1989 Night Force Shockwave - Around The Web

Shockwave is, usually, everyone's favorite 1988 figure.  His 1989 Night Force release, though, is even more highly desired.  The darker colors really work for the mold.  So, you'll pay a substantial premium to get the Night Force figure.  But, it's kind of worth it.  This is a really nice rendition.  But, when it costs at least 10 times more than the 1988 figure, it's not a casual purchase.  Here is some of the best content on this figure from around the web.

Night Force Shockwave Profile

Night Force Shockwave by gi_joe_85

Night Force Shockwave by satanic_supremacy_87

Night Force Shockwave by dreadnokdread

Night Force Shockwave by HCC788

Shockwave at Half the Battle

Night Force Shockwave by steviedblockheadink

1992 Shockwave - Around the Web

The 1992 Shockwave is an excellent figure.  He is true to the original character and includes an amazing helmet.  The entire 1992 DEF series of figures is actually amazingly well done.  It features good colors, unique and memorable accessories and cool characters.  There's really nothing about the set to not like.  Shockwave is probably the best overall figure of the bunch.  Here's the best of him from around the web.

1992 Shockwave Profile

Shockwave By Scarrviper

1992 Shockwave Pre Production at YoJoe.com

Shockwave at 3DJoes.com

Shockwave at Half the Battle

1992 DEF Toy Fair Catalog at JoeADay.com

1988 Shockwave - Around the Web

The 1988 Shockwave figure has long been a collector favorite.  His sculpting is pretty strong.  He had great accessories.  And, his non-traditional color made sense for his specialty.  There was a time when he was, easily, the most sought after 1988 Joe character.  He's still pretty popular.  But, most collectors have him and have found some of his later repaints to be better figures.  But, the original still has a lot of cachet.  But, due to his codename having a lot of real world applications as well as being shared with a classic Transformer, his content gets buried.  So, I didn't find a whole lot on Shockwave out there.  But, here's what I came up with:

1988 Shockwave Profile

Shockwave at JoeADay.com

Shockwave Video Review

Pre-Production Shockwave at YoJoe.com

Night Force Shockwave Profile

Shockwave Dio

Diorama - Busted

This dio was taken in Indiana in either December or January.  It was a clear, dry and sunny day: as you can see in the pics.  But, it was freezing cold.  By the time the whole thing was set up, the vintage thumbs started getting brittle and my camera kept shutting off as the battery was too cold.  I liked the idea of a large group of law enforcement capturing the Dreadnoks and the show of force it would take to do so.


You'll see the CORPS! Hummer in the pics. At the time, it was about the best Hummer you get for Joes.  But, it was cheap and brittle.  But, it also cost like $10 with three figures.  So, you get what you pay for.  Just off camera was my relatively new Funskool Super Cop capturing my relatively new Funskool Red Dog.  They were the main reason I got all this out.  But, the rest of the scene was pretty fun to work out.

Diorama - The Blitz

Here's the first set of photos I took in the puddle that formed after every rainstorm at my house in Indiana.  The sun was setting so I didn't have much time.   But, I think the urgency of the setup is conveyed in the chaos of the scene.

I wanted to use the 1994 Viper more, especially en masse.  Being able to use Shockwave, Stalker and Hit and Run was a bonus.  This location would get a lot more use in the next two years as a setting for lakes, swamps and islands.  Having access to clear, pooled water made for a lot of fun photos.  It's something I do miss about the weather in the Midwest.

1988 Shockwave

As a release year, 1988 had quite a few advantages over 1987.  While the 1987 Joes have some of the most iconic characters in the line, the 1988 Joes stand with them toe to toe in terms of figure design, coloration and accessories.  The 1988 Cobras still have their issues.  But, they are substantially ahead of the 1987 Cobra characters.  1987 obviously wins out in terms of media exposure and that alone made 1987 the line of demarcation in the Joe line for many years.  Figures made through 1987 were "awesome" and those made after were much less so.  Time, though, has faded much of the early year bias in the Joe line and many collectors have come to realize the exceptional figures produced throughout the lifespan of the Joe line.  High quality figures from all years have seen upticks in popularity in the collecting world and have become figures by which collectors define a base collection.  One such figure is the 1988 Shockwave.

If you want to look for one simple reason for the vintage Joe line's success it was the diversion from military only into a more diverse grouping.  Joes weren't all grunts wearing green fatigues.  The colors that were added gave the figures more character.  But, some more civilian specialties were added to the ranks as a way to continue the diversity of the line.  (Unfortunately, the line followed this through reductio ad absurdum with the ultimate inclusion of space aliens, cyborgs and bright neon colors.)  Figures like Shockwave with his SWAT specialty deviate from the traditional notion of military toys, but are still closely related enough that it's not a stretch to see a figure like this in a line named G.I. Joe.

The Shockwave mold is incredibly detailed.  His body armor, mask and general design are intricately detailed.  The sad part, though, is that Hasbro didn't bring out these details with paint masks.  At his core, the figure is two toned in multiple shades of blue with a few splashes of yellow cammo.  The handguns, knives, buckles and other details from the figure are left in the base colors.  Really, the figure appears to have paint masks more in line with releases from the line's final year than it does his 1988 contemporaries.  But, even with this lack of paint, the figure works.  The mold is still strong enough and the colors done right enough that the missing details can be forgiven.

My main memory of Shockwave as a character comes from the issue of G.I. Joe Special Missions where he was introduced.  My recollection is not of Shockwave, though, as much as it is of the story and father with the rictus.  But, that tells the story of Shockwave in a nutshell: he is relatively undeveloped.  You have a character wearing a badass uniform with wicked accessories who can pretty much be anyone you want him to be.  Or, as is the case in my collection, who you don't want him to be.  To this day, I view Shockwave as more of an army builder type figure than an actual Joe character.  The faceless mask and law enforcement background make him more of a nameless support character who may bite the dust when faced with a den of Cobras.  It gives the figure more use, even though the character is undeveloped.

Shockwave's accessories are nearly perfect.  His blue backpack is large and detailed.  The side, though, features a working sheath for Shockwave's knife.  The blade is designed in silver and is an imposing addition to the Shockwave character.  He also includes a terrible blue handgun that doesn't really fit into his hand.  The handle is too broad and the design is somewhat bulky.  The sad reality is that this handgun saw massive reuse in the '90's as a staple of the weapon trees.  Shockwave's main weapon, though, is the blue, suppressed sub machine gun with stock.  While the weapon is well detailed and sturdy, it still plays out as a compact urban assault weapon.  It really works perfectly with the figure.  Of course, the main issue with all of Shockwave's weapons is that they are blue to match the figure.  When used with Shockwave, the blue is forgivable since it matches the figure.  But, it makes it pretty much impossible to share Shockwave's gear with other figures.  The upside is that his machine gun was available in black with the hard to find Night Force Shockwave, but also with the easier to track down 1992 Ace, so collectors have a cheap way to acquire one for use with other figures.

The Shockwave mold was used in 1988 and again in 1989 as part of the Night Force subset.  The legs appeared in 1993 for Beach Head.  (They, though, died in Brazil after they were used on the Armadilha figure.)  After that, the mold disappeared for many years.  In 2008, the head, chest and arms finally reappeared for a convention release.  Collectors were deprived of the mold in 2002 when Hasbro could not find it for the Wave 1.5 release.  There is much that could have been done with this mold.  Collectors would have loved to have seen it in multiple colors in various repaint sets.  But, that never happened and collectors are left with another mold full of unfulfilled potential.

Shockwave figures are rather popular.  He is a character that collectors enjoy and desire to be part of their collections.  As such, mint and complete with filecard versions are among the more expensive 1988 standard release figures.  The figure is very prone to discoloration, cracked elbows and paint wear.  So, finding a mint version can be a bit of a challenge.  But, Shockwave is well worth the acquisition.  Many collectors prefer the Night Force version or the Convention version.  But, the original is much cheaper, easier to find and as useful as those rarer figures.

1989 Night Force Shockwave

When collectors talk about the figures they are missing from their collections, they often mention many of the same things: Starduster, a gold headed Steel Brigade, Create-A-Cobra, etc. Mostly, these are rare, one off items that were short lived mail aways or figures who were exclusively included with large, expensive vehicles. The one exception to this, though, is the entire subset of Night Force figures. While there are many collectors who do own a complete set and the acquisition of the entire 12 figure series is not terribly difficult to accomplish, there are many other collectors who either have very few Night Force figures or none at all. The reasons are many and are usually valid. Many collectors are simply waiting for their Night Force figure of choice to become available for a price with which they are comfortable. In the meantime, they are missing many well done figures (even if they are only repaints). Perhaps the best of them all, though, is the Night Force Shockwave.  

Shockwave is a rare post-'87 character who has caught on with the collecting community. His top notch mold, realistic colors, unique specialty and great accessories make him one of the few figures released after 1987 who most collectors want to have in their collection. His police blue uniform perfectly meshed with his specialty. His uniform was also the perfect melding of military and civilian police. His blue accessories were a bit suspect, but forgivable. The Night Force version simply takes everything great about the original figure and gives it a little more flexibility in terms of use. It is an example of a repaint done right. The Night Force figure is not, necessarily, better than the original, but it is does lend itself to uses that the original figure does not. It is a supplement to the original figure and expands the situations in which the Shockwave character can be used. This is how repaints should be approached: making a character more useful rather than creating multiple versions of a mold that all simply replace each other.  

In 1988, I was at the end of my Joe collecting days. I purchased a few, select figures, but not many. My younger brothers, though, were still full bore into Joes and picked up nearly the entire 1988 line. This allowed me a chance to use Shockwave and grow to like the figure. I thought the mold was good. His increased bulk was easily explained away by the massive armour he would have to wear. His accessories were different and his wicked knife suggested a side to Shockwave that you didn't see in most other Joes. As such, when I returned to collecting, I sought out a few Shockwave figures. I picked up many blue ones, but now regret passing on all those extra complete NF Shockwaves that you used to see on Ebay simply because the princely sum of $15 was just WAY too much to spend on one Joe figure. But, I suppose that had I done that back then, I would have had to pass several other figures that are in my collection by. Perhaps the one I would have missed would have been the one that got me to start this site in the first place. So, I guess the regrets aren't too great.  

The Shockwave mold had a brief history. He was released in the U.S. in '88 and '89. After that, he does not appear again until 1993 when his legs were used on the 1993 Beach Head figure. (It is not clear if the 1993 mail away versions were simply overstock or a new production run.) This is noteworthy since the '93 Beachhead was then sent to Brazil: taking Shockwave's legs with him. In 2002, though, Hasbro had to hastily put together Wave 1.5 to fill the time gap while they retrofitted the Wave 2 figures with O-rings. This wave was meant to include not only the 1986 Hawk mold, but the V1 Shockwave mold as well. Since the wave was rushed, though, those molds could not be located. The result was the less than stellar use of the Tomahawk and Shockwave V2 molds. At this point, Shockwave could be anywhere. However, he is most certainly one of the few Joe affiliated figures that collectors would almost universally welcome back. I would like to see him in a comic pack with that issue of Special Missions where he encounters the man with the rictus. I think that would be a perfect way to bring this mold back to collectors and give the character the little due that canonical Joe media gave him.  

In my collection, Shockwave has always been a nameless, faceless law enforcement army builder. My collection is stocked with dozens of versions of Law and Dial Tone who fill law enforcement roles. Shockwave was just an addition to them. He was the specialized SWAT trooper who kicked the door down. (Much as the character was intended.) He was not, though, a named individual. He had a cool mold and I wanted to be able to use more than one of him at a time. This version, though, will probably become Shockwave. Frankly, the current burst of retail army builders has left me wanting for more characters. As such, I'm looking to bring many characters that I had simply abandoned back into my collection. I'm tired of every figure needing to be an army builder for collectors to get excited about it. The good thing, though, is that the current army building emphasis has brought me to appreciate many older, forgotten characters like Shockwave again.  

Night Force was released as a two part Toys R Us exclusive figure run. Sold in 2 packs, the figures were simply repaints of molds that were released the prior year. The first year, 1988, included repaints of Tunnel Rat, Falcon, Pysche Out, Outback, Crazy Legs and Sneek Peek. All six of the molds had been first released in 1987 and Hasbro used the Night Force paint scheme as a way to put the characters back into circulation. In 1989, they repainted Shockwave, Lightfoot, Spearhead, Charbroil, Muskrat and Repeater in the same fashion. The similar paint schemes spanning 2 years spoke to the success of the TRU exclusives. However, by their nature of being exclusives who were timed for release at the holidays, the window of availability for these figures was short. So short that many collectors did not know about these figures at all until well after their childhood. As such, we are left with one of the rarer subsets in the entire line. (The '89's are a bit harder to find than the '88's.)  

Shockwave was probably produced in greater numbers than any of the other '89 Night Force figures except for Repeater. The reason is that he was available as a mail in with the Night Force Repeater some time around 1993. Many of these mail away sets were unsold, though, and were later sold/given to various dealers who then slowly sifted the overstock into the Joe collecting community. However, this has done little to abate the price of Night Force Shockwaves. Mint, complete with his filecard, this figure can go as high as $70. Though, if you are willing to sacrifice completeness, you can get him substantially cheaper since the mail away did not include his accessories. The Night Force Shockwave is one of the more expensive American Joes. He has the perfect combination of being highly desirable and rather hard to find. That isn't to say that you can't still find deals. Many dealers who don't specialize in Joe will still offer Night Force figures for cheaper prices. You just have to find them. Personally, I find this figure to be a great addition to a collection, but not so much better than the original version as to justify his price tag. If I can get a deal on one, I'd pick him up. But, I'd be hesitant to spend large sums on one.

1992 Shockwave

While the 1993 D.E.F. figures were very, very bad, the original 1992 figures were actually very good. While it's hard to pin one figure as the best, the 1992 Shockwave is a perfect example of a great fig redone very well. Regardless of your feelings about the G.I. Joe foray into the drug wars, the figures produced in this subset are of the highest quality and should be a part of just about every collection. They were all colored realistically, came with good accessories, and are fun figures to own. It's a shame that so many collectors disdain the D.E.F. without really paying attention to the figures. I find it sad that so many collectors hold the joes so close to their predetermined personalities and specialties. A little imagination is all it takes for figures like this to be an integral part of any story line.

This figure is just awesome. He looks like a member of the bomb squad. I've only recently acquired this figure, but from the first moment I put him together, he went into my heavy play rotation. There is always a use for this guy, be it security, guard, bomb squad, or military E.O.D. He is a great figure of which to have multiples. Like most of the Joes I feature here, this guy can make an excellent army builder. I like figures like this as you can have them get killed by Cobra, or whatever other enemy you have. The faceless minions of law enforcement would be the first wave of contact if Cobra was into domestic terrorism. This figure makes this type of scenario much more fun to enact.

This figure is excellently sculpted, and has a realistic color scheme. The basic blue and black is very close to uniforms that would be worn by American police departments. I love the flak vest and kneepads. Small features like this that added to the figures' realism often go unnoticed, but they are what made the Joe line so enduring. Even without his helmet, this guy is just a solid figure. The helmet, though, makes him incredibly unique. His gun is very cool, but the battering ram he came with really sucks. All the flash up accessories that I've seen were very lame. I would, though, like to get my hands on Cutter's net launcher. That has some potential.

4/20/07 Update

Since this original profile, Hasbro has graced collectors with 2 new releases of this Shockwave mold. The first, in 2001, was similar in color to this figure, but had a new head and was released as Sure Fire. That figure was also released without the trademark helmet that makes this Shockwave so cool. In 2002, Hasbro recolored the entire Shockwave mold in green and brown and again released it as Sure Fire. This figure is a great companion to the '92 figure but it, again, was missing the accessories that made the original so memorable. At this point, Hasbro has had enough opportunities to release the figure as Shockwave with the original accessories that they would have done so had they any intention of ever doing so. Still, it was nice to see the mold reappear as it allowed the mold to be better appreciated by collectors that had bypassed the original release of the figure.

End 4/20/07 Update

1992 Shockwaves are kind of difficult to find. I think the D.E.F. was cancelled due to low sales. The amazing lack of loose samples of all the D.E.F. figures seems to say this was the case. You can find Headhunters carded, but that's about it. Most people have a couple of these figures, but few have them all. I think Hasbro included the light up accessory in order to raise the price point. Why would anyone buy a figure for a dollar or more extra when similar, cheaper figures are sitting right next to it? I'm no business major, but adding gimmicks to raise the price doesn't seem like a particularly good idea, especially if the cheaper alternative is still being produced. Just look at all the Star Wars merchandise, with the overpriced and really horrible commtech chips, that is clogging the shelves. Every now and then you can pick this guy up in lots. He can, though, become expensive if you manage to find him by himself. Like most of the '92 D.E.F. figures, Shockwave doesn't appear too often, and when he does, many people are after him. Still, if you can find him, this figure is an excellent addition to any collection.

I'm still looking for most of the rest of the 1992 D.E.F. Especially Headhunters. Can you help? Email me.