Firefly (2007)
The initial 25th anniversary Firefly encompasses a lot of what I find successful and unsuccessful about that line. With the recreated vintage cardback and added modern detail and articulation, one might think of the series as being the “GI Joe figures we always wanted”. I tend to think of 25th figures like this Firefly as the “GI Joes better left on card”. To a collector like me, who primarily opens and displays his toys, that’s a sad statement.
The figure does succeed at presenting a more detailed version of the Cobra saboteur. The head sculpt is well detailed, as are the newly tooled accessories. The backpack is particularly impressive, and it’s good to see a new version after the umpteen remolds of the original. While I like the new weapon with folding stock, it’s a disappointment not seeing his distinctive original. The paint apps are generally crisp and detailed, though the uniform’s grey could have been a shade darker and the camo a little less sparse.
Firefly is quite frustratingly unposeable for a figure boasting more points of articulation than his vintage counterpart. Mine is a version with the “diaper crotch” that hampers the leg articulation, and the elbows don’t bend far enough to convincingly hold his weapon. Even RAH figures could tuck the stock of a rifle under an arm without the weapon popping out of their hands. This kind of inconsistency continued through the line, and continues to irk me whenever I dig figures like this out of storage. Though more articulate than the older Joes, fit, finish and consistency just weren’t up to the old standards.
Speaking of fit, the shoulder harness is a downright mess. The straps have him in a choke hold. It rides so high, the thing might as well have been a pair of shoulder pads. The uniform shirt underneath is a disappointment as well, as it’s simply Beachhead’s sweater mold repainted. All in all, the best way to appreciate this Firefly is to leave him on card, and remember your 1984 version. Again, a sad thing to say about a toy. These things are toys, right?
Uh, yeah, about the better left on card thing with regards to me…too late. (And I got the one with the better waistpiece, and I actually can get some realistic poses out with his arms. But yeah, the harness could’ve been done better.)
I agree on the harness, but like Acer, having gotten one with a better waistpiece, I’m not quite as harsh (however, my v1 Beachhead has the old diaper crotch and he’s terrible). Honestly, my bigger beef with the gun is how fragile the folding stock was. At least with mine, if you had it in his hard just a little off it would pop off, which I always found pretty annoying.
Compared to the more recent offerings, he’s pretty rugged, but as an artifact of his time, I don’t have that many problems. I’m glad I got a fixed waist Firefly. If I had two figures based on the exact same body that I couldn’t pose, I’d be pretty irritated too.
Funny, the Beachhead I got had the same kind of construction as the Firefly I got.
I found my Beachhead WEIRDLY early and then had a lot of trouble finding Firefly where I lived, so I’m sure that was why.
One of the best figures among the early 25th line!
this figure was a severe disappointment as both a 25th tribute and as a example of the new modern engineering
I like the blue Firefly that came with that Toys ‘R’ Us exclusive (versus Greenshirts).
It’s too bad it took five years for collectors to be honest about the anniversary figures. They had their moments but were as flawed as all other eras of joe.
It’s too bad it took five years for collectors to be honest about the anniversary figures. They had their moments but were as flawed as all other eras of joe.
The 25th series got me into Joe collecting, so I really can’t have any bad feelings about it. I’d say that Firefly here stands up pretty well compared to other stuff from the first/second waves, like Duke, Cobra troopers, Baroness, Gung-Ho, etc.
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