Blaster (1987)
Blaster is by far my favorite of the Battle Force 2000 figures. Faint praise I know considering my previous opinions of the group, but I’ve really come around to these guys. Well, maybe not to Knockdown, that poor guy is still an unfortunate mess.
The more basic looking uniform coupled with some subdued color sets it apart from the more fanciful members of BF2K. The removable face mask is a memorably different kind of helmet accessory. I can’t recall too many other Joes with the same kind of feature. Overall, I like the no nonsense look of the figure.
As I was getting out of buying GI Joes in 1987-88, I had become a huge comics reader. I was reading the short lived Dragon’s Claws, a Marvel UK Simon Furman comic set in a dystopian future. I remember being impressed with the art and the Mad Max inspired looks of the comic characters. I even cobbled together some customs using GI Joe and American Defense parts. Looking back, Blaster could have easily stood in for Dragon, the comic’s titular hero.
I have to agree about Blaster. He is one of the better BF 2000 figures. Plus Hama’s introduction of BF2000 was very well done. They didn’t deserve their fate. Well, maybe Dee-jay’s space boots did.
Hey I have that comic somewhere in the house now! Nevet noticed the resemblance between Blaster and Dragon till now. The signifigance is even more poignant since Simon Furman wrote the Marvel Transformers comic in which Autobot Blaster always was awesome.
So are you inspired to attempt some Dragon’s Claws customs?
possibly….
Actually…
Budiansky wrote the bulk of the Blaster stories. I know because they’re some of my favorites! Especially these ones.
Although I haven’t read too many of the UK-only issues, and I don’t know if Furman wrote for Blaster there. But by the time Furman took over the US series, Blaster was dead. He got better later, but didn’t do much of anything.
I love blaster, always have. Not only my favorite battle force 2000 member, but one of my favorite figures from all of 1987. These days he isn’t as important as he used to be but the figure still has some redeeming qualities. Plus, the funskool version can’t be beat.
If you look closely at his arms–do you see some indication that the elbow sections were meant to be sleeves?
The elbow sections do look like they were meant to be sleeves and the resemblance to Dragon is clearly there.
Blaster’s face mask is one of the most easily lost accessories of the era. A removable helmet and comic-accurate head (blonde instead of black hair along with his Walkman earphones from G.I. Joe #69) would have rocked. Swap a Hawk head from the comic packs and you should be good to go, although sans helmet.
..my favorite Joe figure ever!
I love this figure! Fantastic colors and a very cool uniform. That face mask makes for an awesome look. That gun is the only weak link.
The glaring hole in my collection is the relative lack of BF2000 figures, though I do have Maverick and DJ. Iguess BF2000 is decent, except for the fact the vehicles don’t connect together and their lack of characterization in the comic and cartoon.
But what’s with the garter belt?
One of my first Joes!
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Blaster was an ok figure. He looked a little bit ‘different’, but not wildly different. Battle Force 2000 critics should have the least problem with Blaster of the six.
And yeah, now that I see it, those garter belts are strange.