2005 Scrap Iron (Comic Pack)
During the 2005 Comic Pack line, it was a rare day when you saw a set that featured three good figures. More of the time, you’d get one or two good figures, and one figure that was completely unnecessary. Such was the case with this Scrap Iron, who’s easily the worst release of the character, but also has an egregious flaw that’s not come to light until recent years.
The truth is, I do not now, and never have really hated this figure. Objectively, it’s a barebones repaint in neon colors with bad accessories, though it does still have some appeal. If you like brightly colored repaints, it’s pretty fun seeing the Scrap Iron mold rendered in ridiculously bright colors that are similar to the Cobra Soldados. It’s curious and stands out particularly well, so there’s some novel appeal if you like that.
The mold is a full repaint of the Urban Division Scrap Iron from 2004, which was already a great version of Scrap Iron and a solid recreation of his original tooling. With that being the case, it really makes me think this slot would’ve been better used on some other repaint besides a Scrap Iron. Plenty of good ARAH molds got overlooked in this era for a figure like this one, who seems unnecessary. In it’s own right, this repaint is passable, but it reflects how Hasbro rarely made the best choices during this time.
The last nail in the coffin for this figure is the yellowing. In 2020, it’s more often you see these badly discolored than you do in mint condition, and that’s very disheartening for a figure that’s barely fifteen years old. Even MOC examples are turning green at an alarming rate, while the Serpentor and Firefly packed beside him remain pristine. It points me to think that this figure yellowing is a foregone conclusion, and one’s that haven’t will eventually. Here’s a montage of sealed examples I found on eBay, just from a recent search:
Other figures from the early 2000‘s are having similar issues (Spy Troops CC, Alley Viper, ect), but it appears most pronounced in this guy. Truthfully, it’s a relief that a boring figure like this one is what must be doomed to discolor, rather than a better release from the same period. Still, it speaks to me that the quality of 2000‘s plastic formulas may not be as good as we thought when these figures were new.
Parts are a pretty big issue with this figure. He includes the 1992 Destro pistol, the Shockwave pistol, and the bazooka with the muzzle from 1991 Zap. I guess you didn’t see that Zap bazooka everyday, so it wasn’t typical, though it feels far from natural with Scrap Iron. The Destro pistol is a good part, but it played itself out in the 2000‘s and was far too generic. Then you get the Shockwave pistol, which really is just a terrible and oversized part. Overall, a generic selection of mediocre parts.
These Scrap-Irons aren’t worth a lot. Typically they go for around $5 on the seldom occasion you find one apart from the Firefly and Serpentor he came with. With the other two, you can still get them for as little as $15. If you can’t get this guy as a freebie with Firefly and Serpentor, there’s really no reason to bother. Even if you like the look of the figure, there’s no guarantee it won’t just spontaneously discolor at a given moment, which erodes what little appeal this figure had in the first place.
The comic packs are discoloring badly. Scarlett, Thrasher and pretty much anyone with any white or blue plastic are either already gone or will be soon. Clone and Storm Troopers from around the same time have the same issue. You see tons of pee yellow Commander Cody’s that were perfectly stored. It’s just crappy materials.
Best part of this figure is that he has blue hair. Other than that, he’s not all that interesting. Had the 2004 figure not come out, this guy would be better. But, 2 releases in about 8 months was overkill, especially since you could get $4 Funskool Scrap Iron’s with his full array of vintage gear at the same time.
In retrospect, it’s nice to have a Cobra that wasn’t in dark, drab colors. And, I hadn’t thought of pairing this guys with Soldados. So, if you see a pic of that combo, thanks!
I’m afraid to dig mine out. Especially since my 2002 Alley Vipers have yellowed parts.
Yes, the accessories suck. At least Zap’s bazooka got the muzzle this time.
Cost saving figure, no new head, no digging out of an old mold. I don’t even think his colors even jibe with the comic book panels, IIRC. (Of course the Serpentor included is also wrong) I don’t dislike it, but there were more interesting choices for that issue…Ripcord as Zartan, Dr. Mindbender (whose mold was likely MIA, so even more unlikely), even some Joe repaints.
I like this figure. I think it’s the worst Scrap Iron, and highly derivative of the original, but for some reason I’m quite fond of it. I think the brightness is kind of charming for the figure, though the fact it’s the third (and final!) use of this torso with the red flak vest, is a real bummer. If they’d swapped the red and black paint apps, he’d be a much more desirable figure.
The comic packs plastic is weird. A long long time ago, I hoped to get the comic pack Storm Shadow dyed COBRA blue by 00zxcvb (I hope you’re well, if you ever see this!), and the figured wound up turning some really odd brownish-purple. It still looked cool, but the plastic had a legit adverse reaction to the dye.