Archive: Skydive - HALO Jumper (Jungle Assault)

Skydive was released in the first quarter of 2011 as part of the fourth wave of figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line. The Pursuit of Cobra line features environment-themed missions in which the G.I. Joe team pursues Cobra operatives to the ends of the earth. As part of the Jungle Assault mission theme, a G.I. Joe team led by Duke discovers a heavily fortified Cobra fortress, the Terror Drome, in a remote jungle.

If you're familiar with the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toy line from 1982-1994, the code-name Skydive might ring a bell. Skydive was introduced in 1990 as part of the Sky Patrol sub-line, as the Sky Patrol team leader. It's taken twenty years, but Skydive has finally received an update. The silver parachute pack--a staple of the Sky Patrol line--has been replaced with a modernized rocket pack and the plain jumpsuit is now a sleek armor-lined HALO suit. One thing that hasn't changed is Skydive's identity, as Hasbro has kept true to the biography from the original 1990 file card.

Release Date: 2011
Figure Number: 1106
Retail Price: $6.99
Accessories: jump suit with oxygen hoses, helmet, rocket pack with button-activated opening wings, missile (2), air intake valve (2), pistol, display stand with G.I. Joe logo (SKYDIVE)

Did You Know? When Hasbro unveiled its plans for the Pursuit of Cobra line, it envisioned the line as an off-screen extension to The Rise of Cobra movie. Initial prototypes of Pursuit of Cobra figures were developed and revealed using movie actor likenesses. Collectors lauded one such figure, Desert Battle Ripcord, which featured the portrait of actor Marlon Wayans. Unfortunately, Hasbro canceled the figure when it made the decision to abandon actor likenesses in the line. When the opportunity to revise the canceled figure presented itself, Hasbro replaced Wayans' likeness with a baklava covered head and a used a jungle-themed paint scheme, reincarnating Ripcord as Skydive.

Skydive

Name: Lynton N. Felix
Serial Number: 131-45-FX90
Grade: E-8 (Master Sergeant)
Mission Equipment: ZETA Rocket Pack with Turbojet Engine and Aerosonice Wings

Skydive is an airborne combat specialist on the G.I. Joe team. He is experienced in HALO (High-Altitude Low-Opening) and HAHO (High-Altitude High-Opening) jumps. Using an advance rocket pack, he flies to a mysterious Cobra base under construction in the jungle. On the ground, he heads for the building, unaware that Shadow Tracker is following him and preparing an attack.