Given the attention I have paid to the various vehicle and multi-packs in Hasbro’s fantastic G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary line, I felt it was only fair to take a moment and look at a couple of the single-carded figures. These are after all, arguably the line’s bread-and-butter. I chose one from the line’s eleventh wave and another from it’s ‘bonus’ twelfth wave, both of which are currently available at retail outlets.
From the eleventh wave, I chose the latest version of Scarlett, the Joes’ in-house red-headed-hottie. This latest version of the character is now available in flight gear. The Pilot Scarlett
Pilot Scarlett’s accessories are equally super-cool, with one exception. Though the gear is bulky, its great that the figure comes with as many accessories as she does. I like how Hasbro took the path of engineering the flight suit as an accessory to fit over the standard Scarlett body rather completely sculpting a new ‘pilot’ version. The excess flight gear looks fine and it can be stripped off (less the newly-sculpted boots) for Scarlett I to complete missions in her standard outfit but with new unique and sleek colors. She includes a stand, filecard, crossbow, helmet, backpack, flight gear and pistol. The only issue I have is that the visor on her helmet does not lower to cover her eyes. The visor is stuck perpetually up, which might bother some who want to place her in the cockpit of a Skystriker. That minor qualm aside, I really dig the newly sculpted, unique haircut and bright, eye-catching paint scheme.
The other figure I that chose, the Cobra Diver
In addition to utilizing Torpedo’s body, Hasbro also used his accessories for the Diver’s gear. As such, the figure includes a knife, handgun, scuba back with attaching wire, scuba mask and flippers. Hasbro didn’t stop there, as the Cobra Diver also features the ‘Deep Water’ M.A.S.S element as well as an HK assault rifle (the same one included with comic-pack Firefly and Winter Assault Scrap-Iron). These additional accessories, in conjunction with the re-used ones from Torpedo, make for an awesome figure that offers loads of potential for play and display alike. I foresee this will be the type of figure that fans will buy by the half-dozen, it is just that cool. The novelty of the M.A.S.S. element is a great shout-out to those building the device through purchasing the ‘DVD Battles’ multi-packs.
Having spoken consistently on the value of the multi-packs and vehicles versus these single-carded figures, I really feel I need to eat my words. At the $5-$7 price point, consumers are still getting a very detailed, well-designed figure loaded with accessories. Hasbro’s 25th Anniversary G.I. Joe line is a solid overall endeavor and good value in the current marketplace. If there’s a single carded figure that catches your eye, it is likely worth picking up.