1997 Scorch - Bronze Bomber Motor Viper

Some time around 1997 a small toy company called Olmec acquired some G.I. Joe molds from Hasbro and produce a set of figures called the Bronze Bombers. These figures were themed for an African-American audience and offered Joe collectors something different than they had previously seen. While the molds were mostly obscure vehicle drivers recolored with neon paint, the set was fairly well received by collectors. Now, it enjoys occasional outbursts of interest but remains, for the most part, a rather obscure footnote to Joe history. But, some of the figures were very well done and do fit with the notions of Joe that have taken hold of modern collectors. One such figure is the repainted Motor Viper.

The Bronze Bombers were released in a 12 figure pack that was sold exclusively at Toys R Us. The original price was $14.99 which really isn't bad for a 12 figure set that included a few accessories. The figures used Joe vehicle driver molds from the late '80's. (Interestingly enough, many of the contemporary vehicle driver molds to these figures were subsequently produced or scheduled for production in India. It seems that Hasbro needed to recoup some development cost for these molds and made them more widely available than their other, more mainstream molds.) The basic figure molds were: 1988 Skidmark, 1986 Strato Viper, 1988 Darklon, 1989 Track Viper, 1988 Secto Viper, 1989 Wild Boar and the 1986 Motor Viper. Darklon along with the Secto, Motor, and Strato Viper was released as a straight repaint. These figures comprised "Pyro's Band of Thugs" and were the "bad" guys of the set. Each was individually named with the Motor Viper called "Scorch". The 8 good guys all featured new African American head sculpts and were given various names. It is difficult at best to pinpoint exactly which figure is which, but all 8 were given code names. Many of the good guy figures are more sanely colored than their villainous counterparts (some are even in better colors than the original use of the mold by Hasbro!) and make excellent additions to any Joe team roster. The bad guys are a bit more oddly colored, but are still very useful in rounding out your Cobra army.

As the Bronze Bomber figures were not Hasbro produced, they are not Hasbro quality. I have found them to be most similar to Brazilian Joe figures in terms of plastic quality. This means that they are decent, but are prone to easy thumb and crotch breakage. So, you have to be a bit careful with them when you use them. The paint masks on the figures tend to be tight, though not really all that complex. Most figures are 2 or 3 colors which was done to reduce the manufacturing costs. Few of them have painted details and the paint applications remind me of many of the 1994 Hasbro Joe offerings in that respect. In many cases, though, these minimal applications work and provide Joe collectors with some attractive alternatives to popular and unpopular molds.

Scorch is actually colored quite well. His body is a deep, dark blue combined with powerful green highlights. His face mask and pistol handles are dark baby blue and are really the only downside to the figure. He is bright and striking, there is no denying that. But, in his context, the colors work for him. The dark blue and green complement each other very well and help minimize the effect of the baby blue. (Though, the baby blue is only a shade darker than the baby blue used on the original Hasbro figure!) It's not clear which accessories from the set would belong to Scorch, but that really doesn't matter since all of the accessories are fairly weak in terms of coloring and this is a vehicle driver so accessories are less important.

In my collection, the Bronze Bomber figures have simply been specialized sub-units of their Hasbro/Cobra counterparts. The Secto Viper is just a more specialized version of the standard bright yellow Bugg drivers. This Motor Viper is now just a regular Motor Viper who happens to pilot certain missions. For a long time, I really didn't have any particular vehicle in mind for this Motor Viper but the 2004 Convention changed that. This figure would fit perfectly with the Dreadnok Stun released at that Convention. While that Stun is rather pricey on the second hand market, that also kind of fits into the notion of this figure. It is much more difficult to find Bronze Bomber Motor Vipers than it is to find standard Motor Vipers. So, having them man one lone (expensive!) Stun makes them rather elite. While this is a jump from my previous vision of this figure, it does give him more importance in my collection and allow him to be used in a way that pays more homage to his non-Hasbro roots.

It is likely that the molds used for the Bronze Bomber figures are gone. Olmec ran into some trouble with the government and the founder of the company went on the run. As such, any claim to these molds that Hasbro might have had will now be tied up in legal wrangling. As Hasbro wouldn't be able to recoup a ton of money from these molds, it's doubtful they would ever spend the time, money or effort to re-acquire these molds. That's not really a terrible thing since the Cobra molds in the set were mostly very well done the first time around and wouldn't greatly benefit from a repaint. Plus, it leaves these figures as more unique since we know we have probably seen the last of them.

While I would hesitate to call the Bronze Bomber figures outright rare, they are actually rather difficult to find. Original distribution on the set was spotty at best. Some Toys R Us stores had tons of stock while others never got any at all. (The distribution appears to have been heavily dependent upon the racial demographics of individual TRU stores.) Plus, the Internet was still in its infancy at the time and many Joe fans were simply not aware that this set existed at all. This means we are now left with a very nice set of figures that are difficult for the modern collector to acquire cheaply. However, it can be done. A properly titled sale for a Bronze Bomber Cobra will tend to draw lots of attention and many times the individual figures sell for over $15. But, many auctions that include Bronze Bombers are not properly labeled and you can still find bargains from time to time. Many dealers who come across the figures simply don't know what they are and tend to think of them as bootlegs or foreign variants. So, you can luck out there, too. I have found these figures to be a great addition to my collection. They are the type of thing that allows a collection to stand apart from others, if even only a little bit.

2005 Dragonsky (Convention Exclusive)

Every year at this time collectors get themselves up in arms over the Convention exclusive figures. Whether it is complaining about the prices, the shroud of secrecy or the fact that the retail release figures are so poor in comparison, just about everyone has a complaint in one way, shape or form. The one thing that can not be denied is that Master Collector does put a lot of thought and effort into their releases every year. With that effort, they have produced some figures of amazing quality and design. Dragonsky not only follows in that tradition, he, in my opinion, blazes a new trail in terms of ARAH-style releases.

Simply put, this figure is the very essence of how Hasbro should create all their ARAH style repaints. Dragonsky uses relatively benign and unknown parts that are combined with solid colors to create a figure that is instantly recognizable as Dragonsky while not treading on the reputations of the figures from which he was made. It is a rare figure who achieves this. Sadly, most of them who do have been the exclusive domain of the convention exclusive figures. The retail ARAH-style figures have failed not only in color but design and have fallen fairly flat. This figure proves that Hasbro is capable of producing high quality ARAH-style repaint figures that are still capable of astounding collectors with their ingenuity and design. For some reason, Hasbro simply chooses not to do so in their retail ARAH line. Perhaps if we are lucky enough for the comic packs to continue we will see more details and thought put into the design of ARAH-style figures.

Dragonsky is basically 2 figures: the 1993 Blast Off and the 1994 Star Brigade Duke. Quick, how many of you knew what Blast Off looked like without looking him up when you first heard of his body being used for Dragonsky? Following that, how many of you use Blast Off as a major character in your Joeverse? My point is that Blast Off is pretty much as forgotten a figure as you can find. (So forgotten that not even I had profiled him!!!) As such, he is a perfect candidate to use as a character like Dragonsky. His head fits Dragonsky's specialty yet would not impede any future uses that collectors might have planned for Blast Off. The body also fits with theme of figure. The 1994 Star Brigade Duke torso is like Blast Off in the sense that it doesn't belong to a figure that sees a lot of use in most people's collections. Again, the obscure parts give this figure new life and make him seem almost like an entirely new mold. It gives us a figure that is true to the character and that leaves an impression upon the collector who owns one.

The colors are the next amazing part of this figure. The purple might not sound all that enticing at first, but it is actually pulled off with amazing results. The deep, royal purple perfectly meshes with the grey and black cammo to create a figure that is useful while being distinctive. As with most convention figures, Dragonsky features added paint details. His mold features a full 7 colors that are intricately dispersed around his entire body. The paint brings out the details that were left untouched on the Duke mold and that were simply painted over in bright oranges and reds on the Blast Off figure. Where the figure really distinguishes itself, though, is with the accessories. On the surface, they are not all that special: Blast Off's helmet with the Wave 6 Torch's flamethrower, pack and flame. However, Dragonsky's helmet and backpack both feature three unique colors. The painted accessories make them stand out among the unpainted fare collectors are used to seeing and give the figure an overall added depth.

As a character, Dragonsky is a bit problematic. When he was first introduced in the mid '80's, a reference was made to him throwing Molotov cocktails at German tanks as a 5 year old in Stalingrad. At that time, this reference worked as it would have put Dragonsky around the age of 45 or so. He was characterized as being older in the comic, so that was acceptable. (Especially when you consider that General Hawk made a comment that placed him around 52 years of age in 1982.) However, this comment was brought forth on to this figure's filecard. While it is a cool bit of characterization, it also makes Dragonsky about 65 years old. This is simply too old for the character to be taken seriously in his role of being active military. For some, things like this are easy to ignore. However, it puts a bit asterisk by the character for me and makes using him as the original Dragonsky difficult.

As a kid, though, I thought the concept of Dragonsky was really neat. The notion of Stalingrad was so intriguing to me that I spent hours at the library looking through encyclopedias and war books to learn more about the battle of Stalingrad and Soviet military history in general. This was one area where the original comic was so excellent. Larry Hama was able to take an obscure historical event (or not so obscure, but buried in American history texts) and weave it into a storyline. As a young impressionable reader, these tidbits (the reference to the Potemkin was another one that stands out) were the perfect impetus for me to go out and learn some things on my own. This is something that the modern comic lacks. It is more a pop culture type thing with no real depth and lacks the type of little detail that shows the writer has an understanding of the characters on a level beneath that of their social facade. Hama showed a respect for his kiddie audience that left an impression and lead me to learn more about world events on my own. This opened up a whole new world for me and lead to a lifetime of reading and learning that continues to this day.

Let's face it, Dragonsky was expensive. The cheapest anyone could acquire the figure was as part of a $60 3 figure set. At an even breakdown, that puts Dragonsky at $20 per figure right off the bat. Early indications are that Dragonsky will be the most popular of the 5 attendee exclusive figures, but things always change. (For example, Dragonsky is on the rumoured short list of future comic pack figures. The mold will almost certainly be different and the uncertainty clouding the future of the entire Joe line makes banking on a new "retail" figure a risky venture at best. But, his name was floated around and I'd say that it's likely that if the line continues we will see a Dragonsky figure in some shape or form in the next year or so.) Time has also proven that the attendee exclusive figures don't see huge appreciations in the aftermarket. It seems that most of the collectors who want them are able to acquire them during the convention time and the demand is lessened thereafter. (Plus, there is more and more evidence that suggests that Master Collector isn't entirely honest with their production numbers on these figures and, as such, they are more common than collectors are lead to believe.) However, in the past, we also haven't see attendee exclusive figures of Dragonsky's quality. So, much could happen with this figure in terms of future availability. If you can still acquire one for at or near the $20 price tag, though, I would surely take it as it is a pretty safe bet that this figure won't fall much below that threshold regardless of what the future holds.

2005 Cobra Commander (Imperial Processional)

Over the years, some of my best profiles were in regards to Cobra Commander. I always felt the character had more depth than most anyone in the Joe universe and was among the most interesting. Now, though, I have eliminated that character from my Joe world. He was replaced with a character that I liked, but didn't really have a use for. The introduction of this figure, though, has changed that. While this isn't the best Cobra Commander figure, or even the best use of this Cobra Commander mold, it is a figure that has stuck with me and become an integral part of my collection.

Really, this figure isn't that good. He's a straight repaint of a pegwarming figure that just appeared about 1 year ago. On top of that, he's a tired mold in a color that's not exactly true to the character. Yet, I like this figure. That comes as a shock as my opinion of him after seeing the first online pictures was one of disdain. However, once I had the figure in my hand, I found myself liking him. Maybe it's the cape or the copper color, but something about his figure caught my eye. It could be just that I had such low expectations of the figure. But, I have found a new use for the Cobra Commander character in my Joe world now that this figure is part of my collection.

If you look at him, this figure suffers from some issues. First, he has the flat back from the 1991 Cobra Commander. However, the inclusion of the cloth cape helps soften that as it hides the flawed mold. The main issue, though, is the black forearms. They are molded black and don't mesh well with the figure's upper arms. This is the most glaring flaw of all as it does detract from the figure. His accessories work for what they are, though. His throne is a neat addition to a collection, even if it isn't very regal and the figure doesn't fit all that well into it. The other figures in the set have the same issues. The Baroness isn't that interesting as she's been done so many times. The Processional Troopers are a neat amalgamation of molds, but the colors make them less useful than they could be. Plus, they come with no accessories except for a flag. So, if you buy one set, you have some figures with flags. If you buy two, that's still all you have. As such, this isn't a set that is very rewarding with multiple purchases. 2, maybe 3 sets are about all anyone would ever need due to the specific nature of the figure designs.

The main reason I'm profiling this figure is because of what's currently happening in my Joe world. Every now and then, I get on a major plot roll due to the most minor thing. In this case, an early morning realization that the Processional troopers looked really good with a sniper rifle coupled with my contempt for the Crimson Guard lead me to the latest plot developments in my Joe world.   As you may or may not know, my Joe world revolves around a Cobra that is very different. The original Cobra Commander was killed in combat a while back. A new Commander was promoted from within. This character was previously named Rector and had been the second highest ranking Cobra in the organization. He was elected to power unanimously and has begun to develop his power base. During Rector's rise to power, he relied heavily upon the Crimson Guard. This politically powerful group on Cobra Island gave Rector his backing and allowed him to climb the ranks. However, near the end of the original Commander's life, the CG's had begun to grow complacent. They had become lazy, corpulent synchophants who spent their days plotting and backstabbing other politicos inside Cobra Island. To a CG, their seat at a state dinner was more important than the training of the Cobra security forces. As such, the rank and file Cobras have grown to despise the CG's and their power base was beginning to erode.

In the meantime, the major Cobra player in my world, Ramen (portrayed by the Brazilian Flying Scorpion figure) had been winning major victories in South America. He and his utterly loyal commanders had won a respect from the core Cobra constituency and were highly regarded by almost all Cobras outside the CG ranks. With this popularity, Ramen was able to remain insulated from the changes in the Cobra hierarchy when Rector ascended to power. This was, naturally, of great distress to Rector as there was now another Cobra leader who actually had control of more Cobra forces than Rector did. What was Rector do to....?

This lead me to my most recent plot point. During a routine parade stop in his parade uniform (which is this figure), Rector narrowly avoided an assassination attempt by a low ranking Crimsonguardsman. This immediately brought down the house of cards and a huge plot called the Crimson Guard Rebellion was uncovered by Rector's secret police. (The Processional Troopers) Within hours, dozens of top ranking CG's were rounded up. In a matter of days, most were publicly executed by firing squad. During this, Cobra Island was under lockdown as the secret police searched for the ringleaders of the Rebellion: Tomax and Xamot. As Tomax and Xamot had once been Rector's most powerful political allies, this was shocking news.

As Tomax was about to escape the Island in the Baroness's plane, a cabal of assassins from Rector's inner circle found him. After killing his entourage of half a dozen of the most prominent CG's, the ninjas took Tomax and the Baroness prisoner. Two days later, Tomax was beheaded in a public square. The Baroness (long disassociated from Destro) awaits her fate. Xamot, though was not found. In his zeal to find the missing CG Commander, Rector revoked all Xamot's diplomatic immunity and placed a $1,000,000 bounty on Xamot's head. All of this has been in vain, though, as Xamot remains at large....

In the aftermath, Rector demanded that all remaining Crimson Guardsmen swear new allegiance to him. They were then sent back down to re-enter Cobra basic training as new recruits. They were completely at the mercy of the drill sergeants they had once commanded. These acts brought Rector a new sense of power as the base Cobra constituency felt that he was no longer a stooge of the CG's. This re-energerization will help Rector retain his power, even though during the hullabaloo, Ramen quietly launched Operation: Dark Cloud....

The history of this figure mold is varied. First released in 1991, the body still retains the remnants of the sonic backpack that adorned that figure. The back was fixed in 1993, but was lost again when the figure was repainted in 2000. In 2003, the mold was used for the Convention Cobra Commander in the Operation: Anaconda set. It was then given this new, more detailed head in 2004 when the figure was released in the 1st comic pack with the Baroness and a Cobra Trooper. It now appears in this set, though with a new, regal cape. That doesn't much help the fact that the mold is a bit stale. It has pretty much been used as much as it can be used and thee isn't much of a future for it. As such, I would prefer to see this mold retired. In fact, I think that the character of Cobra Commander could be retired from the ARAH-style re-paints for several years and collectors would not complain. He has just been done too many times and there aren't that many other molds out there of the character in ARAH-style that would do him justice.

The long term reality is that this figure will be very easy to find. That isn't to say that he necessarily deserves his fate. Hasbro produced less than 20,000 Processional sets for Toys R Us. Historically, this in a minuscule number. Were this figure produced in this quantity in the '80's, he be worth triple digits today. However, the fact is that there aren't many Joe collectors out there. As such, anyone who wants this figure will be able to acquire one at retail for an ample period of time. After that, there will have been enough collectors who army built this set with extra Cobra Commanders that the figure will always be very available on the second hand market. So, this figure really doesn't have much potential to ever rise in price much above the current retail cost. If you want this figure, the Processional set is available nationwide right now. You can also order it from Amazon.com now. Personally, I was very surprised to find that I actually liked this set. While it isn't the heavy army builder that the Infantry, Crimson Guard or even the Urban set was, it is the type of thing that lends itself to most collections. Even with the flaws, I recommend picking up one of these sets.

2002 Dial Tone - Gift Set Exclusive

In early 1986, one of my younger brother's classmates brought a bag of new G.I. Joe figures to school. He had found them at the local Target. For most of my friends and I, 1985 had been a long Joe year. While the figures were top notch, we had known about most of them since the fall of 1984 when many appeared in the cartoon. Those that we didn't know about that early were discovered in early December of 1984 when the Dreadnoks were released with card art that depicted all of the upcoming '85 figures on the back. As such, by the time '86 rolled around, I was starving for some new Joe figures. The 1986 offerings did not disappoint. I was immediately enthralled by the new colors on many of the figures. They weren't neon or anything like that, but they were refreshing in the sense that they offered some colors that had not been seen in the two prior years. The one figure in that bag of goodies that most intrigued me that cold February day was Dial Tone.

Dial Tone became one of my favorite figure molds from the instant I first saw him. There was something about his look that just captured my attention. His mold was full of the type of detail that you would expect from a communications trooper. He was covered in silver highlights that just made him seem more technical. His colors were somewhat bright, but not the point of making the figure useless. But, it was his accessories that really stood out. His gun was just a compact cross between a rifle and a pistol, but it remains one of my favorite weapons ever released. His pack had nice detail that made it look like a powerful field radio. It was the mouthpiece, though, that was the truly unique element to the figure, thought. While it was not the compact microphone we had seen in 1985 on Heavy Metal, it allowed Dial Tone to be the communications expert he was intended without forcing the accessory onto the mold. As such, the figure retailed value even when the pack was missing.

It remains my opinion that this is the best version of Dial Tone ever released. This figure retains the color that personified the original figure, but does it in a more realistic way. This figure looks like the combat field communications trooper that Dial Tone was always meant to be. He has the dark colors that collectors like, but wasn't bogged down in the too realistic colors that trapped many of his contemporary in blandness. This version isn't perfect, of course, as many of the details on Dial Tone's lower body were left unpainted. This is almost made up for by the fact that many of the details on his upper body, though, are actually painted on this version where they had been left all black on the original. The fact that this mold appears so late in the line, though, is the amazing part. This version is lacking in accessories that are apropos to the character, but his weapon complement is the best of the figures with which he was included. The silver Leatherneck rifle and large pack can fit with the figure. The web gear works on this version, but hides too much of the mold's color for my tastes. As such, I remove the web gear and give it to the more bland '00 Dial Tone figures to give them more life.

In my collection, Dial Tone has almost always been an army builder. I have used his figures as various nameless officers and security personnel for years. When I was a kid, I had 2 Dial Tones. They quickly became a security patrol who was in charge of prisoners: Cobra and Joe. That role has followed the figure into the current day. Now, my dozens of Dial Tone figures are various forms of security captains who are responsible for the large Cobra prisons that the Joes oversee. Every now and then, though, I do use the figure in his intended capacity. I give Dial Tone his original accessories and use him as a field communications officer as he was intended. These times are rare, though, as I don't get the use out of the figure in that capacity that I do when he is used as the security troopers. Since I like the mold so much, I use it in the way that affords me the most usage.

Dial Tone has always been a Hasbro produced figure. He was not sent off to India or Brazil. The mold was originally used in 1986-1987 on both the original and the Mission to Brazil figure and was then repainted in 1990 as part of the Sonic Fighters line. In 1994 or so, Dial Tone was released in Chinese packaging. It is unknown if these were a new production of the original colors or just overstock. After that, Dial Tone's life gets a little interesting. In 1998, Dial Tone was supposed to be included with the cancelled TRU exclusive G.I. Joe Headquarters. This never came to be, but a few Dial Tone's in desert "chocolate chip" cammo were produced and have made their way into the collecting market. These figures are actually probably rarer than the fabled Pimp Daddy Destro from 1997. But, since the lack of catch name, are pretty much under the collecting radar. The figure is interesting, but rather busy and something that I wouldn't really want to see released at retail. After that, the figure was repainted in 2000 and this version appeared in 2002 and then again in 2003. In 2001, the body was used for the Night Rhino Dusty figure and Dial Tone also appeared in the 2003 Tiger Force set. At this point, I think collectors are sick of Dial Tone and don't ever want to see him again. I can't really argue that point as I've gotten my fill of the mold. I do think, though, that at some point in 2006 (if the Joe line is able to survive that long) Dial Tone could make another appearance as long as he was part of a set that offered him in colors we have yet to see. That could work for me, as long as he was something different from the 4 released and one unreleased version.

The BJ's gift set has never really enamored collectors. Initial reports lead many to believe that it would be quite scarce, maybe even rare. However, within a few short months, the set was clearanced for less than 1/2 it's original retail price. In fact, you can still find many dealers today who would gladly part with their overstock sets for barely over cost, just to get rid of them. The set was bulky in the box and was difficult to ship. Unfortunately, for many collectors, this was an unavoidable problem. The set was simply not available to retail outlets in many parts of the country. This started the set off on the wrong foot with many collectors. The bad figures didn't help it from there. Of the 8 figures, Roadblock and Firefly are just terrible. Snake Eyes is OK, but nothing interestingly different enough from his other releases to make him worth getting. Undertow and the Fast Blast Viper are good army builders, but their red color makes them less useful in multiples. Stormshadow is a good figure and was the best red ninja available until 2004. Now, though, he is the third best choice for an army building ninja since better alternatives have been available at retail.

The two remaining figures: Wet Suit and Dial Tone are actually very good figures. However, they, and the rest of the figures in the set, suffer from the absolute worst complement of accessories ever offered in a Joe set. The accessories don't match the figures at all and were the original cheap alternative for Hasbro. The divers don't even have flippers! This is enough to sink the set and has kept all 8 of the figures very affordable. Dial Tone, though, is among the cheapest. Mint and complete, he will rarely run you over $4. This figure was also re-released in 2003 as the AWE Striker driver. This retail dud was heavily clearanced in 2004 and only further cemented this figure's reputation as a loser.

It is a perception that is not deserved, though. This version of Dial Tone is one of the best Joe figures released since 1997. He has realistic, yet not overused, colors, decent accessories (even if they are not perfect) and is true to the roots of the character. He suffers from his plight mainly due to the fact that collectors are simply not interested in Joe repaints. Plus, this version came out too quickly on the heels of the 2000 version. Finally, he was part of a set that many collectors army built anyways just because there was no other ARAH style product on the shelves. This lead to an oversupply of the figure and has doomed him to a life of obscurity, even though he is of very high quality. The good part of this, though, is that you can now get him rather easily for pretty much nothing. It's hard to find a figure about whom that is true, especially when he is of Dial Tone's quality. I doubt this will ever be a figure that is popular among collectors, but Dial Tone is one that is worth a second look.

1993 Leatherneck

I've long felt that the later years of the original Joe line held a few quiet gems. Many of them are poorly colored, yet of high quality molds. A very few are actually well done figures who can stand against counterparts from every year. The third subset is the figures who have good molds, and mediocre colors. They aren't so far gone as to be useless, but not done well enough to be considered a great figure. These figures have really fallen by the wayside as they are liked enough to get any press nor hated enough to get any criticism. The 1993 Leatherneck is one such figure.

For most collectors, this figure simply can't be Leatherneck. The 1986 Leatherneck figure is simply too iconic for them to ever consider another mold as the character. However, while this mold is substantially different from the classic '86 figure, it does share some characteristics with the original mold and could, with a little tweaking, be a perfect update to the first figure. This version's design is not bad and does have some similarities with the original. The poor coloring, though, pretty much ensures that this 1993 version will never hold a high place among collectors.

If you look at this figure's mold, it is actually quite detailed. The vest full of ammunition and grenades coupled with the distinctive hat and trademark mustache are a nice combination of details that show a great deal of thought went into this figure's design. It is the colors, though, that are the issue. From the waist up, Leatherneck is somewhat acceptable. The blue highlights can be explained away as it being 1993 and he had to have something that was an atrocious color. The brown vest with the yellow inlays is not overbearing and would work...were it not for the pants. The bright yellow pants on this figure are simply overpowering and make the entire figure simply too bright to effectively use. The yellow is simply too strong and drowns the rest of the figure in a bright, all-too-happy way. This alone sinks the figure.

I've always used this version of Leatherneck as the desert version. While his colors are bright, he can work better in a desert setting than pretty much any other. But, even here, his use is limited. The bright colors simply don't mesh well with other desert figures and he really sticks out among them. I have found some use for this Leatherneck in bases or on vehicles, but even that is limited. The one redeeming factor about this figure is his accessories. Leatherneck was one of the few 1993 figures to actually include black accessories. His tree also featured lesser seen weapons such as the '91 Low Light's rifle (which is actually slightly different that Low Light's. It is based on the same mold, but the two are substantially different when compared.) the 1991 Mercer's grenade launcher and 1990 Airwave's rifle. For many of these weapons, this was the only time they were released in black. In the days before Hasbro packed so many accessories with their sets, a figure like Leatherneck was a welcome addition to a collection as you could outfit two or three other figures who had included neon weapons with something a little more realistic.

This version of Leatherneck was only released by Hasbro. It is difficult to say for sure where his mold is, though. Many of his contemporaries were sent down to Brazil. However, as this figure was never released, there, it is simply not possible to pin down the mold's whereabouts. One point of note, though. In 2003, Master Collector released a Falcon figure in their convention exclusive set. This figure did not feature the original Falcon legs. The reason is that those legs are also used on this version of Leatherneck. (What a difference some proper coloring makes!) In the '90's, Hasbro reused many figure parts as a way to cut costs on their new molds. Those existing parts were matched up with the new parts, though, and removed from their original molds. That is why the original Falcon legs were missing from the Falcon mold. Had someone tracked down the '93 Leatherneck mold, the complete V1 Falcon could have been reunited.

The nice thing about this figure is that he's readily available. Most of the 1993 Battle Corps series figures were heavily clearanced and discounted. I found my Leatherneck at the Oxford, Ohio Big Lots for $2 in late 1995. He wasn't leftover, Hasbro was still dumping overstock to anyone who would buy it at that time. As such, many dealers and speculators were able to pick up large lots of Battle Corps figures for cheap and simply hold onto them. Now, it's almost as easy to find a Leatherneck MOC as it is to find a loose, complete version. All things considered, you should be able to find even a MOC 1993 Leatherneck for well under $10. At that price, he's a good pick up. The figure is decent, while not great. His accessories do help him (a rarity among the '93's) and he is a figure that can add some depth to any collection. I do use this figure as part of my default Desert units and have found him to be one of those figures in a collection who is nice for diversity, even if, by himself, he isn't that spectacular.