I'm at a point where revisiting figures is more necessary. Mostly because I'm running out of figures to profile. But, also, there are some figures whose status in the collecting community has drastically changed in the time since I first looked at them. Back in 2008, the Comic Pack Firefly was still considered a peg warmer. It had been heavily clearanced. And, the Joe market of the time was saturated with them. You could get them for a couple bucks with no issue. In the time since then, though, the Comic Pack figures have taken on a new life. Figures like this Firefly no longer seem such retail duds. And, collectors have started to appreciate them for the quality releases they can be.
I'll just say it: this is the best vintage Firefly figure. He's better than the 1984. The new head is extremely well done and fits on the body. The updated digital pattern is a better look than the spottled 1984. And, the grey color is lighter, allowing for more visual contrast. The original Firefly has no painted details. This version allows you to see all the things that made Firefly the second coolest Cobra released 21 years prior. Upon this figure's release, no one wanted another Firefly. But, Hasbro delivered the best take on the character, ever. So, that carried the figure into a place of prominence.
It took a while. Early 2000's collectors were still beholden to their beloved original figure. Slowly, though, the pull of this 2005 Firefly was just too strong. And, you began to see this 2005 figure appear among even other 1983 and 1984 Cobras. More and more collectors found the value in having a great looking figure who also didn't have fragile thumbs or an easily breakable crotch. And, this figure began to appear in more and more photos. Slowly, the 1984 figure faded into the background. If collectors wanted an offbeat Firefly, there were several options. But, if they wanted to represent Firefly in his original incarnation, they were turning more and more to the 2005 figure instead of the original.
And, why not? This Firefly has a pretty strong argument for being the best Comic Pack figure. (The 2005 Stalker is my personal favorite, though.) Hasbro was finally starting to dial in their heads...just in time for the entire Joe line to get cancelled. It's weird that a figure that ranks so high would be a character who was entirely played out among collectors and also a direct homage to the figure's original look. Rarely did these tributes surpass the originals. But, this Firefly did so with such aplomb that the 1984 now looks quaint when posed against the sterner and more grizzled head.
It's no secret that Hasbro got lazy with accessories on ARAH style Joe repaints. While the figure's original gear was a staple of 1997 through 2001 releases, Hasbro had mostly abandoned this by 2005 and mostly just released a large volume of random gear with their vintage redos. Fortunately, Firefly was one of the figures who was not affected by this. Hasbro released every Firefly mold usage with at least some of his original gear with the exception of the Gift Set Firefly. This Comic Pack figure includes the classic machine gun, walkie talkie, backpack and socket wrench cover that is necessary for any Firefly figure. They are all cast in black. The upside being that Firefly's gear in black got very common in the 2000's so it's easy to find today. And, the black looks great against the brighter grey base of the figure. The green, 1984 weapons work well enough with the Comic Pack version. But, they somewhat wash out with the lighter base. You can now get Firefly's gun and walkie talkie in a variety of colors from various factory custom makers. So, you can find a color combo that works if you have some spare time.
It's simply baffling as to what Hasbro would spend money to develop back in the 2000's. They had a perfectly good Firefly mold available. Though, it was starting to show signs of wear. But, Hasbro created a brand new head when the original was beloved by collectors. It's likely that the body is either an entirely new mold based on the original or it was substantially cleaned up to sharpen the details. Hasbro paid month to do this. They resculpted Scrap Iron, Mutt and Lady Jaye. But, they never bothered to recreate the 1985 Snake Eyes or the 1983 Cobra Commander. Hasbro would spend on the mundane or the unnecessary while leaving gaping holes of super desirable figures. They never explained themselves. So, we have half a dozen amazing Firefly repaints. But, there was not a single helmeted Cobra Commander figure until 2022.
Comic Pack figures discolor. This is just a truism at this point. Hasbro's early 2000's plastics isn't holding up among Joes, Star Wars or Transformers. This Firefly, though, has tended to do pretty well. While his pack mate, Scrap Iron, is guaranteed to discolor, this Firefly has held out. You'll see some tinges of yellow on a few figures. And, you may see some slight upper arm discoloration. In the realm of Comic Pack figures, that's pretty good. And, keeps this Firefly relevant when other figures from his series have fallen off the popularity cliff due to their propensity for discoloration.
The Firefly mold was used to death. After the 1984 figure finished it's production run, it disappeared for a little over a decade. The mold was planned for use as the 1988 Tiger Force Sabretooth figure. (More on him in Rarities Month in June!) But, he was never released. Instead, the mold spent some time in India. Firefly was among the figures released by Funskool and had a production window of a couple of years. His body was used for a Complan Commandos figure, too. Hasbro got the mold back ahead of the 1997 series as Firefly was painted up as a possible 1997 release. That figure didn't make the cut, though. And, it wasn't until 1998 that Firefly returned to the Hasbro line.
The return was overkill, though. Hasbro released the arctic Firefly in 1998. A woodlands version was included in the first wave of the ARAHC in 2000. In 2002, the figure appeared in the BJ's Gift Set. (There is also an unproduced version of this figure that's green instead of red.) 2003 was a banner year. The mold was used for Wreckage in the 2003 Tiger Force set. And, then, the club released two convention exclusive figures in the summer of that year. If that weren't enough, the amazing Urban Strike Firefly debuted in 2004. Then, 2005 brought us a Crimson repaint of the mold in the Crimson Guard sets. And, finally, this Comic Pack figure followed close on the Crimson figure's heels. In short, there are MORE than enough Fireflies to keep you interested should you simply love the character or his design.
Pricing on this figure is way down over a couple of years ago. For a while, this was a $25 to $40 figure. And, you'd see carded samples sell between $50 and $70. Now, though, the carded sets have settled into the $35-$40 range. It's a pain to find loose figures, though. The Serpentor has become the most desirable figure in the set. So, a carded set is probably the best way to go if you want to acquire this Firefly. As original Fireflies sell for way more, this figure is a cheaper alternative to a classic character. Since he's also better, you get a double win for your collection.
