1994 Windchill - Random Photos of the Day

The last couple of years have been pretty good when it comes to getting pics of my Joes out in the snow.  While I'm not a huge fan of snow, in general, I will take it for getting some fun winter operations photos.  I've had occasion to really showcase the 1994 Windchill.  I only wish that my Blockbuster had fared as well as Windchill did in the years since I bought them at retail.  The Blockbuster's turned into a yellow mess: as you can see in the photos below.  But, Windchilll remains fun as ever.

To me, the 1994 Windchill was an all new figure.  I had stopped collecting by 1989 and wasn't really aware that the original Windchill figure even existed.  To this day, I consider this 1994 figure to be his definitive release.  Something about the green upper body spoke to me.  The contrast between the dark green and bleached white pants made him compelling.  And, he's remained one of my preferred arctic figures ever since.

You don't see this guy all that often.  Despite large amounts of overstock figures making their way into the collecting community and Windchill remaining a very cheap acquisition to this day, no one really uses him.  If you don't have a connection to him like I do, there's no real reason to dig him out.  But, I still find him fun and had a good time getting him out into the snow these past couple of years.

Feel free to share figures that are your personal obscurity in the comments.

Rarities - Brazilian Cobra Wolf

The Wolf has an argument as the best Cobra vehicle ever created.  I'll explore that statement sometime next winter when I profile my childhood version.  But, it's just a great toy.  Along with its release by Hasbro, the mold was given to Estrela where they released it in Brazil.  We think of Brazil as a tropical, coastal country.  But, there are mountainous highlands where snowfall is common.  When you have a toy like the Wolf, though, the quality of the toy will overcome environmental constraints.

The toy itself isn't that different from the Hasbro version.  Without inspecting the COO stamps on the underside, you'd be unlikely to determine the difference between the two.  The real fun is on the Brazilian box.  You'll note the driver is Blizzard.  In Brazil, Blizzard was released as a Cobra.  Croc Master takes the second chair.  And, for added nonsense, you have a fully geared up Hydro Viper on the side rail.  

Estrela released a full roster of vehicles in Brazil.  Most are so similar to the Hasbro versions that collectors ignored them for decades.  Increased supply has made them more accessible.  But, documentation is still sparse and Brazilian dealers tend to ask for princely sums for any high quality vehicle samples.  The overall inventory of Brazilian vehicles is another of those great collecting holes that can be fulfilling to explore.  And, seeing classics with weird box art characters is always fun.

2022 Stinger Driver

When Hasbro Pulse debuted some plans for a 40th Anniversary Joe line, it was full of possibilities.  Everyone assumed it would start small.  But, success would beget more ambitious products and offerings.  To a degree, that was true.  The Transformers sets were bold and used a lot of development resources to come to fruition.  We got an ambitious Haslab Skystriker.  But, the actual figure offerings were small and had a missing set in their numbering.  (It was cancelled.)  The Joe budget, rightfully, moved away from 3 3/4" figures into the 6" Classified line.  Vintage figure collectors were left with few releases.  Among them was one vehicle and it happened to include its iconic driver.  But, the 2022 Stinger Driver is a figure with limitations, even if he succeeds in being a solid homage.

The Stinger release was weird.  It was announced out of nowhere.  It went on sale shortly after the announcement.  And, it sold out quickly, despite a limit of 2 per customer.  They shipped almost right away.  Hasbro was coy by saying that Pulse would have "limited quantities"...implying that another retailer would pick up the rest of the production run.  But, that didn't happen.  Weeks turned to months and there was no further information as to where the remainder of the Stingers would show up.  Desperate collectors started to overpay.  Slowly, some stock showed up at small, independent European toy sellers.  Either Hasbro's intended retail partner backed out.  Or, Hasbro never had one and the production was underway before they realized that no one was going to buy the Stinger as a retail product.  Even now, four years later, the Stinger remains somewhat expensive and less common to find.  And, we never got an explanation as to what actually happened with the release.

The 1984 Stinger Driver is a repaint of the 1983 Cobra Officer.  And, this 2022 figure follows the same path.  Unfortunately, the 2022 Cobra Officer figure had a design flaw.  His right knee will only partially bend.  It's not a huge issue.  But, for a premium priced release, it's not acceptable.  This design flaw carried over to the Stinger Driver, too.  The leg bends enough that you can get him into his vehicle.  But, it does limit his poseability.  It's unfortunate that Hasbro both didn't catch the design flaw in quality control and that they allowed it to carry over to the Stinger Driver.  

My childhood Stinger Driver was a figure that opened possibilities.  While I used him as a "snow" trooper who manned the second seat in the Wolf, the real value was that he suggested that Cobra Troopers and Officers could exist in any color we wanted.  Sadly, this was never explored in the vintage line outside of the Python Patrol repaints.  In the 2000's, Hasbro brought back the Trooper and Officer molds.  But, again, they didn't offer the panoply of colors.  It took factory custom makers to finally fill the niche of Troopers for every occasion.  And, nearly 20 years later, they're still cranking out classic Trooper repaints in new colors.  It's weird that Hasbro could simply never get themselves to do this.  It was such an easy concept.  But, it was one they could never deliver upon.

As a kid, I enjoyed the Stinger.  But, ours broke relatively quickly.  And, Stingers weren't important to me for many years.  Around 2008 or so, though, I got on a Stinger kick.  I picked up a couple of nice jeeps.  And, I bought an army of drivers.  Having ignored the Stinger for so long lead me to a newfound appreciation for it.  That continues to this day.  So, the chance for a new Stinger wasn't something I was going to pass up.  As soon as the vehicle was announced, I was poised to purchase my allotted two.  I was fortunate in that I was sitting in the waiting room for a Dr. appointment when the sales opened.  So, I was able to get an order placed within an hour of the sales starting.  That proved fortuitous when the Stingers sold out.

The Stingers arrived a couple of weeks later.  In hand, they were...fine.  The quality was a bit soft.  But, overall, they weren't bad.  The achieved the look of the original without deviating in any way: good or bad.  The Stinger Driver figure was pretty much what we expected.  He's a near match for the vintage figure.  The only real difference being the plastic quality and the manner in which this plastic holds the colors.  If you didn't have a Stinger Driver, this was a perfect update.  Even if you did have one (or many) it was nice to get a clean one that won't discolor for a few more years.

It's unfortunate that Hasbro didn't try to set up some sort of boxed army builder release for collectors.  It seems like a missed opportunity.  Hasbro was selling Star Wars army builder packs in plain, black and white boxes.  Taking that idea over to Joe would have been great.  The Pulse two figure packs were heavy on expensive packaging.  Hasbro could have sold a boxed set of 4 army builders for about $15 per figure and done quite well with them.  A set with an Officer, Stinger Driver and two Troopers would have been an attractive product and likely sold through.  Even with army building no longer driving the hobby, collectors would have picked up an extra set or two since the figures were available.  That didn't happen.  And, the are no real avenues to army build the Stinger Driver without paying through the nose for one.  

As with all the Pulse era releases, I'm glad this Stinger Driver exists.  We didn't get a lot.  But, what we did get was safe and solid.  Vintage Stinger Drivers are yellowing and brittle.  Getting a new one was nice.  But, with no way to acquire multiples, the value diminishes.  I like to outfit my Stingers with a crew.  I can't do that with the Pulse figures.  But, that's OK.  Since I have a bunch  of vintage Stinger Drivers, I can use them instead.  The real thing about this figure is that he's pretty much just an update to any vintage release.  There's nothing new about him other than softer plastic.  That's good since we didn't get anything close to a Stinger Driver in the repaint era.  But, really only having an avenue to get one or two of them kind of sucked.  The thing about classic army builders is that you want them in multiples.  Having one is fine for a display.  But, the I'm still a collector of the early 2000's army builder vein.  I don't need 40 of a figure.  But, I'd like a shot at four or five for fair prices.  And, the main reason I don't really use the Pulse era army builders is because I don't have them in multiples.  I just wasn't keep on over paying for packaging that ended up in the recycling bin.  And, I didn't really have a chance at any more than two Stinger Drivers.

Stingers are one of the few (maybe the only!) Pulse era release to appreciate on the secondary market.  Boxed Stingers can be had around $75.  And, they seem to sell at that price.  Loose, mint and complete Stingers and the Driver tend to sell around the same price.  On his own, the Stinger Driver will run you between $25 and $30. That's a lot.  You're way better off buying up a boxed jeep to have the full set.  In a different world I'd have tried to army build this Stinger Driver.  The grey has always compelled me.  But, the wonky eyes, partially moving leg and lack of weapons has left me just focusing on vintage Stinger Drivers should I want an army.

1983 Clutch

It's really difficult to comprehend just how innovative the original Joe line was as a retail product.  It's not just the quality of the toys that stands out.  But, the manner in which the design team packaged and priced the toys was nothing short of novel.  One of the most compelling innovations was the inclusion of exclusive vehicle drivers in their vehicles.  I'm not sure if G.I. Joe was the first brand to do such a thing.  But, Kenner had not done it for Star Wars...instead opting to sell all figures individually.  Hasbro, though, created a slew of exclusive figures to operate their vehicles.  And, if you wanted Hawk, Grand Slam, Steeler or Clutch, you had to buy a vehicle to get them.  While the figures shared parts with carded figures it was Steeler and Clutch who featured original chest pieces that were not available anywhere other than on the vehicle drivers.

My affinity for Clutch began on the very first day that I saw a G.I. Joe figure in hand.  It was my younger brother's birthday in October of 1982.  On that day, he got an amazing amount of figures and vehicles...including some doubles.  On that day, I learned that Joe gear was compatible across figures.  And, very quickly, I took Grunt's backpack, Stalker's gun and a visor from, probably, Grand Slam and gave it all to Clutch.  I now had the ultimate figure.  I used this supercharged Clutch as my go-to figure for several weeks.  Finally, at Christmas, I opened my very own VAMP that was under the tree and I had a Clutch to call my own.  

That figure, though, didn't last too long.  Not because of breakage.  But, because Return of the Jedi toys appeared in the spring of 1983.  Joe was dropped in favor of my long running Star War obsession.  In July of 1983, though, I discovered the new addition of swivel arm battle grip.  This opened a whole new world to me.  And, with that one little change, Star Wars was forever second fiddle to Joe in our house.  But, this also meant that any straight armed Joes were relegated to a junk box.  But, this didn't really hold true for Clutch.  Since he was a vehicle driver, I could still make him work as the driver of the VAMP.  So, he was the only straight arm to remain viable.  In fact, he still got use as late as 1987 as my childhood Joe days ended.  

One thing I didn't have, though, was a swivel arm Clutch.  If you read my first write up on this guy from January of 2000, I note that I still didn't have a swivel arm Clutch.  In all my acquisitions of the late 1990's, a swivel Clutch was never among the scores of other original 13 figures I acquired.  It was not until 2004 that one came my way.  At the time, I had joined a start up company.  There were just two of us.  We were squatting in some office space of my boss's old colleague.  As part of our agreement, I'd help out their IT guy with some issues.  He was my age and we shared many interests.  He had a Star Wars figure in his office and it opened up conversations about toys we still had.  One day, he brought in a bag full of G.I. Joe figures and playsets.  He wanted to raise a bit of cash.  So, I sold most of them for him on JoeCustoms.com.  In this baggie was a near perfect swivel arm Clutch.  I told him I was interested in it and would buy it from him.  He set it aside as I awaited some money from items I was also selling.  When, the money for his items arrived, though, he gifted me the Clutch for helping him sell the other parts.  It is the very Clutch you see in the photos below and the only one I still own today.  

When I examine why G.I. Joe toys matter so much to me, it is stories like this stand out.  The toys are a pneumonic device for me to recall events of my life.  I have great recall from my childhood.  A big part of that is because I'm able to associate memories with Joe toys.  For other people, it may be music, TV or other pop culture influences that remind them of bygone days.  For me, it's G.I. Joe toys.  Those memories also extend into my adulthood.  I don't remember sitting in that hot server room with a wire storage rack on the back wall because the networking error of the day was so compelling.  I remember it because my friend and I would talk about old toys, cartoons and comic books.  I used to get Amazon deliveries at the office.  (Amazon sold inventory for Toys R Us, back then.)  With each box, we'd look at the items and recall childhood memories from the various repainted figures.  That was over 20 years ago.  But, the memories are vivid because of their association with Joe and Star Wars.

Among my childhood friend group, Clutch was the most memorable character.  I have a friend who can still recite the final stanza of Clutch's filecard.  It was that impactful.  Clutch's popularity was a function of him being the driver of the most popular and coolest vehicle from 1982, the most distinctive figure and a really fun character from the comic.  Clutch is also the closest of the vintage figures to the iconic "G.I. Joe" from the '60's.  The bearded head was an obvious homage to the guy who started it all.  But, Clutch's black hair really cemented the tribute to the line's origins.

Aside from his uniquely sculpted torso, Clutch also features some extra color on his chest.  7 of the original 13 figures featured three colors on their torso.  Clutch was one.  Aside from the black holster and green base, Clutch also has brown padding near his shoulders and protecting the zipper on his jacket.  It adds a nice layer of depth to Clutch's appearance and helps him stand out from his peers.  The color also accentuates Clutch's collar.  Most of the original Joes were wearing slight turtlenecks.  Clutch appears to be wearing a hoodie: just without the hood on the back.  It raises up to and you can see it protecting his neck since the VAMP doesn't have a windshield.  

Clutch is criminally underutilized.  He and Steeler feature the least used chest pieces of the original 13 figures.  Clutch was released in his original form in 1982 with the swivel arm update coming in 1983.  While he was originally only packaged with the VAMP, Clutch would become a mail away in later years.  Hasbro repainted him in tan as the driver of the VAMP Mark II in 1984. And, then, the mold was done as far as Hasbro was concerned.  While the VAMP travelled all over the world for exclusive uses in Europe, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and India, Clutch didn't really travel with it.  A Tan Clutch was included with the Takara VAMP.  But, there was no exclusive Clutch to accompany the South American or European VAMP releases.  In the 1990's, Clutch did appear in India, though.  He is one of the most obscure figures to get a full Funskool release.  But, he and Hawk are also the only Funskool characters to be exclusive to vehicle releases.  (All other Funskool vehicle drivers were random figures inserted into the box and not meant to be specific to their vehicle.)  There are tons of Funskool Clutch variants.  Some are great and others are pretty close to the Hasbro figure.  Clutch didn't appear after his early Funskool years, though.

This left Clutch as a forgotten mold.  And, as I'd argue that his chest piece was the best of the original figures, that seemed a shame.  For years, customizers used Clutch's chest to great effect on original designs for both Joes and Cobras.  It was not until 2018, though, that Clutch's chest would finally reappear.  Red Laser Army recreated the piece and used it on a variety of figures.  In some ways, the uses didn't create great figures.  But, in other ways, we finally got some variety that showed the piece's potential.  What we didn't get, though, was a Clutch to match all the various VAMP colors that are available.  You could have credibly created half a dozen Clutch repaints before even stealing his chest for other characters.  (Like a repainted General using his torso to match up with Hawk's appearance in G.I. Joe #16.)  Not getting a Clutch is an omission that couldn't get corrected as Red Laser lost the molds after the 2018 series and wasn't able to continue his work. 

As original 13 figures go, Clutch is surprisingly affordable.  High quality loose figures can be had for under $15.  And, mint and complete with filecard figures sell for around $25.  Clutch not having a visor or exclusive weapon really helps keep the price down.  And, the ubiquity of the figure shows just how many VAMPs Hasbro produced in the line's infancy.  The production numbers that show the volume of vehicles versus carded figures for at least the 1982 line is out there, somewhere.  It would be interesting to see how Clutch's production numbers compare to, say, Stalker or Scarlett.  But, for a major character who didn't get an iconic sculpting upgrade for a decade, it's surprising to see Clutch remain an acquirable piece for any collection.  

1985 Keel Haul - Around The Web

It's been  almost 20 years since I profiled the 1985 Keel Haul.  When I did, you could get a mint and complete figure for about $25.  Now, one will run you well over $150.  It seems everyone forgot that Keel Haul was a mail away for many years.  Sure, his pistol is rare.  But, Keel Haul figures are not.  I really feel that the "vibes" based pricing of the pre-internet era has returned.  It's like we lost all our actual knowledge of collectibles that was gained between 1995 and 2015.  Since then, pricing has been routinely out of whack to actual scarcity.  And, when I think of all the bagged Keel Hauls that collectors got for $1 each from Hasbro Canada in 1999, I can't imagine their legacy would be an $80 figure to a younger generation of speculators.

As a figure, Keel Haul isn't the best.  In a lot of ways, I expected the included figure with G.I. Joe's flagship toy to be amazing and perfect.  Keel Haul is not that.  He is, though, adequate for his role.  There's not much you can do with an admiral when you don't have his ship.  With Keel Haul, though, you can find a way to use him from time to time.

Most of his content that exists features Keel Haul on board the USS Flagg.  He fits there.  As I don't have a Flagg, I've used Keel Haul in Whale and Shark 9000.  Most of my photos of him are in the Shark 9000.  This is a relic of the fact that the 1993 Keel Haul was an integral part of the Shark 9000 crew when I was filling out my collection with the ghosts of retail G.I. Joe back in the mid 1990's.  If I ever get my Whale out, again, I'll definitely use Keel Haul in a few times.  His colors would be a nice fit with the olive Whale base.  Until then, check out all the content below and let me know any funs times you had with Keel Haul.

1985 Keel Haul Profile

1985 Keel Haul by 00zxcvb

1985 Keel Haul by evilface

1985 Keel Haul by dreadnokdread

1985 Keel Haul by ussflagg

1985 Keel Haul by thedustinmccoy

1985 Keel Haul by joemazing_stories

1985 Keel Haul by gijoe_c4_panama

1985 Keel Haul by ftwten

2021 Blue Worm - Black Major

Worms were never a popular figure.  They got an oversized bit of attention for their helmet antenna that was often missing.  But, even as this piece started to get pricey, no one really cared much about the Worm.  For most collectors, he was a checkmark on a list.  A few guys might have had three or four to man their Maggot.  But, even a setup like this was somewhat rare.  Hasbro had the mold for the Worms in the 2000's and used it on the 2005 Convention General Mayhem figure.  And, while this figure was well regarded in its day, the mold's use didn't lead to calls for a new Worms figure repaint.  The Worm was just one of those unheralded gems from the line's middle years of whom most collectors were aware, but few cared about in any material way.

This made it all the more surprising when, in the early 2020's, Black Major announced the Worms figure was going to be one of his next releases.  The choice to use the Worm wasn't met with disdain.  For most collectors, it was an interesting idea that might have some merit.  And, by this time, Cobra Troopers, Vipers,  Crimson Guards, Alley Vipers, Night Vipers, Snow Serpents and Eels had all been made by factory custom producers.  With the heavy hitters mostly covered, looking to more obscure molds made sense.  The colors were announced, the figures were produced and, with little initial fanfare, Black Major made what are likely his best overall figures, ever.

Factory custom makers have struggled to get good color matches with vintage figures.  The Cobra Blue colors don't match up.  The Action Force greens are always a bit too light or a bit too dark.  The red and crimson used for Red Shadows and Crimson Guard figures is always just a little off.  But, the blue on this Worm figure is spot on.  It is a deep, rich color.  While not a perfect match for the 1982 Cobra figures, it's a color that matches up with Cobra in a way the lighter blues you often see on factory customs doe not.  The most noticeable aspect of the color, though,  is that this figure is done in a dull, flat tone of plastic.  It's a stark difference from the glossier plastic you see on most factory customs.  It allows this Worm to blend in with vintage figures in a more seamless way.  

When I was a kid, the Worms figure became a high ranking Cobra who was just below a named official.  He was above all the various Troopers and Vipers and would confer directly with the named Cobras.  He's assist them in planning and then convey the orders to the troops.  I don't recall if he was loyal to the militaristic Cobras or the conniving character portrayed by the Sea Slug.  (I suspect the Sea Slug.  The only evidence I have is a photo from 2001 on the Flying Scorpion figure where I set up my Cobra hierarchy and the Worm stands behind the Sea Slug.)  But, the Worms figure took on more prominence than the simply commander of a mid run Cobra vehicle should have.

One think I've realized of late is that I've lost a lot of the characters that I made up during my various Joe runs.  30 years of seeing photos and stories arranged with "canonical" toy appearances has stripped away some of the uniqueness of my Cobra setup.  Another part, though, is that army building turned once essential figures like this Worm into just another nameless, faceless Cobra whose sole duty was a singular task.  Even the vaunted Sea Slug is now just an army builder who often wears Techno Viper gear.  

I suppose this is a function  of age.  And, it was always difficult to explain why I had certain figures in distinct scenarios as their appearance made no sense without the years of context from my childhood play.  On some level, I feel I've lost some of the wonder around the toys.  Their value came form the stories they could tell, the emotions they could express and the pure wonder of exploring the human condition that could offer.  Now, I don't spend my time attaching such functions to my Joes.  They are collectibles that I take outside for photographs.  I'm not sure I would even be able to piece together a play session.  And, that loss is something I do lament.  While the horrible reality that is today's world plays out, it would be good to hold on to a piece of innocence.

While I love this blue Worm, the truth is that he makes for a much better army builder than I could justify turning into a character.  Despite having just the one version, I can only see him as an artillery or vehicle commander.  It's not a bad role.  And, it does allow the Worm to be used on a multitude of Cobra vehicles.  I just can't see him as that ambitious character, any longer.  Now, he's one of many Cobra specialists who wear uniforms colored to their environment or to match their vehicle of choice.  It makes for better photos.  But, I'm not sure it's a better story.

With this figure in hand, it become more apparent that Hasbro's inability to ever repaint the Maggot in a meaningful way (that terrible Night Force version doesn't really count...) was a mistake.  It's likely Hasbro had the mold in the 2000's.  But, cheap vintage Maggots and collector disinterest killed any calls for a repaint.  But, in Cobra blue, grey, black or white, the Maggot would have been an amazing update to the line.  Had it included a driver, that might have cost the chance at these Black Major Worms.  But, with the new colorways in hand, I find myself really wanting a matching colored Maggot to augment these figures and really showcase their panache.

The original selling point on the Worms figures is that they were, actually, three figures in one.  Each Worm included an alternate Torso and heads.  One head was based on the 1993 Cobra Commander.  The Worms has always had a bit of a regal look.  And, the medals and formality of the mold are a perfect match for Cobra Commander's character.  So, including the Commander head was a smart move.  The other pieces included were a Wild Weasel torso and a caucasian Doc head.  This setup also included an Aero Viper helmet and creates an interesting Air Viper figure.  I might hold the Air Viper configuration in the highest regard of the three possible combos.  It's a weird parts combination that you really don't see used at all, any more.  But, it really works.  At some point, I'll do a write up on that, specific, character, though.

The Worms accessory complement was weird.  There's no other way to say it.  The good part is that each figure included the Worms helmet with an antennae.  On this figure, the helmet is blue and the antennae is black.  The two tone color really adds to the overall look of the figure.  It makes the antennae more prominent and showcases it's addition to the helmet.  The helmet is a perfect fit and is one of better add on pieces you'll find in all the factory custom libraries.  Where the figure gets bizarre is the weapon choices.  The best piece is a 1988 Iron Grenadier Uzi.  This weapon is overly large.  But, it's the only piece that makes any sense for the figure.  

He also includes a knife.  It's a solid sculpt, but has a large, round handle that makes it tough for any figure to hold.  There is a small pistol.  I am not aware of the origin of the knife or pistol molds.  They might be from Anniversary era figures.  This small  pistol lacks details.  It's...fine for the Worm.  But, it's small and not that cool.  The final, most offbeat weapon is the main body of the 1983 Airborne Rifle.  Gone, though, are the stock and the muzzle with bayonet.  The weapon looks like a toy M-16 you got when you were 7 and promptly broke into three pieces.  Beyond the absurdity of the weapon choice, it doesn't really fit in the figure's hands.  If you find a figure with just the helmet and antennae, it's worth picking up because the rest of the gear isn't great.

The upside is that, in addition to this blue figure, there are a variety of Worms colors to track down.  There are arctic Worms that are a perfect match for the Wolf.  There is an all black version that is the only figure in that color scheme that's worth owning.  Really, it's amazing.  Then, there's Crimson, Red Shadows, Python Patrol (which, again, is better than it has any right to be), Desert, for some reason...Tiger Force, a grey cammo version and an Air Viper color scheme.  There might be more, too.  But, you have Worms for all seasons and all of them are of high quality in terms of tight joints, paint applications and overall construction.  And, you can now have a Worms commanding every vehicle in your Cobra armory, should you so choose.

The Worms figures have gotten a lot harder to track down, these days.  Either their production run was shorter than more traditional army builders or, more collectors simply held on to the figures due to their overall quality.  If you can find the figures, the various colors will run you between $15 and $35 with the more desirable colors going at the top end.  Usually, these figures will also not include the parts for the Air Viper or the Cobra Commander.  So, you're not even getting the complete package.  I'll argue that this figure is worth it.  The quality is excellent and the colors just pop.  This blue Worms gives you a chance to upgrade your Cobra command structure with a new figure.  Or, just build out your mechanized army.  Either way, it's a solid figure and one of those under the radar releases that has no business being this good.

1986 Motor Viper - Around The Web

As a stand alone figure, the 1986 Motor Viper isn't terrible.  Sure, the mold is full of odd tubes and hoses.  And, his helmet is a bit weird.  But, the blue colors with silver and black accents really work.  And, when you take the figure as a companion to the 1986 Viper, it becomes even better.  The two figures share an aesthetic that allows them to be used in conjunction with each other.  So, you have a symmetry among the contemporary Cobras that was the hallmark of vintage Hasbro.

There's some solid content using the figure out there.  So, check out all these Motor Vipers from around the web.

1986 Motor Viper Profile

1986 Motor Viper by SteelBrigade

1986 Motor Viper by thedustinmccoy

1986 Motor Viper by atticagazette

1986 Motor Viper by gen_liederkranz

1986 Motor Viper by g.i.joe_manila_ph

1986 Motor Viper by scarrviper

1986 Motor Viper by dreadnokdread

1986 Motor Viper by zakupocalpse

1986 Motor Viper by 80e90allora

1986 Motor Viper by sithviper

1986 Motor Viper by thedustinmccoy

1986 Motor Viper by dreadnokdread

1986 Motor Viper by gijoe_c4_panama

1988 Skidmark

There are jokes in the Joe line that are subtle.  There are jokes that are not.  Then, there is Skidmark.  One some level, I can see some well meaning adults not getting the double entendre of this chosen code name.  But, knowing some of the juvenile antics behind some other Joe characters, there is just no way that the Joe team didn't know what they were doing when they submitted the name for clearance.  But, Skidmark was approved for release.  And, Joe collectors were given a 4th grade joke for all time.  

Released with the amazing Desert Fox in 1988, Skidmark appears, at first glance to be one of the many poorly designed late 1980's era vehicle drivers.  Just a figure that was dropped into an obscure and unimportant slot with little thought or care as to his design.  The bright orange juxtaposed against the dark and light greens tie him closely with terrible figures like Windmill.  Skidmark is just another in a run of drivers who no longer match the quality of their vehicles...or, does he?

So, here's the thing: Skidmark is a pretty great sculpt.  He's got multilayered texture and features ribbing on his arms that is unique to his design.  His torso is well detailed with clear purpose.  He's got a weird micro-shotgun molded onto his legs.  He even has dual throwing knives sculpted beneath his right wrist.  From a pure design standpoint, Skidmark might be the most detailed figure released in all of 1988.  All of that is lost, though, with the color choices.  So, you have this oddball that features sculpting on par with any of the classic, high quality vehicle drivers from '82 through '85 while also featuring colors that put him closer to bright '90's rehashes.

Skidmark's head is a bit non-descript.  The goggles hide his countenance and take away the individualism that is inherent for the Joe faction.  In a different world, Skidmark's head would make for a useful Cobra.  And, that's part of what dooms the figure.  Even those who can get past the colors often find the head to be limiting to greater purpose for Skidmark.  Joe fans love some masked good guys.  But, generally, guys who hide their faces are left to Cobra  It's only the scarcity of them on the Joe side that makes them interesting.  And, guys like Skidmark who hide behind opaque goggles seem less like renegade individuals and more like nameless posers whose death you don't mind.  When you toss in the crappy codename, you have a figure that's easy to leave behind.  

Skidmark's colors are both great and baffling.  Hasbro fell in love with orange in 1988.  Spearhead and Skystriker feature the color painted on.  But, Skidmark and Windmill both use orange plastic to create the color palette for their figures.  Orange often works on action figures.  But, when it's used to offset pea and hunter green colors, it can seem a bit out of place.  And, that's the thing with Skidmark.  His other colors are a deep, pine colored green that offsets the orange vest and a pea green on his legs that is almost identical to the green color used on Night Force figures.  In short, Skidmark should be a really great figure.  He just falls apart.  And, this coming from someone who really likes brightly colored Joes.  I think a big part of his failure is the orange helmet.  Were it a different color, the orange would be more confined to Skidmark's vest and would seem more realistic.   (You'll note that the helmet was yellow on the Desert Fox box artwork and on the pre-production figure.  I'm not sure that would have been an improvement.)  Through the years, Skidmark customs are one of the staples that many collectors undertake.  Most, though, still fall short.  So, the potential isn't as easy to realize as it would appear.

We had a Skidmark in 1988.  My younger brother got a Desert Fox at some point.  It is a great vehicle.  And, it joins the Bridge Layer as a vehicle who mysteriously disappeared from my collection.  I had no inclination to sell either of them.  And, I had nice, mint versions of both in the mid 2000's.  But, both are now gone with no trail of their fate.  I played a bit with the Desert Fox when no one else was home.  But, Skidmark wasn't a figure that mattered.  I didn't like him from the get go.  And, it wasn't just the colors that were a problem.  Something about him seemed off.  And, as such, I can recall with specificity some adventures featuring the Desert Fox.  But, Skidmark features in none of them.

While Skidmark was released just the one time by Hasbro, the mold did have another use.  Around 1997, the Skidmark mold was one of many acquired by Olmec Toys and released in their Bronze Bombers line.  There are two figures that use the Skidmark body.  One is cast in purple and the other in a very nice tan.  Both figures feature a solid black paint mask to accentuate the details on the mold.  They are a great example of different coloring saving a mold.  Sadly, they are tough to find and relatively expensive, now.  So, the notion of mix and matching the various releases to make the ultimate Skidmark isn't really feasible.  

Skidmarks are about $5 figures.  Even dealers have given up and will fail to sell them for $8.  There's just no interest in the figure.  And, to make matters worse, Skidmark is fairly common.  High numbers of Desert Foxes were produced.  And, tons of bubbled overstock Skidmark figures made their way into the collector market in the early 2000's.  So, if you want the figure or just want one to customize, the price is right to add one to your collection.  But, you'll note that my figure is badly worn.  I have no inclination to fix this...even at a low price.  I just can't muster up any enthusiasm to acquire a better copy.  On some level, I should get a nice and save this one to customize when I retire.  But, even that seems like time and money better spent on other pursuits.  Hopefully, your opinion of the figure is better and he has some relevance to you.  And, if he does, at least spares and duplicates are cheap.

1984 Copperhead

When I look back at my Joe collecting adventure of the late 1990's, I rarely find a figure that was really important to me back then that I don't also still use fairly frequently, today.  Sure, some of them aren't nearly as important as they were back then.  But, I usually still use them with enough frequency that they appear in a variety of settings.  One figure, though, that has fallen through the cracks is the 1984 Copperhead figure.  I have no idea why.  Really, Copperhead is the most brightly colored Cobra released before 1986.  So, I should love him and use him all the time.  But, the character rarely appears in my photos.  

Part of this is that I only one of them left.  The other, though, was that, aside from his Water Moccasin, there wasn't much in the line that really blended with Copperhead's look.  Copperhead's origins in the  swamp, though, lead to him often being tied to Zartan.  The Swamp Skier matched Copperhead's colors.  So, Zartan and Copperhead being besties seemed logical enough.  The next best option was the 1986 Swampfire or the hard to find Sears Dreadnok Ground Assault vehicles.  And, through these, many collectors reinforced the association between Copperhead and the Dreadnoks.  And, to this day, you'll often see Copperhead among Zartan's minions.  In fact, Copperhead has found a bit of a second life as a Dreadnok or Dreadnok adjacent character in many collections.

I, though, was never a huge Dreadnok fan.  Instead, I made Copperhead more of a swamp based bounty hunter.  He worked for Cobra.  But, was far more dangerous than a run of the mill swamp scavenger.  He carried a lot of gear that made him intimidating.  And, he saved a cabal of Cobras from capture on more than one occasion when he was able to devise some genius way out of a hopeless situation.  But, that was the extent of Copperhead's value.  He wasn't into political intrigue.  And, he didn't really get involved in the Cobra politics and allegiances of the day.  He was a guy hired to do a job.  He did it well.  And, he then disappeared back into the swamp while he awaited his next pay day.  

When I was a kid, I took advantage of Copperhead's lack of accessories and outfitted him with some junk weapons that I had lying around.  Instead of Joe weapons, though, I found an odd combination of accessories from other toy lines.  The first was one of the weird backpacks from the A-Team figures.  There was one pack that was perfect for Copperhead.  All the packs were cast in red plastic with black, hard plastic straps that went over the figure's shoulders and around his waist.  It was a unique design.  But, I found one mold that fit Copperhead, nicely.  It had three missiles, bullets and 5 grenades sculpted on it.  I thought the gear fit with Copperhead.  Along with that, I had an old holster from the Endor Princess Leia figure.  The latch end of the belt, though, had broken off.  I was able, though, to affix it behind the straps of the backpack so that it appeared as a chest holster for Copperhead.  I had the Leia's Endor pistol, too.  And, it looked great with Copperhead.  This allowed the chest holster to actually work and brought a huge sense of depth to the figure.  So, my Copperhead found quite a bit of use with these accessories that made him more combat ready.

My childhood Water Moccasin was a piece of junk.  It was rare to get a poor quality controlled G.I. Joe toy.  But, my Moccasin was one.  The pieces didn't fit in several places.  And, it broke very quickly.  As such, it didn't get much use.  So, Copperhead's role of the driver wasn't all that important.  That allowed me to explore the figure on his own and never tied Copperhead to his role as a driver.  Since he never appeared in the comic, Copperhead was an easy character to create on my own.  I had no pre-conceived notions about the character that I had to reconcile with the gear and role I had given him.

And, this is the main reason Copperhead has disappeared from my collection.  He didn't have much in the way of characterization.  (I'm still unclear as to if he even appeared in the Marvel comic run.)  Without depictions, Copperhead just wasn't going to stick around.  So, he fell off my radar.  And, in the past two decades has really become an afterthought.  Even as I enjoyed the "Dreadnok" colored Eels and Cobra Troopers, it never really occurred to me to match them up with Copperhead.  I didn't see him as a leader.  Maybe that will change now that I have some figures to match up with him.  

Copperhead was, originally, only available as the Water Moccasin driver.  But, he then found a second life as a staple of the mail away Joe premiums that were offered by Hasbro direct.  Here, bagged figures were offered for many years.  In fact, you could still get bagged Copperheads from Hasbro Canada through 1999.  So, the figure is far more ubiquitous than you'd otherwise think.  And, due to the late date of his mail away offers, it's not uncommon to find a nice Copperhead among lots of otherwise, all 1990's era figures.  

There are a lot of Copperhead figures.  There are three variants of the original figure.  Below is the green and blue version.  It is the best version.  But, also the most common.  There are two other variants where the bright green on the helmet is just the same color as the rest of his helmet.  There are two shades of color on this variant.  These were earlier versions that were fixed to look better.  The mold was then used for the Python Patrol series in 1989 before going off to Brazil where the Python Patrol Copperhead was released again, but with extremely slight color variants from the Brazilian paint and plastic.  The figure never appeared again.  There was probably at least one nice repaint left in the mold as we did see a grey Python Patrol design as well as a red dominant figure that were released in later iterations of Joe figures.

Copperheads are not expensive.  At least, the green striped helmet versions aren't expensive.  Even with some notoriously common paint rubs, mint figures are still fairly ubiquitous.  The mail aways really solved the supply side of the issue with this figure.  You can get nicely conditioned figures for well under $20.  Most of them will even include a filecard.  There aren't many 1984 releases who go that cheaply.  And, best of all, Copperhead is worth it for that price.  He's a neat figure who now has lots of companion pieces to help make him useful.

1983 Hawk - Around The Web

It's been a sparse month of profiles, so far.  Last week, my dog ate a bunch of accessories.  This week, the other dog got sprayed by a skunk.  I spent two full days getting the stink out of the house.  So, I'm digging deep into the reserves for something that's ready enough to keep the content flowing.  

Here's some 1983 Hawk content from around the web.  This figure is surprisingly popular and appears way more than I would have thought.  In fact, he's easier to find than many of the other original 13 Joe figures.  There's some good stuff here.  So, check the links and let the creators know you appreciate their work.

1983 Hawk Profile

1982 MMS Profile

1983 Hawk by joenationpete

1983 Hawk by R.T.G.

1983 Hawk by Slipstream80

1983 Hawk by Roland da Thompson Gunner

1983 Hawk at JoeADay.com

1983 Hawk by General Jones

1983 Hawk by Slipstream80

1983 Hawk by Roland da Thompson Gunner

1983 Hawk by Slipstream80

1983 Hawk by evilface

1983 Hawk by still_a_big_kid

1983 Hawk by thedustinmccoy

1983 Hawk by JoeRizzo2025

1983 Hawk by Gen_Liederkraz

1993 Nitro Viper Around The Web

The Nitro Viper is another of those figures who just fascinates me.  I love the colors and simply can't get enough of them.  While they got expensive for a bit in the boom years, they've come down and are relatively affordable, again.  They're just still kind of hard to find.  

I've profiled this figure twice.  The first of which is one of the earliest profiles on this site.  And, I've even looked at his vehicle, the Detonator.  There's some content on him out there.  Sadly, I'm not sure if the Outrider links will still work.  (I put this together a long time ago and JoeDios is hit and miss if the images will load these days.)  Which is too bad as he did more with the Detonator and Nitro Vipers than anyone else out there.  I miss his work.

Nitro Viper Profile 2017

Detonator Profile

Nitro Viper Profile 1999

Nitro Viper by Outrider 1

Nitro Viper by steelbrigade

Nitro Viper by gen_liederkranz

Nitro Viper by Outrider 2

Nitro Viper by cyko

Nitro Viper by Outrider 3

Nitro Viper by Outrider 4

Nitro Viper by Steel Brigade

Nitro Viper by djv

Nitro Viper by gvilla74

Nitro Viper by evilface

Nitro Viper by viper_space

Nitro Viper by fun_time_at_serpentors_lair

Nitro Viper by SteelBrigade

1985 Crankcase

The 1985 series of Joe figures were released during the apex of my childhood.  Nearly every kid in my class played with Joes.  It was a binding force for boys of our year.  By the spring of 1986, though, most of the other kids were outgrowing toys.  But, 1985 was that magical time when you could find common ground with any kid of similar age by bringing up G.I. Joe.  Everyone knew the characters.  And, even  if you had most of the same toys, the line was vast enough that most people had something you didn't.  Among my friends, we had some not always friendly competition over finding new toys.  We'd then take them over to each  other's homes to both show them off and also enjoy the new items together.  This cemented the memories of many acquisitions and tied them to locations and people.  To this day, I can  remember the huge white cabinets at the bottom of my one friend's basement stairs where all his Joes were kept.  And, I haven't been in that house in nearly 40 years.  But, that's the power that the 1985 line had on me.

I found the mid-sized Joe vehicles in the summer of 1985.  I don't recall if I first acquired the Snow Cat or the AWE Striker.  But, they were both added to my collection during that summer.  While the Snow Cat would find itself in the thick of my Joe convoys, though, the AWE Striker didn't catch quite the same attention.  The reason for this, though, was entirely of my own doing.  Early in my ownership of the AWE Striker, I had it outrun some Cobra missiles and take cover under my younger brother's bed.  The clearance under the bed was just not quite the same as the height of the AWE Striker.   And, as I had the vehicle race the missiles and zip under the bed at full speed, I stripped the cannon right off the top of the jeep.  While the bracket on the gun's pivot wasn't completely broken, it was stressed badly.  And, after that, the large gun never did anything but sag towards the ground or the sky.  And, it fell off as I tried to move the vehicle around our toy room.  So, the AWE Striker didn't have much of a life in my collection.

Crankcase, though, did.  I'm not sure why he so resonated with me.  Clutch had been my favorite figure of the original 13.  Crankcase's role as a small vehicle driver was similar to Clutch's.  So, I might have given Crankcase some benefit of the doubt due to Clutch's importance to my early Joe playing days.  We also didn't have a swivel arm Clutch figure.  So, as I didn't use straight arm figures due to their limitations, I was missing an iconic vehicle driver who could operate the multitude of small Joe vehicles that now comprised my mechanized divisions.  As Crankcase was cool looking, featured nice colors, had decent accessories and had a memorable face, he fit into this niche rather nicely.  And, since vehicle drivers were often called into battle after their vehicle had been disabled, Crankcase found himself involved in most of the pivotal moments in any play scenario.

The real testament to Crankcase's quality was the fact that he was a rare figure in my childhood collection who was able to survive the loss of his accessories.  For some reason, the rifle that came with my childhood Crankcase was weak and the stock quickly broke off.  As the weapon was ruined anyways, I then snipped off the clip with a nailclipper in the vain hopes that I could repurpose it as a pistol.  This ruined it even further.  And, I lost one of the coolest guns of my childhood collection.  To make matters worse, I also misplaced Crankcase's helmet.  When I was a kid, my parents kept a brown plastic tub near the back door for dirty shoes.  For some reason, I had it in my head that Crankcase's helmet was in the bottom of this tub, mixed among the clumps of mud.  Since I thought I knew where the helmet was, I didn't really look for it for several weeks.  When I finally did, the helmet was not there.  And, my childhood Crankcase went bareheaded until he was packed away in 1988.  

Despite this, though, Crankcase endured.  He would drive the VAMP, Awe Striker, Silver Mirage and sometimes find himself in the 2nd seat of the Mauler.  In 1986, I discovered that Hawk's small pistol looked great with Crankcase.  And, it was of the right size to have been pulled from the holster on Crankcase's leg.  I was fortunate in that we had two General Hawks in my childhood collection.  So, we had a spare pistol I could give to Crankcase.  (I also happened to prefer Hawk using Leatherneck's M-203.)  To this day, I often photograph Crankcase with Hawk's pistol.  And, there is even a spare 1986 pistol sitting in my drawer of 1985 figures that is always meant for Crankcase.

I see Crankcase as a natural heir to the role that Clutch originally filled in the Joe team.  He has a design that both denotes a bit of casualness.  But, unlike the more reckless Clutch, Crankcase seems like he's more polished and professional in his duties.  You could count on Crankcase to get the job done.  But, he wasn't going to do something crazy that might or might not work.  This reliability made him indispensable to the team.  He was the perfect backup player to work with my preferred main characters as he wouldn't steal the spotlight.  But, was essential at crucial moments.  Plus, he looked good with the 1985 through 1987 figures that dominated my late childhood collection.

One area where I also found Crankcase was in the Action Force comic books.  My local comic book store had started stocking Action Force.  So, I had access to most of the issues of the run.  Action Force books all featured original stories that were exclusive to the book and not, otherwise, available in the U.S.  The fun part was that they often featured characters who didn't have the spotlight in the reprinted Marvel Comics that also comprised parts of each issue.  My first issue was #9.  In that issue, there was a unique story that focused on Flint and Lady Jaye.  However, Crankcase was there, moving blast shields around them to ensure only three people died if Flint couldn't defuse a bomb.  Seeing him featured like this was a treat since he didn't have a real role in the Marvel comic.  And, I suppose I've always had a thing for obscure characters who happened to have figures that resonated with me.

The thing about Crankcase is that, upon first glance, he looks rather basic.  He's got a green shirt and tan pants: nothing very special.  But, upon closer inspection, the figure features 8 different colors.  Even among vintage Joes, that's a high number.  He features a variety of small details that bring little splashes of color to him.  These paint masks would have make Crankcase an expensive figure to make.  His gear only adding to that cost.  But, this tells the story of how popular Joe was in 1985.  Hasbro could afford to make a vehicle driver as intricate as a carded figure that would have been available on a card.  This, of course, would change in just a couple of years.  But, the 1985 vehicle drivers might be best designed figures that were meant as packs in in the line's history.

Crankcase was available in 1985 and 1986 as the AWE Striker driver.  Starting in 1987, though, Crankcase began his life as a mail away figure.  Here, Crankcase found a long life.  In fact, massive overstock of bagged Crankcase figures were available from Hasbro Canada in 1999.  You can find mail away Crankcase figures bagged with a red backed filecard or with no filecard at all.  The retail figure and some mail aways feature different country of origin stamps, different rivets and slight color variants.  Crankcase's legs appeared on Major Storm in 1990.  In 2003, Crankcase's rifle appeared in gold on early samples of convention Major Storm figures.  There was also a listing that appeared in the Toys R Us computers that was named "AWE Striker with Crank".  When the toy appeared, though, Crank was long gone and replaced with a re-release of the 2002 Dial Tone figure.  

Crankcase figures have gotten pricey in recent years.  Mint and complete versions will run between $20 and $25.  Oddly, you can get a nicely conditioned AWE Striker along with a complete Crankcase for about $15 more.  So, that's probably the way to go.  Crankcase figures can be had for $7 or $8.  The real value seems to be in the rifle.  They usually run about $10.  That's a far cry from a couple of years ago when the rifles were a buck or two each.  But, Joe accessories have really climbed in price since 2020. So, you're now paying premium prices for even common gear. But, since Crankcase was such a large part of my childhood collection, I'd probably pay the prices for him.  As 1985 figures, he's still among the cheaper options.  And, if you don't want the rifle (you do, though, want the rifle!) his price makes him a no-brainer.  

2023 Fail Safe

I regret backing the Skystiker.  It's been a year since it shipped and has now aged into the community.  And, I should never have bought it.  At the time, I thought that several of the figures from the set were going to be $100+ on the secondary market.  That didn't happen.  In fact, many of the figures are stupidly cheap.  So cheap that many people who speculated in the set have stopped selling the figures because some were selling for below the retail cost of Pulse era retro figures.  As such, the $500 I spent to get two of the Skystriker sets would have been far better spent buying up the figures I wanted on the aftermarket.  Sometimes, you make a bad decision, even though it's based on the best information available at the time.  But, the real regret over the Skystriker is that the figures are just piss-poor quality.  Which is a damn shame because a figure like Fail Safe should have been one of the better releases we've seen in the entirety of the 2000's.

When I say piss poor quality, I'm specifically speaking to the materials used on the figures.  I do think that all of the Skystriker figures were designed well.  The team took absolutely no chances on them.  Which means that the figures are all solid.  But, there's also nothing that really stands out.  Each figure kind of feels like he's been released before in some way.  But, in a line that loves its repaints and homages, that's what collectors tend to buy.  The main issue is that the plastic used is very soft.  You can definitely tell that Hasbro never really intended for collectors to actually open the figures.  This indicates a massive lack of understanding of the 3 3/4" collecting community.  We've never been a carded first group like Star Wars and Marvel collectors tend to be.  We are openers first with a 2nd carded version being the exception rather than the norm.  

And, that's why the poor plastic bothers me so much.  I actually want to use these figures in photos and dioramas.  I'd love to have them displayed around the collection.  But, they just aren't quite up to snuff.  I'm afraid of paint loss just from using the accessories.  And, some of the gear is so poor that you can't even get it onto the figure without risking breakage.  I have no use for figures that I can't use.  I've never felt that Joes were worthy of an artistic display when they were still in their packaging.  Really, I kept cardbacks because I was too lazy to cut out the filecards that I did want to keep.  I never felt the card artwork was anything other than a sometimes reference point for subtle nuances of the toy mold.  

One of the most damning indictments of the Skystriker is that you simply don't see it in photos...anywhere.  While the Instagram G.I. Joe community is much smaller these days than it was even just in the late 2010's, it's still large enough to spot trends and see which toys have caught on with collectors.  And, the actual Skystriker hasn't.  Really, the only part of the Skystriker that's caught on with collectors is the Cobra Ramp Rat.  (You also see the Mickey Mouse Cobra Commander from time to time.)  You never see dioramas with the actual plane.  And, with about the same number of Skystikers out there as here were 2000's era Toys R Us exclusives, you should see the planes appear in the online content that is still created.  But, to be fair, I never even put my planes together.  I checked the parts, pulled out the figures to open, segregated the missile loading vehicles and haven't even bothered to look at the airplane pieces in the year since I buried them in a basement closet in February of 2023.  

The one success of Fail Safe is the head.  Hasbro utterly failed to produce nice heads in the 2000's.  They were too big, too small or just didn't fit the body on which they were placed.  It's really surprising how consistently bad the new heads were between 1998 and 2010.  But, Fail Safe's is OK.  It's heavily based on Ripcord's head.  And, that's probably why it works.  They just used a solid design, made some tweaks and called it good.  But, that made it a success.  This figure looks like he could have been released in 1984.  And, that's about the highest compliment you can give to newly sculpted pieces on retro Joes.

It, of course, fails because the head is painted.  Painted heads suck. They look terrible, scuff easily and generally make the face just look flat and fuzzy.  And, since Fail Safe has a very nice helmet, putting the helmet on and taking it off is likely to  wear down his face paint over the next few years.  Hasbro will simply not give up on painted faces, even when they are comically bad like the Baroness and Zarana.  The only upside to Fail Safe's helmet is that it's made of absurdly flimsy plastic.  So, it's less likely to scrape the paint away when you want to actually put it onto the figure's head.

The rest of Fail Safe is pretty nicely blended.  The flight vest is well detailed.  It's reminiscent of the 1992 Ace body...only if it had been sculpted a decade earlier.  The best part of the figure's torso, though, is that it features some solid paint applications.  It features blue, silver, black and two shades of green.  The colors blend well together.  Fail Safe isn't going to draw much attention to himself with his coloring.  But, the muted tones suit the figure's specialty as well as any other color combo.  I'm worried about paint chipping on the soft plastic.  Until then, though, Fail Safe is a nice match for many early Joe vehicles, including more traditional flying machines like the Dragonfly.

One of the great nuances of the Joe line is that there is a definitive color palette split between the vintage Joes of 1982-1994 and the repaint era and later figures that have come since.  Two main differences are that the later colors are flatter and less vibrant.  Even if you look at 1982 releases, the colors are powerful and eye-catching.  In 1997 and later, there were some really nice colors.  But, they had a flatter finish that mutes them.  So, even sets of figures that feature a rainbow of colors still tend to blend together.  The designers of vintage Joes have often spoken about how the appearance of the entire line on a retail shelf was of huge importance to them.  They, specifically, chose colors that complemented and accentuated each other to create a pleasing visual experience for the customer.  In the post vintage Joe world, though, the figures are more designed to look similar than they are to be part of an overall tapestry.

This has lead to a schism in the two lines.  It's tough to mingle vintage and post-vintage Joe figures because the base approach to color was so different.  There are some figures that do look good together.  But, the combos are a lot harder to find than if you mingle Joes from 1983 and 1993 together.  The Pulse releases also skew towards the post vintage color approach.  While Fail Safe features a wonderful hue of green, it is also rather flat in finish.  So, he looks great with 1997 and later figures.  Bu, when posed among 1984 figures, he tends to stand out as an oddball.  I'm certain that the softer plastic that been used on the post-1994 releases is part of the difference in appearance.  But, I also think that some of it is purposeful choice.  Hasbro was lead to believe that collectors wanted "gritty, realistic" colors...even though that was never the aesthetic of the vintage line.  But, Hasbro went with it and the glossy finish that made the vintage figures so eye-catching was tossed aside.

Fail Safe included just two accessories.  One was a newly sculpted pistol that really doesn't work.  They should have resculpted the 1986 Hawk pistol or the 1987 Chuckles pistol for the figure.  But, the new weapon features a handle that's too large and that makes it look incredibly awkward when placed in the figure's hands.  The other piece of gear is a redone 1983 Airborne helmet.  It's really nice.  It is so nice that it works way better on the contemporary Night Force Ripcord figure.  The green matches Ripcord's hue and breaks up the figure's appearance when he has the green helmet instead of his included black version.  I'd have liked an air mask with the figure as it makes no sense that the Skystriker's main pilot would require a pressurized flight suit but his battery mate wouldn't even need an additional oxygen supply.  But, a Ripcord airmask works on the figure.  It's just disappointing that a premium release didn't include a better complement of accessories.

In handling the Pulse era figures, it's pretty obvious that it's a softer, cheaper grade of plastic than vintage.  It's very similar to the plastic used between  2000 and 2007.  And, that's going to be a problem.  The figures from the repaint era are not holding up well.  Discoloration is common, even on still carded or packaged figures.  This is likely to also occur to the Pulse era figures.  Fail Safe will be interesting.  His green color is less likely to yellow than, say, the blue color used for Scarlett.  But, we'll see how the upper arms hold up as that's the first area we see degradation on the repaint figures from 15 to 20 years ago.  But, even Hasbro's flagship Star Wars lines that use similar plastic tend to discolor.  It's just the nature of the materials.  And, a likely inevitable end for all figures that were made from it.

As 2023 began, I was certain we'd see another 3 3/4" Joe Haslab.  The Skystriker performed well.  And, the aftermarket malaise was not yet known when Hasbro would have been designing the follow up.  But, Hasbro shifted and moved all their resources to the 6" scale.  And, it's hard to argue with the results as the Hiss Tank and Dragonfly have both funded without any hint of hesitation.  The people who work on the Joe line will better pad their resumes with toys like those than  they will with recreations of 40 year old toys in a dying scale.  And, the complete and utter failure of the Cobra Mothership also calls into question whether the 3 3/4" collector base could support another Haslab to the tune of 17 thousand units.  It sucks that we'll never get an updated Whale, Rattler or Moray to replace the ones rotting away in our basements and attics.  And, I don't really get any joy knowing that we did get a plane with no play value.

So, I figured Fail Safes would start out around $70 or more for a carded figure.  And, I also expected them to climb to over $100 after a year.  That...didn't happen.  Now, you can easily buy a carded figure for around $40 shipped.  If you can find someone selling it at auction, they'll go for $15-$25...usually near the lower end.  After 20 years, we've seen the Toys R Us figures climb to stupidly high prices.  But, I doubt Fail Safe will follow that trend.  In 20 years, Joe collectors will be mostly retired with many staring down their 70's.  Yes, that's right.  We're now closer to our 70's than our 20's...even if we feel like our 20's were yesterday and our 70's are light years away.  But, 70 year olds won't be buying collectibles for speculative prices. And, let's face it, a lot of us will be dead and gone with our collections tossed away for pennies on the dollar as our kids and grandkids won't want to deal with the incredible hassle of liquidating a collection of crumbling and yellowing toys.  

It's still possible that this figure will find some aftermarket life.  There was a massive speculator buy in for the Skystriker since a lot of Star Wars fans had some money to spend when the Rancor failed just days before the Skystriker funded.  And, that speculative stock is lowering.  Slowly, the top figures from the Skystriker set are getting bought up.  But, there's still plenty of Fail Safe's out there.  And, if there's an event that forces more collectors to liquidate duplicates and unloved items, we'll see a flood of Skystrikers coming into the market once again.  But, if you can get a cheap Fail Safe, you should.  He's one of the best "new" figures Hasbro has done in the past 25 years.  He's not perfect.  But, he's good enough.  And, these days, that's about the best you can expect from Hasbro's attempts to salvage the legacy of the ARAH style Joes.