Sky Patrol Steel Brigade - Red Laser Army

I'm not a great fan of the Steel Brigade.  But, every now and then, a repaint of a bad figure or bad idea comes along that redeems the figure or character in my eyes.  In 2017, this occurred with a Red Laser Army release of the Steel Brigade done in up in a combo of silverish grey and blue.  This "Sky Patrol" version of the anonymous Joe army builder was a new look for the character and created a striking color contrast that really worked with the mold.  The colors matched up well enough with vintage Sky Patrol figures and created a great little subset of figures with which a Sky Patrol army could be built.  While this figure hasn't removed the stigma of Steel Brigade in general, it has allowed me an opportunity to enjoy the mold more so than I have with most other repaints.

Sky Patrol has also long been a concept to which I've been cool.  Even during my heyday of buying Joes, I only ever got a couple of the figures.  Now, I have just two of them.  It was never a subset that really clicked for me.  And, I'm not a big fan of the Steel Brigade, either.  Yet, together, the concepts mesh extremely well.  The idea of support troops for a unit that I kind of see as ancillary to G.I. Joe rather than integrated within it works for me.  

Somehow, the Steel Brigade mold ended up being released by both Black Major and Red Laser.  Each made different color schemes.  So, that created a wide variety for the character.  In very short order, there were desert, arctic, black, blue and even Action Force Steel Brigade figures released.  The plethora of army building options allowed collectors to fill out their Steel Brigade armies.  Some were great repaints.  Others were just OK.  Personally, I found this blue and silver version to be the most compelling.  The colors aren't often seen in the Joe line.  And, the Sky Patrol figures that debuted the color scheme no longer call my collection home.  So, the colors were even more unique to me.

When I first saw this Sky Patrol rendition of the Steel Brigade, my first thought was that they'd make a solid crew for the Tomahawk.  The blue and silver shouldn't work with the brown helicopter.  But, that was my main thought about usage for the figures.  I suspect that the connection was just a manifestation of my desire to use the Tomahawk more.  But, with the figures in hand, I still didn't do anything with the Tomahawk.  Even today, I have yet to put it together, again.  I will do it at some point.  And, then, I'll finally take photos of the iconic chopper with their crew.  Until then, I often look at these Steel Brigade figures with grandiose ideas in my head.  And, I then utterly fail to properly showcase how cool the figures are in any attempt at photos.  

Sadly, these Steel Brigade figures suffer from a design flaw.  The hands are extremely small.  So small that they won't really hold the rifles without either modifying the rifle or modifying the hands.  Both are bad options.  And, it really limits these figures since it's very difficult to get them to hold their weapons without risking thumb breakage.  Aside from that, though, the quality is very good.  The plastic is different from vintage and repaint era Hasbro plastic.  So, you'll notice it once in hand.  But, the joints are tight and the paint masks are crisp.  So, the these Steel Brigades work well in a collection.

The figures included a nice complement of accessories.  The coolest piece was the silver backpack.  It is a cool color that works perfectly with the figure.  He also includes a small pistol and knife.  I'm not 100% sure of the origin of these sculpts.  They are Joe-adjacent and not reproductions of vintage Joe gear.  The coup de gras, though, was the inclusion of a black Steel Brigade rifle.  This rifle was highly desired outside of the baby blue in which it debuted with Recoil back in 1989.  And, for the first decade of online Joe collecting, it was acquirable.  But, that had changed by 2017.  So, being able to acquire large quantities of properly colored versions of the weapon was the real value in the figure.  As the very common version "D" Steel Brigade was my entry point to the character, I only consider the Recoil weapon as the viable weapon for any Steel Brigades.  So, it's great to have it included with this version.

In the late 2010's, Black Major produced a dozen or so repaints of the Steel Brigade.  Simultaneously, Red Laser Army released another 1/2 dozen, give or take, repaints of the mold.  Black Major's figures included an alternate, Airborne torso to help differentiate your armies.  The Red Laser figures, though, did not.  Black Major's figures also included an Airborne rifle while Red Laser Army included a more modernly sculpted pistol that didn't fit into the figure's hands.  Between the two factions, there were more than enough Steel Brigades to go around.  But, after the initial runs were completed, the molds disappeared from both sellers.  In 2023, Black Major brought the Steel Brigades back with a newly updated mold.  Again, many new repaints were produced.  The Airborne torso was gone.  But, the new figures filled in gaps that had been missing for nearly 40 years.  

Sadly, Sky Patrol Steel Brigade figures have pretty much dried up.  You could buy lots of three figures for $12 each for a long time.  But, those days are gone.  And, all of the Red Laser Steel Brigade flavors have gotten much harder to find.  You can expect to pay in excess of $30 for one of the figures these days.  The popularity of Steel Brigade in general, the high quality of this figure and the usefulness of this specialty within the Steel Brigade ranks all add up to a desirable acquisition for newer collectors.  It's really amazing to me how much the Joe world changed between 2017 and 2020.  That short span fundamentally altered the landscape of collecting from an affordable past time to a speculative collectible with a high cost of entry.  It's too bad.  Because, figures like this Steel Brigade were designed to be an affordable way to build the army you always wanted as a kid.  Now, they're single purchases that get tucked away in drawers or boxes and check off a box on a spreadsheet.  It's fun to recall these days of Red Laser Army as they speak to a simpler time in the collecting world.  I think this figure represents the innocence of that era and the potential that still existed in the line.

 

1990 Sky Patrol Altitude - Around the Web

Sky Patrol is one of those subsets that I should really like.  But, for some reason, I'm rather indifferent to it.  Sure, the figures are really nicely done...even if they are majoritively repaints.  I really like the idea of Sky Patrol and I've tried to implement them into my collection.  But, to this day, I only have two of them in my collection.  The upside is that I'm able to enjoy each figure on it's own merits rather than taking the subset as a whole.  This has lead to Altitude remaining a figure I get out for photos more often than other, similar rarity figures.  

It seems others take the same approach as Altitude has some pretty decent content on him out there.  Some of this stuff is really old and worth taking another look at.  (Though, sadly, some of the links may have expired between the time I first cataloged them and now...especially at Joedios.com.)  But, scroll through all the creators and enjoy their looks at the 1990 Altitude.

1990 Sky Patrol Altitude Profile

1990 Altitude by corpscommandercody

1990 Altitude by Hit and Run

1990 Altitude by Outrider

1990 Altitude by silencer

1990 Altitude by jogunwarrior

1990 Altitude by thedustinmccoy

1990 Altitude by slipstream80

1990 Altitude by gi_joeisthere

1990 Altitude by thedustinmccoy

1990 Altitude by ptytoys2021

1990 Altitude by thedustinmccoy

Rarities - James Bond Jr. Black Parachute Pack

While G.I. Joe was the staple of Hasbro's action figure offerings, they did also make some other, lesser heralded action figures lines as well.  Among them is the 1991 James Bond Jr. line.  I have no recollection of the James Bond Jr. franchise.  I was out of toys in 1991 and not really watching afternoon TV, either.  However, it was a fairly ambitious project.  It featured 65 TV shows (an absurdly high number for an unproven concept), novels, comic books, games, video games and, yes, a full toy line with action figures and vehicles.  Despite all of this, the concept was pretty much dead by 1992.  I have to assume that some of the companies involved took a bath by investing so heavily in something that was so fleeting.  But, it didn't deter Hasbro from chasing other, licensed properties in later years.

The toy line is unremarkable.  There were 12 figures and 3 vehicles.  The figures are early 90's garbage with limited articulation and exaggerated features.  This likely made them cheap to produce.  So, that may have mitigated Hasbro's exposure.  The figures came with an accessory or two.  One, of those accessories, though, is remarkable because it was reused from the G.I. Joe line.

The James Bond Jr. in Flight Gear figure includes a black version of the 1990 Sky Patrol parachute pack.  In 1990, Hasbro had used this mold, extensively, for the Sky Patrol series of figures.  So, they knew that the mold was available and that it worked.  A working parachute is a neat feature for a toy.  So, reusing something like that from the Joe line was a great way to make a figure attractive to kids while also cost saving by using an existing mold.

The parachute pack was only released at retail in the black color with James Bond Jr. and the Paratrooper Guile.  However, in 1994, the rather rare Convention Exclusive Fighter Pilot also included a black parachute pack.  Many people find the black parachute pack from James Bond Jr. and think they've found a super rare gem from the obscure convention figure.  And, you'll see many, many, many, many, many, many questions about this James Bond Jr. pack in various forums, etc.  But, there are actually two different molds for the parachute packs.  The mail away version is different from the Sky Patrol version.  And, the James Bond Jr. pack is the only black pack that uses the Sky Patrol mold. 

The quickest tell as to which mold you have is the sculpted dials at the top of the back of the pack.  They do not exist on the 1985 mail away mold which is the basis for both the black Action Pilot and the Paratrooper Guile.  So, if you find a black parachute pack out in the wild that has the dials, it's from James Bond Jr.

As nobody cares about James Bond Jr., you can still buy the figures for cheap.  The black pack would be a great option for your Cobras.  And, is a great match for a figure like the Abutre Negro.  But, mostly, it's good to know that there is a difference between the accessory used in this release and the one that was colored black in the G.I. Joe and Street Fighter Movie lines.

Abutre Negro - Random Photos of the Day

My foray into Brazilian figures was entirely driven by the Cobra Flying Scorpion.  It was a figure that, once I was aware of its existence, I had to own.  And, in the 21 years since then, the Flying Scorpion has appeared time and time again on this site.  I get him out relatively often for a super fragile figure.  And, there's a lot of different photo shoots in which he plays a central part.  Lost in the personal appeal that the Flying Scorpion holds for me, though, is that his Cobra team mate in the Brazilian Sky Patrol might actually be a better figure.  And, while I've owned the Abutre Negro figure almost as long as I've had a Flying Scorpion, he is used infrequently and takes an undeserved back seat the primary Estrela figure in my collection.

The Abutre Negro is black, silver and red.  The color scheme works with classic Cobras as well as later Cobra releases.  Originally, I matched him up with the 1988 Destro and team.  As Iron Grenadiers have lost prominence in my collection, though, this figure finds himself more on his own.  As a kitbash, the figure is well done.  Cesspool's chest is one that should have had more uses in the Cobra ranks.  And, Dee Jay's head recolored not only gives the figure a completely different look but also gives a bit of disguising face covering that was common on most Cobras.  In short, if you found this figure in the 1990's, there is nothing about it that suggests anything other than these parts were meant to work together to create this character.

Oddly, though, this figure remains pretty obscure in my collection.  I've only photographed him once since 2012.  Which seems odd since the figure is so well done.  I just haven't had occasion to get him out and use him as often as his quality demands.  Part of that was that I rarely use aircraft in photos.  The other part is that I'm hesitant to attempt to pose him too much in fear of the brittle crotch and thumbs getting broken.  I opened my figure straight off the card back in 2002.  So, he's always been more of a collectible than a plaything.  Hopefully, I can get some more photos of him in the coming years.

One point of interest to me is that I refer to the Flying Scorpion by the English translation of his Brazilian name of Escorpiao Voador.  Yet, for the Abutre Negro, I refer to him by his Brazilian name instead of the translation of Black Vulture of Black Buzzard.  I assume it's just laziness since Escorpioa Voador is more of a mouthful than Abutre Negro.  But, also, in my collection the Flying Scorpion figure is a different character.  So, I really only ever refer to him by his proper name in collecting forums.

So, yeah, Abutre Negros are stupidly expensive.  Patrulha do Ar figures were among the first Brazilian figures to be readily available in the US.  But, they quickly disappeared by the early 2000's.  And, as wave after wave of Brazilian Python Patrol and Tiger Force figures showed up in the 2010's, the Estrela Sky Patrol figures remained relatively scarce.  As they were late releases, it's likely that the stock that was common in the late 1990's and early 2000's was overstock that was purchased by dealers and resellers and few of them were actually toys.  (Much like the 1994 figures in the US.)  So, now you'll pay well over $200 for a mint loose and complete Abutre Negro.  It's a lot and probably more than the pleasure of owning the figure is worth.

I hope that at some point the Pulse collection will move away from straight vintage homages and into more unique territory.  Producing a figure like this would be a strong way to get collectors something they wanted while not straying too far from purpose of the line.  I doubt it will happen, though, as releases have been too sparse so far for them to get into any deep cuts.

1990 Sky Patrol Altitude

I have never really been a Sky Patrol fan.  I'm not sure why.  But, even in my heady collecting days when I bought any and everything, Sky Patrol was never a focus.  In fact, until the acquisition of this figure, I actually owned more Brazilian Patrulha do Ar figures than I did of Hasbro Sky Patrol.  Even looking at everything I've ever owned, the two series are tied and I've even owned more of the unproduced 2003 Sky Patrol Wal Mart figures than I have 1990 Sky Patrol.  For some reason, Sky Patrol wasn't something I actively sought out.  And, due to their general release type and scarcity, they were not something that often appeared in lots of 1990's figures that were the staple of my acquisitions back in the early 2000's.  So, I have not had occasion to really examine Sky Patrol in quite a while.  

Recently, though, I came across some Sky Patrol figures at a local haunt.  I could choose between an Airborne and a Altitude.  While I've long wanted Airborne due to his distinct look, the Altitude figure was in better shape, the same price and fully complete.  So, I went with Altitude and didn't look back.  Once in hand, I found the figure a nice addition to my collection.  The newly sculpted head for the character was very distinct.  His colors are muted, complementary and not often seen on vintage Joes figures.  And, the mold chosen for his body makes sense in the context of his specialty.  In short, he's a solid figure that expands my collection in a different direction than most of my neon-heavy acquisitions.

All of the Sky Patrol figures were repaints of pre-existing vehicle drivers who were given new heads.  Some of the bodies chosen were Joe and some were Cobra.  It was a cheap way for Hasbro to make new figures that included expensive accessories like the parachutes.  The unifying theme of the figures was that they all included chrome colored parachutes that were packed into repaints of the 1985 Parachute Pack case.  Along with the new heads, each figure included an array of unique accessories.  The calling card, though, were the unique helmets that were given to each figure.  No two figures got the same helmet, but all the characters wore them to give the team a modicum of uniformity.  Each figure also included new weapons.  Some were better than others.  But, all were distinct to the Sky Patrol theme.  The end result was that parents were asked to pay a premium price for a product that appeared new and an adequate value.  Even for collectors of the day, the radically different paint schemes on the bodies as well as the elapsed time since their last use helped make the Sky Patrol figures all feel new and worth the extra price.

The Sky Patrol figures, though, lack a real uniformity in their appearance.  While the chrome parachutes tie them together, each figure is individually colored.  Skydive and Static Line share blue and silver hues.  But, the blues are drastically different and Static Line features some off white.  Airwave is cast in tan and pea green.  Airborne is all grey.  Altitude and Dropzone both feature brown.  But, Dropzone's is offset by grey instead of Altitude's green.  In short, the figures look less like a subset as they had previously existed in the Joe world and more like a group of individuals who shared a specialty.  There's enough complementary colors that you can kind of see them together if you really reach for a theme.  But, that also allowed for any kid who just got one of the figures to be able to find a special place for him without feeling cheated that he didn't have the rest of the team.

In thinking about Sky Patrol, it hit me that there really isn't a breakout character among the members.  This struck me as odd.  But, in other subsets, the popularity of a figure is usually determined by the popularity of their original release.  (Think Tiger Force Flint or the Python Patrol Viper.)  Figures like Cesspool, Headhunter and even the Star Brigade Roadblock have found some breakthrough success.  But, they are the exception rather than the rule.  All of the Sky Patrol figures remain about equally difficult to find, in same price range and appear with the same frequency in old collections.  That's probably due to them being packed at equal ratios as well as all being good guys.  Were there one or two Cobra villains in the subset, I'm sure they'd command premium prices over the Joes.  

Altitude pretty much sums up the uses I find for Sky Patrol figures, though.  He looks great in the Tomahawk.  Though, I also suspect he'd fit in nicely with both the Razor Blade and Dragonfly.  As part of the helicopter crew, his flight suit makes sense.  The helmet is icing on the cake for this role.  But, I can't really see Altitude as a ground trooper.  I'd much rather give his gear to a different figure for that role.  Altitude's colors work better for ground missions than some of the other Sky Patrol figures.  But, he's still a stretch.  So, it's likely that he'll simply man one of my choppers.  Here, his colors will work and he'll fit within a specialty.  I like figures like this because not everyone on the Joe team can be all things.  The point of an elite unit is that they have extreme specialists who are the best.  A guy like Altitude might lead a team through a high altitude parachute jump.  But, once on the ground, he was sort of a tag-along.  He had a role and did it fantastically.  But, once that's done, there's less use for him.

About half of the Sky Patrol weapons are awesome.  The other half are not.  Unfortunately, Altitude falls into the latter category.  His weapon is just inane.  He includes a small pistol that looks like the kid brother of the 1987 Blaster's gun.  It's lame and uninteresting.  Then, though, it takes a turn to the absurd.  Altitude's gun has a slot where a blast shield affixes to it.  Then, a missile affixes to the blast shield.  So, Altitude's little pistol becomes a missile launching bastion of death.  Of course, if he uses it in his right hand, Altitude will be the one dying.  In this direction, the blast shield would protect Altitude's gloved hand and covered arm.  All of the blast from the missile rocket, though, would be directed straight into Altitude's uncovered chin.  I guess it works as a left handed weapon (like the Alley Viper's rifle).  But, the whole set up is just bad.  The engineering to make a three piece weapon was rare in 1990, though.  So, it represented a step forward in Joe accessory design.  The design was just not very good.

Altitude uses the mold from the 1986 Slipstream figure.  Neither this body nor the new head sculpted for Altitude were ever used again.  (There is a red Slipstream from Italy named Jet Man.  But, it's likely that figure was created from a Hasbro Slipstream instead of them actually having the mold.)  It's a shame.  As, the Sky Patrol heads would have been a fun way to update some repaints in the 2000's.  But, Slipstream being both a Joe and a pilot makes him a perfect choice to get the repaint treatment in Sky Patrol.  Altitude having a flight suit with built in survival gear works for a guy who would jump out of airplanes at high altitudes.  And, the coloring is different enough that it's not completely obvious that Altitude and Slipstream share the same body.  (The fact that Slipstream isn't a very popular figure also helps!)  All of the Sky Patrol figures were colored well enough that the mold sharing isn't overly obvious.  But, Altitude, in particular, brings new life into an existing mold that didn't have a great paint job the first time it was used.

The last oddity about Sky Patrol is that they were released in a year that also saw a paratrooper released in the standard carded line.  Freefall debuted in 1990.  In terms of design and gear, Freefall is probably a superior release.  But, he didn't include a working parachute.  If you bought Sky Patrol figures in 1990, the only Joe aircraft on the shelves were the Locust, Mud Fighter and Retaliator.  So, the repaint of the 1986 Night Raven in the Sky Patrol line was the only real airplace for Sky Patrol.  And, a super sonic jet isn't really the type of thing that drops highly skilled paratroopers behind enemy lines.  But, were I a kid in 1990, I wouldn't have let the lack of planes stop me and I'd have found ways to insert a Sky Patrol figure into a situation, even if all I had was a single jet pack.

Dealers will sell mint and complete Altitudes in the $60-$80 range.  The higher end of the range usually includes the filecard, too.  Left to open pricing, Altitude is about a $45 figure.  That's not terrible in this insane market.  Especially when you consider the high price of Night Force and even Tiger Force figures.  Sky Patrol has always had its following.  And, you don't find high quality, complete figures like you used to.  Altitude is one of the stronger colorings for the subset.  And, his helmet isn't bad.  Really, after acquiring him, I wondered why I haven't gone after figures like Altitude before.  I buy Cobra army builders that cost more than a Sky Patrol figure.  So, there's no excuse to not own more.  Maybe it's time for me to accept that, enjoy the concept and finally go about finishing my Sky Patrol collection.

Something, Something...Cobra Flying Scorpion

So, I had plans for a new profile today.  But, work got busy, the kids started school and suddenly, it's late on Monday night and I have nothing ready to go.  I wanted to showcase a figure that ties into the Brazilian Flying Scorpion figure, though.  You see, it was 20 years ago this week that I first profiled that figure.  At the time, he was known to about two dozen collectors who got into obscure foreign figures.  Now, he's an essential part of many collections.  So, instead of showing off some other obscure release, I'll take another shallow dive on the Brazilian Flying Scorpion figure.

I've had the figure out, recently.  Partly because this anniversary was coming.  But, also because Black Major and Zica Toys have both released figures in color schemes that complement the Flying Scorpion figure.  The Riot Commandos are a bit darker than Escorpiao Voador.  But, they still work nicely as his personal troops.  The Black Major figures are a bit lighter.  But, again, they work well enough with the figure and give him some complementary figures with whom he can be posed.

You will note in the 2nd photo below how I have the figures posed.  Ignore the fact that they are on a box on top of a shelf.  I took that photo in August of 2001.  We've come a long way since then.  But, you can clearly see my Cobra hierarchy and how my version of Cobra split into various factions.  (RTG at the Attica Gazette recently reminded me of these old photos.  And, it's interesting to see how things have changed in 20 years.)  The Sea Slug is not the figure who represents the new Cobra any longer.  I've taken on various versions of Cobra Commander for him.  The Decimator is now an army builder instead of a character.  And, many of the generals standing behind the Flying Scorpion are dead or have moved on.  It's a testament that my collection keeps evolving over the years.  But, it's fun to look back at how I used to see things.

What I like about this figure is that he's different.  Right away, you can spot the figure as a Cobra.  But, he doesn't mix with the figures from whom he draws his parts.  Escorpiao Voador posed next to Cesspool is perfectly fine because the figures are so different.  The colors are relatively unique to the character.  And, the Flying Scorpion remains the only vintage Cobra who is not white.  

What I don't like about this figure is that carded versions will run you hundreds of dollars and loose, mint and complete figures will run $250 or more.  That sucks as it prevents many collectors from experiencing the fun of a new Cobra villain.  There are anniversary style convention figures of the character.  But, the lack the charm and subtlety of the original.  Sadly, the days of cheap and available Brazilian figures are behind us.  Two decades ago, I paid $30 for a MOC figure.  At that price, I opened it.  No one would ever do that now due to the value.  But, that keeps some collectors from being able to enjoy the figure as the toy he was meant to be instead of the collectible he has become.

In total, the past 20 years have seen international Joes change from a niche area of collecting into something that pretty much every collector enjoys.  Foreign Joes are so ubiquitous that most people have a few, even if they are just Funskool.  But, seeing modern collectors thinking that all foreign figures have always been hard to find is tough.  There was a time when Brazilian figures like the Patrulha Do Ar figures were available and affordable.  Dealers used to sit on tons of carded Estrela figures that would go unsold for $20 each.  Of course, those are gone, now.  But, old timers remember how much more available figures like this used to be.  They might not have been common.  But, few were worth spending triple digits to acquire.

So, maybe I'll be more prepared next week and have a profile to go.  I have a bunch of them saved for after Labor Day that will take us into the holidays.  Some have tangential relations to the Flying Scorpion, too.  Until then, thanks for stopping by!

Rarities - Unproduced Wal Mart Duke Variant

In 2003, Hasbro confirmed that Wal Mart would be getting an exclusive set of figures.  Originally, they were planned to be "Sky Patrol" figure who would have parachutes.  The figures would have been vintage Joe style.  But, along the way, something happened.  Supposedly, the parachutes didn't pass a safety test.  So, the figures were cancelled and replaced with JvC style figures.

However, Hasbro did produce a small run of the figures that became available to Asian Joe sellers.  The main six figures were widely available.  But, there were also several variants of the figures that were available.  The most egregious is the Duke figure.

The more common figure has Duke's traditional blonde hair.  He also had dark brown pants.  But, there is also a variant available where Duke has brown hair and greener pants.  You can see the alternate figure in the pictures below.  The alternate photo that was common has tan elbows.  But, there are likely figures with the correctly colored arms, too.  In general, the blonde Duke is more desirable just due to the traditional hair color.  But, these days, either figure is a pain to find.

20th Anniversary Key Moments - Escorpiao Voador (Cobra Flying Scorpion)

As 2001 progressed, foreign figures became a bigger part of the site.  But none made such an impression as the Escorpiao Voador figure from Brazil.  In August of 2001, Brazilian figures were mostly unknowns.  Few collectors cared about them and those who did usually ended at the Cobra Invasor or Cobra De Aco.  The later run figures popped up for sale from time to time.  But, they rarely made a splash in the Joe world.  Few collectors really considered loose foreign figures as integral parts of a collection and photos of them out in the wild were simply unheard of.  Slowly, that changed.  And, I like to think I played a part in that transition.

The Flying Scorpion is an interesting concoction.  The legs from Scoop and chest and arms from Recoil work well enough.  The Cesspool head, though, gives the figure a more serious appearance.  Making the character black, though, completely changes the look of the head and makes this figure appear not as a repainted kitbash, but something completely new.  Unfortunately, in hand, you see that the head is a bit large for the body and isn't a perfect fit.  Little quality details like this can gnaw at you for a while.  But, taken as a whole the figure looks like it was created as a single release rather than parts of many others.

And, it was this look that drove me to find this figure.  In the summer of 1994, I sketched out several Cobra characters who would dominate my post vintage Joe world.  As I tracked down the ghosts of the retail line, I was able to apply some of the newly released figures to those characters.  But, the flagship character: the Cobra who would become Commander and lead the organization to great glory, was a character I could not pin to a figure.  None of the releases I was finding were worthy of such a noteworthy part of my Joe lore.  When a collector's offhand comment about this recolored Cesspool head caught my attention, I discovered the figure that would represent the future of my Cobra hierarchy.  Within a few months of searching, I tracked down a MOC figure.  I waited a long month for the Brazilian post office to get the figure to me.  And, upon his receipt, sliced open the bubble and the most important character in my Cobra command structure was finally represented in plastic form.

The Flying Scorpion has yet to disappoint.  Over the years, I've found that he's rarely someone I photograph, though.  This is partially due to the fact that his helmet was deteriorating inside the bubble of the figure I opened only 7 years after his retail release.  It's also due to the fairly brittle nature of the figure.  I'm afraid I'll snap a thumb or crotch should I pose the figure in the wrong manner or try to force an accessory into his hand.  So, he's only appeared in a handful of photo shoots in the site's history.  Despite that, though, the spectre of the figure looms large over the entire site as he remains one my most famous profiles and a figure that remains associated with this site to a great extent.

In the nearly 20 years since I showcased this figure, he's gone from a $30 MOC figure to a $200+ loose figure.  High quality loose samples are few and far between.  Carded samples have gotten even scarcer.  Collectors have made him a staple of their custom efforts.  And, he even appeared in a convention set.  (Though, it was a pretty tame anniversary style figure.)  He remains one of the most popular foreign characters and many people are willing to shell out large sums of money for him due to the uniqueness of the figure and his distinctive appearance within the Cobra ranks.

Though the years, my various sites have seen a fair share of traffic.  I'm never the top Joe site.  And, even in the site's heyday of 150,000+ hits per month, it wasn't close to the top 5.  But, enough people stopped by to reach the various Flying Scorpion profiles that I do take credit for popularizing him (and his companion, the Abutre Negro figure!) in the Joe world.  That's probably quite a bit of hubris talking.  But, the ensuing popularity of this figure is something that I feel responsible for.  Even today, the original Flying Scorpion profile remains one of the most popular posts on the entire site.  The reality is that I was just the first to showcase the figure.  Had I not, someone else would have since the figure is of excellent quality.  But, if the Flying Scorpion is my legacy to the collecting community, I can consider my time here a success.

Rarities - Unproduced Wal Mart Duke

Duke is one of the most iconic characters in the G.I. Joe mythos.  How much of this is due to Hasbro's persistent pushing of him and how much is actual collector appreciation, though, is unknown.  But, since 2002, Hasbro has made it so Duke appeared at retail frequently.  Often, this was to great collector angst and the figures were not all that great.  However, in 2003, Hasbro planned a Duke release that collectors were looking forward to.  A series of ARAH style three packs were given to Wal Mart as an exclusive.  They were going to be Sky Patrol themed and include working parachutes.  The figures appeared at conventions and in Hasbro photography.  However, the parachutes could not pass the safety standards for a retail release.  Instead, Hasbro gave Wal Mart an exclusive set of desert Joes and Urban Cobras.

This Duke is one of my favorite unproduced figures.  It had a decent color scheme and the most common versions featured Duke's blonde hair.  He included an exclusive black helmet, a black version of Beach Head's rifle and a black Snow Serpent backpack.  It was a decent set of gear for a figure of that era.  He has the terrible G.I. Joe logo on his leg, though.  And, that is a big detriment to the figure.  This figure was relatively easy to find for many years and remained relatively cheap.  But, the series has since dried up and has gotten a lot more expensive.  This Duke is the second most popular unproduced Wal Mart figure behind the Hiss Driver.

Aguia Comando - Carded Figure

In Brazil, a small series of Sky Patrol figures were released under the Patrulha Do Ar subset.  The four members of this group were all characters, figure combinations and paint schemes exclusive to Brazil.  Through the years, I've showcased three of the four members of this set.  The final member, Aguia Comando was part of my collection for a long time.  I got a carded version of him back when such things were easy to find and cheap to acquire.  I meant to open him just as I had opened the other members of this set.  But, I never got around to it.  And, the price kept rising.  He, ultimately, became one of the figures I sold in the great purge just because I figured I'd get a loose one someday.
Well, someday still hasn't come.  But, I have the images from when Aguia Comando called my collection home.

Aguia Comando MOC

1990 Sky Patrol Airwave - Around the Web

Airwave was my first Sky Patrol figure.  I got him at a time when all Sky Patrol figures were hard to find and rather expensive.  Relative to their peers, Sky Patrol figs are still fairly pricey.  I still like Airwave the best of the sub set.  His helmet and weapon are just a great combo.  Here's the best I could find of him around the web.

Rarities - Unproduced 2003 Wal Mart Stormshadow

The Wal Mart exclusive Sky Patrol figures are one of the most famous unproduced concepts out there.  This is mostly due to the fact that they were shown at Conventions and that the production level figures were so readily available from Asia from 2004 through 2006.

Of the figures in the set, Stormshadow is fairly weak.  While the blue body with red highlights are substantially different enough from other uses of the mold to distinguish it, they aren't special enough to really drive collector desire.  The poor mold choice hinders the figure since his construction constricts his range of motion and play value.

This Stormshadow was actually the first of the cancelled Wal Mart figures to appear.  The first rumblings were that the figure was an unused concept from the ill fated BJ's set.  (This was picked up from the alternate Firefly and Roadblock figures that also showed up around the same time.)  But, it was quickly determined that the figure was intended for the Wal Mart set.  And, as the other figures from the set showed up, it was apparent that this Stormshadow matched their appearance.  Even with this knowledge, though, the figure didn't get any more exciting.  Once it became known that these existed in abundance, their popularity dipped.

When the Asian Joe stock was at its height, this Stormshadow rivaled the Snake Eyes from the set for least desirable release.  While the Alley Viper, Hiss Driver, Duke and Low-Light all remained, relatively, popular, Stormshadow would often go unsold for around $10 as he wasn't all that interesting.

Of the 6 figures in the set, the Joes definitely outshined the Cobras.  This Stormshadow and the Alley Viper molds were tired in 2003.  And, when the reappeared again in 2004, they became more so.  But, as an unreleased concept, this figure has merit.  Combined with the other five figures, you get a good picture of what could have been.  But, had this Stormshadow reached retail, I think he would be just as ignored as the 2004 Urban, 2000 ARAHC and 2002 BJ's figures that share the mold.  Maybe he wouldn't have been used in the Urban set if this figure had been released.  But, in the end, the Urban paint job is better than this one.  So, I don't think collectors really missed out on all that much when this figure was cancelled.

Rarities - Unproduced Wal Mart Sky Patrol Alley Viper

In 2003, Wal Mart approached Hasbro for an exclusive run of G.I. Joe Figures.  Originally, the 6 figure series was going to be based on Sky Patrol and include vintage style G.I. Joe molds.  The figures were planned as three Joes and three Cobras: Snake Eyes, Duke, Low Light, Stormshadow, Hiss Driver (possibly as Rip It) and this Alley Viper.  However, the parachutes could not pass a safety test and Wal Mart scrapped these figures. They were replaced with an 6 figure set of new sculpt molds where a desert Joe was paired with an urban Cammo Cobra.

Large quantities of the Wal Mart Sky Patrol figures were produced, though.  They were readily available from Asian Joe sellers in the mid 2000's.  This Alley Viper was among the more popular figures and tended to fetch higher prices than even the Hiss Driver.  (He's also a great match for the 1997 Rage and at least one collector built an army of these figures to man that vehicle in his displays.)  Of the figures in the set, though, this Alley Viper was probably the least distinctive except for Snake Eyes.  Hasbro produced many flavors of this mold in blues and reds.  So, collectors have similar enough figures to not feel as cheated.  But, it's still an unproduced figure that has gotten very hard to find these days.

Albatroz - Brazilian Exclusive Sky Patrol

The Joe community goes in cycles of popularity.  A few years ago, European exclusive Joes were all the rage.  Availability was low, prices were extremely high and collectors were crawling over each other to acquire just a few samples of toys unique to Europe.  During that time, Joes made by Plastirama from Argentina were quietly being absorbed into the collecting world by those who realized the great supply and low prices were finite.  Similarly, Estrela made Joes from Brazil were readily available and very cheap.  Savvy collectors bought them up and completed large portions of their foreign collections.  Now, the tables have turned.  European Joes have plummeted in price in recent years (Don't get me wrong, they're still pricey, but lower than they were a few years ago.) while availability has increased.  Joes from South America, though, have seen their popularity skyrocket right as the supply has gotten tighter.  The result is that many Joes from Argentina and Brazil have gotten very hard to find and exorbitantly expensive, especially when you compare them to just 5 or 6 years ago.  Such is the case of the Albatroz figure.  Once a step-brother to the highly desirable Patrulha Do Ar Cobra figures, Albatroz has become not only very desirable for collectors to own, but also very expensive to acquire.

The Brazilian Patruhla do Ar is probably the single most popular subset in the Estrela series of Joes.  It has several things going for it:

1.  It is a small, late issue set with only 4 figures released around 1994.
2.  Sky Patrol is one of the most popular American subsets
3.  Each figure features not only unique colors, but unique construction from any American figure
4.  All of the figures feature distinct names that are relatively easy to recall
5.  The set features 2 of the most distinctive and famous exclusive Cobras in all the world

As such, collectors often use this small series of figures as their first foray into Brazilian Joes.  Abutre Negro and the Escorpiao Voador are usually the figures first sought by collectors.  They are great additions to a Cobra collection and work both within and outside of the Sky Patrol theme.  Albatroz and Aguia Comando are usually then sought to complete the set.  Both figures feature stark colors, strong molds and good accessories.  They would fit right in with the American Sky Patrol or as stand-alone characters grouped with other foreign exclusives.

Albatroz is actually brighter than he often appears in photos.  The figure is a mish-mash of orange, maroon, silver and grey.  But, it all actually comes together in a nice package that makes the figure usable.  The orange is a bit loud.  He's not as bright as the Star Brigade Roadblock, but isn't quite a subtle pumpkin color, either.  The overall result is a figure that blends with vehicles like the Tomahawk, but would be out of place in the Skystriker.

Albatroz includes a helmet, backpack, parachute as well as a black version of Blaster's pistol and the Alley Viper's gun.  It is odd to see a Joe with such a Cobra centric weapon.  But, it works with the figure.  The real failure of Albatroz, though, is the helmet.  On the surface, the silver version of Maverick's helmet on Maverick's head should be perfect.  The helmet looks like it would work for a paratrooper.  Albatroz also features the high collar of Sneak Peek.  If the helmet fit over the collar, the figure would be almost perfect.  But, the helmet does not fit.  As such, Albatroz can not wear his helmet at all!  It sits about half way down his head before the bottom of the helmet is block by the top of the collar.  You can see it in a photo below.  The helmet simply doesn't work.  If Albatroz is holding it, is does look really nice.  But, not being able to wear the helmet almost renders the figure moot.  It is a glaring deficiency on an otherwise solid figure.

For me, Albatroz is an interesting figure.  He lacks any characterization, so he has great potential.  He can be used as an alternate Maverick.  But, let's face it, Maverick didn't have much characterization, either.  He can be a new member of Sky Patrol, but that also leaves you a lot of leeway in defining him.  So, for those who enjoy having characters of their creation in the collection, Albatroz is a perfectly blank slate.  However, I have yet to really do anything with the character.  While I created long backstories for the Brazilian Sky Patrol Cobras, I never had the same interest in the Joes.  As such, Albatroz remains just a background characters in my collection.  He looks cool on display, but I don't see him as a major player in way beyond that.

Albatroz translates as Albatross in English.  The Albatross is one of the most superstition laden birds in all the world.  Coleridge's Ancient Mariner set the tone for future sailors to not even heed the name of the bird.  As such, it seems an odd code name for a Joe.  Being a member of an organization that undertakes the most dangerous military missions in the world should be enough of a risk that tempting supernatural spirits with a cursed name would be hyperbolic overkill.  But, maybe Albatroz likes to tempt fate.  Anyone who jumps out of planes into enemy fire for a living probably has to feel an aura of invincibility anyways.  So, things like old sailor's fears would seem inconsequential.  This might be the most interesting aspect of the Albatroz character and the trait I would delve into should I ever look to build his character.

In terms of quality, the Estrela figures from this time period are definitely more brittle than a vintage American figure.  The plastic feels lighter and more fragile...but only slightly so.  If you were going to give this figure to a child, it would probably be broken only slightly faster than a vintage US Joe.  From a collector standpoint, though, the brittleness is likely of small concern since the figure would only be displayed or stored away.  This is the first Brazilian figure I've owned, though, that did not feature degradation of the helmet plastic.  All of the prior Estrela figures I've owned that have included helmets had issues with the helmet plastic "weeping" as it broke down.  My Albatroz does not have this issue, though.  I don't know if it's a result of better storage in it's life prior to calling my collection home, the silver plastic used to make the helmet or just dumb luck.  But, for now, this helmet is the best of the Brazilian headpieces I have possessed.

10 to 12 years ago, you could all of the Patruhla do Ar figures carded for under $40 each.  But, times have changed.  The subset is among the most desired of all foreign Joe subsets and collectors are desperate to acquire each and all of the figures.  Today, loose mint and complete with cardback Albatroz figures sell as high as $170.  Carded, the figures can go upwards of $300 each.  Really, those are prices that make this figure more expensive than most figures in the world.  Sure, he's cool.  But, likely not worth those kind of asking sums.  If you're looking for an Albatroz, though, it takes a good bit of time.  During the Cobra crazed heyday of the early to mid 2000's, many collectors sought out and acquired the Flying Scorpion and Black Vulture figures.  Years later, they are going back to complete the set and finding the Joes to be much more difficult to track down.  This explains the high prices, but does not, necessarily, make the figure one of the most desirable of all time.  Personally, I had the figure for years and am happy he's part of my collection.  But, I'm not sure I would pay the current prices to own him.

Unproduced Sky Patrol Low Light (Wal Mart Exclusive)

At the 2003 Toy Fair, Hasbro showcased a set of 6 figures that were slated to be Wal Mart exclusives. They were based on the Sky Patrol concept and each of the 3 Joes and 3 Cobras would have included a working parachute. The paint jobs that were showcased were enough to get collectors interested in the figures. But, as the year wore on, there was no additional information regarding the release date. As the year wore down, it was finally announced that due to safety concerns over the parachutes, the Sky Patrol figures had been cancelled. Instead, Wal Mart carried an exclusive series of Urban Cobras and Desert Joes. But, the saga of the Sky Patrol figs was not quite done. In late 2003/early 2004, a Storm Shadow appeared on Ebay. It was blue and red and unlike anything collectors had seen. Shortly thereafter, large quantities of the unproduced Sky Patrol figures appeared all over Ebay. It seemed that Hasbro had actually produced a small production run of the figures and they had become available to Asian Joe sellers. In the ensuing year, many collectors had occasion to add the figures to their collections for varying prices. Naturally, I finally decided it was time for me to do so as well. As Low Light was the only newly minted mold offered in the series, I felt he was most deserving of a closer look.

The Low Light figure has a historically solid mold and his reuse would have been a welcome addition to a line of ARAH re-releases that had become all too stale in terms of mold choice. Low Light also came as quite a surprise. The Low Light mold had been last seen in Brazil and it did not seem likely that he would appear in the modern line. As such, I speculated that the ultimate Wal Mart Low Light would simply be a rehash of the '91 Low Light that had just been used in 2001. When this figure actually appeared, it was was greeted with joy at the mold's existence, but dismay that it's use was relegated to relatively hard to find unreleased figure. That sentiment still exists today as collectors are still waiting for this mold to make its next appearance.

Low Light was originally released in the U.S. After that, he was sent to Brazil where the figure was released in colors similar to the American version. In 1989, Estrela actually produced the Slaughter's Marauders Low Light that was sold in the U.S. The repainted Low Light was also released in Brazil and is one of the few figures who saw multiple releases in South America. The mold, though, never resurfaced. A few of the Slaughter's Marauders molds did, eventually, show up in India. But many others did not and were presumed lost. When this figure appeared, it showed that Hasbro had re-acquired the Low Light mold. It was a welcome addition to a stable of ARAH-style molds that was becoming too predictable. An interesting aspect of this Wal Mart Low Light, though, is that he uses the exact same paint mask as the Slaughter's Marauders Low Light. This is significant as the SM paint mask was used in Brazil. However, subsequent to the Brazil release, an exclusive SM Low Light appeared in Europe. This showed that a Hasbro subsidiary had re-acquired the mold and the paint mask which is why it was available for this figure. It would also suggest that, with a little digging, Hasbro probably also has access to the V1 Spirit and V1 Mutt molds. Why the Low Light mold has not been used in the three years since this figure first appeared, though, remains a mystery.

In my collection, Low Light remains true to his intended purpose. He is a sniper and a sniper only. He rarely goes along on infantry missions unless their job is to get Low Light to a target. I also see Low Light as an infiltration specialist who is capable of sneaking into enemy compounds to get the best shot at his target. However, as I thought more about Low Light, I took a deeper look at the type of character he would have to be. While his filecard suggests a great inner strength that originated in him conquering his childhood fears, I felt that the character would have had to grow beyond that to handle his role as a sniper.   When I look at Low Light's character, I see a man with great responsibility. As a sniper, Low Light has the duty of, basically, playing God to his targets. He holds their lives in his hands. How would a man deal such pressure? My take is that Low Light is a righteous man. At his core, if he believes someone to be truly evil, he can reconcile his taking of their life. Unfortunately, such evilness is rarely so black and white. While it is easy for Low Light to eliminate a murderer or rapist, it becomes more difficult when his target is an individual whose deeds Low Light is unsure of. It becomes incredibly difficult to kill a man who, while he may have done some bad things, could also be a husband and father to people whom he has not victimized. This puts Low Light in a great moral quandary. While he has a job to do and his killings could save many lives, he is still the man who must deal with the knowledge that he took another's life in a way that prevented his quarry from even knowing his life was about to end. While some may be able to simply shrug off this responsibility by not thinking about it or drowning it in inebriants, others would have to find a way to reconcile their duty. This is how I see Low Light dealing with it. And, as such, it then stands to reason that Low Light would simply not be able to kill indiscriminately. I see him taking shots that seriously wound his targets and saving his fatal shots for those whom Low Light feels are truly evil. It still makes him effective at his job, but allows him the moral leeway to live with his actions.

While Wal Mart Low Light's aren't too terribly tough to find, I would suggest simply buying a V1 Low Light if you are just after a good representation of the character. Tons of these unproduced Sky Patrol figures made their way into collector hands. While most of the attention was on the army builders, though, the Low Light held his own and was usually the most expensive Joe figure. It was tough to get him delivered for under $20. As of the writing of this profile, that is probably a lowball price. Until Hasbro re-uses the Low Light mold for a new version of the character, it is unlikely that the collecting community will see a large drop in interest in this version of the character. That isn't to say that a huge quantity of these could suddenly show up and kill all demand and aftermarket pricing for this figure. But, it isn't likely that this unreleased version will ever become a retail figure with this paint scheme. My take is that this isn't a bad thing. I remain of the opinion that the Joe line as a whole needs to have a few rare pieces. If everything is common and expensive, then nothing in the line is special. As such, I like to see some unreleased figures, rare variants, or obscure releases and hate straight reissues or "new" figures with paint schemes heavily based on an already existing figure. It gives collectors something to shoot for. As a kid, the items I enjoyed the most were the ones that other kids did not have. It was not an elitist thing. Instead, it was an appreciation of owning something a little different that wasn't the same thing everyone else had. That attitude continues to this day and I remain of the opinion that having rarities and items that are difficult to acquire is what makes this hobby enduring.