2018 Red Laser Army Redmack

I've talked about the rare second series of Plastirama figures many times.  I've looked at them both as rarities and as factory custom releases.  The thing about that series of 6 (yes, 6!!!!) figures is that the four good guys (Redmack, Shimik, Manleh and Topson) all look like they could easily have been transitional Hasbro figures made between 1982 and 1983.  They would have introduced some color to the mostly green 1982 lineup while still staying loyal to the construction and parts limitations of the original 13 Joe figures.  (Glenda and the Cobra Mortal using chrome parts make them less integrated to the aesthetic of the original 13.)  It is within this context that I find the most interest among these Argentine characters.  I can see them as early Joes.  Maybe they didn't make the cut.  Or, maybe they were wiped out by Cobra back when they were a more fanatical and cultish organization ruled by a mass murderer.  It wasn't something that I really had to ponder too deeply prior to 2018, though, as the original figures from Argentina were straight arm, often off conditioned and brittle and, most importantly, stupidly expensive.  Fortunately, Red Laser Army solved these issues with his release of Redmack, Topson,  Manleh and Shimik in 2018.

Redmack was the member of the 2nd series of Plastirama figures in which I had the least interest.  He didn't really resonate with me.  I felt that Manleh was the most intriguing.  Glenda was a visual treat.  Shimik had the most drastic look to blend with traditional, Hasbro Joes.  Topson and Redmack, though, were just kind of...there.  I saw them like I saw Short Fuse.  They were figures who were part of a small team.  But, they didn't really bring anything to the team that wasn't already offered by other, cooler figures.  Upon my acquisition of this Red Laser Army Redmack, though, I started to see more value in the figure.  The browns are different than anything that exists on swivel head Joes.  And, the offsetting aqua-green highlights really set him off as more visually distinctive than most of his contemporaries.  With that, I found that Redmack had some value in photos and as an ancillary character to have in the background.

I didn't really see him as a machine gunner, though.  Early Joes have that position covered with Rock and Roll and Roadblock.  Redmack is redundant in that regard.  But, his colors necessitate him having some purpose.  When I found that Battle Gear Breaker gear looked good on him, I went in that direction in some photos.  But, I also outfit Shimik with comms gear.  So, I now had two characters who were redundant to Breaker.  So, for now, I have no idea what Redmack's real role actually is.  I'll probably just continue to use him as a utility player who can take on any position or specialty as a photo necessitates.  It's not bad to have some figures who aren't pigeon-holed into their specialties.  It's in that context that Redmack will have the most value.

I've always been fascinated by how foreign exclusive figures came to be.  Were they abandoned Hasbro designs?  How much latitude did licensees have to make changes or all new characters?  These are questions that are likely to go unanswered.  (And, if they are ever answered, it will be someone conveniently "remembering" 40 year old details to coincide with the paycheck of a book that will sell a few thousand self published copies to desperate collectors who are unlikely to scrutinize the claims the book makes....)  But, seeing so many exclusive characters in one short produced series makes you wonder what the circumstances of their release and low production numbers actually were.

If you look at Redmack's card artwork, it looks nothing like the figure.  While the character is angrily pointing his M-60 at the sky, you see that Redmack's original design used the Short Fuse/Zap torso.  This kind of makes sense since all 4 of the characters who were released used the same grenade and knife chest.  It makes you wonder why the change was made and if the artwork or figure was designed first.  You'll also note that he has a mustache and appears to be darker in complexion than the blonde headed figure actually is.  Plastirama took a chance by altering the skin color of Manleh and Shimik.  I wish they had done the same with Redmack.  He and Topson took no chances with the head paint.  And, as such, just look like alternate uniforms for Breaker and Short Fuse.  Maybe that's not bad.  But, seeing such similarity on two heads in a series that also featured Shimik and Manleh is disappointing.

2018 Red Laser Army figures are fairly decent quality.  But, they aren't without issues.  You'll notice that my Redmack's upper right arm isn't glued together.  Small quality issues like these aren't unheard of with Red Laser figures from this series.  So, be sure to check photos of any figure you are about to acquire.  Otherwise, the figures are very nice.  Redmack is odd in that his shirtcuffs are flesh painted.  The original figure wasn't like this.  I'm not sure how they ended up this way.  But, it does take away from Redmack's visual to see this paint application.  The plastic is good quality, though.  And, unlike the 2017 series, the 2018 figures can hold weapons with no fear of thumb breakage.  

My biggest gripe about the 2018 Red Laser Army series was the relative lack of accessories.  Redmack suffers for this.  While he does include his M-60 and bi-pod like the original figure, that's all he includes.  1982 Joe heads that were designed for helmets need helmets.  Without them, it just looks like you have an incomplete figure.  Redmack not having a helmet really limits him because all you can see if the Hawk/Short Fuse head.  A brown helmet gives him some cover and diminishes some of the imposter syndrome.  Fortunately, it's easy to find 1983 Battle Gear brown helmets.  And, they are a pretty good replacement to use with Redmack.  With just the weapons included with them, the RLA homages are less impressive.  It's not great to need to alternate gear to make a figure worthwhile.  But, the upside to all the RLA figures is that many of them are nice matches for otherwise useless Battle Gear accessories.  So, you can make Redmack more useful with some cheap and easy to find upgrades.

As a character, Redmack is fairly limited.  There are expensive Convention releases of the character in the 25th Anniversary figure format.  There are two vintage Redmacks.  The original debuted in Argentina where Plastirama released him.  Shortly thereafter, the figure was moved to Venezuela where Rubiplas also released him.  The Rubiplas version features slight color alterations and includes a brown Doc helmet.  Both of those figures are straight arms, though.  Red Laser Army released the only swivel version in 2018.  And, that's all you have in regards to the character and his unique look.  

Redmack figures have dried up.  It was pretty easy to find them for 5 years or so after their release.  They were expensive.  But, they were available.  Now, though, it's tough to find him or any of the other RLA homage figures.  The upside, though, is that the market is starting to freefall.  Even before recent months, though, Redmacks were about $30 figures.  Considering new releases for factory customs run $24, $30 doesn't seem ridiculous.  But, now, I'd absolutely wait out the market.  Supply is going explode in the next 12 months.  And, just like what happened back in 2009-2012, prices will swiftly adjust: downward.  In the meantime, you aren't missing much by not having this figure.  Glenda never getting a factory custom leaves your Plastirama team incomplete.  And, outside of an oddity, Redmack isn't really a necessary addition to any collection.  

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 (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 - Plastirama Cobra Adder

Plastirama produced a large number of figures and vehicles for their exclusive Comandos Heroicos line in Argentina.  The figures were almost exclusively repaints of 1985 and prior molds.  But, there were a few oddballs (like Sgt. Slaughter and Crazylegs) who broke that pattern.  The same was true for their vehicles.  The majority of Plastirama vehicles were released in the earliest years of the Joe line by Hasbro.  But, Plastirama did have a few vehicles from later in the 1980's that saw a production release.  One is the 1988 Cobra Adder.

The Adder is odd as it's one of those vehicles released in 1988 that looks like it would have been a 1986 release.  The design is sleek and fun and the colors match up with more traditional Cobra vehicles and figures.  The 1988 line was bizarre for a lot of reasons.  So, the Adder being more in line with earlier releases has left it a vehicle that collectors tend to enjoy.  How it ended up in Argentina, though, is anybody's guess.

As for the vehicle, it's not materially different from the Hasbro release.  There are slight nuances to the colors that make the vehicle distinctive.  But, it would easily integrate with a group of Hasbro Adders or other vehicles of similar colors.  This is likely why it was largely ignored when Plastirama vehicle overstock was widely available.

The Plastirama release uses the same box artwork as the Hasbro release.  So, kids in Argentina could buy a vehicle that showcased a character (Road Pig) that was not released there.  This wasn't the first time this happened.  And, it doesn't seem to be too big of a deal.  However, in 2022, Hasbro can not put any figures on their Star Wars Vintage Collection boxes that they have not actually released.  So, in the modern context, showcasing characters that consumers could not buy is a bit of a novelty.  But, the box art was likely reused to save money.  The main difference, aside from the crappy cardboard, is the Plastirama logo on the box.

The toy itself isn't that far removed from the Hasbro release.  Plastirama didn't tend to radically repaint their vehicles like they were wont to do with figures.  So, while this exclusive Adder does have a color variant from the Hasbro release, it's not drastic enough to really attract collector attention.  The Plastirama version is a slightly lighter blue than the Hasbro toy.  

Overall, the Plastirama Adder isn't the most interesting piece.  But, it shows some of the oddity of the Plastirama line since it's such a late mold for them.  

Sgto. Slaughter (Argentina Exclusive) - Around The Web

There was a time when this Sgto. Slaughter was a $3 figure.  You could buy all of them you wanted, MOC, for that price.  But, Slaughter batons had not, yet, been marketed into rarity by super collectors.  So, most collectors didn't even feel that the accessory with this figure was worth the price.  But, as the real Sgt. Slaughter endeared himself to the Joe community throughout the 2000's, the excess Plastirama figures dried up.  And, now, they are much more pricey.  

But, this figure from Argentina is fun to have.  I like the subtle differences between it and the Hasbro figures.  And, it's always good to have a spare Sarge around these days.  The result of collectors ignoring this figure when it was common is that content on the figure is rare these days.  Here's the best I could find.

Sgto. Slaughter Profile

Sgto. Slaughter by mpjoes

Sgto. Slaughter Video Review

Sgto. Slaughter by Gasti

Sgto. Slaughter by yotothejoe

Sgto. Slaughter at AF&T

Sgto. Slaughter missing paint masks by Xazyl Phoenix

Sgto. Slaughter by yotothejoe

Sgto. Slaughter by viper_space

Fuego - Argentine Exclusive Ripcord

In 1984, my youngest brother got two Ripcord figures.  I'm not sure why he got two of them.  And, I'm not sure why he never got any other 1984 figures aside from those two Ripcords.  But, his acquisitions brought Ripcord into my childhood collection.  And, as I was loathe to use multiples of the same Joes, it also brought a second set of his parachute gear into my adventures where they were then used on Airborne, Duke and even Flint as they took second fiddle in the Skystriker.  Ripcord, though, had trouble staying near the top of the play list.  Once I removed his parachute pack, Ripcord was kind of plain.  While it didn't make sense to have Ripcord traipsing around the bush while wearing his parachute and airmask, I didn't find the figure all that cool sans these accouterments.  

So, Ripcord kind of fell to the wayside.  Until he appeared as a major player in the comic, that is.  As Ripcord's importance to the comic story grew, I brought the figure back around.  Ripcord found new importance to me and continued to be an often used figure through 1986 where he joined the Tomahawk crew.  One of my great disappointments as a kid was finding how lame Crazylegs was when compared to Ripcord.  The later paratrooper simply didn't match up.  Fifteen years later, though, I found a figure that did.  And, it was simply a slight repaint of Ripcord who breathed some new life into the Ripcord mold and made me appreciate the original figure all over again.  That variant is the Plastirama Fuego figure that was released in Argentina.

The Plastirama figures were a relatively small line of Joe figures released in Argentina.  While there are a few very significant coloring and mold combination exclusives in the line, the bulk of it was slight repaints of Hasbro paint jobs.  This was mostly so that the foreign companies could repurpose marketing materials that Hasbro had created for their markets.  But, it also created a bunch of slight variants that offer modern collectors slightly different looks for many of their line's early, classic characters.  Among them was Ripcord.  The Plastirama variant features different greens from the Hasbro figure as well as nice, blue cammo.  The main calling card, though, is that Fuego features flesh colored hands.  He is the only version of Ripcord released anywhere in the world that is not wearing gloves.  Usually, I prefer gloves.  But, in this case, the figure having uncovered hands allows for a different look for the Ripcord character, even if it's slight.

And, really, that's how I use him.  I like Ripcord and try to include him in various photos.  Having the Brazilian, Hasbro and Argentine versions allows for some diversity when he appears in various backgrounds and scenes.  The colors of this Plastirama release, though, really pop and they are the brightest and most vibrant of all the Ripcord variants.  The quality, though, isn't great and I'm leery of putting the rifle in his hand.  But, since he was used to cheap, the quality was less important than the visuals that the figure offered.  

Fuego includes all of the gear from the original Ripcord.  Though, there are significant differences that let the two sets of accessories stand on their own.  Fuego's pack is cast in a greyish-brown color that does not match the figure.  It is a color unique to Argentina and actually works with the repainted Ripcord figure named Sokerk.  His helmet is the same as the classic Ripcord.  But, it is cast in a glossy black.  It is shiny and easy to distinguish from other uses of the helmet mold.  The mask is tougher to discern.  But, it tends to be rigid and shiny as well.  Finally, Fuego's rifle is cast in black.  The Auriken release from Mexico also has a near black rifle.  American collectors are aware of the dark version of the gun from the Tactical Battle Platform.  And, the Gatilho figure from Brazil also includes a blackish version of the gun.  But, Fuego's rifle, once again, is defined by the sheen.  It is a very glossy weapon that is unique to Argentina.  In an age when loose figures from childhood collections defined foreign Joes that were imported to the US, these distinctions would be crucial.  But, since most of the Fuegos in the hands of collectors came via opened carded samples from the Plastirama warehouse find in the late 1990's/early 2000's, most of the figures you see out there will include the correct gear.

Ripcord appeared all over the world.  Yet, despite that fact, there are really only two major versions of the character.  After the figure's use by Hasbro, he was planned for release in the 1988 Tiger Force subset.  Unfortunately, the mold had already been sent away.  So, the mock up Tiger Force Ripcord never saw production and we're left with a couple of catalog images of what the figure might have looked like.  (I often wonder how we'd view Ripcord had the Tiger Force version been released.  It's pretty likely that the figure would, today, command a premium over even the original Ripcord figure.)  From there, the Ripcord mold appeared as Fumaca in Brazil, as Soga in Mexico and then as Fuego in Argentina.  All of these figures are based on the appearance of the Hasbro original: though they all have differences among them.  Ripcord was used twice more, though as new characters in each instance.  In Argentina, Ripcord's mold was used as the second, later and more common Sokerk figure.  And, in Brazil, he was turned into a Cobra and released as Relampago in the Python Patrol subset.  Ripcord's absence was a large hole in the 2000's as collectors would have gobbled up any repaint.  But, there are a lot of Ripcord figures to track down...even if most of them are very similar.  Hasbro finally released a new Ripcord in 2023 as part of the Haslab Skystriker.  This Night Force Ripcord looks great, but has poor quality, especially on the gear.  Maybe we'll someday get a repaint of it and finally see a Tiger Force release.

Time was, MOC Fuego figures were stupidly cheap.  You could buy individual figures for under $5 and you could buy up lots of a half a dozen figures for just a couple of bucks per fig.  Fuego was among the least popular Plastirama releases.  And, his lack of popularity continues today.  You'll probably pay around $25 for a carded figure.  Though, you might find loose versions for less if you have the patience.  Figures in COPS boxes tend to be a bit more popular.  Though, those are desirable for the packaging and the figures in the window are less important unless they are one of the ninjas or TNT.  For the money, this figure doesn't make a lot of sense.  You can get a mint and complete American Ripcord for about the same price as a carded Fuego and Ripcord is a better figure and is higher quality.  But, Fuego's unique coloring does make him distinctive and the lack of gloves is a fun update to a classic figure.  I'm a sucker for foreign versions of characters that are barely repaints of the original.  So, I probably get a lot more value out of figures like Fuego than most collectors.  But, I also got him at a time when he was cheaper to buy than retail Joes put out by Hasbro.  So, your mileage on this figure will likely vary from mine.

2022 Super7 Ninja Ku

Lots of energy has been spent on the Super7 G.I. Joe figures.  You still see the stale takes about them on various forums.  A few key points.  Hasbro is neither making nor not making 3 3/4" figures because of the Super7 figures.  Super7 fills a completely different niche in the collecting market than Hasbro.  These figures are designed for a specific type of collector.  So, things like articulation doesn't matter.  When I was a kid, I'd have loved a single figure type that encompassed multiple licensees.  Instead, figures from different IP's were not compatible and I ended up gravitating to the single property that offered the most diversity in play, which was G.I. Joe.  Super7 solves this by covering many different properties and putting them into a single, unified format that is based on the most popular standard of vintage toy: Kenner Star Wars figures.

I've seen Super7 figures described as not quite action figures but also not quite art pieces.  And, that's an apt description.  The sculpting is well done.  The paint masks are tight.  And, the plastic quality is far superior to Hasbro's current materials.  I have no concerns about the figure falling apart or breaking.  Sitting up on a shelf, the figure looks great.  It's meant as a display piece.  But, it doesn't come with the massive price tag of busts or statues.  They are a cheaper alternative for people who want to display pop culture characters but not spend too much and have a bunch of items that really don't look like they belong together.

Interestingly, Target has carried the carded waves of Super7 figures in the US.  So, both casual collectors and even just toy buyers can come across them at a retail store.  To make the figures enticing, though, Target case assortments include 1 homage figure to an obscure foreign release.  The first was Funskool Snake Eyes.  And, his appearance just showed how little the casual Joe collectors who joined in the pandemic actually care to know about the line's history.  Many derided it as "neon".  And, when it was pointed out to them that it was a vintage design from India, you got no further response.  That figure was followed up with Satan and, finally, this Ninja Ku.  The upside is that the figures are simple repaints of existing molds.  So, they aren't expensive.  But, they offer just something a little extra and make the overall Super7 offerings more diverse.

It's been about 18 months since Super7 announced the launch of their line and showcased photos of the first wave.  While that seems like a lifetime ago, the reality is that they've accomplished an amazing amount in a short period of time.  Since the launch, we've seen 4 basic waves of figures.  In addition, there are supplemental waves of army builder variants as well as some other, special, offerings.  From the beginning, Super7 has made it a point to include some things that are not available in any of the o-ring lines.  (Some of them might exist in Anniversary sculpts, but not all.)  Their focus has also been heavily cartoon centric.  This is a welcome update from the club dominated era of Marvel comic or bust.  And, it better represents fandom as it's always been an, at best, 50-50 split between comic and cartoon fans.  Comic fans just tended to be older and then quickly set up gatekeeping mechanisms to prevent the cartoon fans from getting too loud a voice.  (And, it was this way even in the beginning when Zartan's Domain was the most popular Joe website online and the club went so far as to fake Hasbro legal documents to attempt to discredit it.  Funny how that's been forgotten in the past two plus decades....)

But, in the first four waves, Super7 has offered: a cartoon Baroness, Kwinn in full Eskimo regalia, sailor army builders for the USS Flagg, Bazooka in a parka, Shock Troopers and GameMaster figures from the cartoon, a javelin wielding Lady Jaye, a Cobra blue V1 Cobra Commander with helmet (the fact Hasbro can't make this figure is just embarrassing), Cobra Factory Workers, female engineering troops, a proper Cover Girl with blonde hair, Cobra Paratroopers from the cartoon's opening sequence along with greenshirts in multiple flavors and female Cobra Troopers.  Just for fun, they've tossed in a sled with figure from the cartoon, some glow in the dark releases, tons of cartoon specific repaints of major characters, a couple of fun cartoon meme classics and Satan, Funskool Snake Eyes and this Ninja Ku.  Really, what they've done reads like a wish list from every fan who was online in the early 2000's: when things like this still seemed possible from Hasbro.  

Truth be told, I don't want Hasbro to be this prolific since just keeping up with one of everything would cost thousands.  But, Super7 seems to have found a way to keep new product coming out and providing fans with characters, paint jobs and oddball surprises that they like.  Sure, you see pictures from Toys R Us Canada with a whole wall of these figures just hanging there.  But, they seem to move well enough at my local Target store.  The fact that Hasbro has only released 6 carded figures in slightly less time makes you realize that the o-rings obscurity is a function of Hasbro's disinterest.  Especially when the figures Hasbro has made could be turned to simple, but highly desired, repaints with minimal effort.  I'd love a proper Hasbro Satan and Ninja Ku.  Cobra Troopers and Officers could get multiple color schemes that would be fun.  And, the fact that we don't have a proper dark blue Cobra Commander after 40 years just makes it seem that Hasbro simply doesn't care.

From what I've read, Super7's success rate with new characters and paint jobs is heavily a function of one of their high level executives being a legit G.I. Joe fan.  So, he's making the things he wanted when he was a kid.  Hasbro has lacked that brand insight since the vintage days.  They had a guy who was a 12" collector.  But, that's the closest we've seen.  Even the Classified team seems to have no personal connection to G.I. Joe as a plaything.  And, that's why we don't see fun and innovative stuff from them.  (And, the few times they do create relationships with collectors, they pick the same types of people: one dimensional collectors whose view of the line is stuck in 1984.)  So, you can bag on Super7's 5 POA model.  But, you can't attack them for the way they've approached the line.  Had Hasbro chosen the same figures and paint jobs from Super7's first four waves for the ARAHC back in 2000, the collecting community would be very different.  But, they didn't.  And, we're in a place now where crumbs are the best we can expect.

I only paid $5.49 for this figure as it was on clearance.  The Target exclusives have a different DCPI and were clearanced while the remainder of the figures stayed at the standard retail price of $17.99.  You see the $8.99 on the price tag.  And, I was fine with paying that price.  At $9, I'd probably buy a few of these figures.  With the quality and the gear, that price would be in line with the Spinmaster Batman and other DC figures.  The super heroes, though, have more articulation and include some low quality accessories and cloth capes.  At the $9 price point, I find the value between the two figure types to be equal.  The Star Wars Retro figures have risen from $10 to $12.  But, those have massive production runs, the Star Wars licensing fees and a gargantuan collector base.  But, $20 seems to be the current sweet spot for collector pricing.  We seem to pay it...for now.  We'll see what 2023 holds.

Ninja Ku includes quite a few accessories.  His complement is based on the 1984 Stormshadow contingent.  He has two swords, nunchucks a bow and wears a backpack.  The pack is hollow so you can store some of his gear in there.  I hang the nunchuks over the pack so there's room for the bow.  I have trouble getting the gear into his hands as they are somewhat stiff.  But, this is a me problem and hasn't been an issue for others.  

I really don't have a long term prognosis for the value of this figure.  I'm not familiar enough with Super7's other products to know if they tend to appreciate with time.  I'm sure some of the more popular licenses may have gotten more expensive.  But, I don't know how the G.I. Joe figures will age.  The first wave has been heavily clearanced at many retailers.  And, you can find later figures with some discounts.  But, there are a lot of characters in the line that can't be acquired in any other way.  So, those are the ones that will probably be the most desirable in the future.  

For me, these figures are interesting.  They are not something I wanted.  And, at their price tag, not something I'm likely to get into moreso than a figure or two that I can get cheap.  If these were in the $8 range, though, it's likely that I'd have many more of them, maybe even a full set.  But, that's not the model that's being sold.  Instead, these figures are a great way for collectors to scratch the itch on characters or color schemes that Hasbro will simply never do.  And, as a supplement to a collection, these figures aren't bad.  We pay more than $20 for a new o-ring figure and have to have it shipped to our homes.  So, being able to get some of these for that price is less out of whack for the market that I like to realize.  But, I do recommend that collectors try one of these, at least on a figure that you'll never otherwise see in production.  They're not vintage Joes.  They aren't meant to be.  But, they are a way to fill some holes in your collection and get some figures that will otherwise never exist.

Rarities - Plastirama Satan Accessory Variants

Plastirama is well known for their weapon variants.  While some figures are pretty tight and always include the same gear, others see quite a bit of fluctuation in terms of what may be packaged with the figure.  When the Plastirama overstock was common in the early 2000's, collectors had their pick of figures with the various weapons.  I didn't pay too much attention to the variants.  And, I got a Sparta with Footloose's rifle instead of the M-32 from her card art.  As they were $10 figures at the time, it wasn't a huge deal since I could get another at any time.  The more problematic releases, though, were the ninjas.  These were tough as there were several variants among them, they were $20-$30 figures at the time, and it was tough to determine which gear would look best with each figure.  Black 1984 Stormshadow gear was not uncommon in the early 2000's.  So, figures with black gear seemed blase.  The silver and golden Stormshadow gear that was available was far more appealing to me.

Satan's main difference is that figures either include golden weapons or black weapons.  Most figures include both the bow and the pack.  But, you can find figures with just the bow.  At the time, neither variant seemed overly desirable.  And, both were very available.  Now, though, the golden weapons seem to be more common.  But, due to the limited supply in the market, this could be just a function of what's available right now and could change in a year or two.  

There is also a 3rd variant where Satan includes silver weapons.  These silver versions were included with Cobra De Hielo.  It's possible that the silver inclusion with Satan was just a quality control error that occurred from time to time.  Plastirama was not too high on being consistent with their accessory complements as the line ran out of steam.  Both the black and gold bow, though, appear to be unique to Satan.  I haven't seen any Ninja Ku figures that didn't include golden accessories (and, he did not include a bow) and Cobra De Hielo appears to have only been available with silver gear.  But, with Plastirama's notoriously bad quality control, it's possible that there are some samples out there with different colors and the Cops or Jhony Quest figures may also have had oddball combos.  (Cops, in particular can have haphazard weapons.  There were stories of people finding 20+ of the same weapon in some boxes.)  So, be on the lookout if you're a loose collector and determine which gear you require to consider the figure complete.

Black Accessories:

Oddly, the black accessories are probably the most rare configuration for Satan.  Black Stormshadow gear was not available with any other figure released by Plastirama.  So, its inclusion with some Satan figures is unique.  You'll note the different positions for the backpacks in the bubbles below, too.  Sometimes, you get the pack in the traditional accessory bubble above the figure.  Other times, you see the back packaged in the figure bubble.  

Golden Accessories:

These appear to be the most common color for Satan figures.  As the golden color is unique to Argentina and the bow only appears with Satan, it's the generally accepted default for loose Satan figures you might find in Argentina.  

Silver Accessories:

Silver gear appears to be the least common color to be included with Satan.  However, you can get silver packs and bows with the less desirable Cobra de Hielo.  So, the overall availability of silver gear is much higher than its appearance with Satan would suggest.  With silver so tied to the De Hielo figure, it's my least favorite combo with Satan.

There are also Satan variants where the figure does not have the backpack.  It seems the backpack was often omitted from all three of the ninja figures released in Argentina.  So, you could claim the figure was complete with just the bow.  

Both the black and golden bows appear to be mostly unique to Satan.  Ninja Ku did not include a bow.  And, I've not seen any Cobra de Hielos with non-silver accessories.  (Though, that doesn't mean they don't exist.)  So, both bows should be considered unique.  In the days when these were $30 figures, it made sense to look to own both.  At $1000+ today, that's less likely to be something that is worthwhile.  

Rarities - Power Commandos 2022 Update

I've looked at Power Commandos several times in various Rarities Months.  And, in that time, I've learned a great deal about these figures, how they were released and a general timeline of the various series.  Through discussions in the comments in the past couple of years, it became apparent that there is a different release cadence for the Power Commandos than I had previously published.  What I thought was the first Wave of figures is more likely the second wave.  And, the second is actually the first.  Plus, I have some new info on the ultra rare third wave.  And, then, the mystery of the origin of these figures deepens, again.  As, the molds show up on an obscure line of figures from Argentina that no one would know about aside from the fact that they were packed with overstock Comandos Heroicos figures from the Plastirama line.

Wave 1 - 12 Figures (1992)

Originally, I thought that the wave of 6 figures was the first wave of Power Commandos.  It was marked 1992 and has no mention of the other 6 molds that are part of the series.  However, what I had thought was the 2nd wave is more likely to have actually been the first.  Confused?  Yeah, me too.

Below is the cardback from a wave of 12 Power Commandos set.  You'll notice that all 12 figures are shown.  And, the six figures that are the most common molds are actually shown in their alternate paint schemes.

This is where it gets confusing.

Below are two carded samples from this wave of 12.  You will note that each of the figures was both available in a different paint scheme in the series of 6, but also that their paint scheme on this cardback actually matches the card art.  Mummy Mask has dark blue sleeves and Metal Hawk has green pants.  You'll even note that the green accessories match up with the green color shown the card art.

This wave also includes these 6 figure molds who would not be carried over or repainted until 1995 or so.  Again, these figures feature the green weapons shown on the card art and the figures' colors and construction also matches the artwork.

Wave 2 - 6 figures (1992)

It is likely that the 6 repainted figures that are most known to collectors are actually a second wave of repaints.  This series tends to have the black weapons.  But, more importantly, each of the 6 figures is repainted and they no longer match their card artwork.  (This is especially notable on Condor Strike as the character in this wave features a different chest construction than the one in the original wave.  The card art still shows his original chest.)  As the packaging wasn't really changed aside from some minor cosmetic details, it's possible that the 1992 date on these figures was a carry over from the 1st wave.  That would help explain the odd gap with 18 figures being released in 1992 and the final 6 not appearing until 1995.  If these repaints were actually released in 1993 or 1994, the gap in production timeline is better explained.

Wave 3 - 6 Neon Figures

The Wave 3 figures feature a 1995 date on the cardbacks.  These figures were sold on single cards.  There were 6 figures in the set.  The fact that the six figures included happen to match up to the 6 who were excluded from the Wave 2 repaint set is both awfully convenient and also sensical.  You will note, though, that many of the figures feature construction changes from their Wave 1 appearance.  Some info indicates that the 6 molds from the 1st wave that weren't carried over to the 2nd wave was due to lost or damaged molds.  It's possible that the parts changes on these figures versus their original use was due to the mold issues.  

Argentina Johny Quest - Single Figure

So, here's where it gets even weirder.  G.I. Joe collectors have long known about the figures released by Plastirama in Argentina.  Tons of overstock came to the US in 1999-2000 and was widely available.  Among these finds were these oddball Johny Quest two figure packs.  Each included a Johny figure as well as a random Plastirama G.I. Joe figure.  The packaging is similar to that used by Galoob for the US release of Johnny Quest figures.  But, the Johny figure is different.  This one uses parts from the Power Commandos.  The Johny figures all appear to be the same.  But, the appearance of Lucky Bell parts is odd and doesn't make much sense unless an Argentine toy company imported Johny figures from China and then paired them with Comandos Heroicos figures that were made in Argentina.

So, what do we know?  Not much.  We know there are 24 unique figures produced with these molds under the Lucky Bell name.  Then, there is the oddball Johny Quest figure.  It's very possible that the molds could have been used in other obscure lines in South America or Asia and collectors will never find them as they have no real connection to G.I. Joe or the Power Commandos.  But, the overall story of how these figures came to be is likely lost to time.  

But, the fact that so many molds were created and that the both the figures and packaging were high quality indicates that someone spent some money to produce these figures.  The first wave was heavily sold in the US at discount and liquidator type stores.  The second wave overstock has mostly been traced to South American and Mexico.  Though, the packaging indicates that this surplus was originally intended for sale in the US.  The 3rd wave's overall rarity makes it difficult to pin down.  The appearance of the mold on the Argentina release shows that these molds were there for other uses if someone wanted to spend the money to make some toys.  But, how they found their way to match up with Jhony Quest and the G.I. Joe overstock will likely remain a mystery.