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. 

 6 INCH: DAWN MORENO

I know almost nothing of the character Dawn "Snake Eyes" Moreno. I have the understanding that Snake Eyes is dead and she's taken the name. A disciple? Alternate universe? No idea. I just know, she looks really cool. Again, the black and red colors strike again!

I'm a visual person. Not just action figures. Cars, video games, cartoons (or animation/animated shows), flower arrangements, etc. I like what I like. This Hasbro Classified figure is utterly awesome looking. Functional is another matter and that's something that would be covered in a review, which isn't the purpose of what I'm writing about.

In the Zedd Universe, she is an open book. I will not be calling her Snake Eyes, although, I haven't thought of a name. She hangs with the figures on the dresser which are all bad guys. I've considered making her a villain but I have no story for her. Like the Lego Movie's Emmett's brain, it's completely empty. Sadly, I have no plans for her. Sometimes, when I do photoshoots, things form as I work with the figures. That's kind of what I'm counting on here. Unfortunately, I find her hard to use. It has to do with the design of the figure. The long hair and the double scabbards for the swords don't work well together with the visored head. (The unmasked head works but it's not as cool looking) Also, I wish Hasbro gave her a bit more gear. Usually, they like to load the ninja up. She has no daggers or knives or whatever else ninja carry around. I'd love to do more photos with her, but my creativity with her is low to non-existent. Moreno was a blind pre-order from Amazon meaning, she was a just a cool looking figure that I had nothing invested in. There are a few other purchases like that. For example, the Marvel Rivals: Moon Knight. No ideas what to do with him, just looked cool.

And the theme word of my 6 inch collection? COOL

 6 INCH: RED 5 (CUSTOM)

This custom figure is heavily based on a figure that a friend did. Red 5, as I call him, is one of my favorite figures. When Mr. Winchester made him, I really liked the look. I thought it was an official figure but it was revealed it was a custom. In short order, I set out to make one for myself. I think there are some small variances between his and mine, but don't remember the specifics.

While I made the figure just for the cool visual look of him, I hadn't many thoughts of who or what he was. The head says to me it's more robotic than cybernetic. The body says it's human, perhaps even android, but not cybernetic (ie; cybernetically augmented human). I've had a lot of time to think on the character and not coming up with a lot of specifics. I did decide this:

-Was a member of a Viper squad called Red Squad

-The name is from Star Wars, but has nothing to do with Star Wars

-He is a bounty hunter (but remains a Cobra operative)

-Had extensive work done to him; not sure if he is an android w/ a human consciousness. That would be moving into Battlestar Galactica territory which is kind of where I want to go. That over Robocop where Red 5 has a human brain in that head

-Very stiff personality; mission oriented

-Red 5 is a member of the 7 Orochi; the project after the 4 Horsemen story.

-Red Squad was one of the 4 Horsemen's pet projects that didn't go well. Red 5 is the surviving member

-Knife is missing. Will be a story point

-Uses a Robocop gun. Made by Gridiron Studios. The gun itself has always been a favorite of mine ever since I saw Robocop. I don't even care for Robocop or the movie, I just like the gun!

What's interesting to note. I have a bunch of figures on the dresser. Mostly it's so they are easy to grab when I go on a photoshoot. I find that several of the figures are black and red. I love this figure. I don't know if it's because Winchester designed it, he explained how to build it (along with the recipe), and/or the fact that his photos of him are fantastic and I oddly believe I can reproduce the coolness to them.

 6 Inch Figures: Major Bludd

Up until about 2002, when Hasbro relaunched the GI Joe toyline with the Joe vs Cobra theme, ask me who my favorite GI Joes were, the answer would have been quick and easy. Falcon and Tunnel Rat. Top 2. Be it as a kid or a 20-something adult, those two were favorites in both physical toy and their character per the file card. Enter the internet age of websites that had discussion boards, I'd learn a lot about GI Joe but also make a distinction between toy, comic character, toy character, file card, etc. I had figures I liked; characters from cartoon or comic, I never really invested in. Aware of and used for my stories or to base my own characterizations off of, yes. Old favorites included: Flash, Tripwire, Torpedo, Repeater, Muskrat, Hawk v2, and many others. Notice in this paragraph, no mention of the bad guys. 

What I knew of Major Bludd came from cartoon, comic, and file card and obviously, the toy.

The original release of Major Bludd, it was what it was. I got him just because. He wasn't anything exciting to me other than he had a molded-straight arm (supposed to be cybernetic or something), eyepatch, and a rocket pistol for his weapon. As a kid, that made it kind of awkward to use him because I was one of those that never exchanged weapons between figures and didn't diverge from what came in the package (or artwork). Even to this day (skip to modern times), I still can't Bludd with an automatic rifle. Or a sniper rifle. Only a pistol. Very hard for me to break that mentality; only worse getting older. There is a 'however' here...

The Hasbro made, GI Joe Classified Major Bludd is pretty damn good. Backtrack for a moment here. Major Bludd, as a figure, won me over with Hasbro short-lived Direct To Consumer (DTC) line. This line focused on GI Joe and was their way to get rid of the stock that was reserved for the theme Robot Rebellion which didn't quite pan out right for the small Joes. (Long story: Robot Rebellion was to be the next theme after Valor vs Venom. It starred Overkill and his different robot minions, errrrr, warriors. The good guy side included one particularly new character of Major Barrage who would lead the charge. Things got changed and Robot Rebellion got wrapped up in the Sigma 6 theme. It wasn't lost as the 1st 5 eps of Sigma 6 was the planned Robot Rebellion. I admit, I never watched Sigma 6 after that, but I understand the focus changed after Robot Rebellion finished and truly became the adventures of Sigma 6. The cartoon and the small toyline didn't quite see eye to eye. Another indicator of the small scale Robot Rebellion line was the 6-pack that had Overkill and a bunch of BATs.) 

Back to the topic, the DTC line had Major Bludd. Hasbro made him look really cool. He had a removable helmet, a neat scarf, just a bunch of updates to him. Did he retain the fake arm? Hard to say; I think it looked like a regular arm. All that matters is that I became a bit of a fan of him. Or at least, a stronger interest. (Major Bludd did get his own diostory; Deadly Poets Society. He tried to start his own army which didn't go down well.)

The Classified Major Bludd is terrific. I tried the line 3 different times (4?) and finally succumbed to it. There's no denying that, for the most part, the figures look good. The figure retains enough classic elements to make him Major Bludd. The removable helmet is a nice touch, the upgrade on the eyepatch is a nice addition, and his sidearm is perfect. I'm sure fans could point out other great aspects of the figure. For me, the figure acts as a vehicle for my own creativity in terms of photography, written stories, and visual stories. Major Bludd, after all, is part of the 4 Horsemen group. That's a story still waiting to be properly written.

For me, if I really like the figure, it'll be the subject of my photography. As in, I'll want to use him all the time. I find it's often a mix of the figure itself (visuals, articulation, can I pose them), the characterization as I can write them, and several other aspects.

This 8in collection, it's all figures that I really like (uh, I think so at least). Major Bludd is one of the top figures. Top 5? Top 10? Never thought hard about it, but I instinctively reach for him when I want to go out and take photos. Thing is, I have all these other figures and I have to refrain from using him.

 Demon Hunters: 4 Horsemen/7 Orochi projects

I've been thinking quite a bit lately of how to make these two projects work. It was only recently that I realized that with how slow Vol 1: World Eaters is being written that I needed to push the 4 Horsemen project forward. The premise was that these 4 Cobra officers would come into town and mess things up usually through different forms of manipulation and strong-arming. I forgot what the specific analogy was besides the Winchester brothers from Supernatural. In terms of the tv show, the brothers ride into town and solve the problem of the day. However, the other side of that story is that they tend to wreak havoc when they come in and a lot of innocents die. The 4 Horsemen would ride into town and while everything goes to hell because of their plans, there is more scheming involved. I didn't quite know how to write that all up. Visually, I saw the 4 of them riding into town all in Ford Mustangs (I personally think it would be 2000s models but not opposed to classic 60s versions. The problem here is, what do I see them actually in. And I can't see Dr Mindbender or Crystal Ball actually driving a car!)

A few months ago (or earlier this year), I realized because of who the Horsemen represent, I could see them 'using' military squads to do their bidding. Now, the Horsemen are classically written as Death, Pestilence, Famine, and War. When I did some light research on them, I came across very liberal (or modern) takes on them which I hate to admit, I'm playing around with.

For example, Pestilence has to do with sickness. The modern take spoke of Pestilence not just as a physical manifestation, but a mental one. I'm playing with the idea that the Horsemen are targeting military squads that are slightly mental. Enough that Crystal Ball can 'poison' their mind even more through all his means (Interrogator could do the same but their techniques are different. Crystal Ball seems more suited for the 'horror' side of things whereas Interrogator would feel like you are watching a spy thriller or something. To have both on the Horsemen or Orochi would be redundant to me and to put an Interrogator together to how I see fit, probably would be a pain in the ass.) Crystal Ball could work his magic; making them more violent, impatient, etc. The Devil Dogs (Vol 1 main characters) will be one of their 'experiments'. 

Experiments are how the Horsemen see their subjects. What the Horsemen do to these people, it's for their own interest and satisfaction, not so much a political statement or giving Cobra more power (though, it ends up being that way most of the time). The story of the Horsemen is still being worked on. They'll take a squad under their wing and they'll do their bidding but it's not obvious why. Lady Obitus is the representation of Death. It's not just about killing people; she actually doesn't have interest doing it herself. It's the act of death that she finds fascinating. I think it was written in the latest vignette, she wants to know why there is an unaccounted 21 grams when the body dies. She believes it is the human soul leaving the body. She wants to know what it is. Why it happens. Where does it go? And she certainly wants to see the light leave the body. This will be covered lightly in Vol1: Devil Dogs: Story 4: FATES WARNING.

Somewhere in all this, the Horsemen evolved into the 7 Orochi. The simplest explanation is that the group gains 3 members. One of them is an entity called Red 5. Here is where I came up with a story for the Horsemen; whether it's THE story, I'm not sure. 

Red 5 is the 5th member of a Cobra squad; I haven't figured out if they were a special squad or just regular old Vipers. The 4 Horsemen get their fangs in them (hee hee) and this 5-man squad does what they tell them to do. They have no reason to question it because these are all Cobra officers of some sort. When Major Bludd gives you a mission, you do it. Cuz certainly, he represents Cobra's best interests and it must be under Cobra Commander's order, yes??? This squad, the Red Squad (insert placeholder name), well, things don't go well of them in the end. Red 5 is the surviving member and he becomes an experiment of Dr Mindbender (give or take Overkill). 

I haven't decided if the Red Squad failure occurs before the Horsemen put the Devil Dogs (and their subsequent squad name) through a series of missions or after. It could be simultaneous which means, the 4 Horsemen have all sorts of plans going on at once. By deciding to go with, basically a Red 5 origin story, this relaxes my plotting/planning/anxiety of creating a new military squad for the Horsemen storyline. If I went with a regular military crew, it'd be some random Marauder Task Force squad. Keeping it within Cobra makes sense. In fact, I believe I have 5 MTF'd Vipers that I can use for visual/physical representation.

I admit, I still don't know what Red 5 is. I was thinking about it when on a drive to Ritzville today (2 hr round trip; let's me think). I was thinking cyborg but not entirely sure I want to go that route. Just how deep on the cyborg scale does he go? And where do I make my line between cybernetic augmentation and actual cyborg? I've got some ideas but none feel very strong. However, I like the idea of the Viper Red Squad being the Horsemen's play toys. 

4 Horsemen:

Death - Lady Obitus

War - Major Bludd

Pestilence - Crystal Ball

Famine - Dr Mindbender

 Metallica - Master of Puppets

It's no secret that I'm not that much of a fan of Metallica anymore. Been that way for years. I don't know if I lost interest, outgrew them, etc. I have select tracks I do like from Black, Load, and Reload. But in terms of studio albums, nothing beyond. (Garage Inc and S&M are kind of outliers to me) I think it's safe to say, the albums I listen to are Puppets and Justice. Having played bass and guitar (and grew up playing piano), I had fun playing Metallica tunes cuz frankly, they were fairly easy. 

But why those two and not Kill 'em All and/or Ride the Lightning?

For me, a lot of it has to do with sound. I love the sound of the Black album. I feel Bob Rock (producer) did good on them. Gave them a metal sound, but I would learn later, the thrashiness and complicated riffs disappeared. Still, the Black tour showed/proved that the thicker sound (I call it 'thicker') works for the old stuff. What gets me on Kill is James young voice! Same with Ride, plus, there are some stinkers on there that I don't care for.

What's interesting to note, my 'faves' on Masters tended to move around. I remember really like Leper Messiah and Orion. But neither were pushed by the band, instead they seemed to favor the title track (duh), Battery and Sanitarium, which as a high schooler, I didn't really care. At least at first. Later, I'd learn to like Sanitarium but it helped that a friend had his preferences and at times, showed me the light. I think I was in my 30s when I came to the realization that Battery is an awesome tune. It's got the energy and aggression that equals Slayer and (later) Pantera. It's possible that things were going on in my life where Battery sounded attractive finally. And it's also possible that my guitar playing was (finally) evolving. 

Another track I preferred as kid was Disposable Heroes. In the end, the only track I really don't care for is Damage Inc.

I hate to be part of the crowd that says Master is their best album. The gatekeepers like to bicker over their 1st 3 albums. They seem to respect Justice but those old farts are all about Cliff Burton over Jason Newsted. Where I'm a Newsted fan and just accept that Cliff was the bass player. He did his thing. That's probably an entirely different topic I won't bother to babble about. (No offense to the late Cliff Burton)

I still don't quite know what it is about Master of Puppets that I ended up liking it. When I was getting into metal in middle school (coming from a few years of punk), Metallica wasn't what I was expecting. It's hard for me to explain what I thought metal was supposed to sound like. I was listening to it in the car when driving around a couple weeks ago and I was thinking, "this album is quite good".

 Devil Dogs Story 4

Finally got back to working on the story. I finished #3 a few weeks ago and had started #4 immediately. I actually have a rough draft for the 1st 'act'. It's fast and quick. The rest of the story, I'm at a bit of a crossroads. #4 serves as the end of the Devil Dogs phase (their story will continue under a different squad name; War Hounds). I had ideas on how I wanted to tell the next scene, but it's where to go with it all. I have a plot, it's the finer details of whether I want to go certain routes. I'm still formulating a lot of ideas too because in some ways, I have to set the stage for War Hounds #1. I'm hoping I can write it out and it'll all come together.

This kind of brings up something I've kinda been reading about studio-made tv shows and movies. That a lot of the story/script are written on the spot. Like, the writer or writers just bust it out in a short time. But I can't help question of the editing, rewriting, and revision processes involved. How many times have we heard that a scene is written on the spot? Is that how creativity works for some people in the entertainment industry?

Yet here we have other writers who can take a lot of time to work things through. Hours, days, weeks, months, years, etc. The things that I ponder...

*Firenado and Trainwreck*