Rarities - Palitoy Baron Ironblood Accessory Variants

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

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

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

Red Shadows Shadowtrak - Around the Web

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

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

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

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

Shadowtrak Profile

Shadowtrak by rutbullet

Shadowtrack by joerizzo2025

Shadowtrak by Slipstream80

Shadowtrak by dangief_collectibles

Shadowtrak by Toy Polloi

Shadowtrak by redbeamcustoms

Shadowtrak by the_kraken_wakes

Shadowtrak by rutbullet

Shadowtrak by the.faceless.master

Shadowtrak by joerizzo2025

Shadowtrak by Slipstream80

Shadowtrak by gijoe_the_actionforce

Shadowtrak by brianthehick

Rarities - Action Force Vehicle Drivers (Bubbled Figures)

Today, Action Force exclusive figures are, once again, hot commodities in the collector world.  Some of the exclusives now command premium pricing that places them among the most expensive figures in the world.  That wasn't always the case, though.  In the late '90's and early 2000's, a London based toy dealer had a massive amount of Palitoy overstock.  Among that stash was a tantalizing amount of bubbled vehicle drivers for the Pality Action Force line.  Aside from the bubbles that made them unique, these figures also included repainted G.I. Joe accessories that had not been available with the exclusive figures in their initial releases.  The dealer sold these figures for cheap for many years.  Around 2001, they realized that they had something more desirable than they had initially thought and the cheap buy it now prices on their figures disappeared and the market began to drive up the prices of the figures.  Now, the bubbled vehicle drivers command massive prices.  

Blades

Blades is a Tripwire repaint.  He's a great figure with super fragile paint.  This bubbled version includes exclusive black versions of his pack and mines.  The detector may be exclusive, too, but I'm not sure.

Red Jackal

This Destro repaint has Destro's gear.  

Red Laser

Red Laser is a Cobra Commander repaint.  The bubbled figure includes Cobra Commander's pistol.

Jammer

In a fun twist of names and molds that consterns collectors to this day, the Stalker mold was released in the Action Force line as Jammer while the Snake Eyes mold was released as Stalker.  That's still fun to sort through.

Gaucho

Gaucho is a Gung Ho repaint.  This figure features an exclusively colored backpack that matches the color of his pants.  This gear is probably the most famous exclusively colored driver gear.

Hunter

Hunter is a Cobra Officer repaint who is now a good guy.  As if that's not odd enough, he now includes his AK-47 as a member of the SAS.

Steeler:

Steeler always included his exclusive red helmet and binoculars headset.

Other figures were available in bubbles, too.  All of the figures above were relatively available with Jammer and Gaucho selling out first with the Cobra molds as fast followers.  Now, high quality Action Force drivers are tough to find in general.  But, getting the exclusive gear loose is darn near impossible.

Red Shadows Cobra Invasor - Black Major

When G.I. Joe was exported to Brazil, most of the major characters went with it.  On the Cobra side, though, the Estrela toy company forewent Cobra Commander (likely because Hasbro kept the mold) and created two new characters for their toy line.  The Cobra De Aco and Cobra Invasor would later be joined by the Cobra Mortal from Argentina to make a triumvirate of exclusive Cobra characters from South America.  They all used Snake Eyes parts as all or part of the mold.  Across the Atlantic Ocean, a slew of repainted Joe figures were incorporated into the enemy faction of Action Force: the Red Shadows.  The two combined to make great extensions for enemies of G.I. Joe.  In 2010, though, the Black Major forged the two together and released a Red Shadows Invasor using a repainted Snake Eyes body but colored all in red and with the iconic skull and bones logo of the European Red Shadows.  This figure tied together some fringe elements of Joe canon and gave collectors a spectacular way to expand their collections.

The Snake Eyes repaints were the second mold produced by the Black Major.  They followed the Cobra Troopers and had some of the same issues as the Cobra Troopers did.  The body mold is slightly smaller than a real Snake Eyes figure.  So, the figure will neither fit onto vintage Joe figures stand nor be able to wear a backpack.  On top of that, the figure uses the large crotch that appeared on the 1982 straight arm figures rather than the more streamlined piece that debuted with the swivel arm upgrades.  It creates an odd visual for the figure.  And, the greater likelihood of breakage is still there.  But, these are collector figures so there aren't many kids who have gotten a chance to break them apart.

There are a large number of Snake Eyes variants.  Some were Invasors.  Some were Cobra Mortals.  Some had obscure logos tampo-ed on their chest.  Some were useful in odd ways like the desert Snake Eyes variants.  Others were just over the top.  But, this Red Shadows Snake Eyes is the one that works best for me.  The main reason is that this figure seems like something that could have existed.  A repainted Snake Eyes figure was released in the Action Force line.  And, Red Shadows features repaints of Cobra figures.  To me, it's within the realm of possibility that a repainted Snake Eyes could have been used in the Red Shadows line.  (He wasn't, though.)  So, in looking at this figure, he seems less like a fan creation and more an extension of what Hasbro and its licensed subsidiaries might have developed.

From that visual appeal, though, this Invasor works for me on a different level.  In the early issues of the Joe comic, we saw several anonymous Cobras whose look differed from standard troopers and officers.  The characters  appeared in background panels starting with the first issue.  It stands to reason that early Cobra would have had several "named" leaders to help corral the troops and lead Cobra military operations.  In the days before Destro, Major Bludd and Zartan, Cobra Commander still needed top operatives to carry out his orders.  This is where characters like the Invasor, Mortal and De Aco come into play for me.

I see the Invasor as one of those early Cobra operatives who was brought over in the Red Shadows merger.  For the Shadows, he operated all over the world.  But, once within Cobra, the Invasor was relegated to European duty.  Here, he recruited defectors from the Cold War east and shuffled them into Cobras ranks.  Their malleable personalities, military training and anti-American upbringing made them perfect pawns to take up arms against the U.S. military.  However, by the time Cobra Commander ended the Red Shadows as a faction and globally branded his evil enterprise as Cobra, the Invasor was long dead.  I've yet to come up with a story that ends with his demise.  So, I'm still unsure if he dies at the hands of the Joes or due to a double cross from his own allies.  But, the Invasor is no more and is completely forgotten within the modern ranks of Cobra.

Red Shadows Cobra Invasors are no longer easy to find.  They appear very infrequently.  Typically, you will pay around $40 for one.  But, left to open market, the figure will likely go for more.  Back in 2010, all of the Invasors and Mortals were pretty easy to find.  So, if you were around back then, you could have easily bought one for around $10.  There's just not as many of those guys still around as there used to be.  Which is why this Invasor and many other flavors don't show up all that often.  I'm grateful I had a chance to get this figure and have found him to be one of the best acquisitions I've made in the past decade.

Action Force Enemy Battle Gear

A while back, DragonFortress wrote a great blog post about weapon trees.  While some consider them the scourge of 1993 and 1994, they had a certain charm to them and did allow for figures of the time to include a much larger array of accessories.  In the comments from the article, it was brought up that the first appearance of weapon trees was actually in the European Action Force line.  Palitoy took the idea of Battle Gear and applied it to their toy offerings.  Rather than pack a bubble full of loose accessories, though, Palitoy dropped a few of their weapons onto trees, too.  The presentation of the toy was similar to the way Hasbro approached their weapons supplements.  But, Palitoy offered a far more diverse range of offerings by branding smaller sets of battle gear with the sub set of figures with which the gear was meant to be paired.  While there were several sets of Battle Gear released around 1983/1984, I wanted to look at the Red Shadows set and its connections to both Joe and Star Wars.

At its core, this Enemy Battle Gear set includes just 7 pieces.  I'm not sure of the retail pricing in relation to single carded figures from the same series.  But, each set included far less gear than an American Battle Gear pack.  The pieces, though, are all excellent.  They include a small, clear figure stand, two weapons that were exclusive to Palitoy releases, a Palitoy backpack and two repainted accessories from the 1982 Joe line.  The set is Action Force in a microcosm and perfectly showcases the various inspirations for the Action Force line, its evolution into the European G.I. Joe line and the unique European-ess of the original pieces.

The Red Shadows were the main antagonist in the Action Force mythos.  They have been heavily co-opted into the G.I. Joe story at this point and some of their early European roots have been lost.  While most consider them a pre-cursor or European branch of Cobra, the Red Shadows were designed as a stand alone villain in the same veins as both the aforementioned Cobra as well as the Galactic Empire from Star Wars.  In short, they were a cross over of Nazi era extremism, uniformity and discipline while being just enough super villain to not run afoul of the still festering wounds left on the European continent by World War II.

We'll begin with the two G.I. Joe repaint weapons included in the set.  The first is a black Zap bazooka.  This thick handled version is a thumb breaker for G.I. Joe figures.  But, for the softer plastic hands of Palitoy Action Force figures, this was less of an issue.  The black color is unique to Palitoy releases and was included with the standard Red Shadow army building figure.  Red Shadows were ubiquitous for years.  But, the retconning of Red Shadows into G.I. Joe has driven interest and the Red Shadow figures are now more expensive and harder to find.  Most collectors can identify the black bazooka as a Palitoy release and will charge for it accordingly.  It's not a rare accessory by any means.  But, you'll pay a premium for it relative to its availability.

Rounding out the Hasbro molds is a red version of Short Fuse's mortar and stand.  You will note the mortar is the half-handle version with the thick handle.  This helps identify the timeline of the weapon's release.  I'm not aware of this red mortar being released with any Action Force figure at retail and believe it exclusive to this set.  This makes it much harder to find than the black bazooka.  But, as the red is a vibrant and bright color, there is less desirability here.  The black bazooka looks good with a host of Cobra and Joe figures.  The red mortar is less useful.  But, it still helps to make the weapon more Cobra and take away some of the association with Short Fuse and his signature weapon.

We then move to the red backpack.  Palitoy Action Force figures were based on Kenner's vintage Star Wars line.  They had five points of articulation and softer plastic hands.  Palitoy's designers took more risks with the figure posing and many of the figures had arm and hand positions that were designed for a specific accessory.  In addition to borrowing the Kenner figure design, Action Force also borrowed their design for backpacks.  After the Empire Strikes Back was released, Kenner introduced a mail away offer that included some new, soft plastic backpacks that affixed to figures via flexible plastic bands that closed and attached to the figures by plugging soft knobs into holes on the pack arms.  The same design is seen here with the included bright red backpack.  The pack seems to be an infantry pack with fun detail, but little specific purpose.  (There are other packs in the Action Force line, such as radios and diving gear that are purpose driven.)  The pack will fit on Action Force figures.  But, its use for Hasbro G.I. Joe figure is hit and miss.  This pack will not fit on either a 1983 Cobra Trooper nor any factory customs based on its mold.  It may fit on other figures from the 1982-1984 timeline.  But, the straps are tight and don't have much leeway.  Regardless, it's a fun piece of gear to help round out a diorama.  But, again, it's bright red.  This pack mold certainly appeared with other figures in the Action Force line, but I believe this color is exclusive to the Battle Gear set.

The final two weapons are included in the carded set attached to the weapons tree.  I do not know if this tree was used for all Action Force weapons of these molds.  Or, if this was a new mold created from the originals to quickly and cheaply add some additional gear to this set.  Either way, it includes two black rifles: a STEN gun and an SA-80.  These are noteworthy because they were definitively British weapons of the era.  So, while G.I. Joe focused on the American-ness of its weapons (the M-16, M-60, etc.), Action Force focused on its British roots for the unique gear.  The inclusion of these weapons help to round a Joe armory from the early '80's and provide some nice diversity for the modern collector.

The STEN gun is interesting.  The real weapons are cool and would be a visual treat for Joe figures.  The toy, though, doesn't translate that well.  The side clip is small.  And, the weapon feels like more of a pistol than a famous rifle.  It still looks good with a variety of figures: especially early Joes based on the 1982 sculpts.  But, it's something that I was disappointed with and definitely expected to be more fun than it actually was.  The black version of the weapon was included with at least one Action Force figure that I can find.  It also appeared in other colors in various sub sets of the Palitoy line.

The final weapon in this set is the doozy.  Not because it's any better than the others.  But, because of where else it was used.  The black SA-80 in this set was included with a few Action Force figures, but always in different colors.  I can't find another Action Force figure who has the black version.  (I don't know Action Force off the top of my head like I do Joes, though, so please correct me in the comments if I'm wrong.)  But, there are other colors accompanying carded figures, including a silver version that I think looks better.  But, this black SA-80 was also released with the super rare German YPS Hoth Stormtrooper figure.  Basically, this is a Kenner Snowtrooper (missing some country of origin info and including a specific skirt) that includes the SA-80 instead of the Kenner large blaster rifle.  This little detail makes all the difference.  What was a relatively common Action Force weapon is now highly sought after among Kenner Star Wars collectors.  This gun, alone, can command over $100 to Star Wars fans.

Pricing on this set is troublesome for this reason.  While the SA-80 is super desirable, that is a more recent development.  Many Joe collectors were able to snatch up the huge quantity of overstock carded Action Force figures and gear sets for super cheap prices over the years.  So cheap that many of the sets were opened and incorporated into either Red Shadow or Cobra armies.  Many Joe collectors are not aware of the Star Wars connection and will sell the set to other collectors, ignorant of the single gem inside.  You can still get carded sets in the $70 range.  But, again, finding the right collector might get you one for a fraction of that.  While the SA-80 is cool, it's not cool enough to warrant the price tag.  If you want the rest of the gear, you should be able to get it cheap since it lacks the desirability of the signature piece.  And, you can get better colored SA-80's for the same price as other Action Force gear and that allows you to have the mold in your collection without breaking the bank.

For me, I always love getting Joe gear in different colors.  The black bazooka is one of my favorite international repaints of a Hasbro weapon.  The Palitoy exclusive weapons are also excellent and work surprisingly well with Joe figures.  I have found many of these weapons to be a great accoutremout to the factory custom figures that use so many early 1983 parts as their inspiration.  The unique weapons help to separate these figures from many of their brethren that use similar construction.  (I also like the bazooka and mortar as a call back to the JC Penny three pack of Cobras that included the weapons.  But, the black and red are more Cobra than the weapons that accompanied the Penny's figures.)  There are many other weapons in the Action Force line that cross over to Joes as well.  Without the Star Wars connection, many are available for relatively cheap: especially if you buy a lot of junk Action Force figures.  You might get 15 figures with 5 accessories.  But, that can be worth it when you consider the price you are likely to pay.  I've found parts of this set in American collections, too.  So, keep an eye out when buying up collections that were amassed in the early 2000's as Action Force figures and weapons do appear in these from time to time.

2017 Muton - Red Laser's Army Custom Figure

In 1986, G.I. Joe introduced robotics to its pantheon of technological advances.  Both Joe and Cobra had skirted the edge of robotics with things like the Pac Rats and SNAKE Armor.  But, the introduction of the Battle Android Trooper brought full scale robots into the Joe universe.  I still largely believe that BATs were mainly designed as a way to have Joe destroy bad guys in the cartoon without actually killing anyone.  But, the line was crossed and full scale humanoids were now permanently ensconced on the G.I. Joe mythos.  Oddly, though, a few years earlier, the European based Action Force realm was introduced to near indestructible robots.  While they looked like 19th century era deep sea divers (they were a repaint of a deep sea diver figure), the Muton were the pre-cursors to BATs in many ways.  Since Cobra had the BATs, there really was no cry for the Muton to be incorporated into the Joe world in the same way there had been for bad guys like the Red Shadows, Baron Ironblood and the Black Major.  The Action Force Muton figure remained cheap and available and largely forgotten.  In 2017, though, Red Laser's Army produced and all red repaint of the BAT with a Red Shadows skull logo.  The figure became Muton in most people's eyes and has become one of the more popular repaints of the factory custom BAT mold.

One area where Joe never really ventured was the notion of sentient robots.  Joe had characters cloned from the DNA of long dead historical figures, monsters, zombies and space aliens.  But, the closest they came to artificial intelligence was the various enhancements that (mostly Cobra!) characters underwent to enhance their natural abilities.  There was no super smart, independent robot that was a villain on his own.  (Overkill comes close.  But, he was never really utilized.)  So, at first, this was the road I explored for the Muton figure and character.  Maybe he was a BAT that was retrofitted with better technology that gave artificial intelligence.  Maybe he was the computer cloned brain of a mad genius.  Or, maybe he was just a robot that was given the appearance of super intelligence.  None of the ideas really resonated with me.  Each seemed to cling to too many cliches.

I did, though, want to tie Muton to Red Laser.  Most collectors see Red Laser as a leader type figure since he uses the Cobra Commander body.  However, Red Laser is actually a Japanese technological genius who built his Laser Exterminator.  The fact that he would have a robot near him fits with his character.  It also gives Mutor a more relevant origin to his presence in the Red Shadows.  I see Muton as Red Laser's creation.  He started as an experiment in artificial intelligence.  But, grew into an exercise in humanoid robotics.  Red Laser found use for a robot that could move around heavy machinery and perform delicate, technological tasks without needing rest.  In time, that robot was upgraded to also protect Red Laser.  He was outfitted with armaments and greater memory.  Muton became an ever-present sight at Red Laser's side.  This allowed Red Laser access to the inner workings of the Red Shadows and kept him in contact with men like the Red Jackal (Destro) as the Red Shadows disbanded.  The criminal contacts of Red Laser were ruthless men who had the desire and the will to kidnap him and steal his ideas.  With Muton, Red Laser was safe from these plots and the evil-doers had to deal with Red Laser as an equal.

But, as this would have occurred in the early 1980's, Muton was limited.  Red Laser was able to create some programmatic intelligence for Muton.  But, Muton could only learn from his direct environment and encounters.  Muton could have information loaded into his memory and use that to help him learn from his environment.  But, as the internet as we know it didn't exist, Muton didn't have an unending repository of information from which he could draw insights or knowledge to apply to a situation.  All of this means that Muton is actually very limited.  He has the appearance of intelligence.  And, that is very intimidating.  But, his actual abilities are limited to recognizing threats to Red Laser and being able to perform repair and maintenance tasks on machines where the schematics have been preloaded into his memory.  And, as the android was a scientist's pet project, Muton is subject to breakdown and will overheat if he exerts too much processing power.

To someone like Destro, though, the technology was very enticing.  Destro had the facilities to manufacture the androids, bringing down costs and increasing the quality and durability of the machines.  Destro also realized that the intelligence aspect, of which Red Laser was so proud, was the least valuable part of the package.  The androids could just be programmed with some basic combat functions and they would then take the place of cannon fodder troops.  They would be fearless soldiers and would be programmed to repair themselves from spare parts of destroyed robots from the field.  In short, they were repeatable assets that were much cheaper and more effective than humans.  Now, he just had to get the technology and find a buyer.

Of course, this lead to Red Laser's downfall.  Red Laser wanted to build more intelligent robots.  And, he refused to give Destro access to his technology...going so far as to destroy all of his research and documentation: except for a copy hidden inside of Muton's memory.  Red Laser, though, underestimated Destro.  Destro lured him to dinner at his castle.  Here, he poisoned Red Laser's food.  Destro correctly surmised that Red Laser had not programmed Muton to deal with passive threats.  And, as the young genius lay dying, Muton overheated with indecision as it was unable to comprehend what was killing his master.  Destro was able to get the disabled robot disassembled before it could restore itself.  From there, Destro extracted the plans and began the groundwork for what would become the BATs just a few years later.

Despite this figure's popularity, it is still available for its $12 retail price.  I find the figure to be worth the price.  Aftermarket BATs behave oddly once they sell out.  Some sell for outrageous premiums over their original price.  Others, sell for 1/2 their original price.  Usually, the quality of the color scheme determines which route a figure will take.  But, there are a ton of BAT variants out there.  (I've documented 34 without really digging into all the variants of logos and nuanced colors.)  So, Muton could double on the aftermarket, once he sells out.  Or, he might stay around or slightly below the current pricing.  There are many collectors who army build this configuration.  And, many more who have bought him even though they skipped most of the other BATs.  So, the figure has some popularity.  As always, the time to buy is now.  Most factory customs either stay around retail pricing or see aftermarket increases.  So, buying at retail is the best hedge.  You'll lose on a couple, maintain on many, and win on a few more than you lose on.  So, I try to buy now and move on.  With the volume of figures that were released in 2017 and the mass coming in 2018, it's easier to stay current than it is to catch up.

Rarities - Zap Bazooka Variants

One of the most frequently asked questions around various Joe forums is in regards to the Zap bazooka variants.  The reason is fairly simple: a few of the variants are among the rarest accessories in the line and command up to hundreds of dollars.  And, a few of the rare variants look very similar to far more common variants.  The only real way to tell is a combination of the bazooka's mold, its color and the markings that appear on the handle.

Below is information and photos I've gathered over the years in regards to the various Zap bazooka variants.  It is unlikely to be complete.  We know Zap had tons of variants released in the U.S., Europe, Mexico, Brazil and India.  And, his bazooka was used with some other figures at various times, too.

Here is another photo showing some of the variants.  From top to bottom, they are:

1982 Double Handle - no #
1982 Thin Handle - no #
1982 Thin Handle - B2
1982 JC Penny Thin Handle - A1
1983 Thick Handle - no #
Accessory Pack - 3
Accessory Pack - 7

Additional info:

1982 Double Handle - No#
Mexican Zap - #B2
1982 Thin Handle - No#
1982 Thin Handle - #B2
1982 Thin Handle JC Penney - #B1
1982 Thin Handle JC Penney - #A1
1997 Thin Handle Stars & Stripes - #B6
1997 Thick Handle Stars & Stripes - No#
UK Red Shadow Thick Handle - #4
US Accessory Pack Thick Handle - #2
1983 Thick Handle - No#
UK Dolphin Thick Handle - No#

A close up of the JC Penny Bazookas

It should be noted that while the B1 bazooka is a JC Penney exclusive, it came with two different figures.  One Cobra Trooper always included a B1 variant bazooka.  But, the Zap from the same 1982 catalog could also come with a B1.  Some Zaps had it.  Others had the B2.  So, the B1 is still pretty hard to find.  But, it's no where near as hard to find as the A1 which was only included with the other Cobra Trooper.

There is a Hasbro Direct Zap figure that was available via mail away around 1986 or so.  This figure has a very slight color variant to the previous Zap figures.  And, as such, there is also a bazooka color variant that is not listed above.  I have only seen the colors and not been able to verify the markings.  So, if you have any info on this Zap bazooka variant, please let me know so I can update the resource.

Red Shadows Shadowtrak - European Action Force Exclusive

Everyone knows about the repainted G.I. Joe vehicles that were incorporated into the European Action Force line.  There are two lost gems from this line, though, to which G.I. Joe collectors pay little attention.  The first is the excellently sculpted weapons that were exclusive to the European line.  The second was the Palitoy exclusive vehicles that were created to accompany the figures.  It is the vehicles to which this profile is dedicated.  And, while there are are several exceptional Palitoy exclusive vehicles that were released, I find the Shadowtrak the one example that most fits with an American Joe collection.

The Shadowtrak was affiliated with the collector favorite Red Shadows faction of the Action Force line.  And, while it was designed for use with the 5 points of articulation Palitoy figures, the similar 3 3/4" scale G.I. Joe figures also work with the toy perfectly well.  The vehicle is also cast in red and charcoal black: giving it a wonderfully vintage G.I. Joe feel.  While you can tell the Shadowtrak isn't a Hasbro release, a casual observer would definitely mistake the vehicle for something straight out of Cobra's earliest years.

The Shadowtrak has about the same footprint as a Hiss Tank.  It is much lower in height, though.  And, despite the appearance of a lot of area for figures, the vehicle only actually holds two individuals: one in the driver's seat and one in the rear facing gunner's station.  For some reason, the driver's seat folds down to create a larger space in the vehicle.  But, since the driver is now precluded from sitting at the controls, the seat doesn't seem to serve much purpose beyond being one of those little nuances of a toy that make it appear to do more than it actually does.  You can put the driver in a prone position with the seat down, making the Shadowtrak work much like the 1987 G.I. Joe Low Crawl Vehicle.

The Shadowtrak is well armed.  It includes 2 mounted machine guns.  They can be configured differently around the Shadowtrak's various post holes.  You have have them forward facing or as weapons for use by the rear facing gunner.  If you can find either reproduction machine guns or extra originals, you could easily double the armaments for the Shadowtrak.  It also features two small missile caps on the side mounted bars.  Just the tips are removable and they are somewhat small and can often be missing from Shadowtraks found in the wild.  There's also an antenna that fits into the posts and can be moved around to fit your tastes.

Among the parts included with the Shadowtrak is a removable tow hook.  The hook isn't the standard G.I. Joe hook introduced in 1982.  It is just a single spike.  The upside is that is more versatile than the Hasbro designed hook that was really engineered to only be compatible with other Joe toys.  The downside, though, is that it's not standard Joe height.  Neither an ASP nor the SMS can be affixed to the hook as it sits too high: which is a shame as they both are great companion pieces.  But, as neither design was given to the Red Shadows, you can see why the precision of the hook with all Joe vehicles may not have been as much of a concern.  The Laser Exterminator, though, does fit onto the hook.  So, this makes the two Red Shadows vehicles perfect companions for each other.

The Shadowtrak was first released by Palitoy in 1983.  That version was released in a window box.  Around 1984, the packaging was changed to a card box, more similar to G.I. Joe vehicles from the U.S.  The vehicle itself, though, is a modified release of the Action Force AF5 vehicle that first appeared around 1982.  This vehicle was a flying car that included a lot of snap on accessories.  The body was used again on the Cosmic Cruiser around the same time as the Shadowtrak was released.  The versatility of the mold is shown by these three releases.  You will note there are a lot of unused holes on the Shadowtrak.  On the surface, these allow for the owner to configure the guns and antenna in different combinations.  But, they also allowed for Palitoy to get more uses out of the base body mold without the toys appearing to be just straight repaints.  This is both a marvel of engineering and design as well as a genius way to get more out a single toy mold.  Hasbro really never took this approach.  To a causal observer, the AF5, Shadowtrak and Cosmic Cruiser would appear to be different toys.  But, the use of the removable parts helped to obscure the fact that the base body was used several times.

It also allows you to move the guns and antenna around and set the Shadowtrak into different configurations. I love vehicles with rear facing weapons as you never know when the bad guys will start chasing you.  But, it's also practical to have the weapons forward facing for attack positions.  With the Shadowtrak, you can move the guns around to your preferred setting depending upon the situation.  It's a neat little detail that gives the vehicle more flexibility without sacrificing too much aesthetic.

The Shadowtrak included a driver named Red Vulture. Red Vulture was a straight re-release of the single carded Red Shadow figure with a minor difference.  Red Vulture has black gloves painted on his hands.  It's easy to remember that the driver is wearing driving gloves.  There are instances where the vehicle included the standard Red Shadow figure, too.  Fortunately, the vehicle being designed for a 5 points of articulation figure doesn't preclude vintage Joes from fitting inside it just fine.

Shadowtraks are both easy and hard to find.  In the U.S., there are few people who sell them.  Those who do, want inordinate amounts for them.  You'll often see opened box samples offered for $100 or more.  They don't sell at that price.  However, if you can find sellers in Europe or, especially, the UK, the prices fall precipitously.  You'll often see mint and complete Shadowtraks in the $30 or so range from non U.S. sellers.  Unfortunately, many of them will not ship to the United States.  If you can find one who does, the shipping isn't terrible as the vehicle isn't overly large and is relatively lightweight.

While we don't know for sure what happened to the Action Force toy molds, it's a pretty safe bet that they no longer exist.  When Hasbro acquired Palitoy in the early '80's they shifted Action Force away from the Palitoy proprietary molds towards repainted Hasbro molds.  Then, the forfeited the repaints and just released American toys on Action Force cards.  These transitioned into differently logo-ed G.I. Joe cards and boxes and the Action Force roots slowly faded away.  It's doubtful that Hasbro had any incentive to save the Palitoy molds.  They could have sold them off or licensed them out like they did with G.I. Joe.  But, this would have likely cut into Joe's international revenue stream and there was little incentive for Hasbro to compete with its flagship toy line.  So, the molds have been MIA since these releases.  I'd have loved for a few of them to have popped up in the 2000's.  But, since Hasbro didn't know where most of its own molds were, it is unreasonable to think they had access to the old Palitoy offerings.

For me, the Shadowtrak is an excellent way to expand an early Cobra army.  You have seen mine outfitted with Crimson Cobra Troopers from factory custom Joe makers.  They are a perfect match for the look and feel of the Shadowtrak and allow me more flexibility when putting together a Cobra convoy using figures and vehicles from prior to 1985.  On top of that, the vehicle fits the Cobra aesthetic.  It's kind of odd and loaded down with lots of weapons that may or may not make sense.  But, that is Cobra to a "T".  The Shadowtrak is a nice addition for a Laser Exterminator and looks good among other Cobra vehicles.  It offers anti-infantry capabilities that were lacking on the Hiss Tank and Stinger.  And, the different configurations lend themselves to army building Shadowtraks without them all appearing the same.

The Shadowtrak has opened the door of Action Force vehicles to me.  There are a wide variety of Palitoy offerings (mostly on the good guy side, though) that look very cool and fill a niche that Joe could use.  The problem, of course, if that some of them are very hard to find in good condition and complete.  While this Shadowtrak can be affordable, many of the other Action Force exclusives are less so.  But, the additional value this item brings to my collection far exceeds it's monetary cost.  I'm not really sure how I went so long without a Shadowtrak: especially when you consider they were rather common from U.S. sellers in the early 2000's.  But, I have the Shadowtrak now and it's become a vital part of my collection.

European Exclusive Laser Exterminator

The Heavy Artillery Laser, or HAL, was released in the first wave of G.I. Joe figures in 1982.  It was a huge, towable laser cannon that included the Grand Slam figure.  It was the perfect blend of absolute science fiction and realistic military.  Hasbro milked the mold in '82 and '83 and sold a LOT of toys.  Around 1984, Hasbro gave the molds to Palitoy where they could recolor some classic Joe molds into exclusive colors and incorporate them into the Action Force toy line ahead of that line's transition to classic, standard G.I. Joe releases.  The line featured a small run of repaints of the American molds for figures and vehicles.  All were interesting and different from what you could get in the U.S.  One of the most interesting, though, was the Laser Exterminator.  It is a red and black repaint of the HAL that was changed to the Red Shadow affiliation.

The Red Shadows were the enemy of Action Force.  At their core, they retained the elements of Cobra.  But, to be fair, the elements of Cobra are the essence of every fictional villainous group that's been created since World War II.  They were dangerous and had really cool uniforms with a skull and crossbones logo.  As Palitoy moved away from the Action Force concept and adopted G.I. Joe, though, these managed to release a few Hasbro molds as Action Force toys.  This is important as it created a tie to the two lines.  Had Action Force never had the Joe figures and just been the 5 points of articulation figures and some vehicles, it's doubtful that American collectors would have paid it much heed.  But, with the last wave inclusion of Hasbro figures, the lines were forever intertwined and collectors have clamored for more Action Force items ever since.

As a toy, the Laser Exterminator made much more sense as a weapon of the villains.  It was high tech, highly impractical and completely out of character for a conventional military force.  As the byproduct of a Japanese technical wizard, though, the Laser Exterminator took on a much more useful role.  It was the domain of an evil genius rather than overzealous government weapons contracts.  Cobra always had that element of super-villainy and the Red Shadows featured that, too.  In the early days of the G.I. Joe line, Joe had all the best equipment.  If you're looking for the really science fiction-y stuff, it was mostly on the Joe side.  (The SNAKE armor was the most "out there" concept on the Cobra side for a while.)  Joe had individual jet packs, soldiers carrying laser rifles on their backs and a towable laser cannon.  Cobra was a bit more grounded with their equipment, even if their main characters were super villain clones as opposed to the plain Jane G.I. Joes of the first year.

But, like any good enemy organization, Cobra had to evolve.  They became more science fiction than fact because that's what good villains do.  In order to maintain their threat, Cobra needed to be able to bend the edges of reality.  In this realm, the Laser Exterminator is a perfect fit.  The practicality of a laser cannon is rather debatable.  Especially, one that elevates.  It would have to hit an aircraft in flight.  (Though, the speed of a laser would likely allow that, assuming the sighting system is good enough.)  It's kind of funny to re-read G.I. Joe #1 now and see the HAL taking out tanks on the ground.  The cannon would have to have a clear shot.  Which, for a weapon that requires another vehicle to tow it, would lead to a short field life.  But, the HAL remains a fun toy.  And, that is where the value in the design lies.  But, a super impractical, overly engineered laser weapon is exactly what I'd expect from a villainous organization that wears bright red uniforms and has a skull and crossbones as its logo.

My brother got the HAL for his epic birthday in 1982.  In fact, he got a couple of them.  However, his best friend's mom, seeing the same toys piling up, picked up the extras and exchanged them for Joe vehicles he didn't get.  But, that original HAL was the only one we ever had.  Despite that, the toy survived much better than any other vehicle that entered our playroom in 1982.  The stabilizer and computer were lost.  But, the toy still functioned without those items.  That original HAL is still around.  My mother's home has a back porch that is filled with toys for her many grandchildren to play with when they come over.  It is a combination of hand me downs from the oldest grandkids, items my mother has purchased on her own through the years and leftover toys from the childhoods of me and my brothers.  There's a few Joe toys in there: a Skystriker shell, a beat up old HQ and this HAL are among them.  They are sturdy and work fine for the kids.  They are all enthralled by some of the toys and incorporate them into play along with stuff you can buy at retail today.

The Laser Exterminator has a few distinct advantages over the HAL.  The most obvious is the color.  But, the stark red color isn't the real draw.  The HAL was all one solid green color.  It's cool.  But, you lose the sense that it's made of multiple parts.  The Laser Exterminator solves this by incorporating black plastic pieces into the mold.  The barrels, base, seat and back are all done up in darker colors: providing a distinct contrast on the toy itself.  It brings the mold to life in a different way from the HAL.  In addition to the coloring, the Action Force rendition also includes a much better array of stickers.  The additional computer display sticker in the gunner's station really adds a lot to the mold and makes the weapon appear more complicated.  It's a subtle detail, but one that shows small things can have a large impact on the overall view of a toy.

The HAL mold was a worldwide staple.  After the U.S. release and Hasbro's repurposing of the mold for Action Force, the HAL traveled to South America where it was released in Brazil and Argentina.  It seems the mold died down there, though, and it never resurfaced again.  In the 2000's, collectors would have welcomed a HAL repaint, regardless of whether it was Joe or Cobra.  Getting any towed vehicle was a treat and seeing a classic mold would have been a great surprise.  Knowing Hasbro of the time, though, any release would have likely been red in a blatant rip off of the Laser Exterminator.  So, we might be better off that they didn't release it.  But, there are lots of HAL's out there for the determined collector to find.  I just think that the Laser Exterminator is the most interesting one.

In the early 2000's, as collectors were just finding their footing, Action Force vehicles and figures were extremely pricey.  At the time, a loose, mint and complete Laser Exterminator might run you $80 to $100.  Red Laser himself was a $100 figure.  But, Action Force exists in large quantities in Europe.  And, the relative lack of language barriers, reliability of postal service and general large size of the European collector base slowly evened out the supply of the Action Force items.  Plus, large quantities of these toys were dumped to European liquidators in the 1980's and huge supplies of MIB Action Force items survived into the collecting world.  Today, complete Laser Exterminators can be purchased for under $20.  You can get them complete with a high quality Red Laser figure for under $60.  It's a far cry from the early days.  But, shows how the demand has been evened out and met.  It's possible that Action Force will one day regain its pricing.  But, that's unlikely.  So, the modern collector has an opportunity to buy up some excellent international pieces at a fraction of their cost from a decade and a half ago.  That alone is reason why the Laser Exterminator should be part of every collection.