1990 Locust - General Variant

I have written about my old neighbors once or twice.  They moved away, though, in 1985.  The people who moved in to the house had two boys who were both younger than my brothers and I.  As such, we had limited interaction with them.  In 1990, though, I would do some babysitting for them.  When looking for something to do with them, I found a small cache of G.I. Joe toys in their basement.  They were from 1988 and later and were relatively unfamiliar to me.  I remember a shell of a Tiger Fly: which I recognized as a Dragonfly repaint.  But, most of the other toys were in pretty bad shape.  But, one day, they had gotten some new toys when I was watching them.  We were playing outside under a hemlock bush with some new figures and vehicles.  The one new toy, though, that caught my attention was the Locust helicopter.

This little brown copter was right in line with the type of flying vehicle that I loved in the final years of my Joe playing days.  It was small, compact, loaded with weapons and had an easily accessible cockpit.  In short, it was the perfect type of vehicle for vast types of aerial based combat.  It could easily be held in one hand while it attacked the figures on the ground.  It could hold it's own against the Night Raven and Mamba drones that comprised the entirety of my Cobra air force at the time.  And, the exposed cockpit allowed for the dramatic death scenes that were integral to any aerial combat adventure.  I really wanted to get one.  But, I wasn't really buying toys then.  So, I filed the Locust away for a later time.

When I started collecting in earnest in the late 1990's, I was focused on filling many of the holes in my collection that started with items I recognized from the years after I was buying toys.  Figures like Big Ben and Metal Head were key acquisitions.  I tracked down a Hammer: which proved to be one of the biggest disappointments of my collecting life.  But, I never managed to get any version of the Locust.  For some reason, I never really spent time searching for one despite wanting to get one.  I'm not sure why this was.  I spent so much time building my figure collection that vehicles were a secondary concern.  Even with the addition of better Cobra aircraft like the Firebat, I never had occasion to seek out the Locust.  I even acquired a beat up General as a throw in with a lot of other 1990's figures.  (Things like that happened in the late '90's.)  But, the Locust wasn't included.  And, as Hasbro started releasing more toys in the 2000's, the Locust just got overlooked.

With one now in hand, though, I find that my memory of the Locust is stronger than the actual toy.  Sure, it's still compact and well armed.  And, the canopy/cockpit is in line with what I remembered.  But, my older, wiser self has yet to really find that sense of wonder that burst through when I first saw the Locust back in the fall of 1990.  It may come in time.  But, things like the Razor Blade have helped dull the appeal of the Locust.  But, this General version of the copter looks nice with a variety of figures.  And, it's rather seldom seen.  So, it's possible that I'll use it in far more photos than some of the items that replaced it.  I've just been disappointed.  But, considering I built the toy up in my head for more than three decades, there was little way it was going to live up to the hype I created for it.

Truth be told, though, there isn't much to the Locust.  1990 started the transition to more molded vehicles instead of the model type kits we'd seen in prior years.  So, the Locust just has the guns, missiles, canopy and skids.  There is a swiveling tail rotor.  But, it's, as far as I can tell, the first chopper with such a feature where the rotor doesn't actually spin.  In 1990, Hasbro experimented with a clip to hold figures into place.  On some level, they're useful since your figures didn't flop around in the toys.  But, I've found them to be terrible as they impede putting figures into the vehicles and can damage figures today.  The Locust has one to hold the figure in the slightly oversized cockpit.  Without it, the inside of the chopper is great.  But, it's an intrusive feature at best.  The only other real feature is that there is a bomb dropping feature underneath the copter.  There is a little door that will open up to drop two additional yellow missiles onto Cobra targets.  It's not much of a play feature.  But, it's something and foretold of the action features that would become essential to all vehicles made after 1990.  

The Locust was released at retail in brown and in green and yellow with the General.  Neither are particularly hard to find.  It was rare for vehicles in the 1990's to get a repaint.  So, the fact that there are two Locusts is a oddity.  I won't argue that the General version is superior to the retail release.  As, I do think the brown and silver version is superior.  But, this General version offers bursts of color that make it more visually interesting.  And, it better complements the figures from 1991 and later while the retail version is a nice match for other 1990 Joe releases.  In 2000, Hasbro reused the Locust name on a tan repaint of the Dragonfly.  This Locust is a great toy.  But, it has no bearing on the original.  It's sad that there was no place for little vehicle like the Locust in the 2000's.  I think a lot of small, generally overlooked vehicles could have found a nice second life during that time.

One of the things I'd really like to do in 2023 is learn to take aerial photos of Joe toys.  The aircraft are such an integral part of the line.  But, there's only so much you can do with photos of them on the tarmac.  There are lots of little tricks and tips to get flying shots.  And, I want to spend some time next year learning a few and then working on showcasing toys like this Locust in their intended environment.  In the sky, you can better visualize the purpose of the smaller flying machines.  And, getting some of the well known tricks down would really help breathe some life into photos for toys like the Locust.

It's surprisingly easy to find mint and complete versions of this Locust.  It's even easier to find parts.  So, it's possible to spend about $40 to have a General version of the Locust shipped to you.  But, it's also possible to put one or two together from cheaper lots of parts.  It seems that Generals tended to get damaged and thrown away while the Locusts were saved.  And, that's the likely reason it's easier to find this helicopter than it is to find an unbroken General.  The retail Locust is both cheaper and more common, though.  So, depending upon your color preferences, that might be a better way to go if you want a version of the Locust.  Be on the lookout for drooping cannons and be sure you get 4 missiles.  Personally, I wish either version had been available to me when I was a kid.  Having it as a collector just isn't the same.  But, it's still a great little toy that's well worth tracking down.

2003 Convention Major Storm - Around the Web

Collectors anticipated the 2003 Convention set reveal with great zeal.  It was just assumed that the set would be a massive cadre of classic army builders in excellent colors.  The, the reveal came.  First, the army builders were not the Vipers, BATS or Cobra Troopers that collectors demanded.  But, even worse, the set included 3 G.I. Joe figures!  3 slots that could have been the Cobras collectors demanded were wasted!

The above is a bit facetious.  But, it was also representative of collector sentiment of the time.  The most baffling release in Operation Anacondo, though, was Major Storm.  At the time, he was an unknown in the community.  And, even his relative rarity due to his inclusion with the General wasn't a selling point.  17 years later, this guy stands as one of the great oddities of the convention set era.  He's not a figure anyone really cares about or spends time chasing down.  But, he exists and it was good that at least one oddball Joe got released in the 2000's.  Of course, there's little content on this guy out there.  But, here's the oldies but goodies on the Convention Major Storm.

2003 Major Storm Profile

2003 Pre Production Major Storm

2003 Major Storm at JoeADay.com

2003 Major Storm by Slipstream80

Operation Anaconda review at Generals Joes Reborn

Rarities - Unproduced 2003 Convention Figures

We have learned that the Joe figures from the 2000's often went through several stages of almost production before the final color samples received sign off and went into full production for retail release.  Many of those samples have given collectors some amazing variants to track down.  The convention figure release of that time, though, underwent similar processes.  The overstock, though, was usually harder to find (a by-product of the low production runs) and not often drastically different from the actual figures released.  Below, though, you'll see some of the 2003 Convention figures in their pre-production state.

The Lady Jaye and Falcon figure are drastically different from the release figures.  The most interesting part of this figure is that Lady Jaye very nearly matches the hand painted mocks ups that were proposed for the 1997 Lady Jaye figure.  (She's also close to the Volga figure.)  The Major Storm figures are pretty close to the production colors: as is the Black Dragon Trooper figure.  You'll note the green helmets and black weapons for Major Storm.  The production figure included golden accessories very similar to his vintage versions.  It appears that the original intent may have been to differentiate his modern updates from the 1990 versions.

The most interesting part of this photo is the golden Crankcase rifle.  This weapon was never released by Hasbro in the 2000's and it's appearance raises questions.  The obvious answer, though is that Major Storm uses the waist and legs from Crankcase.  Also, in 2004, Hasbro released a product description for an AWE Striker with Crank.  Crank ended up being a re-release of the 2002 Dial Tone figure.  The product description showed that Crankcase was, at least, considered for release.  But, this gun is just more evidence that Hasbro had access to parts of the 1985 Crankcase mold.  The fact that it never appeared is just another example of how Hasbro wasted slots on poor figures and cost collectors something more interesting.  Why Master Collector chose to not use this weapon is a mystery.

2003 Major Storm - Convention Exclusive

In 2002, Master Collector shocked the collecting world with an exclusive set available to convention attendees.  (Sure, you could order it even if you didn't go, but you were, essentially, still paying for a convention ticket in the cost of the set.)  It was an amazing blend of figures that caught the collecting world by storm.  A crimson Baroness and Tomax and Xamot along with a full dozen crimson Cobra Vipers was exactly what pretty much every collector of the time wanted.  The sets sold out, saw great after market appreciation and a phenomena was born.  As such, collector anticipation for the 2003 set was very high.  With nearly a full year of waiting, collectors worked themselves into a tizzy with the possibilities of what the 2003 set would have in store for the collecting world.  When the set debuted, though, it was very different from the 2002 offering.  Instead of one, iconic, Cobra army builder with sensical commanders, the set included 10 army builders and 5 character figures: 3 of whom were Joes.

The army building figures (the aspect of the set that was most appealing to collectors of that era) were not great.  The Viper was a beloved mold that, at the time, could not appear enough times.  2003, though, saw the use of the highly obscure Mega Viper mold along with an amalgamation of the 1988 Ferret and 1988 Star Viper figures.  Collectors were underwhelmed.  The 5 characters were a bit better.  The new Black Dragon Ninja was somewhat forced, but interesting.  Cobra Commander was visually stunning, but the mold had limitations.  Falcon had not been seen since the vintage days, so his inclusion was welcomed, even if his original legs and accessories were gone.  Lady Jaye hadn't been seen in 6 years, so her inclusion was greatly cheered.  The final figure, though, was the most odd.  Sitting in the middle of the set was the ridiculously obscure Major Storm.

Major Storm first appeared in 1990 as the driver of the mighty General vehicle.  In 2003, a large population of the collecting world did not own a General and many were not even familiar with Major Storm.  Master Collector's rationale for his inclusion in the set was that he was a "rare" figure and this would give collectors a chance to get one.  It isn't terrible reasoning.  But, in 2003, there were hosts of "rare" figures that collectors would have salivated over.  Major Storm was not one of them.  At the time, the vintage figures, while somewhat hard to find, were not overly expensive.  You could get one for less than a mint and complete Cobra Trooper, Officer, Crimson Guard or Viper would cost you.  Plus, he was not a character that had taken on any secondary life in any of the comics or popular dio-stories of the time.  So, there was no real demand for the figure at all.

But, in retrospect, that is actually a good thing.  In 2003, the line was still full of hope of expectation that collectors would get tons of awesome new figures.  So, seeing a figure like Major Storm was a disappointment as everyone wanted something that was closer to pre 1988 vintage or just repainted army builders.  The reality is that had it not been for this release, there would never have been a Major Storm repaint offered.  Some might say, "Who cares?  He's a crappy figure anyways." and they are not incorrect.  But, the Joe line of the 2000's was mostly a sea of banality and sameness with recurring characters and molds that were seen again and again and again.  Major Storm is, at least, something different.  He is a figure and character that had no place being released in that era when more popular characters and molds were ignored.

As figures go, though, Major Storm isn't great.  The camo pattern designed for the 2003 convention Joes was supposedly Tiger Force inspired while not being Tiger Force.  The result is figures that don't fit into Tiger Force and are not painted well enough to really be integrated into any other group, either.  The vintage versions of Falcon and Lady Jaye are better than the convention paint jobs and Major Storm is too obscure a character to really base anything around.  The figure's base is a solid, olive based green.  The brown highlights are a bit too bright, though, and somewhat clash with the overall look.  The camo pattern and details, though, are the typical convention level quality.  So, that helps.  The biggest detriment is the figure's sunburned skin tone.  The large head makes this color more pronounced.  The color used for Major Storm's hair, eyes and eyebrows blends into the pinking flesh and gives the head the appearance that it was left undetailed.  It's somewhat creepy.  But, the helmet does help to obscure some of the issues.

The nice thing about the Convention sets was that they often included either a figure's original accessories or facsimiles close enough that they were more than acceptable alternatives.  Major Storm was the former as he included both his overly large gold pistol and his comically oversized helmet.  It was always nice to see figures released with their full complement of vintage weapons, so this was a nice way for Major Storm to be released.  But, Major Storm's weapons kind of suck.  They always have.  So, sure, you get the vintage look.  But, the helmet still looks awkward and figure and the pistol just isn't that interesting.

For me, Major Storm is nothing more than a placeholder.  I have never used the figure nor character in any meaningful way.  If you search the thousands of images on this site, you might see the character appear once or twice.  He just isn't someone in whom I have any interest.  Years ago, I acquired a beat up old General in a lot.  But, the frame was broken.  So, I stripped it of parts and left the carcass in the garage attic of an old house.  The vehicle was not that interesting to me, so it's doubtful that I'll ever track another one down.  So, that further limits Major Storm's relevance to my collection.  As an oddity of the time, this figure is a solid reminder of the collecting world circa 2003.  At the time, it was hard to imagine feeling nostalgic for that collecting era.  But, in retrospect, it was a much better time to be a collector than 2015.  But, this Major Storm is also a reminder that many of the issues that have slowly choked off the collecting community had their roots in the early online days and we are, basically, a product of the decisions made years ago.

Major Storm was, basically, an amalgamation of previously used parts.  The 1990 figure featured a new head.  But, the chest and arms were from the 1989 Windchill figure and the waist and legs were from the 1985 Crankcase figure.  This makes sense as it would have driven down the cost for a figure that was included with a high price point, low production run vehicle.  The 2003 figure uses the same parts combination.  The fault is that the head is large and the chest is small.  So, the figure looks unbalanced and the effect is only magnified when Major Storm is wearing his helmet.  The existence of the 1990 Major Storm is likely the reason that Crankcase never materialized in the repaint era.  (He was at least considered as the driver for the 2004 AWE Striker repaint that included Dialtone instead.)  And, since Crankcase is one of my preferred figures, I hold that against Major Storm even moreso than I do his odd proportions.  The Windchill parts would later make appearances on other Convention figures.  But, this was the last time major Storm ever appeared again.

Major Storm, like many of the 2003 Convention figures, quickly fell into obscurity.  Most collectors who wanted one at the time, just bought a convention set.  In the years that followed, all of the figures fell by the wayside as better sets were released.  Today, mint, complete with filecard Major Storm figures sell in the $30 - $35 range.  They aren't overly common.  But, the low demand keeps them cheaper than a more popular character of similar rarity.  Considering that it's been over a decade since this figure was released and the fact that he was never revisited in any form, those prices are probably fair.  But, for a collectibility standpoint, I'd be hard pressed to spend that much on this figure.

In the end, I'm still torn by this figure.  Really, I have no interest in him and have never used the figure in any capacity.  He doesn't fit with any vehicles.  And, if I had a vintage General, I'd get the vintage Major Storm to command it.  At the same time, I'm glad that someone as obscure as Major Storm got a chance to be redone during the 2000's.  There were so many Duke, Snake Eyes and Roadblock figures that collectors were inundated with sameness.  The rare, obscure gems that did appear are now great breaks from the sea of sameness that defined the retail releases.  I think it really comes down to the fact that I'm happy this figure exists.  I just wish it was a little better.