G.I. Joe 2 Producer Talks Plot

G.I. Joe 2 producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura revealed some details about the upcoming sequel's plot to MTV News, at the New York City premier of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, on Tuesday. According to di Bonaventura, the film will center heavily around ninjas and the story of Snake-Eyes. "The ninja fans are going to love it," he said. Di Bonaventura also confirmed that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's character Roadblock will have a prominent presence in the film, qualifying the part as a "full-on lead role." Despite rumors of friction between di Bonaventura and Paramount Pictures caused by the studio's handling of the next installment of the franchise, di Bonaventura appears to be pleased with the direction of the sequel.

Archive: Destro - Weapons Supplier (City Strike)

Destro 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 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.

Stripped of his armor, City Strike Destro shares the same base body as Arctic Threat Destro, who was released as part of the second wave of figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line. The ability to re-deco a figure, almost unrecognizably, is a testament to the success of Hasbro's strategy of layering figures with jackets, flak vests and armor instead of creating entirely new sculpts. The strategy gives figures more depth and dimension, and allows Hasbro's design team to explore characters, which, otherwise would not have been considered.

Two More Actors Join G.I. Joe Sequel

Rapper-turned-actor RZA, of Wu Tang Clan fame, and D.J. Cotrona are reported to be the newest additions to director Jon Chu's G.I. Joe sequel, according to HollywodReporter.com. RZA will play ninja trainer Blind Master, who made a brief appearance in Marvel Comics' A Real American Hero series and who's protege is Jinx, while Cotrona will dawn the special forces beret of warrant office Flint. Earlier today, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson confirmed, via Twitter, that he has officially signed on to play the role of heavy machine gunner and cook Roadblock. We smell what's cookin'!

Archive: Croc Master - Cobra Reptile Trainer (Jungle Assault)

Croc Master was released in the Spring of 2011 as part of the sixth wave--which arrived at retail before wave five--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.

Gator Master might be a more fitting name for Cobra's reptile trainer since the crocodilian included with the figure is an alligator. Alligators are native to the Southeastern United States and can be distinguished from crocodiles by their wider, U-shaped snouts. Like the alligator, the small red, black and yellow snake included with Croc Master also calls North America home. The Eastern coral snake has a potent, poisonous bite, despite its small size. In fact, the scarlet kingsnake mimics the coral snakes color bands as a defense mechanism, thought the pattern is differs slightly. If you ever encounter one of these snake and can't identify whether its a coral snake or kingsnake, remember: red on yellow, kill a fellow; red on black, venom lacks.

Sideshow Collectibles Reveals Snake Eyes and Timber Statue

After teasing subscribers in last weeks newsletter, Sideshow Collectibles unveiled its Snake Eyes and Timber statue, this week, in its production blog. The statue will have two editions; an exclusive--limited to 500 pieces--with a switch-out right hand holding a Falchion Sword and a regular edition without the switch-out accessory. Both versions are priced at $324.99 and can be pre-ordered on Sideshow's site beginning July 23. For additional details and photos, visit Sideshow's production blog.

Archive: Blowtorch - Flamethrower (Jungle Assault)

Blowtorch was released in the Spring of 2011 as part of the fifth wave--which arrived at retail after wave six--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.

A subtle variation in paint color shades differentiates this version of Blowtorch from its 25th Anniversary counterpart. In fact, both the Pursuit of Cobra and 25th Anniversary figures are based heavily on the 1984 release of Blowtorch. With most other figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line executed as modern interpretations, Blowtorch leaves a lot to be desired. Although the fire axe and detailed fire extinguisher are nice additions, in the end, Blowtorch is a bit underwhelming.

Archive: Jungle B.A.T. - Cobra Android Trooper (Jungle Assault)

The Jungle B.A.T. was released in the Spring of 2011 as part of the fifth wave--which arrived at retail after wave six--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.

Hasbro packed Pursuit of Cobra waves 5 and 6 with a heavy ratio of army builder type figures. What’s more, the Hasbro team loaded these figures with scores of extra accessories. The additional accessories turn what would otherwise be a mundane army of clones--equipped with the same weapons--into an army with personality. Figures like the Jungle B.A.T. can be displayed in a variety of ways; be that wielding a machete to cut through the dense jungle brush, defending their position in the Terror Drome with an assault rifle or lying in a pile of rubble, destroyed by a precise shot to the chest. It should be noted that some pre-production photos depict the Jungle B.A.T. as including a swappable, undamaged chest piece. This accessory was not included with the figure.