Here it is, the first big vehicle of the Real American Hero era. It’s strange to think that this was the high price point item when the line would later produce truly gargantuan items like the Flagg, Terrordrome, Defiant and General. For the fledgling relaunch, the MOBAT was the big toy to have. It may not have the size or
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I hate to sound like a broken record, but here’s another all-time Classic GI Joe accessory/vehicle. Is it really a vehicle? I say yes, anything you strap to your person that allows you to fly about a la Buck Rogers or Commando Cody counts. Technically I guess you become the vehicle, but I’m not one for semantics. The JUMP was
Read moreWhenever I consider my favorite 80s GI Joe vehicles, I have a hard time choosing between the VAMP and the RAM. I’m still torn to this day. Can I pick them both? Oh crap, the JUMP is on that list too–I need three all-time favorites, at the least. Rock ‘n Roll was the riding the cycle in both stories featured
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The HAL is a monster! I’d venture to say it’s the most intimidating bit of stand-alone artillery the Joes have in their arsenal. I know the Rolling Thunder as a portable missile platform is more impressive for long range capability, but this thing just looks mean on the battlefield. Cobra was seriously outgunned in the early days of the toy
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Another high ranking driver figure, with unique mold elements and accessories to boot. Hasbro didn’t have to pull out all the stops with this figure, but it makes sense considering he came with the line’s most expensive early vehicle. The MOBAT was a beast for its time, and I think it remains a must-have fast attack Joe tank. Steeler was
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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
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When you think of a GI Joe “driver” figure, your mind probably goes immediately to Clutch, the famous man behind the wheel of the VAMP, the first series Real American Hero’s general purpose ground vehicle. The concept of a vehicle with an included action figure was a brilliant piece of marketing, and something that have Hasbro a leg up against
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You have to hand it to Hasbro for including a variety of characters in its first assortment of the relaunched GI Joe. They could have gone the easy route and populated the series with a cookie cutter set of guys in one shade of green with nondescript weapons and little to no character. As we’ve already seen, the Joes were
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What’s Zap got going for him that’s not inherently cool? He’s different from the other team members and carries the most devastating weapon in the group. Who else can take out a tank all by his lonesome (aside from Sunbow Storm Shadow)? He also almost got his own unique head mold, complete with what would have been the Joes’ earliest
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Personalities were as big a part of the 80s GI Joe reintroduction as the toys themselves. Thanks to the three (and often divergent) tie-in media available as file cards, comics and cartoon, kids were treated to characters that had some definition beyond the plastic. Don’t get me wrong, the development wasn’t equal, as the older guys and gals were often
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