#49: G.I. Joe Retaliation - Blind Master

It looks like G.I. Joe is basically dead right now, so hopefully the suits at Hasbro get their collective act together soon and get the franchise going again. For now, here's a figure I've been wanting to pick up for a while, and friend of the blog James happened to find one for me at a Toys R Us. Blind Master is a cool character and all, but this is a case where I wanted the figure more because of the actor playing the part. So now I have an action figure of the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA. Blind Master includes a bevy of accessories, and one of the weapons is a sword with a series of rings along the backside of the blade.

The first piece of headgear included with Blind Master doubles as a shield and has hidden blades that fold out. There's also a staff with a removable end that reveals a hidden blade.

The other piece of headgear included is a mask. There's also a blowgun, and some sort of spiky ring tethered by a rope. Not pictured, is the standard G.I. Joe Retaliation stand, which is fairly nondescript.

#23: G.I. Joe Retaliation - Joe Colton

When Retaliation toys started showing up on toy shelves the second time around, I saw a Joe Colton figure, but contented myself only picking up a Roadblock figure at the time. I never saw one again in person until this weekend when I went to the semi-annual toy show in San Jose. I ended up paying less than retail, so in the end that worked out well. Basically I wanted this because it's Bruce Willis. The figure doesn't have the greatest likeness, but it's recognizable as him. The stubble is a bit overdone. Due to the holster (which has a sculpted in gun that can't be removed) over his left shoulder, his left arm doesn't bend all the way down. Joe Colton is armed with a couple handguns, one automatic and one a revolver, a shotgun, and a big crazy gun. The big crazy gun launches four missiles by pulling the ripcord, which is actually kind of fun, and the missiles go a decent distance for this sort of thing. I'm not sure what's going on with his shirt the (not sculpted) neckline makes it look like a tank top, but it has sleeves. It's not the best figure, but it's cool enough and the novelty of a Bruce Willis Joe is enough to make it worthwhile.

#87: G.I. Joe Retaliation - Budo Samurai Warrior

If G.I. Joe is going to employ a bunch of ninja, as well as a bunch of other assorted goofballs, they might as well have a guy with samurai armor, right? So here's Budo, whose character I'm not at all familiar with. But it's a guy in samurai armor, and that's pretty cool. Also, he's originally from Sacramento, which is probably the closest I'm getting to having the same home town as a Joe. While all the armor does look cool, it is pretty restrictive of his articulation below the waist. It appears that the armor is removable, but it looks like it would be a big hassle to get off and back on, so I'm just going to be leaving it as is. For accessories, Budo has a couple of differently sized swords, a badass looking removable helmet, and a blank dog tag stand. The helmet doesn't fit on super tight, but it stays on. He's a pretty cool looking figure, but his skin tone is a fairly cringe-worthy shade, so the helmet is definitely staying on.

Samurai style

#37: G.I. Joe Retaliation - Red Ninja

In preparation for the upcoming toy aisle resets, Target has begun putting various toys on clearance, including the G.I. Joe Retaliation figures. While this does not bode well for the next couple waves of the line (and now I'm really regretting not buying the Joe Colton figure the one time I saw it!), it did provide a good reason for me to pick up a figure I've been interested in for a while. The red ninjas were in one of the best parts of the movie: the cliffside ninja battle on zip lines. I'd been thinking about picking up one of these guys for a while, because it's good to have a generic ninja aside from Snake Eyes or Storm Shadow. It's a pretty cool ninja figure, mostly red with some black parts to break things up with some contrast. He's not as heavily armed as some previous G.I. Joe figures have been, including only two swords for weaponry, with no place to store them aside from holding them. Well, they can be tucked into the sash, but there are no scabbards.

The other accessory is a zip line/launcher. Normally I don't like the big goofy accessories included with some of the movie figures, but this one is actually fun to play with. The string is ridiculously long, and there are multiple attachment points, so there are options if you want to use this for display purposes.

Ninja action in my kitchen.

#7: G.I. Joe Retaliation - Battle-kata Roadblock

Finally, G.I. Joe toys are back in toy aisles! The Rock as Roadblock has been one of my most wanted movie figures for a while. Unfortunately, the first version didn't have a great likeness and was hampered by a sculpted on piece of plastic on his hand so that he could plug into the giant gun he came with. Now with the Retaliation figures relaunch, later waves are in stores, along with an improved Roadblock. The likeness on this version is way better. Because everyone gets to be a ninja now, apparently, Roadblock has an Arashikage clan tattoo on his arm.

Apparently, battle-kata is a system of weapons with swappable parts which plug into handles. The handles can be plugged into pistols, small knives, larger knives, and a baton. Each piece has a spot to be stowed on Roadblock's vest. Having swappable handles to one's weapons seems like an odd idea. I don't know if I'd want to use a knife if the handle was easily removable, that seems like it could be asking for trouble. Hopefully it will seem cooler in the movie. There's also the big machine gun with detachable stand.

I'm not a wrestling fan, so I can't say why exactly I find it so appealing to have an action figure based on The Rock. Part of the fun of movie based figures is having figures with the likeness of real people, of course, so I suppose that is it. It certainly helps when the likeness is so good.

#6: G.I. Joe - Edwin "Lifeline" Steen

G.I. Joe had two medics, Doc and Lifeline. Did Cobra have any? I think the closest they had was Dr Mindbender. I didn't have the Doc figure as a kid, and the most recent version was a mail away figure that I didn't get. As a kid, I did have Lifeline, but the most recent version was in one of the waves that was difficult to find in stores. Thanks to the snafu with the new Joe movie's release date, Joe toys have been missing from shelves for a few months until very recently. While waiting for the return of Joes to the toy aisles, I found myself on Ebay trying to get a Lifeline figure. On one of my auctions, I was outbid, but the winner backed out, so I was able to get this one. I'm assuming some, if not all, his body parts are re-used, but it is a very good update to the original.

One of the main things that impressed me about the Lifeline figure is the amount of accessories. Lately, Joe figures have been pretty crazy with the amount of accessories that are included with the figure, and Lifeline is surely on the higher end of that scale. The largest accessory that is included is a backboard for transporting wounded, which has a strap to hold the person down. There is a medical case with defibrillator pads which can be held in two notches. There's also a bag of saline solution which has a spot in the case. The saline bag can plug into an IV cord which attaches to a figure's arm. For keeping your figures oxygenated, there is a face mask with attached oxygen tank. Lifeline's helmet is also removable. For weaponry (I though medics weren't supposed to take part in combat, but the Joe world has its own rules, clearly), there's a machine gun, a pistol, a knife, and what I think is meant to be a pistol shaped syringe.

"Ready for your shots, Anakin?"

This Anakin is my go to figure for someone in need of medical assistance.

#27: G.I. Joe Renegades - Law and Order

A few weeks ago, I went to an outdoor toy sale where there were a bunch of vendors with tables set up. They were selling all sorts of things, from the new mint in package, to the old and beat up from sitting in a  garage for the past few years. One of the vendors had a Law and Order on sale for less than the going price at my local Target. For some unfathomable reason, I didn't buy it then. I almost immediately began suffering from non-buyer's remorse. Since my Target hasn't put out any new Joe figures in a very long time, my best shot was Ebay.

I think I've mentioned before that I always like the Joe figures that come with animal companions. They're great accessories, so it adds value. And animal companions are just a cool concept for figures. Law and Order are also a nice counterpoint to the Cobra shock trooper. Law showed up in Renegades as a prison guard, but they made the figure an MP. Law comes with a good amount of accessories. Too many for him to hold, but it's not as excessive as some other figures. He's got a couple pistols that fit in holsters (one has a silencer), a shotgun, a machine pistol, handcuffs, and a billy club. The face shield is a separate piece from the helmet, which is removable.

Order is wearing a doggy bullet proof vest, and his head is on a swivel. Although the coloring seems a bit weird for a German shepherd, Order is probably the cutest of the various animal companions in my collection.

A visit to the dog park. Who let that wolf in?!

#26: G.I. Joe Renegades - Tunnel Rat

A few weeks ago, Netflix added G.I. Joe Renegades to its streaming service, so right after I watched the entire first season of Transformers Prime, I watched the first (and only, sadly) season of Renegades. Although it was way less goofy than the classic cartoon, and very A-Team-esque, I really liked it. I'm disappointed that it won't be coming back for a second season, especially since it left us hanging on the crucial question of just what is up with Cobra Commander's partial face concealing mask. Tunnel Rat was one of the regular cast members, which I believe is the first time he's been so prominently featured, and his sarcastic Brooklynite persona made him one of the best characters on the show. Since I didn't have a Tunnel Rat figure yet, I figured it was time to get one.

Like Scarlett and the other Renegades figures, Tunnel Rat looks like a more realistic version of the animated character, so he fits in with the rest of the Joes in my collection. Hasbro has been on a nice roll with the Joe line for a while, and Tunnel Rat keeps that tradition going. He also continues the tradition of the mixed blessing of including a bunch of accessories. He's got a big rifle, a revolver, a shovel, a laptop, a flashlight, a portable stove, a pan (the handle on mine is a little bent), a Leatherman, and coolest of all: a bomb disposal robot. The arm on the robot can move, and the wheels roll. Neat! Unfortunately, he doesn't have a way to carry anything other than what fits in his hands.

"You won't believe what I found down here, Scarlett!"

#17: G.I. Joe Renegades - Scarlett

I haven't seen any episodes of G.I. Joe Renegades yet. The character designs are kind of angular and odd looking, so I'm glad that they took a more realistic approach for the figures based on the show. Like the Zombie Viper, I haven't seen this in person anywhere, but was able to find her ridiculously cheap on Ebay. Scarlett's Renegades outfit isn't her classic 80s look (which is good, since I already have that figure) but the colors are close enough that it works for me. No Scarlett would be complete without a crossbow, so naturally one is included, as well as some sort of crazy looking pistol, and a stand. I'm not sure if Hasbro is cutting back from the crazy amount of accessories in general, or just for this release, but I don't mind, since really it's all she needs. The more time I spend with this figure, the more the re-design grows on me. I might have to get around to watching Renegades now.

Snake Eyes is confused.

Renegades Scarlett is my third Scarlett figure. Here's a group shot!

#16: G.I. Joe - Zombie Viper

G.I. Joe has a long history of weirdness, so while a zombie seems to be veering a bit more into horror movie territory, I don't think it seems too out of place. After all, the zombies from the Return of the Living Dead series were the result of military experiments. So it's almost logical that Cobra would end up trying to make its own zombie army. Ever since I saw pictures of the Zombie Viper months ago, I knew it was a must buy. It has recently started showing up in stores, but not yet in my area. So I got impatient and found one on Ebay for a decent price. 

I have to say, this is one of my favorite G.I. Joe figures in recent memory, at least partly because it's so out there. It's a great sculpt, with ragged clothes and bits of flesh missing. The right foot isn't sculpted flat, so it can be posed in more of a shuffling stance appropriate of a zombie. It's got all the typical G.I. Joe articulation, including the swivel/hinge wrists. So yes, the Zombie Viper can do the Thriller dance. The Zombie Viper's skin is a dull grey, with some bright blue bits (from the Compound Z) that I wish were a little more subtly edged. 

Naturally, the Zombie Viper includes accessories. The most striking are the alternate hands/forearms which depict the hands mutating into freaky tentacles. A couple of the fingers even have those pads that squid have at the end of their longest tentacles. This is entering some freaky, Resident Evil style zombie mutation here. Other than the swivel where they attach to the arm, these aren't articulated, not that they need to be. 

The other accessories are a bottle of Compound Z that's attached by a hose to the removable helmet. The bottle plugs into the back of the zombie's suit, and there are four spots for it to plug in. There are only three spots for the hose to plug in on the helmet, so if there had been an intended fourth bottle to be included I'm not sure where it would have attached. As it is, we only get one bottle. If one was able to get three of these figures, it would probably be pretty cool to attach all the bottles on one figure. Certainly a small army of these guys would be cool to have, and with the accessories, there could be some nice variation.

A quick shot of the Zombie Viper in its natural habitat, the cemetery. 

#133: G.I. Joe - Sgt. Stalker

This is probably a first, but I mainly was inspired to buy Stalker from a post I saw on Tumblr. Seeing a Stalker figure playing a video game made me realize that it was a good looking figure, and one of the fairly important Joes that I don't have a figure for yet. I might break down and buy one of those replica video game cabinets myself. They're more expensive than the Hallmark ornaments, but there is a better selection of games.

Anyway, Stalker is pretty cool as one of the more realistic looking Joes. He looks like he wouldn't be out of place in a line of figures based on real military members. It makes for a nice contrast with any random Cobra oddball. With a sub-machine gun, a pistol with a detachable silencer, a machete, a couple of knives, and another pistol (not pictured here because there's nowhere else for it to fit) Stalker is a well armed guy. If only there was another spot to stow a weapon so that he could hold everything! Oh well, I guess we're used to being spoiled with too many accessories in the current Joe lines these days. Overall, this is definitely a solid offering.

#125: G.I. Joe - Hazard-Viper

So I was checking out the toy section at Wal-Mart and the aisle right next to the toys has a big clearance banner on it. Naturally, that's where the G.I. Joe figures were, at normal price. And they were all new figures, from the new wave that includes the Renegades figures and some Cobra troop builders. I've been waiting to pick up the Hazard Viper for a while now, so it was a pleasant surprise to see it on the peg. Hasbro's still doing that thing where they give the Joe figures way too many accessories for them to be able to hold them all. So if you put all the canisters in the suitcase, and have him holding the suitcase and big spray gun, that leaves you with two pistols and the other weird pistol thing with nowhere to go. Alas, there aren't holsters. Basically, I'm into this figure for the look and the concept of a Cobra trooper that has to deal with hazardous materials. It's definitely a cool looking figure, so it's too bad he can't hold all his weapons.

#82: G.I. Joe - Combat Jet Sky Striker XP-21F

The original Sky Striker (the original was actually the Skystriker) was one of my favorite toys. I think I was four or five when I got it, and it was almost as big as I was. It's actually still at my parents' place, although all the removable parts have been long since lost to playtime. Legend has it that the molds broke, so there hasn't been a re-release of the Sky Striker since 1989. Since the recent G.I. Joe revival began, a lot of the vehicles have been slightly retooled versions of the original molds, but especially since the movie there have been more and more vehicles with completely new molds. When this new version of the Sky Striker was announced, getting one was a no brainer for me.

A few weeks ago, word was out that Sky Strikers were showing up on shelves in a few places. Naturally my Target didn't have them out yet. The DCPI number was available online, so I had them check if there were any in the back room, and there were. But they wouldn't be out on the shelves until today, July 31st. So this morning I went to Target bright and early, only to find the shelves completely devoid of any new G.I. Joe toys. Once again, I had an employee check in the back. There were three in stock, and he brought one out for me. Triumph! This is the first time I've successfully been able to get something out of the back room at Target (trying to find a Gentleman Ghost this way never worked).

The box is actually smaller than I was expecting, but the plane comes in pieces and you get to put it together. Then you have to put on the stickers. This will take you a while, I spent at least an hour putting all of them on. There are even some customizing options with the stickers. On the tail fins, you can stick with the traditional eagle, or go with images meant to represent other characters, like Snake Eyes, Duke, Shipwreck, or Flint. Instead of the red, white, and blue stripes along the edges of the wings, you can opt for yellow and black stripes (I'm not sure what the significance of that color scheme is).

Once it's all together and stickered up, the Sky Striker looks great. It looks almost exactly like the original, although the plastic is more grey, and the tail fins are inexplicably black. Also, the cockpit has been reduced in size to only fit one figure. The original cockpit featured an ejection seat with attached parachute which this updated version omits. I think this version is substantially smaller than the original, although I don't have the original handy to compare. As I mentioned, the original is at my parents' house, so I have seen it as an adult, and it is pretty huge. It's still a good size, so I don't mind.

A Sky Striker isn't going anywhere without a pilot, and Ace is included. While the Sky Striker is very faithful to its original incarnation, Ace is completely revamped. The original had a white flight suit that almost looked suitable for space exploration. I'm not too hip to what an actual fighter pilot's flight suit would look like, but this new version certainly looks like what I would expect. He includes a stand and a pistol that can holster on his ankle. Most importantly, he can sit in the cockpit properly.

I really dig this toy. Although nostalgia plays a large part of my appreciation for it, I think it stands on its own merits, and any kid that gets one a Sky Striker will grow up with fond memories of it. This is a must have for a G.I. Joe fan.

#31: G.I. Joe The Pursuit of Cobra - Firefly

I missed out on getting the 25th Anniversary Collection Firefly, which was pretty cool, so I was glad to pick one up when I saw the Pursuit of Cobra version finally. As Cobra's saboteur/demolitions expert, he is one of the few competent members of the organization. Naturally he comes with a lot of accessories, and he can almost carry all of them which is a bonus. He's got two pistols, a machine gun of some sort, a backpack, two explosives (which peg onto the backpack), two arm guards (which can hang off the back of his vest as in the picture), a stand, and swappable heads. One of the heads is closest to the classic version, and the other one reminds me of the Green Goblin's helmet from the Spider-Man movie. Unfortunately, it is too large to fit in the backpack, since I like the regular head better for display. Also, the backpack makes him hard to stand up since he is so back heavy, so I'm leaving it off. Overall though, Firefly is pretty cool.

#4: G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra - Snake Eyes Ninja Commando

Whenever there's a new Joe line, you know that Snake Eyes can't be far behind. Many, many Snake Eyes. If I recall correctly, the Pursuit of Cobra line has three Snake Eyes figures so far. I've already got a few in my collection, so why another one? From what I've heard, this is a pretty cool version of the character, and its accessories are pretty hard to beat. Snake Eyes is mostly known for being a bad ass ninja, but his original figure had more of a special ops commando feel to it. So, accessory count: two swords with removable sheaths, a different sword, two pistols, a sub-machine gun, a rifle, two silencers, an alternate head (balaclava and goggles combo or standard visor), knife. Silencers! That is so cool. One of the pistols and the sub-machine gun can be fitted with the silencers. I'm sure other figures have had silencers for their guns, but this is my first, and I think they're pretty damn neat. From what I can tell, this version of Snake Eyes seems to be easier to find than the Shock Trooper I posted about yesterday. So if you have room in your collection for yet another version of Snake Eyes, you should be able to find this one easily enough.

#3: G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra - Cobra Shock Trooper

So I was at Target and saw an endcap display with some newer Joe and Star Wars figures, including the Cobra Shock Trooper. I went back a couple days later and they were all gone. Good thing I happened to visit that day!

Continuing the Pursuit of Cobra's trend, the Shock Trooper has a bunch of accessories. The helmet and gasmask are both removable (there is also a pair of goggles that can sit on the helmet which isn't pictured because I accidentally left them behind in my bedroom when I took this picture). For weapons, there is a sub-machine gun, a machine gun, a pistol, a shotgun, a huge friggin' hammer, and what I believe are supposed to be shock sticks. They look like nunchucks, though. My favorite accessory is the riot shield. Especially since it so prominently says "COBRA" on it. Way to get the brand out there, guys! Also, there's a walkie-talkie that plugs into the back of the trooper's vest. He can't hold all of the accessories at once, which is the main drawback to having so many.

It's a pretty cool figure, and so I'm not surprised that it has proven to be so popular. At least, drawing from my completely unscientific sample of one store. But it's a cool Cobra trooper, so I'm guessing it's hard to find in general. Good luck on the hunt if you do want to pick up one of these guys!

#142: G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra Alley Viper

Another gift from James is the Alley Viper, which I've been looking for a while now. I originally saw it at a Target once a few months ago, but I was buying the AT-AT at the same time, so I didn't really feel up to spending even more money then. Unfortunately, I never saw it on the pegs again. I already have the Defense of Cobra Island Alley Viper from last year, which is the classic insane bright orange and blue color scheme, but I like them enough that I wanted to pick up this more sensibly colored version as well. This version is pretty heavily armed as well. There's a grappling gun (which plugs into the backpack), a sub-machine gun, and a tonfa which can be stored on the backside of the shield. In addition to the standard Alley Viper helmet (how do they see out of it when the visor is down?) there is another helmet with goggles and a gas mask.

#141: G.I. Joe Cobra Flight Pod with Elite-Viper

A while back, they released the Cobra Flight Pod, I mean Trubble Bubble, in a two pack with the Ram Cycle, and I foolishly passed it up. Then the movie line came along, and they were to re-release it with a different color scheme as a Target exclusive. But for whatever reason, they never made it to Target, and that assortment of toys seemed to be lost. Then recently they started showing up at Ross stores, which has a history of picking up wayward exclusives. A couple days after I heard about these appearances, I happened to be in a Ross and saw one. Having learned my lesson passing over the previous release, I picked it up. At seven bucks, it's a bargain, since I doubt Target would have charged such a low price for it.

So this Elite-Viper is nothing exciting, but it does the job of being a pilot. It would have been cool if they had made a movie-styled version of the Tele-Viper that the Trubble Bubble traditionally comes with. The Trubble Bubble itself is pretty cool, and the new darker color scheme gives it a slightly more menacing look. There's a Cobra logo sticker that goes on the canopy, but it's red so it sort of blends in. Like I said, this set is being sold for a very good price, so it's totally worth picking up if you're at all interested in goofy Cobra battle technology.

#98: G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra Jungle Viper

When I first saw pictures of the Jungle Viper from Comic Con or whatever I thought he had wings. Given that he's a Cobra trooper, that sort of insanity doesn't bother me, and is in fact exactly what I have come to expect. It's the kind of insanity that just goes past stupidity and loops back again to brilliance. Although it turns out that this isn't some sort of flying trooper, it still looks pretty ridiculous in that way I dig. So of course I picked up the Jungle Viper as soon as I saw one hanging from a peg. It's actually a pretty cool figure, too. The pieces of the "wings" are adjustable, and attached to a backpack frame which is removable. Aside from the ridiculously long gun he carries, there are two pistols with corresponding holsters included. The crazy long eye scope is also removable. Oddly enough, the Jungle Viper has spooky zombie eyes. I don't get it, but whatever. This figure is totally cool in my book.

#86: G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra Dusty

As a kid, I had the original Dusty figure. The little flap hanging out of the back of his helmet really set him apart for me. Since he was one of my favorites, I hoped to get a new version of him during the 25th Anniversary Collection, but they only released him in one of the DVD battle packs that I never saw in stores. Now with the new Pursuit of Cobra line, I'm able to add a modern Dusty to my collection. He may not have the flap of cloth hanging from his helmet, but this is still a very cool upgrade. Although the trend seems to be towards a ridiculous amount of accessories for the Joe figures these days, Dusty has a reasonable amount. He's got two guns, an extra head, a stand, and a coil of barbed wire. The bio on the back of the card mentions Dusty making barbed wire traps, so it's not totally random. Also, his helmet and goggles are both removable. Hasbro is doing a great job with the Pursuit of Cobra figures, and Dusty is no exception.