2004 Anti - Venom Sgt. Lifeline

If you follow G.I. Joe's resurgence in the 2000's, you can see a progression.  In 2000 and 2001, Hasbro discovered there was a nostalgic market for figures.  In 2002, they re-imagined the brand, put a bunch of resources into it and found a general market for their toys.  In 2003, the Joe brand hit it's second stride.  The figures were drastically improved, produced in abundance and hit the market just at the right time.  In 2004, Hasbro kept up the improved designs.  But, retail interest was cooling.  By 2005, Hasbro knew the end was near and the innovation and quality of the releases began to slide.  The last retail releases where ghosts of the toys released only two years earlier.  Nearly 20 years later, though, some of these figures have held up better than others while some that were somewhat ignored have found new life among more recent to the hobby collectors.  The Anti Venom set, though, found some interest fairly quickly.  Within a couple of years, they were about the only Toys R Us figures that sold above retail.  And, in the years since, the Anti Venom figures have gotten expensive.  The Lifeline figure that was included with the set features a great mold and awesome accessories.  But, it's hard to see him as Lifelin.

The Anti-Venom set has held up pretty well over the years.  Of all the Toys R Us exclusive G.I. Joe figures, the Anti-Venom has the strongest lineup top to bottom.  While there are individual figures in other sets that are way better than the best AV figure, no other sets hold up as well when taken as a hole.  Part of this is that the AV set included almost all the original accessories for the figures that were included.  This little detail alone is enough to elevate the set over the anonymous weapons that dominated the Night Force, Desert, Greenshits, Winter Ops and HAS sets.  But, the figure molds in the set were also, at the time, not heavily overused.  Roadblock, Barricade, Mutt and Charbroil were all the first time we had seen those molds return.  Duke was overdone.  And, Stretcher hadn't appeared with his original head.  So, the set seemed fresher than many of the releases that brought the same molds we had just seen back again.

It seems that this figure went through many machinations before the actual production figure was settled upon. Early in the development stages of the Anti-Venom set, the figures were to be cast in a dark blue hue. This color was too close to Cobra's traditional look. But, of the figures that were designed in that design, the Lifeline figure had the head from the 2002 Side Track instead of the Stretcher head. From this design, the Anti-Venom morphed to a lighter blue color scheme. This was less traditionally Cobra, but wasn't a great color on most of the figures. In this set, though, Lifeline had an African-American Stretcher head and may have been planned to be Stretcher instead of Lifeline. Finally, Hasbro settled on the tan and green version for production. The head was painted in caucasian skin tones and made Sgt. Lifeline instead of Stretcher.  Sadly, the production head was painted in flesh paint instead of molded in flesh colored plastic like the pre-production figures were.  With the plastic heads available in different colors, you really see how much better they are than painted skin tones on a figure's head.

For me, it's always useful to have a medic who is in field colors.  While red medics are great, I have always liked to have some diversity so that the medics who tag along on missions aren't brightly colored give aways to the Cobras looking to kill the Joes.  This Lifeline works for that.  But, even in that capacity, I don't use the figure all that much.  I still see this mold as Stretcher.  So, it's tough to shake that notion and see this figure as anything too different.  But, Lifeline features an abundance of paint applications and a nice complement of colors that aren't really seen outside of the Anti Venom set and the 2005 HAS figures that used the same upper bodies as the 2004 AV figures.

This Lifeline includes all of Stretcher's gear.  Just like the 2001 Side Track, this 2004 figure is enhanced by including the full array of gear meant for the figure mold.  The one thing that the Anti-Venom set did better than any other set (save the 2003 Python Patrol) is that it included the original gear meant for the figures.  So, we got Barricade's proper rifle, Roadblock's array of 1984 weapons and Charbroil's flamethrower and pack.  With Lifeline, we got the sled, windshield, control stick, backpack, antenna, flare gun, hose and the tiny communicator that, did it not connect to a hose, would be a $40 accessory.  The windshield this time around is black, giving it a different appearance than the clear shielded versions that were previously released.  Lifeline was the only figure in the set to not include a Steel Brigade helmet adorned with his name.  The hat on the figure's head precluded the helmet's usefulness.  So, he was the lone figure to omit it: and is better for it as he's not anonymized by the uniformity of the helmets.

The Stretcher mold saw a bit of use in the modern Joe line. Despite only appearing in 1990 during the vintage years, Hasbro liked the mold and brought it back in the 2000's. In 2002, the entire body and full accessory complement was used on the Side Track figure from Wave V of the A Real American Hero Collection. This figure, though, featured a new, caucasian head and got a different name. This version of the mold with another character change and the caucasian head was released in 2004. At the end of 2004, the head appeared again, only modified for a desert theme, in the Toys R Us exclusive Desert Patrol set.  Sadly, we never got a proper Stretcher repaint.  And, it seems a bit out of place to have Lifeline wearing his uniform and using his gear.  I didn't like that Stretcher was erased as his character was strong and there was simply no reason for Side Track to exist in 2002 nor was there any reason that this Lifeline could not have used the full 1994 Lifeline mold.  

It does appear that the fervor for the Anti-Venom set is starting to subside.  While dealers will ask (and sometimes get!) $60-$80 for a mint and complete figure, the going market rate is about $20.  You can get just the figures for 1/2 of that price, too.  Lifeline's probably among the less desired Anti-Venom figures.  So, that plays a role.  And, you will wait a while before find a high quality, complete sample sold at market prices.  But, you will find them, eventually.  If you're missing the set, it's probably still easier to buy a carded set and open it.  The tape will turn yellow with time and the package will come apart.  So, you get the pleasure of knowing you aren't destroying something that time will eradicate, anyways.  In the end, though, you don't need this figure.  Stretcher is better and either the 1986 or 1994 Lifeline figures are way better renditions of the character.  And, even the Tiger Force figure from 1988 is a more useful combat appearance than this 2004 figure.  I'd never pay the going rate for him.  But, I also don't have to make that call since I got him at retail.  So, my opinion of the figure may not match the approach that others wish to take with this Lifeline.