The 1996-1998 G.I. Joe community was made up, almost exclusively, of guys whose childhood Joe years were 1982 through 1985. You'd see collectors of that era expand their notion of Joe until about 1987. But, that was a clear demarcation line. The only time you'd see figures made after this date was for a slate of standard customs. You'd see a couple of later figures used to make the Oktober Guard. You'd see a Street Fighter figure used to make the khaki shorts Kwinn. And, you'd see the Talking Battle Commander Hawk head used to make some, usually villainous general who was looking to take the Joes down from the inside.
The reason this trope was ubiquitous was due to the overall design and quality of the figure's head sculpt. Aside from the obscuring sunglasses, Hawk's head has a stern look that doesn't denote experience as much as it implies that the person behind the countenance is a huge dick. More importantly, to collectors of that early era, Hawk was only defined by his 1986 figure. There were no future Hawk figures to any of those guys. So, breaking the 1992 figure apart to make up some fictional take on the "Jugglers" was the only acceptable acknowledgement that Hasbro had kept the character in circulation in the 1990's.
The singular calling card of this General Hawk is his skin tone. Hasbro went with a sunburnt face and hands for the fleshtone. It is the only figure in the vintage line with this skin tone. There's no explanation as to why Hasbro modified their standard flesh colors. But, it makes this Hawk stand out among his peers. The skin color is a match for the maroon and tan that comprises the bulk of the figure's color. It still, though, stands out and makes you wonder what happened to the Hawk character instead of just blending with the rest of the uniform coloring. It's an odd feature for the figure and is really the most famous discussion point around him.
The figure's base colors are also seldom seen in the Joe line. The combination of a maroon jacket with golden highlights is a bold choice. Pairing it with tan pants and offsetting it with some black details wasn't something you'd think would work. But, the colors are complementary and do create a memorable visual of the figure. I do think the colors allow this Hawk to blend into the background too easily. And, he's difficult to pair with other figures who also accentuate his color palette. More often, Hawk clashes with figures that are both his contemporaries and precedents. The golden highlights and gear are meant as a way to make the figure appear to be a leader. But, the gold doesn't improve the figure's regal standing and leaves Hawk as more of an odd man out than the leader that was denoted by his 1986 and, even, 1991 figures.
The overall sculpting of this figure is interesting. As a standalone piece, the parts fit together, perfectly. The puffy jacket, tall boots and rectangular head all work together to form a symmetric representation of a person. When you compare this guy to other figures of his time, though, you start to see that he appears to be a bit out of proportion. This was accentuated when Hasbro started using his pieces in conjunction with earlier sculpted parts during the 2000's. It became apparent that this Hawk's legs were too long and his upper body too bulky. It allows the figure to work on his own. But, makes him harder to set up with other figures in the line. His oversized accessories (especially the pistol!) exacerbate this. And, when you take the weird skin, offbeat base colors, the elongated parts and the comical weapons, you're left with a figure that's never caught on with the collector base.
The Talking Battle Commanders were another gimmick in Hasbro's ever expanding arsenal as the line limped towards cancellation. The oversized backpacks and electronics were a way to drive up the retail price and put a G.I. Joe item into the $5-$10 price category. Historically, this level was where you found small vehicles that defined the line. Many collector favorites exist due to this desired price point. By the early 1990's, though, vehicles were passe. And, Hasbro needed something that appeared to be special to justify the higher price tag. The TBC figures seemed to sell in the $6-$8 range at various retail stores. They weren't great sellers and the concept was discontinued for 1993. Large quantities of them made their way to overstock stores of the era for around a $5 price tag. All of these were high for what you got. As I was an adult by the time these appeared at retail, the sway of electronic components in a G.I. Joe figure was lost on me. I'd be curious to hear from younger collectors, though, to see if it was a salient selling point for them and made them want figures like this over the standard retail line that was about 1/2 the price.
The TBC Hawk included some solid accessories. There is, of course, the massive electronic backpack. There is a golden antenna that attaches to the top of it. The talking backpack is screwed on with more fasteners than are worth removing. They are annoying. But, once the pack is taken off, you can get down to the essentials. The figure also includes two golden weapons. Gold is a rare accessory color. In some contexts, it worked great. For Hawk, though, the gold is somewhat distracting. The color meshes with the figure, though. It just makes the gear more difficult to port to other figures. There is an oversized revolver that has a sight on top. Somehow, the size works with this Hawk, though. It is the only weapon I tend to use with this mold. There is also a rifle. I actually really enjoy this rifle. It was released ad naseum in silver during the early 2000's and remains my de facto weapon for the 2000 Dusty and all the Mirage repaints from 2002 and 2003.
This mold ended up with a good life. After the vintage release, it made a surprise appearance in 2000. Hasbro then released it again in 2002, after they could not find the 1986 Hawk mold but still wanted to release the character. In 2004, the mold was used for two of the three figures in a convention "Changing Zartan" set. It was just weird and remains an obscure and unpopular release. Starting in 2004, Hawks legs started to get used on comic pack figures including Clayton Abernathy and Stalker. In 2005, the legs and arms were used along with some newly sculpted 1986 Hawk parts to make another Comic Pack Hawk. Hasbro's infatuation with the parts in the 2000's further soured collectors on the mold. And, it's taken nearly 25 years for you to start seeing sentiment that the various flavors of this General Hawk are worthwhile figures.
It's recently been discovered that this mold was also planned for a 1994 release. It would have been included with a machine gun nest that ended up being released as the Battle Bunker in the Sgt. Savage line. The figure would have used a grey base color and featured bright green highlights. It would have been a solid repaint. We don't know if Hasbro would have sculpted a new back piece for the figure or not. But, grey Joes are few and far between. So, had this figure been released, it would have been somewhat distinctive. Personally, I'd still hold the 2002 color scheme as the best release of the mold...even if the 1994 repaint had happened. But, it's interesting to know that Hasbro wanted to get more use from this mold during the vintage era.
In the end, I want to tell you that I like this figure. On paper, I should. He's bizarre enough and obscure enough to be the type of guy that's right up my alley. But, he's not. This is a figure that I only acquired because a fellow collector was liquidating his collection and happened to have his cheap as a toss in with a group of figures I actually wanted. I've only ever taken photos of him, deliberately. He doesn't work with other figures well enough to warrant appearances outside of shots meant to showcase him. And, if I want to use the look of this character, both the 2000 and 2002 figures are far better ways to get the head sculpt into a photo. I simply don't see this guy as Hawk. His introduction to me as the nameless, shadowy general who has authority over the Joe team is the characterization of him that's stuck with me. The figure just doesn't have the overall quality to overcome that early association and stand on its own.
The Talking Battle Commander Hawk is not popular. As such, he remains an incredibly cheap figure to acquire. While dealers will sell mint and complete figures in the $15 range, you can actually still get carded figures for under $20. You can still find high quality figures on the open market and can buy them for about $8. These days, that's about as cheap as you find any vintage Joe. For that price, it's worth it to have a version of the figure lying around. The later repaints are better. But, when you can find something cheap like this Hawk is, you take advantage and add him. The weird color scheme is well worth the paltry price and gives your collection a weird example of the Joe team's leader.
