2026 Super7 250th Anniversary Figure Reveals - Wal Mart Exclusive

Today, Wal Mart's website revealed a 2nd wave of 250th Anniversary G.I. Joe figures.  The first wave was a surprise.  It sold well.  But, there was no indication that a second wave would be coming.  But, it turns out that is the case.  Once again, it's four figures done up in white, blue and red coloring.  The four characters are Wild Bill, Flash, Snake Eyes and Chuckles.  Here are the carded figures:

First up is Flash.  He's kind of got a Bombardier vibe.  It's definitely a different look for Flash.  It kind of works.  It's not compelling like Lady Jaye was.  But, it's a fine figure.  And, it's good to see higher quality Super7 sculpts get repaints.  Flash's hair more closely matches his uniform colors.  So, that does add to his aesthetic appeal.

Then we get to Chuckles.  I've long wanted a Chuckles is alternate colors.  A guy doesn't  own one type of Hawaiian shirt.  I like the red.  But wish they had really gone for it.  I'd have preferred him to have a red and blue shirt with white pants: really owning the island look.  This design isn't quite what I've been wanting from a Chuckles repaint.  It's getting closer.  And, I suspect this figure will wear me down...especially if I can find him at a discount.

Then, we get the requisite Snake Eyes.  You need a major character to anchor any exclusive wave like this.  And, while I'd have preferred a subversive Cobra Commander in that slot, Snake Eyes makes more retail sense.  The thing is, this figure is just weird.  It's like a Black Major take on Snake Eyes as a Cobra.  That's not a bad thing.  Repaints should be offbeat and different.  And, this one foots the bill.  I always hate ungloved hands on Snake Eyes, though.  So, that degrades him a bit in my eyes.  But, slap a silver Cobra logo on this guy's chest and you've got a great Invasor.

Finally, Wild Bill.  I'm done with the Wild Bill mold.  It's old, bulky and not that great.  His cartoon coloring on the first release was almost enough to compel me to purchase him.  But, the more I looked at the large noggin, the less interested I was.  This sculpt has limitations and should be retired after this release.  Plus, in these colors, he looks like the Ramp Rat.

It's still weird to me that we're seeing these figures, now, while the Flint, Shipwreck, Baroness and SNAKE wave has been out in Asia for over 5 weeks with no official announcement from Super7.  It seems they bungle some of the PR on this stuff and miss great chances to generate discussion in the community about their products.  I suspect they're holding the next figure wave until the October G.I. Joe streaming day that Hasbro has, currently, planned.  We'll see.

In general, more G.I. Joe figures are better than fewer.  I'm not a huge fan of the white, blue and red color scheme.  It's tough to make it work....especially since blue is so associated with Cobra.  You don't really see the 1st wave of 250th figures being used all that much.  Lady Jaye had about a week of appearances and has all but disappeared.  I suspect these figures will follow suit.  

I'll probably talk myself into Chuckles.  Flash is not a definite "no".  You can get a couple of the first wave figures for about $15 right now.  At that price, I'd get Flash, no doubt.  So, we'll see where I end up.  

2026 Flash - ReAction+

If you want to feel a little old, here's my measurement for today.  The Flash figure that was released by Super7 is the heir apparent to the Comic Packs and is one of the missing links to the completion of that set.  The Comic Packs debuted in 2004...22 years ago.  Those Comic Packs debuted 22 years after the original 13 Joes appeared at retail in 1982.  So, this Flash is as far removed from the release of the Comic Packs as those Comic Packs were from the debut of the line.  If you've been around the whole time, I can assure you that the latter 22 years have passed in a flash while the first 22 seem like a lifetime ago.  

With that bit of fun out of the way, this week both the Attica Gazette and I are looking at the Super7 Flash on the same day.  It's been a while since we've done this.  And, it's always fun to take a look at a figure from a couple of different perspectives.  So, check out his thoughts on the figure, too!

The 1983 Flash has a strong argument to be the best of the original 13 G.I. Joe figures.  His design was so strong among those early figures that he remained relevant for several years: even after the others were phased out.  Despite this notoriety, Hasbro utterly failed to get an updated version to collectors during the repaint era.  They planned one for 1997.  But, they "couldn't find" the mold.  We got the character as an astronaut in 2005.  And, then, there was a good enough convention version released in 2007 that used later parts but lacked a helmet and visor...thus limiting him.  Flash's absence might be the most glaring hole from that time period.  He was a character that would have been perfect for an update.  It just never happened in a meaningful way.  

Two decades later, Super7 has filled that gap with a new Flash.  The figure very much feels like an heir to the Comic Pack era.  He has that comic green.  And, his entire aesthetic is based around a pin up drawing of the character peeling potatoes that appeared in G.I. Joe #1.  It's a famous image.  And, the figure recalls that poster upon the slightest glance.  He features a waft of bright red hair that's coifed over his head.  Sans helmet, the hair looks cool.  But, is also drastically out of place among vintage Joe figures.  With the helmet on, he's more in line with a figure from the 2000's.  The rest of him is just...Flash.  He has the pads, the boots and the laser rifle rig that is forever associated with the character.

In short, this figure takes just the one chance with the drastic hair.  Aside from that, it's a pretty solid update to Flash.  He's not done up in 1990's style sculpting.  He didn't get a modern makeover.  It's the same guy from 1982 with a bit of a bulkier sculpt, more vibrant colors and a general flair that makes him a figure that seems like he could have been a 2000's release while also feeling newer and different.  It's a weird balance.  Initially, it works.  Flash seems fun to have.  As he's been in my collection for a couple of months now, though, his appeal is starting to wane.  He's fine for what he is.  But, the oversized head and not quite 2004/2005 green plastic as his base color prevent him from really integrating with the Comic Pack figures.  He seems like more of an outsider.

The biggest cause of this is that the general color palette for Super7 figures is different from that of both vintage Joes and those from the repaint era.  Vintage figures have a sheen to them that allows for vibrant colors without them being overpowering.  The repaint era figures tend to be dull and flat.  When you mix them, you really notice the difference.  On their own, both work really well.  But, it can be tough to find figures from both eras that work well together.  Flash brings a third vibe to the line.  He's bright, but doesn't have the finish of vintage Joes.  He's kind of a mix of the two eras but is also not really able to blend well with either.  I'm going to have to try some HQ shots of him to see if that softens him against his predecessors.  But, outside, his coloring is tough to integrate with toys from either era.

The Super7 o-ring Joe line has been light on two things.  Those are army builders and repaints.  Sure, there's been a few of each.  By and large, though, the line has focused on specific characters in each wave and hasn't filled the case assortment with repaints.  Instead, those have been the domain of exclusives for either retail partners or conventions.  Army builders have been even less frequent.  So far, we have the BAT, Royal Guard, Hydro Viper, Viper Gunner and, if you want to count them, Fatal Fluffies.  Ok, there's been 4 BATs.  But, the overall army builder contingent has been small.  I count both of these traits as positives.  Each wave feels fresh and isn't heavy on rehashes.  I'm at a point in my collecting life where I have enough army builders.  And, factory custom makers do a better job of keeping army building molds in circulation.  So, getting characters, especially ones that have been missing from the line is far appealing than a set of tepid army builders like we got in the 2000's.

Flash's accessories are a weird balance.  On one level, they're pretty good.  On another level, though, they have some flaws and issues.  The hose that connects the laser rifle to the backpack is excellent.  It's more pliable and flexible than the old black hoses that Hasbro used in the '80's.  And, it looks better, too.  It's soft enough to not force the weapon into certain poses because it holds too much tension.  Yet, it's strong enough to hold together when you pose it.  I'd love for more hoses of this variety to appear in the line as they bring a great look to the accessories.

Flash's rifle is missing the stock.  The reason for this is that in the comic book pin up photo, Flash's rifle's stock is blocked by the potatoes on the floor.  There is, obviously, a stock below the vegetable line.  But, Super7 just truncated it off.  So, while it's true to the image, it's also deathly wrong.  And, this is one of those things where Super7 needs to improve.  I get having homages.  The hair on this Flash is a perfect example of them getting it right.  You instantly recognize the Flash pinup when you see the hair.  But, the mistake on the rifle is one of those corner cutting measures that limits the figure to a degree.  One second of introspection would have created a proper laser rifle and made the figure better.  Super7 seems to get it better than Hasbro and, certainly, the club ever did when it came to collector appealing figures.  But, they still have work to do and should be taken to account to make it happen.

Flash's helmet and visor are decent.  They got the helmet to fit over the massive hairdo on his head.  The result is that, when on, the helmet does make the figure's head a bit too large.  It's one of the reasons that my interest in this figure has faded with it in hand.  Sans helmet, the figure's hair doesn't mesh with other Joes.  With it, though, he's too bulky and also stands out.  As a stand alone piece, the figure really works.  But, when integrated with other figures, he becomes more problematic.  The visor is nice and clear and captures the essence of the 1982 figures.  So, it was a nice inclusion.  I'd like to see them dial in the head sculpts and get them more proportional to the body, though, before we see any more helmet/visor combos like this.

Flash seems to be fairly popular.  He fills the gap from the Comic Packs and is appealing to people like me to don't, otherwise, really delve into the Super7 figures.  He's readily available right now and has been for several months.  Some Super7 figures sell out.  Others linger a bit longer.  Lately, the characters have been maintaining some decent availability over a six month, or so, period.  This is ample time for collectors to acquire one.  And, it's a nice compromise where the figures don't linger too long and make the line seem dead.  But, they aren't a flash in the pan that is gone instantly and leaves everyone wanting more.

While this Flash is really nice, I don't want to see a bunch of figures in this style.  Super7 has been pretty good about mixing it up and not doing too much of one thing.  A Silver Pads Grand Slam with a JUMP pack and new head in like 2028 would be fine.  But, getting the full set of 8 to 10 Joes like this would create the same redundancy issues from the Comic Packs and give every figure diminishing returns.  Flash works because he never got a proper updated in the 2000's.  Most other characters did.  So, no need to rehash them until we're a few hundred figures deep in the Super7 line.

Rarities - Unproduced 1997 Stars & Stripes Set

The 1997 Toys R Us G.I. Joe releases were a mess.  The extent to which they were botched is really difficult to comprehend.  Hasbro's plans for the line were both drastically different and more grandiose than what actually transpired.  But, all the signs of a looming iceberg were there.  And, it's never more evident than with the early images of what Hasbro intended for the Stars and Stripes set.

The Stars and Stripes set was supposed to be the flagship product in Joe's triumphant return to retail.  It was going to include 8 of the original 9 carded figures that had started the line just 15 years prior.  (Fun fact.  There's been almost twice as much time that's passed since the release of this set in 1997 as had passed between the Joe line's debut in 1982 and this set's production in 1997!)  The plan was to use all original molds of the figures.  But, to repaint them into a more "modern" interpretation.  Some of this was a response to the collectors of the day who claimed they wanted "gritty and realistic" figures.  But, really, it was a way for Hasbro to massively update the looks of the original Joes.

The idea was sound.  But, the execution was, well, a problem.  All of the Hasbro Joe team from the vintage days had been let go by Hasbro in 1994.  And, the brand had been taken over by former Kenner employees who had been placed in charge of the action figure division.  Their lack of experience with the Joe brand lead to a comedy of errors that just multiplied as the product got closer to production.  But, we'll start with the basics.

Below you will see two images of the original plans for the Stars & Stripes set.  You'll see some figures that look familiar to their production designs as well as some molds that were missing from the production set.  .  

The first image is the image that is actually on the back of the production Stars & Stripes box.  It is incredibly different from the figures inside the window when you turned the box over.  As someone whose first exposure to this product was when they found it on a Toys R Us shelf in 1997, this was weirdly confusing.  The two figures using the 1986 Hawk head (Breaker and Rock and Roll) were obviously out of place in the set.  Not only were they nothing like their vintage counterparts, they didn't fit the aesthetic of the set, at all.  Also missing from the set was Flash.  You can argue that Flash is the most interesting figure from the initial lineup of retail figures.  He was gone.  And, in  his stead, was a figure not shown on the box-back: Grunt.

The choice to originally exclude Grunt is a weird one.  While I'm not a Grunt fan, Grunt was the face of the Joe line for the first couple of years.  If you mention G.I. Joe to a non-fan who grew up in the early '80's, it's pretty likely that their first association with the name is Grunt's cardback image.  It was the brand's calling card.  There's no indication of why Grunt was the original odd man out in the set.  But, his inclusion was a far better choice than adding a 3rd oddball 1986 Hawk/Roadblock mashup repaint to the set.

Aside from the mold fiasco, just looking at this set, you see some other glaring issues that should have been above Hasbro in 1997.  The second photo below is from a 1997 Tomart's magazine where they announced G.I. Joe's return to retail.  It appears to be a different photo shoot of the Stars & Stripes set with a few, key differences from the production box back.  But, many of the figures are the same, too.  We'll go through each figure one by one and review all the chaos that's going on.

Scarlett

Scarlett is the least interesting figure in these images.  This is because she's pretty close to the production figure actually released in 1997.  The purple is more muted and darker.  And, her jumpsuit is more brown.  But, you see all the painted details on her mold.  She is still a repainted 1983 figure in this shot.  But, she's pretty close to the figure in the box.  

Breaker

Here, we have our first major deviation.  The Breaker in both photos isn't the classic figure.  But, it's a close-enough amalgamation.  The figure in both photos uses Clutch's head.  This is close as he and Breaker share the same head in 1982/1983.  But, the black hair makes it Clutch rather than Breaker.  The figure features a tan shirt.  This would have been a great addition to the set.  Adding a 3rd tan Joe to the original 13 would have been a nice homage to Clutch and Grunt.  The darker green pants offset him, nicely, too.  This color scheme would appear on some later figures and in factory customs.  Just on not on this parts configuration.  Breaker's gear shows his iconic headset.  But, for some reason, he doesn't have a helmet.  It's a terrible, aesthetic choice as it makes the figure look incomplete.  The production figure, that used 1986 Hawk and Roadblock parts, did include a helmet.  But, it didn't include the headset.  On top of that, this photographed figure includes Airborne's rifle while the production figure ended up including accessories from the 1982/83 Flash.

Short Fuse

Short Fuse is weird.  The figure in both photos actually features Grunt's torso instead of the classic Short Fuse design.  He has no cammo on his chest.  But, his legs are done in an intricate pattern.  The colors on his legs are very close to the production paint job that ended up on Stalker.  The production Short Fuse used the correct chest for the figure.  And, he didn't have any cammo pattern on him aside from a slight spray on his legs.  You'll note the figure used for the sample is a repainted straight arm Short Fuse.  The Tomart's photo features him wearing a 1985 Lady Jaye backpack.  While the box back shows him with the correct backpack.  

Snake Eyes

In the Tomart's photo, the Snake Eyes is actually an Action Force Stalker figure.  Hasbro had a ton of overstock Action Force figures and both Stalker and Quarrel were dumped as early '90's convention exclusives.  So, Hasbro had spare figures lying around.  His unaltered inclusion is an interesting choice.  It shows that Hasbro always had intention of adding painted details to the 1997 Snake Eyes figure.  Hasbro's original plan was that the 1982/83 Snake Eyes was going to be included in the boxed set and the 1985 Snake Eyes mold was going to be included in the 3 figure pack with Stormshadow and Lady Jaye.  When the '85 mold wasn't available, they went with two '82/'83 figures instead.  Both heavily used grey as the highlight color: reminiscent of the European Stalker figure.

On the box back, Snake Eyes is posed with is back to the photographer.  It's an odd pose for the most popular character in the set.  It doesn't appear that the figure in this photograph is the Action Force Stalker.  But, it's difficult to tell.  The figure is also wearing a backpack.  It's difficult for me to see.  But, it looks like a Zap/Short Fuse backpack painted all black.  It's just an odd choice to see Snake Eyes with a pack.  And, not featuring him prominently was an interesting design choice.

Zap

Zap appears to have been two very different figures in the different photos.  In the Tomart's photo, Zap is a swivel arm figure.  Instead of the solid color with some overspray paint job that ended up on the production figure, he features the paint job that was, eventually, used on Grunt.  His legs are not painted, though.  And, appear very close to the colors of the production figure.  He is wearing his backpack and is the only figure to be wearing a visor.

On the box back, the Zap figure is very different.  He's heavily obscured by the figures in front on him.  But, he's a repainted straight arm figure.  Worst of all, he has two broken thumbs!  Hasbro actually put a broken toy on the back of the packaging!  Aside from that, the figure features a helmet with cammo paint.  Hasbro never painted up an original helmet.  Zap's entire body, including his legs, are done in the same cammo pattern.  It is not a pattern that was actually used in the set.  But, most importantly, Zap has painted on facial hair.  It's at least a goatee and might be a full beard.  The facial hair would have been a new paint application and made for an interesting take on Zap.  Sadly, it was not to be.

Stalker

The Stalker figure in the two photos appears to be the same.  He's even in nearly the same pose between the two photos.  He's wearing a Zap/Short Fuse backpack in the Tomart's photo.  The production Stalker toned down the tan portion of the cammo.  And, it ended up using a darker green base.  The actual colors for Stalker's cammo are pretty close to what appears on Short Fuse's legs.  But, the figure in these early photos is a decent representation of what the production figure ended up being.  

Flash

Flash is the biggest what-if in this set.  Hasbro was never able to reproduce the classic Flash mold: despite collector calls for it to return for a decade after the Star & Stripes set's release.  Flash's entire character was pulled from the set and replaced with Grunt.  However, Flash's laser rifle was, baffingly, included with the Breaker figure in the set.  Flash is a repainted swivel arm figure and it appears it's the same figure in both photos.  The darker green base and yellow pads were a strong update for Flash's look.  I'm not sure they would have supplanted his original red pads as his iconic look.  But, it would have been nice to have another Flash version.  On  the box back, Flash is wearing the only visor.  Though, in the Tomart's photo, the visor is given to Zap.) The fact that factory customs have failed to deliver this Flash version  is another glaring omission.  It seems like such an easy win for a figure.  And, I'll opine that Flash's absence from this set is the greatest loss in the changes from concept to production.

Rock and Roll

The final figure in the set was Rock and Roll.  We all know that the terrible 1986 Roadblock/General Hawk mashup figure that was released as Rock and Roll in this set happens to have a very rare, race changing variant.  But, the real story is that Rock and Roll was supposed to use his original mold for the character.  The figure featured in both photos is a repainted straight arm.  He is armed with  the 1986 Roadblock's machine gun.  This gets weird because the production figure ended up using the 1986 Roadblock body but included the 1982/83 Rock and Roll's M-60 and bi-pod.  The figure is wearing the Lady Jaye backpack on the box back.  But, not in the Tomart's photo.  

Rock and Roll would have rivaled Stalker and Scarlett as the best repaint in the set.  His black shirt, cammo pants and updated bullet strap paint job would have made a striking figure.  Personally, I lament his absence the most just because Rock and Roll is a figure that I use way more often than Flash.  The upside is that the 2018 Hollowpoint figure from Red Laser Army is based on this 1997 Rock and Roll and is a good enough representation of the planned paint job.  

From the box back, you can see examples of all the shortcuts that Hasbro took when creating the 1997 lineup.  Granted, it was a low production run line that was sold only at Toys R Us.  But, the vintage Hasbro team would never have created such a lackluster presentation for their packaging.  It's sad that missing molds did in so much of the plans for 1997.  1983 Cobra Commander, Destro, Rock and Roll, Flash and Breaker would have been much more beloved than the figures we got.  And, a repainted 1985 Snake Eyes might have been the character's definitive appearance in toy form.  But, none of that happened.  Instead, we have ghosts of the plans that live on in early photos like these.

The Rankings - 1983 Original 13

Everybody loves rankings, right?  There's no better way to start a pointless argument than to rank items that hold unique, special places to each collector.  Once upon a time, I tried to write up a completely objective ranking of the original 13 Joe figures.  But, even with the stated goal of erasing childhood nostalgia from the equation, the list was pretty much my personal favorites with a few guys bumped up a spot or two.  So, why bother with any of that pretext?  Instead, I'm going with a straight ranking of my favorite figures: starting with the original 13.  I'm only using swivel arm versions as I don't collect straight arms.  And, I'll do the "new" 1983 figures some other time.  I'm not sure I'll get to every year because I'll get bored of it long before I would ever endeavor to slog through all the 1993 releases.  But, I'm going to start with the year that's sure to elicit some opinions.  

The thing is, there are no wrong opinions about these figures.  If Short Fuse holds dear, core memories for you, that's a story worth telling in the comments.  The point of this isn't to challenge your beliefs.  Instead, it's to memorialize mine and prompt a modicum of discussion.  So, on with the show....

#13 - Short Fuse

I just can't get into Short Fuse.  He was never a player in my collection.  He didn't have much of a characterization in the comic other than being an annoying hot head.  And, his weapon wasn't conducive to childhood play.  But, really, he's kind of boring.  His chests harness isn't the greatest design.  But, he's also in a green that's similar to other figures.  So, you don't really feel like you're getting anything special with this figure.  Zap is a better use of the mold.  Hawk is a better use of the head.  I know we had one when I was a kid.  But, mostly, I remember him from the fact that I noticed his mortar mold changed and it was also knocked off by, I think, Galoob for some of their action figure lines.  That's not much of a legacy.

#12 - Grunt

I'm not a Grunt fan.  Never have been.  I've always found him to be boring.  To be fair, I missed the silver knife on his chest...a feature that captivated me when we got a Tan Grunt in 1983.  But, I still see this guy as just a basic infantryman.  His M-16 never clicked with me, either.  It broke thumbs in 1982.  I did love his backpack.  I gave it to Clutch so I didn't waste it on Grunt.  There's not much too him and he lacks the skills to really set himself apart from his more specialized team mates.  At some point in late 1982 or early 1983, we buried a bunch of Joes behind some bricks that lined the stairs up the hill in our front yard.  I remember pulling a well worn Grunt and Stalker out of the space a few years later.  That's about the extent of his use.  He and Short Fuse remain my least used figures of the original series of Joes.

#11 - Hawk

Let's face two facts.  Visually, Grunt is a better figure than Hawk.  And, the debut figure of Joe's leader kind of sucks.  But, I give Hawk the edge over Grunt due to the silver trim dominating the figure.  It gives him a more commanding presence.  And, the over abundance of silver does give Hawk a defining look.  There's not much else going on here, though.  So, he ranks pretty low.  I snapped the thumb of my 1982 Hawk when I tried to give him a Battle Gear M-16.  After that, the character disappeared until the amazing 1986 upgrade came around.  Hawk looks good.  But, if I want to use Hawk, I'll almost never choose this figure.

#10 - Grand Slam

Grand Slam and Flash  share the same mold.  The darker green on Grand Slam is a definite downgrade over the brighter green that Flash uses.  As a kid, we only had a straight arm Grand Slam.  The Silver Pads version was my Grand Slam.  I used him as a derivative of Flash, though.  The lack of accessories drops Grand Slam down a bit.  But, this figure does get a lot more use from me now.  Mostly, that's due to the fact that Grand Slam has remained pretty obscure over the years.  And, he's a guy who holds a certain, undeserved reputation for being rarer than other figures.  This is a function of the Silver Pads version.  But, photos with this original Grand Slam tend to do well since people don't see him all that often.  I definitely use this guy more than this low ranking would suggest.

#09 - Breaker

Breaker was my first Joe.  It pains me to rank him this low.  But, Breaker kind of marks a point in the line where every figure from here on out is pretty strong.  I ended up ranking him lower because there's not a lot of paint on him and he lacks a firearm.  That's made up for by his strong accessories, though.  His communications headset might be my favorite single accessory from the original 13.  And, it was a staple of my Joe world: even long after Breaker had fallen apart.  He's a mainstay in my HQ: helming the computer console.  And, I even use him as the second passenger in the VAMP.  Breaker remains a nostalgic favorite.  And, his low rank is just indicative of how strong the first wave of Joes was.

#08 - Snake Eyes

Yeah, I get it.  The "all black" was a design choice.  But, it's also limiting on this figure.  And, the 1997 and later repaints that added just one or two paint applications showed that just a little bit of color would break this guy up and make for a better figure.  But, Snake Eyes also features some unique parts.  The bomb on his leg is a feature that's really ignored and speaks to the figure's intentions of being a commando instead of a super human ninja.  His gear was also pretty strong.  The Uzi is synonymous with Snake Eyes and remains a mainstay of the character to this day.  There is something about the all black appearance of the original design that is lost when you paint up some details.  But, were this figure not super popular and somewhat expensive, he'd have little reason to be used over the later repaints of this mold.

#07 - Zap

My youngest brother got a Zap when he went to visit my grandparents in early 1983.  Before the figure came home, both Zap's thumbs were broken.  So, Zap wasn't a part of our childhood collection.  But, he's a figure whose importance grew as an adult collector.  Very early on in my collecting journey, I got obsessed over Zap.  So, he was among the only early figures I sought out to add to my collection in 1999-2000.  He didn't disappoint.  His unique color and strong gear add up to a fun figure.  Were mine not suffering from a snapped o-ring and stuck back screw, I'd use him in photos much more often.  No later homage to this original Zap was able to live up to this original version. (Though, the Super Sonic Fighters Zap is among the better character upgrades Hasbro ever did.)  The swivel arm version remains expensive due to the ubiquity of snapped thumbs.  But, he's worth having around.

#06 - Steeler

If you were missing just one of the original 13 figures back in 1982 and 1983, it was probably Steeler.  Being the driver of the line's most expensive vehicle meant he was often absent from otherwise complete collections.  Steeler features a unique chest piece.  That alone makes him useful.  But, he's also a great match for the Mauler and Slugger, giving him some versatility among later vehicles that was often lacking from his contemporaries.  His binocular helmet attachment was neat and gave him more visual distinction.  And, he even included an Uzi, something also unique to him as a vehicle driver.  I use Steeler more than most of the other original 13 figures.  Though, that's also because I have a spare that's easily accessible.  But, he's deserving of his spot.

#05 - Scarlett

Scarlett's a tough one.  From a sheer design standpoint, she might be the second best figure in the original lineup.  Her sculpt is amazingly detailed.  And, that's often glossed over.  Her unique color really stood out among the sea of Green that was the original wave.  And, it allowed her to evolve with the line and remain complementary with figures that were released years later.  It's tough to find a Scarlett that hasn't discolored.  And, that really limits her.  And, the 2003 repaint of this mold was better.  Even the 1997 is strong, though, it's very different from the 1982 coloring.  So, her lower ranking here is a function of those later figures being more interesting than the first design.

#04 - Clutch

Clutch was my favorite Joe right from the get go.  His unique chest with the holstered pistol was a drawing point.  I gave him a visor, Stalker's gun and Grunt's backpack to make him the most badass fighter the Joes would ever see.  Years later, even a straight arm Clutch retained relevance in my collection because he was so well done.  He's at home when he's behind the wheel of any early Joe vehicle.  And, you can use him sans vehicle as well.  I still refer to this head sculpt as the "Clutch" head as I feel he owned the design the best and made it his own.

#03 - Stalker

Stalker stands out due to his cammo pattern.  It was a unique look among the original figures.  And, it gave him depth beyond the reuse of the standard grenade and knife torso.  His head also featured a sculpted head covering with his green beret.  It made the figure a quick favorite.  The prominence of the character in the comic helped hold him over and made Stalker among the more popular characters in the line.  Stalker had a ton of great character updates.  (I'll maintain the '89 Stalker is one of the best updates any character ever got.)  But, none of them treaded over this original version.  Even today, an original Stalker can intermingle with figures from all years and not look out of place.  I wish the Comic Pack versions had been better.  But, we have the 1997 figure, which might be even better than the 1983.  Any way you look at it, though, the combo of figure and character puts Stalker near the top.

#02 - Flash

Flash is the best designed figure of the original 13.  He features a nice shade of green on his base layer.  He is then accentuated by a brilliant red chest, leg and arm pads.  These give him a startling appearance among his peers.  Were that not enough, though, the entirety of the red is outlined by a silver trim.  All of these colors carry over to his back, too.  In short, the sculpting was miles ahead of what other toy lines were doing.  And, then, Hasbro gave us the real kicker: his accessories.  Flash got the standard helmet.  But, you really get the impression that the standard clear visor was actually designed for Flash first and then ported to other figures.  His backpack is an intricate mess of technology.  And, it all culminates in a laser rifle that can plug into the pack.  The combo of sculpting, color and gear makes Flash tough to beat.  In fact, he should be number 1.  But, he's beat out for one simple reason that you'll see next.

#01 - Rock and Roll

Rock and Roll isn't the best figure among the original 13.  But, he's the one I use the most.  Part of it is that his simplicity works for his specialty.  But, he also features a unique torso and an amazing weapon.  I happen like the character, too.  I remember Rock and Roll as the crazed madman from "Hot Potato" in the first issue of the comic.  But, he later became a bit more mellow.  And, this made him interesting.  He was supposed to be "replaced" by Roadblock.  But, he stayed on the team and remained an integral part of the story until the very end.  The gold bullets really make Rock and Roll stand out.  And, it gives him more bulk, even if he's the same size as the rest of his friends.  I use this figure constantly.  I bought a spare just so I could use him more often.  It happened to the mail away version, which was a nice surprise.  (Things like that used to happen all the time.)  So, Rock and Roll gets my top spot just because he's a guy who resonates with me and gets used all the time.  It's no more complicated than that.

So, there you have it.  That's my ranking of the first 13 G.I. Joe figures.  What are you thoughts?  The great theme of the Joe line is that was designed to appeal to every kid.  So, different parts grabbed then attention of different kids as the time.  I have plans to continue this series.  It won't be chronological.  But, you'll see them pop up and we can discuss some of the different years and how the figures stack up.

1983 Flash - Random Photos of the Day

I've been working on something about the original 13 figures for a month or so.  I'm about 80% done.  But, that last 20% is turning into a slog.  Hopefully, I'll work through it in the next week or two.  Until then, I'm going with some random photos of the most elaborate original 13 figure: Flash.  He features amazing colors, great accessories and a complex mold.  He's the best designed of all the original figures and the most complete overall release.  He looks great in photos and can be used in a variety of settings.  So, check out some Flash pictures until I get some inspiration to work through an extended period of writer's block.

Rarities - Flash (Plastirama Version from Argentina)

The final Flash entry is this Plastirama figure from Argentina.  This guy also features a darker body color.  But, he has a flatter finish than the Estrela figure.  The green is also a slightly different hue.  While the 3rd series of Plastirama figures were widely imported to the U.S., the first series are surprisingly findable, today.  They're not cheap and you'll spend time searching them out.  But, they aren't mythic like the fabled 2nd series.

I find looking at the different releases of the same character kind of fun.  It really showcases how much figures changed between their international releases.  There was a time when most collectors dismissed figures like this, thinking they were all very similar.  But, as you can see from the past few days, each foreign company put their own, unique stamp on their releases.

Rarities - Flash (Rubiplas Version from Venezuela)

Today, we feature the rarest of the foreign Flash figures: the Rubiplas release from Venezuela.  Rubiplas figures are the last great, unexplored reaches of the Joe line.  While we have some good info about earlier releases, they were releasing figures in Venezuela for many years after these straight arms were retired.  

There are two points of interest on this figure.  First, he includes a dark green version of Doc's helmet instead of the standard 1982/1983 helmet.  The second is the light brown hair color.  It's very distinctive and nicely offsets the darker green of the body.  These two items represent the biggest tells of the Rubiplas figure.  

In general, Rubiplas figures are not easy to find.  There was a time for a couple of years where there were a couple of different ways to acquire them.  But, those seem to have dried up.  Now, you're left chasing the few samples that were imported when the Venezuelan sellers were active.

They're neat because they are different and have some weird oddities to them.  There's really no explanation why this Flash features a Doc helmet.  But, this helmet wasn't available in a similar color to the dark Rubiplas green anywhere else.  (The AP helmet from Hasbro is drastically different.)  So, the figures have a cachet since they are so distinguishable.  Someday, I hope to see better info on the full Rubiplas line come to light.  Until then, it's just crumbs here and there.

Rarities - Flash (Auriken Version from Mexico)

I profiled this Auriken Flash a few years ago.  Instead of deeper, darker green from Brazil, this Mexican release features a much brighter and distinctive green hue.  Frankly, it's amazing.  And, I'd love for factory custom makers to emulate it on some of their releases.  It's drastically different from anything released by Hasbro.  So, it really stands out.  And, juxtaposed against the red of Flash's pads, you get a stunning toy.

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.

Auriken Flash - Mexico

The realm of international Joes can be both fun and exciting.  It can also be an exercise in frustration.  In the early 2000's, there was little info available on foreign released Joes.  There were a few trading with minimal info.  A few collectors tracked down some foreign items and they were posted in various newsletters or even to YoJoe.com.  But, those information stores were inadequate and terribly dated.  In the mid 2000's, the first real attempt to document "all" the foreign Joe variants were undertaken.  For the time, they are incredibly detailed and feature a host of figures that, to that point, had really not been previously known to or seen by the public.  In the 15 years since that, though, no one else has really undertaken a foreign Joe project of the same scale.  And, because of that, tons of information that has been learned since those early books is scattered or even lost in various unsearchable posts.  Foreign entities from Brazil, Argentina, Europe and even India, though, are well enough known that much of the new info exists in the general collecting conscious.  But, as you descend into more obscure foreign releases, the info is more opaque and difficult to find.  And, my search into the world of Auriken Joes from Mexico proved this point.

The calling card for this Auriken version of Flash is the figure's color.  I have talked about the "Brazilian Green" color that is common among Estrela accessories and figures.  It is a dark and distinctive hue of the color.  Auriken also created their own unique shade of green.  The cool thing, though, is that this color appears on many different Auriken figures and gives them a consistency that's missing even from the original 13 Hasbro figures.  The green is brighter and more pea-colored than any American release.  The closest figure in color to the Auriken Flash would be Zap.  But, even he's pretty far off from the Mexican hue.    

The timeline of foreign Joe straight arm releases is a bit tough to nail down.  It does seem, though, that the Auriken figures were likely acquired after the molds' usage by Estrela in Brazil.  There the figures were released in boxes rather than on cards.  Flash is available with in a box.  But, he was also packaged with the Skystriker.  I'm not sure if the figures have any differences.  Though, the Skystriker figure doesn't include any gear.  Without the unique green pack, Flash loses something.  But, the fact that this color scheme is wasted on straight arm figures makes the loss less worrisome.  It's an utter shame that no one has been able replicate the Estrela, Palitoy or Auriken greens on some swivel arm factory customs.  

On one hand, I've found it odd that there are no, more recent guides to international Joes.  But, authors of guides for American figures have reported that publishers have negligible interest in an edition focusing on foreign figures.  While it would certainly sell well among the hardcore collector crowd, it would have almost no interest in the general toy collecting world since no adults would connect with toys they had no childhood knowledge of.  A few collectors have done some extensive work on foreign Joes.  But, the info they have is not publicly posted anywhere.  If you know them to ask about something, they will gladly share.  If you're just looking to see what you can learn, though, the resources for may foreign Joe releases is pretty much unavailable.  Joe figures were released in Mexico through the 1994 series.  Many of the later items were likely Hasbro stock that was given unique cardbacks.  But, again, the info on these items is spotty at best.  

Flash was released all over the world.  The straight arm figure has unique releases in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.  The swivel arm version was planned for release in Europe as Bombadier: only to be a casualty of the Action Force line's cancellation.  But, he then disappeared.  Flash did not appear in any form after these 1980's worldwide releases.  Hasbro planned a repaint for 1997, but could not locate the mold.  It has only been factory custom makers who were able to resurrect the mold and bring around some Flash repaints.  But, even those, in my opinion, have fallen short.  We don't have a Night Force Flash, nor an Action Force Flash.  (Though, we do have nice Bombadier repaints, which are awesome to see.)  There is much that could be done with the mold.  Hell, I'd love a swivel version of this Mexican green.  It's not too late for some of those items to still happen in the factory custom world.  But, Hasbro really let collectors down with their updates of the Flash character.

Pricing for Auriken figures is tough.  There's not much to go on.  Flash doesn't seem overly rare.  Loose, poor quality samples seem to sell for around $30.  A mint and complete figure, though, would likely run around $100.  Fortunately, many Auriken figures fall under the radar and you can find some deals.  But, mint and complete figures are a tough find in general.  Even Mexican collectors report that the supply of Auriken Joes in their homeland has dried up and all the figures, once far more common, have become scarce.  Collectors are now willing to pay premiums for them since the Auriken figures are the last bastion of foreign holes in many collections.  If you're a sucker for repainted classics from your childhood, the Auriken series provides another outlet to satisfy your collecting goals.  But, they're not a line that's easy or cheap to complete.

1983 Battle Gear #1

After Christmas of 1982, I owned four G.I. Joe figures.  But, between Snake Eyes, Clutch, Hawk and Breaker, I had just one gun.  Three of the four figures did not include weapons.  This greatly limited my play options.  I went so far as to find an HO-scale coupler for train cars that kind of looked like a pistol and used it for Breaker.  I desperately wanted additional accessories so that all my figures could not only have at least one weapon, but even a choice of some of my favorite weapon designs.  My wishes came true one day when we were in Buffalo, visiting my grandparents.  We were there for a short trip early in the year.  We hadn't taken many toys, confirming the trip was shorter than our normal week.  But, when out shopping, I found a new pack of G.I. Joe accessories at a local store.  It was the original Battle Gear pack.

The pack was cheap enough that my mother bought one for both my younger brother and I.  With these weapons, I now had the ability to give Clutch a visor as well as offering a spare Uzi to Breaker.  I could choose any weapons I wanted for Hawk and Clutch, too.  Of course, Clutch got Stalker's M-32.  But, I also added some accessories to the VAMP.  The new Breaker headset would fit behind the seat with the wire tucked into the seam between the seat and the bottom of the vehicle.  So, this allowed for anyone riding shotgun in the VAMP to be able to communicate with the rest of the team.  I also placed a spare Uzi on the same spot.  This way, the VAMP had a backup small arm if it crashed or just ran out of gas.  Hawk, well, I learned a hard lesson with him.  I tried to get Grunt's M-16 into his hands and it immediately snapped his thumb.  That was the end of that Hawk figure.  And, it's part of what pushed me back to Star Wars figures as 1983 crept on.  

The odd thing about the Battle Gear pack was that the accessories were colored differently from those included with figures.  The weapons themselves are a lighter grey color than the original gear.  Even in 1983, I could easily tell the difference between the Battle Gear and original weapons.  But, the weapons are close enough in color to be useful.  The visors are identical to the originals, though.  The helmets and backpacks, though, were very different.  The helmets were dark brown and did not match any figure.  The packs, though, were worse.  They were a tan color.  Again, they matched no figures until the 1983 Falcon Glider Grunt was released.  There was no explanation for the color changes.  In fact, the 1983 promo catalog showed original gear in the set.  So, the color change was a later decision that was never explained.  

The 1983 Battle Gear set includes every accessory from the 1982 line.  There are 4 visors, two Uzis and even Snake Eyes' ammo pack.  There were three exceptions, though.  Short Fuze's mortar and stand were omitted as was Zap's bazooka.  These three pieces would later show up in white in the 1984 Battle Gear set.  But, again, there was no explanation as to why they weren't included.  It was made weirder by the fact that their shared backpack was included with the 1983 set.  The fact that both those accessories underwent design changes could explain it.  But, both the 1982 Snake Eyes Uzi and Stalker M-32 are different from the 1983 releases of both accessories.  So, other weapons were modified, too.  The exclusion of these weapons remains a mystery nearly 40 years later.

The biggest new feature of the Battle Gear set is the battle stands.  These little rectangles of plastic brought a whole new element to Joe collecting.  The stands allowed kids to pose their figures and stand them up in any pose they desired.  The Battle Gear included two stands.  Starting in 1984, differently colored stands would be included with several small playsets.  By 1993, every figure included a stand on their weapon tree.  This ingenious idea allowed kids to display figures.  But, it also allowed them to put their toys away on a shelf using vertical space and keeping their gear on.  

In the early days of Joe collecting, the ubiquity of 1983 Battle Gear weapons allowed customizers to accessorize their creations with great aplomb.  They were free to paint, slice up and otherwise modify the Battle Gear weapons without worrying about their original accessories.  For dealers, though, the 1983 Battle Gear provided a great way to bilk unsuspecting collectors out of their hard earned money by offering them as original gear with original 13 figures.  Even today, you'll see many seller "mistake" Battle Gear weapons for the original.  But, the colors are blatantly different and there's no excuse for any mistakes by a seller.  

The value to a collector today is that this Battle Gear is an excellent option to properly outfit factory custom figures.  Many of Red Laser Army's figures are obvious homages to various foreign and unproduced characters from the Joe line's earliest days.  They, though, lacked gear that was a perfect match for them.  Battle Gear allows you to give these characters the weapons they deserve.  And, while the 1983 helmets and packs aren't great for many figures, the weapons are a great way to update the homages.  Having some cheap alternatives for that purpose is a definite plus.

Back in the early 2000's, before people got stupid with Joe prices, it was relatively easy to put together a small team of original 13 figures in a tan style.  With Grunt, Clutch and Doc bodies, you could make a tan Breaker, Hawk and Stalker.  If you were handy with a little paint, you could put together a decent Snake Eyes, too.  And, the Battle Gear weapons are a perfect match for this set.  To this day, I store my Tan Grunt with the Battle Gear backpack and M-16 since they are so closely aligned in color to the figure.  The tan works with Scarlett, too, as a way to better accessorize her.

For me, the real value of the Battle Gear came many years after its initial release.  In 1986 and 1987, I often had third faction terrorists or freedom fighters (really, they're the same thing just with different marketing depending upon which side they battle against) who would interject into the Joe vs. Cobra conflict.  My favorite was having them drive up to a ceremony in the A-Team van, open the door and pop out with small sub machine guns and mow down the dignitaries in attendance.  As small weapons were not overly common in the Joe line (and, most of the ones that did exist were in use by their original owners!) the Battle Gear Uzis were a great means of making these civilian fighters a more formidable force.  I'd toss in some of the larger rifles, too, as part of their getaway plan.  

My other random memory of the Battle Gear weapons comes on a cold winter's day, probably in either 1984 or 1985.  It was a Sunday and I had been playing with my Joes in the garage.  (It was warmer in there than outside, but still counted as outside play.)  I picked them all up and took them in.  A few hours later, right before dinner, I went back out to put away some bikes or balls and happened to find a Battle Gear M-60 on the floor.  It wasn't part of my team that had been in the garage that day.  And, it was a neat find as we didn't have a regular Rock and Roll and this Battle Gear version was the only copy of his weapon in our possession.  I took the weapon inside.  Really, though, it's not finding the weapon that was memorable.  Instead, it was the feeling I had as I picked it up off the floor.  For some reason, I got an overwhelming feeling of sadness that it was Sunday night and I was back to school on Monday.  To this day, I get the same feeling on some Sunday afternoons as the sun goes down.  Every time I do, I think back to that day in the garage, finding Rock and Roll's gun and then being saddened by the fact that my fun was over and it was back to work early the following morning.

You'll see some dealers command premiums for various accessories in this set.  The Uzi tends to command the highest price and sells for around $7, even as dealers ask double that.  But, the real value in the set is the visors.  As such, you'll usually find sets that are sold sans visors.  A whole loose set with no visors will run about $20.  On their own, though, visors sell for around $20.  So, getting the visors, too, will be expensive.  You can get carded sets in the $85 range.  Which, with 4 visors is a little lower than the loose price.  For just the weapons, the price is probably decent.  Original Uzis aren't easy to find and this is a cheap way to get them.  My only real lament is that the other Battle Gear packs in subsequent years didn't follow the close coloring of the originals like this first attempt at additional accessories did.