1990 Sonic Fighter Law - Around The Web

1990 introduced new subsets to the Joe line.  The Sonic Fighters were a higher priced, premium figure.  The selling point was a huge backpack that made a bunch of primitive electronic sounds.  For 1990, the tech was fine.  Now, it seems painfully dated.  The figures also included extra weapons...most of which made no real sense with the figures.  But, the figures themselves were repaints of earlier molds.  And, all of them were solid designs.  You can argue that Law is the best of the set.  But, there's a couple of other figures who also have a legit claim to the crown.  

The upside is that there's some decent content featuring the 1990 Law out there.  Check out the content below and enjoy seeing this Law in action.

1990 Law Profile

1990 Law by thedustinmccoy

1990 Law by atticagazette

1990 Law by gijoecollector

1990 Law by fosilru

1990 Law by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

1990 Law by cobra_florence

1990 Law by evilface

1990 Law by gen_liederkranz

1990 Law by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

1990 Law by relinqueshed1979

1990 Law by Offc0ur5e

1991 Super Sonic Fighters Rock and Roll - Around The Web

The Super Sonic Fighters Rock and Roll is one of those figures that, on the surface, seems bad.  But, upon a deeper review, it's a surprisingly good figure.  The base colors are amazing.  The orange is a lot of fun, too.  His gear is excellently sculpted and should be more popular.  In total, he's an underappreciated gem from later in the line.  Here's some of the best of him from around the web.

1991 Super Sonic Fighters Rock and Roll Profile

1991 Rock and Roll by corpscommandercody

1991 Rock and Roll by thedragonfortress

1991 Rock and Roll by ronnie_trickshot

1991 Rock and Roll by slipstream80

1991 Rock and Roll by thedustinmccoy

1991 Rock and Roll by 1990s_gi_joes

Funskool Rock and Roll - Rarities

1991 Rock and Roll by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

1991 Rock and Roll by sintechness

1991 Rock and Roll by relena_warcraft

1991 Rock and Roll by ptytoys2021

1991 Rock and Roll by 73larebear

1991 Super Sonic Fighters Major Bludd

I have looked at this sculpt for Major Bludd before.  In fact, I have reviewed every single use of the body and head that was ever released anywhere in the world with one exception: the original that started it all.  All of the subsequent derivatives of this Super Sonic Fighters Major Bludd were done up in the classic brown from Major Bludd's debut look in 1983.  But, this 1990's Sonic Bludd brought a new color scheme to the character and updated him to a much more useful and interesting look.  It doesn't hurt that he's also in some very classic Cobra base colors that allows him to be a prominent member of an updated Cobra High Command.

An interesting point about this figure relates to its colors.  The blue and yellow are a nice blend of colors that works not only for Bludd, but for figures in general.  As this Major Bludd appeared in the cartoon, too, his look was exported around the world.  In India, Funskool had released a brown Major Bludd for several years that was based on the original Hasbro figure from 1983.  However, around 1993, Funskool repainted the 1983 Major Bludd mold in a blue and yellow color scheme.  It was likely that this was done to match the toy to the colors that appeared in the cartoon.  (The cartoon was airing in India during this time.)  So, you can spend way too much money to get a version of Major Bludd in this color scheme, but on his original mold.  Hasbro was keen to ensure that certain characters matched media releases.  So, Funskool updating an original mold into a new color scheme to match the cartoon was rather unique in the Joe world.

The figure itself does get maligned for the overabundance of grenades that are sculpted onto the figure's body.  There's way too many of them, for sure.  They can hinder the ability of the figure to fit inside certain vehicle cockpits.  Aside from that, though, the rest of the figure is just amazing.  Bludd carries over the dog tags from his original figure.  And, his overall harness and suit combo really do fit with Bludd as a jet pack user.  Which, at its core, is what this figure really is.  This is Bludd's flight suit as he soars among the clouds.  No one uses this figure in that regard.  But, it is the reason that this version of Bludd exists.

Situated among the '90's releases of Cobra Commander, Destro and Firefly, this Bludd fits perfectly.  The color palettes of these later figures all mesh well.  The bulkier sculpts give the early characters more heft and make them more posable with 1990's Joe figures.  You don't often see the 1990's Cobra High Command pics, though.  That iconography is reserved for the early 1980's figures.  And, the missing Baroness also makes the later team look incomplete.  But, Bludd, et al, really work either in the original swivel head versions from the early 80's or the ball headed updates from the early 90's.

Major Bludd's accessories are...well...terrible.  He has the oversized sonic jet pack.  Of the sonic packs, his being a jet pack probably makes the most sense.  So, I can forgive that.  His other gear...not so much.  He includes a yellow rifle that's one of the worst designed weapons in the line.  It seems like it was intended to be part of a vehicle and would attach to a gun port.  Instead, it was repurposed for this figure.  He then includes an odd "sonic disruptor cannon".  It's a two handed weapon (making it rather unique in the Joe line) with a not terrible design.  As a throw in, it's not bad.  But, when Bludd's main weapon is so terrible, the disruptor cannon becomes less acceptable.  The card artwork, though, clearly shows Bludd wielding the pistol that would, ultimately, be included with the Air Devil.  This would have been a better weapon for sure.  And, I would love to know how Bludd came to include his yellow rifle instead of the superior Air Devil design.

I acquired my first version of this figure back in 1999.  I bought a lot of 1990 and 1991 figures.  It was about 50 mint and complete with filecard figures.  I paid well under $100 for the lot since no one liked '90's figures back then.  When the lot arrived, most of the figures were bagged with their correct gear and filecards.  A few, though, weren't.  This Major Bludd was one of them.  Instead, he was holding a 1990 Rock Viper pistol.  While I knew this wasn't meant to be his weapon, that pistol just kind of stuck with this Major Bludd.  And, through the years, I've used that Rock Viper weapon more with various repaints of the Bludd mold than I have with actual Rock Vipers.  Even today, I'm more inclined to pose this Major Bludd figure with that Rock Viper pistol than I am to give it to the actual Rock Viper.

This Bludd has often found use in my collection.  But, it was almost always the later, brown paint jobs.  You can find the blue figure in a few very early pictures on the site.  He was almost always paired with the 1993 Firefly.  I saw the figure as a new character, though.  So, he was rarely used as Bludd.  Those days, though, are gone.  And, now, I see this as a great way to have Major Bludd interact with later Cobra characters and army builders.  The bulkier sculpt is more in line with his contemporary releases.  And, Bludd looks great among the stalwart Cobras from the latter half of the line's history.  

So, one of the subtle points of contention about the Super Sonic Fighters relates to their release year.  YoJoe put them as 1991 releases.  And, for that reason, they were considered to be 1991 figures for decades.  Recently, though, 3DJoes.com reclassified the series as a 1992 release.  Personally, I'm not sold on this change.  The Super Sonic Fighters feature only other 1991 released on their cardbacks.  But, I'm not privy to the internal paperwork and other documentation that other well reasoned collectors used to come to their conclusion.  The reality is that the idea of a yearly wave of Joes went out the window with the advent of subsets in the 1990's.  (And, could be argued back as far as the Battle Force 2000 figures being 1987 or 1988 releases.)  So, while the main carded line did have a set year of release, the subsets were phased in as the year progressed.  And, it's entirely possible that a set was a very late release one year and was meant as a main retail alternative for the subsequent release year.  In the end, you'll see this figure labelled as either a 1991 or a 1992 release.  For now, either will do.  As older guides fall out of favor, 1992 may become the de facto standard.  Personally, old habits die hard.  And, I've had this figure and his brethren in my 1991 drawers since 1999.  Rather than move them, I'll just continue to call this a 1991 release: knowing full well that it could change at some point in the future.

This Major Bludd mold debuted in 1991.  The head was then used around 1994 for the Chinese Major Bludd.  In very late 2000, the entire figure was repainted in brown and released as part of the ARAHC line.  This figure was shipped with the Rock Viper and was an international pegwarmer of near epic proportion.  Hasbro then, oddly, shipped the mold off to India.  In 2002, Funskool released Major Bludd based on the ARAHC figure: just in a lighter brown.  This is the end of the mold.  So, really, there's two brown versions and this one blue version.  Both are excellent.  And, since we got the mold in classic Bludd colors, there's not really any reason  for another coloring to exist.

The Sonic Fighters figures had limited release windows.  While there were plenty on the shelves during their release year, they were just released during that short time.  So, today, you don't find these figures with the same frequency as their contemporary standard carded figures.  During the price surge between 2018 and 2021, this Major Bludd climbed as high as $40 for a mint and complete figure.  So, dealers still try to sell them for that price.  But, you can get a mint an complete figure for around $15 in the current market.  If you're willing to sacrifice completeness, you can get the figure for under $8.  So, that makes this figure a worthwhile addition to any collection.

Rarities - Funskool Rock and Roll

As Funskool figures become famous in the early 2000's, it lead to a trailblazing group of collectors whose mission it was to track down earlier Funskool releases.  In their acquisitions, it appeared that an unpopular repaint of the 1989 Rock and Roll was one of the more difficult figures to track down from India.  In the ensuing decades, the figure became more common.  But, it has remained a mostly obscure pre-mass import Funskool offering.

This figure is based on the 1991 Super Sonic Fighters repaint of Rock and Roll.  It has a few key differences.  First, the backpack does not create sound.  Second, the figure's weapons are a lighter tan color than the Hasbro figure.  And, finally, this figure also includes the Shotgun that appeared on the Hasbro card art in 1991 but, was completely missing from the actual figure release.

We'll start by looking at some carded figures of the Rock and Roll.  As you can see, the packaging art is the same as the Hasbro release of the figure.  However, the artwork is cropped differently so that it fits on the smaller cardbacks that were Funskool standards.

 

Below are some close ups of the figure and his accessories.  The actual figure is fairly similar to the Hasbro release of the same figure.  This is likely due to the cartoon reruns airing in India during the time of this figure's release that featured this look for the classic Rock and Roll character.  Of course, the figure is slightly different from the Hasbro version.  And, it's likely there are slight color variants among Rock and Roll figures released in India over the various production years.

The big difference is in the figure's gear.  While this Rock and Roll does include the sonic backpack from the Hasbro figure, the electronics and sound from the pack have been removed.  So, you get all of the size of the buffoonish pack without that pesky extra weight.

Rock and Roll includes the large machine gun, weapon stand and mortar from the Hasbro release.  They are in a nice, medium brown color that's probably preferable to the Hasbro colors of these stronger than you might realize weapons.  However, the figure includes one other piece that was included with the Hasbro mintings of this figure: the 1989 shotgun.  This weapon appears on the Hasbro card artwork.  But, it was not included with the Hasbro figure.  But, it is here on the Funskool release.

What's also odd is that the other weapons that were included with the 1989 Rock and Roll were also released in India with other figures.  The twin gatling cannons, backpack and ammo belts were used on various figures through the years.  They were continued on figures produced in the 2000's and not returned to Hasbro with this mold.

Below you will a couple of cardbacks for this figure.  One was made in 1996 and other in 1997.  This was kind of a dark period of Funskool releases when modern collectors started to chase down Funskool variants.  It has since become more understood.  But, this Rock and Roll was discontinued in the 1990's.

And, that leads to the most interesting part of the story.  It seems that when Hasbro recalled molds in 1997 or so, this Rock and Roll was among them.  With the mold in hand, though, Hasbro didn't rush to use it.  (Which is odd considering how terrible the 1997 Hasbro Rock and Roll figure is.)  They did, though, finally plan to use the mold with the 2001 HQ.  The figure in the set is even called Rock and Roll.  However, Hasbro returned the mold to Funskool before it could be used.  With the mold back in hand, Funskool planned to release a new paint job on Rock and Roll as a brand new figure for their line in 2003 or 2004.  But, the Funskool line was cancelled before it came to be and this 1990's figure remains the only Rock and Roll released in India.

Today, this figure remains expensive, especially if you want him complete.  But, he is findable and the days of there being only a handful of them in the collecting community are two decades in the past.  As an oddity, this figure is fun.  His gear is better than Hasbro's.  So, that's something worth tracking down.  But, really, no one cares much for this look for Rock and Roll.  So, the figure remains fairly obscure, even today.

1990 Sonic Fighters Dialtone

Repaints are a double edged sword.  On one hand, they provide a great way to use an existing character in a new way.  On the other hand, collectors almost always wanted something new during the vintage line's heyday.  But, repaints became a thing in 1983 and continued through 1994.  In the vintage line, though, repaints were almost always excellent redos that brought something new to the character.  While this would change in 1993, the repaints released in the first decade of the line tended to be sold in subsets.  The main repaints were sold in color themed ensembles.  But, later, the figures started to appear in other subsets, but as just solid repaints instead of being married to a specific palette.  In 1990, Hasbro released the high priced Sonic Fighters subset.  While all the figures in the series are well done repaints, today we look at Dialtone.

Dialtone is one of my favorite figures.  This stems not only from the figure's quality, but also the circumstances of the character entering my collection.  (See the 1986 Dialtone profile for that saga.)  I had both of his 1986 color schemes and always found a way to include Dialtone in whatever adventure I could conjure up.  But, as I was completely out of Joe by 1990, I never saw this Dialtone in stores.  This new black, silver and blue color scheme was a strong entry for the character.  But, upon learning of this figure's existence, I didn't really take much time to track him down.  Instead, I was more interested in picking up additional 1986 figures.  And, this 1990 figure (acquired in a very early lot of 1990 figures I I bought back when no one cared about any figure after 1987) simply faded into the drawer of his contemporaries.  When Dialtone returned to retail in 2000, I army built that figure.  And, again in 2002, I snatched up a few extra cheap figures from the BJ's set.  Still, I never really thought of this Dialtone version.

In recent years, though, my obsession with all things obscure lead me back to this figure.  I found the color scheme stronger than I remembered.  And, his overall appearance is on par with his previous releases.  The color scheme is more akin to Cobra.  But, more on that in a later paragraph.  This Sonic Fighters Dialtone works well in a variety of vehicles and gives you a less bright version of the character for use in the field.  Original Dialtone gear isn't overly difficult to track down.  So, it's pretty easy to outfit him with the 1986 weapon and pack.  And, that leaves his other weapons for use with different figures.  The black grenade launcher is a nice match for the 1992 or 1993 Gung Ho.  And, I do enjoy the flamethrower with the 1994 Ice Cream Soldier.  

So, now this 1990 Dialtone finds himself another option for me to use when a photo needs a communications trooper.  While I still don't like it as well as the original, that's also a function of the first release holding the childhood memories.  So, it's difficult to look at the Sonic Fighter through the lens of anything other than an adult collector.  But, in that vein, this blue and black Dialtone is a solid entry to the Joe world.  He meshes well with other figures.  He can be used in a variety of bases or vehicles.  And, he looks good when he's out and about in the wild.  You can't ask for much more from a figure.  I always find more value in the Dialtone character than most, just because of my childhood biases.  But, even with those brushed aside, the Sonic Fighters Dialtone is pretty decent.

The Sonic Fighters included a great deal of gear.  In addition to the massive sound producing backpack that was completed with a radar dish on top, Dialtone also included four weapons.  The additional gear was a cheap way for Hasbro to convey extra value beyond the sound backpack.  As the Sonic Fighters were higher priced, Hasbro needed to convince parents that these figures were really special.  Dialtone included a black versions of: his 1986 weapon, Blocker's pistol, Hardball's Grenade Launcher and Charbroil's flamethrower.  Many of the Sonic Fighters included recolored Battle Force 2000 weapons.  But, they also included many accessories from the 1988 and 1989 Night Force figures.  Dialtone's flamethrower is nearly indistinguishable from the 1989 Night Force Charbroil's.  And, there is considerable debate in the community regarding the differences between it as well as the Night Force Shockwave and Spearhead weapons that are included with other Sonic Fighters figures.

It was pointed out to me that Dialtone and the 1991 Interrogator share a color scheme.  The blue, black and grey of Dialtone is nearly identical to those colors on the Interrogator.  While Hasbro loved to reused the same colors again and again in the line, it was rare for two figures in close proximity to be so closely aligned.  There's no connection between the characters.  But, maybe there should be.  It would probably get super weird with one them wearing colors to mimic the other.  And, the stalker, obsessive nature of one of the characters would be out of depth with their established characterization.  Interrogator is smooth operator.  So, it doesn't flow that he's had some bizarre obsession with a random and somewhat obscure member of the Joe team.  

The Sonic Fighters retailed for $7 each.  This was more than twice the cost of a standard carded figure.  But, while toys that make cheesy electronic noises are commonplace and cheap today, they were state of the art 31 years ago when this figure was released.  The size of the pack helped to sell the additional gimmick that more than doubled the cost of a figure.  But, the concept must have been successful enough as the Super Sonic Fighters and Talking Battle Commanders followed in subsequent years.  I did find remnants of the Talking Battle Commanders at retail in 1997.  So, it's probable that the higher price gimmicks did fizzle out, eventually.  But, Hasbro pushed the edge of what a 3 3/4" figure could be and found ways to make the figures evolve, even as they kept the construction and basic design of the figures the same for 13 years.  

Dialtone has been done to death.  He was first released in 1986 and immediately got a Mission to Brazil repaint later in that year.  This Sonic Fighters figure appeared in 1990.  The 1986 Dialtone was released on a Chinese card around 1994.  Then, Hasbro went crazy.  After scrapping plans for a desert Dialtone in 1998, they released an olive green figure in 2000.  He appeared in the BJ's Gift Set in 2002.  His chest and arms were also released in grey as part of the 2002 Dusty figure and his parts ended up on a few other figures from the 2000's.  Then, a Tiger Force version was released in 2003.  Despite all this, Dialtone could have used both an arctic figure and a full production desert figure.  As I enjoy the mold, I'd take him in any colors.  But, I'm in the minority on that point.

Sonic Fighters Dial Tones are not expensive.  Just the figure can be had for under $7.  One with a couple of his weapons will run you $12 or so.  And, mint and complete with filecard figures can be had for $20.  For a figure with a lot of gear that was released in a lower production run subset, that's not too bad at all.  But, as this was the third Dialtone released in the vintage line, you can see how collectors were a bit fatigued with him.  And, while his colors are pretty strong, they are also not as distinctive as his 1986 releases.  The lack of a communications backpack is also a factor.  So, this Dial Tone languishes in obscurity, even as other figures released in his same subset find favor among collectors.

1991 Super Sonic Fighters Falcon - Around The Web

There are no bad Falcon figures.  The mold is strong and all four versions of it really work.  Which is the best, then, is often left to personal preference for colors.  For me, the 1991 Super Sonic Fighters version remains my favorite.  While the 1987 was a childhood favorite, the grey and green combo on this later repaint really stand out.  Grey is a relatively rare base color for Joes.  So, when it's done right, it really shines.  I also like the weapons included with this version.  I'm fortunate to have a spare Night Force Falcon pack that I can give him as it completes the figure nicely.  While the 1987 version is more common in pictures, this version still appears often enough.  Here's the best of him from around the web.

1991 Falcon Profile 01

1991 Falcon Profile 02

1991 Falcon by purple_cobra75

1991 Falcon at JoeADay.com

1991 Falcon by atticagazette

1991 Falcon by Slipstream80

1991 Falcon by rutbullet

1991 Falcon by jogunwarrior

1991 Falcon at HCC788

1991 Super Sonic Fighters Rock and Roll

In 1989, Hasbro rebooted a few of the original 13 characters from the Joe line.  Snake Eyes and Stalker were the big two.  But, they were joined by a new take on the Rock and Roll character, too.  Rock and Roll was both an upgrade over his original figure as well as an homage that kept a few basic premises that made the character unique back in 1982.  It was a perfect blend of design that was matched with solid colors and an amazing contingent of accessories.  In 1991, Hasbro also introduced a line of figures called the Super Sonic Fighters.  These figures were repaints of existing molds that included a super expensive electronic backpack.  One of the molds selected for this series was the 1989 Rock and Roll.  This time around, he was given new accessories and darker, richer base colors.  The figure was destined to join Falcon and Law (from the prior year) as amazing repaints of classic molds.  Hasbro, though, added a fun little perk to Rock and Roll.  They tripped him out in orange highlights.  The bright color was a harbinger of things to come and was used to draw the eye of potential customers to this higher priced (and more profitable) Super Sonic Fighters figures.

In the comic book, Rock and Roll's 1989 look was introduced in a dark green ensemble.  It's a repaint that Hasbro should have made.  And, if you look beyond the orange of this 1991 repaint, you see that Hasbro was so very close to delivering on that artistic license from Marvel.  The figure's shirt is a rich evergreen color that is rare in the vintage line.  His pants are brown.  Sans orange highlights, this combo would have been a great update for Rock and Roll that would not have treaded upon the 1989 version.  Hasbro, though, did include bright orange highlights.  And, while they might have somewhat ruined what could have been the perfect Rock and Roll, they also give the figure some personality.  The orange allows this figure to stand out and be seen.  Brightly colored Joe figures tend to photograph well.  And, this Rock and Roll is no exception.  The neon highlights help showcase the figure's quality and pull him out of a drab background.

I'm a fan of neon Joes.  I love them because they are eye catching toys.  Joe was never about "realistic military!".  It is superhero fantasy set within a military framework.  And, figures like Rock and Roll fit into that.  This guy lugs around a massive machine gun that he can fire standing up as well as a mortar that's thicker than his waist.  His original design had him with pistol grip double barreled gatling cannons that were fed from an ammo pack on his back.  He was a superhero archetype right from the beginning.  So, having him in colors that are bright and eye catching fits with that motif.  When you are larger than life, realistic rules no longer apply.  And, in this context, Joe makes a lot more sense.

My biggest issue with this figure is not the orange highlights.  Instead, it's the amount of unpainted details on the figure.  The 1989 Rock and Roll suffers from the same fate.  This figure sculpt is covered in bullets, buckles, belts and pouches.  None of which are painted.  So, you lose much of the sculpt's amazing details as they obscured by being the same color as the figure's base pants, shirt or orange harness.  The legs, especially, are under-detailed.  Rock and Roll's legs are covered in bullets and straps that, if painted, would have raised this figure to another level.  Instead, they are lost in the sea of brown and collectors miss out on the amazing sculpting that covers this entire mold.

By 1989, I was done with Joe.  I bought no figures and even my youngest brother had mostly moved on.  But, I was buying the comic.  And, as I was bored each day in my first period Spanish class, I'd often write up adventures for Joe figures that I did not own.  Rock and Roll was the one who most stood out.  I thought his gear was awesome and his new look was perfect for a character from my childhood.  When I started collecting as an adult, a mint 1989 Rock and Roll was among the first figures I tracked down.  This orange figure, though, never entered my mind.  

In 1999, I was about the only person scouring Ebay for lots of figures from the 1990's.  Most collectors of that time believed the line ended in 1987 but would allow for Hit and Run and Shockwave.  Even the vaunted 1989 army builders were not overly sought after.  In one of these lots, I managed to pick up an entire set of mint and complete with filecard Super Sonic Fighters figures.  I paid less than $2 per figure for that lot.  It was a great time.  I was enamored, though, with Falcon.  And, Road Pig was terrible enough to draw my ire in and early profile.  Rock and Roll, though, fell into the back of my 1991 drawer and never escaped.  His weapon appeared with my 1991 Grunt as I thought it a better fit for that figure.  But, Rock and Roll never appeared in any photos and was completely lost.  In 2009 or so, I sold the figure in a lot of junk.  But, for some reason, I kept his accessories and filecard.

Over the past few years, I've been slowly rebuilding the collection I sold.  While I lament the rare stuff that's now too expensive to ever re-acquire, I've found that finding figures like this Rock and Roll can be a challenge, too.  Mostly, that's because I'm cheap and refuse to pay for figures.  But, also, I can take a while to find figures like Rock and Roll from sellers who have enough other items I want to be able to justify the shipping cost.  (I never pay to ship just 1 figure.)  But, as I track down each of the unchecked boxes in my database, I get to rediscover some gems like this Rock and Roll figure.  It's doubtful I'd have such glowing things to say about him had I kept the original figure that had weird, pink residue on his head.  But, in the hunt, I found value and this figure has captured my attention now, for several months.

Rock and Roll's accessories are his calling card.  The figure includes the massive sonic backpack and a green cone that serves as a weapons stand.  He includes a brown mortar and machine gun.  The mortar is good if you have it set in the stand.  But, it doesn't work on its own.  The best weapon, though, is the machine gun.  It's an excellent sculpt that's just the right size.  The color is fun and unique to the line.  For some reason, though, the brown plastic on the weapons is very soft.  As such, the weapon handles scuff easily.  I'm not aware of any other weapons in the vintage line that are as soft (except, maybe the 1985 Shipwreck's gear).  So, it's likely a function of the plastic color.  Rock and Roll does not include his shotgun from the 1989 figure, though.  This weapon does appear on the card art.  And, in India, the Funskool version of this figure does include an exclusive version of the shotgun.  So, it was likely a last minute omission from this figure.

There are three versions of this Rock and Roll sculpt.  The 1989 figure is the best.  He has the best weapons and the best colors.  This orange figure is great, too.  But, if you can only buy one, get the 1989.  In the mid 1990's, Hasbro sent the mold to Funskool where they released the figure in Sonic colors.  This mold went out of production after a couple of years and is hard to find.  The story then gets interesting.  Funskool returned the mold to Hasbro in 1997.  In 2001, Hasbro wanted to include a version of this Rock and Roll with the 2001 HQ.  Hasbro had the mold, but then could not find it.  So, they went with the 1994 Flint mold instead.  But, then, Hasbro sent the mold BACK to Funskool.  Funskool, not really sure why they got it back, decided they would release it again in 2003 or 2004.  But, the Funskool line was cancelled before they could do that and this Rock and Roll is left with two figures that never came to be.

Dealers will sell complete Rock and Rolls for upwards of $40.  But, you can buy carded versions for that price.  Mint and complete with filecard figures will cost you about $20, with a few deals here and there.  If you sacrifice the filecard, the price for mint and complete figures falls by half.  For that price, everyone should have this figure.  The gun is worth it alone.  But, the dark green color with the bright orange is just a vibrant look that is great for photos and just looks fun.  If the figure wasn't orange, but black, this figure would probably be more than double his current price.  For a figure that's kind of scarce, though, the pricing on this guy is still affordable and makes him a very worthwhile pickup.

1991 Super Sonic Fighters Zap - Around The Web

The 1991 Super Sonic Fighters Zap is an example of how an original character should be updated.  The figure is easy to see as Zap.  But, he's also updated in a dramatic way that helps him blend with later figure releases.  He is excellently colored and includes a pretty solid array of weaponry.  Here's the best of him from around the web.

1991 Zap Profile

Zap by scarrviper

1991 Zap by thedustinmccoy

Zap by jogunwarrior

Zap by Slipstream80

Zap at Half the Battle

Zap by HCC788

1990 Super Sonic Fighters Law

Law is a staple of my collection.  He has been an army builder instead of a character ever since a snowy day in late 1987 where I took our two Law figures out into the snow, manning a motorized 6 wheeler and carrying Grunt's M-16 rifles from the original Battle Gear pack.  From that day, Law has been a security officer, policeman, prison guard and MP in all his forms.  The orange and blue original was a staple of my army building years and I'd often acquire lots of 1987 figures just because Law and Chuckles were included.  In 2000, I was ecstatic to see Law return to the line in a convention law enforcement color scheme.  With him, I now had Law as a vintage MP and a modern police force.  But, this left one open area: a real military version of Law that would be closer to the front lines and combat.  It was then that I found the 1990 Super Sonic Fighters Law figure.

This Super Sonic Fighters version of Law is about as perfect a repaint as Hasbro ever created.  The original Law figure was defined by his unique colors.  He was a bit bright.  But, that worked in the context of his specialty.  This 1990 figure uses the paint masks from the original figure, but swaps out the blue and orange for olive and standard green.  The result, when combined with the light tan pants, is a figure that looks much more at home on a military base.  He has enough color to be visually appealing.  But, the colors are more in line with traditional military appearance.  It's not that he's better than the original Law: he's different.  And, in this case, different is excellent.  With this figure, I am free to use the figure or character in different settings with different looks without resorting to gimmicks like Tiger Force.

1990 ushered in a new concept for G.I. Joe: the premium format figure.  Through the years, Joe had a line of single carded figures at a price point and then a variety of vehicle and playset offerings that hit a variety of cost attachments.  There were the odd ball figure releases through the years like Tomax and Xamot, the Listen and Fun Tripwire and the Battle Force 2000 multi packs.  But, Joe was pretty much single carded figures priced around $3 and vehicles.  The Super Sonic Fighters and 1990 Sky Patrol series changed that, though.  Now, in addition to the basic figure line, there was a set of higher priced figures that included special gimmicks that hung on the pegs next to the standard line.  The concept must have worked.  Hasbro released Super Sonic Fighters again in 1991, along with the Eco Warriors. 1992 continued the Eco Warriors, introduced the DEF and saw the Super Sonic Fighters evolve into the Talking Battle Commanders.  1993 introduced the Mega Marines and the Star Brigade Armor Tech line: though Hasbro cancelled the Eco Warriors and DEF figures that were planned and released them in the regular Battle Corps series.  1994 was muted as only the Shadow Ninjas received the large format cards and it seems that Hasbro planned to phase out much of the card differentiation in 1995.

Law has an interesting set of gear.  Of course, he includes the comically large Super Sonic Fighters backpack.  It's terrible and awful and useless.  He is also now missing his K-9 companion, Order.  The good part is that he has his original helmet: complete with the MP logo imprinted upon it.  His guns are a hodge-podge of rehashes from other figures.  The upside is that they are all cast in black.  The downside is that some are from Maverick and Avalanche.  Those weapons are kind of useless.  However, you also get a black version of Lifeline's pistol and a black version of the 1986 Roadblock's massive machine gun and tripod.  I've never been overly fond of Lifeline's pistol.  I always felt it was a poor imitator of Hawk's 1986 pistol.  The Roadblock gun is overly massive.  But, the tripod makes it useful.  Having it in black is a nice difference.  And, if you have the 1997 Rock and Roll figure, makes a good substitute weapon for that release.

For me, this figure is a great faceless legion to augment the Joe team.  I don't see any particular reason for the Joes to have MP's on their own team and Law's character has never really appealed to me.  Instead, I find value in multiples of the figure.  Once Joe defeated a group of Cobras, there was no longer any reason to be involved with their handling and processing through the legal system.  If the Joes captured a named Cobra, it would be different.  But, when a group of Vipers surrendered, they would be taken off by a multitude of MP's to face trial and long imprisonment.  The beauty of this was that it afforded a whole new angle of adventures for me as a kid.  The MP's could be inept, extremely good, criminally corrupt or just unlucky.  It also allowed for Cobra to kill some of the good guys: making them a much more effective enemy.

Law was decently used by Hasbro.  He got his 1987 and this 1990 release.  The character returned for a planned DEF release (that was changed to Battle Corps when DEF was cancelled) in 1993.  That figure is nothing like the iconic Law, though.  In 1998, Law's name appeared as a candidate for release with a planned desert repaint of the 1983 G.I. Joe Headquarters.  However, that release never materialized.  But, in 2000, Law was released in a solid blue repaint in a two pack with other 1998 release candidate Dusty.  As Hasbro was planning on scrapping the vintage Joes in 2002 and replacing them with the JvC sculpt figures, they then sent the mold off to Funskool.  In 2002, Law was released in India.  The figure is in a nice, dark brown color scheme.  The coup-de-gras, though, is that the Funskool figure features a painted mustache on Law's face.  After that, the mold disappeared and Law never saw another release.  But, all four of the releases of this 1987 mold are top notch and they do work well together.  So, I do feel the mold's potential was realized.

Mint and complete with filecard Super Sonic Fighters figures have gotten a bit harder to find and more expensive.  Left on the open market, mint and complete with filecard versions run around $10.  Dealers often sell him in the $16 range.  And, due to a generally limited supply, you'll see a few move at that price.  As there are many versions of Law out there and all are good and a few others are cheap, it doesn't make sense to spend a lot army building this version.  He works well as a Captain of the MP forces that are comprised of more common 1987 and 2000 versions of the figure.  But, as a stand alone offering, this Law is a must have.  He provides a great, alternate look for a classic character without being too sub-team specific.

1990 Super Sonic Fighter Viper - Around the Web

The Super Sonic Fighter Viper is an excellent repaint.  You get the full vintage mold in a cool copper and gold color scheme.  The make for good commanders of the Viper ranks.  Here's the best of the figure around the web.

1990 Gold Viper Profile

Sonic Viper at JoeADay.com 1

Sonic Gold Viper at JoeADay.com 2

1990 Viper at JoeBattleLines.com

Sonic Viper at Toys Are Cool

Gold Viper at JoeDios.com 1

Sonic Viper at JoeDios.com 2

Sonic Viper at JoeDios.com 3

1990 Super Sonic Vipers

Sonic Fighters - Around the Web

The Super Sonic Fighters are an underappreciated subset full of high quality figures.  There's not a lot out there about them, specifically.  But, here's some links around the web to take a another look at the figures:

Super Sonic Fighters Profiles

Photos at JoeDios.com

Sonic Fighters at JoeaDay.com

Sonic Fighters Commercial at Youtube (Video)

Super Sonic Fighters at JoeWiki

Sonic Fighters at Icebreaker's HQ

1991 Super Sonic Fighters Psyche Out

Hasbro introduced the Super Sonic Fighters line of figures in 1990.  These higher price point items included light up and sound producing accessories that were designed to be more "interactive" with the children of the era.  The bulk it took to achieve the sounds is comical now.  But, was pretty decent for 1990.  The added price, though, made these figures a tough sell.  But, the overall quality of the offerings in relation to the rest of the lineup from that year was right on par.  Some of the 1991 figures, such as Zap, Major Bludd and Falcon were excellent upgrades to existing characters.  Road Pig and Rock and Roll, though, were brightly colored repaints of pre-existing molds.  The final figure in the set, Psyche Out, is a hybrid.  The figure has a strong mold, an excellent head, somewhat lame accessories and a color scheme that leaves something to be desired.  The end result is a figure that is worth a place in any collection, even if that niche is somewhat small.

The Super Sonic Fighters figures retailed for around $7 each in 1991.  That was more than twice the going rate for a standard, carded figure.  Given the choice between getting 1 figure or 2 with some change for the same price, you can bet which way most parents and kids leaned.  The result was that the figures hung around for a while and were very hard to find on the second hand market for a long time.  Even today, the Super Sonic Fighters figures exist in substantially lower quantities than the other figures from the era.  It is only their reduced popularity among modern collectors that keeps them from being substantially more expensive.  It is that lower production, though, that also helps to keep the figures obscure.  You don't often see the figures utilized in dios or photos.  At this point, most collectors are aware of the figures, and may even own them.  But, they don't consider them among the more important figures that Hasbro released.  It's a fair fate for the Super Sonic Fighters.  But, there is hidden quality in the 1991 offerings that can not be ignored.

The Psyche Out character was rather popular, being released in his original incarnation, repainted in the American Night Force subset and then also appearing as a European Exclusive Tiger Force member.  This Super Sonic Fighters version updated the character and gave him a new uniform.  This entire mold then reappeared in India where Funskool released him for many years.  With 5 distinct vintage style releases (granted, two of them are foreign exclusives), Psyche Out was far more popular than most of this 1987 classmates.  So, there are likely more versions of Psyche Out than most collectors care for.

This 1991 version, though, is a drastic departure from the 1987 incarnation.  Gone is the 1950's era headgear.  And, in its place is a much more modern helmet and uniform that brings the character into a much more contemporary appearance.  The greatness of the figure is the headsculpt.  The helmet covering one eye is visually interesting.  But, with the communications device attached, the headgear is a visual treat and something that is not overly common on Joe figures.  The figure's body is less intricate as its, basically, a jumpsuit with some pockets and a strap.  The strap, though, is well placed so that some radar dishes can be added to the figure's torso to give the body added depth.  The legs are equally barren, save for a silver leg holster.

The overall appearance of the figure becomes somewhat problematic.  You have this great head on a fairly banal body.  And, the figure's primary base color is a dark aqua blue.  So, there's something definitely "off" about the complete package.  It's certainly not a Psyche Out you would include on a field mission.  But, the uniform does lend itself to several Joe specific environments.  He works in the HQ as a technician or adviser.  But, the best use would as a companion to Hardtop: either manning the ground control of the Defiant or being onboard as a specialist.  In this setting, the figure takes on more significance since the look fits the motif.  Sure, it's a specific use.  But, it is a way to use the excellent qualities of the figure within a setting that is more plausible.

Psyche Out's accessories are plentiful and voluminous.  But, they aren't great.  The headset/microphone piece is amazing.  It, alone, makes the figure worth acquiring.  But, the rest of the accessories fall off a precipice from there.  There are two small radar dishes that attach to Psyche Out's body.  It's neat to have an attachable accessory.  But, the are bulky, tend to fall off and generally don't add much to the overall appearance.  Psyche Out's "weapon" is a massive, sci-fi E.C.M. laser rifle.  It is huge, and blocky and really only works sitting the floor.  There's no real way for the figure to handle it smoothly.  The weapon is rounded out with a large radar dish that attaches to the barrel and a hose to connect to the backpack.

Psyche Out's backpack is massive.  All of the Sonic Fighters packs are large to accommodate the light and sound technology of the day.  The nice thing is that they can be used as sort of stand alone playsets.  For more of the figures, this is a stretch.  But, for Psyche Out, it works.  His technological bent and laser rifle fit into the motif of the pack and make it somewhat usable...even if the size would make it useless as a field weapon.  The grey pack features three plug in accessories: a small radar dish, a larger radar dish and a small antenna.  With these on the pack, it takes on more of a playset vibe.  (Of course, they also make getting a complete figure that much harder!)  Of final note is that the pack has two variants: one with a peg for the hose to attach to.  And, another where there is just a hole into which the hose plugs.  They appear with similar frequency (I have acquired 2 Psyche Out's in my decades of collecting and got one of each without even trying.) and really don't have an impact to the figure's pricing.  My personal preference is the hole model as the peg is rather large and most hoses will quickly detach until you've stretched them out to the point where they are useless for other figures.

This figure's pricing and availability are problematic.  Psyche Out is actually rather hard to find if you want him mint and complete.  A figure with all his gear and filecard will cost between $20 and $25 these days.  Carded versions will be more expensive.  But, the figure isn't easy to find in either incarnation.  The small accessories and obscure release make it difficult to find this guy in mint condition and complete.  However, the Funskool version included the same accessories (though the antenna is grey instead of black) and was available for a long time for under $5 in the U.S.  It's likely that this Funskool version helps keep the price of the American figure down a bit.  Which is good as the mold is worth acquiring and the gear just makes the figure that much better.  The Funskool versions are pricier now, though, and will often run $10 plus shipping for a carded figure.  But, that's still a lot less money and hassle than finding the American version.  So, I recommend that as an alternative.  But, every collector should have a version of this figure.  He's oddball, but in a good way.

1991 Falcon - Super Sonic Fighters

Except for the final two years of the vintage Joe line, repaints of whole figures were rather uncommon. It started with a straggler figure here or there like Grand Slam, Grunt or Clutch. In time, the repaints became ways to recycle some older molds in a genred way with Tiger Force and Python Patrol. As the 1990's began, though, repaints became more and more common. Hasbro was trying to find ways to both increase interest in the Joe line while cutting costs. Finding older molds that could be reused in new ways was a great way to do both.

I first acquired this figure in one of the many lots of figures I was buying in the late 1990's. While Falcon had been one of my more popular figures during the final year of my youth, I was not aware of this version. When I found the figure in the lot, I was amazed at the colors and quality. At its core, this was the figure that the Night Force Falcon wanted to be. The light grey base with the black cammo and green beret and accents made the figure stand out, even as just a repaint of an older mold. This new Falcon quickly became my default version of the figure and appears in many of my earliest photos since the figure was fairly unknown at the time and was a great way to showcase an obscure version of a classic character.

I first got a Falcon figure in December of 1986 when my local Toys R Us got a small allotment of 1987 figures early. Falcon immediately caught my eye for two reasons: the figure was just an awesome blend of mold, color and accessories and the name Falcon. I had already created a custom character named Falcon in my collection. So, having a canonical character with that name was problematic. So, I killed off my character and had this Falcon appear and take the name as a homage to the deceased. The new Falcon quickly became a staple of my collection. My Flint figures had slowly deteriorated through overuse. So, Falcon was both a solid replacement, but also a figure that could stand on his own.

Through 1987, Falcon was one of the most popular figures I owned. Despite his late arrival in my collection, my figure showcased great playwear due to his use. Falcon was a solid leader and soldier for the Joes. He was, though, younger than guys like Flint and that left him feeling like an outsider. As such, Falcon always strived for attention from the Joe commanders. He wasn't incompetent, but he did take missions that would get him notice from Hawk, Flagg and others.

At its core, this figure is pretty basic. He has a grey base with black and green paint applications. That's it. There is no textured motif that seemlessly blends 6 or 7 colors together. It is, really, a basic figure. But, this Falcon is a perfect example of how less can be more in the right circumstance. The combintation of grey and green offset by the black details just works perfectly. Grey wasn't a color that was often used on vintage Joes, so its appearance is always a visual treat. The digital cammo pattern that criss-crosses the figure gives the appearance of greater color than actually exists on the figure.

It is the Falcon mold, though, that is the highlight of the figure. Sculpted at the height of the Joe line, Falcon is almost a work of art. The beret features not only an insignia, but also realistic folds that make the fit appear much more natural that those from Stalker, Flint or Dial Tone. Falcon's face shows the youth that is alluded to in his bio, but also the toughness that shows he is a capable commander. Around his nick is a knotted, textured scarf. It is as close the cart art as could be achieved in a toy of the time. The rest of the figure's torso is adorned with a radio receiver (to complement the radio & antenna in the original figure's backpack), bandoliers that hold a sculpted knife and pockets, shirt buttons and additional pockets that were sculpted beneath the bandolier strap. The result is a layered figure that is not too bulky. Falcon's arms feature rolled up sleeves that are held in place by buttons and straps. It's a small detail, but shows the level of care that was put into the mold. Falcon's waist has a mesh belt and blends seamlessly with his torso. The figure's legs feature additional pockets, but also have a hard to see flashlight that is strapped to his right leg. The complete package is a figure that looks about as military as you can be and is also colored in line with the sculpt.

Falcon's accessories are both great and terrible. The sonic backpack was designed to be a helicopter. But, the awful color and general laziness of the mold make it pretty much a useless piece of gear. Falcon's guns, though, are excellent. The figure included 2 rifles: a large, long barreled rifle and a second weapon that has a stock that can wrap around the figure's arm. Both weapons are unique to this Falcon figure and both work well with the mold. This figure can work with an extra backpack from the version 1 figure. But, a spare backpack from a Night Force Falcon figure is a perfect match for this 1991 version. (I was fortunate to have two complete sets of Night Force Falcon gear. I have no Night Force Falcon figures, but had a set left over from my brother's figure from my childhood and second set I found at a comic book store along with Night Force Tunnel Rat's gear, the Night Force Shockwave figure, Starduster's gun and visor, Keel Haul's pistol and 2 Sneek Peek microphones. I got it all for basically nothing and it remains the best accessory cache I've ever run across.)

The Falcon mold got good use in the vintage line. It was used in 1987, as part of Night Force in 1988, for this figure in 1991 and as the legs for Leatherneck in 1993. (As an aside, there is a European exclusive version of this Falcon that has a 1993 date stamp on the leg. That's the only difference, but it is out there.) In 1994, the head showed up on the bizarre, but excellent Chinese Exclusive Flint figure. In 2003, Master Collector found the body and head mold and released a Tiger Force inspired figure in their convention set. After that, though, neither the mold nor the character reappeared. The three vintage figures are all excellent in their own ways. Even the convention figure has its merits. But, the Falcon mold still had a lot of life that could have been exploited in many of the retail offerings from Hasbro from 1997 through 2006. A desert themed figure would have been a perfect member of the Desert Strike set. A broader Urban cammo would have been a welcome addition as well. But, despite these oversights, collectors still have 3 great and 1 solid release of the character and mold to use to fill their Falcon needs.

The Super Sonic Fighters were not produced in the same quantities as the other figures from 1991. (Which is saying something since most of the 1991 figures were discontinued after just one year at retail.) As such, finding a mint and complete version of this figure can take some time. Collectors have started to realize this and mint, complete with filecard versions of this figure tend to sell in the $15 - $20 range. But, for a hard to find version of a popular character, that's not a terrible price. Original Falcons sell in the same price range and the Night Force version is even more expensive. So, if you can find one, this may be the cheapest option for a vintage Falcon figure. I've found this to be my favorite version of the character, even outshining the original that played such a vital part of my childhood collection. It's a figure I think is worth the price and is a great way to appreciate a nearly perfect mold all over again.