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.

1997 Short Fuse - Around The Web

Short Fuse is my least used member of the original 13 Joes.  He never resonated with me as a character or a figure.  His 1997 update, though, is kind of nice.  He's a good blend with Zap, Grunt and Stalker.  And, the addition of a bazooka makes him more useful than when he only had his mortar.  But, he's never going to really matter to me.  

That's OK, though.  You need a lot of figures like Short Fuse in a successful line.  Guys who are just kind of there.  But, for someone, the character or figure will resonate and be the reason they still collect today.  Short Fuse fills that role.  There's not a ton of content on the 1997 figure out there.  So, check out what I could find.

1997 Short Fuse Profile

1997 Short Fuse Brown Pants Variant

1997 Pre Production Short Fuse

1997 Short Fuse by Outrider

1997 Short Fuse at the Attica Gazette

1997 Short Fuse by gen_liederkranz

1997 Short Fuse by Evilface

1997 Short Fuse at OAFE

1997 Short Fuse by gen_liederkranz

2002 Night Rhino

When G.I. Joe returned in 1997, it was not just a figure line.  It also included a full array of vehicles.  Hasbro understood that vehicles were integral to the Joe line.  And, between 1997 and 2000, Hasbro was keen to get classic molds into collector hands, often in new colors.  Starting in 2001, though, the vehicles took a turn.  Instead of all classic remakes, Hasbro started interspersing some new molds from other toy lines and even took a hand at updating a classic mold.  Sadly, the results weren't great for sales.  And, the 2001 vehicles lingered at retailers throughout the year.  They'd eventually find their way to close-out and discount retailers for 1/2 their original price.  As the vehicles slowed, so did the figure sales.  And, Hasbro announced that the o-ring renaissance of that early collector era was ending in favor of an all new approach to G.I. Joe.  The final wave of ARAHC figures was cancelled at retail.  But, one final release did squeak out in early 2002: the Night Rhino.

The main reason this vehicle managed to get to retail was because it was a Toys R Us exclusive.  Toys R Us was a strong retail partner for Hasbro.  And, during this time, TRU was both a dumping ground for cheap, overstock Hasbro toys as well as collector themed exclusives that would drive foot traffic.  Toys R Us was the only retailer willing to take a chance on o-ring Joes in 1997 and 1998.  It was the success of these lines that lead to the broader retail presence in 2000.  Even then, Hasbro partnered with them on exclusives like the Hiss III.  And, their 2002 exclusive was this repainted 1988 Warthog.  

The Warthog was one of those rare post 1987 vehicles that was generally acceptable to collectors of the early 2000's.  If you go even further back, into the late 1990's, when anything made after 1985 was suspect, you'd still find the Warthog was an allowable vehicle for your collection.  (You just had to ditch the Sgt. Slaughter as he, at the time, was not cool.)  It had good colors, featured one of the last tow hooks in the line, was armed to the teeth and held a huge amount of figures.  It was everything you could have wanted from an armored vehicle at the time.

The Night Rhino is actually very square.  It is a rather tall vehicle.  So, in person, it's a bit blocky.  The shapes work for its purpose, though.  And, its that height that offers much of the Night Rhino's play value.  The main feature is the three person crew who each have their own command seats.  There is a slot for a driver.  One for, I presume, the commander and maybe missile controller.  And, one slot for a gunner.  Each features the two position seating option that debuted on the 1984 Slugger.  You can insert the figures all the way into the seats so they are completely protected.  Then, you can close all the hatches above them to seal them in.  The fun part is that the driver's door slides over his position while the other two have flip-up doors.  It's one of those little things that you don't really think about.  But, the engineering to make the three position crew work was quite amazing.  

The vehicle is armed to the teeth...kind of.  The main weapons are two huge missiles on the vehicle's rear.  They are massive, but work against the size of the overall vehicle.  There are 12 "smoke grenade" launchers on the vehicle's side.  As a kid, these would have been a devastating weapon.  But, also one whose usefulness would have waned in time.  I liked my armor to have anti-infantry capability.  Otherwise, it was too easy for an enterprising Viper to get up close and pop a grenade into the driver's visibility slit.  This is where the Night Rhino is just OK.  It gets a lone, mounted gun in the gunner's position.  Mounted guns like this weren't overly common in the vintage Joe line.  So, each appearance was something I loved.  But, this machine gun only swivels 360 degrees and does not move up or down.  It's also positioned where it's awkward for a figure to properly hold it.  But, the idea of the machine gun is enough and makes the Night Rhino a formidable weapon.

The third play feature is that the Night Rhino is a troop carrier.  Two bay doors open in the back to reveal a large, open area where you can store figures.  They can sit on the bench seats and are held into place with a seatbelt bar.  There's just enough room to carry a small squad.  You can easily get a fully accessorized crew of 7 figures into the Night Rhino.  And, you can probably fit a few more if the figures you choose happen to have a light accessory complement.  Joe hadn't gotten any sort of personnel carrier since the Whale in 1984.  So, this design filled a few holes in the Joe team's motor pool.

The Night Rhino also floats.  The wide plastic base needed to house the full crew and carrier compartment meant a wide, flat bottom plastic piece.  This allowed the Night Rhino to be amphibious.  In the water, the vehicle sits much lower.  And, the overall profile is much sleeker.  I'd go so far as to say that the entire vehicle looks cooler when it's partially submerged than it does when it's on land.  Any vehicle that was going to hold figures was likely to float.  And, Hasbro took full advantage of this in the 1980's.  

I only had one encounter with Warthog in my pre-collector days.  Around 1990, I babysat a kid who lived behind us.  His parents had just moved into the neighborhood.  He was fairly young.  But, he had a magnificent collection of G.I. Joe vehicles in his basement.  Here, I had my first and only encounter with the Hiss II, MCC and the Warthog.  His toy room was well put together, though.  So, I was loathe to get all the vehicles out for fear of making a mess.  I did look over the toys, though, and marvel at how much improved the 1988 and 1989 designs were from those I had stopped buying in 1987.  For a brief moment, I considered buying a Warthog.  But, that never came to pass.  I did buy a lone 1989 Night Viper that summer.  But, that was the last Joe purchase I'd make until December of 1992.

One of the great strikes against the 1988 Warthog is that is has turned very brittle in the 35 years since its release.  Sadly, the Night Rhino is following the same path.  Part of this is the cheap plastic that Hasbro used during the early 2000's.  But, the other part is that the Night Rhino mold features lots of small and precisely measured pieces that don't use much plastic.  And, these tend to be door hinges.  So, they are meant to get lots of use.  It's left me being wary of using the Night Rhino too much for fear of snapping off one of the rear, bay doors.  Every time I open one, it makes a cracking sound that leaves me certain I've broken the door.  

I couldn't remember when the Night Rhino actually appeared at retail: early in the year or late in the year.  Fortunately, my photo library answered that question.  The first photos in which the Night Rhino appears were taken on March 10, 2002.  So, it was an early in the year release that hit right around the same time as the infamous Wave V that was an internet exclusive.  I do recall opening mine in a cold, dark garage after getting home from work one night.  I couldn't wait to get it into action.  And, you'll see it among photos I took in 2002 and 2003.  

Today, the Night Rhino remains an oft used vehicle for my photos.  It's just interesting enough for people to spend time reviewing any photo in which it appears.  It has limitations on how it displays figures.  But, you can get some really nice photos of armor operators in action when they are positioned in the command positions at the vehicle's front.  It's more difficult to get good photos of figures disembarking from the carrier compartment in the back, though.  The steps are steep and the doors are high off the ground.  So, it's tough to get figures into a realistic looking pose.  The opening doors do provide a good support for figures to hold onto.  So, that helps getting one or two figures into a fun photography position.  That's where you'll still see it most often.  

The Night Rhino's one of the vehicles that, in hand, is incredibly useful.  But, had it not been released at retail during the repaint era, it's unlikely I would have one.  There were several vehicles that I really wanted to add to my collection when I first started being able to buy any Joe I wanted.  Sadly, one of the first was the Hammer.  The Hammer looks great in photos.  But, as a toy, it SUCKS.  It was brittle, impossible to use with figures and just a general piece of junk.  That soured me on spending time and money on further childhood vehicle desires.  So, I never actually bought a Warthog and it was only through the acquisition of this Night Rhino that the mold entered my collection.  I suspect that, had I acquired one at a late date, I'd have regretted not picking it up sooner, though.  As, in hand, the Night Rhino delivers pretty much what it promises.

The private equity planned destruction of Toys R Us has left retail devoid of any options to release toys like this Night Rhino.  Now, the sparse 3 3/4 vehicles are the domain of "Fan Channels" or crowd funding...if they exist at all.  Even the mighty Star Wars line has nary a vehicle as part of its retail presence.  It's a shame.  During the 1990's and even into the 2010's, Toys R Us was a reliable partner for major toy companies to release vehicles and playsets.  It offered the shelf space and was willing to let a high quality item sell out in time.  It's national presence meant it could afford to finance a full run of toys like this Night Rhino.  With TRU long gone, there is no place left to fill that niche.  Some larger online toy sellers have tried.  But, usually, those were with items that companies had already produced and needed to dump somewhere.  So, the days of fun, unexpected releases like this Night Rhino are pretty much over.

The Warthog had a few uses.  Hasbro's version was released in 1988.  In Europe, there is an exclusively colored variant of the Warthog with a slightly different green base color.  It was then lost until 2002 when it appeared as this Toys R Us exclusive.  The final use came in 2006 when a desert version of the Warthog was released as a convention exclusive.  This is the most difficult of the 4 versions to track down.  There was a decent amount of potential left in the Warthog.  I once said I wouldn't hate a Cobra colored version that was released as a new version of Hiss Tank.  But, every single version that was ever made was extremely well done.  So, you can't be too mournful for the lost opportunities.

During the upswing in Joe pricing, mint and complete and boxed Night Rhinos crossed $150 and sometimes even went over $200.  Now, prices have subsided quite a bit.  You can get boxed versions for $80 or less.  If the plastic is holding up, that's not a terrible price.  Original Warthogs will cost the same or more.  And, they are much more likely to be too brittle to use.  So, the Night Rhino remains one of the best alternatives for a version of the vehicle.  In looking back, I kind of wish I'd picked up a couple more when they were at retail.  It's a nice vehicle.  But, the more I think about it, the more I realize that one is probably enough.  The vehicle has some display limitations and the idea behind all the great play features remains a better idea than practical usage.  It remains a vehicle that's worth owning, though.  And, every collector should at least give a thought to adding a version of the Warthog to their collection.

2002 Convention Paratrooper Dusty - Random Photos of the Day

In 2002, the collectors club surprised the Joe community with an exclusive set of Cobra figures that would be available at that year's convention.  Naively, many people thought the sets might price out at $5 or $6 per figure...a substantial mark up over retail.  When the real price was revealed, the community was apoplectic.  But, in fairly short order, the desire to army build every Viper overtook the price shock and the sets became very popular.  At the event itself, everyone was ga-ga over their new, Crimson Vipers.  So much so, that another, unannounced surprise at the convention slipped under the radar.  The convention was going to feature a parachute drop.  And, everyone got a figure to drop off the hotel's roof.  Instead of being some random overstock or a recently released retail figure, though, the club dropped their first exclusive G.I. Joe team member: the Paratrooper Dusty.

In the aftermath of the convention, this Dusty was relegated into obscurity.  And, he remains one of the most unheralded convention figures ever made.  The truth was, though, that Hasbro had made up an amazingly solid version of Dusty.  Sure, it wasn't his traditional desert garb.  But, the two toned shades of green that was offset by intricate paint details left us with one of the better convention figures that was ever released.  The figure featured 6 colors and a nice blend of familiar hues that hadn't, yet, been overdone.  The figure even got painted bootlaces to make his footwear stand out.  He is one of the detailed Joes of the time.  And, is a perfect example of giving a figure great accents without overdoing it and making him too busy.

Upon seeing him, I was immediately enthralled by the figure.  I quickly acquired one. (From a dealer who used to sell Plastirama overstock.  Her only items were cheap figures and vehicles from Argentina.  When you pay $800 for a carded Satan, remember that she had thousands of them that sold for under $30 each.  You're buying a popular figure.  Not a rare one.)  Upon his addition to my collection, Dusty became one of my most used figures.  You'll find him in photos from the early 2000's all the way through this past year.  He fits with so many different eras of figures that he's easy to integrate into any scene.  And, the fact that he's obscure helps to make photos more interesting.  Few people use this Dusty.  So, his appearance is always something that provides an extra layer to a photo.

In recent years, I've grown to appreciate this figure even more.  That's partially due to the fact that few figures from the repaint era can live up to the level of paint applications and quality that was imparted upon this figure.  His colors work together and they used splashes of color to make him stand out.  In a lot of ways, this Dusty feels more vintage than most figures from the 2000's.  Even convention figures tended to overthink themselves and ended up being more busy and overdone than looking like a vintage Joe.  For that reason, this figure still resonates with me and remains one of my personal favorites.

This Dusty mold got three full releases.  His original release in 1991.  A full repaint of the figure was released in 2000.  And, then this convention figure in 2002.  However, if you really want to get into it, he appeared more frequently. There is an exclusive European and Chinese release that includes different weapons.  (The figure is the same, though.)  In 1995, the whole body was used (with a new head) for the Paratrooper Guile figure.  His head, waist and legs were used on the 2002 Night Rhino Dusty.  (With Dial Tone's torso.)  The figure was planned to be released in a chocolate chip camo pattern and included with the 2001 Desert Striker.  But, he was replaced with Flint at the last minute.  And, even this Paratrooper Dusty has a pre-production variant with a painted zipper around his open shirt collar.  There might be more part usages as the 2000's dragged on.  But, that's enough for now.

Dusty even got unique accessories.  He was given a silver parachute from which he could fall to his death from the top of the hotel.  It was attached to an exclusive green colored version of the 1987 Jinx backpack.  As an approximation of a parachute rig, this setup worked just fine.  The parachute strings were tied to the sword loops on the backpack.  This, supposedly, would hold the chute in place.  And,it really did.  In the aftermath of the convention, you'd find a ton of figures who included a backpack where the parachute strings had been cut off.  The parachute had been discarded and the seller was offering just the figure and backpack.

While the parachute was secured to the backpack, the backpack wasn't all that secure to the figure.  And, hundreds of Dusty's plummeted several stories and were dashed into broken parts after their backpack came out and the figure had nothing to slow its velocity.  For a few months after the convention, you could buy lots of broken parts that enterprising scavengers had swept from the parking lot.  You couldn't really piece together a mint figure from them.  But, it was a good way to get some extra parts for customs.

The real legacy of the figure, though, is that no one really remembers him.  Collectors of the era were fixated on army builders.  And, the 1991 Dusty mold was passe.  So, the figure disappeared from collecting discourse.  It wasn't until 2007 that convention attendee exclusives started getting popular and appreciating on the aftermarket.  Slowly, these pulled in many of the early exclusives that had been selling for under their original price for many years.  The Paratrooper Dusty, though, wasn't one of them.  You could get bagged figures for under $20 well into the late 2010's.  Even today, while other convention attendee figures approach $1000 for a single release, the Paratrooper Dusty sells for under $40 with regularity.  Between the very low production run and the fact that so many were destroyed in the fall, this seems like a very low price for a high quality figure.  But, the modern collecting market makes no sense.

The end result is that you can get a high quality figure for a very attractive price.  And, as you can see from the photos below, he works very well in a variety of settings.  Dusty doesn't always need to be wearing desert camo.  There are deserts around the world that are very green.  So, having an alternate look for one of the secondary popularity characters in the line seems like it would be popular.  But, it's not.  And, that leave opportunity for you to scoop up a Paratrooper Dusty and discover his quality for yourself.

2001 Desert Striker - Around The Web

The Desert Striker is 25 years old.  It has faded into obscurity since its release.  But, even during its heyday, the vehicle was never all that popular.  Collectors of the early 2000's had multitudes of cheap vehicle options available to them.  This was enough to make the Desert Striker something of an after-thought.

Today, you don't see the vehicle all that often.  Usually, it's more a function of collectors having one nearby to enhance a photo instead of the vehicle being the focal point of the scene.  But, it is nice to see some of these early collector focused toys still in use.

Desert Striker Profile

Unproduced Desert Striker Dusty

Desert Striker at Hit and Run's Field Notes

Desert Striker by scarrviper

Desert Striker by ironman3719

Desert Striker by TitusLester32

Desert Striker by mrmikevinthepit

Desert Striker by vintagetoystuff

Desert Striker by p0intman4

2004 Comic Pack Scarlett - Around The Web

Some figures are really good.  But, you will never have occasion to use them.  Such is the case of the 2004 Comic Pack Scarlett.  She is based on a single scene in G.I. Joe #2.  In that context, the figure works.  More broadly, though, how often do you need Scarlett in a white jumpsuit?  The answer is not often.  She looks good, fills her purpose well and is not all that useful.  

As Comic Pack figures go, you don't see this Scarlett all that often.  Snake Eyes and Kwinn appear with far more frequency.  Which speaks to the usefulness of this figure.  There are situations where she's a great addition to a scene.  Few Joe photographers seem to attempt that, though.  This is one of those figures where I wish the content that was produced around the time of her release still existed.  But, that's all been lost to time.  So, check out these reviews and photos (some over 20 years old, now!) before they fade away, too.

Comic Pack Scarlett Profile

Comic Pack Scarlett by gen_liederkranz

Comic Pack Scarlett by relena_warcraft

Comic Pack Scarlett at Generals Joe Reborn

Comic Pack Scarlett at JoeBattleLines.com

Comic Pack Scarlett at 16bit.com

Comic Pack Scarlett by armed_and_plastic

Comic Pack Scarlett by doksewage

2004 Night Force Roadblock

The 2004 Night Force set featured a nice set of molds that were recently returned from Funskool.  Flint, Beach Head, Action Man and Tunnel Rat were fresh from India and Hasbro were keen to get them into production.  The set was augmented by the 1989 Downtown mold.  These five figures all meshed quite well in terms of style and bulk.  The 6th figure in the set, though, was the odd man out.  Instead of using another mold that was also of the ball headed style, Hasbro tossed in an older, swivel headed mold.  And, it was a mold that had been used twice in the prior three years.  By the time of the Night Force set's released, collectors were tired of the 1984 Roadblock mold.  It had been released enough times.  And, the last thing collectors wanted was another version of it that was also missing the classic accessory complement that was iconic to the Roadblock character.

In 1984, Roadblock was bulky.  The figure's torso was design to showcase Roadblock's muscles and size.  In looking at him through the lens of 2004, though, the limitations of this design show through.  Hasbro got much better at figure sculpting as the line progressed and figures like Roadblock, while important stepping stones, show the age of their design.  He was out of place with the other figures in the set.  The fact that Hasbro tried to use paint to cover up the fact that the original had a lot of exposed skin also made the figure's visual just seem odd.  He lost the muscle tone that was implied by his exposed flesh.  Even in 2004, Roadblock was the least popular member of the Night Force.  And, his inclusion was the most questioned by the collecting community.

I was one of those who found little purpose in the figure.  I get it that Roadblock was a hugely popular character at the time.  But, Hasbro had just gotten back the 1992 Roadblock mold.  (We didn't know it would re-debut just a few months later in the Anti-Venom set.)  And, they had used the 1986 Roadblock mold in 1997, but never given us an actual Roadblock release using that body.  Seeing the 1984 sculpt so close on the heels of the BJ's Roadblock and the 2001 Double Blast just felt like laziness.  And, that colored the perceptions of the Night Force set.  Roadblock was enough to suck some of the joy from a set that, otherwise, featured molds collectors were clamoring for.  

Hasbro's ability to paint figures grew quite a bit between the vintage Joe line and the early 2000's.  And, Hasbro took several opportunities to showcase just how far they could push the paint applications on figures.  The Night Force is one of the best examples from a retail release of that time.  Roadblock features six different colors on his body.  And, the Night Force cross pattern shows just how intricate Hasbro could be with their paint applications.  But, one of the things that the new paint proved was that, sometimes, less is more.  The Night Force figures are so elaborate that they're too busy.  The details become distracting.  And, what could be great figures end up somewhat diminished because they simply tried to do too much.  If Roadblock had more solidly colored pants with the patterned shirt, he wouldn't seem quite so distracting.  The same is true if the Spider-Man webbing were removed from his torso and the digital cammo on his legs remained.  Hasbro outsmarted themselves on several figure sets in the 2000s where they did too much.  Then, they overcorrected and did too little.  It was rare to find figures that were just right.  But, when they did hit, Hasbro was still capable of making figures that surpassed much of the vintage line.  This Roadblock, though, just wasn't one of the figures that accomplished this.

One of the things that the reuse of the Roadblock mold proved was just how important the proper accessories were with some figures.  The 2001 Double Blast used this mold and included almost all of the original Roadblock's gear.  And, as such, he's an acceptable (but boring!) repaint.  Once Hasbro removed the helmet, pack and proper machine gun, though, the limitations of this Roadblock become apparent.  I've hated this figure for 22 years.  Yet, when I finally slapped a black version of his pack on him along with a 1985 Battle Gear helmet, the figure is actually useful and can be a nice version of Roadblock to drop into photos.  

But, you have to have your own accessory store from which to outfit the figure.  The 2004 Night Force was notoriously light on accessories and all the figures included common gear that had been recently used with other figures instead of classic accessories that were intended for the molds.  Roadblock was a typical offender.  Instead of his "Ma Deuce", Roadblock included just two rifles.  Neither fit the figure.  One was the classic 1984 Firefly sub machine gun...a weapon far too paltry for Roadblock.  The second is the 1990 Big Ben rifle.  Once upon a time, this was a great weapon that was fun to have around.  By 2004, though, it was overused, overexposed and generally hated by collectors.  It also didn't fit the character.  I can't reiterate enough just how much this 2004 Roadblock is improved with a helmet and the 1984 Roadblock machine gun, stand and backpack.  Fortunately, the weapon, pack and stand were all released in bulk during the 2000's.  So, they are an easy acquisition you can get to improve this figure.

With the added accessories, I've come to not hate this figure.  But, I also still don't have any uses for it.  I much prefer to use the 1984 figure or even Double Blast when I want this mold in a photo.  This Night Force version is nice to intermingle with other 2000's era figures.  But, Double Blast is better for that, too.  That leaves this Roadblock on the outskirts of my collection.  He's just not a guy who has a lot of purpose.  And, he's so out of place among his team that he doesn't even fit there.  So, I have the photos of him I took for this profile.  That's the extent of the usage I've gotten from him in over 20 years.  That's not much of a legacy.  If you don't have a Double Blast, though, the Night Force Roadblock isn't a terrible stand in.  But, then you have to go out and find some new accessories for him.  And, that's not really worth the effort.

The 1984 Roadblock mold was only used by Hasbro.  But, it was used a lot!  The figure debuted in 1984, got a 1988 Tiger Force repaint and then proceeded to appear in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005.  The parts (mostly the arms) were used on a multitude of other figures.  The torso even appeared on the 2006 Tommy Arashikage figure.  The 2001 repaint (which, technically, was Double Blast) was OK, but not materially different from the 1984 figure.  The 2002 Gift Set figure is an odd blue color that appears more Cobra than Joe.  (There is also an unproduced version of this figure available in red.)  The comic pack figure from 2005 is equally bad as it uses pastel yellow as the base and has a terribly sculpted new head.  Even this Night Force figure has an unproduced variant where you can find the figure in white pants.  In short, Hasbro overused the mold but still never managed to make a good repaint of this Roadblock.  Thankfully, Hasbro moved on to the 1992 Roadblock mold for their repaint mania and collectors were spared additional, bad repaints of this 1984 mold.

Despite the fact that this Roadblock, you know, sucks, dealer pricing is high.  Incomplete figures sell for $12-$15 with alarming regularity since the figure doesn't appear all that often.  Hasbro made around 20,000 Night Force sets to be sold at retail.  The sets were available both in stores and online and it took until the end of 2004 for them to really sell out.  And, large quantities of additional loose figures were available from Asia for a while.  So, the figure is out there in numbers.  But, the influx of new Joe collectors since 2018 has caused many of them to overestimate the rarity of the 2000's era figures.  The same thing happened to the 1997 and 1998 figures in 2001-2003 when a large group of collectors who had just missed the prior retail releases came online.  In time, that sorted itself out and those figures fell precipitously in price.  The same thing will happen with this Roadblock since he simply doesn't stand up to real scrutiny.  He's not the worst Roadblock.  But, that's only because Hasbro made stinkers that are even more abominable.  

2004 Comic Pack Snake Eyes (Arctic Gear) - Around The Web

The second appearance of Joes in media spent the majority of the issue with four classic Joes wearing completely different uniforms than their action figure appearances.  It would take 22 years before we would actually see a figure that matched with the comic appearance.  In this case, it was Snake Eyes.  

The Comic Pack #2 release turned out solidly.  While mostly just a Snake Eyes head on a Snow Job body, the figure adequately conveyed the look from the classic comic.  With the splashes of green, yellow and white to offset the black, Snake Eyes created a nice visual that's held up pretty well over the past 2+ decades.  

The figure still appears with some frequency, too.  Below are some links full of the figure's appearances.

2004 Arctic Snake Eyes Profile

2004 Arctic Snake Eyes by Bouncy Bengal

2004 Arctic Snake eyes by mikesjoetography

2004 Arctic Snake Eyes by General Liederkranz

2004 Arctic Snake Eyes by backyardjoes

2004 Arctic Snake Eyes by atwooddan

2004 Arctic Snake Eyes by Cody

2004 Arctic Snake Eyes by mikesjoetography

2004 Arctic Snake Eyes by doksewage

2004 Arctic Snake eyes by silentinterlude

2004 Arctic Snake Eyes by mikesjoetography

1993 Mail Away Spirit - Random Photos of the Day

 The 1993 Mail Away Spirit remains one of my favorite figures.  The colors are different, but work on the mold.  He has a solid sculpt.  And, he looks good with a variety of 1992 or 1993 accessories.  This figure was once very available.  But, he's gotten pricey in recent years as more and more collectors forget his ubiquity and desperately try to prove that every figure they own is a piece of unrequited gold.

In the case of Spirit, though, the figure really is golden.  It's a great update to the character and gives you a choice when you want to use Spirit among later release figures.  I've photographed him quite a bit over the years and you'll find him in both backgrounds and forefronts of photos dating back to the early 2000's.  He's actually tied with several other figures at #7 on my list of most photographed figures.  So, he's definitely found good usage through  the years.

Usually, during Rarities Month, I spend my time refreshed and write up a good half dozen or so profiles to keep the content flowing through the rest of the summer.  This year, that didn't happen.  I've lost a bit of inspiration and haven't had much to talk about.  I'm barely taking any photos of Joes for a variety of reasons.  And, so far, I haven't really missed it too much.  Some of the recent Super7 releases have sparked a bit of my interest in Joe again.  So, we'll see if that gets me more motivated to get some profiles out the door.  I have about 30 of them started, with most being about 2/3 done.  But, each time I look at one, I just can't muster the energy to complete it.  So, I'm going to get some old features that showcase some of my favorite figures out there.  Usually, that's enough to break the malaise and produce something interesting.

2004 Nullifier - Around The Web

The Flak Viper is one of my favorite Cobra army builders.  His design resonates with me.  And, I pined for him for years as his retail absence mocked me from the cardbacks of his casemates I could track down.  While I love the colors on the 1992 and 1993 releases, they still left a lot of potential in the mold for repaints.  And, in 2004 Hasbro delivered.  Renamed as the Nullifier, the Flak Viper mold was released in Cobra Blue and black.  The result is one of the best army builders of the 2000's.  Sadly, he didn't include any proper accessories.  Fortunately, in the 2010's, there were plenty of Flak Viper rifles available for cheap prices from Asia.  So, if you have any army of them, you can outfit them with proper weapons.

This is one of the few army builders of the repaint era that I still use with great frequency.  Sadly, the figure's upper arms are extremely prone to discoloration and they will turn a dark blue that gives the figure two-tone arms.  So far, I've been able to ignore this, though.  

I would have liked a silver visor on this guy.  The entirely black helmet loses some of the depth that existed on other Flak Viper mold uses.  Aside from that, though, the figure does everything he is supposed to do.  He's a mid tier figure from the 2000's when it comes to his popularity.  You see him often enough.  But, he's not ubiquitous like some other figures from that time period can be.  Check out all the content below to see how others use the figure in their photos.

2004 Nullifier Profile

2004 Nullifiers Diorama

2004 Nullifier - Around the World

2004 Nullifier at JoeBattleLines.com

2004 Nullifier by joerizzo2025

2004 Nullifier by Night Force Tunnel Rat

2004 Nullifier by gen_liederkranz

2004 Nullifier by relena_warcraft

2004 Nullifier by dreadnokdread

2004 Nullifier by icebird

2004 Nullifer by gen_liederkranz

2004 Nullifier by classic_gijoe

2004 Nullifier by yotothejoe

2004 Nullifier by dreadnokdread

2004 Nullifier by dawghaus_

2004 Nullifier by gen_liederkranz

The Rankings - 1998

The 1998 line might be perfect.  Not that it was all things to all collectors.  But, it had everything right going for it.  The toys were cheap and plentiful upon their release.  Hasbro offered collector themed sets that were still fun.  The figures featured most of their original accessories or, at least, gear that was robust and appropriate for the figure. The line wasn't overly large.  But, was still broad enough to be interesting.  And, there wasn't really a dud among the toys released that year.  I'll argue that the worst 1998 figure would rank in the top 3 to 5 of 1997 and 2000.  It was just an amazing year of figures.  It might be my personal favorite year of releases, ever.  

Really, I started the ranking series because I wanted to showcase the entire year of 1998.  I profiled most of the figures in the set a decade or more ago.  So, I wanted to get back to the year and remember why they resonated so deeply with me.  Part of it was that I was a young collector with money and time living in a place where I had access to tons of these figures.  Part is that the figures were all molds or characters in which I had interest prior to their release.  And, part is just that the figures all turned out exceptionally well.  It's hard to compare 1998 with 2001 as those two years seem as far apart as 1985 and 1993.  But, Hasbro really dialed in the 1998 releases after the lackluster reception to the 1997 series.  So, check out the list and see if you agree with my choices.

#15 - Heavy Duty

When Heavy Duty is the worst figure from your year, you know it was a strong crop of figures.  I didn't get this guy until 2000.  I skipped the MOBAT because it sucks.  But, the figures included with it were strong.  Heavy Duty is one of those guys who, at first blush, doesn't appear all that colorful.  But, in hand, he's got some strong paint details and uses some colors that aren't often seen in the Joe line.  But, he's kind of bland.  He doesn't include any accessories.  And, the 1991 figure is better.  So, he falls to the bottom of the year.

#14 - Col. Brekhov

The Red Star mold is great.  The 1991 release features excellent colors.  This 1998 repaint that was renamed Col. Brekhov isn't quite as strong.  Again, he features excellent overall colors and paint masks.  But, the pea green isn't as appealing as the brown on the 1991 repaint.  Even the comic, though, made a joke about Red Star just being Col. Brekhov.  So, this figure mold was very designed to be the character for which he was used in the 1998 series.  There's no shame in being #14 on this list, though, as the rest of the figures are just so strong.

#13 - Ace

This figure's price makes no sense.  He's not that great.  Even though he is the best paint job of the Ace mold.  Seeing people pay hundreds of dollars for him is just asinine.  This Ace does, though, feature some great paint masks and it remains the most detailed use of the 1983 Ace mold.  When he was cheap, the figure was a no brainer.  Now that he's stupidly pricey, he's a much more unnecessary purchase.  Sure, he looks good.  But, he's not 10 times better than the 1983 Ace.  I'm glad I got one when they were affordable.

#12 - Cobra Officer

Since 1984, collectors had wanted more grey Cobras to match up with the Stinger driver.  14 years later, Hasbro delivered.  The result is very strong.  So, why's he at 12?  Because all of 1998 is awesome.  And, the grey color scheme on the Viper body just didn't pop.  The silver is too close in hue to the grey background and it washes out the painted details that should make the figure among the best of the year.  I wonder if a gold faceplate might have helped.  

#11 - Wet Suit

It's tough to rank the divers.  All of them are pretty similar.  And, none of them stand out from the others.  At this point, it's subjective among your personal favorite mold.  For me, Wet Suit ranks lowest as he's not the best paint job on this mold.  He's awesome.  But, the other two, to me, are better.

#10 - Torpedo

Torpedo is my least favorite of the molds that were released in the diver set.  But, the paint job on him really made the sculpt pop.  The aqua and grey offset against the black base body make for a striking figure.  He really works well and is the best paint job ever released on this mold.  This was my first exposure to this figure mold.  So, the 1992 and 1993 Wet Suits always paled in comparison to this black based 1998 use.  I am happy that Hasbro renamed this mold into Torpedo instead of reusing the 1983 Torpedo mold.  While that might have been a fun figure with the aqua highlights, the 1983 mold has severe limitations and wouldn't have fit with the rest of the 1998 series.

#09 - Shipwreck

Shipwreck is an amazing figure.  Again, the colors work so well for a diver.  And, I love the 1994 Shipwreck mold.  The painted details shows how much thought when into the 1994 Shipwreck release.  Back in 1998, the 1994 Shipwreck was among my top five figures.  So, seeing it available in some new colors was a dream come true.  While I loved the entire diver set, I bought several because of this Shipwreck's inclusion.  Even today, I haven't profiled this figure because I haven't found a way to properly express just how cool I think he is.  So, why is he only #9?  The lack of an included weapon is the main reason.  In later years, Hit and Run rifles became very easy to acquire so you could outfit these older figures with proper weaponry.  But, in 1998, it was pretty hard to get extra guns without buying junk figures.  So, this Shipwreck takes a tumble on the list due to his poor accessory complement.  

#08 - Vypra

I'm not a Vypra fan.  Never have been.  I even skipped this set at retail because I had no use for the figure and vintage Stingers were cheaper than the TRU version at the time.  But, I have come around on her.  She's still too tied to the "evil Jinx" trope just because they share a mold.  But, the paint masks really work for her.  The white and grey oversprays do create a strong visual.  As the original Jinx isn't a figure that's important to me, I've come to see this mold as more Vypra than anyone else.  I still don't use her all that often.  And, while her paint masks are good, they are also a bit sparse.  Vypra fits the visual style of the 1998 series.  But, to me, she's a middle of the road release.

#07  - Volga

I did not appreciate Volga for many years.  Her head is just such a poor sculpt that it's easy to overlook the rest of the figure.  But, Volga's paint details are amazing.  After 1998, we would never see such quality outside of an expensive convention figure.  Hasbro's inability to nail vintage Joe head sculpting also didn't change.  So, Volga's head has held up better than it should have because Hasbro was churning out stomach turning heads through the remainder of the 2000's.  This figure was intended to be Daina.  No idea why it was a made a new character, instead.  The 1997 Lady Jaye mold suffered from quality issues.  Volga is better.  She's definitely aged better than I would have thought back in 1998.  It's not a perfect figure.  But, the paint applications really are.

#06 - Night Creeper

It pains me to rank this guy so low.  Not only is this the best paint job on the Night Creeper mold, it's a stark visual that stands in contrast to all the deeply colored ninjas that populate the line's history.  The white and grey just work on this mold.  You can see all the folds and details on the figure's body and head.  It's colorful enough to be seen.  But, still white enough to be stealthy in the snow.  I lament selling my spares of these figures as a small army of them would be fun to take out in the cold.

#05 - Lt. Gorky

If you've never seen this figure in person, it's difficult to explain how great he really is.  He suffers from the same overly grey body as the Cobra Officer.  But, he overcomes that with a few splashes of color on his face, neck and waist.  It's enough to elevate him quite a bit.  He also features different shades of grey on the chest.  It's subtle.  But, it's enough to add a completely different visual layer to this figure when compared to the Officer.  Photos don't really do the figure justice as he's impressive when he's in hand.

#04 - Snow Serpent

Hasbro nailed it with the 1998 Artic color scheme.  They managed to make the figures realistic to their environment while also giving them the colors and details that make for a great toy.  Their usage of the 1991 Snow Serpent mold seemed like a poor decision in 1998.  The 1985 Snow Serpent was held in much higher regard.  But, this color scheme brought a whole new generation of collectors to appreciate the 1991 sculpt.  The soft greys, subtle blues and perfect usage of black detailing brought this mold to life.  And, he included his full range of accessories.  This Snow Serpent might be a perfect figure.  And, yet, he's not in the top 3 for the year!

#03 - Cobra Trooper

A better Cobra Trooper/Viper or backbone of your Cobra army figure does not exist.  This 1998 Trooper is everything every collector wanted from an army building figure in 1998.  And, Hasbro delivered.  The figure uses a base color of real Cobra blue.  All of his details are painted in black or silver.  The golden visor isn't overbearing and adds additional depth the figure's appearance.  While his gear isn't true to the original, it was a perfect complement of accessories stolen from the obscure 1991 Dusty that filled out the Trooper's accoutrement.  The only two blemishes on the figure are the fact that the head can droop a bit and that he doesn't feature a Cobra sigil.  Both are forgivable and don't take away from the quality of this figure.  Hasbro never got close to this guy in another retail release.  (The convention Crimson Viper uses the same paint masks from the 1998 figure and is a strong runner up in the best Viper repaint, though.)  It is a perfect army builder and was released in the perfect army building set.  You got two of this guy and a grey officer for $10!  In the context of today, that's just insanity...even in 1998 it was unbelievable.

#02 - Firefly

You can say I rate the 1998 arctic Cobras too highly.  But, this 1998 Firefly is perfect repaint.  At the time, he was only the second Firefly ever available.  He was drastically different from the original.  But, he was enhanced in ways that blew the 1984 out of the water.  Instead of a dark grey on light grey wash, the figure gets the requisite white base.  Then, though, all of the details that were obscured in Firefly's original release are painted to perfection.  Colors are blended so that his pouches, grenades, knife and explosives all offset each other and allow you to fully appreciate the sculpting job that had been created 14 years earlier.  These Firefly paint masks then became the base for all the excellent Firefly updates we got in the 2000's, too.  In short, this is a spectacular figure that is worthy of the Firefly character.

#01 - Thunderwing

Yes, it's a surprise entry for the best figure of the 1998 release year.  Thunderwing is another of those figures that, if you don't have one, is tough to see just how great the design, coloring and paint applications really are.  Thunderwing uses a green base color that is unique to him.  It wasn't used again on any other figures.  Building silver, grey and black paint masks on top of it layered in a depth that was standard in the vintage line but largely lost after about 1992.  The rich use of color makes this figure stand out among his peers.  And, even among the line as a whole.  Thunderwing shows what was possible during the repaint era.  Sadly, though, he remained the exception rather than the rule.  Do yourself a favor, though, and pick up a Thunderwing.  You won't be disappointed.

There's a lot of reasons why the 1998 series is special to me.  But, the sheer quality of the entire lineup is the most important of those.  Comparing 1998 to the 2000 and 2001 releases shows just how far those later years fell in quality.  I actually now kind of see 1998 as a pseudo convention set.  You got 15 figures who featured great accessories, remarkable paints masks and a thoughtful mold selection.  The figures look like they were designed to all fit together.  Really, it would have been the best convention set ever released.

Instead, it was released at retail and was stupidly cheap.  Looking back at 1998 prices, we had no idea how good we had it.  Well, that might be a bit of a stretch.  I bought these figures en masse.  Many other collectors of the time did, too.  Armies of the Cobras were a standard for a while.  The influx of collectors in 2001, though, made the 1998's more exotic and expensive.  So, they fell from favor even as they rose in price.  That was short lived, though, and many later collectors were able to stock up on these guys during the late 2010's.  Now, the series is a bit harder to find and will cost you a premium.  (Especially, and inexplicably! for Ace.)  But, they are worth it.  1998 might be the perfect year of Joe releases.  I'm curious to read your thoughts in the comments and whether you agree or disagree.