1994 Major Bludd
1994 is full of great and often overlooked GI Joe figures, like Star Brigade Roadbloack, or Battle Corps Shipwreck. To be frank, I think ’94 might be the best year of the 90’s besides 1990. With that said, of the onslaught of figures released that year, a few came out rather questionable, like Major Bludd.
When it comes to Major Bludd figures, Chinese Major Bludd is best by far. Historically, almost every domestic Bludd has had some kind of problem in my eyes. V1 has the stupid arm, V2 has too many grenades, and every Bludd after this was made out of some combination of the tooling used for these first three. So with that said, this figure isn’t alone for having problems.
The design of this figure is just downright strange. Part of that comes from his reusage of the ’92 Toxo-Viper waist and legs, but even the new tooling has a weird aesthetic. The look of his folded robe simply does too much to invite Flash Gordon jokes, and has a very pulp sci-fi look to it. Given, there’s some very nice details here with the painted red trim and medals on his chest, and a bandolier too.
His head’s been given a pretty strong redesign. The helmet is similar to the V2, but he’s been given the addition of some silver painted horns along the top and a single-eye visor. A little over the top, but it’s still a different look that compliments the character. Details like this make me sad we didn’t see these continued into a ’95 line.
I almost forgot about this figure’s gimmick too: a hidden arm blade! Or elbow spike as the file card calls it. I’ve had mixed feelings on it since I was kid, with it perpetually sticking out of the back of his arm when you don’t want it, but it’s still a nice touch that harkens back to the cybernetic arm of the original. It’s one of those sorts of details that makes the figure feel like just a little special effort went into the design.
All things considered though, this figure won’t ever be my go-to Major Bludd. There’s a lot here I could like, and the purple robe isn’t a bad look either. At the same time though, the outfit looks a lot more formal than I’d expect for the seasoned mercenary that Bludd is. With a few other version at hand, it’s hard to justify using this one too much.
I want to say his parts included here are typical for the era, but honestly, they might be below average. Everything is cast in bright red plastic, and you get the dreaded Rock-Viper riffle, Destro pistol and combat knife. Over time I’ve almost grown fond of the neon weapons included during this period for their unique appearance, but it’s just too tiresome when every figure comes with the same, gigantic sniper riffle.
Getting a mint, complete example of this figure around $5 is still relatively easy, and carded figures are plentiful for not a lot more. These days, a price like that could be seen as somewhat of a dismissal by the collecting community, but I have to say this figure could provide a fair amount of value for that much.
Hasbro liked Bludd more than Larry Hama did (or the cartoon writers). What other Cobra character got 3 distinct vintage versions besides CC, Destro and via defection, Storm Shadow? Yet, after 1984, he gradually cease being a major character in other media.
Yeah, Battle Corps Bludd is very comic book villainy. Those waist and legs were not the best choice. The purple fits with the Viper of 1994…purple was practically Cobra blue of the 90’s.
Too bad there’s not Hall of Fame 3 3/4″ Bludd with the logo helmet, the body armor and of course the lack of a shirt! Chad of Chad and Matthew (long time customizers) did a custom, though.
I desperately wanted this figure in the mid 1990’s. But, like most Cobras, he was long gone by the time I started hunting the dregs of the retail line.
Years ago, I had an unpainted resin version of the figure. Sans paint, the eyepatch looked like it had a skull designed into it. In color, it’s obvious that that wasn’t the design. But, it gave me a better impression of the figure for a while.
This is an interesting figure, as he’s probably more sci-fi than the actual Star Brigade figures!
The head is nice, and they didn’t skimp on paint apps, like they did on a lot of 1994 figures, but it’s still probably the worst Major Bludd. Your comment on the giant Rock Viper rifle, helped me figure out one of the problems with the 90s Joes, all the weapons are waaaay too large. Even with the larger figure proportions, things are still out of wack.