Hardtop (2004)
Who do you think would be the least likely member of Tiger Force, the Joes’ jungle specialist team? How about a guy who drives a huge gantry that launches a space shuttle. Right.
Wow, the color scheme rivals something out of Funskool. First he was saddled with a baby blue outfit, and now this. Although when you think about it, what need does a heavy vehicle operator have for camouflage? He’s usually sitting in the largest piece of equipment around. Besides, orange is a pretty common color within the space flight field, isn’t it? I know I’ve seen astronauts and other NASA types doing space stuff while wearing bright orange. Maybe that’s why there aren’t any of the other typical Tiger Force colors here. Or maybe he’s also a huge Cincinnati Bengals fan. Wait, never mind. He’s from Chicago.
Hey, he’s got the original mic! But not his original handgun, which is a bear to find. Apparently so for Hasbro as well. He’s also missing his original legs, so he’s stuck with 1984 Firefly’s. Yeesh, not Firefly again. The collectors club and Toys R Us went to that well so many times in the 00’s, there ought to be a Six Degrees of ’84 Firefly trivia game.
Hardtop is one of those really really specific Joes who don’t get much attention or much love from the fandom. I don’t think I’ve seen him in any online discussions about which figures we’d like to see in a modern interpretation. Poor guy.
The funny thing about Hardtop is that he looks more or less like Tollbooth but commands much higher prices due to his mic, gun, and the fact that you could only get him with the already expensive Defiant playset. Otherwise, he’s a pretty bland character unless some writer puts him to better use someday. (Six Degrees of ’84 Firefly is pretty funny, btw.) I think this version of Hardtop was released so collectors who can’t afford the original could complete their 1987 recruits. I bet you the Collector’s Club will update him eventually.
I think I’ll do a write up on the mics of Hardtop and Heavy Metal and title it “mic check one two one two.”
Tiger Force Hardtop…oh my God!..one question: WHY!?
Such an untapped mold that the club used just once and Hasbro sat on until it was destroyed. I’ll never quite understand all that. Or why some characters have to be “rare”. Recolor him as Tollbooth and stick him in a six-pack or comic pack, but then they might not be able to reissue another Snake-Eyes or Duke or Stalker.
LOL. I never noticed the legs were Firefly’s. Guess the original’s ran off with Major Altitude?
Hardtop always had a special place in my heart ever since getting the Defiant as a Christmas gift on year. The terrible rendition is a slap in the face to Hardtop fans everywhere…all both of us.
I don’t mind the baby blue color of the original, and I’d probably like this figure better if it were just orange and they removed the black stripes.
The stripe applications don’t look all that great for a premium figure.