1993 Bulletproof

I first, kind of, started recollecting Joe figures in the fall of 1992.  I bought a few at the local Toys R Us a few days before Christmas when I was home on break.  Over Christmas break in 1993, I repeated the same trip to Toys R Us and bought some additional figures.  If you look over the posts on this site, some going back to 1999, even I'm confused about which figures I bought in 1992 and which I picked up in 1993.  One key point, though, is that I wasn't going to pay more than 2.99 for a figure back then.  So, it's unlikely I bought Bulletproof in 1992.  And, I also know that, at some point while I was away at school, my youngest brother found my Bulletproof figure and promptly lost his helmet with the microphone attached.  That one specific memory pins my first Bulletproof entering my collection in 1993.  

For a solidly Gen X teenager still in the throes of Grunge and early 1990's heavy metal, my Joe world took a dark tone.  But, instead of the heady, gratuitous violence that defined "grit" of that time, my world was more defeatist.  The frustrated writer in me turned the world into one of futility.  Men fought meaningless battles in a conflict that would never end.  They did so less out of duty and more out of necessity.  And, each of them knew that the reality is that they would not survive.  The ultimate Peter Principle played out as each was sent into battle after escalating battle until they simply weren't capable of surviving.  But, they still had to go and do their job.  Each knew their fate.  But, they were unable to deviate away from it.  It was a central point and was a source of conflict for the Joes.

In order to fully explore this, though, I couldn't just have a Joe team.  Either no one would die or I'd lose great figures as characters died off.  So, building upon ideas from my childhood, I created Joe army builders.  And, figures like Bulletproof were perfect for that.  For one, I didn't have the characters from the comic burned into my mind.  For two, it was easier to see a generic trooper in this mold than in others.  So, following the Cobra model, I specialized my Joe army builders, too.  Bulletproof became a "City Siege Commando".  (Think the Joe's version of the Alley Viper.)  Here, he would take on both law enforcement and military duties within cities.  If he were after a terrorist cell, he'd act like a squad of police.  If Cobra was destroying Middletown, Ohio, they were military all the way.  In this capacity, I was able to get more use out of figures like Bulletproof since they could take on any storyline and serve in multiple capacities.

Bulletproof's calling card is his hair.  Oh, that hair.  Rarely did Joes have distinctive hairstyles.  But, the 1990's saw strides in head sculpting.  And, with that came far more intricate hair molds.  Gristle is another great example of what Hasbro could do.  (I knew guys with Gristle's haircut in college.)  But, Bulletproof's hairdo might be the oddest attempt Hasbro took at giving a figure a currently in style appearance.  In some ways, they pulled it off.  But, one look at Bulletproof's large forehead also proves that they didn't quite nail it.  Bulletproof is also similar to Static Line from 1990.  So, there is a bit of a redundancy here that makes you think the designers saw one rap video on MTV in 1989 and gave every black guy the same haircut.  But, no other toyline in Joe scale was doing anything even remotely close to this in 1992.  Sadly, Hasbro lost that ability and by 2001, was reduced to balding, pasty white guys as the model for all their new head sculpts.

I bought Bulletproof because of his gear.  And, 27 years later, it still holds up.  Bulletproof's rifle is small, compact, detailed and nicely colored.  It's a shame that it didn't get more use.  His backpack has all the hallmarks of packs that I loved as a kid.  It's full of gear that an urban specialist would need.  There's a sculpted gas mask and a fire extinguisher to handle any type of urban situation.  I always felt Hasbro missed a chance to update Bulletproof's helmet to also have a version with a full gas mask on it.  It would have been a neat variant and a welcomed accessory in the line.  Bulletproof's helmet is OK.  It's large and bulbous: to accommodate the hair.  While I like the helmet, it's design isn't perfect.  The 1993 Bulletproof helmet also has a glued in microphone on it.  The 1992 helmet's mic is removable and often missing.  Hasbro solved this by gluing in the 1993 version.  I love the idea of urban specialist teams being in communication with each other.  So, having the mic just made the Bulletproof figure for me.

Bulletproof debuted as part of the DEF set in 1992.  In 1993, the DEF was supposed to continue.  But, for some reason, Hasbro cancelled the subset marketing and just released the DEF figures on regular Battle Corps cardbacks.  There were 6 new figures that were intended for the DEF subset.  And, Hasbro repainted three of the 1992 DEF figures for the standard line.  (Cutter was released as a vehicle driver.   Shockwave and Headman were discontinued.)  No reason was ever given for why the DEF was discontinued.  Though, it's likely that the higher price point of the 1992 figures doomed them at retail and the concept was avoided to steer clear of the association with figures already hanging around at retail into 1993.  

Bulletproof got three uses.  The tan cammo 1992 figure is the least ostentatious.  This 1993 repaint is fun just for neon nineties goodness.  The mold was then shuffled to Brazil.  There, Estrela released the figures in neon colors similar to this 1993 version.  But, the figure's skin tone was changed.  Tiro Certo figures were easy to find and could be had for about $15 for a carded figure in the late 2000's.  Now, those have dried up and he's far more expensive.  The 1993 Bulletproof helmet, sans microphone though, was released with the Night Fighter Guile in the Street Fighter Movie line.  This black helmet looks great on Tiro Certo (since he didn't include a helmet) but is also an accessory that I've used with great affect on various Snake Eyes repaints that can be seen through various photos on the site.  It's likely that Hasbro had the Bulletproof mold available to it in the 2000's.  But, they didn't care.  He would have made a great candidate for release in a number of sets.  But, getting him without his gear would have been a shame.  And, I'm OK with this mold living on with just the three releases.

This Bulletproof is typical of later neon release repaint figures.  He's not as easy to find as you would think.  And, he gets a bit of a premium for that.  A loose, mint and complete figure will run you $18 or so.  But, you can get carded figures for $25 and that's probably the way to go.  Be wary, though, as many 1993 figures are sold with the 1992 helmet that has the removable microphone and it's often missing.  But, as the mic isn't overly tiny, it's still sometimes present and complete Bulletproofs are obtainable.  You should note, though, that some people drastically overpay for this figure.  And, you'll see $70+ loose figures from time to time.  I still find this figure visually striking and a lot of fun.  But, that's worth less than $20 to me and I find the high prices for figures like this to reek of both desperate collectors looking for final items and a quickly ending bubble where people will wonder how they ever paid high prices for an obscure release like this.  But, if you can get one for the right price, this Bulletproof is still worthwhile.

1992 Bulletproof - Around the Web

In 1993, I was barely into toys.  I had forayed into a small Joe purchase in December of 1992.  But, aside from that, pretty much kept my collecting habits to sports cards.  Over Christmas of 1993, though, I decided to buy a couple more Joe figures.  Among the bright spots at Toys R Us that day was a neon yellow Bulletproof figure.  I wasn't overly keen on the bright color.  But, he had a cool helmet, amazing gun and great backpack.  So, I bought him and never looked back.  When I discovered that the same, basic figure was available in 1992, only with better colors, I had to have him.  So, I sought him out at a time when finding loose figures from the '90's was rather hard to do.  Once in hand, he was a substantial upgrade from the neon 1993 figure.  There is surprisingly more info about the character available than I would have thought.  Here's the best of Bulletproof from around the web.

1992 Bulletproof Profile

1992 DEF Toy Fare Catalog at JoeADay.com

Bulletproof at Icebreaker's HQ

Bulletproof Dio

Tiro Certo - the Brazilian Release of Bulletproof

Bulletproof Pre Production at YoJoe.com

Bulletproof at JoeADay.com

Bulletproof Dio 2

Bulletproof at ComicsVine

1992 Bulletproof

In December of 1992, I wandered into a Toys R Us store for the first time in, probably, 3 years.  I went to the Joe aisle and was overwhelmed with tons of figures, all of whom were new to me.  I spent a good half hour reviewing the cardbacks and digesting the offerings available.  In the end, I decided upon 3 figures to add to my collection.  The following year, I repeated the ritual.  Again, I only acquired a couple of figures.  One of the 1993 pickups was the neon colored Bulletproof.  Mostly, I liked his gun and his helmet.

As a figure, Bulletproof reminded me of the Joes I had played with as a child.  He had nicely detailed accessories that were unique and complementary to his design.  His pack, helmet and gun were extensions of the mold rather than afterthoughts to it.  Really, 1992 was the last year in which this was largely true.  The '92 figures mostly feature newly sculpted, unique accessories.  By 1993, though, this was no longer the case as Hasbro moved more to generic weapon trees, repainted backpacks and spring loaded launchers.

Bulletproof saw immediate use in my collection as an urban assault specialist.  I used him as a army builder as well as a named character.  In the late '90's, he saw a good deal of combat against the Alley Vipers and Range Vipers who formed the backbone of my Cobra urban death squads.  But, as I acquired more and more figures, Bulletproof slowly vanished from my usage rotation.  His novelty wore off since he had been a part of my adult collection from the very beginning.  It was a somewhat sad fate for a figure of this quality.  To this day, I don't really think of the figure all that often and he rarely sees use outside of a DEF display.  Bulletproof just doesn't hold my attention like he once did.  At some point, he may come back into vogue in my collection.  But, until that happens, he remains a spectre hanging around the fringes.

As a subset, the figures in the DEF are quite good.  They all feature new, highly detailed molds, excellent accessories and sane colors.  Based on that, how could the set go wrong?  The answer was simple, Hasbro raised the price point on the figures due to the spring loaded weapons.  Sure, they hid this under a larger card.  But, when faced with a choice of what to buy, parents simply weren't convinced that the extra dollar was worth.  So, the line only lived one year and the planned 1993 repaints and new figures were just rolled into the basic figure line.

But, if you look deeper, you see that this figure does show the beginnings of troubling trends for the line.  Bulletproof only used 2 colors on the main body and only has one paint application.  While the green and beige are an excellent combination, the figure lacks the details that brought forth the quality of the Joe molds.  If the figure featured a few extra colored paint details, it would be on par with vintage figures.  But, this lack of paint applications does knock the figure down a bit.  Bulletproof's head mold is also a bit...dated.  The box haircut may have been acceptable in 1992.  But, 20 years later it is as out of place as the Dreadnoks.  It is definitely an interesting piece from a historical perspective.  At least the helmet covers it up.

The code name of Bulletproof was originally used in the C.O.P.S. line.  The C.O.P.S. character was also black.  But, I think that the connection between that character and this one is limited at best.  More likely, Hasbro re-used the name so they either would not lose the copyright on it or because it had already cleared legal and it was cheaper to resurrect than it was to come up with a new name.  As many collectors also have an interest in the C.O.P.S. line, the shared name is sometimes thought to be more than a coincidence.  But, I doubt it was really anything more than a cost saving move on the part of Hasbro.

The Bulletproof mold was used in the US in 1992 and 1993.  From there, the figure appeared in Brazil as Tiro Certo.  Tiro Certo uses colors close to the 1993 Bulletproof with one glaring distinction: the Brazilian figure is Caucasian.  While the figure mold appears to have either died in Brazil or simply wasn't resurrected by Hasbro, the helmet did appear in the US in 1995 as part of the Mortal Combat movie line where it was released in black with the Night Fighter Guile figure.  But, since the helmet was not released in Brazil, it is impossible to know for sure if the mold ever made it's way back into Hasbro's hands.  Truthfully, this figure could be repainted in a variety of ways that would make for a quality release.  But, even customizers seem to avoid the mold and you rarely see new takes on the Bulletproof character.

Bulletproof is not terribly hard to find.  Even though he has a microphone, the figure remains easy to complete and inexpensive.  You can still buy carded versions of this figure for $8-$12.  That's remarkably cheap for the quality of the figure and the range of accessories he includes.  There was a time a few years ago when all the DEF figures were quite the rage.  But, that seems to have subsided quite a bit.  If you waited to fill these gaps in your collection, it probably saved you a bit of money.  But, I find this Bulletproof to be such a valuable addition to a collection that missing him for years for the sake of saving a couple bucks would not have been worth it.  This is a solid figure who is definitely worth the money and time it takes to acquire him.

Tiro Certo - Brazilian Exclusive Bulletproof

When I first got back into Joe collecting, one of the first figures I acquired at retail was a Bulletproof figure. I really liked his accessories, especially the helmet and gun. When I had only a few figures in my collection, Bulletproof got lots and lots of use. When I first discovered the online Joe community, I spent a lot of time looking over many of the unique international figures that were pictured in online archives. One of the figures that I remember the most was the Tiro Certo. It is a straight repaint of the Bulletproof mold, but with a uniquely racial head. As my collecting habits moved into the international realm, Tiro Certo was one of the figures on my short list of acquisition. But, there were many unique international figures who became available who slowly pushed Tiro Certo further and further down that list. In time, though, Tiro Certo became part of my collection. Now that I have him, though, I've found it difficult to use him in many situations. Usually, I like neon figures, but for some reason, Tiro Certo is a figure I have yet to fully integrate into my collection.

One of my collecting niches is race changing figures. Over the years, I have acquired several foreign figures that feature race changes. In the case of Tiro Certo, though, the race change is less obvious. While the figures is definitely lighter in complexion than Bulletproof, it is not as Caucasian as other Joes. Instead, Tiro Certo appears to be fully Brazilian. He is more a mix between white and black and remains unique in that complexion. It adds a dimension to the character as it gives him a look that is unique to the line regardless of the country of the figure's origin. It also allows the figure to stand out, even among those who don't otherwise pay much attention to neon figures from the line's later years.

In my collection, Bulletproof has long been a Joe army builder. I used him as the counterpart to Alley Vipers in urban environments. As the Alley Viper was one of my most used Cobras, Bulletproof got lots of use for a few years. Slowly, though, I grew a bit tired of the figure. I started acquiring many new figures and those pushed Bulletproof further and further into the background. In fact, it's been a long time since I've really used him in any capacity. Tiro Certo, though, is different enough from the Bulletproof figure that I can use the two in conjunction with each other. But, for the most part, I use Tiro Certo as a foreign security operative who works in conjunction with the Joe to help track down fugitives: whether they are Cobra or otherwise. I don't see Tiro Certo as a Joe, but as a Brazilian operative who works with the Joes since Cobra has placed so many operations in South America. At the end of the day, Tiro Certo is loyal to the Brazilian government first and foremost. Usually, I use Tiro Certo with Tigor. Tigor is the Brazilian equivalent of Flint and leads most of the special operations for the Brazilian military. Tiro Certo does not report to Tigor, but they work together, especially when it comes to Cobra operations being mounted in South America.

Even with this characterization, though, Tiro Certo doesn't get as much use as I originally thought he would. The reality is that the figure is bright. Very bright. While the Cerebro figure is actually a more muted yellow than the American Mace and is a superior figure, Tiro Certo is the same bright neon yellow that was used on the 1993 Bulletproof. In many cases, neon paint doesn't bother me. In this case, though, it does make the figure more difficult to use. Maybe it's the green base that really offsets the yellow. But, this figure just seems overly bright to me and I have found it difficult to integrate him into my collection in much beyond an advisory capacity.

Tiro Certo was among the final figures released in Brazil. He was first released around 1995 as part of the Esquadrao de Elite. Tiro Certo's partner was Cerebro, a Mace repaint. They were matched against 2 Cobras: Mortifero (a 1993 Alley Viper repaint) and Armadilha (a 1993 Beach Head repaint). All 4 of the figures were distinct in some way from their American counterparts, but were still very similar. Of the four members of this subset, Tiro Certo is the most unique due to his race change. Aside from that, though, he is nearly identical to the 1993 Bulletproof. Tiro Certo roughly translates to "Certain Shot". Like the Abutre Negro, though, the Brazilian name of Tiro Certo has a much more distinctive ring to it and allows the figure to be identified by a name that is distinctive and not generic like "Certain Shot".

The Bulletproof mold was used twice in the US: once in 1992 and again in 1993. It was only used in these two releases. (It should be noted that the helmet mold was changed between the releases to make the communications device permanently attached to the helmet.) From there, the mold was sent to Brazil where Tiro Certo was released. Since then, we have seen no evidence of the mold's return...except for the fact that the Mace mold did return in 2004 and was used for the comic pack Clutch. It could be that only the Mace mold returned, but the fact that he appeared does give some hope that the Bulletproof mold could still be available. It should be noted that Tiro Certo did not include the helmet. The reason is that in 1995, Hasbro was using the helmet for the Night Fighter Guile figure. In fact, you can see the black Guile helmet in some of the photos below. The black helmet actually matches the backpack that is included with the figure as it is black as well. Other than that, the Tiro Certo includes the same gun, backpack, missile launcher and missiles as the American figure.

Quality-wise, Tiro Certo is fairly nice. He is more brittle like all Brazilian figures, but not too brittle to use like some of the earlier Brazilian exclusives. His paint is somewhat faint, though, and mine featured some slight paint scuffs straight out of the package. As his hands are painted, I'm loathe to put his gun into his hand too many times for fear of the paint all wearing away. That is why you see the awkward poses in some of the photos below as I'm simply too chicken to risk heavy paint wear or a broken thumb by forcing the gun into the figure's hand. (One other note on the photos below. You will see a 1993 HEAT Viper in the photos below. That figure is actually the Raio Verde. The reason he's with the Joes is because, in Brazil, the Raio Verde figure was released as a Joe. The Iceberg repaint named Pantano was released as a Cobra. So, the photo is correct in showing 3 Brazilian good guys all working together...even if it seems odd and out of place to American collectors.)

A few years ago, carded Tiro Certo figures were fairly easy to find. You could get them from Brazilian sellers for under $15. But, those seem to have dried up in recent times. Still, Tiro Certo isn't a figure that will set you back as much as others. Carded, you should be able to get him for around $25. If you can find a loose sample, they should run about 1/2 that amount. But, you will spend a lot more time looking for Tiro Certos these days as they don't appear with the frequency that they did just 3 years ago. For my money, this is a great conversation figure. As part of an everyday collection, though, it is a bit hard to use. The head color is great but the bright neon yellow really makes it hard for this figure to blend into a collection. Displayed with his Brazilian contemporaries, Tiro Certo works very well. Integrating him into a more traditional American Joe collection is a bit more problematic.