Super Joe Commander (1977)

It took a while, but I finally got to a Super Joe figure. Actually, I did an April Fool’s Day post a few years ago, but this time…it’s serious.

Super Joe is the forgotten middle child of the GI Joe toyline. The other two ends of the brand’s timeline have their own respective army of fans, websites, clubs, product, and the like. Super Joe however, although there is a dedicated fanbase (search Facebook for some groups featuring amazing collections) the Joe collecting community at large doesn’t seem to pay much attention to this short-lived funky detour.

As a collector, the main hindrance is the construction of the figures. Almost all of the surviving figures’ joints and hands have deteriorated to the point where even carded examples are in pieces. It’s a bit of a chore as a collector to rebuild every loose figure you buy, but for those interested in restoration, the series can be a lot of fun as well.

I’ve seen various Re-Mego hands used to replace the originals, and although the Mego scale is quite a bit shorter, the hands will do in a pinch. I ordered a few Zica/Cast-A-Way bodies and hand sets online, and the various open and closed fist hands allow some interesting options for display.

To use a currently popular analogy, the style of the Power Vest is almost steampunk in its look. Bronze colored and riveted, it looks like some sort of ungainly piece of tech out of a Jules Verne adventure. Add the commander’s parted hair and beard, and you’ve got (with a bodysuit change) what could be the makings of a 19th century Adventure Team. While this sort of future/retro design is more common today, to see it happening in the late 70s is quite surprising.

Super Joe incorporated a few action features in its reinvention of the standard figure. The 1-2 Punch, touted on the packaging, is a pair of buttons on the figure’s back that move the arms in a punching action when pressed. The power vest has a built-in LED light that’s activated by a switch on the attached backpack. The pack also features a miniplug port into which various powered attachments could be plugged.

With Bulletman getting his due among collectors as a loveable goofball, I wonder how long it will take before the community at large makes more of a connection with the Super Joe series. Though the line is definitely on the fantastical end of the spectrum, the designs aren’t as as all-out ridiculous as Bulletman or even the Intruders.