6 INCH: SNAKE EYES

I'll be honest here, I don't know what to make of this guy. I'm cool with his comic history and the Sunbow treatment of him was pretty much a joke. It comes down to, 'what is Snake Eyes?' He's been portrayed as a ninja. He's been portrayed as a commando. He's been portrayed as a ninja commando! That latter gives the implication that he uses guns (like his uzi or a pistol) and bladed weapons (like swords, knives, etc). That's just Snake Eyes as a character.

The figure here is another matter. I love the visual look/design. I've owned the figure three times now? Each figure has had a loose chest joint and incredibly stiff hands. Everything else about him is pretty decent. (the pistol is kinda weird; I think Hasbro liked the idea that it could attach to his pack but the hole in the gun was supposed to be overlooked by fans?) 

Oddly, Snake Eyes has always had a role in my Joe Universe. I think a lot of it had to do with him visually. Hasbro made a ton of versions of this guy and sure, it was very hit and miss. But even designs I didn't like (the 25th era had a version with the knives on his chest that I didn't care for), they were sometimes well executed. The Resolute Snake Eyes was fantastic. The Pursuit of Cobra Snake Eyes was great. The 30th Anniversary Snake Eyes was pretty good. Hasbro made it really hard to not want and like the versions they were putting out. Resolute was my standard for some time and my MTF'd version pales in comparison to what Hasbro had done.

I didn't make Snake Eyes a gun-fu dude. Not sure why, it would have fit. I decided at some point that he's a ninja commando. Not commando ninja. To me, a ninja commando is basically, he's a ninja force. Stealthy, silent, kills with silent weapons, etc. The commando part is that he doesn't dress like a ninja (not like Red Ninja or Storm Shadow) and carries a couple of different guns. And that he can be a soldier that is a team player as opposed to always being a solo operator.

I should mention, he had a pretty good Sigma 6 version if you could handle him looking like he was on the Atkins diet. Actually, now I think about it, I think he had a couple of cool versions. Be it the jungle outfit or the jetpack version.

The big Snake Eyes is often used for just photography. I had a VS story for him but never wrote it. It's not the strongest story. It was going to be Snake Eyes vs Night Creeper. It was going to focus more on the Night Creeper in terms of what they are and what they do. I think it was going to take place in a hi-tech office where the Night Creeper(s) were stealing data and Snake Eyes has to stop them. It was probably going to be written that Snake Eyes was going after Cobra operatives; he wouldn't know who or what he'd really be facing.

 6 INCH: STALKER

The ZEDD UNIVERSE started with the GI Joe universe and was intertwined with different toylines that often weren't written as the specific toyline. For example, in the story TRANSFORMATIONS, the Microman race was there, but the names of the figures were changed because I didn't pay attention to them. McFarlane's Cyberunits showed up in the 2nd diostory but were referred to as cyber experiments or something of that sort. The way I used them had nothing to do with the toyline. As I wrote more, I decided to incorporate the actual toylines as they were supposed to be but at times, in a lighter fashion. I hate the word 'crossover'. The other toylines were simply entities to be used for the story, not a "GI Joe meets Microman!" or "GI Joe meets Warhammer 20k!" That latter, it was about GI Joe vs alien monsters that happened to be Tyranids and an early link to the possible 40k universe (or 30k since that's all the rage in the Warhammer 40k universe).

Now, Stalker wasn't a big deal to me as a kid. Just the black dude in a camo outfit. He was certainly not cool in my book. Not like Flash with his cool red pads and visor on helmet. I didn't become a fan of Stalker until 2002 when Hasbro roided him up and frankly, gave him a really cool look. Next stop for me was his Pursuit of Cobra version. He lost muscle but gained braided hair and well, Stalker looked awesome in all ways possible. I loved that figure as I loved that 2002 version. Because of that, Stalker found a larger role in the Joe Verse. This is small Stalker, mind you.

Big Stalker, I like the Classified look too. The big scarf is a nice touch. I'd like to use him more, maybe make him a thing, but he's oddly not photogenic. Something about his eyes are off. I think mine also suffers from the stiff hands. Now, as a kid, part of what made Stalker, Stalker, was that different gun he came packaged with. In this case, Hasbro made it his secondary weapon cuz it fits in a sleeve that can attach to his back. Like in Aliens, Hick's secondary was a shotgun that he carried on his back. I don't know what the differences are between Stalker's weapons; why one over the other. But it is a neat little element. I need to get this guy more picture time.

 6 INCH: TUNNEL RAT

Two of my all-time favorite figures are Tunnel Rat and Falcon. They were instant favorites. I've stated before, I felt GI Joe was losing it's military edge so when those two were released, it was like, "finally" or "about time". The versions of Tunnel Rat have ebbed and flowed and I'm glad the Classified focused on the classic as opposed to, oh let's say, Valor vs Venom's version.

It's been said that to make a successful GI Joe action figure, give the good guy a mask, a cool gun, decent colors, and a few other things. Hence why Beach Head and Snake Eyes have always been hits. For Tunnel Rat, big gun (which didn't make sense but I didn't care as a kid), bandana, face paint, and well, he just looked cool.

Yet, despite being a favorite, I never quite had a place for him in my stories. I think he's part of the new Joe team in NEW BREED, which means he stuck around GI Joe instead of leaving like so many others. As for the large scale Tunnel Rat, he's a fave so I have to have him. His role in the Zedd Universe? Doesn't really have one except for doing photoshoots. No story here, unfortunately. I don't think I even had thoughts on a VS story for him. Perhaps I should come up with one so he can get some time and characterization.

 6 INCH: GREENSHIRTS (MALE)

These two figures were specifically bought to be cannon fodder. The heads are basic enough that if I had more, I could tweak them just enough that they could be different people. I could be funny and go the Dreadnok route and say that the Greenshirts all look the same because they are brothers and cousins. (Or Spaceballs if you want to go that route) In the end, I'm not putting any time into who and what they are. They serve the purpose of upping the numbers of good guys and a vehicle for the bad guys to knock off.

There is an odd 'however' here.

I might not give them much love. But Hasbro felt it necessary to make them. The thing is, they did a really nice job on the figure. They aren't just rehashes of the 1982 Joe design. As in, they aren't wearing sweaters. The two-tone colors for their outfit does wonders too. These guys actually look decent enough that you want them to support your Joes and be in a photo or several. Too bad Hasbro didn't drop the MSRP on these figures so people could buy more to pad their armies.

 6 INCH: SNIPERS (FEMALE)

These were bought with the purpose of being cannon fodder. Instead, they ended up with names and personalities and are now part of the Zedd Universe as characters. One of them, though it's subtle in the story, has a sister that's a pilot. Both gals show up in a 4 Horsemen vignette and the sister shows up in a Devils Dog story. 

The figures are pretty good. One figure comes with 3 heads. I didn't use the 3rd head which has a hat, sunglasses, and headset. It wasn't because I didn't have a 3rd figure, I simply don't care for the head. In fact, the caucasian head, if that hat came off, it'd be awesome. Also, unlike the Greenshirts, it'd be hard to build a bunch of these gals where I modify the heads slightly so they all look different. Hasbro did quite a job of not making standard parts so I got stuck with characters, not so much expendable troopers. If there were a masked female head that easily fit, maybe I could make it work.

It's interesting to note, in the small scale Joe Verse, I didn't have a need for Green shirts or battlefield support troops. My stories took place with special teams. There was no 1980s-like war scenes with hundreds of motorized units and troops running all over. (well, there may have been a couple but it didn't lend the need for Greenshirts to get the body count up) With Classified, I felt the need for support troops. It's just the way my story projects work and how different in feel they can be.

 6 INCH: GRUNT

When I was a kid, Grunt was just a figure to me. I'm sure I broke his thumb and crotch piece in shorter order, as I did several of those old 1982 figures. Back then, I would have said it was from me playing with them. As an adult, I'd say it was poor design or material usage. Grunt, as far as I could tell, didn't get much time in comic or cartoon. I didn't have much use for him other "just another soldier". At some point, due to him being such an open slate, I decided he would be perfect to write in how I saw fit. When I MTF'd him, I had a lot of fun. I had also just found (and watched) Daylight's End, a zombie movie starring Johnny Strong. I liked the look of the main character so much, I modeled Grunt after him. That's the small scale version. Grunt even get his own story called SAN REJA (WIP). The story follows loosely the same ideas as Daylight's End and Army of the Dead. It brings 'zombies' into the Zedd Universe in a contained sort of way, but also introduces the Joy Toy toyline into the Joe Verse (which is part of the Zedd Universe; it just shows that Joy Toy exists with GI Joe/MTF). If only I could build a large scale Grunt in the same fashion as the small one. In fact, I wish there was a action figure company that was like MTF but specialized in large scale. I'd have so much fun with that.

Big Grunt was purchased to simply help out round out my good guys which were outnumbered 3-1 by the bad guys. It was just the way things worked with my buying. There are Joes I do want, but their priority shifts quickly and often. Nunchuk, Hawk v2, Steeler & Short Fuze, and Big Ben are figures that keep getting pushed back. Visually, I preferred the new version compared to the classic Grunt that was being offered. In short order, I purchased a bunch of cannon fodder figures for a 4 Horsemen vignette. That short diostory shifted focus so heavily from what I had planned; Lady Obitus was not the focus, it ended up being a greenshirt squad led by Grunt! In that regard, the large scale figures became a harder presence in the Zedd Universe and not falling under an alternate universe or a 'classic' universe. (I had thought of using the big figures as a more traditional GI Joe universe but that fell apart quickly)

In the end, Grunt went from a nothing character to a loved character/figure. The larger version, the story that he's in, actually will feed into the San Reja story. He basically goes from team member to squad leader to solo warrior. 

 6 INCH: LADY JAYE

I was telling a friend that I was cataloguing my large scale figures and writing notes about them; my thoughts on them, history, why I bought them, but not reviewing them. That I would write about what my issues are with them, but not hard reviews. I also told him that it's really hard to break my mentality on toy stuff; particularly with GI Joe. I know that GI Joe can be kind of an open book for people and that for the most part, people (kids and adults) can do what they want with them. Maybe the gatekeepers and hardcore fans get in the way. At times, I feel that it's appropriate. Or at least, there should be a balance and some things shouldn't be changed.

Hard examples would be Duke is a field commander (Hawk seemed to better behind the scenes), Snake Eyes is caucasian, Destro has a metal head, etc. Even I don't mess with those elements. Where it gets fluid and this still remains hard for me; giving weapons that came with a specific figure and letting someone else use them. Or giving an entirely different weapon to a figure. For example, I can't see Flint with an automatic rifle. Just as I can't see Major Bludd with a sniper rifle or even, again, an automatic rifle. And let's say, I can't see anyone else driving a VAMP but Clutch, even if the cartoon indicated otherwise.

This comes down to how I view Lady Jaye. Didn't have a figure of her until the Theme Years. Didn't care for her, wasn't invested in her despite having time in cartoon and comic. I wasn't anti-female; I had no problem with Cover Girl or Baroness. I do prefer, if I have to have a Lady Jaye, it's the cartoon-based one. Lady Jaye, as a figure would be a skip except for two things. BBTS had a fairly cheap deal of Flint and Lady Jaye together. And I can't have Lady Jaye without Flint (or vice versa). I don't think I even make them a couple in my Zedd Universe. I did finally give her a real role in the unwritten story NEW BREED where she is an intel officer; basically taking Scarlett's position since she went to the MTF.

All that said with my biases and whatnot, the figure is okay. If not standard in quality, design, and execution. She serves a purpose but not a chase figure. I don't mind having her and I don't think she's bad to use; I think I only used her once or twice in photos and that was with Flint. Go figure. When I finally write NEW BREED, maybe my interest in her will grow. Until then, she's a grunt of a figure that just hangs out in a box with the rest of the good guys. Waiting to be used for photos or even display.

 6 INCH: FLINT

Me being me, I've always had issues with people in power. Leadership. Managers. Cops. Etc. This was evident in my disdain for Duke who represented (visually) just about everything I hated. It's no wonder I got into skateboarding, right? This mentality applied to most of the Joe officers; Beach Head, Flint, Slaughter (Slaughter was an ass in my book but that's another rant for another day), etc. Funny thing, I totally accepted Hawk as a general and leader of GI Joe when his v2 came out. Yeah, don't ask. But due to my thinking, then who led GI Joe into battle on the bed, bean bag chair, living room couch, and carpeted floors all over the condo? Hell, I don't even remember! (I probably spent all my time setting up and then being too tired for the battle or it was "time to clean up!")

Somewhere in the timeline, I made peace with Flint. He was a bit of an ass when we first met him in the comic. In the cartoon, he was what he was. I remember deciding when I wanted a Flint for my kiddy collection and being bummed that he was already out of production. The 2ndary option was... Tiger Force Flint and I had to put up with that. Skipping the theme years and etc, this Classified Flint was one of the first figures in the series. I liked the design I saw but was luke warm on the Classified series in general. I questioned why Hasbro didn't do this in small scale instead? I don't care about trends and whatever definition they gave Classified (bigger scale means collector scale!). Flint looked awesome but I could see right away he was lean on accessories which caused me to balk at the price point ($22, I think, was starting MSRP and it's gone up since those 1st waves). Still, he looked good enough to have. I think I've had him twice now? (The last time I bought him, he came as a deal with Lady Jaye from BBTS)

In the large scheme of things, Flint is number 3 in command. General Colton - Duke - Flint - Beach Head. I can't remember if there's a #5. As per comic (or was it cartoon), Flint can lead teams but his specialty is rescue ops. I have a MTF'd version, but I admit, like the Classified version better. (The MTF'd versions aren't as hard in their outfits as their traditional look) At this time, like most of my large scale figures, they are for photographic purposes and don't necessarily fit into the Zedd Universe.

 6 INCH: BATs

At some point with Hasbro GI Joe, I lost faith in them. I found their figures were getting too expensive and uninspired. I don't remember if it was the 2nd movie figures or 30th Anniversary. Somewhere, I just couldn't get into them. The GI Joe Club figures felt like they took the worst parts to make $60 figures. By then, I had moved to Marauder Task Force and started porting characters. Hasbro did do well with the heads, that is something to give them props to (well, for the most part). It got to the point that it took a lot to impress me.

I told a friend when I got these big-scaled BATs, Storm Shadow, and Alley Vipers, there was something pretty neat about them. It's only 2 more inches but it wasn't just 2 inches taller, it was all scaled properly so the figures were bigger. Or as I phrase it, bulky. Like, "that's a lot of plastic". Here's the thing, I didn't like the BATs as a kid. It wasn't about, "what's wrong with Cobra Troopers and Vipers?" It had to do with the fact that Hasbro GI Joe's heads tended to be big. The Viper head seemed oversized to me. The Dreadnok Ripper was like that. GI Joe Wild Bill had a big noggin. The BATs were like that. People would cite, for some of these, it was because the helmets had tons of gear in it. But from the cartoons and other stuff I read, there were ways to slim all that stuff down. Nanotech before it was nanotech! Or whatever 'futuristic' technology movies and shows used so heads didn't look oversized! As stated, I'm a visual guy.

The Classified BATs, I like these things. Hasbro made some tweaks but it's classic enough for me. I like the 'metal' covering; gives them a scarier look. There is a huge however here...

BATs in the Zedd Universe have a strange place in it. That has to do with how I see them and use them. They are the troopers of Overkill and like Sigma 6, I like the idea of them coming in all shapes and forms. I do prefer the more traditional look, but the theme year BATs (small scale) were awesome. In the Zedd Universe, pertaining to small scale, Overkill still has his BATs. But he's seen the limitations of robots and androids, believing that cybernetic augmentation is the true future. He has created CATs (Cybernetically Augmented Troopers). Eventually, he'll go back to BATs but CATs will be a huge thing for a time. A lot of the Zedd Universe has the CATs technology as an aspect (which was hinted at in the Devil Dogs stories).

In terms of the large scale BATs, they serve as cannon fodder. I don't have Cobra Troopers or Vipers. I'm not opposed to the Troopers, I haven't looked hard for decent priced ones. Vipers, I'm shying away from because I have small scale Vipers I really like. This falls under "do I want large scale ones when my lil ones are good enough?". It's hard because the BATs fell into this dilemna. The other Cobra class trooper that falls into this situation are the Alley Vipers. I wouldn't mind 3 more of these BATs. I'm also getting ready to build an Overkill, even though my little one I like a lot. My issue with the BATs now is what to arm them with. I'd like to find something from GridIron Studios but there are so many options.

 6 INCH: HELIX

Helix was an odd entity into the GI Joe universe. The figure itself with it's Bruce Lee influence, was written by either the comic company at the time or Hasbro as a gnarly, neuro-divergent Jedi. She could foresee future actions and movements and had the fighting skills to adapt for them. Fans said she was an over-powered Mary Sue, much like a certain Jedi-powered female from a Star Wars trilogy. Whatever Helix was meant to be, I threw out the window. To me, she was the equivalent of a special agent or special operations agent. Meaning she did intel and fight with various martial arts. Anyone who knows the concept of gun-fu/gun-kata and the character who used it, that's how I wrote her. (That's a nod to Equilibrium, Matrix, and John Wick)

I had the small scale figure and enjoyed using her. Would it be natural that I would purchase the large scale figure? Not necessarily. Or at least, she wasn't a priority. I think she may have been on sale $20 so it was easier to justify her. She comes with far more accessories than her small scale counterpart. The added gear, like exo-swords, made things confusing for those who knew the history of her. It was like, "uh, where did these come from? why?" I like the figure, don't get me wrong. The character, that was for me to write. I used her in a VS story (she went toe to toe with Storm Shadow) and she had some use in the diostories. Not a large role, just background so I didn't have to give her character.

The VS project works aside the main stories. The stories don't contradict what I'm already doing. The VS project was just fun; pitting good guys vs bad guys and giving them a story of why they have issues. What was fun about it, some of Hasbro's stories, the arch-enemy thing already existed. In other stories, the story told of how the situation started. Unfortunately, Hasbro couldn't quite go all out with it. Felt like they were just getting started then the next theme rolled in (that would be Spy Troops). It's almost like Helix was bought for the VS project. Kind of like a video game character that doesn't show up anywhere else. Or if one looks at enough comic memes, superhero movies add in characters for the movie, never in the comic. I do remember that Helix was not part of the New Breed story; or at least, I hadn't planned on her being in there.

 6 INCH: BEACH HEAD

Sometimes I wonder if I'm a late-bloomer. In this instance, the focus is Beach Head. I wasn't a fan of him as a kid. I'm not sure why, he pretty much has everything that a kid should like in a figure. His time in the cartoon didn't hurt his popularity and I admit, I don't remember how much comic time he got from the writer, Larry Hama. I've stated I got back into GI Joe in 2002 when Hasbro relaunched the toyline with yearly themes. Part of me becoming a fan meant collecting the comic book by Devils Due Publishing and joining an online fan group or 3. It would be at JoeBattlelines.com (aka JBL and before that, Savage SoundOffs) that I would learn quite a bit about my favorite toy from childhood. The point here, a lot of people helped show me the way with a lot of characters that I didn't care for or pay attention to. Beach Head was one that I grew to like. And maybe, I took a slightly harder military edge with GI Joe during the theme years. Specifically, harder on the GI Joe side, but accepting of Cobra's eccentric side.

I would love to say that this Beach Head figure is the bomb. It's the best of the best of the best. With honors. Greatest thing ever. But alas, for me, it is not. I found many of the figures suffered from incredibly stiff hands and locked knee joints. I understand that hot water will help soften them, but I found that's only a temporary means. I did this technique and Beach Head, like Snake Eyes and Zandar (off top of head) still have hands that can't stretch to hold a weapon. To get their legs to pose for photography, nearly impossible. Due to much of my photography being outside, I'm not about to carry a thermos of hot water just to loosen these figures up. Utterly frustrating and that's one of the reasons why I gave up on the line a few times. (Later figures seem to be better, but the hands still give me issues) Also, Beach Head's weapons stupidly come in green and not the green his outfit is. I'm a snob in this regard. The weapons are to be black. Maybe boltgun metal and black. I'm not opposed to desert troops having desert colors on their weapons, but black is universal. 

All that aside, Beach Head has a place in the Zedd Universe. Well, at least the small one. The big Beach Head represents a more classic GI Joe universe. I go back and forth with how the Classifieds fit in. The VS story that he stars in, it's pretty separate from any of the stories going on; past and present. It does, at least, set up that Beach Head is still a GI Joe and suffers failures like any human being. My Beach Head is a mix of Sunbow cartoon and filecard.

If one questions why I keep buying these things when all they do is give me a headache, well... simply put; It's Beach Head. The figure is pretty cool even if the design is kinda weird. But it works and Hasbro didn't mess with him so much that he's not an attractive figure. To make this Beach Head partially work for me, I outfitted him with a wonderfully made weapon from GridIron Studio. In fact, I'm slowly equipping the figures with different weapons of better quality. Hasbro makes locked joints and stiff hands, but skimps on the flimsy weapons. That makes no sense to me. Worse yet, because of the softer plastic, many of the weapons come warped. For this photographer, that doesn't do me any good.

 6 INCH: SCARLETT

Scarlett is one of those characters I wasn't vested in and didn't have the toy as a kid. I did end up with a version of her because of the Joe VS Cobra theme in 2002. She wasn't someone I'd purposely buy. Like a lot of characters, she simply served to move the story forward. In GI Joe comic terms, she helped balance out the testosterone. It wouldn't be until the CGI animated movies in early 2000s or her Sigma 6 version, I grew to accept her. As for Classified, this is the look I prefer for her. I was definitely not a fan of her original design.

Despite my lack of love for her, I feel she is an integral part of the GI Joe team and lore. Scarlett isn't quite like a must-have when it comes to Snake Eyes. (or Duke, ahem) Certainly not like Slice & Dice, Law & Order, Ham & Burger... That said, I like this figure. I wish she came with a pistol and holster, but the fighting knives are a nice touch.

I gave Scarlett story time in the diostory LOST ISLAND (or was it THE ISLAND?). This was the second diostory I did. She and Lt Graydon (custom character) are returning with a squad of Greenshirts and Steel Brigade from a mission that acted as their test for promotion. The Greenshirts would move up to Steel Brigade (how it worked in my universe and then, I got rid of the Greenshirt class in favor of just the Steel Brigade). And the Steel Brigade moves up to full-fledged GI Joe members. This was during the time that the Plague vs Steel Brigade 6-pack had come out and was awesome in all sorts of ways. On their return, they are rerouted to a mysterious island in the Gulf of Mexico. Their mission: to retrieve Joe Colton who decided to infiltrate a Cobra R&D facility, by himself, and got over his head. After that story, Scarlett was in the Hunt For Sonneilon story where she is injured and taken out of action with a whole slew of Joes. That Scarlett is based on the small scale version. The big Scarlett exists in the Zedd Universe much the same as several other figures, but no definitive role. At this time, I don't have a small Scarlett so the big figure fills the role of Scarlett. I really need to think this through some day.

 6 INCH: JINX

Jinx was just a character to me. Nothing special at her. She served to move a story forward. Her original figure, yuck. Jinx was not on my list of desirable figures, even if she got decent time in the GI Joe animated movie. My interest in her changed by the time she got some treatment from Hasbro during the theme years. I liked the look they gave her with the jacket and long hair. It was far better than the red pajama look she originally had. Then she got the Sigma 6 design and while a 8 inch figure was never made, she looked cool. I bought the GI Joe Club version and was disappointed, as I was with 90% of their frankensteined figures.

The Classified version of Jinx is, I guess, acceptable. She was probably an impulse buy. In terms of why Hasbro made her, they were probably just checking her off. Not a chase figure, more like a nice filler figure. Now I think about it, some of these figures may have been bought for the VS project I was doing. That project goes back to the relaunch theme Joe Vs Cobra where it was good guy vs bad guy. It was a fun theme. Hasbro made it up rivalries. I could have had a plan of Jinx VS someone but I can't remember now. I think I only made 3 of these stories and #4 was Snake Eyes vs Nite Creeper.

Jinx in the Zedd Universe follows how she's already been established. A cousin of Storm Shadow. Trained by Arashikage. No romantic relationship with Falcon. Can fight with a blindfold, though I've never shown that. I'd like to use her in photos, I simply haven't. She's not a priority in the Zedd Universe but now I think about it, since Snake Eyes left GI Joe, Jinx was brought in for the new 13. Wait, what? The last diostory I was working on was called NEW BREED. I think it started just before 2021 or in 2021. I had the 1st chapter almost completed then lost half of it. And then other things happened and diostories were, for the most part, retired. As a story waiting to be written, well, GI Joe was pared down to a core 13. Jinx was to be a part of it. 

 6 INCH: ROCK N ROLL

When I was a kid, I loved this figure. I'm not sure why other than maybe he was the first one I actually opened Christmas of 1982 when I got a nice slew of figures? It's possible it was the machine gun. I don't remember how big a role he had in the very 1st GI Joe story. It could have been that he and Snake Eyes were stars of the back-up story to GI Joe #1. It was a story called Hot Potato and I was fortunate to have both figures to re-enact the story (the RAM was also part of the gifts under the tree). I imagine like most kids, his popularity declined when other machine gunners showed up and flashier figures. True with me too. However, Roadblock wouldn't ever be his replacement; nor did I have him. I'd skip all the way to Tunnel Rat and for sure, Repeater when it came to loved figures with machine guns.

Two versions of Rock N Roll came out in fairly short order for the Classified series. Why the classic look over the new look? I didn't go for the t-shirt look, I guess. That thinking is weird because I'd love it if Marauders made torsos in that sort of vein. But somehow, it doesn't feel like it's enough for a $25 Classified figure. It probably comes down to personal preference. I'm fine with the classic look. What's also interesting to note, when I did the MTF'd version, there were very few classic nods to the figure. This is another figure that is either helping fill out the O-13 or it's just a figure to have. Or it's the "I'm making an order on Amazon, I might as well add a figure". Sometimes, it's to get the free shipping.

His place in the Zedd Universe, hell, it's confusing for a lot of them. In the universe, the O-13 left GI Joe (even Hawk, old Joe Colton took his spot) to join MTF. There, they would be remain together as their own special team. They'd need a specialist or two to help them with missions, but they wouldn't be formally on the squad. That never panned out. Rock n Roll wasn't written into my stories but I'm sure he will someday. Figure-wise, like Zap, he's decent. I've done a few photos with Rock N Roll and he's easy to use, which is nice. No locked joints on this guy!

 6 INCH: ZAP

As a kid, I didn't have this figure. He kind of slipped through the cracks. I don't know if I ever had an official Zap figure throughout the whole time I've done this GI Joe thing. There was a Bazooka figure that came with the Quick Strike in the early/mid-2000s but GI Joe fans felt that the dude look far more like Zap than the football Jersey dumb dumb called Bazooka. That said, I made my own (via Marauder Task Force) when I was making my own O-13. One funny thing about the name of this figure, harder GI Joe fans wondered why the bazooka guy is called Zap. That name would have been more fitting for Flash. Bazooka would have fit for this GI Joe (and worked for the next bazooka guy).

Why did I purchase this one? I forgot the reasoning. Either I want to work on a Classified O-13 or I just thought he'd be neat to add to the posse. As for working on a O-13 collection, that's going to be difficult because one of the figures is north of $100. Maybe I thought he should keep Stalker, Grunt, and other Joes company. Perhaps, I wanted a bazooka character. Or deep in my mind, I wanted a character I didn't have yet. It's possible I kept seeing photos of him in action and decided he'd be worthy to have.

How he fits into the Zedd Universe actually goes beyond this single figure or character. I'm not sure how the large scale figures fit in. The Zedd Universe is primarily 1:18 scale, not 1:12 or other. Part of my thinking was that the 1:12 figures were just physical representations of some characters, not actually in the universe. A type of 'means to an end'. The 4 Horsemen project, the visual side like the vignettes I've completed are all with 1:12 scale figures and IS a part of the Zedd Universe. I haven't figured it out yet. With that in mind, he's just a figure to have.

To note, a lot of ideas never panned out in terms of diostories or stories in general. I never got around to doing an O-13 series which I think would be a lot of fun. Because I didn't dive into that, a lot of the original characters never got written into my stories. Maybe they were wandering around in the background. Maybe they got a line or two of dialogue. In terms of Zap, the potential is there. He's an unwritten character.

 6 INCH: AMBASSADOR OF R'YLEH

Diving into the Big Bad Toy Store toyline OPERATION: MONSTER FORCE was kind of a stretch for me. I prefer to keep my toy buying focused on a toyline or two. For years, it was Marauder Task Force. When I chose to dabble in GI Joe Classified, I thought it would end there. But alas, I've found that I buy what I like. Monster Force, because of Mr Winchester, looked pretty darn fantastic. That led me to desire several of their wonderful figures. The Monster Force line also gave me custom ideas. In terms of this, uh, dude, he was a pre-order and well...

WHO?

I can't remember this guy's name. I mean, he has no name. He's an ambassador of R'yleh. His name could be anything. I simply call him "Cthulu Head". As for the R'yleh part, I can't recall the name easily. R'yleh sounds like Riley which there have been 2 at work. But with the way it's written, it looks like it's a Jaffa word (Stargate series). So I want to call this guy Chulak or R'yak. Worse, I can hear Christopher Judge's voice saying both those names. No, it doesn't make sense.

WHY him???

If coolness is the name of the game for why I often buy a figure, Cthulu Head is cool looking. He's also incredibly creepy. I debated whether I even want him on the dresser with my other figures (because the dresser is next to the bed and how badly do I want Mr Cthulu watching me sleep?) The body may be a bit standard for the line, but the artistry is in the head and hands. And the gnarly spell book he comes with. But there's more. Since I accept Cobra LA in the Zedd Universe and have watched many episodes of Ancient Aliens, this sort of figure fits in just fine into the Zedd Universe. He doesn't quite have a role but he could be written exactly as his title is. Ambassador to whatever R'yleh is!

 6 INCH: DICE

When it comes to Slice & Dice, you can't have one without the other. Fortunately, this figure came in a 2-pack. I had the GI Joe Club Dice and was not impressed. To be fair, I had lost interest in the small scale Joes long before that. In a previous post about Slice, I stated that Hasbro went all out with these two bad guy ninja figures. Dice is pretty cool in his own way. Slice might be busting out the red licorice for colors, Dice is grape soda. Again, I know nothing of how these guys were written or portrayed. That's fine with me, gives me room to do with them as I please.

Why did I purchase this 2-pack of ninja? Cuz they look cool. That's it. Don't need to go into reasons of why they look cool. Anyone who saw the promo images or AI renderings of the designs knew the figures would be legit.

Where does Dice fit into the Zedd Universe? Like Slice and Shadow Tracker, nowhere. Dice is a fun and cool-looking figure to have. I haven't done a strong photoshoot with just him or paired with Slice. I did a short vignette with Zanya and Zartan to see if anything could come of it. 

I admit, I have some childhood scarring (or programming) in terms of price tag of product equaling fragility. Basically, these GI Joe Classified figures range $22-$30. For me, that's a good chunk of money for a single figure (we won't get into the Marauders figures once they are built). Due to that, I am very reluctant to do much with the figures. That includes trying out poses and different accessories. I believe that it's sad I think that way because these Classified figures (those who come with a ton of goodies), can look great with different set ups. Slice and Dice deserve to try out their array of weapons and heads, I'm just not willing to in case something breaks.

 6 INCH: SHADOW TRACKER

This character is a complete enigma to me. If there was lore or canon written about him in the comic, I sure wasn't around for it. I'm guessing IDW would have something to do with fleshing him out. Shadow Tracker originally came from the Pursuit of Cobra theme of GI Joe, figure around 2010/2011. I had only heard that the designers were into the 1987 movie Predator and created a few figures influenced by it. Shadow Tracker was one of those figures.

I was on the fence about this figure. I had the small version but couldn't ever figure out how to use him well. I usually don't have a problem writing characterization for a figure, but this guy was such a weird entity, I didn't know what to do with him. The small version, his mask didn't come off. Those who did take it off found he looked a lot like what is pictured above. But, that skull didn't look like a mask. Which made the buyers question what he even was. The Classified version, the skull looks like a mask. Which he wears two masks (he comes with the standard green one too; not pictured)!

Shadow Tracker doesn't have a role in the Zedd Universe at the moment. He was, for the most part, an impulse buy. A collector's item? To a degree. But I see him as an odd addition to the, uh, collection. An outlier of a figure for the bad guy side of the Zedd Universe. 

The story of his purchase. I found him on Ebay, no biggie. Paid about MSRP for him, pre-owned. While in good shape, he stank. The figure stank like it had sat in a musty, cigarette-damaged motel since release. It took a lot of time (and Google searching) on how to remove the stench. That stench got on everything it touched. ie; the desk and whatever else was nearby. I didn't confront the seller but definitely put me in 'buyer beware' mode. My gal, after doing several other attempts, suggested I use melaleuca (tea tree oil) on it. A few long baths of that and Shadow Tracker (and his accessories) ended up hunky dory without damage. Still have to use him for a proper photoshoot.

 6 INCH: SLICE

Slice and Dice. The two names go together. I was out of the GI Joe game when these two showed up. Their originals, once I saw them years after their release, I was not impressed. Nor did I care much for the idea of Ninja Force. I didn't like the guy until Valor Vs Venom which was in 2004. Hasbro changed up the duo to Slice and Slash and made them totally goofy. For some reason, I thought they were cool and fun.

Fast forward to when Classified was released, Slice and Dice would get an updated treatment in the larger scale. I had been fighting with the Classified series; not just because of price point and scale differences (from the smaller scale), but I was/am heavily invested in the Marauder Task Force customizable figures. Seeing the promos for this Slice & Dice 2-pack, it got me real tempted to get back into the Classified game (which would be the 3rd or 4th time). I ended up back in the game, cherry picking who I wanted. I forgot about this pack (easy to do when cruising Amazon and it never shows up). In the end, I scrounged up the money, found someplace that had it and bam, the 2-pack was to be mine.

Now, this isn't supposed to be a review. This is about why I have the 6 inch figures (okay, larger size might be a tad variable).

The 2-pack is awesome. The figures themselves, Hasbro put effort into. That's not something that could be said for every figure. The figure has all these cool, tiny details that make it feel like a higher end figure. That's not a bad thing and for the most part, I don't the consumer paid for the extra effort. (The extra costs prolly were in the form of the plethora of accessories the two came with.) One of the biggest attractions is the head mold. I love that look. I know the Japanese have mask/helmets like this for their sword-based martial arts. Like I stated before, I'm a visual guy. Slice is visually attractive, moreso than Dice.

The Zedd Universe Slice. In my universe, Cobra has splintered heavily into different stand-alone armies. Cobra is led by Cobra Commander. Coil is led by Serpentor. Alpha 9 is led by Overkill (you can guess what his army is made up of). The Dead Poets Society is led by Major Bludd. Zartan and his Dreadnoks. Destro and MARs. The list goes on. Cobra Commander enlists ninja as a type of trooper (which I narrowed the focus so a lot of classes don't exist or are really small they aren't worth mentioning). 

With that in mind, Slice and Dice don't actually have a role in the Zedd Universe. I've messed with some ideas, hoping that doing photography with them, something comes out of it. Otherwise, Slice is a visual item that I like to have and look at. (Now that I think about it, the ninja did make an appearance in a diostory but they weren't the stars of it. Just soldiers.)

 6 INCH: LADY OBITUS

The story behind using this figure is that a Classified Baroness was going for way too much online. I wanted her in general but to also be a part of the 4 Horsemen crew (consisting also of Major Bludd, Dr Mindbender, and Crystal Ball). Mr Winchester kind of showed me the light with a cheaper alternative; Snake Eye - The Movie's Baroness. I'm okay with the body and the face is fine, even if I break canon that she doesn't wear glasses. I wish she had long hair. Oh wait, this isn't Baroness. I renamed her LADY OBITUS. You can do a search of what Obitus means. 

I did no upgrades to her. Storywise, I already messed her up. She showed up as a nurse in a Devil Dogs story but then again as their handler as a late-addition character. I'm sticking more with the latter and whoever the nurse was, that remains to be seen. Lady Obitus has shown up in a few photos and a couple of the 4 Horsemen vignettes (and of course, in the Devil Dogs stories).

Deciding that she isn't the Baroness has helped me figure out what she is. As a Horsemen, she represents Death. I wasn't sure at first, what that meant. Did she go around just killing people for the fun of it? Did she take the killing of people and turn it into an art form? I had some ideas and didn't care for them. As I fleshed out ideas of what the rest of the Horsemen were about, I realized that some of these characters had a thirst for... knowledge? What could they do to another human? Lady Obitus can kill and could be considered a killer (In the Zedd Universe, she's former Mossad. Anyone who has watched NCIS knows what Mossad agents are like.). For her, it's not about the killing, it's about death itself. She has a fascination with it. Best put, she wants to see the light go out in a person's eyes. Lady Obitus has no interest in torturing a person until they die. It's not about suffering, like in a hospice situation or even on the battlefield. 

I originally had a story for her where she knocks off a few Joes just because she can and to maybe satisfy her thirst if only temporarily. The story meandered too far as I wrote it and she wasn't the star of it. The Joes who did die in it were not at her hands. What upset her most, she didn't get to see them die. She only heard about it. In some ways, it's an exploration of humanity and life. Two of the other members of the 4 Horsemen, they are focused on the manipulation of mind and body. Then there's Major Bludd who represents War. All three work together to help each other's goals and interests.

Visually, the figure suffices. For photographic purposes, she is difficult to pose. The issue are her feet. It's not necessarily about the size of the feet. Of course, big anime feet would help the figures stand better, but final execution of the figures are sometimes warped or just off in general. Lady Obitus has fighting skills. At the moment, she has yet to demonstrate them. To the Devil Dogs and Marauders Task Force, she's just an intel agent. Better at sitting behind a computer and digging for information than being on the battlefield. Little do they know what she's truly capable of. 

In terms of who she actually is, I've played around a lot with the idea that she is a cousin of the Baroness. Which is why they dress and speak in the same way. But also, I see the Baroness in a very specific way. Lady Obitus is able to do a lot more physically which works for my stories much better.

 6 INCH: SKULLBUSTER

Skullbuster is a character from the GI Joe comic. I didn't know of him because I was out of GI Joe at the time. I didn't know what a Range Viper was until after 2002 when people kind of explained what they were. Part of the DiC GI Joe cartoon after Sunbow was fired, yes. Weird dudes with skull heads, yes. Kinda creepy, yes. What blue and yellow have to do with wilderness survival is beyond me. I've looked up the character a few times but forget who he is. I kinda only knew of the character from GI Joe: The Collectible Card Game! Therefore, Skullbuster is a blank slate for me.

Why is he even in the Zedd Universe?

When I was copying Mr Winchester's custom whom I call Red 5 in my universe, he said that the bodies had come from the HISS Strike Team 3-pack from the GI Joe Classified toyline. (The head was from a Star War figure) After making Red 5 I was left with 2 bodies, 3 heads, and random parts and accessories. I put this one together best I could and was bewildered why the parts aren't more universal with the figures. I've probably gotten accustomed to Marauder Task Force which are easily customizable. To make the story short, I created this neat looking dude just to have; he didn't have a place in the Zedd Universe. Yet.

Coming up with the idea of the 7 Orochi (it's a Dynasty Warriors thing, for those in the know), I needed 3 more members to join the 4 Horsemen (7 Orochi is the evolution of the 4 Horsemen; add 3 characters). Red 5 needed a home so he became an instant member. This skull guy, might as well add him in. I remembered there was a dude called Skullbuster so why not add him too? (The last position, I still don't know who to use and it's been over a year) 

I'd prefer to discuss Skullbuster the toy over Skullbuster the character as I see fit. In this case, the two kind of go together because I needed a reason for him being (based on me not knowing who he was other than a name). For the most part, whatever was written about him, I've thrown out the door. These are his main aspects:

-Former Range Viper. Not a particular good one, but retains enough survival skills to, uh, survive

-A free spirit in Cobra; a character but no real position

-Loves guns. Not weapons, guns. He doesn't know cannons, missiles, artillery, silent weapons, etc. He prefers automatic rifles of all sorts. He doesn't have knowledge of the rifles he uses; Skullbuster simply likes what he likes. In terms of his place with the 7 Orochi, he's the crazy gun-toting warrior. A bit like Marvel's Cable who runs around with an array of guns. He could care less what they are and what they do, as long as they shoot and take out bad guys. Or good guys.

-Not particularly intelligent.

The figure itself, I like. Not because I made him, it's just that he looks kinda neat. Like he's a functional trooper that one would want to play with. The head mold is made creepier due to the colors Hasbro used for the figure. He hasn't been written yet which I suppose, I should work on vignettes for the 7 Orochi project to get the ball rolling. I have a few single photos of him, but nothing is telling about him. 

 6 INCH: DR MINDBENDER

Dr Mindbender was not a desirable figure when I was a kid. Not in the least bit. The Marvel comic book written by Larry Hama didn't really do anything for me. The cartoon got use out of him but there wasn't any aspect that screamed, "you must buy him". I only had him in possession during the Theme Years because GI Joe was all about 2-packs and Mindbender showed up in some of them. Yet, who he was sunk in far enough that I accepted him as a part of the toyline and Cobra. Who would have thought, that years later, I would have sought a Mindbender figure out to customize and use for diostories? Even to a degree that he was being hunted by GI Joe, Cobra, and other entities and agencies of the world?

At some point, I accepted him. As I wrote him, I started to have fun with the equivalent of a mad scientist. I have a short diostory series called Zedd Talk (a goof on Ted Talk). Though he is a wanted man, he continues to do what he wants to do. Cobra is so big, he's able to hide within it; hence why the 4 Horsemen even exist. They are doing thing that Cobra Commander doesn't know about. For those they they command (or control), they have no reason to question the orders. The 4 Horsemen are all ranking officers, even if they aren't equal in rank.

In the Zedd Universe, Dr Mindbender doesn't run around without a shirt but with suspenders and tights. He's more formal than that. To create that look, which at least the Valor vs Venom version allowed, I had seen some potential ideas on BBTS through their Monster Force figures. In particular, their Dracula figure. It was my 1st entry into an unknown toyline for me. It took a bit of effort to get things right; I hadn't dremel'd out heads before. Carved larger holes for small scale figures, yes. But this was new territory. I hadn't planned on doing customs of 6 inch figures due to cost. Alas, Red 5 and Mindbender were created in the end.

Unfortunately, the final look for Mindbender comes off wrong to me. It's workable but it's probably in my head that he looks like a butler. I think once I start writing the 4 Horsemen story, the visuals will work. I hope. To note, Mindbender isn't one I photograph often but he's referenced frequently in the diostories after a certain point. Part of his story is that he created a food forest for Cobra. In doing so, he learned the technology of terra-forming. Achieving both these feats come from after-effects of the psychic motivator implanted him decades earlier (that would be acknowledgement of Cobra La, believe it or not!). The demented doctor is a lot of fun to write. Which makes the physical form of him fun to have around.

 6 INCH: CRYSTAL BALL

Crystal Ball is unknown territory for me. As a kid, I remember not being interested in him. GI Joe to me was supposed to be a military thing and by the time this guy showed up, I felt Hasbro was losing their way. That might be why when Falcon and Tunnel Rat showed up, it was like, "YES!" Crystal Ball, I knew almost nothing about but I think I learned at some point, Stephen King had written the character as himself or as his kid. Either way, Stephen King had a hand with this guy's creation. I had no use for someone like him.

Years later, like over 30 years later, Hasbro decided to bring this guy back for their GI Joe: Classified line. He got no love during the theme years nor the 25th Anniversary. Then bam, here he is. What I find fascinating is that Hasbro managed to take some very niche and/or ugly characters (well, the original toys were nothing like what we have now) and make them look good. Crystal Ball got treatment that made him not only look good, but interesting. That latter part, it probably had to do more with the accessories he came with.

My interest in him is rather odd. The entire Classified line, my interest in it is odd. A lot of figures (and characters, the two are often coupled together), I wouldn't have ever gone near as a kid. As an adult during the theme years, I was kind of stuck getting some of them because they came in two packs. Mindbender is a prime example of someone whom I wouldn't have ever bought but he came with Beach Head. I don't care what the original cartoon did with him. I think it was later, in the 2000s animated movies, I actually learned to kind of like the guy. His role in the original animated movie wasn't bad either. Oops, this is supposed to be about Crystal Ball.

So the toy version looked neat. I don't know how he ever became a contender as a figure for me to buy. I may have been cruising Amazon as I often do and the figure kept showing up. I also may have been thinking of writing a story centering around a group of Cobra operatives who were doing nefarious things to people. When I was piecing the team together, I probably already had Major Bludd at that point, I was thinking of who would be a good fit. Mindbender already had a presence in the Zedd Universe. Of the choices from Classified, I realized Crystal Ball had a lot of potential. His rival, in terms of figures, would have been Interrogator. Something about Crystal Ball was more exotic and would be a better fit.

However, that classic look had to go. I didn't want him to look like a freak that lived in a cave. A fortune teller, maybe. But like Mindbender, I wanted him to have a more refined, snobby, if not stuffy look. Now, I had already taken remote interest in the Operation: Monster Force toyline, exampled by Mr William Winchester whom had done some wonderful photography with the figures. As I looked through the offerings on Big Bad Toy Store, I found options that would work great for Dr Mindbender and... Crystal Ball. Or at least I thought so (and I'm still coming to terms with Crystal Ball's look).

The Mr Legacy figure from Monster Force looked really interesting to me. I also liked the character of Mr Legacy. While I was working on the Devil Dogs stories, I was formulating the 4 Horsemen (as well as 7 Orochi, a Star Wars story, some vignettes, random singles photography, etc), I was waiting for Mr Legacy to be released. It was a long wait and kind of awkward. I was starting to push the 4 Horsemen project but didn't want to reveal Crystal Ball as a character because I wanted to have the figure made first. When I got the figure, well, I took the head off, sanded out Crystal Ball's head and made things all work.

Then I saw how he visually looked. Which is okay, I guess. The head looks a bit eccentric for the body, in my opinion. It's either the fangs or the eye make up on Crystal Ball that throws it off a bit. Also, and this is for sure, the light colors of the figure don't match the rest of the crew. The Mr Legacy figure also could have used a jacket. Back to the drawing board? Haven't decided yet. I've joked, when I've photographed everyone together, that Crystal Ball is the one guy that doesn't fit in with the band. In a different type of analogy, it would be like the drummer Chuck Biscuits in Danzig. 3 gnarly black-haired dude and 1 blonde guy. Jeff Hanneman, the lone blonde dude in Slayer with 3 other black-haired dudes. Maybe like Scott Ian of Anthrax as the bald dude amongst 4 bandmates with long hair. Crystal Ball, in his light colored outfit, stands out that much. To the point that I'm not sure how to use him if he goes out in the field. I think he, like Mindbender, will be staying on base to do their thing rather than go out with the troops and mess with them.

I haven't written Crystal Ball's character yet. In ways, I haven't written Interrogator's either. It'll be interesting to see how they differ. Both are manipulators of the mind and each use their own techniques and tools. I think Crystal Ball relies more on theatrics, drugs, mesmorization, and holograms while Interrogator uses actual psychology. I know for sure, Interrogator looks creepy, especially the small-scale version I made of him. Crystal Ball looks more akin to a guidance counselor which might be a ploy on his part to get the subject to believe and trust in him more. I think of him now as maybe he's a bit Dr Crane-ish (Nolan's Batman series). Looks fairly normal but not really. It's the unwritten that makes him fun for me.