The Mega Marines were a part of the sub-line mania that swept through GI Joe in the 90’s, a part of Hasbro’s strategy of varied gimmicks intended to stoke kids’ interest in the Real American Hero. Of all the extra features added to the line, Play-Doh armor was my favorite, as it allowed extra playability that didn’t detract from
Read moreMajor Altitude, a mail-in figure included in a two pack with the uniquely crazy repaint of Interrogator, comes from a year that was chock full of exclusive repainted figures. While the figure mail-ins began as a way to obtain as yet unreleased figures like Duke and Major Bludd, there were also figures never made available as part of the regular
Read moreMan, has Hasbro been in love with Heavy Duty since his debut or what? Being a recent addition from just two years earlier, he got a spot on the Armor Tech team alongside longtime Joes like Duke, Hawk and Rock N Roll. Considering the color scheme, I would have assumed that he was Stalker, but not so. Then again, a
Read moreThe Real American Hero era came to a close with a whimper in terms of the number of vehicles. Just four were released in that last year. However, within this small group were I think some real hidden gems. The Scorpion is one. Obviously, this isn’t the first time Cobra had added an ATV to its arsenal. The Ferret is
Read moreAdding core Joe team members like Flint to the Eco Warriors sub-group didn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense. Barbecue, on the other hand, fits into the concept pretty well. Like the file card states, he’s used to functioning in a hostile environment, only now he may be dealing with more caustic elements than just the average fire.
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The modern collector’s frustration with one of the great vintage RAH figures began in 1997.The prospect of a remolded Viper, well remembered from 1986 as a replacement for the original Cobra blueshirt troopers, was a welcome sight on store shelves in the 90’s. Unfortunately, we only got half of the Viper. The waist and legs had gone missing, replaced by
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In the annals of GI Joe, there have been many and varied animals, both friend and foe. The Adventure Team era had its tigers, gorillas, octopus and others. The Real American Hero line presented animal companions for the Joes as well as the Cobras. What would the 80’s line be without stalwart animal compadres like Freedom, Junkyard, Polly, Order and
Read moreI always found it strange that a late 80’s Cobra like the HEAT Viper was revisited just a few years after its original release. However, the late 80’s Alley Viper was also given new life in the Battle Corps series. I find both to be well done and worthy successors to their earlier figures, but with their own distinctive 90’s
Read moreI still have a tough time wrapping my head around the Range Viper’s look. Specifically, the head, but the rest of the figure kind of mystifies as well. I’ve always read the sculpting on the helmet as brains, which is symbolically odd, if that’s what it’s meant to represent. Why would Cobra, an organization known for symbolism in its uniform
Read moreThe flurry of sub-teams at the end of the Real American Hero line is not looked on favorably by some Joe fans. This I feel is unfortunate, because the concepts introduced, while they ranged from the sensible to the outright goofy, brought some more variety into the toyline. The story from those inside Hasbro at the time goes that Joe
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