Rarities - Action Force Kraken

The Kraken figure isn't so much a rarity as it is an oddity.  How this monster came to be included in the Action Force line isn't know and he's as out of place as the Lunartix aliens from the end of the Joe line.  At the same time, he is also a perfect fit for the Action Force mythos.  Why wouldn't this team of super-baddies who have some mad scientist type characters also have a monster?  It's not a question a kid would have asked back in the '80's.  You were just happy to acquire a really cool and fun toy.

Being a 5 points  of articulation figure, Kraken is a natural fit for any Kenner Cantina or Jabba's Palace diorama.  You'll see his Walrus Man inspired webbed feet.  He's the type of weirdo who fits into this scene in both design and figure construction.  The green, black and red coloring is eye catching and vibrant.  (It will appear on a factory custom Eel in 2026.)  He's that perfect combination where the weird design allows for colors that would be, otherwise, out of place for a Red Shadows figure.

Kraken figures are surprisingly common.  Even complete versions aren't all that expensive.  But, like most '80's toys, these days, supply has gotten tighter.  And, the figure has gotten fairly popular in recent years.  So, you'll pay more than you would have a few years ago.  The upside is that he's available.  And, since he's one of the more famous designs, lots of collectors have them and European collectors were keen to pluck him out of the huge lots of Action Force figures that used to be common at boot sales and second hand shops.

European Exclusive Mutt - Around The Web

Mutt is among my favorite figure sculpts and characters in the entire line.  I have a version of every figure ever released based on the vintage mold.  And, while Mutt was released many times, it is the European exclusive version that is the most distinct from his original look.  This orange haired figure is not Stanley Perlmutter.  But, instead, is of Scottish descent.  We don't know why this version was exclusive to Europe.  He and Spirit were this odd pair of matching figures who randomly appeared in early 1990's European Joe assortments.  

The figure is missing the signature chest insignia.  This was removed for the Brazilian release of Mutt.  And, it's still missing on this later, European release.  His accessories are a darker grey color that live about halfway between the light grey of the 1985 Battle Gear pack and the black of the 1984 Hasbro release.

There's a decent amount of content on this figure.  He was one of the first European figures of whom American collectors became aware.  And, there was a time when loose figures were fairly common.  Even today, you can find lots of Euro Mutts with broken crotches and thumbs.  He's one of the more available figures.  Though, finding a complete one with the correct accessories remains a fairly tough chore.

Sadly, this figure has not gotten so expensive that you don't often see newer collectors willing to take hi outside and get him dirty.  When it was $40 to replace him, that was one thing.  Now that it can go over $200, that an entirely different proposition.  For me, though, it's still behind the original 1984 figure in terms of the best Mutt.  I'd argue that the Brazilian Mastim figure is better, too.  But, the orange hair and offbeat color scheme makes him a worthwhile discussion piece for any collection.

European Mutt Profile

European Mutt by dreadnokdread

European Mutt at R.T.G. at ARAH Gallery

European Mutt by gijoeaction

European Mutt by Golden_Cobra_79

European Mutt by nightforcetunnelrat

European Mutt by gijoeaction

European Mutt by bruxovigo

European Mutt by gijoeaction

European Mutt by viper_space

European Mutt by gijoeaction

European  Mutt by Relinquished1979

Rarities - European Action Force Taurus

Taurus is a boring figure.  He's the least popular of the Renegades and is the one you least often see in action.  The only really interesting thing about his figureis that, in Europe, he was released on a single card with new artwork.  All of the Renegades were released as single carded figures in various European markets.  There's no real explanation as to why this was.  Cobra La didn't receive similar treatment.  And, there were plenty of other '87 figures to fill out an international line.  

The card features unique artwork for Taurus. You can find the carded Taurus figures from various European markets that will feature different languages, too.  You'll note that G.I. Joe is the marketing focus for the toy.  But, there is still an Action Force subheader to tie the figure to the established European brand.

More than 20 years ago, a collector friend of mine who specialized in foreign variants believed that the European Renegades figures had slight coloring differences from their U.S. released counterparts.  He was unable to confirm this, though, as he didn't have known samples of the Euro figures in his possession at the time.  It's something I'd love to finally put to rest.  We know that many European figure releases did have slight variances from their North American counterparts...mostly just due to the fact that they were released in later years and not part of the initial run.  You'll see slight color variants all the way up to different dates stamps on some European versions of figures that, otherwise, are identical to the North American release.  Most of these are not documented and can be tough to verify.  So, if you have known samples of both releases of Taurus and see any differences, please post them up as I'd love to confirm/deny the rumors from the turn of the century.

The one thing about these figures that was of note to me is that they clearly showed which accessories were intended for which Renegade.  As a kid, I always put the black Footloose backpack on Taurus since it was a better color match.  The brown Recondo pack went to Mercer for the same reason.  While I've come around on the black Footloose pack belonging to Mercer, I can't reconcile this Recondo pack on Taurus.  Mostly, it's because I don't care about Taurus all that much.  But, seeing him with his correct backpack still looks odd to me.

There was a short time when these single carded figures were very desirable.  But, that ebbed away rather quickly.  The Renegades are rarely anyone's favorite figures.  And, Taurus and Red Dog are among the most obscure '80's figure releases.  Maybe they were dropped into the assortments to help recoup mold costs.  (The '87 Mercer was later released in Brazil and Red Dog has a famous, race changing Funskool release.)  Sadly, documentation on how European releases came to be is mostly non-existent.  Which is too bad as some of those decisions would be more interesting than getting made up stories from fading memories of the Hasbro line.

Rarities - Action Force Zartan

Zartan was one of Hasbro's most popular toys.  Something like 1.7 million were produced.  Despite that asinine number of toys available, Zartan remains one of the most popular and expensive vintage Joe figures.  The character was released all over the world.  And, while the single carded release from Japan is, arguably, the most sought after, there are Zartan packaging variants from many other places.  Below is one such release: the Action Force Zartan.

Zartan fell into an odd release window in Europe.  He was early enough to appear in original Action Force boxes.  Below, you'll see a sample of the early box where the selling point is the toy itself rather than the artwork that would appear later.  The most interesting part, though, is the early Cobra logo that was used on this Action Force packaging.  It's a highly stylized green snake wrapped a Cobra text bubble.  As an alternate way to promote the bad guys, it's kind of weird.  And, it didn't convey the size and capabilities of the Cobra organization like the printed Cobra logo did.

The figure and swamp skier are the same as those released in North America.  You will note that the Swamp Skier features alternate stickers.  Missing is the cool chameleon sticker that is the calling card of the North American Zartan.  Really, I wish this had become more of the logo of the dreadnoks than the later offerings that appeared in the 2000's.

Seeing the toy in action, though, would have been a big selling point for me as a kid.  I was never a huge fan of the artwork on the boxes or cards because they often didn't match the toy you were getting.  And, one of the lasting memories I have of the Action Force comic was that they included ads that featured the actual toys in action.  Back in the '80's, there was no such thing as action figure photography.  So, it was awesome to see some of the toys out of their boxes and set in actual play settings.

Here is a later Action Force box.  It is more in line with the Hasbro release in North America.  You will note, however, that this version features a grey filecard.  And, this is the much harder to find version of the filecard where the reference to Zartan being a "paranoid schizophrenic" has been Bowdlerized.

Rarities - Action Force Persuader

On of the most ignored facets of the worldwide Joe line is that a huge number of vehicles that were released in Europe actually feature some pretty drastic color differences from their North American counterparts.  Usually, the colors are darker and richer.  It's very noticeable when you have both the North American and European versions next to each other.  

There's no real reason why the colors were changed.  All of these vehicles were made by Hasbro in the same factories as the North American releases.  It would be one thing if just, say, the green plastic was changed.  But, you see different hues of brown, red and orange, too.  So, the color changes were deliberate and occurred over multiple years.

Below you will see an Action Force Persuader.  The vehicle features a darker green base.  As something different, the green is kind of nice.  It's a little dark.  So, it would be tougher to see in photos.  But, as part of a convoy, the different color would add some depth to the display.

There's many Action Force vehicles that feature these type of color differences.  The documentation on them is sparse and difficult to dig up.  But, the communal reference resources for the toy line haven't been updated in over a decade and it's really caught up with the community.  And, now, minor differences like these alternately colored vehicles are mostly undocumented.

European Exclusive Rock Viper - Spring Loaded Accessories

Back in 2017, I published one of the most popular posts in the history of the site.  It was a write up on a series of late run European Exclusive Spring Loaded Accessory figures.  The figures in the set are incredibly obscure.  And, most of the interest in them stems from carded samples.  You rarely see loose figures offered for sale: mostly because they're not easy to find and sellers usually don't get interest in them since few collectors know of their existence.  The figures are the same as the more common, North American versions.  But, they include many exclusive accessories.  My personal favorites, though, are the lime green and maroon versions of the 1991 Snake Eyes' accessories that were included with the European Exclusive Rock Viper.

We don't really know why these alternate weapon figures exist.  There's no real reason for Hasbro to have mixed up the gear in low production run colors and release them only in Europe.   Later releases of the figures in the set all featured their original gear.  So, the molds weren't even all that mixed up.  But, the existence of these exclusive accessories gives collectors another obscure and sometimes mundane obsession to seek.  

Rock Vipers have three major flaws.  The most commonly known is that their crotch is insanely brittle.  Even in the early days of collecting when mint and complete figures were a dime a dozen, it was well known that Rock Viper crotches were a ticking timebomb that would snap with even one poorly planned movement.  The second is that the standard Rock Viper's comically large rifle was a thumb breaker.  And, Rock Vipers from the US and Canada would often have snapped thumbs from usage of that weapon.  The third flaw has become more apparent in recent years.  And, that is that the cream colored base color of the Rock Viper's body is very susceptible to yellowing and other discoloration.  You will see the yellowing form from heat and light exposure.  And, it's now so ubiquitous that many newer collectors don't have a good idea of the cream colored base that is necessary for a mint Rock Viper figure.

Personally, I've always been fond of the Rock Viper.  In the late 1990s, when I built the bulk of my collection, they weren't easy to find.  They became more ubiquitous in later years.  But, by the time I was ready to build up my army of them, they had gotten pricier than I was willing to go.  If you look back at some photos taken on  the site between 2000 and 2003, you'll see the American Rock Viper appear rather frequently.  After the Python Patrol release, though, my 1990 figures seldom came out of their drawer.  And, the photos I took of the figure for this profile were my first Rock Viper photos since 2003.  The combination of specific specialty, fragile parts and intricate gear setup made for a figure that simply didn't appear all that often when I was putting together a scene.  

For some, the figure's mustache is an issue.  It makes the figure's face too distinctive for him to really be an army builder.  I don't much mind it, though.  But, I've never had more than two high quality Rock Vipers in my collection at any given time.  So, I never had a dozen mustachioed faces staring blankly at me when I open the 1990 Cobra drawer.  Had I a larger army, my opinion of his distinctive visage might be different.  But, I do like that Cobra had at least a bit of differences in the looks of their rank and file.  While the comic quickly moved on from the very Nazi-esque Cobra origin of the first 9 issues or so, the figures released remained very true to those darker comic book roots.

When it comes to my preferred gear for the figure, though, I have to go with the North American release.  The Rock Viper's backpack with the grappling hook holster and rope spindle is one of the better designs in the line.  While I get the appeal of a spring loaded firing mechanism for a larger grappling hook, the reality is that the smaller, more realistic gear from the 1990 figure is superior.  For weapons, though, the green Uzi wins.  The Rock Viper's rifle is too large.  (Though, it fitting into the figure's backpack is a cool looking feature.)  The pistol is nice, though.  The Uzi is bizarre and a far cry from that of the 1988 Iron Grenadier or, even, the original Snake Eyes.  But, it's still a fun weapon.  And, the green is a far superior color to the North American red from Snake Eyes.  I enjoy using the green weapon with 1991 Bats and both the Desert Snake Eyes from 2004 and his similar cousin from the 2005 HAS set.  

I've been on a weird accessory kick for a couple of years.  I've been looking for oddball, alternate coloring of Joe accessories that were released in other lines.  I've picked up outlandish amalgamations that appeared in knock off releases.  I've even explored working gear from the Action Force precursor to Joe repaints.  All of these have given me ways to expand my collection.  But, also, they offer more depth to photos.  The gear works well with Joe figures.  And, that is something that's not always easy to do.  I don't find even the Hasbro gear from the JvC or Anniversary era to really match vintage figures.  So, having an opportunity to find offbeat gear that works with many vintage molds is great.  It's only been in the past couple of years that this gear has gotten expensive.  Prior to this, you could get the Joe adjacent gear for cheap.  But, this Euro gear has always been pricier than things like Lucky Bell.  And, it's not easy to find...especially as the market has exploded.

The Rock Viper figure was just made by Hasbro.  The 1990 figures didn't seem to make their way to India (while the 1991 molds did) and Hasbro released just two Rock Vipers, the 1990 and the 2003 Python Patrol repaint.  The head was used on another European exclusive: the alternate head Crimson Guard Immortal.  The 1991 Snake Eyes gear was released with that figure and in exclusive colors with 2 European releases.  Both the Rock Viper and Undertow feature the backpack and hook in exclusive colors.  The gun, though, was also available in gold and was included with the Night Fighter Guile figure.  The Rock Viper legs were, for some reason, used on the 2008 Headhunter Stormtrooper and are part of the reason that figure isn't much cared for today.  (And, also, the legs were used on  the 1994 Metal Head - thanks to bc barnes 11 in the comments!)

These European Rock Viper figures are not cheap.  But, at the same time, they are vastly cheaper than other European exclusives like the Action Force repaints or the Tiger Force figures.  There may be small differences between the actual Hasbro figures released in North America and those released in Europe.  But, they are so small that few would even notice if they did exist.  This green and maroon gear isn't common.  European collectors will often have a couple.  But, you don't see them for sale with the frequency of other European exclusive figures.  You'll probably pay over $100 for a mint and complete figure.  The value, though, is all in the gear.  If you can find just the gear, you might be able to get it in  the $70 range.  It's a lot for obscure colors on gear that isn't usually considered among the line's best offerings.  If you ask among forums frequented by European collectors, you'll probably find this gear much more quickly than looking on for sale sites.  For most collectors, that's not something that's worth their time.  I, though, love oddball color variants on obscure items.  So, this Rock Viper gear is right up my alley.

Action Force Stalker - Around The Web

The Action Force line is fairly large and features some great 5 points of articulation figures as well as some great vehicles.  As the line ended and was going to transition to G.I. Joe, Palitoy repainted a large contingent of Hasbro vehicle molds.  Among them was a black VAMP repaint.  The later releases of this jeep included a repainted Hasbro G.I. Joe figure, too.  In this case, the figure was a 1983 Snake Eyes repaint that was named Stalker.

This leads to all sorts of confusion as it's difficult to refer to the character Stalker but meaning the classic Snake Eyes.  So, most collectors simply use the figure as an updated Snake Eyes.  And, prior to 1997, it was the only Snake Eyes figure with painted details.  That, of course, changed in 1997.  And, since then, the V1 Snake Eyes has been repainted many, many times: all with different paint applications.  They are better than this Stalker figure.  But, Stalker still has the distinction of being the first and also part of the highly popular Action Force line.

The figure appears from time to time.  So, check out all the content I could find regarding the Action Force Stalker.

Action Force Stalker Profile

Action Force Stalker at the Attica Gazette

Action Force Panther Profile

Action Force Stalker by viper_space

Action Force Stalker 00zxcvb

Action Force Stalker by yo_grenadiers

Action Force Stalker by atticagazette

Action Force Stalker by v1per_p1lot

Action Force Stalker by Olly Orc

Action Force Stalker by viper_space

Rarities - Palitoy Baron Ironblood Accessory Variants

For years, Action Force figures that pre-dated the G.I. Joe crossover were common and cheap.  Even the most desired characters were affordable and you could find a wide array of different countries of origin for most figures.  But, that's now changed and many of the most popular figures from the Palitoy line have become both expensive and hard to find.  As such, some of the more interesting variants that the line offered are less noticeable than they used to be.  

It was long stated that Palitoy started tossing alternate accessories into various figure's packaging as the line was on it's final legs.  But, interestingly enough, it seems that specific figures (often the Red Shadows characters) are the most often seen figures with this variety of weapons.  What's fun is that you can find characters like Baron Ironblood with his proper accessory (a black Uzi) as well as both Action Force repaints of that weapon that were included with other figures and even weapons from the Star Wars line.  It's very odd to see an Action Force figure with the iconic Han Solo pistol.  But, they exist.

Below you'll see four variants of the Baron Ironblood figure.  They include: a black Uzi, a blue Uzi, a Cobra Commander pistol and the aforementioned Han Solo blaster.  This creates a massive amount of oddball zaniness for an Action Force collector to track down.  It's one of the more frustrating, but also enjoyable rabbit holes for collectors of the European line.

Red Shadows Shadowtrak - Around the Web

When I posted my original Shadowtrak profile, I thought it was going to be a hit.  An obscure but affordable (at the time!) vehicle that fits the super popular Red Shadows theme?  That's guaranteed success.  But, that didn't materialize and the Shadowtrak underperformed and remains one of my biggest disappointments in terms of post popularity.  The reason is that I wanted to share how amazing this vehicle was with the community.  While the Shadowtrak was known, it wasn't common and only a select few people ever actually used it.

It could be that several Action Force vehicles use a similar base to the Shadowtrak as their bases, too.  So, maybe this hinders some people who see it as something reused rather than something new.  But, to me, the Shadowtrak is much more useful than something like the Robo Skull: which has taken on an amazing collector afterlife in the past 6 or 7 years and now become an unobtainable piece for most collectors.  The Shadowtrak hasn't done that.  But, for a standard piece you can integrate into a collection, it's tough to beat the Shadowtrak.

In hand, though, the Shadowtrak is amazing.  It's properly sized, features forward and rear facing weapons and, it can comfortably hold multiple figures.  The color is a recognized Cobra affiliation and it matches with many vintage Hasbro vehicles.  In short, it's a perfect vehicle that should be integrated into every collection.  But, for some reason, the vehicle doesn't resonate like other Action Force releases that, in my opinion, aren't as cool or useful as the Shadowtrak.

There is a good amount of content out there that uses the Shadowtrak.  It seems that it's a favorite for certain people.  And, they use it frequently.  I'm always game to see more and more uses of the Shadowtrak, though, as it's a great vehicle that's tons of fun to own.

Shadowtrak Profile

Shadowtrak by rutbullet

Shadowtrack by joerizzo2025

Shadowtrak by Slipstream80

Shadowtrak by dangief_collectibles

Shadowtrak by Toy Polloi

Shadowtrak by redbeamcustoms

Shadowtrak by the_kraken_wakes

Shadowtrak by rutbullet

Shadowtrak by the.faceless.master

Shadowtrak by joerizzo2025

Shadowtrak by Slipstream80

Shadowtrak by gijoe_the_actionforce

Shadowtrak by brianthehick

European Exclusive Spirit Iron Knife - Around the Web

With the new month, we'll bring back one of our old favorites: International Joe Month.  This month will be all about international Joe figures.  There will be profiles, Around the Web and some other features: all showcasing international figures.  So, we'll start with the European Exclusive Spirit.  The fact that he's missing eyebrows is a cruel joke.  But, this is still a great update for a classic mold.

European Spirit Profile

Euro Spirit at JoeADay.com

Euro Spirit by specialmissionforce

Euro Spirit by bruxovigo

Euro Spirit by dreadnokdread

Euro Spirit by nightforcetunnelrat

Euro Spirit by jsteved.yardsale

Euro Spirit by viper_space

Euro Spirit by cobra_florence

Euro Spirit by g.i. boyz

Rarities - Kaido Figures

Back in June of 2020, my laptop power cord died.  I went about a month with no way to update the site.  I had plenty of posts ready to go.  But, not all that were published were finished.  One of those was the Rarities post on the Kaido figures.  I posted one picture and a small paragraph.  But, I had planned a much larger feature on the subset.  So, for this Rarities Month, I decided to revisit the Kaido figures and publish a more detailed write of what little I know about the Kaido figures.

I first learned of Kaido figures in 2019.  There was a random post with a weird Joe hybrid accessory that was identified as Kaido.  This lead me down a rabbit hole as I attempted to learn what other Joe gear might have been included in the line.  The line's manufacturer, Bikin, had taken both existing Hasbro gear from the Joe line as well as common gear from the Lanard CORPS! line and rehashed it into something kind of new, sometimes good and always odd.

The figures themselves are 3 3/4.  The arms feature construction very similar to Hasbro's.  The rest of the figure construction, though, then deviates.  The torso is one piece from the neck to the legs.  The legs then move forward and backward along the block crotch that is common on 5 points of articulation figures.  (Think vintage Star Wars.)  The legs feature knee joints, though, so the figures had a solid range of motion.  But, it was still less than Hasbro's.  This is the main reason these figures haven't caught on.  They are not Joe construction.  If they were, they'd be a lot more expensive and popular among collectors.

Like most lines of this nature, you see a lot of reused parts.  And, many of the figures have some drastic repaints.  However, I'm not sure of the origin of these other figures.  There might have been different series of figures.  There are also vehicles and playsets available under the Kaido name and the repaints could have been included with those.  Or, the repaints may have come from a different company getting a hold of the molds.  So, much more research to do in this area.

The figures were packaged in boxes.  You could see the figure through a bubble.  The artwork shows a speech bubble that denotes the sayings that will emanate from the electronic backpack.  There's even a slot on top of the package where the buttons on the pack are available for kids to test out the sound feature.

Here is a look at the packaging.  You can see the thick box that's reminiscent of the old cases that were used to store VHS movies.  There is a slot on top where kids could test the sound backpacks.  Each figure also included a booklet inside along with their accessories.

The cardback is interesting.  It gives a snapshot of the figures available.  There are some great names for the characters, here.  A bio card is also printed on the back so kids would know who Alpacko really was.  Finally, you'll see the printed accessories on the bottom right of the box.  This figure includes 2.  Once appears to be a hybrid between the rifle mounted on the Slugger with a barrel/bayonet from the Crimson Guard's rifle.    The other is similar to a shotgun produced by Lanard with early CORPS! figures.

Here is more Alpacko.  You can see his accessories and the figure construction.

Here is Slanders.  You'll see he includes the computer from Mainframe as well as an a relatively unmodified version of the 1983 Gung Ho's Grenade Launcher.  Note Slanders' grey hair.  You don't see grey hair on non-licensed action figures too often.  But, he is a professor.  So, the wisdom conveyed by grey hair is part of his character.

Here is Kanats.  Let's a take a second to look at that name.  It's something bizarre enough to make for a cool figure.  As this guy has a head that implies he's a robot, something like Kanats can work.  He shows that his accessories are a laser rifle that's based on a sculpt from the Lanard Space CORPS figures.

Kapawack (another great name!) includes a weapon based off of Crazylegs' rifle (with no stock to lose) and Psyche Out's pistol.

Tarkham includes two weapons.  The pistol is based on the 1987 Royal Guard weapon.  This is odd as the Royal Guard never appeared anywhere else and the weapon's usage here shows what potential the pistol had.  His second weapon is a hybrid.  I'm not 100% sure, but it looks like an amalgamation of the 1986 Zandar's rifle with the barrel being Dr. Mindbender's prod.  

Daiman is another interesting name.  And, the figure's artwork looks pretty nice.  He included a hybrid weapon featuring the back end of Leatherneck's M-203 and the front end of Baroness' rifle.  He also included a CORPS! shotgun.

Here is Molloch.  Again, great name for a character.  His gear is interesting as he includes a 1985 Eels speargun and a two piece weapon that looks like a mortar.  I'm not familiar with the origin of this piece.  So, you know it originated somewhere else, please leave a note in the comments.

Zorgev includes a huge rifle whose back half is from the 1986 Roadblock's machine gun.  I can not identify the front half, though.  So, please help out if you recognize it.

Tetrark features the weapon I'm most familiar with.  First, he includes a weapon that is twice removed from its source.  Lanard copied the rifle from the 1985 Lamprey and removed the side clip.  Tetrark includes a weapon based on the Lanard copy of the Hasbro original.  His second weapon is a combination of the 1986 Viper's rifle (back) and the 1986 Leatherneck's rifle (front).  A kind collector on Instagram gifted me two of these weapons a few years back.  They look great with a variety of Cobras and you can see them in various photos I've taken over the years.

Dr. Zargone:

Dr. Zargone has some great weapons.  The first is the pistol from the 1987 Cobra La Royal Guard.  It's a neat pistol and seeing it again somewhere else is fun.  His second weapon is a hybrid that uses the stock, handle and clip from the 1985 Crimson Guard weapon and fuses on the barrel from the 1986 Viper rifle.  It's awesome to see two classic Cobra weapons combined like this.

While you can see some of the accessories in the loose figure pictures above, here are some additional images.  You'll notice there is a combo of grey and black accessories.  Again, I'm not sure if individual figures included one color of another.  Or, if one color is from a different release.  If you have info, please drop it in the comments.

Kaido figures are very similar to the MPact figures that were made by Toymax in 1992.  It's possible that Kaido and Toymax were different entities under the same company as the figures seem to overlap quite a bit and use many of the same parts.  MPact figures include some different weapons stolen from Hasbro's Joes.  But, they appear on weapons trees.  You can see a couple of examples below.

There are more figures in the Kaido line.  But, this is a good start.  There are a ton of repaints that may or may not be Kaido figures.  I'll look into this more in the coming year with an update when I get some more info.  But, please share your info on these figures in the comments.  It's a great way to learn about some oddball and obscure releases with a tangential relationship to Joe.