It’s been a minute since I’ve picked up a new G.I. Joe Classified figure. The delays they mentioned last year were real. Real painful. That said, I’ve been kept busy with other lines and kept up with G.I. Joe through comics including re-reading the Hama Marvel run from the Compendium set, the five new “silent” issues from Skybound in April, and the Energon Universe. There was a Free Comic-Book Day issue that introduced a new faction to the burgeoning Transformers/Joe crossover Energon Universe that made me think about all the toys I’d like to see in Classified that aren’t necessarily Joes or Cobras. I’m going to talk spoilers about that comic, so beware as I wishlist about possible extended Hasbro Universe characters I’d like to see in G.I. Joe Classified.
G.I. Joe Classified is my favorite line going in my favorite style of figure, so of course I would love more characters done by this team, but I’m certainly not advocating for Hasbro to overrun G.I. Joe Classified with other characters. Hasbro has been doing a great job picking characters from the existing Joe universe for inclusion in the G.I. Joe Classified line, but a meaningful cameo from other properties here or there would be great fun.
5. Baroness and Ravage two-pack
I’ve mentioned this one before, but the Energon Universe Free Comic Book day issue highlighted how much fun it would be to have a fully articulated Ravage to fight my Joes. The Joe team does great super-articulated animal figures, so it would be interesting to see them really lean into the hard surface techno detail of the robotic panther and make him fully articulated and playable.
4. Matt Trakker
Speaking of the Energon Universe Free Comic Book Day Special, Matt Trakker was revealed as an old friend of Clutch’s who didn’t seem terribly surprised by the appearance of a Transformer. I like how the costume design here is more traditionally ’80s MASK with some modern tweaks, much in the style of the G.I Joe Classified updates of classic ARAH designs. Of all the MASK characters, this does seem like the most likely inclusion in Classified since he did get two different G.I. Joe figures previously. I know The Loyal Subjects is doing a re-release of the original toys and that has prompted me to go back and look at all the MASK media over the years, so I’m really MASK obsessed right now. Trakker showing up in the Skybound comics was delightful and timely for this fan.
3. Skuxxoid
Void Rivals has been a surprise book for me. It’s not quite a Transformers comic, but Transformers adjacent and there is a ton of toyetic stuff in there in addition to cameos from several classic toy characters we’ve loved over the years. I almost picked the two new main characters for this slot but they are getting an o-ring release with Jetfire at SDCC, and Skuxxoid is one of the more entertaining elements in the book. I’d be lying if I said I remembered him at all from the old Transformers cartoon, but with his slightly put-upon, used car salesman approach to bounty hunting and his surprisingly poignant backstory, he’s won me over. He’s also just a big lizard-man alien that is screaming to be made into a toy. It would be cool to pit a Legends scaled version of the character against Death’s Head too.
2. The Misfits
Let’s face it, their songs are better. Jem was not a show I watched closely, the Holograms and Misfits were in my peripherals growing up, but sometimes that’s enough. I did recently watch a bunch of the episodes on Tubi and was shocked at what psychopaths these ladies were. At one point they try to murder Jem by running her down with a bulldozer! Watching that I thought to myself that these gals could be Dreadnoks and have been obsessed with the idea ever since. I planned some customs, but the inclusion of Jem and The Misfits as cameos on the Cold Slither box set gave me a little glimmer of hope that maybe they would make Jem figures that could play a double bill with Cold Slither one day.
- Brad Turner and Condor
I did say earlier I’m currently obsessed with MASK, right? I absolutely loved those toys as a kid and I’m glad to see them get a refresh from TLS, but it would also be cool to get a six-inch scaled version of them. Even though as a kid I was way more into the characters and their MASK powers, the vehicles are a huge part of MASK and as much as I love six inch scaled vehicles, it’s a hard sell, especially for a cameo character that’s not the focus. I feel like Condor is the most achievable iconic MASK vehicle at a reasonable price point in the six inch scale. That’s all kind of moot since I really just want Brad and Condor because they were my favorite toys as a kid and I’d love to see them in my new favorite scale of toy.
Those are my current ideas for Hasbro characters I’d like to see sneak into the G.I. Joe Classified line, is there anyone you want or should we keep ’em seperated? Let me know in the comments!
