Tag Archives: 1994

1994 Alley Viper

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1994 Alley Viper

I turn 30 this year, which doesn’t mean much to me. Though it did get me to thinking I should round off a few more posts on the Joes that turn 30 this year, which proves to be more and more difficult of a task as I’ve already made posts on a bunch, and there aren’t that many to choose from. So, I’ll finally write about the 1994 Alley Viper I have access to, since that one’s fairly interesting in a kind of meta-sense.

Doing things out of order a bit, I’ll start with the figure’s pricing. 1994 Alley Vipers are somewhat rare (I could say less common, because anything you can find a couple examples of on eBay at any given time probably isn’t truly “rare”) and absolutely insane-expensive. Last auction for a complete striped variant (made in China) hit $136, the more common stripe-less variant (made in Indonesia) still hits around $40 as long as it has the face mask. Of domestic, mass-retail single cards, that makes this version of the Alley Viper one of the most expensive figures in the entire line, probably out-priced by the red Ozone (who is genuinely rare), and roughly tied with Predacon by my best guess.

So is this R@RE GI Joe worth it? Nah, not really. This is another figure that’s still owned by my brother, not me, and although Alley Vipers have always been popular with both of us, I always saw this as a subpar remake of the ‘89 figure. As a kid it was kind of fun to pair them together, as he looked similar enough to the original that it could work. Later in life any money I had for Alley Vipers went off to the 2000’s repaints or to the V1 figure, as this guy was just a little too bland to garner much interest from me.

The colors are similar to the original, but if you compare them in-hand, they’re definitely not the same. The orange and blue colors are both slightly brighter, so even the orange is a slightly more eye-searing tone than the comfy shades seen on the original. Obviously one’s not more realistic than the other, but the ‘89 figure just looks better, especially for the blue color complimenting the orange. I will say I find the gold details on the torso pretty nifty, though it’s not a very strong contrast.

The accessories are similar to the 1993 figure, but you don’t get an Alley Viper backpack because Hasbro loves cutting corners. So included here is a mask, Dial-Tone SMG, Version 2 Alley Viper gun (thick foregrip), a shield and a figure stand in super bright orange, along with a missile launcher in bright blue. I don’t mind some neon weapons, but I do dislike it when they match the figure’s primary color. In this figure’s case, it makes him look like a solid orange blob, when blue or gold would’ve been a lot better.

Oh yeah, I kind of touched on it at the beginning, but I’ll highlight the two variants of the figure again. V3 Alley Vipers were made in both China and in Indonesia, with the Chinese ones featuring an extra paint-application on the legs compared to the Indonesian ones that lack it. It’s similar to other variants from the same year like with Stalker and Dial-Tone and a few others, where seemingly one factory wouldn’t have access to the same paint-masks as the other. It’s actually pretty boring, but nerds are thirsty for anything that could be considered a novel and rare colectibible.

Figures like this that just sort of became expensive suddenly are something I find baffling. It’s very hard to understand and seems to be occurring in more niches than just vintage GI Joe, so it appears to be a bit of a broader social phenomena as opposed to something more inherent to our collecting. Lock-down noobs seem to have mostly blown off in most spaces, particularly last year. Inflation really shouldn’t make old toys more expensive either, though it should be making things harder for all but the upper-class (meaning prices should go down). The only other interesting social anecdote I can think of, is that a lot of guys are dropping out of marriage. It stuck in my head when I read this, because hags and kids tend to eat up a lot of money, that now probably goes to male-dominated hobbies like this one instead. Guys not getting their routine divorces from some gold-digging trophy wife probably also plays an effect, since it seemed like every other eBay auction I won in the 2000‘s would be described along the lines of “Getting divorced and have to sell everything.”. That’s probably not entirely it either, though society finding itself in a bizarre and increasingly dysfunctional state could have some role in it.

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1994 Viper

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1994 Viper

Although I’ve actually talked about the Battle Corps Viper on here before, that post was from a different time, years ago, when I hadn’t really figured out what was doing with this blog. That’s important to note, because rehashing old topics isn’t really something I feel like doing, yet I have a lot I want to say about this figure, so he’s kind of an exception to that.

Without a doubt, the Battle Corps Viper is one of the coolest Battle Corps toys, and honestly one of the best Vipers ever made. I don’t think he’s better than the original Viper’s design, just because I can’t really see this one filling the same role that that figure does. This version of the Viper looks less utilitarian, and more like an intimidating soldier of the future, with state-of-the-art gear that can take a few hits. He’s been various things to me at various points, though what I’ve settled on is an elite soldier in top-class combat gear. He can move quickly, but also take repeated gun shots without stopping. Perhaps this figure’s only flaw is that he looks like something more than just a basic Viper.

There’s so much detail going on with this sculpt to comment on. The look of his helmet is both unique among GI Joe designs, but also reminiscent of something a little pulpy and old. Personally it kind of reminds me of something you’d have seen out of Japan from decades prior, like the Cyborg Men from Cyborg 009, or maybe a little like Hakaider (though, it’s probably the pointy shoulders that remind me more of Hakaider). It cements them in my mind as intimidating foes; though it’s also an interesting direction they took with the Viper’s design. Making this connection and then thinking about the live-action GI Joe advertisement from the time, I’m left wondering if Tokusatsu was an inspiration behind this look. Probably a stretch, but nerds have always liked Japan, so maybe not too unrealistic.

This figure’s always been a favorite of mine, though my opinions have come and gone on his colors. Back in my teenage years I used to stare at this figure, and contemplate what he could’ve been with better colors. Of course, there was the drool worthy Iron Anvil figure floating around, which for a while I wanted much more than this one. Then at some point, my opinions flipped, and I’ve been stuck ever since feeling like the Iron Anvil was shallow and largely a missed opportunity for something else, while this figure became the more interesting usage of the mold in my mind. I think part of that’s because both visually and in terms of story, the Iron Anvil doesn’t really have anything new going on, where as this guy seems more like an interesting and unique Cobra, that doesn’t look just like every other figure in his faction.

This mold still could’ve been so much. With how expensive and tedious factory customs have become, someone like TBM bringing back this sculpt could really reel me back in from my recent wave of disinterest. Coil colors, Red Shadows, Arctic, Jungle, Cobra CAT… Heck, put out a Cobra La color-scheme reminiscent of the Royal Guard. It’s really just a shame that such a solid sculpt was only reused once, and in none other than the Iron Grenadier “magic-sauce” colors.

For parts, you get Monkeywrench’s speargun, a ’91 Toxo Viper pistol, ’92 Spirit’s pistol, the Hydro Viper’s knife, and a figure stand all in bright red, with a requisite missile launcher and missiles (‘93 Alley Viper’s). From when I was a kid until now, I really loved how that Toxo Viper pistol looked with him. In my mind, this was an experimental and highly dangerous weapon, like a railgun, that could even penetrate tank armor. Some of his gear takes a little imagination to rationalize, but I like it more than I really should. Plus, if you use the logic of an FPS game, that trident-launcher is probably the most deadly weapon after a riot-shield.

A ‘94 Viper will now run you around $15 for a complete example, but you can get partless figures for army-building for around $8. Unfortunately though, this figure has gotten a lot harder to find. Most of that probably has to do with eBay’s seller policies being so crappy now, compared to years ago, but regardless you won’t find figures like this as often as you used to. When you can find them though, he’s relatively cheap for a ‘94 figure, which is still a nice thing to see.

Battle Corps Viper 1994 Gi joe hasbro cobra vintage Battle Corps Viper 1994 Gi joe hasbro cobra vintageBattle Corps Viper 1994 Gi joe hasbro cobra vintage

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1994 Techno Viper

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1994 Techno Viper

1994 and the Star Brigade line in particular are memorable for the amount of tooling Hasbro recycled during that period. One source of repaints came via the drivers for the obscure Power-Fighters, which included Gears for the Joes and a Techno Viper for Cobra. Just for being seldom seen and offering alternatives for some good sculpts, they’re fun repaints, though, that’s about the extent of what you can say about them.

Like a lot of collectors, I’m really fond of Techno Vipers. They do a great job filling a support role for Cobra in a way that’s a lot more fun than the Tele-Viper. I like Tele-Vipers too, but that figure is arguably the worst sculpt from ‘85, while the Techno Viper has little competition for the best Cobra from ‘87. Despite that, there’s only one solid variation of the Techno Viper, and it’s this repaint from the very tail-end of the line.

You never really see this Techno Viper or Gears very much, even by 1994 standards. I attribute some of that to the fact that the Power-Fighters never got out very well, and to this day are hard to find items. It’s also worth mentioning that on top of that, the Power-Fighters are awful toys, and the only reason you’d want the sets is for the odd repaint drivers.

The ‘94 Techno Viper is a solid recolor which for the most part, has darker colors than the toy it’s based on. It’s also a lot worse looking than the original Techno Viper, mainly because so many paint applications were cut for this release. On a figure like Gears, that really didn’t hurt the Barricade sculpt too bad. However, the V1 Techno Viper was a very detailed and well-painted figure, which makes this ‘94 release look much worse by comparison. There’s a lot of blank space on the ‘94 release, where the paint is so sparse he doesn’t even have a Cobra symbol. The helmet too, is a particular area where I feel the toy is bowdlerized compared to the original, featuring only two colors compared to four.

Early production samples of this figure feature all of the copper colors replaced with bright yellow. You can see pictures of this variant on the back of the box (3D Joes), which implies to me it was changed to copper a bit later in the production process. It’s a curious thing that they swapped the colors like that, though I must say I’m glad, because this figure would be way worse with the yellow.

In my collection, this figure has often had the role of an officer, a generic idea I often apply to one-off repaints. Sadly, there’s not much else to do with a figure like this. Army-building this figure is far from easy, likewise, there’s no other practical role or niche to put him in. So for that, he defaults to being a simple team leader. I enjoy him in this role, and have sometimes contemplated him being a unique character akin to Skullbuster. Still, I’ve never found him important enough to develop that idea much further.

1994 Techno Vipers are very hard to find, and costly too. Last one on eBay as of this writing sold for $92, probably a little more than it was worth, but it’s what you can expect to pay if you want one. These have always been on the pricey end, and I have to say I find it amusing how figures like this one haven’t increased in value parallel to V1 Cobra Commanders and Funskool Sky Divers. I suppose that speaks to how niche this figure remains, and for that, it’s pretty interesting.

When I was 15 I thought this was clever. Fun times.

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1994 Shipwreck

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1994 Shipwreck

Shipwreck is probably among the most memorable and iconic GI Joe characters in the franchise. Especially for people who came in on Sunbow, Shipwreck was kind of the cartoon’s alternative to Clutch, as a similar kind of personality who was easier to identify with than characters like Flint, Duke or Snake Eyes. Despite his popularity, he really never received all that many toys, only being represented by his original in ‘85 and this Battle Corps version nine years later.

So this version of Shipwreck is a diver, which is hard to say whether this makes Shipwreck more usable or less usable. Although it’s the most recognizable element of the character, Shipwreck seems a little more cohesive outside of his sailor duds. It weakens his identity a bit, but also makes me imagine a lot of different scenarios where you might find Shippy in diving gear. Since I was a kid I’ve always imagined this Shipwreck going on a lot of sabotage missions, rendering him somewhat of a Joe equivalent to Firefly.

Like many ‘93 and ‘94 figures, Shipwreck is recycles the waist and legs from older sculpts, in this case ‘86 Wet Suit. In a few cases this mold recycling was a little more arbitrary, like with ‘94 Major Bludd, but here I feel like it somewhat benefits the figure for tying him back to Wet Suit, and adds a little continuity to their designs. They’re both GI Joe divers, it sort of makes sense to me that they’d share similar equipment/outfits.

For parts, you get a diving mask, two flippers, a Shockwave pistol, Bullhorn’s Steyr AUG, and a Hit&Run riffle and knife all in black, in addition to a silver missile launcher (and it’s missiles). I always appreciate old figures that came with decent looking black guns, even if it might’ve been nicer for him to have some kind of diver-specific part like a spear gun. The rubber mask is really one of the most fun parts that comes with this figure, as it also makes him one of the only diver figures that has a fully removable mask and air-intake.

This mold got a couple of repaints, most of which weren’t really better than this release, but not really worse either. He showed up in ‘98 as a part of the Navy Assault Unit set, colored black with bright green highlights. He then showed up another time in 2001 as apart of the ARAHC line, looking just like this figure with the addition of paint-wipes. This figure already had fine colors, so I’m not sure there’s much else you’d do with it, though a brighter repaint might’ve been kind of neat.

‘94 Shipwrecks go for about $15 to $20 complete, though for much less incomplete. I notice this with more Battle Corps figures these days, where there’s huge discrepancies between what a complete and incomplete figure will go for. It strikes me as odd, given that with most of these figures like Shipwreck, the parts are totally generic and not even unique to the figure. His exact same tree of parts was included with both Cross-Country and the two versions of Battle Corps Roadblock, so between the three of them, there’s a lot of these parts out there. Either way, he’s a nice figure, and worth getting in some fashion.

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1994 Payload (Version 4), Star Brigade

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1994 Payload (Version 4), Star Brigade

One sad flaw of the Star Brigade line, is that ultimately most of the figures are repaints. 1994 brought more new sculpts here than the previous year, but the line remained saturated with older sculpts. Some of the repaints are of superb quality no doubt, and while that may not describe this Payload figure, he certainly looks decent.

Payload is a recolor of Eco Warriors Barbecue, and this figure is one of three repaints of that figure in the Star Brigade line. It’s really astounding they recolored this mold that many times over the course of a few years, and in a way it diminishes the significance of a few of the figures. Of them, this black and blue variation is the one I find the most appealing.

The colors are quite strong on this version. It reuses most of the paint-masks from the previous green Star Brigade Payload, but loses one paint application on the chest. Of the two, they’re pretty similar and it’s quite subjective which one is better, but for whatever reason I think the blue and gold looks more interesting than the green and silver.

I’ve never commented on this sculpt before, but I feel it works much better as an Eco-Warrior than an Astronaut. Star Brigade Roadblock for example was a perfect mold reuse for this line, while Payload here feels a tad forced. Something about the shape and folds of the suit just don’t strike me as a space-suit in the slightest. The head sculpt is probably the coolest part of the mold regardless, with the translucent visor and painted face underneath.

As a kid, this guy and all of his repaints were consistent villains in my scenarios. For whatever reason Eco-Warriors Barbecue struck me as an unfriendly looking character, so I turned him into a more Overkill-like cyborg character who worked with all of his repaints for Vapor. His face under his visor was all that was left of his humanity, and was being preserved in fluid, hence the need for the suit. I think their minds might’ve been linked through the Internet too.

One thing this figure has over his green counterpart, is vastly superior accessories. He comes with ‘92 Shockwave’s XM-15, Ambush’s EM-2, Updraft’s pistol, and ‘91 Low-Light’s knife, all in a nice shade of light gray. It’s a huge upgrade over fluorescent red, and for some spare parts these were some decent weapons at the time. Most of the sculpts are good, and light gray is a workable color.

So in the end the figure provides a nice alternative to an already pretty decent sculpt, with some decent parts as an added bonus. The downside is that he’s a pretty rare figure, and on top of that you usually find them carded more often than not. This puts the figure around $25 typically, and requires some hunting at that. It’s not more than the figure’s worth, but the green ‘93 version provides most of the same entertainment value for a lot less.

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1994 Major Bludd

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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.

Major bludd 90's 1994 GI Joe battle corps hasbro arah vintage action figure crimson guard imp metal head

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.

Major bludd 90's 1994 GI Joe battle corps hasbro arah vintage action figure crimson guard imp metal head
Major bludd 90's 1994 GI Joe battle corps hasbro arah vintage action figure crimson guard imp metal head

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Shadow Ninja Nunchuck, 1994

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Shadow Ninja Nunchuck

I’m a big fan of Ninja Force figures. Their gimmicks don’t usually bother me much, and I usually find the figures to have sculpts that are strong with great colors. That doesn’t give everything Hasbro tried with the line a free pass however, and one subset I certainly don’t love is the Shadow Ninjas. Today I’m looking at Nunchuck, but most of my comments could likely be applied to this line as a whole.

The Shadow Ninjas were a single assortment from 1994, reusing the ’92 and ’93 Ninja Force molds. The figures now are cast largely in semi-translucent, color changing plastic for a new gimmick on top of their existing action features. This is entirely what ruins the Shadow Ninjas, including Nunchuck. This plastic is inherently fragile. Most of the ones from my childhood have broken or cracked thumbs, which is something I can’t say for any other GI Joe toys I owned as a kid. Of the entire subset, the only intact figures I have left are this Nunchuck and the Nightcreeper.

Another issue the plastic brings along is it’s appearance. Clear toys can sometimes get a pass for being stupid as long as they look good (Like the 2003 Firebat). The Shadow Ninjas weren’t totally clear however, only partially. What you end up with is a figure that looks like it was made out of soap. Additionally, the elbow joints were often not made of a color changing plastic at all, making certain figures look even uglier with miscolored joints.

On top of all that, Nunchuck is a huge visual down grade from his original figure. The colors on V1 Nunchuck make him one of the most appealing Ninja Force figures, but now that’s all gone for dull magenta. The paint is also much more simplistic and basic than V1 Nunchuck’s, further making this figure quite bland and ugly.

Gijoe 1994 Ninja Force Snake Eyes Hasbro vintage action figure

If there’s one thing I can’t say I hate about Shadow Ninjas, it’s their parts. The Shadow Ninjas all featured parts similar to the typical Ninja Force figures, but in completely translucent plastic. As a kid, I loved these weapons and would give them to various other figures. I often times would give them to Star Brigade figures or Iron Grenadiers who I thought looked pretty good with an energy sword/ light saber type thing. Mind you, the bows like the one Nunchuck here includes were always pretty difficult to get a figure to hold, but the swords and halberds saw frequent usage.

Shadow Ninjas as a whole aren’t as common as their Ninja Force counterparts. Often times Ninja Force figures can still be had for prices similar to their original retail, while these figure are a little harder to find. As a consequence, they often have more inconsistent prices. A loose complete Nunchuck will sometimes go for as much as $15, while a MOSC example might go for $12. Likely, this is just the general value of the figure and being sealed adds nothing to that.

Gijoe 1994 Ninja Force Snake Eyes Hasbro vintage action figureGijoe 1994 Ninja Force Snake Eyes Hasbro vintage action figure

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(Note: There’s almost zero content about this figure on the internet. So here’s a fun 1993 commercial for all of the Joe products out at that time.)

Metal Head V2, 1994

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Battle Corps Metal Head

There’s a lot of strong V2 and V3 figures that came out of the 90‘s. Some of them I feel are clearly better than their predecessors. Others are strong, but can’t surpass their original figures (Beachhead and Duke). V2 Metal Head is one of the former, and is a figure I consider to be a clear cut upgrade over V1 Metal Head.

To explain my affinity for this figure, I have to first mention that I’m really not a fan of V1 Metal Head. I love the character and appreciate him as one of the few Iron Grenadiers who isn’t a troop builder, but the toy has way too many problems. The accessories made the figure far too delicate and it’s hard to find one that isn’t broken. Furthermore, the sculpt just looked lame. His head is poorly defined, and his stocky proportions have always given him a “Dad bod” look to me.

This Metal Head largely avoids all of those problems. Starting with the sculpt, it’s amazing how much sharper the figure looks being only four years newer than his last incarnation. The head is full of personality that reflects Metal Head’s character, with a deviously smug expression and a lot more detail overall. The metallic vest and asymmetrical arms have a nice and unique look too. He’s rounded off with the waist and legs of the Rock Viper, which look good and appropriate with the rockets on one thigh.

Like many ‘94 Joes, his paint applications are few to be seen. He’s mainly the plastic colors that he was cast in with silver and black detailing the majority of the figure, and a little white for his teeth. Nothing important is left unpainted, and the colors are relatively strong for a figure from this time period.

Gi Joe 90's Battle Corps Hasbro vintage action figure dic season 3 Iron Grenadiers Voltar

The figure’s parts are somewhat of it’s weak point. They’re all recycled guns from older figures just like with the rest of the Battle Corps line, but at the very least most of the guns are appropriate for once. Both the SMG and pistol are from other Iron Grenadiers (the Annihilator and Iron Grenadier respectively), giving a nice touch of consistency with his weapons. For some reason, I really don’t mind the purple on the Iron Grenadier pistol, so the coloring doesn’t hurt it much in my eyes. His last weapons are the PSG1 from the Rock Viper, and the V2 HEAT Viper’s missile launcher. Neither elicit much interest.

Overall, he’s really only a slightly better than average ‘94 figure, but when you compare that to a slightly worse than average ‘90 figure, you’re left with an compelling upgrade. As such, he is and almost always has been my default Metal Head. As a figure that won’t run you more than a few dollars, even MOSC, I highly recommend him.

Gi Joe 90's Battle Corps Hasbro vintage action figure dic season 3 Iron Grenadiers VoltarGi Joe 90's Battle Corps Hasbro vintage action figure dic season 3 Iron Grenadiers Voltar

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1994 Blackstar

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As 1994 is the infamous year that “killed” GI Joe, there are many figures from that year that are well known for their goofiness. The Lunartix aliens, Shadow Ninjas, and the unfortunately named Ice Cream Soldier are all examples of figures that a lot of GI Joe fans know, but in a fairly negative way. Blackstar is in my opinion, possibly the most obscure Cobra character ever made, and he’s not a terrible figure, either. Unlike the other guys, he’s just not outrageous enough to stand out.

When people look at 1994 figures, only what’s stupid or silly stands out to them. Anything that’s less than that falls between the cracks, which leaves figures like Blackstar being severely overlooked. Additionally, his bio is one that leaves him somewhat poorly defined as a character. It refers to the Blackstar as some sort of space mercenaries, but then to this figure as “This particular Cobra Blackstar”. It’s a little confusing as to if he’s a generic soldier or a unique character, but I suppose that’s up to the owners imagination. In either case, it’s another element adding to his obscurity.

The most redeeming quality of this figure is his sculpt. He has a very detailed and cool looking chest and helmet, albeit the details are lost somewhat amid the black plastic. His legs are reused from Barricade, and I think it’s fair to say they’re a decent match. His head was later reused for a Joecon Steel Brigade figure, but it would have been nice if Hasbro could’ve done something with the entire mold in better colors.

Speaking of colors, the figure has an only passable palette. There’s a decent combination of yellow, neon green, silver and black, colors that aren’t terrible, but really do the sculpted details no favors. Sans the green, it’s the same scheme as the 1986 BAT, so as a Joe fan I think the colors are at least forgivable. The BAT’s sculpt was more simplistic in the black areas though, so it didn’t suffer from obscuring it’s own details in the way Blackstar does.

His accessories are also rather poor, even for a late 90‘s figure. Blackstar includes a unique, backpack mounted missile launcher and a black Rock Viper pistol. The Rock Viper pistol looks better in black and does have a rather spacey look to it, but other than that the lame launcher is all you get. I suppose he’s a pilot of some sort, so the lacking parts can be overlooked, but still.

Ultimately, Blackstar is useful as a blank-slate Cobra. His background is poorly detailed and his character is nonexistent, so it’s easy to use him as anything you like. He could pass for a next gen BAT, a spare Eco Warrior, or he could even look really good paired with the V2 Alley Viper. He has an excellent look that could easily work in a number of different ways.

Like a lot of 1994 figures, he’s pretty hard to find, and his value tends to vary greatly. Some, especially partless or in lots, go as low as around $6, but others edge towards upwards of $30. This figure could add a lot of novelty to a collection when you find him on the cheaper end, however, he’s certainly not worth paying an exuberant amount for.

GI Joe Blackstar Star Brigade 1994 arah Hasbro toy

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