Sgt. Flash (2008)
If there was one figure from the 25th anniversary line I couldn’t wait to get in my hands, it was Flash. Most of that want was due to my nostalgia for the old figure, as he was one of the first GI Joes I had bought back in the day. But as much as I loved that old straight-arm Flash, I felt there was something lacking in it, especially as the years went by and the Joe line grew and evolved. As the line continued and some of the old Joes were updated and redesigned, I wanted to see Flash get the same treatment. But it never happened.
So it was with anticipation that I waited for the new Flash in 2008. I had seen the prototype pictures online for months, and the figure looked to be everything I had wanted. Unfortunately, the Hasbro press photos, through the wonders of PhotoShop, are sometimes more attractive than the actual production figures.
The wave in which Flash was included made for serious frustration. I could not locate it in my area stores, even when other folks online were reporting it showing up all over the country. This is the first instance in the modern line that I can remember of spotty availability of Joes. Having collected through the end of the RAH line and into the new sculpt era of the early 2000’s, I hadn’t had much trouble picking up new Joes at retail up to that point. The 25th line seemed to be different. I figured it was down to lower production, coupled with the influx of collectors coming back to the brand.
When Flash’s wave finally did show up on shelves, I eagerly scooped it up. Ultimately, I was a bit disappointed in the figure. There were some of the problems common to the 25th line, such as range of movement, some weird proportions and warped knees and leg joints in the package. Basically, it was a great looking figure (aside from the skinny legs), but lacked the playability of the classic Joes. The laser rifle irked me the most. The stubbornly inflexible laser cable still has a problem staying attached to the backpack, just like the old days. Why didn’t they make it from the old black flexible hose? Maybe it was all part of the homage. Speaking of homages, they did put the old Hasbro house on the belt buckle, just like the ’83 versions of the original thirteen Joes.
Huh. I got mine from Amazon, and had no problems. I don’t think the legs are skinny. I think the one thing they could have done was that if they truly wanted more homages to the original figure in this release, the laser rifle should’ve been molded in black and the backpack in the same shade of military green (one guy did an accessory swap to achieve this, using the laser rifle from the Cobra Nightwatch pack and the backpack from the Comic Pack Breaker).
What truly bugs me about Flash and most of his fellow 25th compatriots are those damn helmets. They are worse than the 1997 TRUs ones and that’s saying something. Vintage ones won’t fit on 25th heads and 25th helmets will simply not stay on. I wish some smaller company could come up with repros made out of softer plastic so these guys had something to cover their noggins with while on duty.
The longer we get away from 2007 and the 25th Anniversary, the more it seems this line is not as beloved now as it was in the begining. It just seems like Hasbro was after a quick cash grab and used ill-fitting parts over and over again, endless Dukes and Cobra Commanders, using a bad Gung-Ho head sculpt for crappy versions of Cutter and Leatherneck etc. The reason the 25th line was successful was because of the vintage art/packaging and nostalgia did the rest!
I really liked this figure somehow, I know many had faults but this is one of those 25th figs that fit the bill for me, I can’t explain it,
I like the figure and the character!
I actually like the RoC version better, believe it or not. I don’t view that figure as Flash, just a generic laser trooper, but he fits into the modern line with Sci Fi, better than the original Flash.
I find that is the case with the 25th version of the original 13……they just feel so old……think most need refreshs. Well maybe not, Hawk, Stalker, SE and Zap.