Laser Artillery Soldier (Code Name: Grand Slam)

Grand Slam is one of the few original team members to get a variant in the second series of figures. He was originally the operator of the HAL, but also appeared on the packaging for the JUMP. The next year he was given a cool silver padded suit and included with the JUMP. His original red padded suit is similar to Flash, but his uniform is a dark green with black gloves and boots. I’ve always thought this slight difference separates what could have been two identical characters. Add in the Grunt/Zap head and he’s really his own man, at least within the limited parts library of 1982-83.

With such a large cast of characters, some of the early Joe team didn’t get as much action in the comics and cartoon as others. The poor guy didn’t even make it into the Sunbow cartoon series. Grand Slam showed up now and again in the early Marvel comics, and had a particularly memorable appearance in issue 17. He and a Stalker are chasing Major Bludd who’s commandeered a city bus. Grand Slam climbs onto the speeding vehicle and smashes through the front window, knocking Bludd out after a kick and haymaker. Bludd lands in the hospital, and Stalker reprimands Grand Slam in a brilliant bit of typical Larry Hama back and forth dialogue.