Most collectors are familiar with the Brazilian Tiger Force exclusives. The Tiger Force Shipwreck (Marujo) and Airtight (Ar Puro) have been among the most popular Brazilian exclusives since the 1990's. What is often forgotten, though, is that there is another member of the Forca Tigre: Duque.
This character is most often forgotten because, upon first glance, it's not all that much different from the 1988 Duke figure. But, the Estrela figure has some differences that make it stand out. Most noticeably, the 3/4 sleeves are missing. Instead, Duque gets new lower arms from Ripcord. So, he has full length sleeves. The colors are slightly brighter than the Tiger Force Duke. And, instead of the classic M-32, he includes a version of Crazylegs' rifle. He doesn't include the stock, though. In addition to his helmet, backpack and binoculars, he also came with some face paint for Brazilian kids to paint themsevles up in Tiger Force camo.
Duque is a figure that's always been relatively easy to find. This is likely a function of him just being less popular than Ar Puro or Marujo. But, you can find mint and complete versions with relative easy. But, Brazilian dealers tend to overprice him. And, they try to command similar prices for Duque as they get for Marujo and Ar Puro. The figure just isn't that popular, though, and often goes unsold for high prices. As Brazilian Joes go, Duque is firmly in that middle ground of something that has just enough of a variant from the Hasbro figure for you to notice. But, not so much that he rises to the level of full on Brazilian exclusive characters like Ar Puro or Marujo.
I actually got recommended this figure recently on eBay before I saw this post. o.0 -Chev
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