Technically, it's Agent Helix, but I don't care for the "agent" addition to the names. Is it due to some proprietary naming rights infringement potential problems? I don't know. If it's not lawfully required, why use it, though? At least without explanation?
As for Helix, being a new character/ figure, looking cool, and being a female, I had to add this one to my classic-oriented figure collection. I actually went out of my way to shop for this figure, which is something I haven't done since those ARAH-style army builder packs and OCS sets were available at retail. I didn't have to look too hard for Helix, unlike those army builders, for goodness sake. Anyway, Helix looked very interesting, and indeed, is a pretty cool figure. But beyond the superficial, I haven't really felt any character from the figure. That could be from the poorly limited file card biography, but that's been the modern GIJOE product for a couple years.
Giving more thought to the possible background of the character gives a great insight to that figure. Think about how Low-light was afraid of the dark as a child, or a guy with a passion for gourmet food becomes a machine gunner. Someone could have just said, these guys are big, bad, and the best, and leave it at that. Personality goes a long way. (this makes me think of the movie Pulp Fiction, with the chat about the pig Arnold on Green Acres.)
So, with Helix, we automatically don't get much biography personality. We get an expert marksman with advanced martial arts training that has a special finishing move. (Sounds like a video game..heh.) Now, does the video game or one-shot comic add anything to this? Helix has a total mental picture and can calculate everything going on in a situation?
That's where Helix has been stuck in my little JoeVerse corner. There's been some good discussions and inputs as to other peoples uses. I'm thinking something along these lines now, which could change, but here's my addition to a file card for Helix.
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"Often bullied and picked on at school, Helix turned into a loner. Labeled as a "difficult child," Helix's upper class parents sought out many therapists, psychologists, and many other medical professionals for "solutions" to their perceived problem child; even going so far as to undertake questionable off-shore experimental medical gene "treatments." Her upper class parents also forced every trendy extra-curricular activity and high-priced private lesson possible on her. It wasn't until a martial arts course where Helix found a natural talent and an outlet for her overt lifestyle of too much input and forced conformity.
Martial arts helped Helix find an inner calm and sort out priorities, as well as give her self-confidence and the ability to fend for herself. With her new found inner focus, she was able to re-focus much of her former yuppie activities to her advantage; particularly displaying levels of Olympic-class gymnastics and marksmanship. Her training reached new levels upon joining former GIJOE team members at a private martial arts studio in California."
About HQ icebreaker
- icebreaker
- This is a very random bunch of thoughts based from my collecting of GIJOE: A real American hero figures and vehicles. Contained here are memories, experiences, recent thoughts, completely random thoughts, and other random things on top of that. While one company has made, and makes, our shared interests, we all add into that interest with our own creativity. You, the reader, will find many, many, excellent sites among the links to see what other GIJoe fans are doing, hit them up! For GIJOE stuff that is more random in topic, you'll find it here.