Gung Ho (1992)
It took a while to get another battle ready version of the team’s most famous Marine. After his initial version, 1987 gave us the well done but limited use dress version. I can only assume that another Gung Ho in fatigues was not a priority after producing another fighting Marine in Leatherneck.
While this version doesn’t go for a straight remake of the ’83 mold, it borrows some similar elements. Gung Ho seems to like going sleeveless, although he’s buttoned up this time. Only a bit of his chest is exposed, which brings me to the change in his tattoo. Before, it was located in the center of his chest. Now it’s up higher and much smaller. It’s almost like someone must have remembered the tattoo late in the game, and stuck it on the only bit of exposed skin. With the 1993 repaint, the tattoo migrated again to his left biceps. Oops.
Gung Ho is equipped with the biggest machine gun since the SAW Viper. This thing is huge, but appropriate for a hulking guy. The original 1983 figure was unfortunately hampered with scrawny arms compared to later releases, and it’s good to see Gung Ho with the big guns to handle his big gun. His biceps are so large that he can tie a smoke grenade around one of them. Impressive.
His tiger stripe brings to mind Tiger Force, and while the next year’s repaint would come closer to that sub-line’s color scheme, I would like to see this mold done up in the first version’s blue and green.
I like the body, but not the head. His head reminds me of Gene Hackman from ‘Uncommon Valor’, minus hair.
Now this is a mold that saw a decent amount of reuse. Aside from the 1993 Battle Corps repaint, this got repainted in 2001 for the two-pack with (not) Leatherneck, and then in 2004 as part of the Desert Patrol Squad six-pack. The head was to be used in 2003 for the cancelled Infiltration of Cobra Island set. The torso, waist, and legs were reused for the comic pack Vietnam-era Snake Eyes (“Classified”) and the 2010 convention exclusive version of the Action Force character Gaucho (fittingly, a guy who was a repainted V1 Gung-Ho).
I always liked this one. My brother got him and he was one I always asked for when I went to borrow his figures. That machine gun is great and I really like the design. I just wish I’d been able to find the green one on the pegs back in the day after my brother. I liked the mold, but not enough to get the red vested version. Green was just so perfect that turning it red wasn’t that appealing to me.
I like the Flag accessory!
It was a needed updated, but I much prefer the hat look over the bandanna. Also the machine gun belt across the chest was a bit cliche even if he a machine gun to go with it, unlike Range Viper. I wonder how many people carry grenades strapped to their biceps? But it’s just fantasy.
The flag accessory was a lot of fun. Wish they’d made a Cobra version, too.
For some reason,I never liked the re-makes of classic figures during the classic era.
There’s also the ‘roided-up, bulging vein arms – someone was on a Rambo kick when they did this guy. It’s a decent figure, with some good parts, but I’m not sure they all go together well. The gun was the closest thing to an M-60 until the comic pack Rock & Roll’s version (his original was closer to an MG32).
I like that the figure is more muscle bound than the original. It fits better with the cartoon.