1994 Space Shot
Although when I think of the ‘94 Joes, I typically think of the various updates to 80‘s characters that came out that year. Despite this, there were a few interesting new characters that came out as well, such as Space Shot in the Star Brigade sub-line.
Space Shot’s a pretty weird figure like many of his ‘94 brethren. Personally, I’ve had this figure since my childhood and I really don’t have many strong memories of him. That’s not to say he’s bad, but compared with some of the other Star Brigade offerings he’s a tad on the bland side. The design aesthetic looks more like someone who’d be a crew member on a Star Trek-esque space opera and less like some sort of astronaut. He also lacks a clear visor unlike many of the other Star Brigade Joes, so that’s probably why he fell flat on me for so long.
As an adult, I think Space Shot could have a lot of uses in a collection. One lazier option would be to use him as a spare pilot, which I think his colors and helmet look well suited for. Though a more left field usage could also be to include him with the Battle Force 2000, who matches his aesthetic pretty well.
Interestingly, he also reuses more parts than the typical figure, but I think it’s pulled off pretty well. The waist and legs are from ‘92 Mutt, while the arms are from ‘88 Countdown. The chest and head are new, though at first glance his face really resembles Mutt. On his neck there’s a sculpted and painted portion of his suit’s collar, which I thought was a really nice detail to have present. Also, his chest is REALLY bulky. It doesn’t feel like it hampers his articulation bad compared to say the ‘91 Incinerator, but it’s definitely one of the bigger feeling chest sculpts in the line.
For parts, he includes a new helmet, backpack, and a black version of ‘90 Ambush’s grenade pistol. For a gimmick oriented piece, I find that the backpack is surprisingly fun. It has a grappling hook that allows him to hang from things, locks into position, and automatically recoils once unlocked. His helmet is pretty cool too, reassembling one of the Rebel Fleet troopers from Star Wars. A visor would’ve made it better in my eyes, but it’s not bad. Lastly, the Ambush gun feels like a pretty sci-fi looking weapon, so it’s inclusion here seems appropriate.
Space Shot is unfortunately one of those rare and costly ‘94 figures. More often, you find these from dealers who want $30 to $40 for a carded example. Lose figures may only fetch around $15, but finding an auction for a loose one isn’t too easy either. With patience, I think Space Shot is a fun figure to have for the lower price, but isn’t really interesting or exotic enough to warrant more than that. Collector’s bought up a ton of the excess 1994 stock as evidenced by the amount you find MOSC, so his scarcity shouldn’t be overstated.
The Viper Pit 