Beachhead (1986)
What’s the matter with me? I’ve been writing this blog for over four years, and I haven’t covered the original Beachhead figure until now. We’ve looked at the mold in many of its repainted versions, from Funskool to Club exclusive and even a modern Toys R Us offering. My memories of this version center around my feelings for the 1986 series in general.
By most accounts, I was getting a bit old to be playing with GI Joes by 1986. However, I didn’t feel much pressure to stop buying them, as many of my collecting and trading buddies at school were still into it as well. My feelings toward Joes and other toys didn’t start to change for me until the next year. Getting a car to work on before hitting age fifteen was a big motivator to put away childish things. (I’ll have to expound upon teen Rob and his car project some day.)
In 1986, the latest GI Joe toys were exciting to me. After seeing Serpentor on the shelves, I wasted no time in picking him up. That’s right, I liked Serpentor. A Cobra Emperor was just about the coolest new thing a kid could want in his enemy army. It’s interesting to think of the juxtaposition of the new additions to the Joe team that year. Figures like Beachhead, Low Light and Leatherneck contrasted with Cobra’s latest band of weirdos. I was sold on Beachhead from the tiny pic on a cardback, as I had been many times before. The guy just looked like a no-nonsense, straight-up ass kicker. Add in the masked head, and he was an instant member of many a backyard or living room mission.
Issue 47 of the Marvel comic further stoked my interest in the figure. After reading the Cobra Island battle, and the inclusion of new figures and vehicles, I was heavily into the new product. I wanted to re-create that battle in my living room as soon as possible. Within a few weeks, I had grabbed up a Devilfish and Hyrdo-Sled along with the new Hawk and Wet Suit. I hadn’t really recalled that particular Joe memory until I started this article, but my recall is vivid now that I’ve got it back in mind.
I think I just surprised myself with this entry. At times, this daily pursuit gets to me a grind, but Beachhead reminds my while I still find joy in doing this blog, and connecting with my toys. Now I need to pull out more older Joes to jog my aging brain cells.
”Ah, Yes, the 1980’s. Excellent years, in the G.I. Joe lines of many -a -assorted action figures /vehicles to choose from. With such a wide selection to choose from , any Boy or Girl , who was a fan of G. I. Joe, had a hard time choosing just one forementioned action figure/ vehicle to choose from, as 1 favorite.”My favorite selection process , went the way of ,The 1986 Cobra Night Raven S3P Black Jet Spy Plane,1986 Cobra Terror Drome, 1985 Aircraft Carrier U.S.S.Flagg,,and 1987 Defiant Space Launch Complex, . Along with the action figures from ,1982-1989,and also Star Brigade line.”
“Issue 47 of the Marvel comic further stoked my interest in the figure. After reading the Cobra Island battle, and the inclusion of new figures and vehicles, I was heavily into the new product. I wanted to re-create that battle in my living room as soon as possible. Within a few weeks, I had grabbed up a Devilfish and Hyrdo-Sled along with the new Hawk and Wet Suit. I hadn’t really recalled that particular Joe memory until I started this article, but my recall is vivid now that I’ve got it back in mind.”
Me, too! As soon as I saw this cover and read the issue, Wet Suit, Hawk, Beach Head and Devilfish were forever a team in my world. In fact, due to that cover, I retconned the Hawk figure as a younger version who was more likely to be in the field.
It’s amazing the shared experiences, developed in a vacuum, so many collectors share, just due to the power of the comics, toys and filecards.
I am from the same area as Mr. Wayne Sneeden. His hometown is only 15 minutes from mine, and it is the closest larger city to me, so I have always went there for shopping, restaurants, doctors, etc. That closeness in proximity always made Beachhead one of my favorite characters, kinda feels like we could’ve grown up together.. Gotta say I’ve never met anyone with that last name around here though!!!
A great figure, character, Man.
When i was introduced to the brand; the videos from season 2 were the only ones in my town [at one point my old town had three video stores] so i have more of an attachment to the characters who were featured in those episodes.
I got my Beachhead free. He and Airtight were given to me as the seller at the collectables fare had them in peices and thought they couldnt be repaired.
Beach Head up there looks like he’s been eating some crackers. 😉 The head is a little odd, but I’ve always liked this figure. The teal isn’t “real military” nor his grey gun, but he looks prepared for anything without being too far out. Only downside of the figure is that the waist is so easily broken.
Yes! Beach Head, easily one of my top 5 favs. It didnt help being a kid and having your last name attached to anything makes an easy bond. Like i said Beach anything made it more relevant to me. I was only 2 when he came out but luckily two of my older cousins were big Joe fans and they would give me the beginnings of my Joe collection and Beach Head was immediate for a 3 year old, maybe it’s not military green but it so worked. Beach Head was just awesome period and the cartoon and comic made him even more bad @$$ed. Thanks rob for an o-ring memory I really needed that.
As a kid, Storm Shadow, Firefly, Beachhead, Jinx, Shockwave all fell into the category of ninjas or people who wear outfits like ninjas. For some reason, he never really resonated with me. Maybe it was the color and mashup look (ninja top, vest, army camo pants) that made him seem odd. I ended up gravitating towards most of the rest of 1986’s figures (Viper & B.A.T. were the ones that immediately caught my eye) and never got Beachhead. As an adult I can appreciate more of the look of the figure. He still can’t hold a candle to Storm Shadow or Firefly, who capture the utter coolness of ninja or ninja-esque garb.
YEAH! Beach Head was the first of way too many non-ninjas to wear ninja type head gear IMO. Plus he was just a usurper to Stalker plus he had that obnoxiously shrill voice on the cartoon along with Serpentor & Sgt. slaughter’s caustic voices plus he didn’t wear deodorant 😉
I can smell his B.O. from here. Classic Joe figure!
I never had Beachhead until I found a beat up one at a garage sale years later. I was very happy that day!
A friend had Beachhead here, Beachhead took a leadership role in his world, where Hawk was the leader in my toy world. (I had Serpentor, and he had Destro…., combined forces from back in the day…anyway…)
I recall many comments where Beachhead was a ninja due to the head covering, as we both watched the cartoon with Storm Shadow, so you can see how that influenced us. Looking at card backs, too, I remember my friend really dissing the 1987 line up, especially Lt. Falcon for being a “Flint rip-off.”
Eventually, I ended up with his Beachhead, and his crotch was already broken, it might have been almost immediate when my friend got it.
Even after a few Beachheads passing through my hands in my older days, I still haven’t gotten that crotch fixed.
I always liked Beachheads gun, never felt like I was going to break thumbs with it, and the ammo clips on his chest kind of match up with the gear.
Early Hasbro artwork has Beach-Head labeled a Cobra. The balaclava masked look was something a lot of people associated more with terrorism back then.
What a great figure with great accessories. Funny how his filecard says he doesn’t believe in getting angry. It clouds your judgement….. The face is a little weird but easy to look past…..