Rarities - Brazilian Cobra Soldado

Cobra's iconic army building duo of the Trooper and Officer were exported all over the world.  Versions of them were released in Argentina, Mexico and Brazil.  Each of these releases features its own hue of blue to differentiate it from the those of the other nations.  It is the Brazilian version of the Cobra Trooper, though, that is the most famous of these releases.  While the other blues all tend to be dark takes on the color meant to evoke the look of the Hasbro originals, the Brazilian Soldado used a much lighter blue color.  This makes it visually distinctive and one of the more sought after versions of the Cobra Trooper that was released outside of Hasbro.

A figure that is either the same or is very similar to the Soldado was also sold as a pack in with the Brazilian Viper Glider.  This Cobra Piloto is also in the Brazilian blue.  It's tough to tell, but it might have some slight coloring differences.  Since so many Soldados were found loose, it's tough to really differentiate the figures.  But, be aware of the Piloto's existence, too.

The Soldado can be found with some different weapons.  The most common is the Rock and Roll M-60 with bi-pod.  This is how the figure is advertised in the Estrela retailer catalogs.  You can also find them with Grunt M-16's.  There are reports of him also being available with the standard Cobra Trooper Dragunov.  But, I've never seen a carded version that confirms this, though.

Sadly, the Soldado only exists in straight arm versions.  The swivel arm versions of the Trooper and Officer didn't make it to South or Central America.  That limits the usefulness of the Soldado.  Straight arm figures aren't really worth getting.  So, only have colorways in that construction can be frustrating.  Fortunately, factory custom makers have taken on the Soldado coloring and produced several versions of the swivel arm Cobra Trooper in Brazilian colored homages.  

The Soldado isn't as bright as the factory custom takes on the figure are.  So, if you're only familiarity with the Soldado is through the factory custom realm, you might be surprised at the actual hue of the figure.  You'll note the Estrela stamp on the figure's back, too.  

Soldados are surprisingly common.  Despite the high prices that many sellers try to get, the figures are always available and have been since the earliest days on Brazilian sellers.  There are collectors out there with decent Soldado armies just due to their availability.  The figure is neat and desirable.  But, it's not rare.  

Rarities - Brazilian Cobra Wolf

The Wolf has an argument as the best Cobra vehicle ever created.  I'll explore that statement sometime next winter when I profile my childhood version.  But, it's just a great toy.  Along with its release by Hasbro, the mold was given to Estrela where they released it in Brazil.  We think of Brazil as a tropical, coastal country.  But, there are mountainous highlands where snowfall is common.  When you have a toy like the Wolf, though, the quality of the toy will overcome environmental constraints.

The toy itself isn't that different from the Hasbro version.  Without inspecting the COO stamps on the underside, you'd be unlikely to determine the difference between the two.  The real fun is on the Brazilian box.  You'll note the driver is Blizzard.  In Brazil, Blizzard was released as a Cobra.  Croc Master takes the second chair.  And, for added nonsense, you have a fully geared up Hydro Viper on the side rail.  

Estrela released a full roster of vehicles in Brazil.  Most are so similar to the Hasbro versions that collectors ignored them for decades.  Increased supply has made them more accessible.  But, documentation is still sparse and Brazilian dealers tend to ask for princely sums for any high quality vehicle samples.  The overall inventory of Brazilian vehicles is another of those great collecting holes that can be fulfilling to explore.  And, seeing classics with weird box art characters is always fun.

Rarities - Brazilian Duque

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.

Muralha (Brazilian Exclusive Flint) - Around The Web

Muralha is, basically, Flint.  Without context, a photo of Muralha would easily be mistaken for a standard Flint.  Some people might think that something seemed a little "off" about the figure.  But, at his core, Muralha and Flint are pretty much the same.  The green colors are a little darker.  The skin tone has a slightly different tint to it.  And, the accessories are that rich, deep green color that North American collectors are most familiar with from the Tiger Force Recondo.  Its a nice package for Flint that's true to his roots while being just different enough to bother you.

For me, there's not a way to get enough Flint figures.  I'd continue to buy them if Hasbro had squeezed him into their Pulse line.  And, I'll give any Super7 Flint a long, hard look.  (the headsculpt will be key)  Being able to track down at least one more international variant was a fun exercise.  It makes me wish the Plastirama Flint had been released in Argentina.  He would have been as cheap as Funskool Flints were back in the early 2000's and I'd probably have 3 or 4 of him.  

I'm always careful when taking photos of this figure.  Brazilian figures tend to have brittle thumbs and crotches.  So, breakage is always on my mind.  And, the days of finding cheap replacement parts for a release like Muralha are long gone.  That's always limited my creativity when trying to showcase this guy.  I'd like to use him more often.  But, it just doesn't happen.  I've got 3 or 4 spare Funskool Flints that are still carded in my basement.  So, those aren't as worrisome and that makes them far more likely to be my go to for an alternate Flint appearance.

Muralha doesn't appear all that often from non-Brazilian collectors.  So, you don't see him all that frequently.  And, while I really enjoy the figure for being something different, you don't need him if you have a nice 1985 Flint.  So, take a look at the Muralha content below.  You'll see lots of other Brazilian figures showcased with him in a lot of the content.  

Muralha Profile

Flint - Around the World

Muralha - MOC Rarities Post

Muralha by comandos_em_acao_gijoe

Muralha by lucianoverso

Muralha by colection.toys

Muralha by jonasgodoy_

Muralha by relinquished1979

Muralha by comandos_em_acao_gijoe

Muralha by lucianoverso

Muralha by geekcollector_

Muralha by comandos_em_acao_gijoe

Muralha by jundiaijoes

Muralha by comandos_em_acao_gijoe

2017 Cobra Soldado - Around The Web

When the first factory custom Cobra Troopers appeared, there was one, single design that I wanted to see: an homage to the Brazilian Cobra Soldado.  The brighter blue on that figure was always visually distinctive and appealing.  It's a rare situation where the different color was still a perfect match for Joe figures.  Finally, in 2017, we got the first Soldado release.  The blue isn't a 100% match for the real figure from Brazil.  But, it works well enough.  And, it remains one of my favorite Cobra Trooper repaints.

The two best early Brazilian repaints were the Cobra De Aco and the Soldado.  (Though, Athena is pretty good, too.)  But, they were both straight arms.  Making them useless as toys.  While we're still waiting for a proper, swivel arm De Aco, this 2017 figure finally gave us a swivel arm Cobra Soldado.  I've never understood the appeal of straight arm figures.  I find them useless and don't even collect them.  So, having a swivel arm Soldado finally gave me the enemy force I'd been craving to battle against my later Brazilian Joes.

There's not a ton of content on this figure out there.  Like most of the late 2010's factory customs, the content of his release era has been buried by the algorithms and few people still use him.  Some of the photos are of later edition Soldados who came out in the 2020's.  They are equally nice.  After checking these guys out, let me know in the comments which repaint of the Cobra Trooper is your personal favorite.

2017 Cobra Soldado Profile

2017 Cobra Soldado by gen_liederkranz

2017 Cobra Soldado by cyko_9

2017 Cobra Soldado by Nekoman

2017 Cobra Soldado by sintechness

2017 Cobra Soldado by hobieshinobi

2017 Cobra Soldado by slipstream80

2017 Cobra Soldado by sintechness

Rarities - Unproduced Brazilian Figures

While Estrela produced around 150 total figures in their exclusive Comandos Em Acao line, they  had intended for there to be more.  In the 1990's, Estrela showcased 5 figures in various forms that ended up never getting released.  These figures not only appeared as cross sells on various cardbacks, but even appeared in catalogs used to sell the products.  The 5 figures were all 1991 releases from Hasbro.  The figures were: Grunt, Crimson Guard Immortal, Mercer, Tracker and Cobra Commander.  (Their names in Brazil would have been Arsenal, Flagelo, Desertor, Correnteza and Tirano.)

Hasbro's 1991 figures were one of the rare years that didn't see a second year of release.  This was due to Hasbro trying to reboot the line in 1992 with familiar characters.  So, 1991 molds became common sights in later repaint lines and international releases.  You'll note that all of the figures that appear in the Estrela promotional material shown below are Hasbro made figures and not the Estrela figures.  So, this marketing propaganda was made prior to Estrela having their own wares to photograph.  

You'll often find international guides that list these figures as being available in Brazil.  But, many of these were from the early days of collecting before it was determined that these figures never saw production.  One early guide even features a few Hasbro figures in the placeholders for these names.  And, one thing that's constant in the Joe line is that mistakes and errors from the early collecting years are often repeated and rarely corrected.

Below are two promo photos.  One features just the 5 cancelled figures.  The other shows them interspersed with some other figures that were released in Brazil.  Seeing them all in one shot suggests to me that they were planned as a new wave at one point.  But, the entire wave was halted.  Maybe Hasbro didn't send the molds for whatever reason.  Or, it could have just been that Estrela determined they didn't want another wave.  These figures would have appeared closer to the end of the Comandos Em Acao line.  And, this was the time when Estrela was starting to move away from the standard carded figures that had defined their line and towards the themed subsets of figures that featured bigger cards and more gimmicks.

It's interesting to note that all 5 of these unproduced figures from Estrela did, later, appear as exclusive Funskool releases.  So, Hasbro did recoup more of their cost as they moved the molds around the world.  And, the molds weren't in an unusable state for Esrela.  But, the reasons for these figures being cancelled in Brazil remain lost.  

Gatilho - Brazilian Exclusive Python Patrol Airborne

Gatilho has been part of my collection for over 20 years.  In that time, he has been a major player, minor annoyance and, now, part of my core collection that defines my Joe experience.  I no longer really think of the figure as a foreign exclusive.  Instead, he's just another option when I'm looking to staff the villains in photos or displays.  He's more a part of the Python Patrol to me than even Copperhead or the Viper.  I just see him in this role as a major character whose origin in South America is one of the lesser aspects of his character.  And, as I've found Python Patrol to be a fun subset to build out, Gatilho takes on importance beyond being a foreign oddity and has become a key component of one of my favorite one-off sets in my collection.

At this point in my collecting life, foreign exclusives have been part of my Joe experience for so long that I really don't have the appreciation for them that they probably warrant. It is amazing that the world has changed to a point where acquiring decades old toys that were exclusively released on other continents is commonplace.  Figures like the Brazilian Gatilho were once nearly impossible find.  Now, they are relatively common and most collectors have easy access to the figure, though they may be priced somewhat higher.  We have knowledge of foreign releases and access to their home markets that allow anyone to add foreign figures like this to their collections.  That expansion of the Joe world has been a heavy driver of the brand's momentum for over 20 years, now.  Fan clubs, factory customs and licensed partners have all delved into the foreign Joe mythos.  And, it's been only possible because there is so much information about non-Hasbro releases available.  

Gatilho is pretty much what he's supposed to be.  He's a weird villain wearing a Python Patrol uniform.  His base is solidly military...a leftover from his Airborne roots.  But, the colors are non-sensical in any form aside from membership in Python Patrol.  The green, yellow and black is a visual treat, though.  And, I'd have enjoyed this figure quite a bit had I owned him as a kid.  As a collector, though, I appreciate that he brings the one element that was always missing from Python Patrol: named characters.  Python Patrol was an army builder's panacea.  But, a team with no leader didn't make sense.  And, in the pre-factory custom world, Gatilho was the perfect choice to lead teams of Python army builders into action.

Gatilho has some limitations, too.  His yellow waists makes him appear that he's wearing yellow underwear on the outside of his uniform.  It's somewhat distracting.  It does break up the figure's look.  But, not in a good way.  His kneepads are also unpainted.  A quick application of black paint here would really help set the figure out.  The busy camo pattern makes Gatilho's legs disappear.  Black kneepads would help to break this up and give you a visual resting point on the figure.  The rest of the colors are an odd mish-mash.  But, they are true to the Python Patrol visuals.  Really, it's amazing how well Gatilho and Relampago match up to the Hasbro Python Patrol figures.  It's this consistency that makes the Brazilian duo so useful.  They look like they are intended to match the Hasbro sub-team.

Back in 2003, I wrote up a whole backstory for this figure.  And, had I not written it down, I'd have no recollection of it.  I have less need for a complex and intricate origin for every character these days.  Now, I just see Gatilho as a guy who leads some similarly dressed Cobras into battle.  There's not much thought put into him beyond that.  He might ride a motorcycle or a helicopter.  But, those are just tools and not part of his character.  I like the figure because he looks cool and is a perfect match for one of my favorite Cobra Trooper recolors.  And, 20 years after his acquisition, that's enough.  I like using him and I take advantage of that when I can.  

Gatilho includes two accessories, but both are unique to this figure. The helmet is a yellow version of Airborne's original helmet, but with the molded goggles painted black. This additional splash of color helps to mute the bright yellow and gives the helmet far more character than was exhibited on the American Airborne. The figure also includes a charcoal colored version of Ripcord's rifle. This coloring is similar to the weapon included with the Tactical Battle Platform in the U.S. But, it has a glossier finish. Due to the figure's brittle thumbs and the rifle's large handle, though, I have never actually placed the weapon in the figure's hands. Instead, I use other, smaller handled weapons or have Gatilho posed like he appears in the photos below where he holds the rifle by the barrel or handle in a resting position rather than being ready to fire. The accessories fit the figure, but are not all that great. Having the helmet is worthwhile as the helmetless figure is a bit boring. But, there are other alternatives to Gatilho's weapon that allow for the budget conscious collector to skip that unique accessory and outfit him with something from the spare guns bin.

The Airborne mold was released several times.  Hasbro released Airborne in 1983.  He was available on a card and bagged as well.  His torso and accessories were then used for the first version of the Steel Brigade figure.  Then, the mold went to South America.  (This is why the Steel Brigade was changed to the Duke torso and also why Starduster was switched to Duke's torso since Recondo was also sent away.)  Airborne was released in colors based off his US figure in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina.  The final release of the mold appears to have been this Gatilho.  But, foreign timelines are fuzzy.  In the early 2000's, there were people in Argentina who claimed to have access to the Airborne mold and could make exclusive figures.  No one took them up on the offer.  (Which, was probably wise!)  But, it implied that the Airborne mold existed at that time.  It was just not in Hasbro's control.  If this was true or if the mold might still exist are unknown.  Factory Custom maker Black Major released an Airborne torso on his Steel Brigade figures in 2017.  But, he never used the torso on another figure, despite the possibilities.  Airborne remains an underrepresented figure in terms of untapped potential for repaints of the mold.  But, it's unlikely to ever come to be.

While the Airborne mold was used quite a bit, I feel it was never really fully exploited.  The Argentine, Mexican and Brazilian versions of the character all have nuances from the Hasbro figure.  But, at their core, they are the same central theme based on the character's original appearance.  The Steel Brigade usage of the torso was good.  But, you have to find what is now one of the rarest Hasbro figures in the line's history to use on a custom to make use of the solid green color.  Fail Safe brought back the Airborne helmet in 2023.  And, it would have been awesome to have seen a drastic Airborne recolor to accompany Ripcord released some time after the Skystriker dropped.  I feel there's a lot of potential left in the Airborne mold that could be used for a definitive version of the character.  I don't think we'll ever see it, though.

In the grand scheme of things, this figure is rare. The brittle Brazilian plastic, lower overall production numbers and language barriers to its native release country all add up to a figure that does not exist in great quantities. But, despite all that, the figure is still very much available from South American Joe sellers and can even be found from American dealers with some frequency. Gatilho is still, though, a $80 - $100 figure if you want a mint, complete with filecard version. (You can get them cheaper if you can find an American seller with the figure, but that takes quite a bit of patience.)  That's pricey for the Joe line. It is up to each collector to determine if this figure brings that kind of value to their collection. Personally, I find Gatilho and Relampago necessary members of my collection due to the holes they fill in the Python Patrol subset.  But, if Python Patrol isn't a division of interest, then the value each figure brings to a collection diminishes.

 

Rarities - B.A. Baracus (Glasslite - Brazil)

We all know about the Estrela toy company from Brazil.  They were Hasbro's partner to release licensed G.I. Joe figures in their native market.  But, if you are a Star Wars collector, you are more likely to be familiar with another Brazilian toy company of the era: Glasslite.  

Most famously, Glasslite made the only production Vlix figure from the Droids line.  While not as rare as they once were, Vlixes are still holy grails among vintage Star Wars collectors.  But, Glasslite also made action figures under other licenses.  Among them were MacGyver, Airwolf and the A-Team.

Below you will see some images of the Glasslite B.A. Baracus figure that was based on the breakout character from the TV show who was played by Mr. T.  The card artwork is gorgeous.  And, the figure is drastically different from the B.A. figures released in the U.S.  

The U.S. BA is wearing a green jumpsuit.  While there are a few variant figures depending upon whether the figure was carded, boxed or a vehicle pack in, I'm not aware of any U.S. A-Team figure using the double bandolier chest that the Glasslite figures use.  (There are, though, plenty of uses of it in other knock off lines.)  The red color of the Brazilian release is more eye-catching.  And, while not anywhere near Mr. T's signature look from the show, is more flamboyant and in line with the B.A. Baracus character.

Sadly, the Galoob molds used for the A-Team figures were bad.  The heads all feature poor paint applications and creepy smiles that were likely a way to soften the fact that you were buying figures of vigilante terrorists who were wanted criminals.  And, the team's signature weapons were replaced with standard weapons that were recycled from other lines.  The Glasslite figure suffers the same fate.  While the colors and mold are better than the Galoob figures, they still are poor representations of the characters from the show.  You wonder what a company like Hasbro could have done with them.  

As a kid, we had the A-Team figures.  We watched the A-Team every week, at least for the first couple of seasons.  We had the van.  We also had one of the big boxed sets that included the repainted General Patch tank as well as a plethora of crappy accessories.  It was this gear, though, where I found value.  The A-Team figures were straight arms that were released in a swivel arm world.  They never had a chance.  But, the vehicles were relatively compatible with Joe.  And, for many years, my 1984 Copperhead figure wore one of the red backpacks from the A-Team set.  Stuck into the straps of the pack was the holster from the Endor Princess Leia figure.  And, Copperhead used her pistol for a long time.  I miss that type of imagination.  I was able to make Copperhead very important to my childhood play since he had that extra gear.  Now, I only use him as a color match when showcasing new Black Major figures.  

As an aside, a random memory I have of the A-Team is actually from the summer of 1993.  At the time, I was in Barcelona for a few weeks.  Every night, a TV station in the city played A-Team reruns, dubbed in Spanish, during prime time.  It was weird to see a nearly decade old show playing in such premium time in another country.  I watched an episode, just for nostalgia.  But, the shows are bad and even in 1993, they didn't hold up well at all.  I haven't watched an episode since.  I'd rather remember the cool factor of the original airing during my childhood than confirm the cheesiness of '80's TV that the series actually is.

Hasbro has recently announced a 4 figure pack of Ghostbusters characters that are made in vintage Joe format.  The absolute dreamer in me sees something like that and starts a reverie about Hasbro dropping oddball o-ring releases of things like Indiana Jones, the West Coast Avengers and, even, the A-Team.  The A-Team is the one most certain to not ever exist.  But, it's also the one that has the most potential cross over with Joe.  It was contemporary to Joe.  And, both Mr. T and Sgt. Slaughter were professional wrestlers.  But, things like that won't ever happen.  I'm left with silly musings about how my childhood would have been better had things like that existed in the 1980's.  

In the early 2000's, many Brazilian G.I. Joe sellers would also have A-Team, MacGuyver and Airwolf toys available.  But, they'd try to sell them for the same premiums that figures like the Cobra De-Aco would command.  So, few people bit on them.  Now, you don't see the toys all that often.  But, that's likely a function of the brands lacking enough cachet to bring high prices.  As a collectible, though, the Glasslite A-Team figures are a small and cool subset to collect.  I think they're better than the Galoob figures.  Just, good luck finding them.

Rarities - Brazilian Marfim

The 1993 Outback is actually an excellent sculpt.  It was never, though, released in really nice colors...at least by Hasbro.  In a rare occurrence, the Brazilian release of the 1993 Outback mold is actually the best paint job ever used on it.  And, it has created a great figure: Marfim.

All of the other uses of this mold featured bright colors.  Marfim, though, is far more muted.  Gone is the orange and yellow.  And, it's replaced a by a nice hunter green that is offset with gold highlights.  The figures still features some blue on his pants.  But, it's not overly done and is a decent accent color.

With this different coloring and international name, you can use Marfim to overcome the greatest issue that collectors have with the 1993 Outback.  People just can't see this figure as Outback.  But, when given a new name, it becomes much easier to accept the quality of the sculpt for what it is and not have it saddled with the rose-colored glasses of 1987 nostalgia.

Marfim's gear features excusive coloring of some weapons that debuted with the DEF.  He includes red versions of the 1992 Mutt's pistol and the 1992 Headman's rifle.  Estrela loved DEF weapons.  And, Headman's rifle appeared twice.  Once in red with Marfim and once in a bright green Coronel Coragem.  It's odd that this weapon was available in Brazil when they never released either a Headman or a 1992 Mutt repaint.  (The two figures with whom the rifle was included by Hasbro.)  It's likely that Estrela had access to more molds than they actually produced, though.  And, that's how things like the original Alley Viper weapon ended up in Estrela releases, too.

Back in late 1997 or early 1998, a member of the G.I. Joe Usenet group managed to find the skeleton of the early Estrela Toys website.  Back then, search engines had limitations.  And, if you didn't speak Portuguese, there weren't website translators that were readily available.  Many of the pictures on the site returned the dreaded red X: meaning they were gone.  But, one image that remains burned in my mind was a photo of many of the final releases in the Estrela G.I. Joe line.  The one figure I remembered was the Headhunter repaint.  At the time, the Headhunter was a grail figure for me.  And, it wasn't common knowledge that he had been released in Brazil.  This Marfim would have been in the same image.  But, they were small and grainy.  So, the Marfim's quality didn't imprint upon my brain in the same way the Headhunter did.  I wish I could find the images from the old Estrela website.  They are likely to exist somewhere.  But, we have such better reference material now, though, that those old photos would be more nostalgic than informative.

So, back in the late 1990's, Marfims were pretty easy to find.  He was one of a few select Brazilian figures that was available to new collectors.  There were always a couple of them available (usually carded) for really cheap prices.  But, as the 2000's dawned, the figure simply disappeared.  For about the next decade, it was really difficult to find a Marfim in any condition.  And, the prices skyrocketed.

Now, you can find Marfims again.  But, the prices haven't fallen to levels are that indicative of his availability and desirability.  This is too bad as this is a great release of a solid mold.  Toy dealers have become less and less interested in letting the market set prices for collectible figures.  That may change at some point in the future.  But, the circumstances of any change like that aren't likely to be good.  When they do, figures like Marfim will become more affordable.  But, you'll have to act quickly to add figures like this to your collection.

Rarities - Flash (Estrela Version from Brazil)

Today marks the beginning of a few days of Flash.  Flash was released around the world.  So, I'm going to showcase each of his releases.  First up is the Estrela release from Brazil.  You'll note that this Flash is a much darker green color.  The greens used on the early Brazilian figures are much richer and more vibrant than those used by Hasbro.  And, the set of early Brazilian figures has much more visual distinction between the characters than Hasbro's original 13 figures.  I would have loved for this color to appear among the factory customs...especially when the Flash mold was available.

Rarities - Estrela Reaktor - Brazilian Exclusive Fastdraw

Estrela released about 150 unique figures in Brazil.  Most of them were very similar to the Hasbro figures.  But, every figure had subtle differences.  (With the exception of the figures that Estrela made for release in North America like the Slaughters Marauders and some mail aways.)  In the old days, these differences were often ignored.  But, in the past two or so decades, collectors have come to appreciate the subtle color nuances that exist between Hasbro and Estrela made figures.

The biggest difference is often the Brazilian green color.  It is a richer and deeper green color.  It appears on many Brazilian figures from the earliest years through the end of the Estrela line in 1995 or so.  

Below, you can see the Brazilian release of Fast Draw that's named Reaktor.  First, Reaktor is a great name...even if it would seem at home on a He-Man character.  Secondly, you'll note that Reaktor was a member of the Brazilian Battle Force 2000 subset.  He replaces Dodger, whose mold was retained by Hasbro for use in the Sonic Fighters line.  

The most notable difference on the figure is the Brazilian  green on both the figure and his accessories.  There are other color modifications, too, especially the hue of red on his accents.  Overall, though, the figure is darker than the Hasbro made figure.  It allows for easy visual distinction between the versions.

Rarities - Brazilian Hydro Viper (Estrela)

Estrela produced about 140 unique figures in their Comandos Em Acao line.  While collectors really focus on the amalgamations and drastic repaints, the bulk of the Brazilian line was figures that were produced in colors very similar to their Hasbro counterparts.  In general, it seems that the figures were meant to copy the original Hasbro colors.  But, nuances in plastic coloring between China and Brazil lead to slight differences in all of the figures that Estrela produced.

At first glance, you might not notice that this Brazilian Hydro Viper is different from the Hasbro version.  But, put side to side, the figure's brighter colors stand out.  Aside from that, there aren't many other differences.  What is interesting is that the Hydro Viper and Toxo Viper both were produced by Hasbro, Estrela and Funskool.  And, both figures remain very similarly colored across all three countries.  The Brazilian Toxo and Hydro Vipers are brighter colored.  The Hasbro figures are in the middle.  And, the Funskool figures are much darker purple.  So, there's a level of consistency there.

To me, the slight nuance of Estrela figures makes them collectible.  And, in recent years, the more mundane Estrela figures have become much more common and available.  Sadly, though, they haven't come down in price and the heyday of cheap Brazilian figures from the early 2010's is just a fond memory.

Rarities - Muralha (Brazilian Exclusive Flint) MOC

The 1985 Flint is my favorite figure in the Joe line.  Fortunately for me, very similar figures were also released in India and Brazil.  The Comandos em Acao version from Brazil features darker greens and a slightly different skin tone.  In short, it's Flint.  But, it's just different enough to be interesting.

Below is a carded Muralha.  You can see the carry over of the American card art.  You'll notice from the cardback that Muralha was mostly released with other class of 1985 figures.  But, there are a couple of oddballs like Crystal Ball that joined him.  

I've had a loose Muralha for a long time.  He's a nice contrast to the Funskool Flint.  But, he's also a figure I'm loathe to use due to fear of breakage.  That's the main issue with the Brazilian figures: fragility.  The harder plastic is more brittle and thumbs and crotches shatter with little effort.  It's unfortunate as it renders some great figures moot.  But, as a collector, I'm less concerned these days as I simply display the figures instead.

Rarities - Estrela Homem Bala (Bazooka) - Brazil

Brazil released nearly 140 figures in their line.  While the Brazilian exclusive figures get most of the attention from collectors, the vast majority of the Estrela line is actually figures that are based on the Hasbro paint jobs.  But, each of them has slight variances.  The plastic tends to be far harder and more brittle.  (Broken thumbs and crotches are hallmarks of Brazilian figures.)  But, the colors also tend to be different from the Hasbro releases.  Below is the Brazilian release of Bazooka where you can see some of these subtle differences.

This figure is not named Bazooka.  Instead, he is the Homem Bala.  This loosely translates as "Bullet Man".  But, in the end, he's the same guy wearing a red shirt with a number on it.  He has the same gear as the Hasbro figure.  But, if you like the Bazooka character, there's just enough difference on this version to be worthwhile.  And, the green is a great blend with other Brazilian figures so he really fits in with his cohorts.

The biggest difference between this figure and the Hasbro Bazooka is the green color of the pants and accessories.  Estrela used a deeper, richer green for their figures.  And, Homem Bala features this color on his pants and also his helmet and backpack.  The figure has also had all the COO information removed from it.  Like many other figures, the differences between this Brazilian release and the Hasbro release are small.  And, if you have one version of the character, the other doesn't bring anything other than subtle diversity to your collection.  But, I find those little things to be quite a bit of fun

Rarities - Brazilian Mercer

While collectors focus on the Brazilian figures who feature drastically different paint jobs or new construction that was not available in the Hasbro line, the reality is that the majority of the releases in Brazil fall into a different category.  The bulk of the Estrela line features figures that are mostly based on their Hasbro paint job.  But, as the figures were made in Brazilian factories, there are always differences among them.  Most of these, though, are ignored by all but a subset of collectors.

Below is the Brazilian Mercer figure.  This release retains the Hasbro codename as well as the standard look for the character.  Side by side, you'd notice small differences on the Brazilian release vs. the Hasbro release.  But, that's about it.  He features the same blue pants, orange vest and black and silver highlights.  The only major variant is that his iconic weapon is now silver instead of the standard off-white for the Hasbro figure.

In the U.S., the Renegades were only released as a three pack.  However, in Europe, all three members of the set were released as single carded figures.  Then, this Mercer appeared in Brazil.  Red Dog made a surprise appearance in India in 2001.  And, it's likely that all the Renegade molds ended up there.  But, Funskool had no need for another Mercer figure since they had the character's 1991 mold still in production.  

The card artwork is not good.  But, it is also unique to this release.  The European single carded figures use larger artwork based on the combined art that appears on the US packaging.  It features Mercer with a raised right fist instead of the two handed weapon pose you see below.

As collectibles, figures like this Mercer are a fun way to expand a collection.  But, as interesting pieces, they fall somewhat flat.  Most collectors wouldn't notice a Brazilian Mercer in a photo aside from the alternate gun color.  And, most would even gloss over that.  It's not a criticism, though.  This figure isn't all that special when taken against the original release.  But, for people who like small differences that aren't really noticeable upon first glance, Brazilian figures like this Mercer are a great way to keep collecting.

Olhos de Fenix - Brazilian Exlusive Spirit Iron Knife - Around The Web

The 1984 Spirit is a classic figure.  He has a major issue, though, in that the light blue shirt and sleeves tend to discolor very badly.  Even properly stored figures are starting to go.  And, as the color fades and yellows, it ruins the aesthetic of a great toy.  For some reason, though, the blue plastic used on the Brazilian release of Spirit (Olhos de Fenix) does not fade.  And, it is a brighter, more brilliant blue than even the Hasbro figure had in 1984.  

This creates a great version of Spirit.  And, there's actually a good amount of content featuring the figure.  The upside is that you can still get quality Olhos de Fenix figures with relative ease.  The downside is that you'll now pay triple digits for the privilege.  But, if you love the Spirit character and are tired of faded blues, this might be the way to go.

Olhos de Fenix Profile

Olhos de Fenix by atticagazette

Olhos de Fenix by vintagebraziltoys

Olhos de Fenix by Relinquished1979

Olhos de Fenix by specialmissionforce

Olhos de Fenix by gladiousbrazil

Olhos de Fenix by andrey_collector

Olhos de Fenix by vintagebraziltoys

Olhos de Fenix by Reliquished1979

Olhos de Fenix by RTG

Comandos Em Acoa Review

Olhos de Fenix by comandos_em_acao_gijoe

Olhos de Fenix by Relinquished1979

Olhos de Fenix by indio_iwa

Olhos de Fenix by Relinqueshed 1979

Abutre Negro - Random Photos of the Day

My foray into Brazilian figures was entirely driven by the Cobra Flying Scorpion.  It was a figure that, once I was aware of its existence, I had to own.  And, in the 21 years since then, the Flying Scorpion has appeared time and time again on this site.  I get him out relatively often for a super fragile figure.  And, there's a lot of different photo shoots in which he plays a central part.  Lost in the personal appeal that the Flying Scorpion holds for me, though, is that his Cobra team mate in the Brazilian Sky Patrol might actually be a better figure.  And, while I've owned the Abutre Negro figure almost as long as I've had a Flying Scorpion, he is used infrequently and takes an undeserved back seat the primary Estrela figure in my collection.

The Abutre Negro is black, silver and red.  The color scheme works with classic Cobras as well as later Cobra releases.  Originally, I matched him up with the 1988 Destro and team.  As Iron Grenadiers have lost prominence in my collection, though, this figure finds himself more on his own.  As a kitbash, the figure is well done.  Cesspool's chest is one that should have had more uses in the Cobra ranks.  And, Dee Jay's head recolored not only gives the figure a completely different look but also gives a bit of disguising face covering that was common on most Cobras.  In short, if you found this figure in the 1990's, there is nothing about it that suggests anything other than these parts were meant to work together to create this character.

Oddly, though, this figure remains pretty obscure in my collection.  I've only photographed him once since 2012.  Which seems odd since the figure is so well done.  I just haven't had occasion to get him out and use him as often as his quality demands.  Part of that was that I rarely use aircraft in photos.  The other part is that I'm hesitant to attempt to pose him too much in fear of the brittle crotch and thumbs getting broken.  I opened my figure straight off the card back in 2002.  So, he's always been more of a collectible than a plaything.  Hopefully, I can get some more photos of him in the coming years.

One point of interest to me is that I refer to the Flying Scorpion by the English translation of his Brazilian name of Escorpiao Voador.  Yet, for the Abutre Negro, I refer to him by his Brazilian name instead of the translation of Black Vulture of Black Buzzard.  I assume it's just laziness since Escorpioa Voador is more of a mouthful than Abutre Negro.  But, also, in my collection the Flying Scorpion figure is a different character.  So, I really only ever refer to him by his proper name in collecting forums.

So, yeah, Abutre Negros are stupidly expensive.  Patrulha do Ar figures were among the first Brazilian figures to be readily available in the US.  But, they quickly disappeared by the early 2000's.  And, as wave after wave of Brazilian Python Patrol and Tiger Force figures showed up in the 2010's, the Estrela Sky Patrol figures remained relatively scarce.  As they were late releases, it's likely that the stock that was common in the late 1990's and early 2000's was overstock that was purchased by dealers and resellers and few of them were actually toys.  (Much like the 1994 figures in the US.)  So, now you'll pay well over $200 for a mint loose and complete Abutre Negro.  It's a lot and probably more than the pleasure of owning the figure is worth.

I hope that at some point the Pulse collection will move away from straight vintage homages and into more unique territory.  Producing a figure like this would be a strong way to get collectors something they wanted while not straying too far from purpose of the line.  I doubt it will happen, though, as releases have been too sparse so far for them to get into any deep cuts.