Y’know, I think I also resented Duke for stealing Hawk’s hair color! I definitely bought an extra Classified Hawk to paint his hair blond, as it should be.
I broke down and ordered a Fans Toy Sky Hawk via Bombusbee, since I had some credit there. Opted for the faster shipping (via boat was free but expedited shipping was $16). Unfortunately, I ordered during Chinese New Year. And now these tariffs and shipping woes are happening. Hopefully, expedited shipping will somehow circumvent any shipping issues. Fingers crossed.
Y'know, I barely remember Duke in the comics and I have a ridiculously good memory for story elements usually. I didn't hate him but just never latched on. That being said, the retro figure from last year? One of my absolute favorites in the line. He's a lot of fun.
Like you, @aceofknaves, Cap became one of my favorites once I saw him characterized not as a jingoistic symbol but a guy who just DOES THE RIGHT THING because he's a truly good man. That's really his superpower, decency. Everything else is frosting on top.
Snake Eyes is kind of the same way, yeah? Like sure he's the most baddest of ninjas ever, but everything the guy does is to help someone else. Just a through-line of selfless decency in every variant of him over the years.
Back on topic though, I found a 1/12 scale "CEO" mug that came with a silly "dumb CEO" action figure a company I used to work for made and I think it just belongs in CC's hand:
At some point I'd heard of Hama's annoyance that Stalker was replaced by some white dude as the senior enlisted and that kind of hangs a cloud over the character in my eyes, but I'm otherwise okay with him. I'm actually disappointed in Duke when he's *not* being an a-hole.
It's Falcon that really annoys me. Nepotism aside, it's always annoying when some junior officer is put in charge of experienced enlisted and warrant officers.
I wouldn't be surprised if Hama was mad about that. Reading the comics if you watched the cartoons first as a kid was jarring. "Wait, why's the blond guy in charge? Also why is it implied he's with Scarlett when clearly the cooler story is her and Snake Eyes? I don't get it."
(I mean, we know why execs would make the verbal blond guy lead, it was the 80s, but still.)
But yeah, I never DISLIKED him. I just liked Flint way, way, way better. HE HAS A COOL HAT and SMIRKS.
My goal for the weekend if my area ends up getting snowed in is to take some decent Joes pics with the Extreme Sets backdrops I haven't used in ages. A friend talked me into taking her corporate headshots (I used to have a photography studio and gave it up) and now I'm like... nice camera... cool toys... need to take action figure photos?
For my filecard, Stalker has reached Lieutenant Colonel damnit.
Let me start with reviving an old meme(?)/internet video (well paraphrasing).........
"LEAVE DUKE ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" hahaha
I didn't realize so many of you guys like being wrong 🤣 . Duke was the best. There was no one better and I am right and all of you are wrong. At least that is what my parents tell me when they bring me my Sunny D and cheese strings......
Seriously though. I always had a fondness for Duke. Probably because he was the first "leader" of the Joes that really stuck out to me. I remember the Sunbow cartoon more than the comics, and I was exposed to the cartoon before the comics. So that probably is why he is who I consider first as the Joe leader.
As time went on and I read the comics I came to appreciate other characters. From the comics, especially now that I am rereading them again, I can see how Duke came off rather poorly to begin with because he was nothing like the cartoon. Also if Larry Hama was upset about Duke coming in and Stalker being more sidelined you can see it in those early issues because Duke is not very likeable.
The other issue of Duke and Hank (ha, just read the issue with that printing error) being clones of each other is pretty accurate. There some spots where you really can't tell who is who without the dialogue, and Hawk also kind of gets more and more sidelined with Duke on the scene. Definitely was a good choice to change Hawk's look and move him up the chain away from operations.
My personal order of leadership is more based on the cartoon characters. Clearly the true heads of GI Joe are Shipwreck and Lifeline........ Ok, so for me it would be Hawk (though not field operations unless absolutely necessary). Duke. Stalker. Flint (sorry I don't care for Flint all that much). Beachhead and then Sgt. Slaughter if all others fall/aren't available.
Y'know, it really WAS jarring having had the toys and watching the cartoon before reading the comics to see a blond Hawk. Especially if you start at the beginning when he's just in a generic green costume. "Which yellow haired buy is giving orders right now?" It was a really funny design choice considering comics are usually really good at using things like hair or costume color to make sure characters are distinct from each other.
But Classified Hawk has one of my favorite face sculpts. That guy has SEEN THINGS.
I had Snake Eyes and a Cobra trooper before knowing anything at all about the line. I think I got Zartan before seeing the cartoon as well (all were gifts), but I definitely saw the cartoon before the comics. The first comic I read was when Firefly and Destro attacked Snake Eyes at his cabin, and Airborne and Spirit came to help. Possibly why Airborne and Spirit stick out as great to me. My cousin was a few years older than me and definitely responsible for my love of comics, especially GI Joe, and he and I read that one together before he decided to give me not only all his Joe comics but felt he'd outgrown the toys as well, which is how I ended up with several figures from the second and third waves. I had Snake Eyes, and somehow I got a Scarlett, but he didn't have any from the first year. But Destro, Recondo, and Gung Ho, along with Wild Weasel and Copperhead and most of the Water Moccasin, heh. I was able to get the hooded CC through the mail, and scored a Storm Shadow at the toy store somehow. Then in 1985, it was on.
But I never had Duke until someone gave me his Tiger Force version. And that's why, despite my continued distaste for him, I had to get the Classified version of his Tiger Force figure and sold the RAM. Now he's lurking behind Scarlett and Hawk, peering through his binoculars. My filecard has him as a Major, which I think is the ONE thing I've taken from the live action movies. But like I said, Stalker is a Lieutenant Colonel so he outranks Puke.
Also, on another note... I got a call the other day at work and the caller ID came up as "Hector Delgado". Before I answered the phone, obviously I said, "Jesse? It's me! Uncle Hector!"
I was only 5 when the MASS Device miniseries came out in 83, so yeah I definitely saw the cartoon before reading the comic. For me, it was like I didn’t even notice Duke (other than “ugh, the pushy blond guy is hitting on the trafficked girl again, the giant should squish him”), because I was absolutely laser-focused on Snake-Eyes. Silly as it may sound, when he sealed himself in to that chamber to save the entire team from the radiation and then put his hand on the glass to “touch” Scarlett goodbye before stepping back into the mist . . . damn, man, that was probably the foundation of my actual morality. My little heart couldn’t take it. Yes, he’s an awesome masked commando in black. But his compassion, his love for his friends, hell his sweet relationship with Timber just totally inspired me as a little kid and still do. Snake-Eyes is 100% why I got into martial arts, and probably has a ton to do with my adult choices of “helping” careers. That character and that scene absolutely ROCKED me. Still can’t think about it without tearing up. Tragedy made him kind. I always try to remember that.
I was only 5 when the MASS Device miniseries came out in 83
Sweet, I was only a year older than you. And still am!
For me, it was like I didn’t even notice Duke (other than “ugh, the pushy blond guy is hitting on the trafficked girl again, the giant should squish him”),
Haw!!!
because I was absolutely laser-focused on Snake-Eyes.
Same here. Having his figure may have added to it, but he was such a standout.
Silly as it may sound, when he sealed himself in to that chamber to save the entire team from the radiation and then put his hand on the glass to “touch” Scarlett goodbye before stepping back into the mist . . . damn, man, that was probably the foundation of my actual morality. My little heart couldn’t take it.
Nah, I totally get that. I couldn't either. I was immediately struck by his actions. In fact, and I can't remember why now, but just last week I had an impulse to find that very scene on youtube and still found it moving.
Yes, he’s an awesome masked commando in black. But his compassion, his love for his friends, hell his sweet relationship with Timber just totally inspired me as a little kid and still do.
For real. And I was so pleased to find he was basically the same way in the comics, only with faaaaaaar more depth and focus.
Snake-Eyes is 100% why I got into martial arts, and probably has a ton to do with my adult choices of “helping” careers. That character and that scene absolutely ROCKED me. Still can’t think about it without tearing up. Tragedy made him kind. I always try to remember that.
That is truly awesome. Yes they were animated toy commercials, but they snuck some solid stuff and actual moral lessons in there as well.
I think a whole lot of us are into putting other people before ourselves, wearing all dark colors, befriending wild animals through kindness, and possibly also redheaded ninja women because of early exposure to Snake Eyes.
I think a whole lot of us are into putting other people before ourselves, wearing all dark colors, befriending wild animals through kindness, and possibly also redheaded ninja women because of early exposure to Snake Eyes.
-psychotherapist
-goth
-best friend is a cat I found in a parking lot
-wife is a badass redhead, unsure if she is secretly a ninja but I wouldn’t fight her if I were you
Soooooo . . . yes, literally exactly that is my life.
😀
- writer who also works in public service
- ex-goth who still mostly dresses in black
- house full of rescue animals who taught my ten pound terrier how to howl on queue
Partner is a take no **** librarian instead of a redheaded ninja, but close enough. All us 80s kids need "I am Snake Eyes" shirts like "I am Spartacus" or something.
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