1989 Payload

The 1987 Payload figure was the first Astronaut released in the G.I. Joe line.  As the pilot of the Defiant Space Shuttle, he was designed to be both realistic and militaristic.  In these regards, the figure succeeded greatly.  The Defiant, though, was a large, expensive to produce playset with low production numbers.  In order to recoup the development costs, Hasbro re-released part of the shuttle as the Crusader in 1989.  This scaled down shuttle was more affordable and a good way for Hasbro to get more mileage out of the original mold.  To retain consistency, Hasbro included Payload as the Crusader's pilot as well.  This 1989 version was brighter, but retained the design and accessories that made the original version so great.

Payload was designed to be an astronaut: first and foremost.  The result is that he looks like he's wearing a legitimate space suit.  It has some bulk, is well detailed and fits the look of late 1980's astronauts.  The helmet is a bit stylish.  But, this was still a toy and it was designed to be eye catching.  The figure has the "puffiness" of a spacesuit, while not being bulky.  The helmet bubble is very large and protrudes on the back.  But, this is a less claustrophobic look than that of the Secto Viper or even the 1991 General Hawk body.  (Though it does cause the head to flop a bit inside the helmet.)  The one detail that proves this is a Joe figure is the molded pistol on the figure's leg.  This retains the military bent and adds a bit of a science fiction element to the character since he's carrying a firearm inside of a vehicle that, were it perforated at all by a single bullet, would spell death for each crew member.

There were 2 astronauts released in 1989: this Payload and the original Countdown.  Of the two, Countdown has better coloring.  He is a all white with subtle blue and silver highlights.  Payload is far more garish with his white base offset by bright yellow details.  These yellow parts were done in a brownish maroon on the 1987 version.  (It should be noted that the two figures do use some different paint masks as the knee pads on the 1989 figure are unpainted.)  This yellow hue gives the figure a completely different look.  The result is that the '89 Payload figure is more at home with the 1993 and 1994 Star Brigade figure than is the 1987.  But, this difference is nice as it gives the mold some diversity.  While the base, white color is the same.  The reality is that the starkly different accent colors create two definitive figures.  While the usefulness of bright yellow can be debated, the fact that is starkly contrasts with the original figure can not be.

Payload's accessories are the same as the 1987 version, only in different colors.  The figure's helmet is yellow, to match his highlights.  He then includes the astronaut backpack with extender arms.  It is, though, colored light grey as opposed to the white from the 1987 version.  The result is that Payload looks like an astronaut with gear that was appropriate for the 1987 release year.  The 1988 Astro Viper and 1989 Countdown, though, both went in a different direction and included gear that was less realistic, but more fun to play with.  It's a somewhat stark difference from just 2 years of design.  But, it shows where G.I. Joe was going as the '80's wound down and the '90's were beginning.

In the comic book, the Payload character was portrayed as African American.  Both of his figures, though, were Caucasian.  As such, there was a disconnect over the figure's race at some point between the Hasbro final figure design and the source material that Marvel used for the comics.  (Or, it was just an artist error that they kept up for a while.)  It's about the only interesting thing about this figure/character from the Joe canon.

Astronauts are among my favorite figures.  The reasons vary from time to time.  But, the notion that you could get astronaut figures in a line that was, otherwise, military was a great way to expand the core G.I. Joe concept.  My affair with the action figure began in 1978 with my first Kenner C-3P0 figure.  The science fiction element of Star Wars appealed to me.  As I got older, though, I found that play more based in realism was more to my liking.  G.I. Joe astronauts enabled me to appease both facets.  I had realistic space based figures, but could use them in science fiction settings.  I desperately wanted a Payload for part of 1987 when I added an old Slave I ship to my Joe vehicle stable.  Payload would have been the perfect pilot.  Without him, I settled for Knockdown.  The limitations of that figure quickly ended the Star Wars/G.I. Joe vehicle crossovers and my interest in the line diminished.

The Payload mold was used for the two American figures in 1987 and 1989.  After that, the mold was sent down to Brazil where Estrela released the Crusader with a version of Payload named Orbita.  Orbita was, basically, the same as the '89 Payload, but is still a fun figure to find.  Hasbro planned to bring Payload back in 1993.  Early 1993 Star Brigade cardbacks featured an airbrushed 1987 Payload mold, colored in a green and black color scheme.  With the mold being in Brazil, though, Hasbro could not use for the 1993 figure.  So, they chose the 1992 Eco Warriors Barbecue mold as the Payload repaint and promptly created three unique paint schemes for the figure that was released in the two years of the Star Brigade line.  It's likely that this original mold would have seen the ad naseum repaint treatment has Hasbro found it.  It would be interesting to see what a trio of late run releases that would have been clearance fodder would have done to the value of the first two Payload figures.  Especially if the final three repaints were deemed to be better paint jobs.  It's likely that they would have greatly devalued these figures from the 1980's.  But, we'll never know.

1989 Payloads are no where near as expensive as 1987 figures.  The figure is still not overly easy to find, though.  Mint and complete with filecard figures sell between $30 and $45.  That's about half the amount of the 1987, but still pretty pricey.  Every astronaut aficionado needs to have at least one version of the original Payload mold in their collection.  He's unique and offers something that 1993 and 1994 Star Brigade figures do not.  But, if you're going to do a high dollar purchase for a version of this mold, the higher priced 1987 is a better figure and is worth the extra money.  This yellow version is a nice placeholder and has uses.  But, that's a small fate for a figure with such a high price-tag.  I was able to get my copies of this figure back in the days before they got overly pricey.  I'm grateful for that since it is a great mold and I'm a sucker for space figures.  Some day, I'll have a full Defiant.  Until then, these figures wait for their turn to be out on prominent display.

16th Anniversary

Today is the 16th Anniversary of Forgotten Figures.  My first profiles were posted on November 10, 1999.  Here they are in all their glory:

1990 Decimator:

http://forgotten--figures.blogspot.com/1999/11/1990-decimator.html

1995 Unproduced Battle Corps Rangers Unnamed Figure (likely Flint):

http://forgotten--figures.blogspot.com/1999/11/1995-unproduced-battle-rangers-flint.html

A lot has happened since November of 1999 in the Joe world.  Some good, a lot not so good.  But, we're still here, enjoying the hobby we grew up with.

1986 Slipstream

Vehicle drivers were always among my favorite Joe characters and figures.  There was something about not being able to get the figure unless you purchased a much more expensive vehicle that made them seem more special than the scads of figures that were always available on retail shelves.  From the very beginning, vehicle drivers were created with the same care and quality that was evident on all the carded figures.  Through 1985, vehicle drivers were some of Hasbro's best work.  In 1986, though, the standard began to falter.  Some of the '86 vehicle operators simply weren't up to snuff.  The molds seemed less sharp and the colors less integrated.  Figures like Lift Ticket and Cross Country were perfect examples of characters who should have been excellent, but whose figures fell short.  While those guys were disappointments, nothing was worse than when Slipstream entered into my collection.  I always had high hopes for pilots.  They lended themselves to cool designs with helmets, air masks and fully decked out flight suits.  I so wanted Slipstream to be the pilot figure I had dreamed of getting.  Instead, he was a very flawed figure that not only soured me on the character, but also his high quality aircraft.

Slipstream was introduced as the pilot of a cutting edge aircraft: the Conquest X-30.  From the neck down, his flight suit fits the motif of the advanced flying machine.  (Though, to be honest, if you painted him orange, the flight suit is a doppelganger for an X-Wing Pilot from Star Wars.)  The Slipstream head, though, has two major flaws.  Figure wise, the head is too large for the body.  That alters the entire figure and reduces the usefulness of the figure.  The real issue, though, is that the guy who flies the most advanced plane in the entire world chooses to wear a leather flight hat straight out of a bad World War II movie.  Any fighter jet that required advanced computers to stabilize it in flight and was capable of pushing G Forces to any pilot's blackout threshold would surely have dictated that said pilot wear the most cutting edge head gear around.  This would ensure proper oxygen flow and help him retain maximum alertness in a combat situation.

These limitations pushed Slipstream to the bottom of my Joe pile.  I simply had no use for him.  I didn't like how he looked, so I didn't even consider him for any play.  There were times when he was used as the co-pilot of the Tomahawk.  But, even those were limited.  Eventually, like most of the figures I owned that I didn't really like, Slipstream ended up as a nameless criminal who would attack a Joe or Cobra base.  He and his compatriots might gun down a few Joes or Cobras.  But, in the end, most would end up dead or captured.  It allowed for reuse of the Slipstream figure.  But, didn't give him any value beyond that of being a toy that could hold a gun.  (Something the knock offs of the time could not.)

The really odd thing, though, was that Slipstream's fate was also tied to that of the Conquest.  Ostensibly, the Conquest was exactly what I wanted in a fighter plane as a kid.  It was small enough to hold in one hand.  It had missiles, guns and bombs.  The cockpit was exposed so you could see the figure.  And, it was sturdily built.  As such, this should have been my default Joe aircraft.  But, it didn't happen.  Without a solid pilot, the Conquest languished in the "hangar" under my bed.  Slipstream wasn't cool enough to use and, at the time, I didn't have any other pilots who were a good match for the plane.  So, the Conquest never took off in my collection due to the poor pilot figure.  This allowed me to re-discover the Conquest as an adult collector.  I now appreciate it for what it is.  But, without that childhood connection, it still never gained popularity that the mold probably justifies.

Now, though, I appreciate the Slipstream mold a little more.  It is greatly detailed.  And, the colors are pretty solid.  The large head and nose are still an issue.  But, many other figures have similar issues and I overlook those.  Plus, with more, better pilot figures available than I had in 1986, I no longer feel cheated out of the perfect flight suit.  That isn't to say the figure appears all that frequently.  But, I do have a Conquest and when it's displayed, Slipstream will be at the helm.  Really, that's the best fate this figure could hope for.  But, it does show that the context of a release may taint a figure for a long, long time.

The Slipstream mold was used only twice.  Once for Slipstream and again for the Sky Patrol Altitude figure.  (Though Altitude had a new head.)  The mold then disappeared.  The '86 vehicle drivers faced many fates with some going to Olmec and others going to Funskool.  Slipstream, though, was never rumoured in any foreign country and it's likely that the obscurity of his character precluded anyone from ever searching for the mold.  (It should be noted there is a Slipstream variant with different figures having slightly different coloring, a "gap" in the teeth and different production markings.  Neither appears more popular than the other, but it's something to look for.)  In 1998, Hasbro forewent Slipstream and included a repainted Ace as the Conquest pilot.  This pairing actually makes more sense and is a better fit than the pilot who was designed for the aircraft's cockpit.  The character's name was resurrected in 2003 in a Conquest repaint.  But, the figure was the 1992 Ace body with a new head.  The character has appeared in other construction types.  But, the original mold is long gone and will never be seen again.

Slipstream figures are cheap and plentiful.  The plastic is susceptible to discoloration and Slipstream's nose often exhibits paint wear.  But, due to the high volume release year and highly popular aircraft with which he was included, there are still lots of Slipstream figures out there.  Mint and complete with filecard versions can be had for under $5 with ease.  So, there's no financial reason why Slipstream isn't a member of everyone's collection.  But, from a usability and coolness perspective, there is.  This figure just isn't that interesting and the failures of sculpting only exacerbate that fact.  As the pilot of the Conquest, Slipstream is useful.  But, there are so many other, better pilots available in the line that are more technological matches for the aircraft that the need for Slipstream is greatly diminished.

1983 Cobra Officer

I was late to the G.I. Joe party in 1983.  But, I spent the second half of the summer catching up with all the kids in the neighborhood who had gotten on the Joe bandwagon sooner than I had.  There was one kid who lived around the block who pretty much had everything that was released at the time.  Each time I went to his house I found more new items that just further cemented my interest in the property.  As the summer wound down, he went to visit relatives and was gone for a week.  When he returned, he brought back several new figures to show off.  The most interesting were the Cobra Officers and Cobra Troopers.  He got multiples of each, though they were the straight armed versions.  I remember playing with them at the local pool.  I liked both figures.  But, figured that the Officer was the more basic grunt character since he had a less interesting mold and included an AK-47: which was the standard "bad guy" assault rifle of the time.  I did not like the fact that the cooler figure that I wanted to use as a character was actually the grunt and the figure I wasn't interested in was the higher ranking officer.

This disappointment was enough to sour me on the Cobra army builders of the time.  I focused my efforts on Cobra Commander, Destro and Major Bludd.  The Cobra characters were much more interesting.  At some point in 1984 or 1985, one of my younger brothers acquired a Cobra Officer.  However, they quickly lost his gun, rubbed away the logo and generally destroyed the figure.  The Cobra Trooper entered my collection in 1985, just before he disappeared from retail.  The Trooper saw quite a bit of use until the standard Viper was released the following year.  The result is that the Cobra troops in general were not a big part of my childhood.  And, the Cobra Officer was much less a part of it than the Trooper.

The Cobra Officer mold is classic 1983 awesomeness.  In the simplicity of a blue fatigues wearing terrorist is what makes the figure enduring.  The simple web gear, standard masked face and molded on helmet portray the character as a definitively evil.  They also, though, give him an air of danger as he is definitely wearing a uniform: suggesting that the organization who employs him is vastly more dangerous than a bunch of extremists in the woods with weapons that are relics of a bygone age.  The Officer is at the forefront of an organization that not only wants to take over the world, but has the money, technology, equipment and training to do so.  It was a frightening concept and helped create an initial dichotomy between the Joes and Cobra that cemented the hero vs. villain archetype.

The Officer also succeeds in combining the two most real sources of evil and paranoia of the early 1980's.  The early Cobra in the comic book had a heavy Nazi-esque look and feel to them.  They were designed to instill the sense of evil that was brought on by Nazi imagery.  Replace Cobra blue for Nazi colors and you have a pretty stark similarity between the two.  On top of that, the Cobra Officer was given an AK-47.  At the time, this was the personification of the Russian military.  Outfitting Cobras with Russian built weapons implied they were in league with the communists.  There was no better way to visually saying these were the bad guys in Reagan era American than by including the iconic Russian weapon.  The combo ensured that Cobra was the villain and that G.I. Joe was here to save us from the bad guys...with the subliminal message being that the U.S. would triumph in the Cold War.  It was this level of visual subtlety that helped to cement Joe in the conscience of American boys in the 1980's.

As a part of my collection, though, the Officer continues to simply not be overly relevant.  One of the great things of the vintage comic was that there were ancillary characters who helped bring stories to life without expending the usefulness of primary characters.  Scar Face was one notable example of this.  And, it was through Scar Face that I have seen the Cobra Officers as a group more worth exploring.  While the Cobra Troopers and Vipers are faceless legions of largely uneducated, easily manipulated thugs: Officers have more of a backstory.  They were the disenfranchised military from around the world who found something about Cobra intriguing.  Maybe they were wanted criminals.  Or, they simply grew tired of the low pay and high cost of serving in the military of an established government.  But, the Officers were among those with access to the early Cobra Commander.  Here, they established Cobra's military theory and practice.  Many of them showed the scars of combat experience.  But, there was something about them that distinguished them to the Commander and made them his trusted advisors...at least until more named characters came along.  Had the Cobra Officer been presented more in the this vein, I think he would be more interesting to me than a higher ranking faceless legion who wears a different uniform than the cannon fodder which he oversees.

The Cobra Officer mold was also a world traveler.  The straight arm mold was sent to South America where versions of the Officer that are similar to the American figure were released in Argentina, Mexico and Brazil.  The swivel arm version was used by Palitoy in Europe in the Action Force line.  There, the mold was released as a good guy vehicle driver named Hunter.  Hasbro got back the Officer mold and continued to produce him for years as a mail away.  (It was also repainted in 1984 as the Stinger Driver and 1989 as the Python Trooper. - Mr. Acer's comments below!)  In 2004, Hasbro remolded parts of the body for release in the Toys R Us exclusive Cobra Infantry pack.  Less than six months later, though, Hasbro announced they had actually found the vintage molds and parts of it were used for the 2004 Comic Pack Officer and in 2005 for the Cobra Night Watch sets as well as 2006 for the Comic Pack Gas Mask Trooper.  The chest appeared a final time in 2010 on the Convention Exclusive Jammer figure.  All in all, there are a lot of Officers out there.  While it would have been nice to get a Crimson Officer or all black Officer, that was never to be.

It is no secret that the silver Cobra logos used in 1983 are extremely fragile.  Viper Pilots are notoriously brittle and finding mint figures is very difficult.  The Cobra Officer likely has a similar ratio of damaged logos versus non damaged logos.  However, two factors play into the Cobra Officer's greater availability.  First, the Officer was produced in much greater quantities than the Viper Pilot.  The Officer was extremely popular and Hasbro probably produced untold numbers of them.   The second factor is that the Cobra Officer was available for many years as a mail away figure.  This allowed kids to acquire the Cobra Officer for a long time after the figure was discontinued at retail.  This also lead to overstock that simply never sold.  In 1999, collectors found some of this overstock at Hasbro Canada.  Thousands upon thousands of bagged figures were released into the market for $1 each.  Among these were tons of Cobra Officers.  This allowed collectors of the time to both pick up bagged versions, but also open them and build up mint condition armies.  In the 16 years since that find, the overstock Officers have mostly been absorbed.  But, there are a lot of mint condition figures out there that can trace their beginnings to the Hasbro Canada find.

Mint and complete with filecard Cobra Officers tend to sell around the $30 range.  In comparison with the Cobra Trooper, that is a substantial price increase.  However, the more easily damaged logo combined with the fact that there are large numbers of bootleg Cobra Troopers in the marketplace explains away the disparity.  What's odd is that sacrificing just a little bit of logo condition only lowers the price by $8 or so.  Usually, gem mint figures with logos like the Officer sell for premiums and slight condition degradations fall off a pricing cliff.  The result is that I find the Officer to be overly expensive for the value he brings to a collection.  I'd rather get two, mint and complete Cobra Troopers instead of one Officer.  And, as such, I have just this one Officer in my collection, commanding the more than a dozen Cobra Troopers (more if you count bootlegs).  Others may prefer the Officer mold to the Trooper.  But, for me, one is enough.  I'm sure that had I bought a dozen of these from Hasbro Canada, I'd be happy with the lot.  But, since I didn't, I don't feel the need to go out and get any more of the figure.  I'm content with my Cobra army command structure.  For others, the mileage from this mold and character may vary.

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.