2019 Night Force Snake Eyes - Black Major Exclusive

I've looked at two of the many flavors of the Black Major V2 Snake Eyes figures already.  There isn't much to say about a mold that was criminally underused and is now the exact opposite.  But, sometimes, a figure hits you in a way you weren't expecting.  I'm not a huge fan of the vintage Night Force subset.  To me, all the figures look the same.  Having one or two in the Night Force colors is really cool.  But, having 12 of them is just a boring, banal team that really flies in the face of what Joe is supposed to be.  But, it remains the most popular vintage Joe subset and really is something that needed a few more members.  Especially when you consider that Snake Eyes was not part of the original team.  Fortunately, Black Major corrected that in 2019.

On the one hand, Snake Eyes' absence from Night Force in non-sensical.  Of any Joe, Snake Eyes seems the singular, logical choice to either lead the team or at least be part of it.  I can only imagine what the pricing would be today had the 1985 Snake Eyes mold gotten its only repaint in the 1988 or 1989 Toys R Us exclusive Night Force sets.  But, his omission has more to do with the peculiarities of his release years and their lack of overlap with the TRU sets.  I actually have to give Hasbro credit for not including Snake Eyes in the 2004 Night Force set since Snake Eyes was overused at the time.  Though, the 1989 Snake Eyes mold in 2004 Night Force green might have been pretty cool.

The 1985 Snake Eyes holds a prominent place in my collection.  In 1985, I was reading the Joe comic and was well versed in Snake Eyes being the most prominent character.  His new figure personified everything that kids of that era wanted Snake Eyes to be.  He was still a commando at heart.  But, now had a ninja element, too, so he could battle the best Cobra figure ever released in the 1984 Stormshadow.  As such, to me, the 1985 sculpt is Snake Eyes.  Even moreso than his 1982 original design.  The placement of this figure at such a prominent point of my childhood blinded me to the obvious weaknesses in the figure's design, though.

As Black Major repainted the mold in a variety of colors, my blinders to the sculpt began to fade away.  I would now see that the head is a little bizarre, with the sculpted mouth.  The figure also has a little pooch in his stomach.  These flaws, though, were offset by finally seeing the mold painted in a way that accentuated the details that made us all fall in love with the figure back in 1985.  So, I still hold 1985 Snake Eyes repaints in higher regard than they might deserve.  There's something about this mold that remains magical due to its prominent placement during my childhood.  It's helpful to understand those old feelings and how they shape my view of toys based on the classic figure.  And, it's why I try to stay out of very valid debates about how good this figure actually is.  To me, I can't have a rational debate over a toy that was so central in my formative years.

It's interesting to me that I've owned a version of the 1985 Snake Eyes for 40 years, now.  Despite that, I still don't feel I've ever adequately appreciated the figure.  It always seems like I can not do anything that lives up to the greatness of this mold.  Photos don't do it justice.  Paint jobs make it better, but it still seems like there's more to be done.  This is legacy that is hanging on from childhood.  The result of these inadequacies is that I don't use 1985 Snake Eyes figures as often as I should.  He'd work great in many photos.  But, I end up taking one of the repaint era figures based on the 1991 or 1983 Snake Eyes instead.  With those figures, I never worry about capturing the essence of the figure in a perfect way.  With the 1985 mold, I want to do that.  And, I've scrapped many photos and writings about the 1985 mold for that very reason.

This Night Force version of the figure got a bit of use for a while.  I loved the added colors on the character.  But, since then, the figure has stagnated.  I haven't taken a photo of him in years.  Other Snake Eyes colorings have grabbed my attention and are more likely to be used.  And, I'm not sure why that is.  I still really enjoy this color scheme on the mold.  But, it suffers from the general malaise that I feel towards using this classic look for Snake Eyes.  I'll choose other Snake Eyes costumes long before I turn to the '85.  In some ways, I should rectify that.  The '85 is still my preferred look for Snake Eyes.  And, using some of these older Black Major colors does give photos more flair.  It's supposed to rain tomorrow.  Maybe, I'll take this figure down to the creek and try to find a cool spot for a showcase.  

Aside from one detail, this Snake Eyes uses colors that are callbacks to the vintage Night Force figures.  The black base and grey pants match up with the standard motif of the vintage era.  And, the green highlights hearken back to the Toys R Us figures using that color, too.  None of the colors on the Snake Eyes are an exact match for the vintage figures, though.  He's one of those guys who looks good on his own.  But, if you posed him with the '88 or '89 figures, you'd notice that his coloring is off.  The main difference, though, is the red visor.  The red is somewhat of an homage to the red highlights used on Night Force vehicles and isn't a feature of the vintage figures.  It actually kind of works for me, though.  It gives the Snake Eyes more visual distinction from his other figures.  And, it also allows you to use this as an alternate look for Snake Eyes rather than just a Night Force addition.

My favorite element of this Snake Eyes is his accessory color.  While the figure includes the full complement of 1985 Snake Eyes gear (backpack, Uzi, sword and wolf), it is the base, brown color of the figure's gear that is most striking.  The rich hue isn't often seen.  And, while it may not make sense for a sword or firearm, it looks cool.  I'm a sucker for oddball accessory colors.  And, this Snake Eyes pulls it off with aplomb.  (There's tons of Black Major Snake Eyes gear available in more standard colors, now, should you want to give the figure more traditional weapon colors.)  The brown is a nice offset to the black and green base.  It complements the figure's coloring and gives him even more pizazz.  

The Night Force Snake Eyes is of decent quality.  In 2020, the Snake Eyes mold began to wear out.  And, some of the later paint jobs tend to have loose arms.  But, that doesn't affect this Night Force version.  The backpack mold, though, has a flaw that prevents the sword from fitting into the slots.  It's annoying as it renders one of the better features of Snake Eyes' accessories moot.  You can awkwardly slide it in, sideways.  But, it's precarious, at best.  Aside from this, though, the figure is solid and works very well with vintage figures.

When this figure was first released, he was only available to those who purchased an entire 9 figure set of Snake Eyes repaints.  After that, a few select figures were raffled off.  And, a few were sold on auction sites.  Those figures started over $100 and continued to sell for $70+ for quite some time.  By the fall of 2019, though, the figure had fallen in price and you could get one under $30 at online auction sites.  As with all Black Major figures, future pricing is tough.  Were there fewer Night Force Snake Eyes figures made than the other repaints that were released at the same time?  Will collectors continue to want this particular paint job when there are, literally, at least 18* others to choose from?  If you like the figure and find it at a price you like, snatch it up.  The one constant is that after factory customs sell out, they get harder to find.  So, even if the figure drops in price, tracking one down might be worth the extra bucks today.

*I started writing this profile in April of 2020.  I just got around to finishing it, more than 5 years later.  Now, there's dozens of '85 Snake Eyes repaints available.  Some are great.  Some are bad.  And, some are weird.  But, there's something for everyone.  This Night Force version sits, unsold, at $40.  And, his contemporaries seem to have settled in the $25-$30 range.  That's a good starting point should you want to buy this Snake Eyes in 2025.

2017 Commando (Red Laser Army) Around the Web

Red Laser Army was a great combination of ambitious and obscure.  They were willing to take big swings on large sets of figures.  And, many of them were dedicated to G.I. Joe ephemera that was buried in the deepest recesses of collectordom.  The Commando figure is based on a sticker set from 1982 that featured a gloveless Snake Eyes wearing green and camo instead of his trademark black.  The figure was one of the highlights of the 2017 Red Laser Army figure set.  It quickly found a strong life among the creators of the time.  It's hard to fathom that this figure was released 8 years ago.  And, much of the content that once featured Commando have fallen into the abyss of social media.  I was able to find some solid content featuring the figure.  

Commando remains a great figure.  It's a perfect look for an alternate Snake Eyes.  The figure works well with other Red Laser Army figures, too.  You do still see Commando from time to time.  He's more common than most of his 2017 classmates.  But, even my use of him has diminished in recent years.  Most of the photos below are a couple of years old, at least.  I should try to use him and other Red Laser Army figures more frequently.  Until then, enjoy the content below.

Commando Profile

Commando at Attica Gazette

Commando by billykessler

Commando y gen_liederkranz

Commando by Slipstream80

Commando by viper_space

Commando by kickstart_joe

Commando by gen_liederkranz

Commando by darth_beotch

Commando by gijoe_manila_ph

Commando by specialmissionforce

Commando by kickstart_joe

2020 Night Force Snake Armor - Black Major

I do not like the Snake armor.  I hated it as a kid and it has been completely and utterly irrelevant to me for over 40 years.  But, one of the things that helps us grow as people it to take another look at something we dislike and try to understand why we dislike and if the circumstances around that dislike warrant another evaluation of our opinion.  It's something good to do with political views, social conventions and even the people in and around your life.  So, when Black Major produced Snake Armors in 2020, I saw an opportunity to pick one up and see if my childhood bias against the toy held up.  In this case, I'm actually looking at a Night Force version of the Snake armor.  I'm not sure why there's a Night Force version.  But, it was cheap and included a Stormshadow repaint I wanted.  And, the base colors are Cobra enough that it solved my need for a sample of the Snake that would help determine if I've been wrong for the last 4 decades.

The Snake came out in 1983.  It was a cheap toy that was meant to fill the price gap between a figure and base vehicle.  At the time, Hasbro ensured Joe toys existed within price points so that G.I. Joe toys were a possibility for any level of gift giver.  And, because of this, my brothers and I got no less than 3 Snakes between birthdays and Christmas in the fall of 1983.  By that point, I was completely engrossed in G.I. Joe and they were the only toys I really played with. So, ostensibly, any Joe toy would have been an awesome addition to my toy room.  But, Snakes were not.  From the get go, I found them useless.  The last thing I wanted was a suit that limited articulation on my figures.  I could easily imagine some force shield that offered all the power of a Snake without limiting my ability to pose the figures any way I wanted.  But, the most damning aspect of the toy was that, in order to use it, it took a figure out of rotation.  Someone had to be inside the suit for the thing to work.

So, now we get the crux of the issue.  Pretty much anyone reading this would say, "What about the exoskeleton included with the Snake that allowed it to be set without a figure?!?".  Usually, this would be prefaced or ended with the word dummy.  (Or, your expletive of choice.)  But, we'll save that.  Because, you see, I didn't know about the exo skeleton piece.  In all three of our Snakes, that little part was tossed with the leftover sprues.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe it was the zeal of opening something new.  Or, I was just a moron who missed it.  But, I didn't know this part existed for a many years.  So, this is the part where you call me a dummy.  

But, to be fair, this was not the end of the Snake for me.  In time, certain Cobra figures got broken.  Even as a kid, I could not abide by figures with broken crotches or thumbs.  So, when a Cobra Officer was damaged, it made perfect sense for him to slide into the Snake as the operator.  This allowed me to use the Snake.  But, it also didn't cost me a figure since someone already broken was no longer considered part of my actual collection.  But, even with this addition of a figure, I found the Snake lacking.  Like the MANTA, the Snake didn't stay together all that well when you actually played with it.  And, the lack of poseability still killed it.  In short, the Snake couldn't manage to find a way into my adventures.

In 1984, I started buying the Joe comic.  In short order, I found a local comic book shop and started buying back issues of the Joe issues.   Eventually, I came across issue #19.  Here, Dr. Venom put Kwinn and Snake Eyes into the Snakes and had them attack the G.I. Joe Headquarters.  I had a few problems with this issue.  First, Dr. Venom kept referring the Hiss Tank being "Cobra blue".  As the Hiss was canonically black, I found this a glaring error.  Second, it didn't make sense to me that Kwinn and Snake Eyes would have their bodies controlled, but still have clear enough minds to shoot the locks on the suit.  Finally, it was self defeating to have these invincible suits who could be cracked open by a guy who somehow managed to get a remote controlled machine gun to fire manually.  The upside, though, was that the terrible suits were proven very ineffective.  And, in my mind, my dislike of Snakes as a toy and a concept were codified in the comic forever.

But, at its core, my dislike of the Snake went deeper.  Generally, I was not a fan of robots.  For some reason, I never got the robot bug.  This manifested itself in 1986 when I found the BAT a fairly lame toy and character.  BATs were fun for about 4 minutes before Sgt. Slaughter would slip behind them, shoot them in the back and watch them burst into flame...rendering them absolutely useless.  I was shocked to find my friends and even random kids at the store who LOVED BATs.  I didn't get the fascination with robots.  And, I still don't.  I see collectors going ga-ga over mechs and things and I simply don't understand the appeal.  But, to me, the humanity of the characters was a driving force in my play.  So, even in my days of playing with Star Wars figures, I rarely found the robots interesting.  Monsters and aliens could be given personality.  But, I just didn't click with robots.  And, to this day, I find anything that heavily features robots to be kind of boring.

The Black Major Snakes are very well done.  They are of high quality and display nicely.  The paint masks are crisp and the rainbow of colors allow even curmudgeons like myself to find something of interest.  Snake accessories tended to break on the vintage toys.  With the Black Major figures, the risk is still there.  But, the attachments fit snugly and work very well with the arms.  The parts fit together without falling apart.  And, even with the exo skeleton inside, the toy stands and functions just fine.  

There are tons of Black Major paint variants of Snakes available.  A few colors were even metallicized and you can get shining versions that look like Christmas ornaments if you are so inclined.  The original Snake had an interesting life.  Hasbro released the white version in 1983.  Then, in 1985, they repainted it into a blue version.  I have no idea why the Snake got this treatment when other, far better vehicles in the price point did not.  But, the blue Snake exists and is somewhat rare.  In Europe, Palitoy released a red Snake named the Escape Armor for the Red Shadows.  Of course, it's highly desirable and expensive.  Funskool finally released the Snake in the 1990's.  There are various hues, the most famous being a gray version.  Again, this is hard to find and you'll pay a premium for one.  So, for a crappy, crappy toy, there are tons of variants out there.  Yet, there are only two Flight Pods and one real coloring for the CLAW....

Black Major Snakes dried up pretty quickly.  While you can still find them, the initial assortment sold out far faster than I would have thought.  All this proves is that my take on the Snake is the minority opinion in the community and the design is generally well liked.  Less desirable colors of the Snake are still available in the $12 range.  But, some of the most desirable colors almost never appear for sale and will command a premium.  For me, it was easy to get one like this Night Force version because it was more about having one Snake to review than having the right colors.  If you're a Snake fan, that might not be the case.  

Night Viper - Grey (Black Major Version)

We can argue whether the default Cobra color is blue, red or even purple.  (Seriously, there's more purple Cobras than other colors.)  But, everyone will agree that Cobra's principle color isn't green.  There were just two vintage green Cobras that both appeared in 1989: the Aero Viper and the Night Viper.  Both figures are highly regarded as the color can work in small doses.  The dark green palette works for the specialty of the Night Viper.  But, there are many other color schemes that would have also fit the mold.  Hasbro never saw fit to repaint the Night Viper and he remained one of the more desirable vintage army builders for many years.  In the late 2010s, factory custom maker the Black Major released several series of Night Viper repaints.  All showcased the untapped potential of the Night Viper mold.  The paint job I've found most useful, though, is a grey and black color combo.  The grey hearkens back to the Stinger Driver from the vintage line and fits with the iconic Cobra vehicles from the line's early years.

I've recounted my discovery of the Night Viper before.  He was, though, the only figure I purchased at retail between early 1988 and December of 1992.  His pristine cardback with bubble still attached sat inside a small Banana Republic brown paper shopping bag on the top shelf of the closet in my childhood room for nearly two decades.  While I never really got to use the figure, his top notch design kept him as someone that held more value to me than most of my post-childhood Joes.  As an adult, I acquired a nice squad of Funskool Night Vipers that were my core Cobra army for a few years while we waited on Hasbro to finally get some diverse army building molds into production.  

In time, though, that novelty waned.  I had less interest in a Night Viper army because I had other figures that became available.  But, when I liquidated a huge chunk of my collection in the early 2010's, I kept all the Night Vipers.  I saved my four vintage figures.  And, kept my entire Funskool army.  (It helped that Funskool figures were worthless at the time and I've have sold them for less than my $4/figure cost.)  So, even as the figure fell out of favor from a usage standpoint, it remained a viable army in my collection.  Every now and then again, I get the urge to get the old Night Vipers out and relive their heyday as the pre-eminent Cobras in my legions.  But, you'll see that Night Viper appearances are few and far between.  Heck, the photos in this profile are at least 3 years old and I don't have any newer ones to supplement them.

This figure is pretty basically colored.  His body is a silverish-grey with black highlights.  Aside from a small, silver belt buckle and the small green and yellow logo on his left arm, the figure is two tonal.  But, in this context, the figure works.  His paint masks match the vintage Night Viper and this figure very much feels like something Hasbro could have made during the vintage run.  While additional painted details would have been nice, they are less necessary for some repaints due to their ties to the vintage figure's appearance.  

For gear, the Black Major Night Vipers match with the vintage figures.  He includes the classic rifle: complete with strap to go over his arm and the weird holes to affix the rifle to the Night Viper's legs.  The Night Viper backpack is there, though it's kind of underwhelming due to the original design.  The figure features both the face shield and the monocle that attaches to it.  The face shields are the biggest source of consternation for these figures.  The shields are difficult to get on and can either break or snap off the pegs that are on the figure's helmet.  Some colors work better than others.  But, they are all tight fits and take a bit of patience to get onto the figure's head without breaking something.  

The result of all this is a really nice repaint of a classic figure.  I'd hesitate to say that this grey Night Viper is better than the green version.  It's just different.  The green has many uses.  But, this grey version does, too.  He fits well with the Stinger, Hiss Tank or even the Night Watch.  And, it is nice to have a a grey figure from some of the later years to fill in gaps on Cobra vehicles when you want to use other figures who were released after 1984.  More importantly, it's a sensical color for both the mold and the character's specialty.  Grey and black is about as classic "night" as the Joe line gets.  So, seeing it on this Night Viper mold makes this release feel like it could have been a vintage Hasbro design.  For me, that's a huge plus when it comes to factory customs.

At this point in my collection, knowing that this figure exists and that I have a couple is where the value in him lies.  I don't really see me taking this guy out and using him in extensive photo shoots.  And, it's hard to get proper night shots where the figure really makes sense.  I like to take him and mingle him with 1989 or Funskool Night Vipers.  But, I rarely find the occasion warrants any photos to commemorate it.  I do enjoy the Night Viper mold.  It's one that I've never been able to fully appreciate because I had the figure in my teenage years but couldn't really appreciate him.  That's carried over to today and I generally feel that the Night Viper is a figure that I really should use more often.

Hasbro released one vintage Night Viper.  Some of his parts were used on the 1992 Heli-Viper: but in very odd colors.  After that, the mold went to India.  Funskool released the Night Viper for many, many years.  The figure was colored in similar style to the American figure and was a staple of online Joe dealers during the Funskool heyday.  (Funskool Night Vipers would sell out routinely throughout 2001 and even into 2002.  Guys bought them by the dozens.)  There are a few minor coloring variants on the figure and accessories.  But, the figure's main design doesn't stray from Hasbro's vision.  Hasbro got the Night Viper back in April of 2003.  His parts were then used for the 2005 Iron Grenadier convention figure.  And, in 2006, the club released an exclusive "not an army builder" Night Viper that was...in green.  So, even the newly painted version didn't really bring anything new to the mold other than some painted details.  Due to the club's use, the Night Viper didn't get picked for any retail sets...even though he was a natural fit for the Night Watch set.  Factory Custom makers re-creating the mold, though, has finally brought about the Night Viper repaints we've always wanted.  You can now get them in grey, tan, red, gold, blue, black, python patrol and even colored like the Alley Viper.  At this point, every Night Viper you could ever want is available.  So, the mold finally got its due.

The Night Viper series debuted as a higher price point figure from Black Major.  And, it's never really come down.  These days, it's pretty easy to find the less desirable Night Viper colorways.  They don't really seem to sell.  The earlier figures with many of the more collector friendly colors are much harder to track down.  You'll end up paying between $25 and $30 if you can find one.  Which, is probably too much.  As the market cools down, figures like this will be less desirable and should come up, from time to time, at cheaper prices.  You just have to be ready to pounce when one appears.  Until then, there's lots of other Night Vipers that are just fine to tide you over. 

2018 Cobra Starduster - Black Major

When Starduster variants first showed up in 2017, I picked up a couple of them.  They made for great figures.  But, as more repaints appeared, I had less interest in them as I was rushing to catch up on the Steel Brigade, Cobra Trooper, Alley Viper and Night Viper repaints.  By the time I got around to chasing down the Stardusters, they seemed like old news.  In late 2020, though, Nekoman showcased a Red Shadows Starduster as part of his Laser Exterminator profile.  Not to be outdone, RTG at the Attica Gazette then showcased the figure in its full glory on his site.  With these, my interest in the figure was piqued.  And, at that time, you could still get a few of the late 2010's Black Major figures for cheap prices.  

When I thought about it, Starduster makes more sense as a villain.  His jet pack is very much a super villain weapon.  His visor hides his face well enough.  And, he's obscure enough that switching the affiliation of a repaint doesn't really hurt any Joe mythos.  Shortly after reading these other blogs about the figure, a red Starduster popped up for $12.  I quickly snagged it.  Mine, though, is not the Red Shadows version.  Instead, it's a Cobra version of Starduster cast in all red.  But, it still works for my intended purpose.  And, it's a damn fine example of the work Black Major can do.

Black Major released a massive amount of Starduster repaints.  Some were Starduster.  Others were marketed as Cobras.  And, there were Red Shadows versions, too.  Quickly, collectors who were pigeonholed into Starduster's intended role were freed to actually do something with the character.  I've never really clicked with Starduster as a character.  To me, the most interesting thing about him is that he was named Hedge-Hopper in a preview issue of Marvel Age.  That's not much on which to base a character, though.  So, having the figure in a definitely Cobra color and Cobra markings was an interesting way to re-envision the character.  

The calling card of the figure is the red color.  It is a deep and vibrant red: fitting for a Cobra.  The camo pants are in oddball choice that shouldn't matter.  But, they add depth to the look of the figure and give him some visual interest.  The black details and silver highlights stand out against the red backdrop.  Really, there's not a ton of paint applications.  But, when you have a powerful base against which accent colors can pop, small amounts of paint can go a long way.  And, with this Starduster, they do.

I'm not really sure what to do with a Cobra Starduster.  Just having a jetpack guy isn't all that much fun after a few interactions.  It's why I had jetpack troopers when I was a kid.  They were useful in spurts.  But, not enough upon which to base a character.  But, every villainous organization requires some B-level bad guys who can be beaten by the good guys but not be so important that their capture would compromise the bad guys or their plans.  So, this Starduster fits that role well enough.  He'll show up from time to time.  But, usually, it's for a short time and a limited role.  But, with thousands of figures now available in the vintage Joe style, some have to be intended for bit parts.  

The Starduster era Black Major figures are very well done.  From a quality perspective, the joints are solid, they will hold a pose and the paint masks are vibrant and sharp.  You'll see some paint wear on the figure's visor in the photo below.  The translucent plastic of the visor doesn't hold paint all that well.  But, some other colors seem to better maintain their paint.  The grenade launcher is also painted.  So, it can wear if you use it frequently.  Beyond that, though, the jetpack is awesome: equal of a Hasbro release.  And, the helmet fits nicely onto the head.  You'll note the reversed rivets in the figure below.  A function of the time when these figures were released.  You can find them with proper rivets, too.  So, there's plenty of little things to look out for when chasing this figure.  

Depending upon when you bought this figure, you got a variety of different pieces.  Early figures included both a Duke chest and a Recondo chest so you could make an imitation of either major Starduster variant figures.  The figure should always have a helmet, visor, jetpack and grenade launcher.  Some will have the weapon and hose from the JUMP, too.  As time has gone on, many of the figures made available have become separated from some of the superfluous pieces.  But, you'll see variants of the chest and weapons among various figures that you can acquire.  

This Starduster is tough to price.  You see them offered at $40 or $50.  But, they don't seem to sell at that point.  You'll see some sell around $30.  But, those seem to be outliers, too.  Contemporary Starduster variants that were released at the same time as this Cobra version seem to run between $20 and $30.  So, that's probably the sweet spot.  There's a lot of people who try to oversell this figure just due to the association with Starduster.  But, the original, Hasbro Starduster is one of the most over-hyped figures in all of collectordom and isn't nearly as popular or rare as his price suggests.  So, don't overpay for the Black Major figures just due to a false sense of rarity associated with the Hasbro release.

2010 Black Major Blue Cobra Mortal - Random Photos of the Day

In the case of this figure, I couldn't do an around the web feature.  The reason is that there's nothing out there.  So, instead, I'll just post some of the various photos I've taken of him over the years.

Back in 2010 or so, when this figure first showed up, I thought that the Cobra blue body combined with the chromed head created an incredible visual.  Back then, factory customs were pretty new.  And, there was only a couple of dozen total figures.  So, this figure felt very fresh.  It seemed like something that could have been released.  And, it was actually much better than any official version of the Cobra Mortal character that had seen production.

Now, the figure seems almost quaint.  When compared to the current crop of factory customs, this figure is akin to comparing a 1982 Joe to one released in 1992.  They have evolved to a degree that the originals are easily recognized.  And, I kind of like that.  It shows that there is still work to do in the Joe world.  Despite that, these early figures retain a type of innocence from their early design period.  

X Ray Eye (Power Commandos) - Around The Web

The Power Commandos have become one of the more recognized series of G.I. Joe knock-off toys.  This is, entirely, a function of them becoming relatively available in the last 10 years.  Since they're kind of weird and have cool gear, it makes sense that they would have been accepted by collectors.

X Ray Eye isn't one of the more recognizable Power Commandos.  But, he's in line with the aesthetic of the line.  And, he makes for an interesting side villain to accompany your Cobras.  The figure is fun to have around and can be very useful in the right setting.

With the newfound popularity of the figures, you can actually find some content out there that showcases them.  So, take some time to stop by each link and see how others have used X Ray Eye.

X Ray Eye Profile

Power Commandos Wave Breakdown & Release Info

X Ray Eye by thedragonfortress

X Ray Eye by toysandtomfoolery

X Ray Eye by nightforcetunnelrat

X Ray Eye at Toys of the Past

Power Commandos by nijirain

X Ray Eye by jaredscoolcollection

X Ray Eye by toysandtomfoolery

Rarities - Italian Jet Man (Slipstream) Bootleg

The Italian Jet Man figure was one of those things that was long rumoured, but never really confirmed for a long time.  In the past decade or so, though, the figure has finally come out of hiding with loose and boxed versions actually being available.  As to how or why an Italian toy company got to release a red version of Slipstream, though,  remains an absolute mystery.  But, this figure exists and is one of those bizarre oddities that dot the periphery of the collecting landscape.

To me, this figure very much looks like the body of a A-Wing fighter pilot from the Star Wars line.  The colors really show how close the pilot mold is to that of the original Star Wars designs.  Were this guy in orange, he's be a dead ringer for X-Wing pilots, too.  So, I guess the coloring of the original Slipstream is a testament to how overt copyright infringement can be avoided.

There are other European bootlegs that are based on Slipstream.  So, I don't know if this company got access to the Hasbro mold for Slipstream.  Or, if they just copied it.  You can see a cheapness to the figure's face.  But, that may just be the paint masks that were used.

The figure includes a red rifle that originated in one of the Joe knock lines of the mid 1980's.  I think it was Galoob who first produced it.  But, I may be mistaken on that.  Regardless, as a kid, I didn't much care for this rifle at all.  For some reason, it just looked cheap and I always associated it with lazy rip offs of official G.I. Joe weapons.

Jet Man is one of those weird items whose existence is baffling.  How did such an obscure company get ahold of such an obscure mold to use for a toy?  And, if they made their own mold, why did they choose Slipstream?  The upside is that this is an incredibly oddball release for collectors to track down.

2016 Tank Commander - Black Major Exclusive

There are hundreds of paint jobs available on the 1983 Cobra Trooper mold.  Some are great.  Some are terrible.  And, most, are just there.  They're neat enough designs.  But, they don't really transcend the others.  Many of them, though, serve a specific purpose.  There is one area where a certain color scheme is completely necessary.  But, then, doesn't really make much sense in any other context.  Such is the fate of the 2016 Tank Troopers.  Black suited figures with red trim is a fine design that is also not all that exciting.  But, when paired with specific Cobra vehicles, the Tank Troopers are great.

The idea of having Cobra Troopers in color schemes to match any vehicle or specialty figure seems great.  And, back in 2010, it really was.  Collectors could get Troopers to match some of their favorite Cobra figures and vehicles.  As the decade crawled on, more and more Troopers were released.  And, with that, came some diminishing returns.  Now, in 2024, there are Cobra Troopers for every occasion.  And, you'll go batty trying to get squads of them all.  I find it better to pick and choose and focus on designs that really speak to me.  Among my preferred color schemes of Python Patrol, Swamp Troopers and Soldados, I also have a small cadre of these Tank Trooper figures that are cast in red and black.  

The reason for that is because of the 1985 Sears Exclusive SMS.  This special repaint of a Hiss Tank and MMS was meant for the Crimson Guard.  However, I've never felt that the CGs really matched the tank.  Simultaneously, the blue Cobra Troopers and Officers were not great matches for it, either.  But, with the advent of these Tank Troopers, I finally had an adequate crew for one of the key vehicles of my childhood.  The red black perfectly matches both the SMS and the 2004 Operation Crimson Sabotage.  On top of that, they are also really nice matches for the 1983 Hiss and even the Stinger.  In short, they fit with Cobras 1983-1985 vehicle aesthetic.  So, if you have a soft spot for those early Cobra designs, the Tank Troopers are the crew you wished you had back when you were a kid.

The Cobra Trooper remains the best incarnation of Cobra's classic bad guy.  Vipers are just too well equipped to see them as foot soldiers in an upstart terrorist organization.  But, guys wearing blue shirts and pants with a mask over their face gives the appearance of affordability that would have been imperative in Cobra's early days.  In case you think they aren't dangerous, though, each trooper carries a piano wire on his arm.  These are men of no moral compass who view murder as a matter of their job and nothing more.  Those who place such low value on human life would have been attracted to Cobra by the pay and sphere of safety that Cobra could provide.  

The fact that things like this were incorporated into a children's toy is amazing.  The early Joe team wasn't shy about making the good guys be good guys and the bad guys be bad guys.  The 1980's were the decade of clear heroes and villains.  The notion of the anti-hero would only become pervasive in the 1990's...mostly as a way to evolve the simple tropes of the prior decade that were no longer drawing in audiences.  Now, we have sympathetic villains and heroes who, frankly, have character flaws so deep that they really should be villains.  But, the early Cobra was designed in the vein of Hydra and other Nazi-derivative villains of the post World War II era.  And, the Cobra Trooper is the textbook example of this.

There really isn't much more to say about the Cobra Trooper mold.  I've looked at tons of colorings of the mold.  And, I have several more sitting in my draft folder that will appear in future years.  The mold remains the same.  But, the color schemes offer chances to use the mold in more circumstances and have some nice color matches with additional members of the Cobra hierarchy.  While we really don't "need" any more Cobra Trooper color designs, the fact is that must have colorings still continue to appear.  And, I often find that that there are lots of designs that I never thought I wanted until I saw them.  Once in hand, I have yet to be disappointed.

The Cobra Trooper is Black Major's most used character.  There are at least 4 different incarnations of the mold.  You can tell the differences by the foot pegs, backpack hole and even the head.  The Tank Troopers are earlier molds.  But, the quality is still high.  They don't have the floppy joints of some 2010 era releases.  They hold their weapons well.  (These figures actually include the standard Dragunov rifle, an Officer AK-47 and a backpack.  You'll often find current sales not including all the proper gear, though.)  And, best of all, the paint masks are simple and effective.  It's hard to believe these figures are coming up on their 10th anniversary.  But, the fact that new Cobra Troopers have already been released this year shows the enduring appeal of the mold.  And, it's a safe bet that as long as factory custom figures exist, new Cobra Troopers will be among the releases.

The Tank Troopers were not popular upon their release.  You could buy sets of 4 or 5 Troopers and one Viper Pilot for under $25.  Resellers would offer even better deals if you made a bulk purchase.  Now, you can barely get one Cobra Trooper for that amount.  But, 2017 was a very different time in the Joe world.  The documentary hadn't pulled in fly-by-night scalpers and pickers.  And, the pandemic hadn't destroyed all the collectible markets and created an unsustainable zeal for nostalgia.  So, these aren't $5 figures any more.  But, they are also not expensive.  You might have to wait a while to find the figure, especially if you want a set.  But, you should be able to find them in the $15-$20 range with prices going lower if you can find a full team.  

2018 Shadowtracker - Around The Web

In regards to the comments on the Fail Safe profile.

For the past few months I have been very down on Joe.  There are a variety of reasons for this.  First and foremost is that I'm simply getting bored.  Since the fall of 2015, I've posted an average of 2 posts per week.  That's thousands of photos of action figures.  And, it's the equivalent of several novels.  In short, I'm out of things to say.  I've told my stories.  I've expressed my likes and dislikes of the Joe line.  And, I'm just at a point where my collection has not kept up with my content and I'm out of things to write about.

Part of this is just the weather.  I hate winter.  Like, really hate it.  And, 6 months of brown, dead leaves and mud saps much of my desire to get Joes outside.  I've broken more than a couple Joes in cold weather in the past few years.  And, that pisses me off.  So, I'm more loathe to even  consider outdoor photography when it's cold outside.  And, one thing I've learned is that if I'm not taking photos of my collection, I really don't have much else to do with it.

An equal part, though, is that the collecting world is pretty stagnant.  Hasbro's o-ring line fell flat.  Even if you don't mind the quality, the line was almost exclusively items we already had.  The best figures were the ones we didn't get before.  (Duke, Cobra Commander and the Ramp Rat come to mind.)  But, overall, there's really nothing in the 2020's line that you'd miss if it didn't exist.  

That leaves the Kickstarter figures.  And, while I get the excitement these bring many collectors, I find them lacking.  None of them capture the essence or style of the original Joe line.  Some lines look like mega-block figures.  Other lines look like downscaled anniversary figures that had an o-ring inserted for nostalgia.  I've always been a Joe snob.  I don't even think that Remco or Lanard figures are compatible with Joe.  They stick out.  And, most of the Kickstarters do, too.

Mostly, it's the heads.  Not even Hasbro has been able to replicate vintage Joe heads.  The attempts never look right.  And, this is where most of the Kickstarters, to me, fall short.  I see pumpkin heads that extend over the figure's shoulders and I'm turned off.  I've yet to see an actual production level Kickstarter that has left me disappointed that I didn't back it.  In fact, the opposite has been true.

I kvech a lot about the decaying Joe line and getting older because it's a big part of collecting.  One my esteemed commenters mentioned that we are now the guys with trains in their basements.  There's nothing wrong with that.  But, it helps put a collection into perspective.  When I see my childhood playthings turning to yellowed dust, I reminds me of my Dad's prized possessions from his childhood and the way they rusted and broke into decay as they were stored in a closet in our basement.  I see the same thing happening to me.  And, frankly, writing about it helps me deal with some of the harshness of now being over 50.  It's cheaper and more convenient than real therapy.

In short, I may just need a break.  In the past, I've taken short and long hiatuses from the hobby.  I come back, recharged.  But, when the plants turn green, we get some rain and there's a great, natural setting down by the creek, I might be out with a bucket full of figures every afternoon.  

The important thing is that I still find value in the Joe community.  I appreciate every single person who stops by to view or read my part of the Joe world.  And, I'm grateful for those who take the time to comment.  

For me, I have some fun stuff coming up.  I've got a piece that I really enjoy that's coming...maybe even next week.  And, there's a couple of really obscure figures that I'll be posting soon, too.  I still have over 500 drafts sitting in my content bucket.  So, I won't want for content for a while.  And, when I do get a spark of creativity, I tend to write a lot in a very short time.  

Until then, enjoy some other peoples' work in regards to the 2018 Shadowtracker from Red Laser Army.  I miss RLA.  They made some neat stuff.

2018 Shadowtracker Profile

Shadowtracker by atticagazette

Shadowtracker by general_liederkranz

Shadowtracker by strikeforcecodename

Shadowtracker by slipstream80

Shadowtracker by flatline54

Shadowtracker by fuerzatigre

Shadowtracker by strikeforce_codename

Shadowtracker by slipstream80

Shadowtracker by general_liederkranz

Shadowtracker by relena_warcraft

Rarities - Remco Swamp Man

Last year, we looked at the S.I.T. figures from Remco.  That series was full of awesome designs that would have made great additions to a Joe collection.  Hidden among the sea of other, rather terrible, Remco figures, though, are other series of high quality figures.  As the Remco line progressed, they stepped up their game in terms of figure design, characterization and accessories.  One of the more bizarrely interesting releases is their Swamp Man figure.

This diver figure was sold under both the US Forces and American Defense brand names.  (Maybe even more, as Remco was known for reusing items ad naseum.  And, there are several American Defense cardback color variants.)  While he includes different rifles based on his release, the basic dive gear accessories remain the same.  He has flippers, air hoses and a chest mounted dive armor.  It's not a bad complement and is a look that would have interested me when I was a kid as I was a sucker for removable air hoses that plugged into a figure's helmet.

The main thing is that the figure is pretty interesting to look at.  He would perfectly integrate into a Joe collection and look in line with figures like Eels, Hydro Vipers and Undertows.  Part of me is sad that I didn't really take advantage of the cheap lots of Remco figures that used to litter Ebay.  Now, they're mostly gone and finding figures like this is a pain as few toy dealers bother with them.  But, if you can find a Swamp Man, he makes for a solid entry to a Joe collection.

Metal Hawk - Power Commandos

G.I. Joe was a hugely successful formula for selling toys.  Between the military/fantasy theme and the size and articulation of the toys themselves, Hasbro found a winning combination.  Naturally, competitors used Hasbro's initiative to produce many toys that were knock offs of the Joe line.  Some were purely military based.  Some were fantasy based.  And, some of the better ones, combined both.  All used the 3 3/4" size and most replicated the articulation of at least the straight arm Joes from 1982.  In time, though, some adopted the swivel, evolved beyond simply mold reuses and into full fledged toy lines on their own.  Some were more popular than others.  And, decades later, some have found themselves highly sought after by Joe collectors.  One such series is the Power Commandos figures by Lucky Bell.

Power Commandos took a more fantasy/sci-fi approach to their toys.  Their tagline was: "Those guys from the other galaxy.".  The characters that appeared were aliens, monsters and a few human good guys who battled against them.  While the most famous figure from the line is Mummy Mask, it is his packmate who draws my attention today.  Metal Hawk is a complex and interesting sculpt that features massive amounts of colors.  He's also still very much a knock off and doesn't have the polished look of a classic Hasbro release.  But, he's someone for which you can find a use.

Metal Hawk's bio card is just fantastic.  He was born on the Ironrock Comet.  And, his specialty is Out-numbered Combats.  No, that is not a typo.  That is his real specialty.  I have no idea what it means.  His bio mentions that Metal Hawk has skin as tough as steel.  (Metal)  But, he is still quick as a hawk. (Hawk.  Metal-Hawk, get it?)  He has both a lightning sword and a non-reflective black sword.  Lightning for power and the black one for stealth.  There's a scan of his bio below where you can read all about Metal Hawk and see the absolute glory that is his origin.  It should be noted, though, that Metal Hawk is one of the Power or good guys in the Power Commandos universe.  So, my placing of him among Cobra probably doesn't make sense.  But, I just can't see the figure as anything other than a villain.

Usually, when companies produce multiple waves of figures, the first wave is small and the second expands the line.  In the case of the Power Commandos, though, it was the opposite.  It turns out that the original set of 12 figures is actually the first wave of figures.  The more common repaints (of which this Metal Hawk is one) came later, as a second wave.  That is why this later Metal Hawk appears on a card that features the alternate coloring of the first Metal Hawk released.  The first wave of figures are actually very hard to find and some have risen to ridiculous heights.  This second Metal Hawk is much more common.  But, he's probably the second best figure among the six behind only Mummy Mask, his packmate.

Metal Hawk is a mishmash of contrasting colors.  He features red, green, dark blue, gold, black, a weird orangish hue, silver and light blue.  That's 8 colors.  Which is more than than pretty much any vintage Joe features.  Really, though, the figure has very little paint.  And, the colors are achieved through clever uses of different plastic colors on different parts.  Many details were spared paint applications.  So, Metal Hawk still has potential for improvement through customization.  But, all of the colors make the figure visually interesting, even if the colors are a perfect complement for each other.  Some of the contrast is odd enough that is really helps Metal Hawk stand apart from other figures.

While Metal Hawk is supposed to be a good guy, I just can't see him that way.  He just seems like he better fits with Cobra.  The helmeted head is very much in line with oddball Cobra headgear.  The amount of red and blue on him also better fits with a Cobra motif.  But, it's tough to find a real role for him.  The best use is probably Star Brigade.  But, that's a bit too on the nose for me.  I've posed him with BATs and a few other Cobra Troopers.  But, it's never felt right.  So, my best use for him is just a random sub contractor who Cobra hires out at times.  I've got a lot of these characters lying around now.  The characters are not really important.  But, they can fill a role while also making the Joes think that Cobra's roster is much larger than it really is.  It's a fairly small role.  But, as the figure is somewhat brittle and not something that I want to use all that often, a smaller role works for Metal Hawk

Metal Hawk's gear is among the weakest among his subset of 6 figures.  His gear includes a stick that was made from the end of Lady Jaye's javelin launcher and a handle that I don't recognize.  It's similar to the handle of the vintage Kenner lightsabers.  He then includes Torch's torch with the lower nozzle removed as well as the stock missing.  It looks like a pistol and is pretty weak.  He includes a backpack that's based on the 1986 Low Light's pack that's cast in silver plastic.  The final accessory is a massive sword.  It is not based on a Joe accessory.  I tend to give Metal Hawk gear from other Power Commandos as I think it looks better than his real gear.  

Quality wise, Metal Hawk (and, Power Commandos in general) are OK.  The paint applications are solid.  The joints are tight.  And, the parts fit together well.  The main issue is that the plastic is more brittle than vintage Joes.  It is close to that found on figures made by Estrela.  This more brittle mixture means that the thumbs and crotches of the figures are weak and very susceptible to breakage.  I'm hesitant to put any accessories in the figure's hands.  But, other collectors have been very successful in doing so.  But, the thumbs will snap with less pressure than it takes to break a vintage, Hasbro figure.  So, the quality is display worthy.  But, it tough to pose any of the figures with their gear without risking some damage.

Metal Hawk was released twice in the Power Commandos line.  This is the second, and more common, release.  The first release features an identical upper body, head and arms as the second release.  But, it has different legs and a different waist.  These are also a green color that matches the green on the second Metal Hawk's arms.  In my view, the first figure is probably better.  But, I like more green.  So, not everyone may agree with that assessment.  The first figure can also have green accessories.  Be aware of the differences as you seek out loose Metal Hawk figures.

Like all the second series Power Commandos, Metal Hawk is very available these days.  Huge amounts of overstock were found in Mexico and have been sold, cheaply, to Joe collectors over the past few years.  Now, though, the original source is starting to dry up.  While it's doubtful that this will lead to massive inflation on Metal Hawk figures, I also never considered the possibility that collectors would shell out three figures for the common Funskool figures that clogged every online toy dealer's inventory in the early 2000's.  So, the time to pick up this figure is probably now.  I got this guy on the card for under $10 in just 2019.  Now, though, the same carded package will run around $60.  Loose, mint and complete figures will top $30 or more.  That's probably a higher price than the figure is worth.  But, the Power Commandos are among the more interesting Joe knock offs that appeared over the years.  So, that, alone, makes at least one of them worth acquiring.