The 1990 Undertow is a solid figure. I'd argue that he's not as good as the 1985 Eel. But, the original Eel is also a near perfect figure. So, that's a high bar. Undertow, though, stole coloring elements from the 1985 Eel figure. And, even on the second usage, the colors worked. The 2000 and 2002 uses of the Undertow mold were done in mostly solid colors. They worked for what they were intended to be. The club took the basis of previous Undertows and added some additional colors to call attention to the sculpt's details. This 2009 release shows that, sometimes, less is more. The overabundance of colors seems like overkill. While the overall paint apps aren't bad, the colors chosen seem like a lot. And, the figure doesn't make much sense as a diver in these colors. But, this figure wasn't meant as an army builder or, even, a figure you'd take outside for photos. It was always meant as a companion display piece to the 2005 convention set. And, in that regard, it succeeds spectacularly.
I quit playing with G.I. Joe in 1987. I was aware of the introduction of Destro's Iron Grenadiers in 1988 as my younger brother had the original Iron Grenadier figure and I was still an avid reader of the comic book. I liked the idea of Destro having his own army. But, it was never a concept that carried over to my collection. I liked Destro as a character who pulled strings behind the scenes. He was brave in battle. But, he wasn't a guy who put himself out at the forefront. So, the idea of the Iron Grenadiers as a separate and nearly equal faction to Cobra was never something that manifested in my toy collection.
Seeing the 2005 convention set of all Iron Grenadiers didn't really move me all that much. I thought the execution of the Iron Anvils and the overall color palette was top notch. It was great to see some molds that hadn't appeared anywhere else get some use. But, Iron Grenadiers were not a concept that mattered to me. Had the set been Eco Warriors or Star Brigade, I'd have jumped all over it. Instead, I was cool to the theme. The figures were neat. And, I picked up most of them. But, I then sold almost all of them shortly thereafter. I didn't use them and had no desire to ever develop them. I kept a couple of Iron Anvils due to my love of the 1994 Viper mold. But, Iron Grenadiers were just one of those concepts with whose absence I was fine.
This is, 100%, a result of timing. IG's came out when I had outgrown Joe. And, they were gone by the time I returned to Joe in the early '90's. Those early '90's days were full of wonder for all I'd missed. And, the IG's didn't match that description because we had owned one of the figures and they came during my period of malaise that had culminated from my leaving toys behind. I fully appreciate the quality of the Iron Grenadier concept as well as the execution of the figures and vehicles. In a different world, they would be the centerpiece of my childhood storyline. But, I was a year or two too early for that to manifest.
All of which is a long way of saying that I want to really like the 2005 Iron Grenadier color scheme. I want to have this Undertow be the missing piece to a fully formed enemy faction. But, it simply doesn't happen for me. I appreciate this Undertow for what he succeeds in doing. But, it doesn't make for a figure that captures my attention. It's not this figure's fault, though. Instead, it's due to my personal timing and the manner in which Iron Grenadiers entered into the Joe mythos. For most other collectors, the 2005 Iron Grenadier coloring is among the highlights of the repaint era and remains their overall favorite convention set.
Which is why it's somewhat odd that this Undertow is not only forgotten today, but was completely unappreciated in his time. The figure landed with a thud when it was announced. Not because it was bad. But, collectors just weren't interested. 2009 was a very different time in the Joe world. Hasbro had burned many collector bridges with the way the line was handled as it was cancelled at retail in 2005. The switch the anniversary style in 2007 also spurned many of the vintage collectors. And, the influx of new action figure collectors further drove many of the remaining casual vintage collectors from the hobby. On top of that, the times were making collecting more of a luxury. And, forums were filled with guys who were desperate to get whatever they could for a collection that, just two or three years earlier, would have been in a contentious bidding war. It didn't help that this Undertow was released as the "Membership Figure" for 2009. Previously, membership figures had heavily been JvC style figures that collectors tossed aside. By 2009, club membership was skewing towards anniversary style collectors who found an o-ring Joe to be passe.
All of this added up to this Undertow going a bit under the radar. The people who were still serious about vintage Joes were aware of it. But, the figure didn't end up as a popular subject of the Joe photographers of the era. He didn't end up as a brag worthy army builder for guys who were wont to buy up expensive figures for clout. Instead, he mostly ended up on Ebay, selling for $10 or less for a bagged figure. While the reviews from that time about this Undertow were laudatory, it didn't translate into actual popularity among the collecting community. Undertow was swept away and remains a figure whose existence is often a surprise to newer collectors.
The only reason I own this figure is because I happened across one at a local shop back in 2019 or so. He was in a bin of unloved figures and I bought him for a song. Had he been even slightly more expensive, I wouldn't own him. The only real reason I was compelled to pick him up was because it was such an oddity to find him in this box that was full of figures from the 1980's with Undertow being the lone representative of the repaint era. I got him home, appreciated the design and, promptly stuck him in a container where he's rarely moved from in the years since. I see him all the time when I'm getting other figures from their slots in the containers. But, I never have any idea of how to use him and you'll see the photography for the figure in this profile doesn't really do much to showcase his abilities. I have plenty of water available and still never think to get this figure out into it. Nothing encapsulates the collecting sentiment on this 2009 Undertow better than that.
One level, the quality of this figure is top notch. On another level, though, it has some flaws that should be noted. Just in terms of paint applications, the figure is great. Convention level figures featured intricate paint masks that were few and far between on retail figures. The plastic quality is the same as the other figures of the era. So, it's a bit softer and less susceptible to broken thumbs and crotches. The issue with the softer plastic, though, is that paint can rub off. And, as this Undertow has painted hands, the softness of the paint and plastic are a deadly combination. Any tight fitting accessories will rub the grey glove paint off the figure's hands. But, this figure was meant to be kept in the baggie. And, even loose, he'd only hold a small, smooth handled spear. So, you can see why the paint doesn't bother too many collectors...they simply never had occasion for it to be an issue.
Undertow includes the gear from the original figure. He's got a red mask with gold paint. This is a solid match for the 2002 Undertow. But, too scarce for anyone to really consider it as an option. He has the underwater sled with a gold missile, hose, flippers and barracuda. His weapon is the bizarre spear from the original version. The tip is painted gold. It's one of those things that looks great. And, for collectors, works, since you won't be taking this figure down to the creek. The gear, though, is limiting. That's an artifact from the original design as Undertow's gear never lived up to that of the Eel. So, while the accessories included with this 2009 version are perfect, they inherit the issues from their origin and make for a figure where the idea of the gear is much better than the practical application of it.
Undertow got a lot of use. In the vintage line, there's just the one coloring that debuted in 1990. There is a European exclusive accessory variant, though. In 2000, Hasbro reused the mold for the first time. This blue figure was hugely popular at the time of his release. About half way through the production run of the 2000 figures, Hasbro altered the mold. The peg used to affix the air hose to the figure's chest was removed and replaced by a hold into which you forced the tube. There's really no reason why the change was made. 2000 Undertows are about 50/50 on peg or hole. In 2002, the mold was used again in the BJ's exclusive set. This figure was colored all red and didn't include any accessories that matched to the frogman specialty. (He included a chainsaw!) There is an unproduced BJ's figure that is white with a pinkish hue. It's rare. The final use was this 2009 figure. All of the Undertows work in specific formats. None of them are bad paint jobs. But, the original is the best with the 2000 following closely behind. Hasbro got their money out of this mold and collectors have a small subset of nice figures to collect.
Pricing on this figure is tough. Even just five years ago, you could get bagged figures for under $25 without too much trouble. Now, the dealer class tries to cash in on low availability and charges upwards of seven times that amount. Those figures don't sell, though and there is plenty of stock available. Which really proves out this figure's lack of popularity among the collecting community. For a low production run, high quality figure that is relatively obscure and has little collector cachet, though, $40 is probably the sweet spot if you want to buy one. Less is better. But, any more and you're overpaying for something that collectors generally passed by. For me, the value in the figure is as a companion to the 2005 Convention set. But, as that set holds little value for me, personally, the figure is more of a novelty and not something I ever consider when it comes time to select aquatic Cobras for a photo shoot. Had I not gotten him when I stumbled upon a super cheap version, he'd not only be absent from my collection, but I'd also have no compunction to ever track him down.
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