Lt. Torpedo (2008)

By the time the 2008 assortments of the 25th anniversary series had been announced, I already had a list of must-have figures in my head. Among them was Torpedo, one of my favorite 1980s Joes, and also one of the earliest figures I recall seeing on the pegs in my local Montgomery Ward. Unfortunately the new figure was incredibly difficult to come by in my area, as Walmart was my most likely source, and the distribution was spotty at best in 2008.

Two things I often thought were missing from the original figure were rectified with this modern version. The 1983 Torpedo seemed limited for land use, since his breather and mask were molded as part of his head. Thanks to the new line’s removable accessories, he could go into battle without scuba gear. He’s also equipped with an actual weapon–a handgun, which is much more more effective against an enemy in a firefight than a harpoon gun.

From a poseability standpoint the arms aren’t great, but I still like the figure ten years later. Torpedo is a good example of the successful upgrades in the 25th anniversary line.