Carl “Doc” Greer (2010)
Store exclusives can be frustrating to track down, especially when an exclusive character is one that a collector sees as a must-have. It doesn’t sting as much when an exclusive is simply a repaint of an existing mold that’s readily available, or in the case of Doc here, an environmentally specific figure.
Doc was released as a Toys R Us exclusive alongside an arctic version of Shipwreck as part of an odd late-line bridging between the Rise of Cobra and Pursuit of Cobra lines. I enjoy seeing core characters in environment specific outfits, and the Pursuit of Cobra was a goldmine for fans like me, with its different “theaters” of conflict and appropriate gear for the main line crew of Joes and Cobras. Medics are few and far between in the Joe line, so a medic for an arctic environment is a new and different concept.
If you don’t like your Joes outfitted in bright colors, look away now, because Doc is bright, bright, bright! The 25th anniversary arctic Snake Eyes mold on which he’s based has seen multiple uses over the last several years, and I think it’s still effective today thanks to some great detail. The high collar was not part of the arctic Snake Eyes mold, but is a carryover from the once-cancelled Ice Storm figure. If I have one gripe about the figure, it’s the head. Doc appears quite pin headed and his head also seems to sit a little too high.
Parts reuse is to be expected with store exclusives, and here it comes together quite well, especially in regards to the accessories. Firefly’s saboteur backpack isn’t the first thing I’d think of for rescue equipment, but thanks to some creative repainting, it works for me. So Doc comes across as more of a search and rescue member than a pure medic in this case, which makes sense in a hostile arctic environment. It certainly explains his brightly colored uniform. You certainly won’t lose him if you take him out in the snow!
Much like the TRUs, exclusive Spirit/Predator’s Billy, I never caught this guy at retail. Nice to see Doc again since he is one of my top five Joes ever and Hasbro seems to have resurrected him for the toy line canon. That combination of orange, yellow, and blue has helped ease the pain of missing out on him, although you make a great point in regards to losing him in the snow. Hopefully, kids who got Doc are enjoying the figure. He’s one of the franchise’s great characters and highly versatile in any form of media.
Blindingly bright coloring aside, I have to mention the re-purposing of the tools in Firefly’s pack. Most of it can be explained well enough, even the multi-tool (the water can is interesting, although I wonder how it might be kept from freezing). However, what possible use would Doc have for the bit of plastique with the timer/detonator on it? Can that possibly be considered as anything other than an explosive device?
It’s not plastique, it’s rolled/folded bandages and a stethoscope! 😉 Do I get a no prize??
Touche’
I honestly cannot believe I couldn’t think of that. How embarrassing. I guess my imagination was broken. I’ll have to get it into the shop soon as possible.
Terrific, pseudo-prototype colors!
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