2004 Operation Crimson Sabotage - Around The Web

Today, $20 doesn't even  buy you a G.I. Joe figure.  Super7 can be close.  But, all the kickstarter figures are well over that amount.  Hasbro sold figures for $20 and that was almost 5 years ago, now.  But, back in 2004, $20 got you three figures, a Hiss Tank and an ASP.  Such a set would be hovering close to $100 these days.  But, back in '04, things were good.  KB Toys had these stacked to the ceiling in some locations.  Though, others got 1 case, if that.  But, in general, if you were active during the Christmas season in 2004, you could have found an Operation Crimson Sabotage and added one of Hasbro's better sets to your collection.

The sheer notion of a classic vehicle, a towed set piece and three figures all in a box that was sold at regular retail with no collector tax is unfathomable.  But, it was also 22 years ago.  Which...also seems unfathomable.  But, the Operation Crimson Sabotage has withstood the test of time.  It was a good product in 2004 and remains a solid release, today.  The colors were good.  The figures were fine.  The quality was in line with the era.  And, the price was right.  It's sad that those combos don't really exist in the toy world of today.  

As a set, the Sabotage crew delivers.  The ASP is the only alternate coloring of the mold.  Red Hiss tanks have become passe.  But, it was nice to get a cheap version at retail.  Hasbro's reuse of the Crimson Guard mold in January of 2005 for a Toys R Us Crimson Guard Set also helped temper army builders since they knew they'd get their share of figures just a couple of months later.  So, the set was good.

Today, you see it less often.  In 2005, the Sabotage set was usually the centerpiece of the retail army builder's Cobra mobile legions.  Now, you'll see the set from time to time.  But, it's mostly faded into history: like a lot of the vehicle releases of the early to mid 2000's.  I did find some content on it, though.  So, click through the links below and let the creators know you appreciate their work.

2004 Operation Crimson Sabotage Profile

2004 Operation Crimson Sabotage by littlegreenmentoyz

2004 Operation Crimson Sabotage by gen_liederkranz

2004 Operation Crimson Sabotage at JoeBattleLines.com

2004 Operation Crimson Sabotage by slipstream80

2004 Operation Crimson Sabotage by gvilla74

2004 Operation Crimson Sabotage by slipstream80

2004 Operation Crimson Sabotage at Generals Joes Reborn

2004 Operation Crimson Sabotage by atwooddan

2004 Operation Crimson Sabotage by littlegreenmentoyz

2000 Cobra Commander

There are, as of the end of 2019, 56 different versions of Cobra Commander that were released by Hasbro.  There's a handful of international versions, too.  In short, Cobra Commander is one of the most popular characters who is represented by action figures in the history of the Joe line.  (And, likely, any toy line.)  

Yes, I started writing this profile in 2019.  It's sat in drafts for 8 years.  In that time, I can't imagine how many more Cobra Commanders have been released.  Hasbro gave us two o-ring versions in 2022 and 2023.  The Super7 ReAction line had a ton.  Classified has produced countless Commander variants.  Factory Custom makers got into the Cobra Commander business and made at least 50 versions themselves.  The, the ReAction+ line has also fallen in love with the character and released an overabundance of Cobra Commander designs.  We're almost at a point where just a Cobra Commander collection would be an entire shelving unit of display space.  And, yet, we don't seem to tire of the character.

As the titular villain in the G.I.Joe saga, though, that makes sense.  You can't really have a story without the main bad guy.  So, always having a figure of him available is just good practice.  The fact that the character's main design happens to be pretty cool certainly helps.  The Commander is a classic mix of comic book super villain and military strongman.  He has a dressy uniform that's topped by the battle helmet or classic hood.  You need only look at him to know he's the bad guy.  And, for a kid's toy line, that visual reference was all that was needed to create an iconic image.

When Hasbro looked to bring the G.I. Joe line back to full retail in 2000, Cobra Commander was a mandatory member of the initial wave.  Unfortunately, back in 1997, Hasbro had learned that the near perfect 1983 Cobra Commander figure mold was no longer viable.  Back then, they scrambled and released the Battle Armor version to get the character into the Toys R Us exclusive line.  Wanting a more classic look for the Commander for a fuller retail launch, though, left Hasbro with few options.  The 1991 mold was enjoying a great life in India.  The 1987 had just been used.  This left Hasbro with just the Talking Battle Commander/1993 Cobra Commander mold.  But, that happens to be an amazing sculpt for the character that hearkens back to his original designs.  So, it became the mold of choice to represent the Commander at the retail relaunch.

Packed with a 1984 Baroness figure that was now named Chameleon, Cobra Commander was shipped 3 to a case in the first wave...making him very abundant.  Hasbro assumed that collectors would go ga-ga over the new Baroness while also appreciating the Cobra Commander.  And, they weren't really wrong.  While the two pack did back up at retail in late 2000 and was often the last pack available on the shelves, it was all gone from retail by early 2001.  Despite collector reticence at post 1990 molds, the community generally accepted the new version of the Commander.  The appreciated the color and found the mold good enough, especially when used among later figures.  

Where this figure shines is the paint applications.  The 2000 ARAHC releases featured paint masks that would come to be considered Convention quality.  Hasbro spent money to paint the figures up correctly.  And, that quality allows the figures to have more resonance, today.  Hasbro started skimping on retail paint applications in 2002.  But, figures released before that, like this Commander, retain many of the trappings of vintage Hasbro releases.  The body is cast in a Cobra blue and features silver and red highlights.  It's a definite improvement over the 1993 paint masks.  And it allows you to see all the sculpted details that Hasbro baked into the figure.  The result is a visual treat that looks like a vintage figure but has the coloring of a collector themed release.  You'll even see a great little detail where the Commander's neck is painted red.  A small, unnecessary touch that adds to much depth to the figure.  It could be argued that this is the best Cobra Commander figure Hasbro ever did...except for one horrible design choice.

The 1992 Talking Battle Commander figures all featured flat backs.  This was done to accommodate the screwed on, oversized sonic backpacks.  In 1993, though, Hasbro sculpted a proper back piece for the Cobra Commander so that he could be a standard carded figure.  For some reason, though, the 2000 figure features the flat, 1992 back instead of the proper 1993.  The result is that the figure is out of sorts with his contemporaries.  From the front, he's fine.  But, as soon as even a small portion of the back becomes visible, you realize that something is drastically amiss.  No explanation was ever given by Hasbro as to why this back was used in 2000 and continued to be used through the figure's final appearance in 2005.  At least the 2003 convention release and the 2005 Processional figures had capes to hide the mis-shapen piece.  But, it's a glaring miss on an otherwise impeccable figure that takes it from one of the best figures of the repaint era to just another figure that you can probably skip over.

The rest of the figure is solid.  There are some who don't like the shorter hood.  But, the later Comic Pack release showed that even a longer hood wasn't a guaranteed improvement.  But, the sculpting bears strong resemblance to the Cobra Commander's first appearance in the comic in 1982.  He's a dead ringer for the Cobra Commander who appears on the cover of G.I. Joe #100.  In short, he's about as iconic a look as you can get for Cobra Commander.  But, that kind of makes sense, given his 1992 release date.  1992 was a reboot year for Joe with many classic characters returning to the line.  Gung Ho, Wild Bill, Destro, Cutter and Spirit were just some examples of classic characters who were designed for a 1992 release and who got figures very true to their characters.  So, the Commander being among was Hasbro's way of keeping him as the main bad guy for a new generation of kids.

Cobra Commander's gear is terrible.  Really, really terrible.  All of the gear is recycled from the 1992 Talking Battle Commanders figure.  And, you can see what they were attempting to do back then.  The missile launcher has removable missiles and even features a blast shield (realism that could be missing from some Joe toys) to protect the shooter.  But, the practicality of the design is lost and the weapon doesn't really look good at a 3 3/4" scale toy level.  The other rifle is, again, too large.  It's a big, bulky weapon that is difficult for the figure to hold and looks out of place.  Were it scaled smaller or even included a stock, the weapon might have merit.  But, you really need a spare 1987 Cobra Commander pistol to make this figure work.  (The 1983 "hairdryer" accessory is really too small for this bulkier 1992 sculpt.)  I'm more lenient on poor gear for a figure like the Commander since he's not someone who's out on the front lines.  But, if a figure is going to include gear, at least make it something worthwhile.

The upside is that there is a nice amount of 2000's era Cobra Commander accessories to supplement this figure.  The classic hair-dryer gun was released with several different figures in the repaint era.  The 1987 Cobra Commander pistol also saw release in a nice silver color.  Both are good alternate accessories for this 2000 version.  And, if you want to hide the flat back (and, you do!), the cape from the 2005 Imperial Processional Cobra Commander works perfectly for this blue version, too.  With that gear, the figure really stands out and looks like the Commander should.

I see this figure as the logical placeholder/replacement for the 1984 Hooded Cobra Commander figure.  When I'm using figures that were released prior to 1986, the Hooded Cobra Commander is a perfect companion piece.  He's skinny, frail and in proportion to the figures of that era.  But, when I want to use figures from later in the line, it is this sculpt of the Commander that is my go-to.  The bulkier sculpt is more in line with later figures...but keeps the classic Commander look.  So, you can have a standard Cobra army, just using later figures.  It's a fun way to keep some consistency within Cobra and gives me a nice, alternate look for the faction.  I've long loved the 1993 Cobra Commander and have made a case that it's the best Cobra Commander figure.  If this 2000 figure had the proper back, though, he would be the undisputed king of the character's figures.  Even with the poor back piece, he's in the running for the best since he does photograph well.

This mold was used a lot.  The initial, flat back release occurred in 1992 with the Talking Battle Commanders.  In 1993, Hasbro fixed the back and gave a black version a full retail release.  It's one of the highlights of the 1993 line.  Sadly, the flat back returned in 2000 and remained with the figure's releases.  In 2003, a version of this Commander was released in the Convention set.  It's a solid figure.  And, it was given a cape to hide the poor back piece.  In 2004, the body mold was used in the first Comic Pack.  But, that figure got a new head.  The new head and 1992 body then appeared in the 2005 Imperial Processional pack and then again as a clear "holographic" figure in a DTC Comic Pack.  (There is an alternate Imperial Processional Cobra Commander, too.  It's extremely rare, though and wasn't ever really available from Asian sellers.  You'll see it in a Rarities post next June.)  That was the end of Hasbro releases.  However, in 2020 or so, Black Major resurrected the head for inclusion with his Worms figures.  The head made for some fun new takes on the Commander before being retired.  

This Cobra Commander is, simply put, not popular.  The figure was overpacked in Wave I of the ARAHC cases at 3 sets per case.  This lead to oversupply in 2000 that still manifests itself 20+ years later.  While Cobra Commander was discontinued after Wave I, the huge oversupply kept him available for a long time.  Even when the Baroness mold was hard to get, this figure remained cheap.  Today, loose mint and complete figures sell for a couple of bucks.  Dealers charge $5-$7 just because it's not worth their time to deal with them for any less.  You can get carded versions with Chameleon for $10 and even less if you are patient.  This is a pittance for two figures of the quality of this Cobra Commander and Chameleon.  This version does have limitations.  But, those are easy to forgive for a dollar or two.  

1994 Windchill - Random Photos of the Day

The last couple of years have been pretty good when it comes to getting pics of my Joes out in the snow.  While I'm not a huge fan of snow, in general, I will take it for getting some fun winter operations photos.  I've had occasion to really showcase the 1994 Windchill.  I only wish that my Blockbuster had fared as well as Windchill did in the years since I bought them at retail.  The Blockbuster's turned into a yellow mess: as you can see in the photos below.  But, Windchilll remains fun as ever.

To me, the 1994 Windchill was an all new figure.  I had stopped collecting by 1989 and wasn't really aware that the original Windchill figure even existed.  To this day, I consider this 1994 figure to be his definitive release.  Something about the green upper body spoke to me.  The contrast between the dark green and bleached white pants made him compelling.  And, he's remained one of my preferred arctic figures ever since.

You don't see this guy all that often.  Despite large amounts of overstock figures making their way into the collecting community and Windchill remaining a very cheap acquisition to this day, no one really uses him.  If you don't have a connection to him like I do, there's no real reason to dig him out.  But, I still find him fun and had a good time getting him out into the snow these past couple of years.

Feel free to share figures that are your personal obscurity in the comments.

1994 Shadow Ninja Night Creeper - Around The Web

I like the 1993 Night Creeper mold.  I think it's just a weird, fun look that translates well into a toy.  They are great foils for Ninja Force Joes and remain one of my preferred enemies in photos of '90's Joes.  The 1994 Shadow Ninja repaint is also a strong figure.  Sadly, it is made of extremely brittle plastic and is nearly impossible to use without breaking the thumbs.  In addition, the plastic discolors very easily and most of the loose figures you see have a yellow tinge to them that doesn't go away when you try to refresh the colors in ice water.

Because of this, it's tough to put together a nice army of the 1994 versions.  They've also kind of disappeared as the ubiquitous lots of cheap Shadow Ninjas that used to sit unsold on Ebay for a couple of bucks per figure are long gone.  The upside is that army building is somewhat passe, these days.  But, that doesn't sate my desire to have a few more of these Shadow Ninja Night Creepers as an alternate look for the character.

I do wish we'd gotten at least one more repaint of this mold.  The sculpt's proximity to the Flak Viper kind of makes me want one in 1992 Flak Viper colors.  I think that would be fun.  That will never happen.  And, even the resurgence of Ninja Force as a marketing focus for Hasbro and Super7 is unlikely to result in a solidly repainted version of this figure in 3 3/4" form.

So, enjoy some of the content on this figure that you can find around the web.  I found more on this guy than I have on more popular figures.  But, I dug pretty deep to find everything I could about this guy.  So, the results are more a function of effort than the figure's actual popularity.

1994 Shadow Ninja Night Creeper Profile

1994 Shadow Ninja Night Creeper Toys R Us Advertisement

1994 Shadow Ninja Night Creeper by thedustinmccoy

1994 Shadow Ninja Night Creeper by gen_liederkranz

1994 Shadow Ninja Night Creeper by nightforcetunnelrat

1994 Shadow Ninja Night Creeper at Mike's Collection

1994 Shadow Ninja Night Creeper by thedustinmccoy

1994 Shadow Ninja Night Creeper by tiffstasfigas

1994 Shadow Ninja Night Creeper by gen_liederkranz

1994 Shadow Ninja Night Creeper by viper_space

1994 Shadow Ninja Night Creeper by toy_haven_aka_patch

1994 Shadow Ninja Night Creeper by Gen _Liederkranz

1993 Eel - Around The Web

The 1985 Eel is one of the best figures in the history of the G.I. Joe line.  Because of this, his follow up design that was released in 1992 is often denigrated as it's so different from the classic look.  But, the 1992 figure is a strong design on its own.  The 1993 repaint is not really better or worse than the 1992.  It's missing a paint application and has very different weapons.  But, that allows it to be used either in conjunction with the 1992 figure or as a separate unit of Cobra's frogmen.

I like the purple 1993 version, though, just because it's not a figure you see all that often.  Despite that, I've been able to find some decent content featuring him.  He's never going to replace the 1985 Eel in collector's minds.  But, he can be a fun figure that really works well with his contemporaries.

I haven't done much with him for quite a while.  I need to get them out again this fall and get at least one more in action shot of these Eels either working with the Bugg or taking out some Joes.  They work really well in those contexts.  Until then, enjoy all the creators below:

1993 Eel Profile

1993 Eel by Relena_Warcraft

1993 Eel by thedustinmccoy

1993 Eel by gijoe_c4_panama

1993 Eel by thedustinmccoy

1993 Eel by Joerizzo2025

1993 Eel by yojoe_collectibles

1993 Eel by gijoe_c4_panama

1993 Eel by thedustinmccoy

1993 Eel by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

1993 Eel by thedustinmccoy

1991 Tracker

Tracker is one of those figures that you don't think to use all that often.  But, when you do dig him out, you find a figure who is way better than his color scheme would suggest.  Tracker was often mentioned as one of the 1990's figures who most needed a repaint.  In recent years, though, collectors have warmed to the original figure.  And, he's become a relatively expensive addition to a collection.  I've had the figure since the late 1990's.  And, really, haven't used him as much as I should have.  But, in the last 10 years, I've found him a fun subject for photos.  He can be outfitted with a variety of non-traditional gear that makes him far more interesting than many of his contemporaries.

But, if you're going to be objective about the Tracker mold, it has some warts.  The red and yellow color scheme is the most glaring issue.  But, his sculpt has some limitations.  His weird moon-boots are the most glaring problem and are difficult to unsee once they've been pointed out.  The fact that he's wearing white popcorn shinguards doesn't help the overall appearance of his lower legs.  These are the most glaring issues and can call the whole figure into question.  After them, though, the figure improves substantially.

The rest of Tracker's body sculpting is very strong.  It's not too big and features tremendous details hidden throughout the various parts.  He has one of the better sculpted heads of his era, too.  It's both distinctive and non-descript at the same time.  This allows you to use it for customs.  But, also makes it distinctly Tracker's.  It's a weird trick to pull off.  But, Hasbro managed to do it a lot in 1990 and 1991. It sits perfectly on his chest.  Tracker has a lot of blank space on his torso.  But, it works.  Sometimes, less is more and Hasbro was a master at making a figure with the just right amount of detailing. 

Tracker's calling card is his gear.  Like many figures from the 1990/1991 timeframe, he includes a massive amount of accessories.  The hallmark piece is the rubber raft.  Instead of being molded plastic like the Night Landing or the 1989 Stalker's kayak, Tracker's raft has an air tube and is inflatable.  I've never had one that was really able to hold the air for very long.  Usually, the stopper pops out and the thing deflates.  But, the idea of the raft was strong and it's a fun inclusion.  To go with the raft, Tracker includes two orange oars.  They are difficult for him to hold in realistic positions.  But, they look great.  He was one of the earlier figures to include a battle stand, too.  He also has a weird visor that he wears.  It's black and works well with the figure.  But, I'm not really sure of it's real purpose.  It's one of those bizarre accessories that works, even though you're not really sure how it would function in the real world.

Tracker was also the origination of the MP-5 inspired rifle that would become ubiquitous with 1993 and 1994 figures.  I've written about how it's one  of my favorite accessories in the line.  I have a goal to be able to give a version of it to every single 1993 figure release.  (It's not a serious goal.  Though, I'm closer than I thought I would be.)  It works perfectly with Tracker, even though it's orange.  Since it's so available in black, though, it's easy to outfit Tracker with a differently colored version to give him a little, subtle difference from the real release.  Back in the late 1990's, this rifle was the only real reason anyone paid attention to Tracker.  But, it was enough to get collectors to come around on his sculpt and ask for a repaint.

Another fun aspect of Tracker, is that he works with a plethora of accessories form other 1990-1992 figures.  Helmets, hats, backpacks, airmasks and other gear all fits on him much more seamlessly than it tends to on most figures.  If you scour the photos on this site, you'll find Tracker with a variety of accessories from other figures.  You'll even seen my favorite alternate, the 1991 Eco Warrior Flint helmet, posed on the the figure in one of the photos below.  It's one of those little things that makes Tracker fun for me.  You can configure him in different ways for different purposes.  And, that versatility helps to offset any limitations caused by the maroon and yellow.

Tracker was criminally underused.  The 1991 figure just saw a single year of production.  From there, Tracker was supposed to go to the Brazil.  He appeared in a Brazilian catalog and his art even appeared on Brazilian cardbacks.  But, Correnteza was never actually released.  Tracker did make his way to India, though.  There, Funskool started releasing him around 1999 or 2000.  The figure is similar to the Hasbro version.  He has a yellow or red accessory variant on his gun and paddles.  The Funskool figure's visor is blue.  His raft is, too.  Despite the fact that the Funskool version was available from U.S. based dealers for years, he's gotten expensive.  

In 2003, Hasbro got the mold back and promptly released it in the 2004 Toys R Us exclusive Night Force set.  This character was originally planned as a Tracker release in a nice palette of green and white.  But, Hasbro changed him to Action Man and released an orange vested figure with black pants.  It's a nice figure.  But, it's not a great Tracker.  Fortunately, the actual Night Force Tracker figure was available from Asia for a bit.  He's gotten scarce these days.  We never got a full retail release of a nice Tracker repaint.  It's an unfortunate result for a mold with more potential that was unrealized.

Trackers are stupidly expensive.  Dealers will try to convince you that a mint and complete version is a $60 figure.  But, those don't sell.  You will see some dealer stock move at $50.  But, left to his own devices, Tracker is a $30-$40 figure.  The bulk of the value seems to be in his visor, though.  You can get figures with a rifle and paddle for about $15.  The raft will run another $5 or so.  It's tough to find a visor without the rest of the figure, too.  But, mint and complete Trackers aren't all that rare.  They're just still commanding a premium these days.  

2002 Dial Tone (Gift Set Exclusive) - Random Photos of the Day

Lost in the army builder madness that was 2002 were a slew of really nice Joe affiliated repaints.  Mirage, Big Ben and even General Tomahawk were all nice alternate looks for some, at the time, underappreciated characters.  Among these was what is, probably, my favorite retail release of that, the Gift Set Dial Tone.

In 2002, collectors were down on Dial Tone since he had just been released in 2000.  He wasn't a figure that anyone was keen on seeing return.  But, Hasbro tossed a gem into the BJ's set.  We were given a nicely colored Dial Tone figure that was true to the characters roots while bringing some uniquely colored plastic to the line as a whole.  

Dial Tone features some weird, sparkly, metallic plastic on his torso.  It wasn't a mix that appeared again.  The BJ's set seemed somewhat experimental in this regard when it came to plastic and paint combinations.  But, the effect worked.  Dial Tone stands out among figures from his era: in a good way.  The plastic is used to offset the fact that he doesn't have a ton of paint applications.  But, the figure looks like he's very intricate due to Dial Tone's layered uniform.  

Sadly, this version didn't include proper accessories.  At the time, 1986 Dial Tone gear was readily available and cheap.  So, it was possible to give this 2002 version the vintage accessories.  The grey backpack isn't a great match for the figure, though.  It's become easy to black versions of Dial Tone gun.  And, seeing that with the figure gives you an idea of how amazing he would look with the proper backpack in the same color.  

Everyone hated this figure back in 2002 and 2003.  They didn't hate it because it was bad.  They hated it because it wasn't an army builder, it wasn't a Cobra.  And, it wasn't one of the "acceptable" Joe characters that collectors had deemed they would accept in a retail set.  So, the figure because worthless and disposable.  It allowed me to pick up a couple of extras.  But, mostly, these guys are stashed away in the bottom of a forgotten shoe box by guys who packed up all their Joes so they had room to line up their 8 red Undertows on a metal shelf to get some message board cred.  

But, if you haven't picked up any new figures in a while, I'll suggest this Dial Tone.  He's both fun and useful and really helps to give any repaint era Joe team a little zing.

1987 Tunnel Rat - Random Photos of the Day 2

Tunnel Rat remains a fan favorite.  It's due to both the incredible quality of his figure and the fact that his likeness was based on Larry Hama.  So, Tunnel Rat's got a lot going for him.  He's a figure I use very often.  He looks  great with some of his gear, all of his gear, or someone else's gear.  It's rare for a figure to have that type of versatility.  So, enjoy some random photos of him while I try to muster up a new profile for this Saturday.  (If you were quick, you probably caught a preview of it when it published early on Monday!)  See you then.

1994 Neon Highlights Stalker - Around The Web

Every time I see the yellow 1994 Stalker, I think that I just profiled him.  And, as such, it's too soon for an Around The Web feature.  But, it's been over 5 years since I wrote about this guy.  And,  since then, I've found him among my preferred figures for various photo shoots.  I've long loved the 1994 Stalker mold.  Having with a splash of color to make him stand out just makes him that much better.

I was surprised at the amount of content I found on him.  It seems a few people do like to use the figure.  It's a great rendition of the Stalker character.  And, the yellow adds just enough to make him visually interesting without overpowering the black and olive green.  So, check out the content below and let me know your thoughts on the figure.

1994 Neon Highlight Stalker Profile

1994  Neon Highlights Stalker by thedustinmccoy

1994 Neon Highlight Stalker by misanthropic_git

1994 Neon Highlights Stalker by corpscommandercody

1994 Neon Highlights Stalker by gen_liederkranz

1994 Neon Highlights Stalker by gijoe_c4_panama

1994 Neon Highlights Stalker by thedustinmccoy

1994 Neon Highlights Stalker by corpscommandercody

1994 Neon Highlights Stalker by gijoe_c4_panama

1994 Neon Highlights Stalker by corpscommandercody

1994 Neon Highlights Stalker by powervsdreams2000

1994 Neon Highlights Stalker by thedustinmccoy

2026 Garindan - Star Wars Retro

At my core, I was a Star Wars kid.  A happenstance find in a Children's Palace in 1978 lead to an obsession that lasted nearly 5 years.  I played with 3 3/4" action figures because of Star Wars.  My obsession with G.I. Joe was a direct result of them supplanting Star Wars as my preferred toy.  This was due to a few factors.  But, the greater accessories, improved articulation and greater variety of vehicles were the driving force to my transition to G.I. Joe.  Despite that, I have a soft spot for vintage Star Wars figures.  Once upon a time, I planned to get a complete set of the original Kenner run.  But, as I got the money to do so, I found that I was far happier using those funds to build out my burgeoning G.I.  Joe collection.  That became my focus.  I ended up selling off my vintage Star Wars figures as I didn't have enough to display and was fine with the 2000's era versions of my childhood favorite characters.  The Star Wars Retro line, though, has scratched that old itch for vintage Kenner type Star Wars figures.  And, I've acquired far more of those releases than I ever figured I would.  My main impetus to get deeper into the Retro figures, though, is that Hasbro started producing Kenner style figures of characters we never got back in the '70 and early '80's.

In this year's set of 6 figures, there was one stand out for me: Garindan.  Ever since I was a kid, I felt that Garindan was a major miss from the Kenner line.  He was more important than Snaggletooth or Hammerhead.  And, his affiliation was known...he was a bad guy.  Not having him as a Kenner figure always seemed like a miss.  

My parents got a VCR very early in the 1980's.  My dad's best friend gave us his as he was more impressed with his new, BETA player.  So, we had a VCR much earlier than most of my peers.  My dad also had a work friend who had HBO when that wasn't something most people even knew about.  My dad spent an uknown, likely LARGE, sum of money to buy a blank VCR tape and gave it to his friend who recorded Star Wars from an HBO broadcast.  So, we had our very own copy of Star Wars that we could watch whenever we wanted.  And, we got more than my dad's money worth out of that tape.  We watched it well over 100 times.  We were still watching it into the early 1990's.  It wasn't until LucasFilm produced an updated trilogy boxed set in 1995 that we finally replaced that worn tape.  (Oddly, the HBO broadcast cut a few seconds of dialog in the Death Star Control Room.  It wasn't until I saw the 1995 tape with it restored that I even knew it existed.  To this day, that scene seems more out of place to me in a Star Wars viewing than any of the Special Editions changes.)  

Seeing the movie so many times lead me to appreciate many of the small characters who had not gotten vintage toys.  I had reveries of a release of Han and Luke in Stormtrooper disguises, Grand Moff Tarkin, Biggs, Sandtroopers, Rebel Fleet Troopers, Cantina Band Members and, yes, Garindan.  When I was young enough to still be playing with Star Wars figures, I wanted them all to fill out my adventures.  When I grew out of Star Wars figures, I still wanted the figures for the memories they'd have created during my younger days.  I just assumed that I'd never get to have most of these characters in plastic form.  But, then, Hasbro brought back Star Wars figures in 1995.  The first two waves were all updated versions of characters that Kenner had also released.  But, as 1996 progressed, Hasbro started to break out a bit.  We saw some new renditions of major characters.  And, Shadows of the Empire brought some great figures that had never been made before to the Star Wars line.  1997 took this even further and released a handful of characters and outfits that had never been released before.  Among these was the first ever release of Garindan.

Something about this Garindan fascinated me.  Mostly, he was the first release of a new character that was on my childhood wish list.  There was something about filling this decade+ old desire that made Garindan more important than he could ever be.  And, when I got the POTFII figure in 1997, he did not disappoint.  Sure, he just stood there with a communicator sculpted into his hand.  But, in 1997, this was light years ahead of Kenner's figures.  It showed all that was possible with Star Wars.  I placed him in a place of prominence on my small, Star Wars shelf.  And, there he stood, representing everything that Hasbro's return to Star Wars could promise.  Over the next couple of years, I picked up a spare Garindan or two.  Toys R Us sold a bunch of overstock figures for $3 or less.  So, it was easy to snag an extra to have around.  I never used him.  But, he would often be among any figures that were on display.  Eventually, though, all my POTFII collection was put away.  And, most of it sold in 2007.  I didn't keep the POTFII Garindan.  

The reason for this, though, was because in 2006, Hasbro had produced an updated Garindan figure.  This release featured substantially upgrade sculpting and articulation.  His proportions were better.  But, the real value was his accessories.  Garindan included a soft goods cape.  The material was light years ahead of the Episode I cloth gear that I had appropriated to my Joes.  It was light but held its shape.  It form fitted to Garindan's head and shoulders.  It gave the figure incredible depth.  Along with that, Garindan came with a new blaster that was more in scale with him.  And, he had a removable communicator that he could hold.  For no reason, Hasbro sculpted a perfect belt holster for him to hold both is pistol and the communicator.  Post Prequels, Hasbro did some great things that drove value.  And, this Garindan figure could never be a character who lived up to the level of detail and care that Hasbro put into his figure.

When I first saw this Retro Garindan, he elicited the same excitement as that first release from 1997.  But, upon looking at him in the early photos, he seemed off.  Mostly, this was just due to the quality of the 2006 figure.  That figure was so perfect that no other rendition could really live up to him.  Upon that realization, I was able to reconcile the Retro Garindan.  And, in hand, he's better than I anticipated.  He's kind of wonky.  But, all Kenner figures were.  He looks like a figure Kenner might have made in 1979.  (Though, his blaster seems out of place and doesn't fit with the aesthetic of figure.  It should have been a Han blaster or Bespin blaster.)  The colors are good, the cape is there.  And, the figure has the required hand communicator that is essential to his character.

I didn't know Garindan's name until the dawn of the internet.  I never called him Long Snoot.  I don't like that moniker for him.  But, had he been released in 1979, Kenner would have called him something like that.  And, you'd have sad, pathetic collectors screaming about how Hasbro's The Vintage Collection release of him that used a name placard of both Long Snoot and Garindan ruined their childhood.  Being anonymous worked for Garindan.  His look was distinctive enough that you could describe him to any fan with ease.  He would have made for a great action figure.  I'm sure Kenner's reasoning for their selection of the 4 Cantina aliens exists out there, somewhere.  But, even as a kid, I questioned why someone like Garindan didn't get a figure while Snaggletooth did.

Next year is the 50th anniversary of the release of Star Wars.  It is every collector's hope that Hasbro commemorates such an occasion with ample toys.  The 40th anniversary (which, I swear was like 18 months ago....) didn't get a ton of fanfare.  But, the 50th appears that it's going to be a bigger deal.  At the 2026 San Diego Comic Con, Hasbro offered a teaser image of how many figures could be released in the Retro line in 2027.  I counted 28 slots with an additional 3 large blobs that could be beasts, playsets, multipacks or even vehicles.  In short, next year is going to be intense for Retro collectors.  With that many possible releases, it has left me daydreaming of a perfect lineup.  Questions, of course, still abound.

Will the 2027 releases be restricted to only Star Wars characters or will we see figures from all the movies?

Will we see remakes of classics or will they be all new figures?

Will they be released as single cards, boxed sets or a combination of both?

These questions and many others will be answered throughout the remainder of the year as we get closer to the actual release dates.  Until then, I've let my mind speculate away as to what I'd like to get.  I'm perfectly fine with updated versions of Luke, Han, Ben, Leia, Vader and Chewie.  With proper sabers, soft goods, useful hands and improved heads, they would be a great capstone for the Retro line.  (Yeah, we got a great Vader in the Kenobi line.  But, he's the least likely character to get excluded from a release.)  Beyond that, there are various Cantina denizens that would be fun to own after 50 years.  A Biggs and even another pilot wouldn't be terrible.  But, really, I'm hard pressed to come up with 27 figures that are left from Star Wars that really need to be made.  Along with Tarkin from a few years ago, we've gotten at least 11 all new figures from the first movie in the last two years.  That filled a lot of holes.  And, the characters left are extremely obscure or rather boring.  

But, if you get some Cantina band members, an updated Jawa, a real Imperial Navy Trooper, Porkins, Motti and the Elvis looking guy who was hanging out at the Cantina, I'll probably get them all.  And, I'm kind of in a place where any Retro figures are that nostalgic nectar that I'll imbibe.  So, I'm looking forward to 2027 and really hoping that the Retro figures continue both their relatively affordable price and their widespread availability.  

In recent years, it dawned on me that Garindan is modeled after a medieval plague doctor.  Before they became a common, clichéd Halloween costume, plague doctors weren't something that most people were aware of.  So, Garindan was a design that was alien, but had enough familiarity that you bought into his plausibility.  It was that grounding design that helped make the aliens so remarkable.  There was thought and purpose behind Garindan's look.  And, it was spent on a guy who had a few seconds of screen time and just two lines...spoken in an alien language.  

Collectability wise, these figures are out there.  Target didn't have the glitches that plagued the 2025 set.  And, these 2026 boxed sets seemed to show up at retail stores in numbers while also not selling out online.  So, there should be ample time to get them.  Last year's set is now available for less than retail.  (You should get another one.  The 2025 set might be the best Retro boxed set Hasbro's ever going to do.)  There's no indication that the 2026 follow up won't follow the same path.  A week after I bought these, Target had them on sale for $10 cheaper.  And, that didn't bother me.  I'm happy with the set and the price I paid.  That's the mark of a good product.

Cobra Flying Scorpion (Brazil) - 25 Years Later

I guess it's tradition to post up the Flying Scorpion every 5 years.  Today, though, marks 25 years since I first posted my original profile on the Brazilian exclusive.  At that time, he was an obscure release that no one really cared about.  Now, he's among the more expensive foreign figures and commands a stupid premium.  None of that has changed his importance to me.  He remains the flagship figure in my collection.  He's the most expensive figure I still use with any frequency.  Some of the flair and creativity behind him has faded into the background.  I don't have deep and evolving characterization for him any longer.  But, the figure remains one of my personal favorites and one I love dusting off every few years.

Twenty Five years is a long time.  It's hard to really imagine the world of August, 2001.  It was such a drastically different time.  2001 was really the dawn of the Joe collecting boom.  Starting in that year, prices rose, forums exploded and G.I. Joe looked like it was set to return to the cultural zeitgeist.  The next three years were a blur of hundreds of new figures, constant news about the line and voluminous fan content that kept even the most voracious collector well sated.  

All good things must end, though.  And, Joe took a drastic downturn at the start of 2004.  By the middle of 2005, the line was cancelled.  Hasbro was ambitious, though, and offered the cancelled line as part of their Direct To Consumer (DTC) strategy.  You can't call the Joe items anything but a failure.  They were dumped to Toy R Us in 2006.  But, the DTC idea was the pre-cursor to Hasbro Pulse and was a harbinger of the 2020's online focused toy collecting experience.  O-ring Joes were all but silent for more than 15 years.  In 2022, Hasbro Pulse brought some underwhelming releases back.  They were fine.  But, nothing that really caused any sort of collecting resurgence.  Now, Hasbro has outsourced their o-ring Joes to Super7.  And, fan creators are releasing wave after wave of factory created o-ring figures that were inspired by G.I. Joe.  (Most are more Remco than Hasbro, though.)  So, it's not a bad time to be a collector, these days, provided you are not trying to fill hundreds of vintage holes.  Those prices remain artificially inflated.

It's kind of fun that there are now some figures who match up with the Flying Scorpion.  Not all of them make sense when taken  against the Sky Patrol theme.  But, you can build out a nice collection of similar figures to augment this guy.  

Originally, this figure represented a new character in my collection.  He still does.  But, I rarely photograph him in that role.  It's just too difficult to convey his importance and role in a photo unless someone has my 32 years of backstory that began at a boring job in the summer of 1994.  So, he usually appears as a single operator with some troops behind him...not much different than any other named Cobra.  I still like the idea of him as the new leader of Cobra.  But, the practicality of making that evident just doesn't work out.

In the early 2000's, it was pretty easy to get Flying Scorpion figures.  You could find carded versions for around $30.  Loose figures were harder to find unless you had a connection in Brazil.  But, the figures were cheap.  Those days are long gone.  And, you'll pay a substantial premium to add any high quality members of the Patrulha do Ar to your collection.  The figure isn't rare.  He's just popular and his price tag reflects that aspect of the demand curve.

Due to his high pricetag, there's not a ton of Flying Scorpion content out there.  Aside from being expensive, he's also fragile.  So, taking him out in the rain to pose him in the wet rocks doesn't hold a lot of appeal for those who own him.  But, I still do.  So, enjoy all the photos below and I'll see you again in August of 2031.

Flying Scorpion Profile

Flying Scorpion 15th Anniversary

Flying Scorpion 20th Anniversary

Flying Scorpion by comandos_em_acao_gijoe

Flying Scorpion by 00zxcvb

Flying Scorpion by relinquished1979

Flying Scorpion by Scarrviper

Flying Scorpion by Harry Hendriks

Flying Scorpion by relinquished1979

Flying Scorpion by don_zartan

Flying Scorpion by relinquished1979

2026 Flash - ReAction+

If you want to feel a little old, here's my measurement for today.  The Flash figure that was released by Super7 is the heir apparent to the Comic Packs and is one of the missing links to the completion of that set.  The Comic Packs debuted in 2004...22 years ago.  Those Comic Packs debuted 22 years after the original 13 Joes appeared at retail in 1982.  So, this Flash is as far removed from the release of the Comic Packs as those Comic Packs were from the debut of the line.  If you've been around the whole time, I can assure you that the latter 22 years have passed in a flash while the first 22 seem like a lifetime ago.  

With that bit of fun out of the way, this week both the Attica Gazette and I are looking at the Super7 Flash on the same day.  It's been a while since we've done this.  And, it's always fun to take a look at a figure from a couple of different perspectives.  So, check out his thoughts on the figure, too!

The 1983 Flash has a strong argument to be the best of the original 13 G.I. Joe figures.  His design was so strong among those early figures that he remained relevant for several years: even after the others were phased out.  Despite this notoriety, Hasbro utterly failed to get an updated version to collectors during the repaint era.  They planned one for 1997.  But, they "couldn't find" the mold.  We got the character as an astronaut in 2005.  And, then, there was a good enough convention version released in 2007 that used later parts but lacked a helmet and visor...thus limiting him.  Flash's absence might be the most glaring hole from that time period.  He was a character that would have been perfect for an update.  It just never happened in a meaningful way.  

Two decades later, Super7 has filled that gap with a new Flash.  The figure very much feels like an heir to the Comic Pack era.  He has that comic green.  And, his entire aesthetic is based around a pin up drawing of the character peeling potatoes that appeared in G.I. Joe #1.  It's a famous image.  And, the figure recalls that poster upon the slightest glance.  He features a waft of bright red hair that's coifed over his head.  Sans helmet, the hair looks cool.  But, is also drastically out of place among vintage Joe figures.  With the helmet on, he's more in line with a figure from the 2000's.  The rest of him is just...Flash.  He has the pads, the boots and the laser rifle rig that is forever associated with the character.

In short, this figure takes just the one chance with the drastic hair.  Aside from that, it's a pretty solid update to Flash.  He's not done up in 1990's style sculpting.  He didn't get a modern makeover.  It's the same guy from 1982 with a bit of a bulkier sculpt, more vibrant colors and a general flair that makes him a figure that seems like he could have been a 2000's release while also feeling newer and different.  It's a weird balance.  Initially, it works.  Flash seems fun to have.  As he's been in my collection for a couple of months now, though, his appeal is starting to wane.  He's fine for what he is.  But, the oversized head and not quite 2004/2005 green plastic as his base color prevent him from really integrating with the Comic Pack figures.  He seems like more of an outsider.

The biggest cause of this is that the general color palette for Super7 figures is different from that of both vintage Joes and those from the repaint era.  Vintage figures have a sheen to them that allows for vibrant colors without them being overpowering.  The repaint era figures tend to be dull and flat.  When you mix them, you really notice the difference.  On their own, both work really well.  But, it can be tough to find figures from both eras that work well together.  Flash brings a third vibe to the line.  He's bright, but doesn't have the finish of vintage Joes.  He's kind of a mix of the two eras but is also not really able to blend well with either.  I'm going to have to try some HQ shots of him to see if that softens him against his predecessors.  But, outside, his coloring is tough to integrate with toys from either era.

The Super7 o-ring Joe line has been light on two things.  Those are army builders and repaints.  Sure, there's been a few of each.  By and large, though, the line has focused on specific characters in each wave and hasn't filled the case assortment with repaints.  Instead, those have been the domain of exclusives for either retail partners or conventions.  Army builders have been even less frequent.  So far, we have the BAT, Royal Guard, Hydro Viper, Viper Gunner and, if you want to count them, Fatal Fluffies.  Ok, there's been 4 BATs.  But, the overall army builder contingent has been small.  I count both of these traits as positives.  Each wave feels fresh and isn't heavy on rehashes.  I'm at a point in my collecting life where I have enough army builders.  And, factory custom makers do a better job of keeping army building molds in circulation.  So, getting characters, especially ones that have been missing from the line is far appealing than a set of tepid army builders like we got in the 2000's.

Flash's accessories are a weird balance.  On one level, they're pretty good.  On another level, though, they have some flaws and issues.  The hose that connects the laser rifle to the backpack is excellent.  It's more pliable and flexible than the old black hoses that Hasbro used in the '80's.  And, it looks better, too.  It's soft enough to not force the weapon into certain poses because it holds too much tension.  Yet, it's strong enough to hold together when you pose it.  I'd love for more hoses of this variety to appear in the line as they bring a great look to the accessories.

Flash's rifle is missing the stock.  The reason for this is that in the comic book pin up photo, Flash's rifle's stock is blocked by the potatoes on the floor.  There is, obviously, a stock below the vegetable line.  But, Super7 just truncated it off.  So, while it's true to the image, it's also deathly wrong.  And, this is one of those things where Super7 needs to improve.  I get having homages.  The hair on this Flash is a perfect example of them getting it right.  You instantly recognize the Flash pinup when you see the hair.  But, the mistake on the rifle is one of those corner cutting measures that limits the figure to a degree.  One second of introspection would have created a proper laser rifle and made the figure better.  Super7 seems to get it better than Hasbro and, certainly, the club ever did when it came to collector appealing figures.  But, they still have work to do and should be taken to account to make it happen.

Flash's helmet and visor are decent.  They got the helmet to fit over the massive hairdo on his head.  The result is that, when on, the helmet does make the figure's head a bit too large.  It's one of the reasons that my interest in this figure has faded with it in hand.  Sans helmet, the figure's hair doesn't mesh with other Joes.  With it, though, he's too bulky and also stands out.  As a stand alone piece, the figure really works.  But, when integrated with other figures, he becomes more problematic.  The visor is nice and clear and captures the essence of the 1982 figures.  So, it was a nice inclusion.  I'd like to see them dial in the head sculpts and get them more proportional to the body, though, before we see any more helmet/visor combos like this.

Flash seems to be fairly popular.  He fills the gap from the Comic Packs and is appealing to people like me to don't, otherwise, really delve into the Super7 figures.  He's readily available right now and has been for several months.  Some Super7 figures sell out.  Others linger a bit longer.  Lately, the characters have been maintaining some decent availability over a six month, or so, period.  This is ample time for collectors to acquire one.  And, it's a nice compromise where the figures don't linger too long and make the line seem dead.  But, they aren't a flash in the pan that is gone instantly and leaves everyone wanting more.

While this Flash is really nice, I don't want to see a bunch of figures in this style.  Super7 has been pretty good about mixing it up and not doing too much of one thing.  A Silver Pads Grand Slam with a JUMP pack and new head in like 2028 would be fine.  But, getting the full set of 8 to 10 Joes like this would create the same redundancy issues from the Comic Packs and give every figure diminishing returns.  Flash works because he never got a proper updated in the 2000's.  Most other characters did.  So, no need to rehash them until we're a few hundred figures deep in the Super7 line.