1993 Mail Away Spirit - Random Photos of the Day

 The 1993 Mail Away Spirit remains one of my favorite figures.  The colors are different, but work on the mold.  He has a solid sculpt.  And, he looks good with a variety of 1992 or 1993 accessories.  This figure was once very available.  But, he's gotten pricey in recent years as more and more collectors forget his ubiquity and desperately try to prove that every figure they own is a piece of unrequited gold.

In the case of Spirit, though, the figure really is golden.  It's a great update to the character and gives you a choice when you want to use Spirit among later release figures.  I've photographed him quite a bit over the years and you'll find him in both backgrounds and forefronts of photos dating back to the early 2000's.  He's actually tied with several other figures at #7 on my list of most photographed figures.  So, he's definitely found good usage through  the years.

Usually, during Rarities Month, I spend my time refreshed and write up a good half dozen or so profiles to keep the content flowing through the rest of the summer.  This year, that didn't happen.  I've lost a bit of inspiration and haven't had much to talk about.  I'm barely taking any photos of Joes for a variety of reasons.  And, so far, I haven't really missed it too much.  Some of the recent Super7 releases have sparked a bit of my interest in Joe again.  So, we'll see if that gets me more motivated to get some profiles out the door.  I have about 30 of them started, with most being about 2/3 done.  But, each time I look at one, I just can't muster the energy to complete it.  So, I'm going to get some old features that showcase some of my favorite figures out there.  Usually, that's enough to break the malaise and produce something interesting.

1989 Slaughter's Marauders Spirit - Around The Web

Surprisingly, there's a lot of content out there that features the 1989 Slaughter's Marauders Spirit.  As it's kind of tough to find one in good condition and the figure is notoriously brittle, even when in mint condition, I didn't expect to see it used to often.  But, there's tons of great content featuring him out there.  So, check out the links!

Slaughter's Marauders Spirit Profile

Slaughter's Marauder Spirit by Purple Cobra 75

Slaughter's Marauders Spirit by MrMikeVinthePit

Slaughter's Marauders Spirit by Hit and Run

Slaughter's Marauder Spirit by Purple Cobra 75

Slaughter's Marauders Spirit by emike

Slaughter's Marauders Spirit by thevintagetoylife

Slaughter's Marauder Spirit by Purple_Cobra 75

Slaughter's Marauders Spirit by yotothejoe

Slaughter's Marauders by gijoe_rama

Slaughter's Marauders Spirit by el_main_man

Slaughter's Marauders Spirit by buxovigo

Slaughter's Marauders Spirit by Purple_Cobra_75

Slaughter's Marauders Spirit by thedustinmccoy

Slaughter's Marauders Spirit by dashiellrfairborne

European Exclusive Spirit Iron Knife - Around the Web

With the new month, we'll bring back one of our old favorites: International Joe Month.  This month will be all about international Joe figures.  There will be profiles, Around the Web and some other features: all showcasing international figures.  So, we'll start with the European Exclusive Spirit.  The fact that he's missing eyebrows is a cruel joke.  But, this is still a great update for a classic mold.

European Spirit Profile

Euro Spirit at JoeADay.com

Euro Spirit by specialmissionforce

Euro Spirit by bruxovigo

Euro Spirit by dreadnokdread

Euro Spirit by nightforcetunnelrat

Euro Spirit by jsteved.yardsale

Euro Spirit by viper_space

Euro Spirit by cobra_florence

Euro Spirit by g.i. boyz

1992 Air Commando Spirit

The 1992 Joe line is incredibly strong.  It's full of new molds for classic characters as well as a nice variety of new introductions to the line.  The colors of the year blend well and create a cohesive visual display.  But, the standard carded line of figures only included a few figures.  The rest of the year's line was released in various subsets and smaller vehicles.  Yet, the quality of mold and color continued and the entire is one of the better looking entries of a displayed collection.  Among the releases was a new version of Spirit.  

After being introduced in 1984, Spirit got his update.  It's easy to recognize the new look as Spirit.  He kept his long hair, but has it styled into a single pony tail instead of braids.  He retains his trademark headband.  But, once below his head, this Spirit is less an homage to Native American culture than a newly designed badass combat soldier.  He is burdened with an over-abundance of grenades.  (A common thread among Joe figures.)  But, they aren't too bulky and keep the overall appearance of this new Spirit relatively slim.  His chest is a bright green that visually pops.  It is set against black paint that highlight the mold's sculpted details.  The figure features blue pants that blend with many other 1992 releases.  And, his red gloves offer a both a splash of color as well as tying together the red pattern on the figure's headband.  To top off the details, Spirit has molded feathers on his right arm that offer a little reminder of the figure's roots.

On paper, this figure should be amazing.  But, the thing is, it really isn't.  While it's nice enough, the sculpt was improved upon in 1993 with the mail away color scheme.  The brown, gold and white combo on that figure is more unique and better fits the mold and character.  The head might be a little too large for the body.  And, Spirit can appear to be disproportional at times.  And, the red gloves are a bit off-putting.  They really interfere with the blue, black and green.  The red and white on the headband works.  But, the gloves really take you out of the overall design.  And, as the hands are a key part of any figure's look, a bad color can have an outsized affect on the appearance as a whole.  

This 1992 Spirit was part of the Air Commandos subset.  While the figure was sold on a card, the cards were drastically oversized to show off the gliders that were the real selling point.  Hasbro's original gliders in 1983 were garbage.  These 1992 releases, though, promised they would fly 40 feet with the figure attached.  Hopefully, not too many people actually did that with the gliders.  But, Spirit's red, white and blue patriotic overkill special seems out of place with the character.  And, today, the Air Commandos are remembered for the high quality figures rather than the cheesy gliders.  Unfortunately, though, the gliders cost anywhere between $8 and $10 each.  And, when you consider that there were far better alternatives available at that cost, the high price point was rather prohibitive to the toys really selling on par with sets like the DEF and even the Eco Warriors.  Which is why, even today, all the Air Commandos figures appear with less frequency than most other carded 1992 figures.

Did you know that Spirit was never released without Mutt?  In every single instance where Spirit was released, Mutt was also available at the same time.  They both debuted in 1984.  Then, they both returned as Slaughter's Marauders in 1989.  At various times, they were both released in Brazil and Mexico in the same waves.  Then, exclusive repaints showed up in Europe in the early 1990's.  Both characters got new molds in 1992.  Then, Mutt was repainted as a carded figure in 1993 and Spirit was available as a mail away in the same year.  It was not until the post vintage era where the two were separated.  Both appeared together in the comic.  So, there was a deliberate pairing of the two.  But, all of their designs work pretty well together until the 1993 versions.

Spirit comes with a single accessory.  He has an oddball pistol.  My introduction to the mold was with the 1994 Viper.  And, I felt the sci-fi nature of the weapon worked well with that figure.  With Spirit, it seems out of place...especially if you know of the amazing accessories that were included with the character's debut figure.  The upside is that there are many, more common, accessories that work well with this mold.  But, the disappearance of Freedom and the lack of other gear that would have accentuated the character feels like a missed opportunity.

My introduction to this figure mold was with the 1993 mail away version.  And, that remains my default use of this mold today.  Back when I got a bagged 1992 figure from Canada, I was never compelled to open the figure.  The 1993 was enough for me.  And, when I got a loose 1992, that feeling continued.  Now, though, I do find this figure works well with other 1992 releases.  And, is a nice background filler in photos and dioramas.  As a main focus, I'm still going with the 1993.  And, my first choice for any use of Spirit is the original from 1984.  

The 1992 Spirit mold got two uses.  The first was this Air Commando version.  Then, in 1993, the mold was repainted for the International Action Team.  This maroon and white version is probably better than the 1992 coloring.  But, both uses of the Spirit mold were relatively obscure releases.  Bagged overstock Spirits were offered as a Canadian mail away.  And, a great number of bagged Spirits came into the collecting community during the Hasbro Canada find in 1999.  Those figures, though, are bagged without guns.  So, if you see bagged figures sans weapons, you know they are from the Canadian overstock.  Sadly, Hasbro didn't use this mold in the 2000's.  It's a shame as it would have been great in a 1984 Spirit color scheme or a Euro Spirit color scheme.  But, it was not to be.

Dealers will sell loose Spirits for $30 and complete versions for $60.  That's a lot of money for a weapon that's not that small, isn't overly cool and doesn't really have any cachet.  On the open market, though, you can get Spirit figures for $13.  But, open market pricing on complete figures runs between $50 and $60...meaning the dealers are right at market on the complete figures.  That's very odd.  And, something that's likely to correct if the Joe market doesn't get back to normal soon.  The upside, though, is that a relatively hard to find, high quality update of a classic character is still affordable if you are willing to sacrifice his non-iconic weapon.  There's much worse outcomes in the Joe marketplace today.

Olhos de Fenix - Brazilian Exlusive Spirit Iron Knife - Around The Web

The 1984 Spirit is a classic figure.  He has a major issue, though, in that the light blue shirt and sleeves tend to discolor very badly.  Even properly stored figures are starting to go.  And, as the color fades and yellows, it ruins the aesthetic of a great toy.  For some reason, though, the blue plastic used on the Brazilian release of Spirit (Olhos de Fenix) does not fade.  And, it is a brighter, more brilliant blue than even the Hasbro figure had in 1984.  

This creates a great version of Spirit.  And, there's actually a good amount of content featuring the figure.  The upside is that you can still get quality Olhos de Fenix figures with relative ease.  The downside is that you'll now pay triple digits for the privilege.  But, if you love the Spirit character and are tired of faded blues, this might be the way to go.

Olhos de Fenix Profile

Olhos de Fenix by atticagazette

Olhos de Fenix by vintagebraziltoys

Olhos de Fenix by Relinquished1979

Olhos de Fenix by specialmissionforce

Olhos de Fenix by gladiousbrazil

Olhos de Fenix by andrey_collector

Olhos de Fenix by vintagebraziltoys

Olhos de Fenix by Reliquished1979

Olhos de Fenix by RTG

Comandos Em Acoa Review

Olhos de Fenix by comandos_em_acao_gijoe

Olhos de Fenix by Relinquished1979

Olhos de Fenix by indio_iwa

Olhos de Fenix by Relinqueshed 1979

1985 Battle Gear #3

In very early 1983, I found the first G.I. Joe Battle Gear on a peg at a toy store in Buffalo, New York.  The weapons were similarly colored to the guns included with the carded figures.  But, the helmets and backpacks were drastically different.  In 1984, a new set was released.  This filled in the gaps from the prior year with the inclusion of Zap's bazooka and Short Fuse's mortar.  As 1985 dawned, I was excited for the Battle Gear pack that would surely be released.  The 1984 series of figures were amazing.  And, through heavy play, I had lost gear to Mutt, Firefly, Scrap Iron and Blowtorch, broken gear for Roadblock and simply wanted more Ripcord parachute packs and masks.  The Battle Gear would solve many of my desires for a reasonable price.  Then, though, I found the actual pack that was released.  Looking at the list of figures above, you can imagine my disappointment.  None of the gear I actually needed or wanted was included.  Despite this, we had at least three of the sets in my childhood collection.  And, when reviewed outside the context of my childhood disappointment, this set has some redeeming factors.

The 1985 Battle Gear includes a lot of 1984 gear.  It is also missing quite a bit.  The first Battle Gear pack did not include three pieces: Zap's bazooka and Short Fuse's mortar and stand.  The 1984 release was missing Tripwire's mine detector and all of Torpedo's gear.  1985, though, omitted quite a few pieces of gear.  Included in the set was red versions of: Baroness' rifle, Firefly's rifle and walkie talkie and Scrap Iron's pistol.  There were tan versions of Recondo's backpack and rifle, Spirit's rifle and pack, Roadblock's pack and ammo box as well as Blowtorch's backpack.  There were 4 grey helmets: Mutt's, Blowtorch's, Ripcord's and a standard 1982 style helmet for use with Duke or Roadblock.  There were 2 green battle stands.  And, finally, a deep, rich green array of weapons and gear that include Mutt's pistol, Torpedo's spear gun, Blowtorch's flamethrower, Ripcord's rifle, Zartan's pistol, Duke's binoculars, Thunder's monocular and two new visors.  The visors were not opaque versions of the classic 1982 release.  They featured a nose notch like the goggles included with Thunder.  But, Thunder's piece required his earmuffs and their elongated pegs to affix the visor to the helmet.  These visors were stand alone.  The black version of them is similar to the one included with Starduster.  But, the design debuted in this 1985 Battle Gear set and never appeared again.

What's missing from the set, though, is more notable.  Thunder's earmuff's and visor are absent.  There are no Cobra backpacks at all.  So, Baroness, Firefly, Scrap Iron and Zartan are left unaccessorized.  No animals were included: nixing Freedom and Junkyard.  None of Duke's gear aside from the binoculars (and helmet) is included.  None of the masks included with Mutt, Ripcord or Blowtorch are present.  Roadblock's machine and tri-pod are absent: despite the inclusion of his backpack.  Ripcord's parachute pack is a no-show, as is Mutt's nightstick.  But, the most glaring omission is that there is no repainted Stormshadow gear in the entire set.  In 1985, edged weapons for Joes were nearly impossible to track down.  Getting a repainted Stormshadow sword or two would have been great.  Everyone lost or broke Stormshadow's bow.  But, it's not here.  (It's my guess that Stormshadow was popular enough that kids would get parents to replace that figure entirely so his accessories weren't wanted in Battle Gear that might blow another figure sale.)  It's an appalling amount of missing gear for a set and it started a trend that would continue through the rest of the Battle Gear's retail life.  This was a likely function of the fact that 1984 figures started including more gear and many pieces that were far more intricate than anything that had come before.  But, it was an unfortunate shift for kids of the time.

As 1985 began, I had lost my Zartan's pistol.  Firefly's walkie talkie and backpack cover were long gone.  Mutt's mask and night stick were distant memories.  Roadblock's pack peg was broken, a stand was broken away from his tri-pod and his machine gun had been snapped in two.  A friend I was outgrowing had stolen my Scrap Iron's missile table.  And, Blowtorch's air mask had ripped and was no longer usable.  Of the 10 items I needed to rehabilitate my 1984 Joes, this Battle Gear pack included just 3.

What was great, though, was that the set did include some pieces that were useful.  I loved Recondo's backpack.  I wanted more of my figures to wear packs that carried more supplies.  The neutral color of the pack make it more useful for many other figures.  (It's also still commonly mistaken for Recondo's real gear by dealers who aren't Joe specific since the colors of the pack and the Recondo figure match up.)  Having a few additional walkie talkies was fun since it gave all my figures ways to communicate.  The long range sight devices were another useful inclusion since advance teams always needed them.  (The binoculars also became standard issue in the cockpit of the Whale for Cutter to use at any time.)  Additional Mutt and Zartan pistols were also nice since the color wasn't terrible and small pistols were always getting lost.

The biggest value of this set, though, was realized when I started to take apart my old, broken Joes and frankenstein together some new figures.  At first, Battle Gear helped to simply flesh out figures who had no other gear.  But, as 1985 moved into the summer, I began to paint many of my creations into new designs.  Along with this, I painted accessories.  I didn't want to waste "real" gear on this endeavor.  So, Battle Gear was the logical choice.  My favorite was a Ripcord helmet painted blue with white "fur" lining the edges.  As I used cheap paint, the helmet quickly chipped.  But, this became part of the character of the commander who wore it.  Slowly, that character turned into the leader of the Joes and became the character that is represented by the General Flagg figure today.  I actually still have 2 pieces that I painted as a kid, including that Ripcord helmet that you can see below.

In the days when slightly off condition Joe figures were cheap and plentiful, Battle Gear weapons were far more useful.  Customizers abounded and they were always in search of cheap gear they could paint, cut apart or combine into new pieces.  Battle Gear was a cheap and easy way for the customizers of the early 2000's to build out and re-accessorize their creations.  Now, they are weird colored items that take up space and cross an item off a list.  In this era of factory custom figures, though, things like the helmets, visors and even weapons will match up with some of the figures we've seen.  That has given these sets a new niche in which they have value.  But, there's still so many of them that even new uses does little to move the large surplus of these items that are still out there.

While some individual items from this Battle Gear pack are more desirable than others, the truth is that the entire set is not overly expensive.  You can still get complete sets for around $10.  Duke's binoculars, Zartan's pistol and the green visors are, far and away, the most expensive and desirable items.  And, they are often the pieces most often missing from sets.  But, the non-standard colors and general ubiquity of the gear has left it an undesired piece of Joe collecting.  If you bought collections of figures at any time in the past twenty years, you have plenty of Battle Gear weapons lying around.  I still find the deep green a fun visual treat.  But, they don't really work with any figures.  The childhood disappointment still clouds my vision of this set: 35 years later.  But, you have to give Hasbro credit for understanding that kids lost gear and trying to give them a way to fix that.

1989 Slaughter's Marauders Spirit

In all the time I have been reviewing G.I. Joe figures, I have only looked at two members of the Slaughter's Marauders subset that was released in 1989.  Part of this is that there were only 6 members of the team released in the U.S. and only two real international variants of the figures that exist.  (Both of which are very similar to the U.S. releases.)  Another part is that the figures are relatively obscure, break easily and are not significant upgrades over the figures' original designs.  The penultimate part is that Slaughter's Marauders has not really taken off in the collecting community like Tiger Force or even Sky Patrol have.  The final element is that while the paint jobs on the Slaughter's Marauders have merit, they quickly blend together and lack the complementary cohesion of a Tiger Force or Python Patrol.  All of this isn't to say that the figures are bad.  In fact, they have a lot of merit and can be extremely useful in many situations.  In cases like this Spirit, they are drastic departures from the figure's original paint job and give collectors a diverse way to use the character.

All of the Slaughter's Marauders figures were made by Estrela in Brazil.  Hasbro did this due to the molds being in Brazil.  But, also to test additional production capacity should they ever need it.  The result, though, is that the Slaughter's Marauders figures have extremely brittle plastic.  (They match with the quality of all the Estrela releases and are a great way for a modern collector to experience Brazilian quality prior to taking the plunge into Estrela exclusive figures.)  You see an extremely high frequency of broken thumbs and crotches on Slaughter's Marauders figures...even if the rest of the figure shows almost no wear.  Spirit is a notoriously brittle release, though.  His rifle's large handle and the thinness of his crotch piece make him even more susceptible to breakage.  Three decades removed from his release, this has manifested in a figure that has become tough to find and even tougher to accessorize and pose due to fears of his thumbs snapping from just giving him his rifle to hold.

The Slaughter's Marauders color scheme is very close to being the perfect forest team.  Their base colors of brown, black, dark green and light green are an excellent way for them to blend into forested environments.  Alas, there is an outlier, though, as the final color in their palette was a unique blue.  The color isn't Cobra blue, but is odd enough that it takes away from the figure's realism.  Fortunately, Spirit joins Footloose and Low Light as the figures with the least amount of the color and its appearance on the figure's accents help keep this Spirit fairly militaristic.  The blue gloves, boots and undershirt can be a bit off-putting.  But, the figure's general color tones are well done and rarely otherwise seen in the vintage line outside of the Marauders subset.

Spirit features all new paint masks from the original figure.  The multi-tonal shirt and pants give the figure some depth...even if the reality of the clothes is a bit odd.  The biggest change, though, is that Spirit is missing his eyebrows!  I'm not really sure how a paint mask like this could be overlooked.  But, it happened.  And, it gives this figure an eerie face that doesn't seem quite right.  (Sadly, this missing paint mask was also carried forward to the European Spirit figure.)  It's the main detraction on this figure and it takes what would, otherwise, be a top notch repaint and knocks it down a few pegs.

The other difference is Spirit's skin tone.  The Olhos de Fenix figure that was originally released in Brazil featured a more sunburnt skin tone.  (The same tone was seen on other figures, too.)  This Slaughter's Marauders figure has pasty white skin...a stark difference from the mold's prior use in Brazil.  But, it's also more in line with the skin tone that was used on the American release in 1984.  Making Spirit's skin so blanched is an odd choice for a character who wears clothing so tied to his heritage.  It's not likely that this was anything more than a function of the plastic mixture since all of the Marauders figures with exposed skin have matching flesh tones.

The Slaughter's Marauders Spirit has a few interesting packaging differences from the 1984 original.  First, the card art is reversed.  Instead of holding his rifle in his right hand like he is on the 1984 card, the 1989 release shows him holding it in his left hand.  The artwork is just a mirror image.  What's interesting, though, is that this reversed image is unique to the Slaughter's Marauders Spirit.  The Ohlos de Fenix figure, also released in Brazil, features the original orientation.  And, the subsequently released European Spirit also matches the positioning of the 1984 figure.  Barbecue, Footloose and Mutt also feature reversed card art.  While Low Light's orientation matches his original release.

In addition to this, Spirit's filecard was changed.  Gone are the references to how poor Spirit was when he grew up.  Instead, his Marauders card refers to the beauty of his homeland.  It's an odd omission and one that somewhat changes your view of the character's upbringing.  Also gone is the reference to Spirit being a Shaman.  He is now a tough warrior.  This change fits with the Hasbro narrative.  As the line progressed, every character needed to be the toughest, baddest or best trained good guy or the most evil, vile and terrible villain.  Characters were pushed to the extremes to make them appear larger than life and fit with the hero and villain narrative.  But, the filecard differences paint two different pictures of the same character.

The Slaughter's Marauders Spirit includes all of the gear from the original Spirit, but in different colors.  The rifle and pack are now black.  However, as they are made in Brazil, they are not the same as the black accessories that accompanied the European Exclusive Spirit figure.  So, be aware of that.  The loincloth is now black with brown paint to better match the updated paint masks.  And, Freedom again makes an appearance.  Once again, though, the Freedom is different from the more common 1984 Freedom due to his manufacture in Brazil. The rifle and backpack are a pair that really require each other due to the ammunition in the pack matching that which appears in Spirit's rifle.  But, the full complement of gear is necessary for Spirit and makes the figure feel far more useful than just a loose figure with no weapons would.

When I took my Spirit out of his bag, though, I found yet another example of the inferior Brazilian plastic.  Back in 2001, I wrote about how the soft plastic used for Escorpiao Voador's helmet was "melting" inside the still carded figure's package.  To this day, it has an oily residue on it.  I've found the same residue on my Slaughter's Marauders Junkyard.  And, I have now found it on Spirit's loincloth.  These figures have been stored in moderate temperatures and away from sunlight for many years.  But, the plastic is still degrading.  I now have to keep the loincloth separate from the figure to prevent it from damaging any other parts.  This is just the beginning.  Spirit's loincloth is over 30 years old, now.  And, these toys were never intended for such long use.  But, if you haven't checked your Marauders figures in a while, it's probably a good idea to look over the softer accessories and see if this degradation is happening to you, too.

Spirit traveled around the world.  Aside from the U.S. release, he was also released in Brazil and Mexico.  Both of these figures are similar in coloring to the 1984 Hasbro version.  Estrela produced the Slaughter's Marauders figures in Brazil for Hasbro.  But, Spirit was not among the Brazilian releases of the Marauders figures.  (Sgt. Slaughter, BBQ and Low Light were the only three released on Brazilian cards.)  Spirit did appear on the cardbacks of late run Plastirama packaging in Argentina.  But, he was never actually released there.  In the early 1990's, Spirit, Mutt and Low Light were all given back to Hasbro and were put into production in the European market.  Low Light kept the Slaughter's Marauders theme, though has exclusive to Europe coloring.  Mutt and Spirit, though, were given radical redesigns.  The Euro Spirit is black and red, but uses the same paint masks as the Slaughter's Marauders version...right down to the missing eyebrows.  It's very likely that Hasbro had access to Spirit in the 2000's but either never looked for him, or didn't care enough to produce a new version.  It's unfortunate as the mold could have been given at least one more really nice repaint.  But, Spirit collectors have three major paint variants and two additional country of origin variants to sate their Spirit appetite.

Mint and complete Slaughter's Marauders Spirit figures run about $40 these days.  Dealers will charge up to $60 and even get it from time to time.  (Especially if the figure has the filecard.)  In the case with this Spirit, the value is in an unbroken figure as the brittle plastic makes intact thumbs and crotches a tough find.  You can get most of the accessories (aside from Freedom) relatively cheaply.  The Slaughter's Marauders figures, in general, have taken off in price in the past few years as the frequency of broken figures and general lower production runs of the figures have become more evident.  The coloring of this figure works for a more militaristic version of Spirit.  But, the look isn't as iconic as the 1984 original.  As a Spirit fan, though, I find a great deal of value in both versions.  They serve different purposes and are different enough to warrant owning both.  And, with all versions of Spirit now being fairly expensive, the only reason to choose one over the another is personal preference.  I find value in having different looks for classic characters.  And, the Slaughter's Marauders paint job on Spirit is a nice way to have a solid look for the character that is less often seen than his more famous original design.

1993 Spirit Iron Knife Mail Away - Around the Web

The 1992 Spirit figure was a great mold update of a classic character.  But, he was included in an obscure release with lower production numbers.  So, Hasbro repainted the figure in 1993 but also released it in an obscure mail away promotion.  The result is an excellent repaint that's rather hard to find.

This is my de facto Spirit figure.  The colors are strong and he looks good with an array of accessories. There's not a ton of content on this figure out there.  But, being an obscure release from the line's latest years generally leads to a dearth of information.  He remains one of my favorite figures, though.  Here's what I could find on him from around the web.

Spirit Profile

Spirit Dio 1

International Action Force at JoeADay.com

1993 Spirit by dreadnokdread

Menace in the Wilderness Insert at YoJoe.com

International Action Force at 3DJoes.com

Spirit Dio 2

Olhos de Fenix - Brazilian Exlusive Spirit Iron Knife

As Joe figures were cycled out of production in the United States, Hasbro looked to license their toys for use in other parts of the world.  It was a way to grow the global G.I. Joe brand while also stretching a lot more profit out of molds that had paid for themselves with just the U.S. run.  In the latter half of the 1980's, most G.I. Joe figures from the line's first three years found their way to South America where local companies (Plastirama in Argentina, Rubiplas in Venezula and Estrela in Brazil) licensed the figure molds and produced exclusive versions of the toys for their domestic markets.  These figures contained small subtleties that differentiated them from the Hasbro releases.  In some cases, the changes were somewhat major.  But, at least for the early figures, the changes were mostly due to the plastic mixture colors and some different paint.  But, the figures produced have left a legacy of high quality and fun variants for collectors to track down.  In a few cases, foreign companies produced figures that had superior benefits as compared to the Hasbro release.  One such instance is the Olhos De Fenix figure released in Brazil.  

The figure itself is modeled on the highly recognizable and popular 1984 Spirit figure.  Olhos de Fenix loosely translates into the "Eyes of Phoenix".  Eyes of Phoenix is a mouthful of a code name: as is Olhos de Fenix.  What's odd is that the figure is also named Flecha Veloz, which translates as Fast Arrow.  Fast Arrow is a better code name and is something you can say.  Even Flecha Veloz would work as a distinct name.  But, it's tough to look at this figure and see anyone other than the classic visage of Spirit Iron Knife.  In some ways, though, that is a very good thing.

There are a few items of note about the Olhos de Fenix figure in relation to the American release of Spirit.  The Spirit figure has two major flaws.  First, the blue shirt and arms tend to discolor terribly.  Second, the golden wrist gauntlet paint will wear off is you breathe on it.  This makes finding truly mint Spirit figures very difficult.  The Olhos de Fenix figure, though, does not suffer from these issues.  The brilliant blue shirt does not discolor easily.  And, the golden paint on the figure's wrists is much more robust than that of the American release.  Oddly, South American produced Joes do not have nearly the same discoloration issues as those produced in Asia.  You see it on Olhos de Fenix, Cobra de Hielo and other South American issued molds.

The other difference in the Brazilian figure versus the American version are the general colors used.  Olhos de Fenix figures feature much richer color palettes.  The blue shirt is a much deeper blue than the American version.  In turn, this makes the red and gold pop more from the base background.  Olhos de Fenix's skin tone is darker, too.  It's actually more in line with his Native American skin color than the American release.  The overall color brilliance carries over to the accessories, too.  The figure's pack and gun are the much darker Brazilian green that was common to Estrela produced figures.  The loincloth is about the same in color.  But, the eagle included with the Brazilian figure is actually a lighter brown color than the the American released version of Freedom.

Ever since I acquired my first Brazilian figure back in 2001, I've had an issue with the softer plastic on the figures turning tacky to the touch.  This has occurred to figures stored in different ways in different parts of the country.  I've had it happen to figures I've opened off the card and figures and those I've acquired loose like this Olhos de Fenix.  In this case, the figure's hair has started to turn soft to the touch.  His loincloth has as well.  You can feel a slight, oily residue on your hands after handling these parts of the figure.  At this point, the plastic is 30+ years old.  So, the deterioration that's occurred may be the extent of what I'll see.  Or, it could be the harbinger of finding globs of gelatinous goo inside my figure storage bins.  But, I'm curious if others have this same issue.  Since I've seen it on figures acquired from American dealers, Brazilian aftersellers and even carded figures, I assume I can't be the only one who has found this problem.  So, if you have any experience with the Estrela plastic, let me know in the comments.

For me, Olhos de Fenix fits into a specific niche.  Like many foreign remakes of classic figures, Olhos de Fenix is a way for me to enjoy a classic figure from my childhood in a new way.  I find this figure better and more fun to photograph than the American Spirit due to the color differences.  More than one collector has commented on the quality of the Spirit in one of my photos, not realizing it was actually the Olhos de Fenix figure.  Posing him with remakes of classic characters from around the globe brings a worldliness to my collection that I enjoy.  You really don't need this figure as he brings nothing to a collection that Spirit does not.  But, having more than one way to showcase one of the figures who dominated the latter half of my 1984 play patterns is a nice, nostalgic bonus.

Spirit had a long life.  After the American release in 1984, the figure went to Brazil.  Olhos de Fenix was likely released sometime around 1986.  Subsequent to that release, the figure was then released by Auriken in Mexico in colors based on the American figure.  In 1989, Estrela fired up the mold again and produced the Slaughter's Marauders Spirit figure that was actually sold in the U.S.  Then, though, the mold was returned to Hasbro.  How this went down is unclear.  But, around 1991, a new Spirit figure was produced in Asia and released by Hasbro as a European exclusive figure.  The mold died after this.  Circumstantial evidence suggests that Hasbro could have had the mold in the 2000's.  But, it's impossible to know for sure.  All we know is that Spirit got a good number of releases around the world, but hasn't been seen in over 25 years.

A few years ago, Olhos de Fenix figures were fairly cheap.  You could get mint and complete figures for around $30 shipped from Brazil.  (So, about half that cost was shipping.)  Now, they cost much more. Nicely conditioned and complete with filecard figures will reach nearly $100, and sometimes more.  If you sacrifice some gear, the filecard or condition, it can still be a $50 figure if it's unbroken.  That's a lot to pay for something that's a slight variant to the American figure.  But, finding cheap American figures that are not discolored and have no gold paint wear is a challenge in and of itself.  The deeper colors of the Brazilian version do make him worth owning.  But, I"m not sure that the differences are worth the massive price differences between the Olhos de Fenix figure and the Spirit figure.  I was fortunate to acquire this guy when doing so was about the same price as getting a Hasbro release.  That is no longer the case.  But, I'm glad I have him now as the differences make for a better version of Spirit.

1984 Spirit Around the Web

Spirit is one of the more iconic looks in the vintage Joe line.  He's a solid figure and character who gives the line some visual distinction.  The American figure is prone to breakage and discoloration.  But, he's still well worth picking up.  Here's the best of him around the web.

Spirit Profile

Spirit at ARAH Gallery

Spirit Dio 1

Spirit at the Cobra Temple

Spirit at HalftheBattle

Spirit Dio 2

Spirit Dio 3

Spirit Dio 4

1984 Spirit Iron-Knife

Spirit is one of the most iconic looking Joes. He features a nearly cliched appearance that is memorable in many ways. The character was strong in both the comic and the cartoon and Spirit has many fans to this day. Sure, along with Supercop, Tollbooth and Shipwreck, Spirit makes for a great action figure rendition of the Village People. But, it his definitive look that also makes for a figure that most collectors feel is the iconic uniform for a must-have, classic character.

In 1984, my brother was the one who acquired Spirit. However, I quickly convinced him that the figure sucked and he pretty much gave it to me. I then promptly used the figure to death. After reading G.I. Joe #31 in the fall of 1984, I was a Spirit fan. I teamed him with Airborne much like the comic. Only, their main nemesis was Storm Shadow. (Like the cartoon.) I even went so far as to make a quiver for Spirit. It was made of red cloth with gold thread. In it he carried toothpick "arrows" that were used to combat Storm Shadow's bow. This was my primary adventure through the end of 1984. Unfortunately, once the 1985 figures began to appear, Spirit dropped from use. By that time, my figure was worn and damaged and, unlike many other figures from 1984, Spirit was never upgraded in subsequent, childhood years.

These days, this version of Spirit doesn't get much use in my collection. The golden wrists are so fragile that I don't dare use my mint version for anything. I have another figure whose gold is worn, but even he doesn't see too much action. For my money, the best coloring of the V1 Spirit mold is the European exclusive figure in black and red. While this original version is still well done, it just doesn't have the usefulness of the later Spirit mold figures. So, if you see the Spirit character appear in my Joe world, it is often either the 1992 or 1993 mold. But, as a display piece, nothing beats a high quality, fully accessorized version of the original Spirit figure. And, that's about the extent of my use of the figure today.

These days, my collection is all about figures from before 1986. While the 25th Anniversary has been a milestone in terms of new figures for many younger collectors, I have found that the anniversary actually increased my awareness of the line's first few years. From 1982 through 1985, the Joe line underwent a metamorphosis that saw it grow from a barely distinguishable lineup of green army men to a full fledged toy line that included the most ambitious figure designs and vehicles of the day. When you compare what Joe was in 1985 to other toy lines of the time, it was miles ahead of any competition. But, the sculptors and creators of the line didn't rest on their laurels. In the years after '85, the line continued to mature and grow in unprecedented ways. To me, this was the essence of the recently passed anniversary. It wasn't about buying new toys at retail. It was about celebrating a legacy of a toy line.

As such, my focus has gone more and more to figures from these first years. I started collecting Joe in 1982 and really didn't slow down until half way through 1987. Most of my fondest childhood memories from those years are centered around Joe. My friends and I played with our toys, we talked about the comics at school and whenever my parents went to a store, I spent the time on the toy aisle browsing the great selection of Joe offerings. That's not to say that Joe is my only memory from back then. But, the figures from these early are nice visual reminders of that time. To me, toys from this era are a connection back to my youth. While I would never want to live in the '80's again, it is nice to remember times when I wasn't so concerned with paying a mortgage, establishing compliance with SOX regulations or saving for retirement. In the end, that is probably why I still collect these things after all these years.

Spirit's value to Joe was largely as a character. He was a player in both the comic and cartoon. His look lended itself to visual media, but Larry Hama was able to make him a useful character as well. His stoic mysticism was useful in the comic as foreboding, but he was also useful in his intended capacity as a tracker. As such, Spirit retained relevance in the comic for much longer than many of his contemporaries even though his figures were long gone from retail. His relevance as a character carried into the modern line when collector outcry over Dart lead to Spirit making an appearance in the DTC line. Now, the character is also slated to appear in a 25th anniversary style homage figure that should appear at retail later this year. While Spirit is certainly not on par with Snake Eyes or Storm Shadow in terms of popularity, he is firmly in the second tier and remains a character that modern collectors do enjoy.

Spirit is well accessorized with unique weapons that befit his character. He includes a large dart rifle, a pack that features additional ammo molded onto it, a traditional loincloth waistband and the often broken eagle: Freedom. As a set, these accessories perfectly mesh to give the figure a life that the mold itself simply does not inspire. An incomplete Spirit figure simply can't stand up to a complete sample and no amount of alternate accessories are able to surpass those that were included with the figure. 1984 was really the first year where accessories became as much a part of the character as the figure itself and Spirit is one of the most relevant examples of this occurring.

The Spirit mold is well traveled. After the figure was released in the US, it was sent down to South America where it was released in both Mexico and Brazil. In 1989, Estrela produced the Slaughters Marauders series for the US. Spirit was included with this subset and released again in the US, even though the mold was still in Brazil. Sometime around 1990 or 1991, though, Hasbro re-acquired both the Spirit and Mutt molds from Brazil. They then used them to produce European exclusive versions of both those characters. After that, the trail runs cold and no trace of the mold has appeared in well over 15 years. As its last appearance was with Hasbro, though, it is possible that Hasbro still has access to it. Personally, I think a high quality V1 Spirit repaint would make for a great figure. The mold has a lot of potential for different colorings that would make a memorable release.

I'm just going to come out and say it. A mint, I mean truly mint, Spirit figure is one of the rarest figures in the entire line. He's harder to find than a mint Storm Shadow, a mint Mickey Mouse Cobra Commander or a mint Snake Eyes. He's not quite as rare as a mint Viper Pilot, but they are close. If you don't think so, look at your Spirit figures. The gold wrist bands almost always feature some wear. The red insignia on his arms tend to rub off very easily. And, as if that's not enough, the light blue plastic on his chest and back tends to fade and discolor. Finding a figure with perfect wrist bands, bright, vibrant blue and both, full insignias is a daunting task. And, collectors are starting to realize it. While nicely conditioned, complete Spirit figs will still top $25, truly mint figures are starting to consistently hit $70 or more. I searched for a mint version of Spirit for over 4 months. In that time, I only saw 2 that fit the bill. This was out of hundreds that I looked at. In fact, to avoid the hassles of searching through hundreds of loose figures, discerning collectors are even willing to purchase poorly conditioned MOC figures and just open them to ensure a mint specimen of this figure is in their collection.

Long term, this trend will likely continue. Collectors are coming to the point where having mint, complete figures is a higher priority than it was just a few years ago. And, as collectors tend to have less holes to fill these days, they are willing to spend a bit more for high end pieces that are hard to find. Right now, mint Spirits are under the radar a bit and you can get deals. But, you can hear the rumblings out there about how hard it is to find a genuinely mint Spirit and the high prices we're starting to see are likely just the beginning. As with Heavy Metal, it took a few high priced auctions before collectors accepted the fact that the part was going to be rare and expensive. As Spirit is a more relevant figure and character than Heavy Metal, I think we could see some higher prices for high quality figures that are sustained...even though there is probably a greater supply of Spirits than Heavy Metal mics. As such, I'd act now if you're missing this figure. It is a great addition to any collection both in terms of quality and rarity.

Spirit (European Exclusive!)

A while ago, I posted a profile of the Brazilian exclusive Urzor figure. In that profile, I posted a picture or Urzor meeting in the jungle with some other Cobras. In the background, though, was a slightly out of focus figure that most people recognized as the Spirit mold. I got a lot of inquiries, though, as to the nature of the figure. Was it a custom? Another Brazilian exclusive? My answer spurred several people to track down this seldom seen figure and add this European exclusive version of Spirit to their collections.

This Spirit is very different from his American releases. While both the '84 Spirit and the Slaughter's Marauders version are nicely colored and decent figures, this European version brings out a different element of the Spirit character. The dark black and blood red combine to communicate a more powerful characterization. This is not an exploitation figure, it is, instead, a look that shows a darker, deeper side to Spirit and, for me, gives the character even greater depth. I liken this design to a change in Spirit's demeanor. Gone is the naive tracker. When he dons this outfit, Spirit is capable of accomplishing more dangerous tasks. This is a uniform where Spirit means business. Usually, he is a lone infiltrate into a Cobra installation who must act completely without support. Other times, he is sent after a particular target: often with that target's total annihilation the only acceptable outcome.

One of the themes that I like to explore in my collection is the exploitation of the Joes by their superiors. I basically have the Joe team viewed as an organization that is called in to every situation that has gone hopelessly awry. The Joes are then sent in against almost impossible odds and expected to succeed. In most cases they do. However, one of the ideas that permeates my Joe ranks is the notion that their duty will never be done until each person is dead. The Joes feel that their skills are such that the military honchos will never let them retire. Instead, they will be sent on mission after mission, even long after their physical abilities have diminished. The eventual outcome of this is that, at some point, each team member's abilities will fail them at a critical time and they will end up dead. I have had this happen to a few different characters over the course of time and this has lead to the revelation among the existing team members that the same fate will, eventually, befall them. It is a dark secret among the Joes that, in some ways, makes them tighter as a unit. However, that type of pressure also weighs heavily upon a mind. At some point, I hope to explore this more fully with the character of Footloose after he, Flint and Duke infiltrate Dr. Mindbender's lab. I like the idea of fallible Joes moreso than what we see in mainstream Joe cannon. This notion of eventual death during duty provides the type of element that makes every Joe character a little more human and less detached from what they do.

Alas, in my collection, though, this version of Spirit is used more as a display model than a "use" figure. My '93 Spirit gets most of the action. The reason for that, though, has less to do with the fact that I like the '93 more than it does with the fact that I'm a bit worried about damaging my Euro Spirit. You can see in the photos below that Spirit is always holding his gun a certain way. This is because I'm afraid that the large handled weapon that is intended for the figure will break his thumb should I force it into place. This concern has lead me to use the Euro Spirit less than I would like as I don't want to break him. I have less problems with the '93 (though that, in its own right, is a tougher figure to find) and use it more often as I feel that replacing him would be easier than finding another Euro Spirit. This isn't to say the figure is brittle. Mine just feels like the gun would cause damage. Rather than risk it, I just don't use this mold very often.

I've always felt it odd that Europe got an exclusive Spirit figure. His is a mold that really is unique to the United States. Painting him in this manner seems somewhat out of place for a European release. Spirit's, and Mutt's, release timing is also somewhat peculiar. They were released in the early '90's, at a time when all other European releases were the new construction ball joint heads. Adding these two figures to the assortment was a odd combination and does not fit with the release schedules that were the norm in every other country. (Well, except for India, though that didn't really take hold until the late '90's and early '00's.) Why these two figures were chosen for an exclusive release will probably remain a mystery.

As this figure is a European release, he is of the same quality as American release figures. As such, you don't have to worry about brittle crotches and thumbs nor sloppy paint applications when you track one down. He includes 4 accessories, though only his loin cloth is unique to this version. His pack and gun are the same as the easily acquired Slaughter's Marauders Spirit and his eagle is the same as the original figure's. (Though just about all Freedoms out there are missing the claw. That's just one brittle feature of the animal mold.) This allows a collector to acquire a hopefully cheaper, non-complete version of this figure without the worry of tracking down too many exclusive accessories.

Like a few other figures, Spirit's mold has had an interesting journey. After his initial release in the U.S. in 1984-1985, he was sent to Brazil. There, Spirit was among the earlier Brazilian figures released. In 1989, the Spirit mold was again released in the U.S., this time under the Slaughter's Marauders banner. This figure, though, was not produced by Hasbro. Hasbro outsourced the production of these figures to Estrela in Brazil. As such, Estrela used molds they had on hand to produce that batch of figures. (All of the Slaughter's Marauders figures were released in Brazil in colors similar to their original American release.) At some point in the next few years, though, the Spirit and Mutt molds migrated out of Estrela's hands and into Europe. Here, the European division of Hasbro produced two exclusive figure repaints of those characters. These were released some time in the early '90's around the same time that the European exclusive Tiger Force figures were released. (An interesting note is that Blizzard also appears to have gone from Brazil to Europe around the same time.) What is not clear is whether the actual molds used by Euro Hasbro and Estrela were one and the same or if these early figures actually had two molds produced for them and they were then strewn around the world after Hasbro was through with their American releases. At any rate, the trail of these molds left quite a legacy and proves an interesting study on different countries' uses of specific figure molds.

A few years ago, when I was in the market for this figure, you could get mint and mostly complete Spirits for around $20. As I haven't looked for one of these guys in a while, I'm not sure if the current pricing is still similar or not. I do know, though, that there are a lot of these Euro Spirits around and many of them are in good condition. As such, if you want one, it usually does not take too much time to track one down. I've found this to be my favorite coloring of this mold. Unfortunately, his scarcer nature still precludes me from using this figure all that often. As a display piece, I can not recommend this figure enough. As a play piece, though...well...I leave that to your discretion. I've found that this figure is a welcome part of a collection, regardless of his purpose. The solid colors and classic mold make for a truly unique foreign figure who belongs in any American collection.

Spirit is still a great character. It appears, though, he has been replaced in new Joe cannon by Dart. Would you like to see Spirit return? Let me know.