Archive: Kim Arashikage (Unmasked) - Ninja / Intelligence

Kim "Jinx" Arashikage was released in the summer of 2012 as a convention exclusive at San Diego Comic-Con. Two versions of Jinx were produced: a primary deco version matching the classic red color style of the original 1987 figure and a variant version wearing a white shinobi shozoko. The variant features the unmasked portrait of actress Elodie Yung, who portrays the character in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Both figures were available at the Hasbro Toy Shop booth (limited to three for the primary version and one for the variant, per attendee badge) at Comic-Con and later online at HasbroToyShop.com, in limited quantities.

Many of us are familiar with the red deco'ed version of Jinx and consider it the character's de facto look. If you're among that crowd, you'll be surprised to learn that Jinx debuted in Marvel's G.I. Joe A Real American Hero comics sporting a white shinobi shozoku with no mask and a long flowing ponytail. This first appearance makes the use of G.I. Joe: Retaliation actress Elodie Yung's portrait ideal, but a far cry from the red-clad, shaggy haired appearance we've become accustomed to, due in part to G.I. Joe: The Movie.

Archive: Kim Arashikage - Ninja / Intelligence

Kim "Jinx" Arashikage was released in the summer of 2012 as a convention exclusive at San Diego Comic-Con. Two versions of Jinx were produced: a primary deco version matching the classic red color style of the original 1987 figure and a variant version wearing a white shinobi shozoko. The variant features the unmasked portrait of actress Elodie Yung, who portrays the character in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Both figures were available at the Hasbro Toy Shop booth (limited to three for the primary version and one for the variant, per attendee badge) at Comic-Con and later online at HasbroToyShop.com, in limited quantities.

Jinx's name embodies collector sentiment when it comes to the frustration felt in acquiring convention exclusive items from Hasbro. Many collectors feel jinxed because if you can't attend a convention or aren't incessantly checking Hasbro Top Shop after the con ends (which only has limited quantities that usually sell out within minutes), you're stuck paying aftermarket prices that are double or triple the retail cost.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation - What's Out Now?

Amid rumors of short supply and recalls most big-box retail chains have stocked their toy aisles with G.I. Joe: Retaliation toys. In fact, just about everything has been in relatively good supply with only a few variant figures being a tad tricky to track down. To help you on your toy hunt, we've added a G.I. Joe: Retaliation product listing to our photo archive that contains all of the items available at retail. There are nine unique figures with two variants in the first wave (11 total with variants). If you're looking for the variants, Target seems to be getting shipments with the black version of Cobra Commander and the gold masked/caped G.I. Joe Trooper, while Toys R Us is the spot for the blue colored versions of the two figures. Other items included in the first wave of Retaliation toys are two figure multi-packs, two alpha-class vehicles, two bravo-class vehicles, and two delta-class vehicles.

Archive: Tunnel Rat - Infiltrator (G.I. Joe: Renegades)

Tunnel Rat was released in the winter of 2011 as part of the third wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

It's interesting to follow the evolution of certain characters over the years. Tunnel Rat was originally based on the Vietnam War era soldiers responsible for subterranean search and destroy missions. With slightly over a decade separating the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam (1973) and the release of the first incarnation of Tunnel Rat in 1987, the character's persona was fitting for the time. But as that decade grew to nearly four, generational disconnects developed and the inclusion of Tunnel Rat in  G.I. Joe: Renegades meant the the character's persona had to be re-imagined with one more relevant to the changes in society. While Tunnel Rat still likes to squeeze through tight spaces, his new stomping grounds are more urban and industrial, and exploit a trend that has captured the interest of many in the Internet generation, urban exploration--the examination of unseen or off-limits parts of urban areas.

Archive: Techno-Viper - Cobra Engineer

The Techno-Viper was released in the winter of 2011 as part of the third wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

If you venture into the toy isles of your local department store searching for a purple-colored anything, you'd be best served heading toward the girls' section. While purple isn't a common color in the color palette of action figures today, it fit right in to Hasbro's G.I. Joe 3-3/4-inch lineup 30 years ago, thanks in part to its uniquely diverse cast of characters. Each character had a persona, quirks and distinguishable features--such as a bright purple color scheme--that differentiated it from the others. While the purple on this modern homage to the Techno-Viper is more subdued than on its predecessor, it's still a fitting triubte. Besides, if you were hoping from something brighter, the twentieth anniversary of Battle Corps is right around the corner and fluorescent is making a comeback!

Archive: Storm Shadow - Cobra Ninja (G.I. Joe: Renegades)

Storm Shadow was released in the winter of 2011 as part of the third wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

It's said two heads are better than one and the 30th Anniversary Storm Shadow is no exception. With the swap of a head (and a belt/sash combination) Storm Shadow transforms from the kid-recognized G.I. Joe: Renegades animated style to a collector-friendly, ultimate version that captures the essence of the classic character. Packed with an arsenal of weapons that rival the number and quality of those included with Low-Light and Lifeline, even for Snake Eyes, it's a combination that's hard to beat.

Archive: Quick Kick - Martial Arts Expert (City Strike)

Quick Kick was released in the summer of 2010 as part of an exclusive wave of figures--available through Toys R Us--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 City Strike mission theme, the G.I. Joe team stealthily infiltrates a Cobra warehouse, in an urban center, housing some of Destro's newest weaponry.

When you think of adversaries in the G.I. Joe mythos the rivalry between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow ranks among the most intense. As well documented as their conflict is now, Snake Eyes' inability to speak made conveying that rivalry to kids watching the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero animated series a challenge. To remedy this, writers first pitted Spirit and later Quick Kick against Storm Shadow. Through in-battle dialog, Storm Shadow's character was developed and his honorable nature and inner strife were revealed, something that couldn't have be done easily with a silent Snake Eyes.

Archive: Law & Order - Police K-9 Unit (G.I. Joe: Renegades)

Law & Order were released in the winter of 2011 as part of the fourth wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

The retail version of Law has some noticable differences when compared to the prototype revealed at G.I. JoeCon 2011. These differences give us some insight on how design changes impact the figure production process and are quite fascinating when analyzed. If you look closely at the prototype, you'll notice that while  the upper half of Law's design remains the same, the lower half differs. Not only are the legs a different color, but they use an entirely different tooling, which includes a holster. This may explain why the flashlight and walkie-talkie (that would have presumably fit into the hole a on the back, lower, left side of Law's vest) were omiitted in favor of the additional pistol with suppressor. While it's safe to assume that cost-cutting played a role in the omission of the alternate balaclava-masked head, it's also a good bet that the "MP" designation first shown printed on Law's face shield was moved to his helmet to keep the aesthetic closer in appearance to the 1987 figure.

Archive: Kurt "Airtight" Schnurr - Hostile Environment Specialist (G.I. Joe: Renegades)

Airtight was released in the winter of 2011 as part of the fourth wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

Many fans were surprised by the announcement of Airtight in the 30th Anniversary line, but in hindsight Hasbro's decision makes sense. As a character who appears in the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series and doubles as a tribute figure, by filling a hole from the 1985 role call, Airtight appeals to both kids and collectors alike. The card art may read G.I. Joe: Renegades, but the figure screams A Real American Hero.

Archive: Seymour "Sci-Fi" Fine - Elite Combat Trooper

Sci-Fi was released in the winter of 2011 as part of the fourth wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

While the notion of fluorescent-colored figures typically makes G.I. Joe collectors cringe, Sci-Fi is an exception. Market research suggested that The Rise of Cobra movie figures' all-black deco made the figures difficult to differentiate and created confusion among parents, kids and even some collectors. To remedy this, Hasbro decided to develop their 30th Anniversary G.I. Joe offering by adding characters that were a little more "colorful," in both the literal and figurative sense. Not necessarily fan favorites, characters such as Sci-Fi, Airtight and Lifeline were well received--despite their bright coloring--because they were well-designed and well-equipped interpretations of their classic predecessors.

Archive: Ripcord - Paratrooper (G.I. Joe: Renegades)

Ripcord was released in the winter of 2011 as part of the third wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

Ripcord is another victim of the accessory changes and cuts that plagued the 30th Anniversary line. If you look closely at the figure's pre-production sample, revealed at G.I. JoeCon 2011, you'll notice an additional pistol and a unique vest, one that better resembles the vest worn by Ripcord in the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series, which were not included with the figure. In fairness to Hasbro, the figure was revealed almost a year prior to its scheduled release date, however, the vest continued to be shown with the figure at both San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic Con--two events closely leading up to the figure's retail release.

Archive: Zombie-Viper - Cobra Trooper

The Zombie-Viper was released in the winter of 2011 as part of the fourth wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

Zombies are experiencing a pop-culture resurgence. Capitalizing on the undead phenomenon, Hasbro began developing the Zombie-Viper story in the Pursuit of Cobra line. The Pursuit of Cobra's wave 5 Cobra Commander figure includes a case with a secret blue-colored element--a raw ingredient used to create Compound-Z. A series of experiments in secret Cobra labs saw the secret element developed into a weaponized chemical, which was stored in canisters included with the Hazard-Viper, as part of the first wave of 30th Anniversary figures. Finally, the newly created chemical, Compound-Z, is injected into Cobra infantry troopers via a hose-fed containment helmet, turning them into Cobra's undead soldiers--Zombie-Vipers.

Archive: Cobra Trooper - Infantry (G.I. Joe: Renegades)

The Cobra Trooper was released in the winter of 2011 as part of the third wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

Not to be confused with the Cobra Trooper released in the first wave of the 30th Anniversary line, this Cobra Trooper is based on the infantry troops as they appeared in the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series. Since the animated Cobra Troopers have exposed faces, an alternate head sculpt with a mask that veils the face, much like the balaclava of its predecessors, was also included.

Archive: Scarlett - Undercover Agent (G.I. Joe: Renegades)

Scarlett was released in the winter of 2011 as part of the third wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

Like other 30th Anniversary figures, Scarlett's accessories were scaled back and did not include all of the gear revealed at G.I. JoeCon 2011, however, unlike many of the earlier 30th Anniversary figures (particularly those in waves one and two) Scarlett's character I.D. card does not make mention of the missing accessories. Scarlett's omitted accessories include a sword with scabbard, two forearm long blades and a gas mask.

Archive: Cobra Viper - Infantry

The Cobra Viper was released in the summer of 2011 as part of the second wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

Heavy retail overstock of early waves of Pursuit of Cobra figures made it difficult to find figures from latter waves in the line. When Hasbro transitioned the Pursuit of Cobra line into the 30th Anniversary line, they took this into account and re-released several of these difficult to find figures as part of the 30th Anniversary collection. For the most part, the re-released figures were identical to their Pursuit of Cobra predecessors, however some, such as the Cobra Viper, have deco and accessory variations.

Archive: Zarana - Sister to Zartan (Cold Slither)

Zarana was released in the summer of 2011 as a convention exclusive at San Diego Comic-Con. Two versions of Zarana were produced: a primary deco version matching the classic style of the original 1986 figure and a variant version with dark paint applications and t-shirt sporting the logo of Dreadnok rock band Cold Slither. Both figures were available at the Hasbro Toy Shop booth (limited to three for the primary version and one for the variant, per attendee badge) at Comic-Con and later online at HasbroToyShop.com, in limited quantities.

Zarana's Cold Slither band shirt features pantograph printing on the front and back. The front of the shirt reads "Cold Slither North American Tour 1985" while the back lists the stops along the band's tour schedule including Cleveland, OH; Cincinnati, OH; Toronto, ON; Great Woods, MA; Philadelphia, PA; Providence, RI; Seattle WA; Los Angeles, CA and finally closing out in San Diego, CA, where the figure was exclusively available for purchase.

Archive: Firely - Saboteur (Renegades)

Firefly was released in the summer of 2011 as part of the second wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

Firefly makes his G.I. Joe: Renegades debut in episode 10, "Fire Fight." Cobra Industries is building a damn in the town of Green Ridge and its construction is ruining the resort town's local economy. The state of the town is of no concern to Cobra, however, as the damn is the power source for their secret Bio-Viper lab on the outskirts of town. When the town's mayor informs the Baroness that its citizens have voted to cease construction of the damn, unknowingly putting a wrench in Cobra's operations, Firefly is called upon to strong arm the town into submission by threatening to burn it to the ground.

Archive: Cobra Commander - Cobra Leader (Renegades)

Cobra Commander was released in the summer of 2011 as part of the second wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

In G.I. Joe: The Movie, it's revealed that Cobra Commander is a Cobra-La scientist disfigured in a laboratory accident and later entrusted, by Cobra-La leader Golobulus, to build an army capable of ruling the world. While The Rise of Cobra doesn't resonate well with many fans, its origin story for Cobra Commander loosely resembles its animated predecessor. Army scientist Rex Lewis, assumed killed in a friendly-fire attack on a biological weapons lab, emerges as a shadow of himself with a new identity and a obsession for world domination. Most recently, in G.I. Joe: Renegades, disfigured businessman Adam DeCobray uses a pharmaceutical company as a front to develop a human-hybrid army of bio-warriors, in hopes of conquering the world. The origins of Cobra Commander may have evolved over the years, but his hunger for world conquest remains intense, as ever.

Archive: Snake Eyes - Ninja Commando (Renegades)

Snake Eyes was released in the summer of 2011 as part of the second wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

Unfortunatley, Snake Eyes is one of a number of figures in the 30th Anniversary line that didn't receive their full compliment of accessories. When the 30th Anniversary figures were unveiled, Snake Eyes was displayed with an Arashikage Sword Stand and Ninja Grappling Hook. Hasbro later decided not to include these accessories with the figure, despite still mentioning them on the figure's Character I.D. card.

Archive: Duke - Squad Leader (Renegades)

Duke was released in the summer of 2011 as part of the second wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

G.I. Joe: Renegades' initial reception was lukewarm, at best. Following the adult-targeted and well-received G.I. Joe: Resolute animated series was a tough task, but Renegades grew on people as the series progressed. Unfortunately, like G.I. Joe: Resolute, G.I. Joe: Renegades had a short series stint, leaving many fans frustrated. Despite being non-committal about the future of  the series, Hasbro still released a number of Renegades-based figures, including Duke, which hit retailers a few months after the series' final episode aired.