Duke Micro Figure (1988)
The 1988 assortments included the unique pack-in premium micro figures, tiny representations of Joes and Cobras in a style and scale similar to the little green army men of old. A brilliant idea, and one that Hasbro might consider revisiting considering the current blind-bag fascination with kiddos these days. Wow, I sound like an old man.
Two things strike me about this figure. First off, he’s wearing his original helmet. I’m really surprised considering Duke is usually depicted running about without headgear, even in the midst of a firefight. A helmeted Duke is a rarity in any presentation of the character. Didn’t you read his green sheet? Man of action!
Second, he’s sporting the Snow Job/Sunbow laser rifle. The XMLR-3A just didn’t get enough toy time compared to its cartoon counterpart.
I remember these mini figures well. I kept my small collection in my parents volvo to play with when we were on the road. When my folks bought me a Joe from that run, I would tear open the pack in the car on the way home and put the mini figure in a pencil box I kept under the seat.
That pencil box later also stored a couple of those G.I. Joe command rings. Remember those? Wish I knew where that pencil box wound up.
Hasbro made MicroForce, with a somewhat odd line-up that along with long time favorite, also included characters who appeared nowhere else (zombie CC, various ninjas and a panther). And few fans or the public cared. Of course, they had that deformed big-headed cartoony kiddie style to them that’s popular…or companies think is.
Full size (1/18th-scale) versions of many of the MicroForce figures were previewed in the “concept case,” but of course, a lot of those figures (and the Renegades Coyote vehicle) ended up never being made…
why did you changed the site set-up again!!?!??!?!?!
Because the previous theme was causing connectivity issues.