1987 Psyche Out - Around The Web

The weather's been crappy and  I've been busy with real life things, lately.  So, I had no profile to go today.  (I've got a really cool figure that I had to pull down because her write up wasn't where I wanted it to be.  She might come next week.  Or, the week after that.  Will depend upon my mood since the profile planned for the 6th of Feb. is mostly a thinly veiled rant that will further cement my status as a curmudgeon.)  I really didn't  have anything ready to go for today.  So, I did some quick looking and found some surprisingly easy to find content on the 1987 Psyche Out.

Psyche Out isn't a popular figure or character.  The fact that both his Night Force and Tiger Force variants sell for a fraction of the other figures in the series speak to just how unpopular he really is.  But, this 1987 figure is a visual treat.  The bright colors work in the context of the character.  And, his ridiculous gear can be held in suspension of disbelief due to the overall background that was given to him.

So, take some time and peruse the links below.  Leave them a comment or something just to pull the older items back into the creators' timelines.  Back to normal next week...maybe.

1987 Psyche Out Profile

1987 Psyche Out at Nekoman's Viper Pit

1987 Psyche Out by MrMikeVinthePit

1987 Psyche Out at JoeADay.com

1987 Psyche Out by yovalleyjoe

1987 Psyche Out Variants by Hit and Run

1987 Psyche Out by HCC788

1987 Psyche Out by gi_jokers

1987 Psyche Out at Serpentor's Lair

1987 Psyche Out by Flint

1987 Psyche Out by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

2005 Comic Pack Flint - Around The Web

The 1985 Flint is my favorite figure.  In 2005, Hasbro released a Comic Pack version that was similar to the original figure.  It featured softer colors, poor accessories and a brand new head.  The new head, though, was not good.  On some level, it seemed like a younger version of Flint.  But, really, it's inferior to the original head in every way.  (And, I'm not blinded to the fact that the 1985 Flint head has some...flaws.)  Mostly, the head was famous for not being Falcon.

Now, nearly as much time has passed since the 2005 figure was released as had passed between the 1985 version and the 2005 Comic Pack release.  Unsurprisingly, the 2005 Flint has not held up.  You can tell from the relatively sparse content featuring the figure that he's not that popular.  You can't even catalog all the photos that feature the 1985 Flint.  And, collectors use the original as their go to choice for photographs even today.  It's just such a better option and is a nearly ubiquitous member of pretty much every Joe collection that's out there.

It is interesting to read up on contemporary reviews of the figures that were written right after their release.  The sentiment on this Flint was tepid, even back then.  And, that's translated into a figure that's simply faded into obscurity.  It's probably a just fate for this figure.  The 1985 figure is vastly superior.  And, the Funskool version of Flint remains a cheaper option for the V1 Flint look and it includes the trademark shotgun.  So, enjoy what little content there is on this figure out there.

2005 Flint Profile

2005 Flint by Sintechness

Comic Pack #76 at JoeBattleLines.com

2005 Flint by toyjaeger

2005 Flint by gen_liederkranz

Comic Pack #76 Review at Generals Joes Reborn

2005 Flint by Slipstream80

1993 Wet Suit

There were a few 1993 figures that I never found at retail.  Mostly, they were Cobra army builders.  But, a few other subsets were notable for their retail scarcity, too.  I found none of the 1993 repaints of 1992 figures at retail.  Even now, 31 years later, the 1992 repaints released in 1993 do not appear with the same frequency as the new figures released that year.  Ostensibly, this seems normal as the repaints could be profitable with fewer units made.  But, it created a consternation for my young self as I vainly searched for figures that I simply could no longer find.

This Wet Suit wasn't one of my most wanted figures that haunted me from the 1992 and 1993 cardbacks that I kept from my sparse retail purchases.  It was the missing Cobras that most interested me.  And, figures like Barricade captured my attention.  Wet Suit looked interesting.  However, by that time, I had found the 1994 Shipwreck figure.  That figure sated any desires for diver figures since he was perfect.  So, I didn't have the burning desire to find this Wet Suit like I did for guys  like the Flak Viper or Cobra Commander.

But, my first real foray into buying collections was heavily focused on figures from the 1990's.  As I acquired a few of them, this Wet Suit made his way into my collection.  Once in hand, I found the removable helmet to be exactly the type of thing I'd have loved as a kid.  But, I was more enamored with the multitudes of other figures in the various lots.  So, this Wet Suit was relegated to his drawer.  By the time I had a swimming pool in which to photograph figures, the 1998 repaint of this mold had come out and it found itself manning the turrets of the Whale on its maiden voyage.  In fact, this figure never got a photo in the early days of my collecting adventure.  

Which isn't to say that he's a bad figure.  Quite the opposite.  The wetsuit that Wet Suit wears is nicely detailed.  He features an array of dials and instruments on his chest.  And, there's even a sculpted hose  to denote that the figure does have an underwater air supply available to him.  The figure's helmet is well done.  But, like the figure itself, it does suffer from lack of color.  The orange works great.  But, having some other colors to denote the light and slits on the mask would have made a world of difference.  The head that is underneath the helmet is a weird combo of nice sculpting and odd design choices.  Wet Suit looks like he has a mullet.  And, being a 1992 sculpt, it wouldn't be an ironic mullet.  But, aside from that, the face is nicely done and the head fits underneath the helmet nicely without too much concern for paint wear.

Wet Suit features some solid gear that is both new and an homage to his original 1986 gear.  First, he includes an orange helmet.  It fits tightly.  That makes it work very well, though.  His orange rifle is large.  It works well with  the figure and does fit with his aesthetic.  The rifle was going to be included with the unproduced 1995 Dr. Mindbender.  And, there's a blue release that I still can't place.  The centerpiece of Wet Suit's gear is his underwater sled.  In 1986, Wet Suit included a small, hand held sled type thing.  So, getting one that the figure could ride is much more useful.  You'll probably snap the figure's thumbs trying to affix both hands.  But, its still a neat piece of gear.  The three missiles on it also give Wet Suit far more firepower.  He ends with the orange flippers.  The only thing that you could want would be some air tanks.  But, that might make the whole package for the figure too bulky.

Some times, less is more.  With this Wet Suit, there are just two colors on the body: the black base plastic and the orange painted details.  The paint masks are the same as the yellow figure from 1992.  But, there are no painted details or accents in any color other than black and orange.  Normally, this would be a detriment.  But, on a diver wearing a wetsuit, they work.  The simplicity of the figure makes him pop.  You don't really notice the lack of secondary colors.  The 1998 figure did prove that the mold could be made spectacular with more paint details.  But, this 1993 coloring remains strong and is a pretty perfect look for a diver.  (In fact, Hasbro recycled the colors on the 30th Anniversary Action Sailor figure just a year later.)

This Wet Suit mold was used almost too many times.  There is the yellow version from 1992.  Then, this orange version was released.  Hasbro then used the body for the Navy Seal Guile in the Street Fighter Movie figure line.  There are two variations of this figure, too.  In 1998, Hasbro repainted the mold in black, grey and aqua blue.  It's my personal favorite coloring of the mold.  That was 5 uses in 6 years.  But, then, the mold disappeared aside from a use of the head on the 2004 Wet Suit figure that came with the VAMP.  The 1986 Wetsuit mold, the 1994 Shipwreck mold and the 1983 Torpedo mold became Hasbro's go to for Joe diver figures.  This probably isn't bad, though.  Hasbro got a lot of life out of the mold.  And, you'd have to go with something really specific (like a white, arctic diver motif) to extract much more collector value from the colorings.  

During the pandemic fueled market mania of 2020 and 2021, this figure got expensive.  Now, you'll find dealers offering mint and complete figures anywhere from $15 to $30.  You'll see some sell in the $22 range.  But, left to the open market, this Wet Suit still seems to command $15.  So, if you find one from a dealer for that price, it's not terrible.  But, this Wet Suit is also the type of figure whose floor is lower than the current pricing should you want to wait out the free fall.  I find the orange and black to be superior to the yellow and black.  But, that's likely just personal preference and others will have their favorites reversed.  Regardless, this figure is a worthwhile pickup just because he's fun to have around.

1993 Interrogator (Mail Away) - Around The Web

The mail away set with Interrogator and Major Altitude were quite common in the 1990's.  There was tons of overstock in the community and they would sit, unsold, for under $15.  Now, they are $300 for a set.  And,  you'll pay between $150 and $200 just for this neon yellow Interrogator.  And, this is really too bad.  This figure is a nice mesh of bright yellow and darker purple.  There's not a ton of content on the figure out there.  The high price kind of precludes lots of new acquisitions.  And, once you get him, most people are loathe to take a $200 figure out into the snow and mud.  But, there's still some good stuff out there.  Whether you're frozen in all weekend like I am or not, take some time to peruse all the links below.

1993 Interrogator Profile

1993 Interrogator by satanic_supremacy_87

1993 Interogator by toy_du_jour

1993 Interrogator at JoeADay.com

1993 Interrogator by the_crymzon_idol

1993 Interrogator by gen_liederkranz

1993 Interrogator by JoeRizzo2025

1993 Interrogator by Relinquished1979

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.

Action Force Stalker - Around The Web

The Action Force line is fairly large and features some great 5 points of articulation figures as well as some great vehicles.  As the line ended and was going to transition to G.I. Joe, Palitoy repainted a large contingent of Hasbro vehicle molds.  Among them was a black VAMP repaint.  The later releases of this jeep included a repainted Hasbro G.I. Joe figure, too.  In this case, the figure was a 1983 Snake Eyes repaint that was named Stalker.

This leads to all sorts of confusion as it's difficult to refer to the character Stalker but meaning the classic Snake Eyes.  So, most collectors simply use the figure as an updated Snake Eyes.  And, prior to 1997, it was the only Snake Eyes figure with painted details.  That, of course, changed in 1997.  And, since then, the V1 Snake Eyes has been repainted many, many times: all with different paint applications.  They are better than this Stalker figure.  But, Stalker still has the distinction of being the first and also part of the highly popular Action Force line.

The figure appears from time to time.  So, check out all the content I could find regarding the Action Force Stalker.

Action Force Stalker Profile

Action Force Stalker at the Attica Gazette

Action Force Panther Profile

Action Force Stalker by viper_space

Action Force Stalker 00zxcvb

Action Force Stalker by yo_grenadiers

Action Force Stalker by atticagazette

Action Force Stalker by v1per_p1lot

Action Force Stalker by Olly Orc

Action Force Stalker by viper_space

2000 Firefly

In 1997, Hasbro brought back a collector series of G.I. Joe figures as Toys R Us exclusives.  These figures went through several design stages before they were finally brought to retail.  Hasbro's intent for the series was to use many of their most popular molds of the most popular characters.  One of the original products that was considered included a repaint of the highly loved 1984 Firefly figure.  The hand painted designs showed a figure with a grey base but some green highlights.  But, by the time the 1997 figures came out, Firefly had long been removed from the assortment.  In 1998, though, the Firefly mold returned.  Instead of the forest theme, though, Hasbro repainted him into an excellent winter theme.  It is one of the highlights of the repaint era for sure.  The Toys R Us sets, though, ended in 1998 as Hasbro geared up for a broader return of Joe to retail.  When the first wave of 2000 figures showed up, collectors were finally greeted by a woodland Firefly.  The ARAHC release was both much maligned by collectors and also very welcomed.  It was an odd juxtaposition.  But, it perfectly fits this figure's legacy.

Upon this Firefly's release, collectors rejoiced at another paint job of a hugely popular character becoming available.  At the same time, they maligned some of the design choices that Hasbro made with the figure.  All of the 2000 series figures were given "PAINT-WIPES" in an attempt to add the "gritty realism" that Hasbro thought fans of the time really wanted.  The result is that many of the figures look like they fell into the tar pits.  For Firefly, though, the effect is somewhat lost on the dark green and brown body.  There is really only one area where they are apparent: the figure's hands.  This Firefly is bare-handed and not wearing gloves.  Every other version of Firefly using his mold has gloves.  (The Wreckage figure, who is a Joe, though, does also feature bare hands.)  It's kind of an off-putting image to see Firefly with bare skin.  And, the choice to not glove Firefly's hands is made all the worse by the paint wipes that just make it seem like he's been making mud pies all day.  The hands were most criticized aspect of this figure and, even today, can be a contentious point with many collectors adamant that the hands ruin an otherwise excellent figure.

Really, though, this Firefly isn't all that well done.  Hasbro let the marbelized plastic body handle most of Firefly's colors.  Aside from that, he only has red explosives and black grenades on his chest.  The did give him a black undershirt and boots to provide a little color.  But, this figure is a far cry from the Firefly repaints of 2004 and 2005 that fully showcased the mold's details and gave the figure remarkable life with 6 or 7 different colors.  Also, it should be noted that the green and brown marbelized plastic on Firefly is not consistent.  This means that every single Firefly is really a unique figure.  But, some versions have more green plastic while some have more brown.  It's possible to find figures that appear to be green with brown accents and others that appear brown with green accents and still more that are right in the middle.  This offers modern collectors choices since they can find a Firefly that best fits their aesthetic preferences.  But, it can also leave you bewildered at the fact that photos of the figure you find online do not match the figure you have in hand.

The other major change to Firefly's look is his mask.  Hasbro treated collectors a a giant, black Cobra sigil on Firefly's forehead.  In red, this would have been too much.  But, the black blends with the figure and prevents the logo from being too over the top.  The bigger change, though, is that Firefly's eye slit is now broken into two, separate eye holes.  (Insert Rick and Morty joke here....)  The mask now has a painted barrier between the eyes.  For some, this was not a well liked update.  Personally, I don't mind it.  When the only real exposure collectors had to the Firefly was the 1984 version, this update seemed bigger than it was.  Now, it's as much part of the figure as the open mask of the 1984 is.  I like the update since it gives some differentiation to this Firefly.  But, it's not really a huge enhancement or detriment.

This Firefly struggles to find a niche.  The green and brown base help make him a woodlands version.  And, he is a nice match for the 2002 green Vipers.  If you want an outdoors Firefly, this is probably the version for you.  Over the years, I've found him a good option for outdoor photography.  At the same, time, though, I usually end up opting for other figures.  They work well enough and have the iconic coloring that seems to attract people's attention.  But, the original Firefly is surely better.  And, the 2004 Urban Assault release as well as the 2005 Comic Pack versions are, easily, superior figures.  This version works in that he's different and having options for a character as important as Firefly is useful.  But, if you are economizing a collection, this is an easy version to pass over since there are so many better options for the mold.

Firefly's gear is iconic.  Getting it back in 1998 was a treat.  And, getting it in 2000 was even better.  The black version of the rifle was something collectors had always wanted.  No one knew we'd be sick of the gun in just a few years.  So, these early versions of Firefly were a treat.  I had quickly lost the cover to Firefly's pack when I was a kid.  So, that's a piece that I've always held in high regard.  This figure includes a unique coloring of the pack: again using the marbelized green and brown plastic.  So, once again, you can find versions that are drastically different in primary colors from each other.  Missing, though, was Firefly's walkie talkie.  (Sorry, I'm hard pressed to call it a phone since it was released in 1984....)  The upside is that a black version of it appeared with other 2000 figures and many others since.  But, it was an odd omission.  Firefly's original card artwork showed him with a pistol.  I've always wondered if the figure was originally going to include two weapons before Hasbro either removed the gun or simply replaced it with the radio.

Hasbro got all they could from the Firefly mold.  After the US release, Hasbro also released Firefly in Europe and Japan.  The mold then showed up in India.  Funskool released a Firefly that was nearly identical to the 1984 coloring for a few years in the 1990's.  During that time, the mold was colored light blue and yellow and also used in the Complan Commandos line as Rocker.  Hasbro got the mold back around 1997 and released Firefly in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003 (2 Convention repaints and a repainted Joe named Tiger Force Wreckage), 2004 and 2005.  And, in 2005, the body was released again but with a new head.  Firefly's chest was going to be used on the "Tiger Force Steel Brigade" figure, but it was never released.  There is also an unproduced green body 2002 Firefly as well as an alternate Urban Assault figure that were widely available to collectors.  Hasbro made Firefly in grey, green, red, black, blue, crimson and even a weird orange and green variant.  There's something for everyone if you collect Firefly.

This Firefly had a very odd pricing history.  In the fall of 2000, you could buy all of this figure you wanted for $8 at Toys R Us or KB Toys or $5.84 at Wal Mart.  I bought half a dozen or more and left many multiples of that number behind.  Everyone had the figure and didn't think anything of finding him.  That all changed in January of 2001, though.  Firefly was discontinued from the Joe case assortments right as the line's popularity took off.  Hordes of new collectors came online in early 2001: only to discover they had just missed the first wave of retail Joes.  Firefly quickly rose in price.  MOC versions of him and Undertow were $30 purchases by the summer.  And, by the fall, you could sell MOC sets for $75.  (At the same time, a mint and complete with filecard Starduster was $30 and MOC Satans were $50!)  Then, though, Hasbro started releasing the Firefly mold in what seemed like every wave.  By 2005, this Firefly had fallen from grace and you could get MOC figures for around $20.  From there, the figure went into a freefall, with MOC figures running $10 well into the 2010's.

Now, left to the open market, this Firefly is pretty cheap.  Mint, loose and complete figures run in the $6-$10 range depending on timing and the filecard.  Dealers, though, routinely get $16-$20 for the figure, mostly just due to having the figure available at any given time.  You can still get carded versions for around $20.  And, since you get the excellent Undertow figure in the same pack, it's probably the way to go.  The 2000 Firefly certainly isn't the worst release of the mold.  But, it's close to the bottom...only because so many subsequent figures were excellently done.  For cheap, this guy is a valuable pick up.  But, the figure has limitations and the color scheme really doesn't offer anything drastically different enough from better releases to be a must buy.

1984 Vamp Mark II - Around The Web

Back in 1984, I had a fleeting glimpse of the new catalog.  There were few items that really burned into my mind.  But, one of them was the VAMP Mark II.  Mostly, I remembered it because I had loved the original VAMP.  And, while my VAMP was still in decent shape, the thought of getting a new one was really exciting.  Once in hand, though, the VAMP Mark II had some issues.  The lack of gun really hindered its adoption in my collection.  And, in short order, the VAMP Mark II was actually in worse shape than my older and more battle worn VAMP.  

Today, though, I appreciate both designs.  The VAMP is still more used.  But, I do enjoy getting the VAMP Mark II out from time to time.  It photographs well and does work with a variety of different figures.  There's some good content featuring the VAMP Mark II out there.  So, be sure to check out the posts below.

Vamp Mark II Profile

Vamp Mark II by dreadnokdread

Vamp Mark II by masterbungle

VAMP Mark II by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

VAMP Mark II by gi_joe_for_fun

VAMP Mark II by sintechness

VAMP Mark II by gen_liederkranz

VAMP Mark II at 3DJoes.com

VAMP Mark II by evilface

VAMP Mark II by thedustinmccoy

VAMP Mark II at JoePedia

VAMP Mark II by 3rd_wave_sabotage