1993 HEAT Viper

Let's face it. Most Joe collectors out there would not consider a neon colored figure to be among their favorites. In fact, many would simply dismiss a figure due to its poor color. My feeling, though, has long been that many of the poorly colored figures that sprinkle the line's history could, with a proper redesign, be held in high regard. The Shock Viper and Mirage are just examples of how a bad figure can be made good with a major color change. Such is the case with the figure in this profile. The 1993 Heat Viper suffers from an abdominal bright green as his primary color and has fallen into the line's scrap heap as a figure that collectors simply don't want to own. While the colors are loud, though, this figure does have many redeeming qualities and, like his 1993 brethren could be a great figure were he only colored a bit differently.

The Heat Viper mold is actually very well done. If you look around, there are several well done customs that utilize parts from the Heat Viper to create a great new character. First off, the figure is bulky. In '93, many figures began to get "super-sized". Torsos and legs were thicker and the figs, when compared to earlier models, looked much bigger and stronger. This was simply a reflection of the action figure market at the time and the natural progression has lead us to the new sculpt figures of today. In the case of the Heat Viper, though, the bulk works. Supposedly, this is a hand held artillery soldier who would carry heavy weaponry. As such, they would have be strong and big. Beyond the bulk, though, the mold is also incredibly detailed. The figure has a black bandoleer across his chest that houses three grenades. He also has a pistol molded to his leg along with various straps and holsters. The coup de gras, though, is the figure's boots. The Heat Viper has heavy knee pads and thick, black boots that make him look like he means business. It is a small detail, but the type of thought that would have made this figure stand out had he been released in earlier years. While the description of the details may sound a bit sparse, it is the way the detailing is used that allows this figure to be remarkable in simplicity. He is Truly an example of where less is more.

Of course, though, the Heat Viper has some deficiencies. The first and foremost is his neon green color. While eye-catching and attention grabbing, it is not so useful for practical situations. Aside from that, the figure is only molded in three colors: green, black, and flesh. While the contrast of the green and black is fantastic, it also makes the figure feel too simple. Like other later edition figures, the lack of paint detailing lets the intricacy of the mold down. Aside from that, the figure's head is odd. Like the original Heat Viper, this figure has a bizarre helmet that leaves the figure's mouth exposed. Why wear a blast helmet if your source of air is still left open to exhaust and blast fumes? It is a poor design choice, but one that remains true to the figure's roots. The final problem is the figure's accessories. Aside from being cast in neon green, the Heat Viper's weapon tree makes no sense. He comes with machine guns and no projectile launcher as is suggested by his specialty. The thought was for kids to use the spring loaded launcher as the bazooka, but leaves modern collectors with the dilemma of how to properly arm him. (At least black versions of the original Heat Viper's gun have become common with the new releases.) The disappointing thing is that there were other weapon trees offered in '93 that would have made sense for this figure. However, by '93, accessories were an afterthought for these figures.

In my collection, the Heat Viper is not the hand held artillery soldier as denoted by his specialty. Instead, he is more of a specialty shock trooper. He is basically a Cobra SWAT trooper who is used in close quarters, urban situations. Unlike the Headhunters who are more mobile, these Heat Vipers are trucked into a specific situation, knock down the door, take care of business and are then quickly sped away to the next task. I explain the figure's bulk as being a combination of body armour and sheer muscle mass. As such, these guys are the heavy hitters who lead the charge into building occupied by resistance. Alley Vipers are the combat arm of Cobra's urban assault forces. The Heat Vipers are just a logical extension of them. The supplement the Alley Viper's duties in specific situations that call for more heavily protected and less mobile troopers. Plus, I can explain away the green color as being special fabric that allows the Heat Vipers to see each other in the dark confines of the environments in which they tend to operate.

Many have said that this mold would make for an excellent candidate for re-release in the modern line. New colors and proper accessories could really create an exciting new figure. However, this figure has a slight problem that many other '93 figure molds face: he was sent to Brazil shortly after his American release was finished. In Brazil, he was released in nearly identical colors and named Raio Verde. Most of the molds that were contemporary to Raio Verde have not been located by Hasbro and are not candidates for re-release. For now, the Heat Viper appears to be among them. However, as Hasbro is actively seeking out their missing molds, the possibility of this figure's return is always there, no matter how small it may be. I know I would appreciate a new attempt at this mold. Were it done right, I think many other collectors would, too.

1993 Heat Vipers aren't hard to find. There are lots of them out there. The only problem is that they tend to be carded or only available in lots with many other '93 and '94 figures. As this figure is not high on many collectors' priority lists, though, even carded samples can be had cheap. Truthfully, after pulling mine out and putting them to a bit of use, I'm thinking of going out a picking up a couple more of these guys. It's rare to find many Cobra army builders for cheap these days. It's even rarer when the ones you can find are not either highly specialized or suffer from a truly bad mold. I think this version of the Heat Viper is a good buy right now. While he'll never replace the more standard Cobra troopers in my collection, he does fit in well for specific tasks. I think that, given a chance, more collectors could grow to appreciate this figure, even if they never actually use him. For a '93, that's not too bad a lot in life.

I'm curious about the upcoming Python Patrol Heat Viper. My guess is that he will be a straight repaint of the 2001 Fast Blast Viper rather than the '89 Heat Viper or this mold. Which would you prefer?

2003 Tiger Force Wreckage

Back in my profile of the Tiger Force Recondo, I recounted some of the history surrounding the Tiger Force subset. Specifically, I mention the unproduced character of Sabretooth who was originally planned to be a member of the Tiger Force team. However, Sabretooth was never produced and fans were left with a bit of a hole in Joe toy continuity. Through the lean years, customizers filled the gaps by often producing their interpretations of Sabretooth. Then, at the 2002 G.I. Joe Convention, Hasbro showcased a Toys R Us exclusive Tiger Force set that was going to bring the popular sub-group back to the collecting community. Among the figures shown were Jinx, Stalker, Big Brawler and Dial Tone. It was the fifth member of the set, though, that really had everyone talking. Hasbro decided to throw fans a little Easter Egg and include a new character in the Tiger Force set. This figure, in an homage to the unproduced Sabretooth, utilized the 1984 Firefly mold and was named Wreckage.

Wreckage really shows that the current Joe team at Hasbro has a sense of history about the line. Sabretooth was a character that many long time collectors wanted to see. While that name may have not been available, the inclusion of Wreckage in this set was an obvious nod to collectors to let them know that Hasbro is capable of fulfilling some of their wants. While the new line's main focus has been the new sculpts, the few classic repaints that we have seen have been very collector focused. Themed sets, army builders and the return of classic molds seems to be a winning combination on the collector market. The fact that the figures have been well done as well, though, only helps matters even more.

As the classic Joe repaints have progressed, many collectors have heard rumblings about how a certain favorite mold was "lost" or damaged. While the lost molds can more easily be explained, it the damaged molds that most people have a problem with. When looking at my Wreckage figure, though, I discovered a few points about the mold that will give a bit more insight into how these molds can decay. First, look at the pictures below:



This picture shows the right arms of all 5 American releases of this mold. (Also remember, this mold was released in Europe, Japan and India.) As you look at the cuffs of Firefly's sleeve, you can see some differences. On the 1984 figure, the lines are sharp and clear. While it's hard to see, the same is still true on the '98 figure. However, in 2000, you start to see some "flatening" of the lines. The crispness of the earlier molds is starting to disappear. On the 2002 figure, it is a bit more pronounced and Wreckage's is the "softest" yet. You can see the same thing on the finger lines on the figure's hand. You can also notice it on the molded knife. The '98 knife is much sharper and the '03 knife. There is more, though.

 

This photo shows the molds' left legs. The mold has 2 small dial-like details on the thigh. On the earlier Firefly molds, there are raised > signs on the dials. On the '84 and '98 figure, these are very sharp. However, on the 2000 and 2002 figures, the arrows start to disappear. Now, on Wreckage, the arrows are almost impossible to see. Now, my first thought on this was that the differences in plastic that exist between the '84 figure and the '03 figure could be part of the problem. The newer plastic is softer and may not take to details as well as the harder stuff used in '84. However, the '98 figure (which also used softer plastic) still shows most of the detail you see on the '84 figure.

Basically, this is a great example that shows how molds can deteriorate over time. While the mold is hardly unusable, you can start to see some degradation of the details. After hundreds of thousands of injections with hot plastic over nearly 20 years, you would expect to see some loss of detail. However, it appears that once the process starts, molds can go quickly. Seeing a timeline like you can on Firefly, though, helps give collectors more insight into how some of our favorite figures can be gone forever. What the future holds for the Firefly mold, is still unknown. Personally, I've got all the Fireflies I'll ever need. You have him in 2 camo versions that are true to the character. You also have an arctic version for the specialized environment and a crimson version for those pompous ceremonies that Firefly needs to attend. Beyond that, you can still use Wreckage as yet another version of Firefly. With all these, if this mold were retired, I would feel that it got more than enough use.

Wreckage's greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. While using the Firefly mold is a great way to fill a gap in the line's history, the mold has simply outpaced Sabretooth's intended place in the line. At this point, this mold is definitively Firefly. Any collector who looks at any incarnation of the mold immediately knows that the character is supposed to be Firefly. Despite Firefly's later appearances, it is his original mold that is forever tied to the character. As such, Wreckage's use is severely limited. It's just too much of a stretch for a figure looking like this to be anyone other than Firefly. (Although, Wreckage could just be Firefly in disguise. It would follow the Spy Troops theme.) So, while this figure will probably be sought after in the short term, I don't foresee Wreckage ever becoming an icon among the collecting world. More likely, he will see his most use as a simple variation of Firefly's traditional uniform. It's not a bad lot and will probably keep this figure more in the limelight that it would otherwise have been.

Wreckage's use in my collection is still undetermined. I have written that I used the '00 Firefly figure as good guy SWAT troopers. (I just ignored the Cobra logo.) As such, I could see Wreckage falling into that role. His colors are nice and his accessories are top notch. (Though they didn't include a cover for his pack.) It would be unfortunate to not use the figure in some capacity. However, the character of Wreckage just doesn't fit into my Joe world well enough for him to become a player. The Joe team has enough demolitions specialists where one more, especially one that is a new creation, doesn't seem necessary. As such, I foresee Wreckage simply being a nameless, faceless Joe army builder. He will have some uses, but most of them will end with his death at the hands of the Cobra attackers. While it may not seem very glamorous, it does give the figure more use and keeps him out of the bottom of my newly founded 2003 Joe drawer.

If you want a Wreckage figure, the time to get one is now. You can still order the Tiger Force set from Amazon.com for $19.99. If that's not your style, word is that these sets are starting to appear in brick and mortar Toys R Us stores for the same price as well. Spending $20 for five figures is a good deal, regardless of what you might read on various message boards. In the long run, though, I think Wreckage will be the most popular figure from this set. Jinx has a pretty strong fan following, but I don't think it will be enough to overcome the coolness factor displayed by Wreckage. The other three figures are nice additions to a collection, but hardly the type of figure that people will seek out in the future. Still, Firefly molds usually remain fairly popular over time. While this is not Firefly, enough people will see him as such to make this figure more sought after than most of his contemporaries. When you know this is the case, it is always best to take advantage of retail availability. The entire Tiger Force set is well done. I enjoy it's inclusion in the line and will mingle these new figures with my existing Tiger Force collection, both foreign and domestic. Judging by the reception this set seems to have found in the collecting world, you can be sure I'm not alone.

I've got all the Wreckage figures I need. Are you ready to see this mold retired? Let me know.

E

1989 Arctic Tundra Stalker

1989 was a year the first real year where many older characters finally got an upgrade. While figures like Snake Eyes had already gotten an update, 1989 saw several classic characters reinterpreted in new ways. I think this was partially a way to keep original fans interested as they moved out of childhood and into their teenage years and part to keep trademarks active without having to put tons of old characters into subsets like Tiger Force. In most of the cases, though, the newly molded figure was highly superior to the original 1982 mold. Stalker is not quite an exception.

This figure suffers from one glaring problem: the head. The figure's head just doesn't look right. It appears as though Stalker's face was mashed in with an iron. It is too long and very, very flat. It lacks the depth of character that was exhibited on other Stalker figures during the line's original run. Aside from that, though, the figure is really well done. The mold is well detailed and colored appropriately given this figure's specialty. The combination of green and white creates a mix that blends with sub arctic terrain. However, for other uses, it becomes problematic. The figure is light and that makes it hard for the mold to stand out. On top of that, the mold lacks many of the small intricacies that we have grown accustomed to. As such, the figure is just that much more non-descript. While in many cases the "less-is-more" theory holds, in this case it detracts from the figure as a little extra detail may have made the mold more memorable.

For me, it is nice that I have a Stalker mold that I can use in other climates. Stalker is one of my favorite characters and I like being able to use him in multiple environments. This outfit works when I want an arctic Stalker. The thing is, I don't often have a need for a figure like that. There are other arctic specialists who are better suited for snow missions. I had to come up with a special reason why Stalker would be included on an environmentally specific mission. I think that's the primary reason this figure isn't so popular. While a solid mold with great accessories, Stalker is not an arctic character. The mold doesn't make enough sense for most people to use it as their primary Stalker figure. I know it doesn't for me.

When I first returned to Joe collecting, this was one of the figures that I really wanted. I remembered him from my youth and thought he was pretty cool. I also liked Stalker and wanted to add every version of him to my collection. At that time, most collectors were focused on major characters rather than simple army builders. As such, it took me a while to finally get a nicely conditioned version of this figure. However, once I got one, several others followed rapidly. The thing was, none of them were complete. I managed to put together a complete figure from the several specimens I acquired in the lots I bought but I never did pick up a fully complete Stalker in any of them. (Despite the fact that these lots were, for the most part, otherwise full of complete figures.) Once I managed to get him, though, I felt that one of my early collecting goals was accomplished. It was a good feeling and freed me to move ahead with different aspects of my collection.

This Stalker mold has seen release not only in the U.S. but also in China and Brazil. The mold could still he under Hasbro's control or it could be sitting in a Funskool warehouse. Either way, I don't think we'll see this mold again any time soon. As far as Stalker goes, there just really aren't that many collectors who associate that character with this figure. Even the '94 version is more closely tied to the character than this one. The tundra specialty is just too binding for most people. I know I don't want to use an arctic figure in a forest setting. I'm not alone in this sentiment. Were there to be any more classic style Stalker figures released, I would much rather see the original or '94 mold used. (The '91 Talking Stalker that was re-used for the new Tiger Force set leaves a lot to be desired.) Those are truer to the character I know as Stalker.

1989 Stalkers are prone to discoloration. (As all white figures are.) He also came with a lot of small, easily lost accessories. As such, it can be a challenge to find a mint, complete version. As this version of the character is less popular, though, he still won't cost you. That gives you a nice opportunity to acquire the Stalker character without having to spend a lot for the original or '97 molds and not search out a '94. If you only want the figure with maybe the gun and mask, he can be easily found via a number of outlets. In my early days, I considered this figure a positive when I was weighing whether or not to buy a lot of figures. I like the mold and consider this figure a neat addition to a collection. Arctic figures have far fewer uses than normally colored figures. In the case of the '89 Stalker, though, I think an exception can be made and he can find a nice home in any collection.

Stalker is a nice figure. In fact, I can't think of a bad version of Stalker that was ever made. Can you?

Gatilho (Brazilian Exclusive Python Patrol Airborne)

Most of you are familiar with my other profiles of Brazilian exclusive figures. Estrela toys produced a steady stream of exclusive Joe figures throughout the late '80's and early '90's. While their exclusive Tiger Force Airtight (Ar Puro) and Tiger Force Shipwreck (Marujo) figures garner the most collector attention, they also produced two exclusive Python Patrol figures to complement the Brazilian Python Patrol line. Unlike the American Python Patrol, that was only comprised of army builder type figures, the Brazilian line included two dramatic re-interpretations of classic molds. While I've already profiled the Python Patrol Ripcord (Relampago), I felt it was time to showcase the second, and more elaborate exclusive entry into the Brazilian Python Patrol world: the Python Patrol Airborne, Gatilho.

While the Relampago figure is nice, he is rather bland. the entire figure is done in the camo pattern that matches the Python Tele-Viper. It works and it a nice homage to the original design, but lacks any real flair. Gatilho, though, has no such shortcomings. In fact, it was the overstylized nature of this figure that decreased my interest in him. The photos I had seen didn't do Gatilho justice. However, once I had him in my collection, the truly unique nature of the figure lead to his greater prominence in my collection. This figure is colored in a way that mimics the Python Copperhead. If you look at the photos below, I made an effort to include Copperhead in order to showcase the figures' similarities. As on the Copperhead figure, the dark greens offset by the deep blacks with the yellow and burgundy accents work to create a richly colored figure who is remarkably likable.

In an odd twist, Gatilho utilizes the mold of the 1983 Airborne mold. Like Relampago, Gatilho takes a good guy mold and turns him to Cobra. For whatever reason, both Airborne and Ripcord saw heavy use in South American interpretations of the G.I. Joe line. Both appeared in Argentina and in Brazil as Joes. (Both had slight color variations, but were nothing extraordinarily different from what we saw in the US.) They were then chosen as the exclusive entries into the Brazilian Force Naja. The equivalent of Python Patrol. It could be that these molds were simply available and the powers that be at Estrela decided that they would work as exclusive figures. It could be something else. At this point, their reasoning will probably never be known.

In my collection, Gatilho is a specialized mercenary who, while employed by Cobra, is not actually a part of the organization. In my previous profiles, I've made mention of my currently running Cobra story line. Gatilho fits into this as a hired gun whose sole purpose is to protect Letal while he conducts his research. (He is the hired gun to whom I refer in Letal's profile.) This makes Letal less vital to the overall Cobra hierarchy, but also keeps him a more interesting role player as he is not pigeon-holed into Cobra and is free to associate with other factions in my Joe world. He really is a mercenary, but prefers to work for Cobra as they pay well, provide competent help and have the best equipment. As such, he is most often seen in the company of Cobra forces.

Gatilho's goal, though, is to join Cobra. He is a native to South America and realizes that if Cobra's goals on that continent are reached, he would be in a good position to help them. However, after meeting the character portrayed by the Flying Scorpion, Gatilho realized that the lack of loyalty in the past was going to prevent from just joining Cobra in a position of prominence. As such, he works as a freelancer in the hopes that he can prove his worth to Cobra and be allowed to join them. He also realized that Letal was a good way for him to show his loyalty. Gatilho's contract with Cobra was to protect Letal at any costs. When the Joes found Letal's secret lab in Brazil, Gatilho managed to flee with Letal (and all his research) and left the Joes with no tangible evidence of the operations' purpose. Gatilho took Letal to a plane he hid in the jungle and flew him to safety, showcasing a skill Cobra was not aware he had. As such, Gatilho is now more valuable in Cobra's eyes. While still not a part of their organization, he is now paired with higher ranking Cobra leaders and is slowly earning his way into the top cabal. Like most of my new Cobras, though, Gatilho is more interested in following the plan of the Flying Scorpion character than trying to gain more power for himself. However, Gatilho's past shows that he is loyal to who pays him. Where I'm going to take his story from here, though, is something that is going to have to play itself out in the coming months. ;->

Gatilho's are very hard to find. If you want them mint and complete, they are almost impossible to acquire for under $50. Like the other Brazilian exclusive Python Patrol and Tiger Force figures, Gatilho is very brittle and is VERY prone to breakage. As he also comes with an exclusive helmet, Gatilho becomes even harder to get if you are a stickler about completeness. However, when I acquired this figure, I had only ever seen 2 other mint, complete Gatilhos offered for sale. Since my acquisition, I have seen nearly a dozen more publicly sold and know that many collectors have also picked them up via private trades. Why the upturn in availability? Simple, Brazil, as a nation, is making a push to get its citizenry more internet access. As that occurs, more Brazilians are realizing that many of the toys they have sitting around can be sold to Americans for substantial amounts of money. This has, in turn, made many previously hard to find Brazilian exclusive figure much easier for American collectors to track down. As we go forward, I see figures like Gatilho becoming easier to find. However, I don't think they'll ever be so common that you'll find them for common prices. With that, if you want a Gatilho, it is probably in your best interests to wait. However, as this figure is very cool and will remain desirable, if you can find one for a price that you're comfortable with, I would go for it. I've found Gatilho to be a nice mesh into my collection. With an updated Python Patrol supposedly coming this year and, perhaps, new prominence for that subset in the collecting world, having a Gatilho makes more sense. He is certainly not a typical figure, but one that I think most collectors would enjoy.

With Gatilho, I've got the Brazilian Python Patrol exclusive figures. I would, though, like to track down a Reptil Do Ar figure. If you have one available, please let me know.

2002 General Tomahawk

Back in the summer of 2000, the online Joe collecting community got their first look at the wider scale relaunch that would be coming their way in the fall. Early images of the upcoming figures were shown at a toy show. Reaction was a bit mixed as these initial prototypes still exhibited some raw flaws that needed to be ironed out. One of the problems that was pushed to the forefront by the '00 releases that was not resolved, though, was the loss of copyrights on many codenames. While this had happened before in the TRU exclusive releases, the broader scope of the '00 figures made the problem more prominent. Among those most affected was the long time leader of the Joes, General Hawk. In a bold move, Hasbro decided to keep the character intact but simply supply him a new name. Thus was born General Tomahawk.

The best part about General Tomahawk was that he utilized the nicely done but rarely seen 1991 Sonic Fighters mold for General Hawk. This mold was a stark contrast from other interpretations of the General and was a figure that, done right, made for a sensible re-release. Despite the name change, this figure was well received. In an attempt to maintain their momentum, Hasbro returned to this mold in 2002 for the quickly conceived Wave 1.5 figures that were, for the most part, repaints of classic figures. This new mold of General Tomahawk maintained the quality of his first release but was done in a less busy color scheme that really produced a quality figure.

I like the color schemes on the Wave 1.5 classic mold figures. My harshest criticism of the '00-'02 ARAHC figures is that they all look the same. The colors are muted and dark. In a quest for gritty realism most of the personality was stripped from these releases. As such, aside from a few figures who stand out, the ARAHC figures are not high on most collectors' lists. The Wave 1.5 figures tried to change that. Gone were the hushed shades of olive and brown and in were brighter, yet believable, color schemes that were more reminiscent of the line's glory days. This figure uses tan, off-white and a teal green blend to create something very different from what we had gotten used to seeing. Tomahawk's only drawback, in terms of color, is that he is very similar to the Wave 1.5 Big Ben. When posed together, these figures mesh too well. Apart, though, the originality in the color scheme comes through and allows you to appreciate this mold.

This mold has had a sordid history. The 1991 figure was okay, but suffered from golden weapons and a huge sonic backpack that played sounds upon the push of a button. Once the pack was removed, the figure had some great qualities. The head sculpt looked like a hard-ass general who would lead a group like the Joes. (It had also become a favorite of customizers who used to create Schrage customs as well as other, high ranking, American military, fan created characters who were the faceless enemies of the Joes.) However, the head was done in a horrible color that made the figure look either extremely sunburned or simply sick. This alone was enough to push that figure into obscurity. The 2000 figure fixed a few of these problems but used marbelized plastic on the chest, arms and legs. On many figures, this was okay. However, the nature of the mixture means that no two General Tomahawk figures are alike. Of the four I have, 2 are colored with far too much white and look bizarre. It was not until 2002 that they finally released the mold in a nearly flawless color scheme. However, the mold still has one drawback. Despite being finely detailed and well worthy of a character of Tomahawk's stature, an original feature from the Sonic Fighter figure was left as a legacy. In order for the sonic packs to work, the 1991 figures had to have their backs molded flat. While the 1993 Cobra Commander featured a back that was fixed and looked more normal, the two versions of Tomahawk were not. As such, if you turn this figure around, the back looks very out of place. It is a small nuisance, but something that has kept more than a few people from fully enjoying this figure.

In my collection, this figure is General Hawk. While I no longer use General Hawk as the combat leader of the Joes, this figure remains important in an advisory capacity. I simply give him the large pistol included with him (the great part about this figure is that his extra accessories are a perfect match for the '02 Green Vipers. Since the '98 Cobra Troopers, I've used Tomahawk's spare rifle and pack as standard Cobra arms. This gives me the ability to update the crummy accessories that came with the '02 Viper flavors.) and have him restricted to a base or non-threatening setting. He is still important, but now simply advises the actual combat leader of the Joes. You see, my General Hawk character is heading towards retirement. It's not that I don't like the character. In fact, to me, Hawk has always been the leader of the Joes. It's just that Hawk said he had thirty years of military experience back in 1983. That makes him a bit long in the tooth. While I don't perceive him to be nearly 70 years old, I do think that Hawk would be at the point of his career where he would be giving press briefings and consulting his field commanders rather than leading alongside them. For me, this works. It allows Hawk to keep his well deserved dignity but also step aside so he does nothing, in his old age, to tarnish his reputation.

Rumour has it that Hasbro did not intend for this version of Tomahawk to be the same as the '00 figure. They wanted to use the '86 Hawk mold, that they had just pulled out of storage in 1997, for this figure as a way to add some variety to the line and appease fans who like that mold. In addition to this, they also planned for the Sure Fire figure to be the 1988 Shockwave mold. This is why the two figures that were released were packaged with less desirable Cobras. It was thought that these Joe molds would sell themselves. However, neither the '86 Hawk nor '88 Shockwave toolings could be found. As such, we are left with the figure molds that were released. While decent in their own right, they are not up to the standards the intended molds would have presented. It is another case of what might have been outweighing what we actually got. It's not bad, but it leaves a sour taste on these figures as collectors lament what might have been.

If you want this version of General Tomahawk, you can probably still find them at retail in many parts of the country. Many online Joe retailers still have them in stock. Even if they are gone, this is not a figure that will ever be hugely popular. The original Tomahawk is kind of hard to find, but most of the interest in him is only on the carded level. This figure is nice to have and makes a nice addition to a collection but was part of a wave that was probably overproduced and will end up as major pegwarmers in most of the country. This should mean that future collectors will be able to acquire him for next to nothing. That's nice as this is the type of figure that helps fill out a collection and add depth to many scenes. As the leader of my Joes, though, I still prefer the '86 Hawk as he more closely resembles the type of character that would lead an elite unit like the Joes. Most other collectors feel this way as well. It means that a nice figure like this will probably not get the recognition it deserves. Perhaps this little diatribe will change some of that.

I've got all the Tomahawks I need. Would you like to see this character return in a new sculpt figure? Let me know.