The title might be a bit hyperbole, but the question remains: was Sigma 6 the beginning of the end, or just the end of the beginning for the G.I. Joe saga?
If you were to ask a collector who was around at the beginning of G.I. Joe’s 50 years where it started to go wrong, it might surprise you to hear them say 1982. But once your rage at such an implication died down, it would start to make sense — you had two decades worth of the same scale and then WHAM! Your Joes lost 2/3rds. And true, a lot of these collectors found space in their hearts for A Real American Hero, but there were an impressive amount who, to this day, never embraced the change to 1/18 scale.
So it then becomes even less of a surprise when we talk about the polarizing effect Sigma 6 had on fans some two decades later. Hasbro wanted to create new line, possibly even a bridge between the original and ARAH, and to do so they selected a 8-inch scale and reinvented the now classic Joe characters as younger versions with new continuities.
In 2005, Sigma 6 launched not only as a figure line, but also as a new animated series, the first ongoing one since the end of the DiC series, and it had no direct connection to the Valor vs Venom one-shots, itself a loose reboot of the franchise. Like the figures, the series had a drastic change in style, sporting very millennial techie elements and a look very inspired by other neo-anime shows being done at the time.
The show was awful. Unlike the Sunbow/DiC shows that we now look back on with fondness, and appreciate its silly naivete, this show makes those Valor vs Venom shorts I mentioned look like high art. I tried to watch some of them again recently — I don’t recommend it.
But the toys? Well, they hold up significantly better, and looking at them with some distance from their origin is maybe not a bad thing. My friend Phillip Reed over at Battlegrip.com has done some more in-depth reviews of these figures in the last couple years, no doubt after stumbling across his old figures and going, “Oh, yeah. I did buy these!” like I did recently. But overall, judged on their own merit, these were pretty solid toys. The accessories were excellent, the articulation was solid, the style might have been take-or-leave, but it gave a nice cohesive edge to the series. The cloth goods were… a mixed bag. Some stuff, like Destro’s jacket or the BDU pants or Cobra Commander’s cape came out pretty cool. Others, like most of the ninja gear, looks a bit silly.
Even so, there were an impressive amount of solid figures from the line, and so I figured I would pick out 5 of my favorites to share:
Heavy Duty
A big beast of a man (who is not at all Roadblock) with a chain-fed Gatling gun. That’s a good addition to any toy line. As I mentioned, his cargo pants actually flow with the design well, and the extra articulation in the arms (bicep swivels and hinged elbows) makes him look pretty badass with the mini-gun deployed.
Duke (Sigma Strike)
One of the deluxe commando figures, this version of Duke passed on the cloth in favor of Master Chief’s armor. But that armor is removable, and his massive electronic cannon comes with launcher, flame thrower, and saw attachments. Definitely one of the better deluxe versions.
Snake Eyes (Ninja Armor)
Another great-looking deluxe, Snake Eyes was the first of these figures that I bought in-store, and that was on the power of his shelf presence alone. Loaded up with a spring-loaded blade flight pack, removable armor, multiple swords, and a damn cool-looking gun, this is my favorite Snake Eyes from the line. Of special note is his visor, which is also removable, making this the closest to unmasked our boy ever got in a figure.
Iron Grenadier
One of the things most easily and regularly overlooked in Sigma 6 is that there were actually some very cool redesigns. Most of those belonged to Cobra, it seemed, but that’s also a kinda welcome change. The Grenadier opted for a Jin-Roh-influenced look over the original’s WWI Heer look, but the result is pretty intimidating, and still not out of character for Destro’s elite.
Sky BAT
The other redesigns I really liked were the BATS. While the land version went sort-of “Ultron,” the sky model has a unique look that really stands on its own. In years since it’s become my favorite version of the cannon fodder, and its hulking proportions work even better with smaller figures. I did get rid of those odd arm canisters, though.
Damn, that five went fast. Here’s a few more:
Sigma 6 had the misfortune of being the wrong toy line at the wrong time with the best of intentions. The change in scale was soooo close to bringing them into the world of 6-inch collectors, but going Mego-size (but not really Mego-style like Marvel’s Famous Covers) and doing it anime was about the easiest way to convince me at the time to pass on most of them. In spite of these choices, though, Sigma 6 was really a well thought out, well designed, and strong valued series that just didn’t get the following it probably deserved. The series as a whole carries a lot of stigma for bringing the G.I. Joe brand down, and a lot of that simply isn’t deserved. Seeing as the 25th anniversary series followed it directly, whatever damage Sigma 6 may have inflicted on the line clearly didn’t hurt it for long.
Just don’t watch the cartoon and you can enjoy ’em just fine. You know, like we do with most nostalgic properties.