a nice diversion as the '80's wound down to help break up the continuity. But, when Destro returned to the Cobra fold, it felt like the comic was finally getting the band back together and all was right in the Joe world.
The Voltar mold was used just once in the U.S. for this 1988 release. He was also packaged into a two pack with Muskrat and sold as an "Ultimate Enemies" set. That figure is the same as the standard carded figure, but has an orangish/yellow filecard like the parachute pack Hit and Run. Around 1993, though, the figure appeared in Brazil where he was released as Mestre Rapina. The Brazilian figure is a lighter purple color and is probably a better version of Voltar than Voltar himself. The mold never appeared again after that. Collectors would have welcomed a Voltar repaint during the 2000's. But, it never happened. In 2005, the Iron Grenadier themed convention set would have been an excellent way for the character to return. Instead, though, a new character named General Mayhem was created. The new character was created to be different and stand on his own. But, he seems to at least have a bit of an homage to Voltar's original design.
Voltar's mold, though, is a staple of the vintage customizing community. One of the rights of passage for any customizer seems to be a more realistic take on Voltar. Some of the customs are good. But, mostly, they show the limitations of the design. The figure's head is tough to disguise and, while it does look better in some different colors, it's difficult to overcome the basic mold limitations. In the end, Voltar is kind of a mess and even enhanced paint applications can't cover that up.
Voltar figures are relatively popular. The easily broken vulture helps to prop up pricing. Mint and complete with filecard Voltar figures usually sell in the $8-$10 range. Dealer pricing tends to run between $12 and $15. So, there's not the gap for high quality figures between market and dealer sales like you see on other figures. There's ample supply of the figures and if you are willing to sacrifice the vulture, you can get Voltar's for almost nothing. But, in the end, the limitations of the figure persist. To me, Voltar is just a figure that I have. Even when Iron Grenadier figures were prominent in my collection, Voltar was an afterthought. The pink hue of his uniform and overall absurdity of his golden trimmings pretty ensure that he will always remain one, too.
My younger brother got a Voltar figure at some time in 1988. He was the least interested in Joes and quickly left the figure and moved on to other things. At the time, I was not buying or playing with Joes. But, I kept an eye on anything my brothers acquired. The same brother had gotten an Iron Grenadier figure the same year and I had found that design incredibly cool. When I saw the Voltar figure, I initially thought he was pretty nice looking, too. I found him discarded in our spare room one day and put him together with all his gear. As I looked at the assembled figure, I thought he was very nice. However, in short order, I found that he wasn't all that much fun to use. The bizarre color and golden accessories were just a combo that didn't really work for me. I tried to incorporate Voltar into a story, but he couldn't retain my attention.
In the comic, Voltar was kind of the same. He wasn't all that interesting and his appearance did little to increase my interest in the character. So, Voltar quickly fell into obscurity. When I opened up my box of Joes in 1997, there was a nicely conditioned Voltar still there. However, as I was looking for figures to represent the characters I had designed a few years earlier, Voltar was never really considered. He couldn't beat out the 1992 Firefly, 1994 Metal Head or the 1993 Dr. Mindbender for a coveted spot on my new Cobra roster. That speaks volumes to my opinion of the figure.
Voltar's gear is odd. His gun is a rather terrible sub machine gun. I've never liked it and grew to hate it when Hasbro kept recoloring it as part of 1993 and 1994 weapon trees. The gold color is gaudy and somewhat fresh for a 1988 release. But, the design is really limiting. Voltar then includes a golden backpack. It is large, but doesn't really seem to do anything. It's designed as a communications pack. But, that seems out of place for a general. It has a handle on it as well as a protruding arm. The arm is actually a perch for Voltar's most unique accessory: a vulture. The bird is well designed enough to recognize as a vulture. And, it has a red head to further the illusion. As animal companions go, it was better than Spearhead's bobcat. But, not quite up to Polly or Freedom standards. The figure looks much better with his full load of equipment and they match his look quite well.
The introduction of the Iron Grenadiers in 1988 is somewhat peculiar, too. The G.I. Joe Movie was released in 1987 and, at the time that the 1988 figures would have been in pre-production, it was not yet known that the Transformers movie would flop and G.I. Joe would be relegated to off hours TV airings and VHS sales. We do know that Cobra La would have continued into 1988 and some of those designs (the Nullifier specifically) were co-opted into other parts of the line. But, this was a rebranding of already designed toys. So, Destro and his Iron Grenadier cohorts was likely always planned for a 1988 release. It may be that Cobra Commander's movie fate lead the brand stewards to bring about a new enemy with a new leader while they tried to get everyone to forget about the Commander. In the comic, the introduction of the Iron Grenadiers brought another interesting dynamic. They were not, specifically, enemies of G.I. Joe. Really, they were just a third faction out for themselves and, at time, the personal interests of Destro himself. They were a nice diversion as the '80's wound down to help break up the continuity. But, when Destro returned to the Cobra fold, it felt like the comic was finally getting the band back together and all was right in the Joe world.
The Voltar mold was used just once in the U.S. for this 1988 release. He was also packaged into a two pack with Muskrat and sold as an "Ultimate Enemies" set. That figure is the same as the standard carded figure, but has an orangish/yellow filecard like the parachute pack Hit and Run. Around 1993, though, the figure appeared in Brazil where he was released as Mestre Rapina. The Brazilian figure is a lighter purple color and is probably a better version of Voltar than Voltar himself. The mold never appeared again after that. Collectors would have welcomed a Voltar repaint during the 2000's. But, it never happened. In 2005, the Iron Grenadier themed convention set would have been an excellent way for the character to return. Instead, though, a new character named General Mayhem was created. The new character was created to be different and stand on his own. But, he seems to at least have a bit of an homage to Voltar's original design.
Voltar's mold, though, is a staple of the vintage customizing community. One of the rights of passage for any customizer seems to be a more realistic take on Voltar. Some of the customs are good. But, mostly, they show the limitations of the design. The figure's head is tough to disguise and, while it does look better in some different colors, it's difficult to overcome the basic mold limitations. In the end, Voltar is kind of a mess and even enhanced paint applications can't cover that up.
Voltar figures are relatively popular. The easily broken vulture helps to prop up pricing. Mint and complete with filecard Voltar figures usually sell in the $8-$10 range. Dealer pricing tends to run between $12 and $15. So, there's not the gap for high quality figures between market and dealer sales like you see on other figures. There's ample supply of the figures and if you are willing to sacrifice the vulture, you can get Voltar's for almost nothing. But, in the end, the limitations of the figure persist. To me, Voltar is just a figure that I have. Even when Iron Grenadier figures were prominent in my collection, Voltar was an afterthought. The pink hue of his uniform and overall absurdity of his golden trimmings pretty ensure that he will always remain one, too.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Mestre Rapina - Brazilian Exclusive Voltar
There were roughly 130 unique figures that were released by Estrela in Brazil as part of its Commandos Em Acao line. Some of them were unique amalgamations that combined existing parts to create a new figure or character. Others were simple repaints that brought a different faction or specialty to an existing character. Most, though, were slight repaints of figures that were also released in the US. Most of these featured very subtle color or paint changes that were enough to distinguish the figure from its American counterpart but not make it overtly noticeable. For the most part, this lead to figures who didn't really offer anything much different than what was already available in the US. On occasion, though, Estrela made a slight change that made their version of a figure superior to the American figure. It was not common, but when it happened, American collectors are treated to figures that give new life to some figures that were left to languish in American obscurity. One such case is the Mestre Rapina figure - the Brazilian Voltar.
Technically, Voltar died in the comic when he was trapped in the Cobra freighter. Metaphorically, Voltar was DOA as soon as he was released. The fuchsia base color on the original figure was its first death knell. The biggest problem, though, was that Voltar was redundant the minute they released him. 1988 saw the introduction of the Iron Grenadiers as Destro's new entity. Along with the base troops and a large contingent of vehicles, Hasbro also released a new Destro figure. With Destro as the leader of this new faction, Voltar was relegated to second class status immediately. There was little need for him when you could have a new Destro (whose uniform actually matched those of his troops) leading the Iron Grenadiers into battle. Voltar would probably have worked better as a 1989 release as he would have been a Cobra character to stand out in the sea of '89 army builders and he would have escaped Destro's long, military shadow.
The nice thing about Voltar's obscurity is that he provides modern collectors with a character that they can more easily mold to fit their own Joe worlds. Unlike so many major Cobra characters, Voltar isn't saddled with tons of backstory. Instead, he is a blank slate who has a filecard and a handful of meaningless comic appearances as his only characterization. Like the Overlord figure, Voltar has taken on a second life among collectors. While you don't often see him as a major player, many collectors do attempt to do something with the character. These efforts, though, are usually thwarted by Voltar's terrible color scheme. It's difficult to characterize a new, tough military commander who wears colors close to pink. Fortunately, Mestre Rapina has less of problem in that area than the American Voltar. He is a much deeper color that, while still not militaristic, is closer to something that would command respect. In the final picture of this profile, you can see a comparison of the Mestre Rapina and the American Voltar. You can see how the Brazilian figure is a more subdued purple color that isn't as brazen as the American fuchsia.
Mestre Rapina basically means "Master Robber" or "Master Thief" in Portuguese. If Hasbro called a figure "Master Thief" as a code name, collectors would probably never get tired of ridiculing it. However, when you call a figure Mestre Rapina, it adds a whole new level of mystique to the character. You don't worry as much about how the name translates as the sound of it is exotic and foreign. It adds a level of depth to a figure and character that otherwise would lack anything distinguishing about it. The character, though, is still called Voltar. I do not have a translation of Mestre Rapina's filecard, though, so I'm not sure if they changed his characterization (I would suspect they did, though.) or kept elements of the American filecard. In Brazil, though, The Iron Grenadiers were released as Forca Destro. Members of this included American figures like the '88 Destro and the '88 Iron Grenadier figure. However, Forca Destro also included a V1 Dr. Mindbender, an Astro Viper and Overlord. These additions seemed to take the place of Voltar in Brazil. By the time Mestre Rapina was actually released, the Forca Destro subset had run its course and Mestre Rapina was left as a simple Cobra release.
Mestre Rapina was released around 1993 in Brazil. As he was one of the later releases, it is likely that the Voltar mold is still down there. While many of the molds that are stuck in Brazil are not huge losses to modern collectors, that is not the case with Voltar. Voltar features an interesting mold, a solid characterization and one poorly colored American production release. As such, I think that many collectors would welcome a chance for new, better colored Voltar figure. But, since Voltar did not appear in the 2005 Iron Grenadier themed Convention set, it is probable that we will not see him in ARAH form again. Mestre Rapina included an interesting complement of accessories. First off, he included a black version of the V1 Countdown's gun. This weapon was also included with the Brazilian Flying Scorpion and is different enough that it works with this figure. The other weapon included with Mestre Rapina is the V1 Alley Viper gun. This is the version with the thin front handle. This is significant, though, as the V1 Alley Viper mold has been MIA since it was intended for use in 1997. The Alley Viper was never released in Brazil, but Mestre Rapina, Albatroz, Letal and maybe a few other Brazilian figures included this weapon. So, was the V1 Alley Viper mold sent to Brazil but never put into production? Or, were just the accessories sent down there? The final accessory for Mestre Rapina is the disk launcher that originally came with the V3 Destro figure. It includes orange disks. Of course, this accessory made it back to the U.S. and was used in 1997. But, the Alley Viper gun that collectors have been clamouring for since the same year has yet to reappear.
In my collection, Mestre Rapina has allowed me to re-examine Voltar. I had no use for the American figure beyond having one for completion's sake. Mestre Rapina, though, offers me a chance to integrate the character into my Joe world. Historically, I have used Destro only has a political player within Cobra. He is not the military commander that he was in the comics. Instead, he takes a role as more of a mentor to the younger Cobras who are trying to swim through the political morass that is the current Cobra administration. Destro does have some military allies, though. Adding Mestre Rapina to the mix has been a good way to slowly give Destro more of a say in military matters within Cobra. While this won't lead to a coup, Destro could ultimately prove the swing vote in any struggle between the current Cobra Commander and the Flying Scorpion character who heads Cobra's South American operations.
Like most of the later Brazilian releases that were slight repaints, Mestre Rapina is not too hard to find. He can be acquired carded or loose from American and Brazilian sellers for well under $15. At this price, he is a bargain. Brazilian figures are always going to be harder to find than their American counterparts and, as the collecting community matures, more collectors will finish up their American collections and start looking to easily acquired foreign figures as the next logical step. Just a few years ago, a figure like Letal could be purchased mint, complete with a filecard for around $15. Now, he sells for nearly 6 times that. While I don't think Mestre Rapina will ever see that kind of increased interest, I do think that it is always wise for collectors to take advantage of foreign figure availability when it appears. Many Brazilian figures that were once common among dealers have started to dry up and have gotten more expensive. As collectors discover that figures like Mestre Rapina are actually upgrades over their American counterparts, I think we'll see some of the more desirable figures slowly disappear. As Mestre Rapina features an improved paint job and better accessories than the American Voltar figure, I think he is a highly worthwhile addition to any collection.
Technically, Voltar died in the comic when he was trapped in the Cobra freighter. Metaphorically, Voltar was DOA as soon as he was released. The fuchsia base color on the original figure was its first death knell. The biggest problem, though, was that Voltar was redundant the minute they released him. 1988 saw the introduction of the Iron Grenadiers as Destro's new entity. Along with the base troops and a large contingent of vehicles, Hasbro also released a new Destro figure. With Destro as the leader of this new faction, Voltar was relegated to second class status immediately. There was little need for him when you could have a new Destro (whose uniform actually matched those of his troops) leading the Iron Grenadiers into battle. Voltar would probably have worked better as a 1989 release as he would have been a Cobra character to stand out in the sea of '89 army builders and he would have escaped Destro's long, military shadow.
The nice thing about Voltar's obscurity is that he provides modern collectors with a character that they can more easily mold to fit their own Joe worlds. Unlike so many major Cobra characters, Voltar isn't saddled with tons of backstory. Instead, he is a blank slate who has a filecard and a handful of meaningless comic appearances as his only characterization. Like the Overlord figure, Voltar has taken on a second life among collectors. While you don't often see him as a major player, many collectors do attempt to do something with the character. These efforts, though, are usually thwarted by Voltar's terrible color scheme. It's difficult to characterize a new, tough military commander who wears colors close to pink. Fortunately, Mestre Rapina has less of problem in that area than the American Voltar. He is a much deeper color that, while still not militaristic, is closer to something that would command respect. In the final picture of this profile, you can see a comparison of the Mestre Rapina and the American Voltar. You can see how the Brazilian figure is a more subdued purple color that isn't as brazen as the American fuchsia.
Mestre Rapina basically means "Master Robber" or "Master Thief" in Portuguese. If Hasbro called a figure "Master Thief" as a code name, collectors would probably never get tired of ridiculing it. However, when you call a figure Mestre Rapina, it adds a whole new level of mystique to the character. You don't worry as much about how the name translates as the sound of it is exotic and foreign. It adds a level of depth to a figure and character that otherwise would lack anything distinguishing about it. The character, though, is still called Voltar. I do not have a translation of Mestre Rapina's filecard, though, so I'm not sure if they changed his characterization (I would suspect they did, though.) or kept elements of the American filecard. In Brazil, though, The Iron Grenadiers were released as Forca Destro. Members of this included American figures like the '88 Destro and the '88 Iron Grenadier figure. However, Forca Destro also included a V1 Dr. Mindbender, an Astro Viper and Overlord. These additions seemed to take the place of Voltar in Brazil. By the time Mestre Rapina was actually released, the Forca Destro subset had run its course and Mestre Rapina was left as a simple Cobra release.
Mestre Rapina was released around 1993 in Brazil. As he was one of the later releases, it is likely that the Voltar mold is still down there. While many of the molds that are stuck in Brazil are not huge losses to modern collectors, that is not the case with Voltar. Voltar features an interesting mold, a solid characterization and one poorly colored American production release. As such, I think that many collectors would welcome a chance for new, better colored Voltar figure. But, since Voltar did not appear in the 2005 Iron Grenadier themed Convention set, it is probable that we will not see him in ARAH form again. Mestre Rapina included an interesting complement of accessories. First off, he included a black version of the V1 Countdown's gun. This weapon was also included with the Brazilian Flying Scorpion and is different enough that it works with this figure. The other weapon included with Mestre Rapina is the V1 Alley Viper gun. This is the version with the thin front handle. This is significant, though, as the V1 Alley Viper mold has been MIA since it was intended for use in 1997. The Alley Viper was never released in Brazil, but Mestre Rapina, Albatroz, Letal and maybe a few other Brazilian figures included this weapon. So, was the V1 Alley Viper mold sent to Brazil but never put into production? Or, were just the accessories sent down there? The final accessory for Mestre Rapina is the disk launcher that originally came with the V3 Destro figure. It includes orange disks. Of course, this accessory made it back to the U.S. and was used in 1997. But, the Alley Viper gun that collectors have been clamouring for since the same year has yet to reappear.
In my collection, Mestre Rapina has allowed me to re-examine Voltar. I had no use for the American figure beyond having one for completion's sake. Mestre Rapina, though, offers me a chance to integrate the character into my Joe world. Historically, I have used Destro only has a political player within Cobra. He is not the military commander that he was in the comics. Instead, he takes a role as more of a mentor to the younger Cobras who are trying to swim through the political morass that is the current Cobra administration. Destro does have some military allies, though. Adding Mestre Rapina to the mix has been a good way to slowly give Destro more of a say in military matters within Cobra. While this won't lead to a coup, Destro could ultimately prove the swing vote in any struggle between the current Cobra Commander and the Flying Scorpion character who heads Cobra's South American operations.
Like most of the later Brazilian releases that were slight repaints, Mestre Rapina is not too hard to find. He can be acquired carded or loose from American and Brazilian sellers for well under $15. At this price, he is a bargain. Brazilian figures are always going to be harder to find than their American counterparts and, as the collecting community matures, more collectors will finish up their American collections and start looking to easily acquired foreign figures as the next logical step. Just a few years ago, a figure like Letal could be purchased mint, complete with a filecard for around $15. Now, he sells for nearly 6 times that. While I don't think Mestre Rapina will ever see that kind of increased interest, I do think that it is always wise for collectors to take advantage of foreign figure availability when it appears. Many Brazilian figures that were once common among dealers have started to dry up and have gotten more expensive. As collectors discover that figures like Mestre Rapina are actually upgrades over their American counterparts, I think we'll see some of the more desirable figures slowly disappear. As Mestre Rapina features an improved paint job and better accessories than the American Voltar figure, I think he is a highly worthwhile addition to any collection.
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