I knew I wanted G.I. Joes in the same format as my Marvel Legends and Star Wars The Black Series, but actually getting them? It’s turned a “oh man, I want them all now!” But yeah, that can’t happen especially since I’m still trying to track down Classified Series 2.
That doesn’t mean I can’t start prioritizing my must get ASAP figures. I decided instead of my normal wish list, I’d look at some key Joe specialties and determine which Joe in that slot should get a Classified Series figure first.
So far the Joe design team has taken some liberties with the classic designs with a few random armor bits and communication devices. There hasn’t been anything so egregious that it’s impossible to tell who the characters are supposed to be and in some instances the modernization hasn’t been a bad thing. That’s enough setup, let’s go through the first round of options!
MEDIC: Doc vs. Lifeline vs. Stretcher
I could have just kept this to the first two Joes, but figured when would Stretcher ever actually work his way into a Joe debate?
Doc of course, was the original GI Joe medic. He benefits from having prominent roles in both the Marvel Comics run by Larry Hama and the cartoon where he was a super genius. A medic on a show where no one gets shot is kinda useless so the cartoon made him one of the early tech whiz members on the team. Doc also stood out for his tan outfit, which was very different from his fellow Joes, who were largely in green at the time.
Lifeline made sure not to confuse anyone that he was a Joe medic and went with the obvious red and white color scheme. He was a lot like Doc, but more annoying with his pacifism mentality.
Stretcher carried on the proud tradition of the medics on the team. He arguably has a cooler outfit than both Doc or Lifeline, but wins the bad timing award for coming out in the latter stretch of the 1990 waves when G.I. Joe was losing some of its popularity. Stretcher was actually a former Olympic weight lifter (!) And now I’ve managed to make this harder than I initially thought.
My choice: I kinda like the idea of updating some of the 89-90 guys and bringing them in to the Classified Series before 2030, but I’ve gotta go with Doc for this one.
LASER TROOPER: Flash vs. Sci-Fi
Of the Original 13, Flash was one of the few who really stood out on shelves. Yeah, yeah “but what about Grand Slam?” He was part of a vehicle set and Flash on the pegs immediately ready for purchase so he wins this argument. As the Joe’s original laser trooper, Flash had a snazzy red waffle pattern plating and a visor. Clearly, I was easy to impress back in the day as I thought this made Flash one of the cooler looking Joes.
He’s going up against Sci-Fi, a character who foreshadowed the line’s eventual bold and oh-so neon costume choices. At least on Sci-Fi it looked cool thanks to his silver and black armor plating to break up the neon green.
My choice: I think Sci-Fi would be easy for the Classified Series team to knock out, but Flash was one of my original favorites and I’m curious to see how an updated figure would look like with modern aesthetics. Just keep the covers over the boots, please.
COMMUNICATIONS: Breaker vs. Dial Tone
Breaker was the original communication soldier for the team. In the comics his signature trait was his love of bubble gum. Breaker didn’t have the most exciting outfit and never managed to get an update like some of his OG13 members, but as a fan favorite for old school Joe fans he definitely warrants consideration.
Dial Tone was one of my favorites of the 1986 series. I always liked the look of guys rocking berets in the series for whatever reason. Dial Tone has a busy outfit compared to some of the others, but he had a sweet communication backpack device and one of the cooler guns.
My choice: I’m going to buck against my normal bias for the OG13 and go with Dial Tone. His outfit was pretty cool and it sure does seem like he’s in line to get a Classified Series figure soon anyway with his appearance in the G.I. Joe Operation Blackout video game.
Navy SEAL: Torpedo vs. Wet Suit
This should be a good one with a face-off with the Joe’s top SEALs.
Both of these guys have great outfits. Wet Suit has a mild advantage thanks to his swimmer assist device and his colors have more of a nautical theme.
Butttt, there’s something about old school play patterns and I always had Torpedo on missions with Snake Eyes as the masked members of the team and loved his color scheme.
My choice: Torpedo. The simpler the better for his outfit in this case. He’s always been a character that has a basic look that has always looked cool.
Airborne vs. Ripcord vs. Crazylegs
When it’s time to drop in on Cobra, the Joes have three top options.
Airborne is the original and frequent rider with Wild Bill on the Dragonfly. I always liked that Airborne wasn’t portrayed as the typical Native America.
Ripcord had a great run in the comic during one of the best stretches of Hama’s original run and his camo attire made him a favorite. He was one of the guys whose 25th anniversary figure probably could have been executed better.
Crazylegs had a cool color scheme and had one of the better Pursuit Of Cobra figures, which shows how cool this figure could look in 6-inch format.
My choice: Airborne also had a great 25th figure and his color scheme would help him stand out among the CS figures.
Alright, those are my choices but it won’t be any fun until I hear from you. Which of these options would you all want to see?