1993 Interrogator - Mail Away

While the neon color infusion that appeared in the Joe line in the 1990's has found far greater acceptance among collectors in the past decade, it still remains a divisive issue among the fan base.  Many collectors still hate the bright colors and consider the later figures invalid treads upon the hallowed 1980's versions of Joe characters.  Never mind the fact that Flash not only featured bright red in 1982, he also carried a hand held laser rifle capable of melting steel doors in a few seconds.  So, to me, the bright colors and sci-fi concepts of the 1990's are nothing more that a logical progression from Flash and Grand Slam.  But, of course, Hasbro probably went too far in 1993.  While some neon figures are forgivable, others were bright just for brightness's sake.  Such a case is the 1993 mail away Interrogator figure.

Just in case you thought Cobra had gone soft, Interrogator comes along.  Aside from the Darth Vader helmet, the mold is straight out of a nightmare.  He has a set of spiked brass knuckles strapped to his chest: just so any prisoner starts to think that Interrogator might go easy on them.  The original was cast in black, dark blue and grey: classic Cobra villain colors.  He is one of the highlights of the 1990's in terms of new Cobra characters and new figures in general.  This repaint, though, is less frightening.  Gone are the muted tones that allowed Interrogator to blend with the classic Cobra hierarchy.  Now, the Interrogator sports a nifty pastel, neon green helmet with matching bandoleers and gloves.

If you replace the yellow with red or dark grey, this Interrogator might be one of the best figures of the 1990's and on par with any Cobra villain from any year.  With the yellow, though, this Interrogator is a fun addition to a collection.  Truth be told, it might be more frightening to see an inquisitor enter a prison cell decked out in neon yellow.  You would really wonder what kind of psychopath would choose such a color.  And, it's in that vein that I find use for this figure.  Sure, the 1991 figure looks better.  But, this look for the character helps to make him more psychotic and unpredictable.  It's a mental torture that he saves for special cases.  But, when this suit is broken out, you can be sure that the Interrogator is preparing to break someone important.

Also, though, the figure looks great with other 1990's Cobras.  He is a nice complement to the 1988 Cobra Bugg, too.  I often have him among the grew just because his colors mesh so well.  The Interrogator works with Crimson Guard Commanders, 1994 Vipers, Cyber Vipers, Mega Vipers and even the 1993 Headhunter figures.  While none of those may be among the most popular Cobra troopers, they are excellent figures in their own right and having a character to lead them helps to flesh out some of the more drastically colored figures.  But, the neon yellow also isn't for everyone and there's no real denying that if you aren't a fan of bright colors, then this figure probably doesn't work for you.

I didn't really start re-collecting Joes in earnest until 1995.  During that time, I would get various mail away offers in vehicles or packaged with figures.  Many, many times I would stare at them and consider getting some classic figures or vehicles back.  Each time I went to order, though, the total price for the figures and shipping just seemed out of line.  I had held on to my childhood notion of mail aways being the domain of very cheap or even free promotional items and not realized that they could be a source of toys that had been gone from retail for over a decade.  But, at the time, money was tight and Joes were still plentiful at retail.  Plus, being 1995, I wasn't sure I would actually get any figures I ordered and I didn't want to risk sending in money that I'd never see again.  So, while I saw this Interrogator figure in the catalogs, I never got all that close to ordering him.

In some ways, that was a shame.  I would have found great use for this Interrogator at the time.  Even his oddly colored set mate of Major Altitude would have been useful: finding many ways to perish in the Razorblade.  The Cobra villains of the line's final years were heavy on re-imaginations of classic Cobra characters.  Interrogator would have been new to me and would have found a strong characterization as someone new who would have joined my cabal of young Cobras who were starting at the time.  It's probably good, though, that the figure didn't enter my collection.  His absence allowed me time to find the right figures to represent the Cobras I had created.  And, that was the driving force behind my early interest in foreign Joe figures.  So, sometimes there are hidden benefits to cost driven decisions.

The original Interrogator included an oddball grappling gun.  The 1993 version, though, only includes a knife.  It's a small, greyish weapon that was also included with the 1987 Steamroller figure.  It can work for someone who would incorporate torture as part of his repertoire.  But, to me, the figure needs his iconic weapon.  Fortunately, the black 1991 Interrogator weapons aren't overly difficult to find.  And, if you're more adventurous, you can track down a silver repaint of the weapon (seen in some of the photos below) that was included with a Street Fighter Movie Edition M Bison figure.  It adds a bit of flair to an already ostentatious figure while keeping him in sync with the weapon designed for him. 

Despite the neon colors, this Interrogator version is somewhat pricey.  Mint and complete figures will sell in the $50 range.  Though, without the knife, you can get them under $40 from time to time.  The figure isn't nearly as rare as many dealers make it out to be.  Bagged overstock of both this figure and Major Altitude were available not only from dealers for many years, but Lee's Action Figure Review also gave away sets of them with a subscription to the magazine well into the early 2000's.  So, while you may not see this figure with the regularity that you did 15 years ago, the reality is that a lot of them are out there and many of those tucked away in collections are bagged versions.  But, for today's pricing, this Interrogator is really only a must have for the die hard completist.  The original version is better in every way, is more common, has better gear and is about 1/4 of the price.  But, if you like terrible, oddball repaints of really good 1990's figures, this Interrogator is for you.