2004 Ninja Strike Stormshadow

When it comes to Stormshadow, Hasbro has always been a bit schizophrenic.  They could never decide if he was a good guy or a bad guy.  But, post 1994 and until the Anniversary series in 2007, Hasbro seemed to land on Stormshadow being a Cobra.  In short order, we saw his 1984 and 1992 molds both released as Cobras.  At the time, though, the 1988 mold, Stormshadow's first appearance as a good guy, was stuck in India.  In April of 2003, though, Hasbro got the mold back.  About 18 months later, the 1988 Stormshadow appeared in the 2004 Toys R Us exclusive Ninja Strike set.  This time, it was clearly released with the intent of Stormshadow being a Cobra.  The sigil was right there on his chest.  The look for Stormshadow was drastically different.  And, because of that, it's held up a little better than most other figures released around his time.

It's very likely that Stormshadow's appearance as a Cobra during the 1997-2007 timeframe was simply fan service.  Hasbro of that time believed that Joe fans were still almost exclusively guys who stopped collecting in 1987 or earlier and were far more interested in the Marvel Comic's Joe world than that of the cartoon.  There was, of course, evidence to the contrary.  But, Hasbro ignored that since the people who they most trusted to guide the brand were either people who were adults by the time it debuted in 1982 or were a small cadre of privileged collectors who fit the mold described above.  

To be fair, this isn't an entirely bad thing.  I've always found Stormshadow more interesting as a bad guy.  Cobra needed a foil to Snake Eyes.  Someone who was capable of standing toe-to-toe with the Joe's most powerful member.  With Stormshadow allied with Snake Eyes, the balance of power shifted too far to the Joe side.  Cobra had no credible threat for them.  As a bad guy, Stormshadow kept the conflict balanced.  This, though, disrupted the solid connection and story between Snake Eyes and Stormshadow.  But, that story could have been told without the redemption arc.  In the end, Zartan did kill the Hard Master because he was emulating Snake Eyes.  Stormshadow could have still not forgiven that and the story would have remained intact.

Hasbro of the repaint era, settled on Stormshadow being a Cobra and collectors were treated to him with this affiliation for nearly a decade.  Stormshadow was released in 1997, 2000, 2002 and mid 2004.  Around the time that the Urban Assault Stormshadow was released in 2004, word broke that Hasbro would be releasing a set of Ninjas that would hit stores right before Christmas of that year.  I seem to remember that an initial list of names appeared with the set when it appeared on Amazon.  But, details like that are among the multitude of information about releases of that era that have been lost to time as message boards and fan sites have disappeared.  But, the Ninja Strike set showed up in late 2004: replete with the newly acquired 1988 Stormshadow mold.

I was not a huge fan of the Ninja Strike set.  I felt that the red and black ninjas were too derivative of the Argentine figures.  And, the Vypras used far too much of the set's budget for some lame paint masks.  I had no need for this Stormshadow.  But, 19 years later, this set has help up far better than most of the other Toys R Us exclusive 6-figure sets.  And, this Stormshadow is a big reason why.  The green color is extremely rare on Cobra figures.  And, despite the fact that he's missing the trademarked Arashikage tattoo on his arm, the overall paint applications are fairly strong.  The dirty brown wash that covers the figure is more natural looking than the paint wipes from 2000.  And, it works to give the figure some depth without making him look shoddy.  

This Stormshadow mold is excellently done.  It's different than the more classic 1984 release.  But, that's good.  I loved the fact that this mold was simple, but extremely effective.  The hood was a distinctive feature.  But, the overall Gi conveys the purpose of the figure while being different from other martial arts figures that had been released prior to 1988.  The main feature that interested me was the rope strung across the figure's chest.  I loved ropes.  And, I wished the 1988 Stormshadow had included a real rope.  I viewed the claw as both a tool used for climbing rock walls and a weapon much like Wolverine's claws.  I always imagined this Stormshadow scaling the crumbling walls of some long forgotten compound to infiltrate the hidden fortress.

And, it is in that context that I view this Stormshadow.  I've always used the 1988 Stormshadow as a bad guy.  It's just a leftover from Stormshadow debuting during my most formative years.  Back in 1999, I gave my 1988 Stormshadow a cloak from an Episode I accessory pack and he's worn this Sith cloak as an indicator of his evil nature ever since.  I have yet to move this robe to the 2004 figure.  But, the coloring is such that I feel the obfuscating hue of the added accessory is unnecessary.  This green base for Stormshadow works for my vision of this figure as an infiltrator.  He dons this costume when it's time to break into some top secret installation as it provides visual cloaking and necessary equipment for such endeavors.

The accessories included with the Ninja Strike set were...just nonsense.  First off, the set included three repaints of the 1984 Stormshadow mold.  Yet, it did not include a single accessory from that mold.  There were two 1987 Jinx repaints in the set.  Neither included any Jinx gear.  And, the only accessory from the 1988 Stormshadow that was included with this Ninja Strike repaint was the claw.  In addition, the figure included a Scarlett crossbow, a Ninja Force sword and a black backpack that originated with the 1991 Dusty.  The 1988 Stormshadow backpack and sword not existing in any color other than red is a travesty.  And, this set would have been a great way to include that gear in a more useful color.  But, the end was coming and Hasbro had given up trying to make the Toys R Us 6 packs anything special.  So, the set just got a hodge-podge of random weapons that were recently included with other, retail figures.  

One big issue with this Stormshadow, though, is that his hands are rather small.  I'm not sure why this is.  The mold has fresh from India and the Funskool Stormshadow has no such issues.  It's possible that the thick, flesh colored paint uses up too much space.  But, the reality is that it's tough to get this Stormshadow to hold any weapons.  They'll often just pop out due to the small hand size.  If you're just storing this guy in a clamshell in your closet, this isn't much of an issue.  But, it's something to consider when you're looking to get a Stormshadow out for some photos.  Other Ninja Strike figures have other, major quality issues.  But, I've not heard of them being as rampant with this Stormshadow.  But, in general, the 2000's Joes aren't aging all that gracefully.  

The 1988 Stormshadow mold got good use.  After its run with Hasbro, it was sent down to Brazil.  There, Estrela released a figure that is nearly identical to the Hasbro figure.  It includes the same colors and gear.  It's not all that easy to find.  But, collectors don't much care for it due to the similarity with the Hasbro figure.  Post Brazil, the mold appeared in India.  Again, Funskool didn't much alter the figure and they released a near identical Stormshadow for many, many years.  You can find some variants among the Funskool figures with reversed tattoos and even missing camo.  But, those are harder to come by.  Upon the mold's return to Hasbro in 2003, it was used two more times.  The first for this figure in late 2004.  And, the mold's final appearance came as the Red Ninja that was released in a Comic Pack in early 2005.  Of course, this mold has tons of potential and could have been repainted ad naseum.  But, Hasbro didn't do that with the 1984 mold and they didn't do it with this 1988 mold, either.  Maybe a factory custom maker will get to this mold someday.  But, that's probably a pipe dream.

The 2004 Ninja Strike figures have gotten harder to find.  Once upon a time, they were cheap and easy to find.  But, all the Toys R Us figures have dried up.  Dealers will try to get $30 to $50 for a mint, loose and complete version.  But, those prices are dumb.  On the open market today, this Stormshadow is, at best, a $15 figure with loose figures going as low as $5 each.  So, there's no reason to pay a premium for this figure.  Especially, since his accessories are generic and available with other, cheaper contemporary figures.  Just wait until it comes up for sale at open market and save a ton of money.  With interest in vintage Joes waning, you're likely to see a few more of these show up in coming years at very attractive prices.