1998 Col. Brekhov

The 1997 G.I. Joe releases at Toys R Us were not well received.  Collectors were far more likely to complain about them than praise them.  And, the sets lingered through all of 1998.  Despite that, though, Toys R Us had enough faith in the line to pick up a 1998 line of figures and vehicles.  As the names leaked, the most anticipated set was the Oktober Guard.  Hasbro had never released the Oktober Guard in any format and they were, at the time, the most requested collector pieces.  When the figures appeared in December of 1998, the Oktober Guard flew off the shelves, leaving even the single unit per case Cobra sets behind.  Slowly, though, the interest in the sets waned. And, by late 2000, you could still find Oktober Guard sets lingering around the country.  Time, though, has been kind to many figures of the late 1990's.  The Oktober Guard is an excellent case in point.

The 1998 Joes hold a special place for me.  They were released right as I was committing to Joe collecting full time.  The fact that the figures tended to be excellent was an added bonus.  I had just gotten a big raise at my first job right as they appeared at retail.  So, I was able to buy all of the 1998 sets that I wanted.  (It helped that Star Wars hit a retail lull right at the same time.)  In the nearly 30 years since their release, though, the 1998 series has been able to stand on its own merits, regardless of my personal situation at the time.

In 1998, the Red Star mold was fairly obscure.  While it was one of the more recognized molds from the '90's and was a staple among customizers, few collectors otherwise cared about it.  Most collectors in the 1998 era were guys who pretty much stopped collecting Joe either after 1985 or, for the real youngsters, 1987.  So, Red Star wasn't a figure that seemed overdone.  For many of the people buying up the first Oktober Guard set, their first experience with the Red Star mold was as this Col. Brekhov.  And, the fact that Red Star was pretty much designed as a Col. Brekhov doppelganger resulted in the neophyte collecting era genuinely enjoying this take on a classic character.  

Personally, I was enthralled by Brekhov's accessories.  The rifle was amazing.  But, his wrist mounted twin cannon device was one of those stupid ideas that resulted in a really fun toy.  Despite my enjoyment of the Brekhov figure, I rarely used him.  Mostly, that was a result of the fact that I didn't appreciate Gorky at the time and I wasn't really a fan of the Volga head.  I've come around on both of those figures.  But, really, they weren't members of the Oktober Guard team from the comic.  And, without Stormavik, Horrorshow, Daina and Schrage, I had little use for Brekhov.  For that reason, the Oktober Guard was the only 1998 3-figure pack of which I only purchased one version.  I stocked up on the Cobras and divers.  But, never felt compelled to acquire more of the Oktober Guard pack.  

It's hazy, now.  But, I know I had a carded Red Star prior to Col. Brekhov's release.  But, I don't think I had a loose one until a few months after Brekhov's debut.  Regardless,  I was more interested in Red Star as I found his color scheme more intriguing.  28 years after Brekhov's release, little has changed.  I don't really use him that often.  In fact, the photos of him in this profile are more than 5 years old.  I've been trying to write about him for that long.  Brekhov is a figure I should really like.  Instead, he's a guy I have and I use Red Star when I want the mold to appear.  

The 1998 paint masks were unfathomable.  At the time of their release, they seemed well done.  But, as Hasbro began to skimp on paint throughout the 2000's, the immense amount of detail put into the 1998 series became more apparent.  Col. Brekhov is no different.  His base pea green is a solid match for vintage Night Force green.  Layered on top that base is red, gold, tan, grey and graphite paint applications.  They accentuate the mold's details and showcase the intricacy of Hasbro's sculpting talents.  He is given black accessories which add even more color to his appearance.  By 2001, paint masks of this quality were reserved for convention figure set releases.  But, in 1998, paint applications like those on Brekhov were par for the course and showed that Hasbro could deliver amazing updates of old molds.

The 1998 series succeeded in part due to the use of original accessories.  Hasbro still matched up body molds with much of the gear that was originally meant for them.  So, Col. Brekhov included all of the 1991 Red Star gear, with the exception of the spring loaded launcher.  Despite the fact that Red Star's launcher is one of the best spring loaded weapons, Hasbro was fearful of old curmudgeonly collector backlash over spring loaded gear.  So, it was omitted.  But, the rest of Red Star's gear is among the best packages in the line.  And, seeing the pack, antenna, knife, mini-gun and the near perfect AK-47(ish) rifle was more than enough to make the 1998 Brekhov an amazing release.  Again, for many collectors, this Brekhov was their first experience with Red Star's rifle.  And, it began a collector love affair with the weapon...one that Hasbro was never really able to fulfill.

The Red Star mold ended up getting used a lot during the repaint era.  After the 1991 figure's release, it had it's first reuse for this 1998 Col Brekhov.  It would then reappear in 2005 where it was used on two of the five Oktober Guard figures from the comic packs.  Col. Brekhov used the body, but with a new head.  And, then, Stormavik also used the body with a new head.  You now had three uses of the mold in relatively similar colors and appearing on two characters who would be used in conjunction with each other.  In 2010, the legs, waist and chest were used to great affect on the Red Shadows figure.  Sadly, the Red Shadows proved that the Red Star mold could have been used more creatively.  In fact, one of the best Cobra Trooper customs of the early 2000's used the Red Star body as a base.  Hasbro could have gotten much more life from the mold.  But, at least the Red Shadow exists as proof.

The Oktober Guard pack was quite a pegwarmer in its day.  While it wasn't really around well into 2001, you could still get them fairly easily in late 2000.  1998 releases never really experienced the stupid price swells that affected the 1997 series.  So, the figures have always been relatively affordable.  Today, you can get a Brekhov in the $20-$25 range.  Which seems a bit high.  But, for a high quality figure with lots of gear, it's not completely out of whack.  I'm not sure I'd drop that much for him, though.  Instead, I'm happy I was able to acquire one back in 1998.  He's never really been a huge presence in my collection.  But, he's still a nice figure and one I want in my collection.

The Rankings - 1984

1984 is an interesting Joe year.  It's considered a classic with some of the best figures ever released.  But, the 1984 lineup is very transitional.  About half the figures are in line with 1983 releases while the other half take a leap forward and give us the precursors of what the line would become in 1985.  It's going to be a tough year to rank as it contains some of my personal favorites, consensus icons and, one of the worst releases Hasbro ever created.  So, we'll jump in 1984 and see where this ends up.

#20. Deep Six

Yeah, it couldn't be anyone else.  This Deep Six sucks.  But, to be fair, he features an original head (which was intended to be the Alpine Trooper head that was going to be used with the Scrap Iron body) and an ambitious action feature.  I'm not going to convince myself that Deep Six is a good figure or toy.  But, he has all the hallmarks of a G.I. Joe figure and had the same care put into his design as did Stormshadow.  He loses due to articulation.  But, there are elements of quality to him that keep him above some figures from later years.

#19. Clutch and Stinger Driver (tie)

It's unfair to really include these guys in the 1984 lineup since they were both repaints of earlier figures.  But, in the case of each figure, the repaint was amazing.  Both are substantially different from their original releases while still maintaining the overall quality of the earlier design.  You can argue that both the 1984 repaints are even better than the original paint jobs.  They appear this low, though, because they were earlier sculpts and the other 1984 figures also brought new colors to the line.  It's not fair they are so low.  But, that's a testament to the quality of the overall year.

#17. Duke

At his core, Duke is a 1983 figure design.  He uses the classic helmet, reuses gear from prior figures and even recycles parts from earlier releases.  Design wise, he fits with the 1983 Team.  Because of that, his overall rank suffers for 1984.  His release year contemporaries brought more to the table.  Duke seemed like a pure throwback instead of something new.  His colors are nice.  But, they were more muted when compared against the other 1984's.  Then, he's got the goofy head.  In reality, Duke works as a figure.  He's just not one of the stronger releases in his year.

#16. Hooded Cobra Commander

An iconic look ranked this low?  Well, yeah.  Cobra Commander suffers from a lot of what ails Duke, Clutch and the Stinger driver.  The new head and the darker blue color make for a fantastic figure.  He just didn't offer anything new or revolutionary to the 1984 lineup.  The low ranking is more a function of him being mostly a repaint instead of an all new figure. 

#15. Roadblock

Roadblock is another 1983 throwback.  His body is a little beefier.  And, the reused parts do limit him.  His accessories push him up the list.  The machine gun, tri-pod and backpack all work in concert to produce a great toy.  His colors are nice.  If taken against the line as a whole, Roadblock would perform well.  He just can't outperform his fellow class of 1984.

#14. Copperhead

I'm not really sure if Copperhead should be this high.  He gets solid marks for bringing so much color to the Joe line.  And, he features a bulkier sculpt to showcase his size, too.  The fact that the figure persevered and remains somewhat popular despite him not getting any characterization is a testament to this figure's overall design.  So, he gets ahead of Roadblock even though Roadblock is a lot more useful.

#13. Scrap Iron

Scrap Iron started his life as a Joe Alpine Trooper.  At some point, he was converted to Scrap Iron.  The colors are great.  But, the head is weak.  It really doesn't fit with the rest of the figure.  It being designed later in the process explains the difference.  He gets some higher marks, though, for his gear.  The missile table was inspired and gave Scrap Iron value over just his figure.

#12.Wild Weasel

I don't like the Wild Weasel figure.  The reason for that is that I saw the artistic rendition of him in the comics in the summer of 1984.  So, I had months of waiting for him and anticipating him before we got him in October of that year.  And, the figure just didn't live up.  I thought the helmet was too big and there was too much red.  But, in the 42 years since his release, he's grown on me.  And, the design as a pilot is pretty strong.  

#11.Cutter

So, this one photo from 2008 is the only time I can ever find that I used the 1984 Cutter.  Back in 2013, one of my sons crawled into a storage room and opened up a drawer of 1984 Joes and managed to break my Cutter's crotch.  So, I haven't had one to really use in more than a decade and a half.  Despite that, the original design is pretty good.  The life vest gave him added bulk without making him too big.  The sculpted baseball cap also worked really well and brought a new look to the Joe line.  His colors are strong and different.  So, he's right in the middle of the year's lineup.

#10. Firefly

The first controversy in the list.  How could Firefly, one  of the line's iconic figures, only be the 10th best figure from his release year?!?  The answer lies is two parts.  First, Firefly is another 1983 style figure.  His head is the perfect size for the classic helmets.  Secondly, though, is that Firefly doesn't get any paint details that accentuate the amazing sculpting that Hasbro did for his body.  While Firefly is still visually interesting, he also lacks something because his grenades, pouches and pistol all blend into a seamless see of two toned grey.  Firefly's cool as hell.  But, his overall design didn't do much to move the Joe line forwards.  

#09.  Ripcord

As a figure, Ripcord is kind of bland.  But, his cammo is more dramatic than Firefly's.  The rest of the figure doesn't have much going for it.  What it does have, though, is some of the best gear ever released.  No parachute rig that came after was able to live up to the innovation of Ripcord's parachute pack and airmask.  With his gear attached, he's an amazing figure.  I had mine wear his mask even on ground missions because it just looked so cool.  

#08. Thunder

Apparently, I'm a Thunder fan.  While he's very much a 1983 throwback, he works on many different levels.  He included new helmet gear that elevated the standard helmet.  The rest of him, though, is well sculpted.  I've always loved his chest sculpt.  They layers of brown, green and black work as a visual treat.  So, I find Thunder a better piece of design than some of the more iconic figures from this year.

#07. Recondo

Recondo isn't perfect.  But, he is a great looking jungle trooper.  His muted base color allows his painted details to stand out.  The green hat is a perfect topper, too.  Recondo features a strong face sculpt to boot.  He only includes two accessories.  His backpack is one of the better pieces from the line's early years.  It's big enough to showcase all the details while not being overbearing like many of the packs from 1987 and beyond.  His rifle can be tough to pose.  But, it does look really good with Recondo...to the point where Recondo looks weird with any other weapon.  Recondo showed what Hasbro could do now that they had a couple of years under their belt.

#06.  Spirit

Like Recondo, Spirit showed what the Joe line could be.  His stern face is an understated element of the figure that helps define his character.  The molded hair piece, though, was a leap forward in design.  It opened the doors to more variety for heads.  We wouldn't see it that often.  But, Spirit allowed the 1984 lineup to look quite different from the previous years.  On top of that, he included another new addition to 1984: an animal companion.  Freedom wasn't a terribly useful accessory.  But, he was an element that set the Joe line apart.  The rest of Spirit's gear really only works  for Spirit.  That's a double edged sword, for sure.  But, shows that accessory integration is essential for any successful action  figure line.

#05.Stormshadow

The top 5 is where it starts to get dicey.  It's very possible that, if I were to revisit these rankings in 2028, that Stormshadow might end up #2 on the list.  For now, though, he rests at number 5.  Really, though, that's only because those above him are so good.  As a figure, Stormshadow isn't all that groundbreaking.  Sure, he introduced the ninjas mythos to Joe.  But, his sculpt is somewhat basic and hearkens back to 1983.  He excels, though, in the accessory department.  His backpack is a masterclass of engineering.  It was, likely, the most intricate accessory that existed in the 3 3/4" scale at the time.  The complete package remains iconic.  

#04.Blowtorch

Blowtorch gets high marks for his striking colors and his amazing gear.  I've always kind of lumped Ripcord and Blowtorch together because they both had air masks.  But, it is Blowtorch's design, where his mask is integrated into the figure itself, that is more memorable to me.  It's a stronger feat of engineering and something that Hasbro hadn't fully worked out when they were taking promo photos of the 1984 figures.  In addition, Blowtorch proved that bright, vivid colors could work perfectly in the proper setting.  You can see the fiery yellow and red and instantly know Blowtorch's specialty.  On top of everything else, his flamethrower and backpack integrated, too.  His suit is full of small details.  He's just a figure that defines his year while expanding the look of Joe into new areas.

#03.Mutt

Mutt is overly high.  He's among my favorite figures and is a guy to whom I hold great deference.  But, as an action figure,  he's amazing.  Mutt showed that brighter, more powerful greens could still work on a G.I. Joe.  And, his accent colors give him visual depth.  He also brought the first, real animal character to the line.  Junkyard became a fan favorite.  And, there are still collectors who prefer the dog to the man.  The rest of Mutt's gear is also great.  He might have the best pistol Hasbro ever created.  And, his muzzle/helmet combo gave him a talking point.  Without the muzzle, Mutt features a riveting head sculpt...including unexplained scars: a rarity for a good guy.  Mutt is just a complete package of a figure and is one who's always going to rank high with me.

#02. Baroness

I'm surprised I ended up with Baroness this high.  But, she is light years ahead of Scarlett and, certainly, Cover Girl in terms of female sculpting.  Her separate hair piece was inspired and gave an excellent approximation of longer hair.  The eyeglasses were perfectly proportioned and gave her a distinct look.

The only bad thing about the Baroness is that Hasbro then went backwards in female figure design after her release.  Lady Jaye is a step down.  Zarana does an OK job of replicating the Baroness design aesthetic.  But, the bad face sculpts keep her lower than the Baroness.  Jinx didn't have a face at all.  And, then we didn't see another female figure until the 1993 Scarlett.

The Baroness seems passe, now.  We got tons of repaints of her in the 2000's and even factory customs.  But, she remains Hasbro's best work for a female figure.  Her only detriment is her terrible rifle.  But, that's inconsequential when the rest of the figure design is so well done.  For her, the lack of color works as the all black ensemble conveys her affiliation and allows to match up with any of Cobra hierarchy where she may choose to lay her allegiance.

#01. Zartan

This should not be a surprise.  Zartan brings so much to the Joe line that he has to hold the top spot on this list.  The color changing gimmick is the least interesting thing about Zartan.  But, it's a big part of my kids loved him.  The character is just, generally, bizarre.  And, with little explanation as to why, kid's imaginations could run wild.  The oddball chest armor that held a heat sensing sticker added to the mystique.  And, his hood was an extension of the hair pieces used for Spirit and Baroness.  

To top it off, Zartan included great accessories.  His backpack held an alternate face.  Today, action figures include alternate heads for collectors.  But, in 1984, we got to play with a bearded weirdo who was disguising the most visually distinctive villain in the G.I. Joe line.  If that wasn't enough, his pistol rivals Mutt's for the top spot in terms of Hasbro's efforts.  

Zartan showed what the Joe line could be and firmly cemented it as military fantasy.  The illusion of the line being about green army guys was forever shattered and there was a full decade of future releases that were a function of that early decision.  

All in all, the 1984 line has a strong case for the best year of Joe releases.  There's just so much here and it's all packed into just 20 figures.  I'm sure everyone's list differs just based on your personal experiences.  But, I'd love to hear about your top figures from this year and why they are important to you.

2026 Super7 250th Anniversary Figure Reveals - Wal Mart Exclusive

Today, Wal Mart's website revealed a 2nd wave of 250th Anniversary G.I. Joe figures.  The first wave was a surprise.  It sold well.  But, there was no indication that a second wave would be coming.  But, it turns out that is the case.  Once again, it's four figures done up in white, blue and red coloring.  The four characters are Wild Bill, Flash, Snake Eyes and Chuckles.  Here are the carded figures:

First up is Flash.  He's kind of got a Bombardier vibe.  It's definitely a different look for Flash.  It kind of works.  It's not compelling like Lady Jaye was.  But, it's a fine figure.  And, it's good to see higher quality Super7 sculpts get repaints.  Flash's hair more closely matches his uniform colors.  So, that does add to his aesthetic appeal.

Then we get to Chuckles.  I've long wanted a Chuckles is alternate colors.  A guy doesn't  own one type of Hawaiian shirt.  I like the red.  But wish they had really gone for it.  I'd have preferred him to have a red and blue shirt with white pants: really owning the island look.  This design isn't quite what I've been wanting from a Chuckles repaint.  It's getting closer.  And, I suspect this figure will wear me down...especially if I can find him at a discount.

Then, we get the requisite Snake Eyes.  You need a major character to anchor any exclusive wave like this.  And, while I'd have preferred a subversive Cobra Commander in that slot, Snake Eyes makes more retail sense.  The thing is, this figure is just weird.  It's like a Black Major take on Snake Eyes as a Cobra.  That's not a bad thing.  Repaints should be offbeat and different.  And, this one foots the bill.  I always hate ungloved hands on Snake Eyes, though.  So, that degrades him a bit in my eyes.  But, slap a silver Cobra logo on this guy's chest and you've got a great Invasor.

Finally, Wild Bill.  I'm done with the Wild Bill mold.  It's old, bulky and not that great.  His cartoon coloring on the first release was almost enough to compel me to purchase him.  But, the more I looked at the large noggin, the less interested I was.  This sculpt has limitations and should be retired after this release.  Plus, in these colors, he looks like the Ramp Rat.

It's still weird to me that we're seeing these figures, now, while the Flint, Shipwreck, Baroness and SNAKE wave has been out in Asia for over 5 weeks with no official announcement from Super7.  It seems they bungle some of the PR on this stuff and miss great chances to generate discussion in the community about their products.  I suspect they're holding the next figure wave until the October G.I. Joe streaming day that Hasbro has, currently, planned.  We'll see.

In general, more G.I. Joe figures are better than fewer.  I'm not a huge fan of the white, blue and red color scheme.  It's tough to make it work....especially since blue is so associated with Cobra.  You don't really see the 1st wave of 250th figures being used all that much.  Lady Jaye had about a week of appearances and has all but disappeared.  I suspect these figures will follow suit.  

I'll probably talk myself into Chuckles.  Flash is not a definite "no".  You can get a couple of the first wave figures for about $15 right now.  At that price, I'd get Flash, no doubt.  So, we'll see where I end up.  

2026 Deep Six - Super7

Back in March of 2025, I wrote about G.I. Joe #36 that had been released 40 years prior.  If you look back at that profile, you'll see two separate scans from the comic that feature Deep Six in his "duty" gear.  The Deep Six character had been introduced in issue #25 and was a staple of Larry Hama's stories for the entirety of 1984 and into 1985.  He rarely, though, appeared in  his bulky, deep sea diver suit.  Instead, he wore a bucket hat, life preserver and a lined shirt.  This outfit was Deep Six's default look and allowed him to be used in more situations than his full dive gear.  Despite this canonical appearance, Deep Six was never released as a figure with this alternate look.  It took until 2026, 42 years after the character's debut for Super7 to surprise the collecting world with a useful Deep Six.

If you go back to the mid 1990's, Joe customizers followed some basic formulas.  They'd start with easy repaints like a red Stormshadow and a dark blue Cobra Commander.  From there, they'd advance to tackling the Oktober Guard and Snake Eyes' LRRP team.  After that, you'd see them attempt figures like Kwinn, the Soft Master and, yes, Deep Six with his bucket hat.  As the parts library was more limited back then, you'd often see Muskrat's head used since his had was the closest approximation of Deep Six's comic book appearance.  As the century turned, Hasbro released a hat on a version of Luke Skywalker that some customizers were able to morph into a removable hat Deep Six.  Then, in the early 2000's, Hasbro released some figures with removable hats and some other pieces became available in various military knock off lines that proliferated during that time.  And, with those bits, even better Deep Six figures were made.  The prevailing theme, though, was that comic Deep Six was a character who resonated with collectors of a certain age who came aboard during that 1984-1985 comic run.

As customizing skills began to incorporate more advanced sculpting methods and greater alteration of existing parts, though, Deep Six began to fade away.  You'd still see a custom, every now and then.  But, a younger crop of customizers who upped the game also lacked the youthful connection to an alternate look for Deep Six.  So, the prickly diver fell out of favor.  And, there was rarely a clamour for his more classic appearance to be commemorated in a figure.  Hasbro had so many other characters to consider that Deep Six wasn't really on the radar any longer.

Which, makes his appearance in the Super7 line somewhat baffling.  Super7 doesn't do that many comic book figures.  Their focus is 100% on the cartoon and ensuring that roster of the first two mini-series is completed.  So, getting this Deep Six was quite a surprise.  But, it was a welcome one.  While Deep Six would not have made my list of top 20 comic book looks to make, he would have made the list.  I even mention back in  that #36 write up that I'd buy a Super7 version of him.  And, I followed through on that statement.  

As a figure, Deep Six doesn't really break any new ground.  He's orange, blue and tan.  You can find similar colors to his on Cutter and Topside.  Though, he is substantially more muted than the orange colors that define those figures.  It's not about the palette, though.  Deep Six somewhat defined this look for a Joe.  He just didn't get a figure to cement it.  What this Super7 figure accomplishes is a solid homage to those comic book designs.  You can look at this and instantly know it's Deep Six from the mid 1980's.  Super7 does excel in this type of approach.  They are making a deliberate homage.  And, they tend to get it right.  This figure isn't going to win any awards for creativity.  But, it perfectly matches the intended purpose of the release: to give collectors a figure in a uniform that was never before offered in plastic.

I don't associate this Deep Six with either the SHARC or the USS Flagg.  I align him mostly with the ill-fated G.I. Jane.  This was the Joe ship introduced in 1984 that would be conveniently destroyed in #36 so that the Flagg could be introduced.  But, I also remember Deep Six as a member of the WHALE crew of issues #28 and #29.  These were my 2nd and 3rd G.I. Joe comics.  So, they were read hundreds of times and were very formative in my development of both Joe characters and my personal mythos.  As a kid, I always wanted a useful Deep Six who could man the gunner station on the WHALE.  That never came to be.  But, now, I finally assemble a crew of Cutter, Deep Six, Duke and Roadblock to match up with that early comic run.

And, it's here that I found the most value in Deep Six.  As a kid, his personality was off-putting.  But, that was the point.  After his introduction in #25, though, Deep Six was less of an in your face asshole and more of a sardonic side character whose prickliness was supposed to be endearing because it was, generally, harmless.  But, the idea of a Joe who didn't really get along with people while still being so good at his job that you had to have him around was intriguing.  And,  in the days when the Joe roster was pretty limited, losing a figure to the catastrophe that was the 1984 Deep Six figure was more impactful.  So, Deep Six always seemed like a character that would have been fun to have around but was just not available.  One of the reasons I was so keen on acquiring a 1989 Deep Six upon my return to collecting was because it gave the character a useful toy.  By the time of my acquisition, though, the notion of using Deep Six as his character was gone.  

So, really, I'm left with this figure as a scene filler or a display item on a shelf.  If I ever get around to exhibiting my WHALE, this Deep Six will be among the crew.  Until then, he'll be a guy who will find some use when I get heavy rains or take figures down to the creek.  He works very well in photos.  But, it's tough to find ways to really showcase this figure as the focal point of a scene unless you're recreating one of his early comic appearances.  And, once those are done, there's far less to do with the figure.  But, that's OK.  Some of the best figures in the line were guys like Alpine or Blowtorch: figures who had niche purposes and were background players.  This Deep Six continues that legacy and will be one of those guys who really helps to make a photo interesting, even though he's not really the subject on which the photo centers.  

Deep Six includes two accessories.  The first is the standard cartoon rifle that is based on Snow Job's XMLR.  It's weird to see a comic book figure include a cartoon weapon.  But, it works since the design aesthetic fits the time period of both character designs.  The second accessory is more esoteric.  In my #36 write up, I showcased a photo where Deep Six chops open a crate containing the MMS.  He uses a red axe to cut the ropes.  And, that red axe is included with this figure.  It's a very specific choice.  But, as an add on, it's great since it's such a specific comic book reference.  I used the image in my write up because it was memorable to me.  You can extrapolate that the image resonated with many readers of that comic and one of those grew up to design G.I. Joe figures for Super7.  So, its inclusion is a nice nod to an obscure bit of Joe gallimaufry.  

Deep Six's long term prognosis is probably pretty insignificant.  While the figure was welcomed by collectors and seems to have joined many collections, he hasn't made the splash that the Super7 Ninja Force figures have.  He is readily available and can be purchased from pretty much anyone who stocks the Super7 line.  For guys who hit the sweet spot to consume 1984 media, this figure is a must have.  But, for others, he's more of a novelty.  We'll see how he plays out over time.  For now, he joins my collection to fill a hole that's been open since 1984.  He's even got me considering an unboxing of WHALE that's been locked up since 2011.  If that appears in the photos below, you'll know that he was enough of a motivation to spur me to action.  Even if it doesn't appear here, though, I'll get him into the WHALE at some point.  He's just a figure who scratches that nostalgic itch enough for me to relive some childhood dreams.

Fuego - Plastirama Ripcord (Argentina) - Around The Web

Swivel arm Plastirama figures from Argentina are very common.  Thousands of cases of them were imported to the U.S.and sold be dealers from around 1999 through 2006.  Many of the figures are so common that they used to be sold in lots for a couple of bucks per figure and still no one would buy them.  One of those figures is Fuego: the Argentina version or Ripcord.

Back when these figures first appeared, most collectors considered Fuego to be too similar to the Hasbro Ripcord to be worth a purchase.  The lower quality and general ubiquity of the 1984 Ripcord really prevented Fuego from finding a niche in the Joe world. 

As more and more collectors completed their Hasbro collections, though, they started to look at the more ignored Plastirama figures in a new light.  With this, they found that figures like Fuego were, actually, pretty different from their North American counterparts.  The colors were distinct and the accessories could be quite different.  So, in the twenty years since the Plastirama figures started selling out, figures like Fuego have found more appreciation and are parts of many collections.

Despite that, you don't see the figure used all that often.  There's little reason to since the Hasbro Ripcord is, probably, better and is also very easy to find.  So, guys like Fuego still are a bit under the radar.  They are definitely worth checking out, though, since you can still find them for acceptable prices, from time to time.  So, see how the creators below used Fuego and appreciate the things that make him distinct from the Hasbro Ripcord figure.

Fuego Profile

Fuego by hobieshinobi

Fuego by Hit and Run

Fuego by kbzonecustomtoys

Fuego by hobieshinobi

Fuego by 334inch_figure_collector

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