a few good men
Here they are: some of my favorite GI Joe: A Real American Hero figures. These come from my extensive museum-quality collection that I've been working on since 2000. I've managed to acquire most of my favorites, yet some remain. (The nature of collecting, amirite?)
Let's start with Cobra. Out in front, we have the mail-in hooded Cobra Commander, a classic. In back, left to right, are the Alley Viper, Ice Viper, Range Viper, and the Toxo-Viper.
I always wanted to acquire the Alley Viper and Toxo-Viper when I saw them on the back of the Night Viper's card, but I never did find them. Paid a bit for the Alley Viper, as that is one of the big army builders these days, but the Toxo-Viper isn't as popular, so I got him relatively cheap. The Ice Viper came with the Cobra Wolf vehicle, an item I had as a lad. That was one of my favorite figures, especially with his odd weapon choice, a pair of sai. The Range Viper I always loved because of his awesome helmet. A grim skull and a strange brain pattern made for an interesting looking figure. He's advertised as Cobra's wilderness trooper, but his colors are a little off for that. I figure he's more of a shock trooper, with his grenade launcher and RPG.
More Cobra weirdos! I always loved Cobra figures for their design, just a little bit ahead of GI Joe in terms of technology. Left to right we have the Hydro-Viper, Battle Armor Cobra Commander, Destro version 2, and Serpentor.
The Hydro-Viper is one of my faves due to his card art (which can be seen here ) which showed him as a true demon of the deep. Battle Armor Cobra Commander, or version 3, was another figure I searched for but never found. That was one of the first purchases I made, along with this Destro, when I began my collection in 2000. I remember seeing Destro included with his vehicle, the Despoiler at K-Mart back in 1988. I remember freaking out, because Destro was back with a gold head! But, the vehicle was a kingly sum, so I never got it. By the time I got the scratch together, naturally, I couldn't find it anymore.
And, finally, Serpentor. One of my all-time favorite figures. As soon as I got this dude and his awesome Air Chariot for Christmas in 1986, he instantly took over Cobra's leadership. Loved this dude. Alas, time would be short with this figure. The next summer, some rat bastard kid that lived in the government housing behind my parent's house stole Serpy, Wet Suit, Leatherneck, Gung Ho, and my Devilfish boat out of my pool. I managed to get Gung Ho back, but the rest were gone. (More on this tale later.) In 1989, Hasbro Direct offered Serpentor and his Air Chariot, so I managed to get another Serpy, who stayed around for a few years this time. Alas, his o-ring broke, and he was lost to time. In 2000, my local comic store offered a few Joes for sale. Two of them were Wet Suit and Serpentor! So began my vintage GI Joe collection...
Here we begin the replacements of my childhood collection. Left to right, Beachhead, Cobra BAT, Sgt. Slaughter, Gung Ho version 2, and Rapid Fire.
Beachhead was one of my faves, being introduced in 1986 when I really got into GI Joe. He just looked like a badass top to bottom, which I'm sure was helped by the Devilfish box art that featured him and Wet Suit. (Seen here ) I still have my vintage Beachhead, but this one is nicer.
The Cobra BAT is a story. Got this guy, and he hardly lasted a day. My little brother, who was maybe two at the time, got a hold of my brand-new figure when I wasn't looking. He managed to rip the chest hologram off, lose all the arm attachments, and break him at the knees. I was disappointed, to say the least. And that wouldn't be the last Joe figure of mine to meet a similarly gruesome fate.
Ah, Sgt. Slaughter. A necessity in any Joe collection, particularly mine. My paternal grandmother bought me the Triple T Tank for my birthday in 1986, and it was one of my favorite gifts. Pretty sure he was stolen at some point, because he was such a popular character and only came with a vehicle unless you got the mail-in version. I eventually got my hands on Slaughter and his tank again, with the box and everything. It was a great Christmas gift to myself, only I was thirty by then.
Gung Ho was a dude I got for Christmas, and it was hard to use a dude in Marine dress blues in my fantasy. As I said earlier, somebody swiped him, but I got him back.
Rapid Fire was that dude included with the videocassette you remember seeing everywhere. For my birthday in 1991, I think I got three of these things. Now I wish I'd have kept those extra ones, because carded samples are damn near nonexistent these days. Oh well.
Some of my absolute favorite toys ever here. Left to right, Wet Suit, Deep Six version 2, Slaughter's Marauders Barbecue, Leatherneck, and Falcon. Snake Eyes version 3 is out front, and the only Snake Eyes I ever saw. Got him for Christmas in 1989, and he didn't last long. My other younger brother, who at this time was almost three, got a hold of him and bisected him. Found him in my parent's Toyota sometime after the New Year, at least I found the top half. Don't know what happened to the rest.
Wet Suit was my favorite Joe. My dad got him on a trip to Indianapolis in 1986. I treasured that figure. Then the rat bastard stole him, and I finally got a replacement in 2000. Think I told that story already.
Deep Six I got in the summer of 1989, with my own money. He sort of replaced my missing Wet Suit, and I had already purchased the Tiger Force repaint of the Devilfish, so I was good to go again. Love those naval Joes.
Barbecue was a Christmas present in 1989. Always wanted Barbecue, and was happy with this gnarly repaint since Barbecue had disappeared from store shelves by the time I came along.
Falcon was from the 1987 lineup, and I'm pretty sure I got him with Sgt. Slaughter and the tank for my birthday. Falcon served me well for years, leading many missions against Cobra into a stone fortress that looked a lot like Castle Grayskull...
Leatherneck was a heartbreaking loss for me. He was the last toy my maternal grandmother bought for me before she died, and that rat bastard kid stole it. I guess that's where I learned not to pity people, because motherfuckers will just walk all over you if you let 'em. I should have beat that kid up and took my toys back, but I didn't. Lesson learned.
And here we have the rest of the best, dudes I wanted but never acquired. Left to right, Steel Brigade, The Fridge, Snake Eyes version 2, Storm Shadow version 2, and Shipwreck.
The Fridge and Steel Brigade were mail-in figures, two I never got. This particular Steel Brigade comes from Tomart's magazine, who used to be a thing back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. They offered this figure with the patch and no rifle to subscribers for years. I bought this from them on ebay, and I'm pretty sure it was the last one. Not sure why it never came with the rifle, but it's a neat piece.
The Fridge. Well, duh. Even I was aware of the 1985 Chicago Bears, easily the best team ever assembled. Never got my Flag Points off in time, but I did but him on ebay in 2011, so there's that.
Snake Eyes version 2 is the cornerstone of any legit vintage collection. Hasbro has been paying homage to this figure since 2001, one of their most interesting designs ever and easily an iconic one. I challenge you to look up "1985 Snake Eyes" on ebay. Go ahead, I'll wait. Yeah. This guy was super hard to find, and when I decided to buy him in 2009, prices had really come down on him. I was able to get this incredible specimen for $40, which is the most I've ever spent on a single figure, but worth it.
Storm Shadow version 2 hit in 1988. I remember shopping with my folks one fine day. Spent my money on another Joe figure that day, that being Spearhead. Found this guy at K-Mart and was blown away. The original Storm Shadow came out in 1984 and was one of the most popular characters, as you can imagine an enemy ninja would be. But, I had spent my money, and my folks wouldn't buy him, so it wasn't until this last summer I finally picked this guy up.
And finally, Shipwreck. One of the most popular characters in the cartoon, he was released in 1985. Me being a little behind the ball was never able to acquire him, but when prices fell in 2009, I made sure I got a nice complete one. One of my favorite figures, regardless of his anachronistic appearance.
There you have it! A super-long rundown and anecdotes about my favorite Joes! Thanks for the read!
Let's start with Cobra. Out in front, we have the mail-in hooded Cobra Commander, a classic. In back, left to right, are the Alley Viper, Ice Viper, Range Viper, and the Toxo-Viper.
I always wanted to acquire the Alley Viper and Toxo-Viper when I saw them on the back of the Night Viper's card, but I never did find them. Paid a bit for the Alley Viper, as that is one of the big army builders these days, but the Toxo-Viper isn't as popular, so I got him relatively cheap. The Ice Viper came with the Cobra Wolf vehicle, an item I had as a lad. That was one of my favorite figures, especially with his odd weapon choice, a pair of sai. The Range Viper I always loved because of his awesome helmet. A grim skull and a strange brain pattern made for an interesting looking figure. He's advertised as Cobra's wilderness trooper, but his colors are a little off for that. I figure he's more of a shock trooper, with his grenade launcher and RPG.
More Cobra weirdos! I always loved Cobra figures for their design, just a little bit ahead of GI Joe in terms of technology. Left to right we have the Hydro-Viper, Battle Armor Cobra Commander, Destro version 2, and Serpentor.
The Hydro-Viper is one of my faves due to his card art (which can be seen here ) which showed him as a true demon of the deep. Battle Armor Cobra Commander, or version 3, was another figure I searched for but never found. That was one of the first purchases I made, along with this Destro, when I began my collection in 2000. I remember seeing Destro included with his vehicle, the Despoiler at K-Mart back in 1988. I remember freaking out, because Destro was back with a gold head! But, the vehicle was a kingly sum, so I never got it. By the time I got the scratch together, naturally, I couldn't find it anymore.
And, finally, Serpentor. One of my all-time favorite figures. As soon as I got this dude and his awesome Air Chariot for Christmas in 1986, he instantly took over Cobra's leadership. Loved this dude. Alas, time would be short with this figure. The next summer, some rat bastard kid that lived in the government housing behind my parent's house stole Serpy, Wet Suit, Leatherneck, Gung Ho, and my Devilfish boat out of my pool. I managed to get Gung Ho back, but the rest were gone. (More on this tale later.) In 1989, Hasbro Direct offered Serpentor and his Air Chariot, so I managed to get another Serpy, who stayed around for a few years this time. Alas, his o-ring broke, and he was lost to time. In 2000, my local comic store offered a few Joes for sale. Two of them were Wet Suit and Serpentor! So began my vintage GI Joe collection...
Here we begin the replacements of my childhood collection. Left to right, Beachhead, Cobra BAT, Sgt. Slaughter, Gung Ho version 2, and Rapid Fire.
Beachhead was one of my faves, being introduced in 1986 when I really got into GI Joe. He just looked like a badass top to bottom, which I'm sure was helped by the Devilfish box art that featured him and Wet Suit. (Seen here ) I still have my vintage Beachhead, but this one is nicer.
The Cobra BAT is a story. Got this guy, and he hardly lasted a day. My little brother, who was maybe two at the time, got a hold of my brand-new figure when I wasn't looking. He managed to rip the chest hologram off, lose all the arm attachments, and break him at the knees. I was disappointed, to say the least. And that wouldn't be the last Joe figure of mine to meet a similarly gruesome fate.
Ah, Sgt. Slaughter. A necessity in any Joe collection, particularly mine. My paternal grandmother bought me the Triple T Tank for my birthday in 1986, and it was one of my favorite gifts. Pretty sure he was stolen at some point, because he was such a popular character and only came with a vehicle unless you got the mail-in version. I eventually got my hands on Slaughter and his tank again, with the box and everything. It was a great Christmas gift to myself, only I was thirty by then.
Gung Ho was a dude I got for Christmas, and it was hard to use a dude in Marine dress blues in my fantasy. As I said earlier, somebody swiped him, but I got him back.
Rapid Fire was that dude included with the videocassette you remember seeing everywhere. For my birthday in 1991, I think I got three of these things. Now I wish I'd have kept those extra ones, because carded samples are damn near nonexistent these days. Oh well.
Some of my absolute favorite toys ever here. Left to right, Wet Suit, Deep Six version 2, Slaughter's Marauders Barbecue, Leatherneck, and Falcon. Snake Eyes version 3 is out front, and the only Snake Eyes I ever saw. Got him for Christmas in 1989, and he didn't last long. My other younger brother, who at this time was almost three, got a hold of him and bisected him. Found him in my parent's Toyota sometime after the New Year, at least I found the top half. Don't know what happened to the rest.
Wet Suit was my favorite Joe. My dad got him on a trip to Indianapolis in 1986. I treasured that figure. Then the rat bastard stole him, and I finally got a replacement in 2000. Think I told that story already.
Deep Six I got in the summer of 1989, with my own money. He sort of replaced my missing Wet Suit, and I had already purchased the Tiger Force repaint of the Devilfish, so I was good to go again. Love those naval Joes.
Barbecue was a Christmas present in 1989. Always wanted Barbecue, and was happy with this gnarly repaint since Barbecue had disappeared from store shelves by the time I came along.
Falcon was from the 1987 lineup, and I'm pretty sure I got him with Sgt. Slaughter and the tank for my birthday. Falcon served me well for years, leading many missions against Cobra into a stone fortress that looked a lot like Castle Grayskull...
Leatherneck was a heartbreaking loss for me. He was the last toy my maternal grandmother bought for me before she died, and that rat bastard kid stole it. I guess that's where I learned not to pity people, because motherfuckers will just walk all over you if you let 'em. I should have beat that kid up and took my toys back, but I didn't. Lesson learned.
And here we have the rest of the best, dudes I wanted but never acquired. Left to right, Steel Brigade, The Fridge, Snake Eyes version 2, Storm Shadow version 2, and Shipwreck.
The Fridge and Steel Brigade were mail-in figures, two I never got. This particular Steel Brigade comes from Tomart's magazine, who used to be a thing back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. They offered this figure with the patch and no rifle to subscribers for years. I bought this from them on ebay, and I'm pretty sure it was the last one. Not sure why it never came with the rifle, but it's a neat piece.
The Fridge. Well, duh. Even I was aware of the 1985 Chicago Bears, easily the best team ever assembled. Never got my Flag Points off in time, but I did but him on ebay in 2011, so there's that.
Snake Eyes version 2 is the cornerstone of any legit vintage collection. Hasbro has been paying homage to this figure since 2001, one of their most interesting designs ever and easily an iconic one. I challenge you to look up "1985 Snake Eyes" on ebay. Go ahead, I'll wait. Yeah. This guy was super hard to find, and when I decided to buy him in 2009, prices had really come down on him. I was able to get this incredible specimen for $40, which is the most I've ever spent on a single figure, but worth it.
Storm Shadow version 2 hit in 1988. I remember shopping with my folks one fine day. Spent my money on another Joe figure that day, that being Spearhead. Found this guy at K-Mart and was blown away. The original Storm Shadow came out in 1984 and was one of the most popular characters, as you can imagine an enemy ninja would be. But, I had spent my money, and my folks wouldn't buy him, so it wasn't until this last summer I finally picked this guy up.
And finally, Shipwreck. One of the most popular characters in the cartoon, he was released in 1985. Me being a little behind the ball was never able to acquire him, but when prices fell in 2009, I made sure I got a nice complete one. One of my favorite figures, regardless of his anachronistic appearance.
There you have it! A super-long rundown and anecdotes about my favorite Joes! Thanks for the read!
Comments