2004 Comic Pack Steeler

Steeler was the only original Joe that I never owned. In 1981, my father's best friend had given my brothers and I remote controlled tanks. They were the cheap Radio Shack types that were typical of that time period. They were too small to be useful with Star Wars figures and far too large to be useful with the standard, molded plastic toy soldiers you got in a bag for $1 at the grocery store. In effect, they were fun for 2 minutes and then just collected dust in our toy room. In 1982, I asked for the MOBAT for Christmas. I didn't really want the tank. But, I did want the Steeler figure. Upon seeing that the MOBAT was a motorized tank, my mother promptly said that we "had three tanks already that we didn't play with". So, the MOBAT was eliminated from ever joining our childhood collection.

That was not true for a friend of ours who lived around the block. He did get the MOBAT. His Steeler was a straight arm figure. But, in 1982 and early 1983, that was all we had and they were still substantial upgrades over the 5 points of articulation Star Wars figures. That Steeler became my favorite figure to use when I went over to this friend's house. The shoulder holster was reminiscent of my favorite feature of Clutch and his binocular helmet accessory was a great way to add depth to any Joe figure. In short, the figure was as cool as I had imagined and my collection always felt incomplete since I did not have a Steeler.

If you fast forward to late summer of 1987, I was on a kick to build a specialist Joe team. My parents were talking of selling our house and I wanted to finish out some adventures in our back yard in the event we moved. (We didn't.) This group of Joes was my "Bunker Cracking Team" and consisted of all original 13 Joe figures who drove around in an APC that was full of all the gear I could find. This group had sandbags, roadblocks and ammo boxes from the various battlefield playsets that had been released over the years. They had rope pulleys and radios from other, knock off military toy lines that were Joe compatible. At their core, the group had the equipment to pull off any mission. For weeks, I scoured the bottom of the toy boxes of all my friends, looking for any nugget that would fit the profile of this team. The friend around the block acquiesced and let me finally have his Steeler figure. He didn't use it much and didn't mind giving it away. I promptly took a pair of arms from a spare Wild Bill figure and updated Steeler to swivel arm mode. He became the driver of this loaded APC.

Alas, the Bunker Cracking Team was short lived. The summer was hot and humid by the time I got the group together and playing outside was deferred. By the time the weather cooled, school had started and playing with Joes took a backseat to soccer, baseball, football and throwing walnuts at any toy that had the misfortune of being in the yard. As such, Steeler didn't get much development from me since he was only in my collection a short time. By the end of 1987, after I had moved all my toys inside for the winter, I was pretty much done playing with Joe. Steeler went into a box and stayed there until I realized he had Wild Bill's arms. That figure was sold off for custom fodder years ago and the Steeler character remained one that didn't get much definition.

Hasbro had long teased collectors with updates of the classic Joes in new uniforms. Snake Eyes, Stalker, Grunt, Zap, Rock and Roll and Hawk all saw upgrades in the vintage line. (I hesitate to call the 1993 Scarlett or Mega Marines Clutch an "upgrade", but at least the characters got a new version.) In the modern line, Hasbro brought back many old favorites in terms of characters. But, some proved problematic. Flash, Grand Slam and Steeler all had unique molds that Hasbro was not able to recreate in adequate forms. In 2004, though, the opportunity for Hasbro to make new versions of classic characters that could be sold to a full retail audience appeared. With the concept of comic book packs, Hasbro was able to reinterpret many of the characters who appeared in early issues of the comics. Some were boring repaints. Others were all new amalgamations for figures that included new parts. It was one of these creations that finally brought Steeler back to the line.

This Steeler figure is a combination of a few figure molds. The legs and chest are from the 1993 Mace figure. (The same combo was used on the 2004 Clutch figure.) The head is brand new, but was also used on the 2007 Convention Exclusive Steeler figure. The arms are...interesting. The lower arms are from Snow Job but the upper arms are from the 1986 BAT figure. The result is that Steeler has rolled up sleeves, but still more sleeves underneath. On top of that, the Snow Job arms were designed with gloves. But, Steeler has flesh painted hands. The result is an odd set of lines molded onto the figure's skin. The overall body, though, is very bulky. Mace was a 1993 mold and features a larger chest mold than most other figures. So, Steeler appears improperly balanced. On the Clutch figure, the use of bulky arms and small head really make the figure awkward. Steeler has skinnier arms that help the visual proportions of the figure. Sans helmet, though, the Steeler head is slender and looks out of synch with the body. But, with the bulky helmet on, the effect is muted.

From an accessory standpoint, Steeler was actually armed to the teeth. The highlight of the figure is the newly sculpted helmet with a white visor. This combination hearkened back the original, but gave it some modernization. Really, from a collector standpoint, this helmet/visor would have been enough. But, Hasbro actually came through with more. Steeler was also given the ubiquitous 1991 Dusty backpack in black, a black knife and 2 rifles. The rifles are the newly sculpted M-16 that was introduced in the first wave of comic packs and a black version of the 1992 Shockwave's rifle. It is a great complement of gear and allows for Steeler to be fully armed should he be separated from his tank.

Included in comic pack #5 with General Flagg and a Cobra Officer, Steeler was part of the second wave of comic packs released in the fall of 2004. Like the first wave, the second was a mix of some pretty decent amalgamations and some pretty timid new heads on existing bodies. While figures like Steeler and Grunt and General Flagg were decent enough attempts at either reinventing those figures or bringing them to the line in the first place, they still felt a bit retreaded. This Steeler would be much more interesting had Clutch from just a couple months earlier not used the same body. As such, within the context of his release window, this Steeler didn't get much praise from the collecting community since it seemed that he was just a Clutch imposter. Of course, Hasbro tried to play it off as trying to make the characters "similar" in appearance like their vintage molds. But, the result was that the comic pack concept quickly started to feel like a bargain basement cost cutting endeavor rather than a fully supported and financed retail line.

The real question is what to do with this figure. As Steeler, he works. But, the abundance of gear, general appearance and other, quality alternatives for the character can leave this as an odd figure out. But, fully equipped with the pack, helmet and rifle, this figure actually makes for a better "Greenshirt" than the actual Greenshirt set that was available as a Toys R Us exclusive in 2005. The binocular helmet attachment gives him an anonymity that works in the setting of Greenshirts. And, his gear is adequate for a generic infantry trooper. Given that I was able to acquire several of this figure when his comic pack was clearanced out, that is the main role I have for the figure. As Steeler, though, this isn't a bad representation. The coloring is a bit bright, but he still works with the MOBAT, as a second chair on the Mauler or even as the primary driver of any of the tanks from the Slaughter's Marauders subset. He's not my first choice for the Steeler character, but he's not a bad one when he's all that's available.

The G.I. Joe comic packs were an ingenious idea. Three figures with a play inspiring comic for $10 was the closest thing to an actual 1980's toy that Hasbro released during the repaint era. The idea was so good that it was quickly co-opted into the Star Wars line as a way to put more and more expanded universe characters into circulation. But, for such a great idea, the retail reality of the comic packs was much more stark. While the first wave of packs sold well, they weren't really the revitalizing item Hasbro had hoped for. Joe's renaissance really occurred from late 2001 through Christmas of 2003. Starting in 2004, retail enthusiasm for the Joe brand really started to falter. Steeler was part of the second wave of comic packs. Despite being released in the fall, the packs didn't fare as well. After Christmas in 2004 and into 2005, it was very easy to find Comic packs 4 and 5 discounted and clearanced for around $5 per pack. This lead to packs 6, 7 and 8 being underproduced and the ultimate cancellation of the entire general retail Joe line in 2005.

The retail realities of modern toy lines played a part in this decline. But, Hasbro shoulders some of the blame, too. While the comic packs were a great idea, the notion to release them sequentially was not. The first year of the Joe comic was largely homogeneous in look. For parents unfamiliar with the brand, there was little incentive to buy packs 1, 3, 4 and 5 since the figures in those packs looked mostly the same. With no diversity, the line quickly stagnated. Hasbro tried to pump life into the comic packs by moving from 6, 7 and 8 to 21, 24 and 49. But, by then, it was too late to salvage the concept for Joe. The comic packs became clearance fodder with all but the #26 and modern comic pack sets being blown out for as low as $3 per pack.

The fact is that this Steeler figure is worthless. You might find someone selling them in the $5 range. But, that is probably an overstated amount. You can get lots of 15 to 20 mint and complete comic pack/TRU figures for around $1 to $2 per figure quite often. So, paying much more than that doesn't make much sense. But, mint and complete version 1 Steeler figures and the Convention Steeler figures are both very expensive. And, due to that expense, are not overly conducive to use, customization or oft-churning displays. So, as an inexpensive alternative, this is a great option. This Steeler is close enough to the character to work and the mold is acceptable, if not spectacular. Important characters should have inexpensive options for quality figures, even if there are iconic versions that are substantially more expensive. This Steeler fits that bill perfectly.

2001 Major Bludd

The A Real American Hero Collection promised collectors a great deal back in 2000. The Toys R Us exclusive repaints of 1997 and 1998 had been hit and miss in terms of overall releases. But, the '98's were generally more accepted by collectors than the '97's. And, the first wave of the A Real American Hero Collection showed great progress in terms of what Hasbro was willing to release. In late 2000, images surfaced of the 6 figures that would comprise Wave II of the series. Collectors were impressed with the lineup: Big Ben, Whiteout (a Snow Job repaint), Duke, Sidetrack (an Ambush repaint), the Rock Viper (a Range Viper repaint) and, finally, Major Bludd. Major Bludd was everything collectors were hoping the line could be: a sensible repainted homage to the vintage figure using a later mold that was not originally painted in colors that were as appealing. The 2001 figure returned Major Bludd to his brown and black roots while maintaining a look that was in line with the character. It was a great start that, unfortunately, turned out to also pretty much be the end of such quality figures in the line.

This Major Bludd is a straight repaint of the 1991 Super Sonic Fighters Major Bludd figure. The original use of the mold isn't a bad figure and works for the Bludd character. But, seeing it in Bludd's classic colors was a great bonus for collectors. It allowed Bludd to have his classic look with a more modern mold that fit with many figures from the 1990's. (If you look closely, the figure even has the pack of dog tags from the original figure. They are just not painted, so they are difficult to spot.) It was a great update that was the perfect companion piece to the 1993 Cobra Commander and 1992 Destro figures. For an adult collector, being able to assemble the Cobras of my youth in updated molds that match many of the later figures who became part of my collection as a collector was a great way to get me interested in the years of the line to which I have no real childhood connection. Figures like this Bludd also were a way to keep Joe from getting too out of hand. As the repaint era expanded, Hasbro had to create more and more figures that were "different" from the main notion of a character to keep those characters on retail shelves. There were times where a totally new interpretation of a mold worked out spectacularly. Other times, though, it completely failed. Instances like this Bludd, where Hasbro was able to bring a new mold back in colors that were reminiscent of the original were great ways to keep the characters out there without marginalizing them to too great a degree.

This figure quickly became the second most important version of the character in my collection. While he was not the classic look of the V1 that was displayed with my early Joes, it was a more ubiquitous figure who would appear among the stalwarts of the later Cobra repaints and remolds. The limiting factor of the figure, though, is the plethora of grenades sculpted on the body. Aside from the fact that Bludd would have to be a body builder to lithely move with that many explosives (no less than 16 of them!) attached to him, the grenades make it difficult for the figure to fit into many of the earlier Cobra vehicles. They add width to the figure's legs and arms that prevent decent fits into Rattlers, Hiss Tanks and Stingers. It is a limiting factor and the primary reason why the Chinese Major Bludd remains my Bludd figure of choice when I want a more modern mold for the character.

As a character, Major Bludd is among my favorite Cobras. Unlike the Commander or Destro, Bludd did not have some underlying reasons for his evil nature. It seemed that he liked money and was willing to accept payment from anyone who could meet his price. This makes him both an easy villain to predict, but also one that can be difficult to follow. At least with the Commander, his motivations always lead to him to the same path. With a guy like Bludd, he could accept work from Cobra one day and the government of a country opposing Cobra the next. It made him a labyrinth of loyalties that would be impossible to follow...unless you could follow the money. Having access to Bludd's finances would lead you to exactly where his immediate loyalties lay since he would be most loyal to the highest bidder. Of course, getting to his finances would prove problematic. So, even Cobra Commander would always to be wary of Bludd lest another, richer foe pay Bludd off for deep intel into Cobra's operations or for an assassination attempt on the Commander himself.

Major Bludd's accessories are terrible. He includes only a futuristic rifle from the Sonic Fighters figure. The originally yellow rifle is at least colored in black this time around, but it is still awful. As such, collectors are pretty much forced to update Bludd's weaponry on the aftermarket. There are a wide variety of weapons available for Major Bludd and the V1 figure's pistol and pack work excellently on this later release. It's unfortunate that collectors had to look elsewhere to get decent weapons for a figure released in 2001, but it was definitely a harbinger of things to come. It is also one of the reasons why this figure has never really gotten greater appreciation by collectors. Poor accessories can ruin even great figures. Had this Bludd included weapons more in line with his vintage appearance, or even something that was more sensical than what was included, it's likely this figure would be a bit more popular.

The Major Bludd mold saw a short life. After its use in 1991 and 2001, the figure was shipped off to India after Hasbro cancelled the ARAHC line. (The head was used in 1994 for the Chinese Exclusive Major Bludd.) Funskool quickly resurrected the mold and released in colors nearly identical to the 2001 figure in 2002. The Indian figure is slightly lighter in color. But, the general idea of the figure is the same. Amazingly, the Funskool figure actually included worse accessories than the American figure as it gave Bludd a series of translucent plastic weapons in bright colors. After that, the mold disappeared. It's possible that Hasbro got it back. But, really, the only use for the mold would be for parts in other figures. The chest would make for a nice Frag Viper upgrade. But, that will never happen. At least collectors got the best possible Major Bludd repaint from the mold before it disappeared forever.

To call this figure worthless would overstate its value. Wave II of the ARAHC series was so overproduced that it was really responsible for the line's death. Bludd's were available for $5 at retail outlets well into 2003, even though he was packed with a highly popular army builder during the height of the army building craze. If you can find anyone bothering to sell the figure these days, they are dirt cheap. As many collectors acquired dozens of Bludds in their army building zeal, you may even find some collectors willing to sell them for $1 or $2 each. It's a pittance for a figure of this quality. With the money you save acquiring the figure, you can go out and get a set of the V1 Major Bludd's accessories for use with this version. Then the figure appears more worthy of the character. For me, the Chinese Major Bludd is the best modern take on Major Bludd. But, this figure isn't far behind. The classic color and true to the character visage make for a figure that must be part of any collection. The fact that its dirt cheap only makes the figure that much better.

2007 Convention Exclusive Grand Slam

Of all the convention sets that Master Collector has released, I hold the 2007 version in the highest regard. Sure, there are individual figures in other sets that are better than pretty much all the figures in 2007. But, as a whole, the set delivered across the board. What really enhanced the set, though, was the convention attendee figures. In years prior, the attendee figures had been OK, but nothing that set the collecting world on fire. That changed in 2007 with the release of Steeler/Rip It and Grand Slam/Starduster. These 4 figures helped fill out the set and filled many gaps in the remakes of the vintage figures.

The Grand Slam figure is nothing short of excellent. Using obscure parts and colored in the traditional silver with a base green that is a cross between vintage olive drab and Action Force Green, the figure is an excellent example of what could have been done with the multitude of vintage molds that were available to Hasbro during the early to mid 2000's. The figure is a great update to the Grand Slam character using more modern parts, but is still in line with the character's original appearance. He is the perfect update and an exemplary showcase of how the entire repaint era should have been approached.

The accessories for this figure were excellent. Aside from the jet pack, the figure included a flame plume that was originally molded for a Boba Fett figure in the early 2000's. It turns out, this item fit into the holes sculpted onto the JUMP almost two decades earlier. So, it was a logical fit for this figure set. Grand Slam also included a recolored helmet from the 2006 Lady Jaye figure. It is an acceptable choice for flight gear. But, the fit is only so-so. It's a small issue, though, as the general appearance of the figure makes up for any shortcomings and the appearance of the JUMP was a tremendously welcome surprise for the collecting world.

For many collectors, the 2007 convention set was the swan song for the ARAH style Joes. (Sure, Master Collector came out with ARAH sytle sets in 2008 and 2010, but this set seemed to be a celebration of the end when it was debuted.) The Anniversary figures were showing up at retail and bringing in a large contingent of modern toy collectors who had only a slight connection to Joe. The result was a drastic change in the collecting community...much moreso than even the dichotomy that erupted in 2002 over the JvC style figures. For that reason, the 2007 Con set has held a place of importance in my collection. It marked the last real time that collecting was about my generation and the type of figures that I enjoyed. After this, Hasbro was basically only interested in the new breed of collector and we dinosaurs were left behind.

The 2007 Jet Pack Troopers quickly became insanely popular on the aftermarket.  Within a week of the convention, the figures were selling as high as $150 each!.  In time, those prices dropped to around $100 or so.  They stay around that level, with some occasional dips, due to the low supply and high demand for Grand Slam and Starduster. These days, the figures are very difficult to find and do not appear with much frequency on the market. If you time your purchase right, you can get deals. But, the general scarcity and still high collector interest in these figures has left them very expensive to acquire. Had I not gotten a set during the days of the Convention in 2007, it's unlikely that I would have ever owned them. As a $35 figure, Grand Slam is pretty cool and worthy of acquisition. As a $85 figure, he is much less so. But, this is a both a character and figure that didn't get much due from Hasbro and having a high quality version is nice. It's a shame that these guys weren't offered to a broader audience for cheaper prices, though.

1992 Wild Bill

In 1992, Hasbro brought back a large number of classic characters. Many of them were in outfits that were based on their classic designs, but updated with more modern sculpts and molds. Roadblock, Destro, Cutter and Ace were all perfect examples of how to bring essential characters into the modern line. Another such figure was the Joe team's original helicopter pilot: Wild Bill.

This figure is rather important to me. Wild Bill was one of the first figures I bought at retail in the early 1990's and, as such, became a huge part of my collection during those early years. I created a character for the figure that was beyond Wild Bill. Even as a kid, the Wild Bill character had not resonated with me. While he was interesting enough, the notion of the wild, wild west simply didn't hold the fascination for me that it seemed to for many other people. (Ironic considering where I now live....) So, the original figure never saw much use, even though the Dragonfly was a staple of my childhood collection. As such, this figure had to be someone new. The result was a mercenary who was secretly working for the Joes. He was, publicly, a very wanted criminal. But, he had a secret deal with the Joes that, as long as he didn't kill any U.S. soldiers or police officers, he would be fully pardoned for any crimes as long as he kept the Joes up to date with intel from the criminal underworld.

This new character was often paired with a character portrayed by an ancient Stretcher figure I had bought for $1 at a flea market and Mercer. This trio would often disrupt Cobra's plans through their own criminal dealings. But, from time to time, they would help Cobra, too. Doing so allowed them to maintain the credibility as criminals and dig deeper into the Cobra hierarchy. Of the three characters in this little band, only Wild Bill had the deal with the Joes. But, unbeknownst to the Wild Bill character, one of the other members of this trio was a deep cover agent for another branch of the military. Only one member was a true criminal. When their reign finally ended, the real criminal was shocked to learn that his two compatriots were both fully exonerated and allowed to go free while he went to prison for the rest of his life. Naturally, at some point, it will probably behoove Cobra to break that character out of jail and have him exact his revenge....

As a mold, Wild Bill is well done. In this case, Hasbro actually allowed some simplicity to overrule the general look of the figure. So, Wild Bill doesn't have the textures or pockets on his shirt that are the hallmark of so many other figures. It is just plain and unencumbered. This helps to establish Wild Bill's homage to vintage cavalrymen since the entire look is based on the bandanna, gloves and hat. Time has shown, though, that collector response to this figure is poor. It is likely that the historical motif and bright yellow highlights really damage the figure's place in the Joe pantheon. But, at least the historical uniform was designed as a way to keep Wild Bill's character intact. Unlike many other character upgrades that occurred in the line's final three years, this Wild Bill would be recognized as the character by someone who was familiar with the 1983 figure. So, the mold succeeds in that regard, even if the coloring is poor.

Accessory wise, this Wild Bill is somewhat loaded. Along with the requisite missile launcher that was standard on carded figures after 1991, the figure also includes a removable hat, pistol, backpack and knife that fits into the backpack. These were done in a wooden brown color. It works for the pack and knife handle, so can be forgiven for the actual blade. For the pistol, though, the color would make no sense, except for the fact that Wild Bill's gun is supposed to be a wood encased homage to vintage weaponry. It is rather silly. But, the weapon looks somewhat decent and can be forgiven as a customization of a modern pistol gone wrong. At any rate, it gives the figure some additional character and fits the canonical representations of Wild Bill.

What's especially nice about this accessory complement is that it allowed for a kid in 1992 to use Wild Bill as more than a pilot. In the comic, Larry Hama was quite fond of Wild Bill and he was used time and time again in various situations. But, anyone familiar with the character was also familiar with the limitations of the original Wild Bill mold. This new take on the character coupled with the surplus of gear allowed for kids to use Wild Bill as more of a generalized Joe than just a pilot specialist. (This was also important since there were no real helicopters for sale in 1992 beyond any leftover Retailiators.) Upgrades like Wild Bill (Along with figures like Cross Country, Keel Haul and Frostbite.) helped to bring some of the older vehicle drivers into greater roles on the Joe team. It's possible that the updates for these characters was nothing more than Hasbro trying to maintain their copyrights on the names. But, even so, it kept the Joe line tied to its roots beyond multiple versions of Duke, Snake Eyes and Cobra Commander.

This Wild Bill mold was used three times. After the 1992 release, Hasbro repainted the figure with white pants in 1993. In 2000, Hasbro released the mold (basically in Cobra blue...) as the pilot of the Locust helicopter. The mold would never appear again. It would have been cool to see this mold done in a color homage to the version 1 Wild Bill figure. It would have been a great companion piece to the 1992 Cutter. But, that was not to be. In the end, the three uses of the mold are all fairly similar. The 2000 version is probably the best overall color scheme for the mold. But, it also has the least accessories. But, at least collectors have some variety in tracking down this Wild Bill configuration.

Like most of the regularly carded Battle Corps figures, Wild Bill is fairly cheap. Carded or loose specimens can be purchased for a pittance due to large supply and relatively low demand. This is another example of a quality figure that hasn't caught on in the collecting community. As such, modern collectors are able to add samples of the figure for nothing. Even buying an extra to customize into a green, "vintage" Wild Bill is affordable. That's a nice thing for a figure of this quality and helps to keep the Joe line fresh since you can still find high quality major characters for decent prices.

2006 Cobra Mortal - Convention Exclusive

Foreign Joes are cool. There is no denying that. Owning a piece of Joedom that was only part of the childhood of kids in completely different continents with different languages is a great way to grow a collection. But, foreign Joes have some issues. They are not easy to find. They are expensive. And, they are very brittle and prone to breakage. As such, there was a vocal minority who clamored for remakes of foreign Joes so they wouldn't have to spend the effort to get the originals. In general, I'm all for incorporating foreign characters into the American Joe line. However, my feeling is that if you're going to do it, make the new figure a definitive upgrade. Sadly, in the case of the first foreign character to really join the Joe line, this was not case. Instead of thinking of a new take on the classic Cobra Mortal, Master Collector took the coward's way out and produced a figure that was nothing but the vintage Cobra Mortal with swivel arms. A chance to do something truly creative was lost and collectors were left with a figure that is outdated and highly derivative.

The Cobra Mortal as a character would have been a disaster had it been released in the U.S.  Collectors would largely ignore a chrome and red Snake Eyes figures had it been produced during the 1983 - 1984 timeline.  Because the Mortal was exclusive to Argentina, and extremely rare, though, collectors have warmed to it.  As such, the figure gained popularity that the mold, in and of itself, probably doesn't warrant.

The Cobra Mortal was first released in Argentina is the ultra rare 2nd series of figures.  This wave included 6 figures, all of whom were exclusive repaints/characters to the Plastirama line.  The wave included Redmack, Glenda, Manleh, Shimik, Topson and the Cobra Mortal.  Why Plastirama produced a full wave of exclusive figures and why they were so limited are lost to history.  But, they did and the resulting figures are among the rarest in the history of worldwide Joe releases.  Few carded samples exist of this series, with some figures not existing MOC at all.  So, there was definitely something amiss with the whole wave.  The figures, as such, have taken on an aftermarket mystique and most collectors are aware of them, even if they have never seen the figures in person.

This figure is a straight repaint of the vintage, swivel arm Snake Eyes with the 1986 Roadblock waist.  As a mold, it is not interesting as we've seen it dozens of times.  The paint job, though, is interesting.  The figure has many, intricate paint details.  But, the true value of the figure is the vac metal coating.  This shiny addition to the mold makes the figure stand out. It was a nice expense to be offered for the figure.  (It also caused the Mortal to be cast in harder plastic as the soft plastic that was common to the era would not hold the plating.)  Visually, the Mortal is interesting.  But, collecting wise, he still falls flat.  Had a later Snake Eyes mold been used, the figure would have been much more exciting.  This figure simply feels derivative and stale.

Prior to the 2006 convention, collectors were "pre-selling" Cobra Mortals for $75 each. After the convention, that seemed to be the going price...for a while. In short time, collectors tired of the Mortal and prices fell precipitously. For a few years, it was possible to get a mint and complete Cobra Mortal for under $30. As dealers didn't want to take that kind of hit on an item that they had speculated on at higher prices, the number of Mortals for sale has declined. You can easily find dealers offering the figure for $65-$75 for a figure. But, those rarely sell. Offered to the market, Mortals tend to break $40 these days, but not much more. They are, far and away, the most expensive 2006 convention set figure. But, they aren't worth what many dealers want them to be. As such patience can yield a Mortal for decent prices. But, even at $30-$40, this figure is a stretch. It is cool to have a chrome Cobra who can stand among the 1983/1984 Cobras. But, it's not $40 cool. As an oddity the Mortal is interesting. But, as an essential figure, the Mortal falls quite short.