Ghostbusters!
But, if Cobra is manufacturing weapons grade plasma-tox, well, you might want these guys.
The GIJOE Eco-Warriors!
If you look back at my last post, I mentioned how I just got Barbecue, so I thought I would take out all these Eco-Warrior guys and set them up and share some thoughts with you.
I think the Joes are looking good here, a real stand-alone team. Side-by-side, can there be any doubt they are working together?
The original 1991 trio of Joes all had removable helmets, a very cool detail, but it would have been cool if Barbecue had had the same option! Of course, Barbecue in this form ended up going into space as another figure multiple times as Payload. And that makes sense, the suit on Barbecue is self-contained, afterall.
While Barbecues Eco-Warrior figure-body made it into space, Barbecue, technically, did not. BUT, Ozone did make it into orbit!
Ozone has his special gear, which I guess I have used as more of a testing device mostly. That little tube on it looks like a sample holder to me. But, I suppose it could be a way to send out neutralizing air as well?
Now Flint here was my main Flint for many years. I did have an '85 Flint from way back in the day, but the o-ring snapped, and this was back when I didn't know about the screw removal to replace it :( . But Eco-Warrior Flint did the job just as well for many years, despite being green.
As an Eco-Warrior, I think his helmet is the weakest design of all, especially when you look at the card-art and notice that he has a screen instead of a fully-contained Eco-Warrior hazard suit.
Flint also brought "the most" firepower with him, though. As huge as that gun is, I gotta say the handle is very figure-friendly, and the curved butt end really allows the weapon to hold to the upper torso-shoulder area of a figure.
Clean Sweep brings in the serious gear, though. Where Ozone seems to be the air quality specialist, Clean Sweep seems to be the sludge specialist.
His water-gun in disguise is kind of interesting, is it not like a PAC/RAT in some ways? I mean, it's bigger than Lightfoots little robot, but not quite a vehicle in itself. I imagine it is controlled by Clean Sweep with his backpack, which features a cool little control console.
Clean Sweep also has a sensible-sized weapon, and a truly sludge-resistant looking helmet.
Now, I was looking at Battle Corp Dial Tone the other day, and could not figure out why his waist seemed so familiar, but, well, now I figured it out!
Other than Clean Sweeps robot, the other three have the same water-blasting sludge-neutralizing equipment. Size-wise, I don't think it's too over large, I would think perhaps in imagination it's like a two-part tank, and then the nozzle ends are specialized to handle shooting some very non-standard liquid at high-velocity.
The Eco-Warriors already have their bad-guy counterparts, too. Cesspool leads the Cobra effort with his own sludge-shooting Backpack, as well as chainsaw!These three below were the core of the "polluters" side of the Eco-Warrior side in my collection. Cesspool has been used quite often, much in some command role just under Cobra Commander. Sort of similar to how he was used in the Marvel Comic.
The Toxo-Viper and Sludge Viper haven't gotten as much use, though. Kind of neat figures each, but I think the fact that they both received the exact same accessories treatments kind of "cheapened" these two figures.
It's like the Toxo-viper almost should have been the standard hostile-environment trooper that they were before. Perhaps some accessories that were more akin to the 1988 Toxo-Viper that might have looked a little more like dangerous gas-emitting weapons.
I think that would have helped this newer Toxo-Viper stand apart from the Sludge Viper. The Sludge Viper should have been the figure with the big weapon that spews the armor-eating weapons-grade sludge. Hence the name, "Sludge."
Also, consider that the Sludge Viper is much more muscular-looking than the Toxo-Viper, that says the Sludge Viper is a little more a "heavy weapons" operator to me.
Cesspool has a different backpack and squirt nozzle than the GIJOE Eco-Warriors, however, and I am glad for that. They can't ALL be using the same equipment, for me, that's a bit of a downgrade in GIJOE figure originality.
It still all works out in the end for building up a Cobra hostile-environment army, though. Every body gets some wild colors!
Something interesting about the backpacks of the Sludge and Toxo-Vipers, is that there is a big white spot that almost seems like a hose-connecting post might have been there. Perhaps there was more to the complement of accessories planned for these guys, but I suppose these are figures with larger accessories, and they were up a little higher on the retail price as-is. Perhaps some latter cost-cutting measures by removing some accessories?Also, I wonder about that flat part that extends from and down the barrel of the big sludge shooters? Perhaps something was to attach to it?
The Eco Warriors were kind of my first sub-team assembled, in some ways. If you consider just the first year of Eco-Warriors in 1991, just those 6 figures.
It didn't happen by plan, either.
I bought Flint, Ozone, Cesspool, 1 Toxo-Viper, and the Sludge Viper ALL at the old Childrens Palace store in Duluth, MN.
Not because I really liked these figures, but at that time, which was most likely between 1992 and 1994 (or so) because that is when Childrens Palace was going out of business!
When we moved to civilization, I "discovered" Childrens Palace. I'm not sure if it was just one of many Toys R Us big-box competitors or what, but no matter what, it was an AWESOME store.
However, due to funds and transportation, I was not able to take FULL advantage of the gradual "going out of business" price drops.
By the time I got up there for the big percentage off, most all that was left was Eco-Warriors.
But I still win, since I didn't pay full price!
Clean Sweep came in last, though. I found him later at Kay Bee at Northtown mall for $1.87
I also had the Eco-Striker and a Septic Tank. These were a couple of the first vehicles to be trimmed away though a few years back.
Just a couple years ago, pictured below, was my hostile environment squad. Recently, I've traded out Airtight, Flash, Blowtorch, '85 Barbecue, as well as the GIJCC club Dragonsky.
Going forward in my collection of less, even my Eco Warriors posted about today may go away, as well.
