Tunnel Rat (2004)
GI Joe figures of the 80s and 90s were based on a common sculpt size. There were a few that stood a bit taller, wider or bulkier here and there, but for the most part you could count on Joes and Cobras being around the same size.
Tunnel Rat has always been portrayed as being smaller in stature, and this version ends up a bit shorter than many others of the relaunch era. Whether by accident or design, who knows, but it is interesting to note that the first Tunnel Rat of the time was actually very tall. While I found that previous version preferable in terms of its uniform design, I like the change in scale with this one. He’s finally a short guy.
Say what you will about the uniform design aesthetic of the era, but I think that the Valor vs. Venom years at least presented a kind of unified look with the Joes. Tunnel Rat is wearing a layered type of chest body armor that was seen on many figures of the time. You also couldn’t throw a rock without hitting a kneepad or two between 2002 and 2006.
His trademark double flashlights have been integrated into a backpack, a nicely done high-tech upgrade. He’s also equipped with a new type of accessory improvement that showed up among small scale Joes in the 2000s–removable goggles. Rock those shades, Mr. Lee.
Most of the shops in my neck of the woods didnt carry any VvV stuff as Spytroops had performed so badly. It was a pitty. On the subject of tall figures from that era. Check out heavy duty. His legs are so long his torso is in a different time zone
I think it should be noted, but Tunnel Rat was one of the few figures in the new sculpt era to get a newly-sculpted backpack, while the rest of the figures were inundated with reused sculpts. Aside from T-Rat here, the others include:
-2002 Blowtorch
-2002 Snake Eyes (both the t-waist and o-ring versions)
-2002 Storm Shadow
-All the new sculpt BATS since 2003
-Spy Troops Flint
-Spy Troops Airborne/HALO Jumper
-Hard Drive
-2004 Shipwreck
-2004 Storm Shadow
-2005 Torch
Too high for Tunnelrat!
I like this design for Tunnel Rat’s uniform. Not as much as the Spy Troops version but it’s nice. I’m not dedicated to the version 1 look for any characters.
You always want to give a guy who crawls around in tight-spaces a long barreled rifle. You also couldn’t throw a rock without hitting a sniper rifle back then, either.