General Hawk (1993 Mail-in)
Hawk as a general seems to get three distinct looks. First, there’s the original ’86 comeback special, and a vintage look of sorts, with the leather bomber jacket. Another is the more traditional dress uniform, more appropriate for flying a desk than anything else. And speaking of flying, we finally have the flight suit with jet pack from the anything goes, throw it against the wall and see what sticks 90’s.
That was the basis for this mail-in figure, available in the most remarkably prolific year for Hasbro’s direct mail program. That year, sixteen figures were offered in various forms, either individually or in themed two and three packs. Some were quite striking in their color schemes, like the Create A Cobra, Snow Serpent, Deep Six and Interrogator. Others weren’t quite as garish, and the Rapid Deployment Force were straight, less accessorized re-releases of earlier figures.
Hawk is…well…bright. And he’s traded in his compact 1991 jetpack for Major Bludd’s Super Sonic Fighters version. This thing is a monster; it’s the Chevrolet Suburban of jetpacks. The harness you see around Hawk’s midsection? It’s not just for holding the pack on, it also serves as an elaborate external hernia truss that he has to wear at all times thanks to the 800 lb slab attached to his back.
So how can one fit this figure into a collection? It’s a stretch, but I like to think that with the sonic pack and the green and yellow color scheme, he’s overseeing both the Sonic Fighters and Eco Warriors. If that doesn’t suit you, just grab a blacklight, set up this Hawk, ’93 Deep-Six and Create A Cobra and crank up some Iron Butterfly. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, baby.
No. Just no.
P.S. I think Hasbro was eating ‘shrooms when they decided on the repaint color schemes for this Hawk, the Ninja Viper, Create-Cobra, Super Sonic Road Pig, and all the arctic 4pack figures.
I ordered this off of Amazon in its 1994 convention packaging for $6.99 last year. I like it as a little unique knick-knack of Joes. BUT….I do have an idea for an easy custom using this figure (for which I plan to get an extra). Here’s what I have in mind:
1. Swap out the Hawk head for a 1991 Sci-Fi head.
2. Paint all the yellow (except the helmet) silver.
3. Get an extra Star Brigade Roadblock (black version) helmet, and attach the face shield from the Funskool jet pack Hawk. Paint the comm piece on the helmet silver.
4. Give him a laser weapon of some sorts, and some type of space pack (maybe a CORPS! thing or something).
And presto! A Star Brigade Sci-Fi that ties in to his V1 version.
Whaddaya think?
Nice idea, Acer! This Hawk looks more like he’d belong in the Star Brigade than anything else, but he could also work as a different character in a toned down paint scheme.
Speaking of Hawk in dress uniform, I always wished for a version of him as he appeared in issue #12 of the original comic, my first one ever. A four-pack with Generals Flagg, Austin and Hollingsworth would have rocked back in the day.
I really like this figure. I think the green is a stark contrast and visually appealing. He is easily integrated as the Star Brigade commander and looks perfect when displayed with the ’94 series. It’s amazing how cheap this guy is for a convention/mail away figure. Most of them were given to the collector market and we still haven’t absorbed them. What a difference 20 years makes.
I swapped his head out and use him as an eco-warrior radiation specialist ‘Isotope’.
Which head did you replace it with?
ARGH!
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