Soldier Force (Chap Mei)

As far as I can tell, this figure hails from one of the earliest Chap Mei military series, the original Soldier Force. Over the years, the various new releases have been numbered with Roman numerals at the end of their titles. I’ve seen up to Soldier Force V, but there could be more since last I checked. These days, we can find a lot of Chap Mei in Toys R Us’ house lines like True Heroes and Animal Planet. The design output from Chap Mei has often been inventive, even if the figures themselves don’t measure up to (what used to be) the standards of Hasbro and Mattel.

The figures didn’t seem to include character names, and that’s a shame, particularly when it comes to this unique gentleman. Part Cobra Commander, and (larger) part Iron Klaw, he cuts an imposing figure among the often generic sci-fi military partners he’s accompanied on shelves. Of course, a kid’s imagination can run wild with blank slate toys like this, and even an aging adult like me can dream up what this apparently villainous specimen stands for and the heinous deeds he’s committed.

Adventure People fans will be excited to see that he’s also been equipped with the patented Fisher-Price “beer ‘n steer” function in his hand position. Many of the Soldier Force packs included motorcycles, so fake Iron Klaw here can drive while he knocks back a cold one. It would certainly be an easier task than trying to handle the oversized Chap Mei weapons included with him.