Roadblock E-6MOS: Infantry Heavy Weapons
SMOS: Cook
My first Roadblock was given to me by my old best bud from way back. Consider our ages, the 1984 Roadblock he gave me was probably one of his very first GIJOE figures. It was well used by the time I got it, too. The backpack peg was snapped off, the machine gun barrel long-snapped off, the tripod lost to who knows where, and the usual figure wear that comes from play. I also later added to the wear when I was putting this Roadblock figure on a vehicle's figure peg and a huge chunk of heel splintered off.
It wasn't until the "Double Blast" Roadblock was out that I essentially "retired" the old 1984 Roadblock figure. With Double Blast, well, THAT is Roadblock to me. I liked the TRU Night Force Roadblock, too, but I didn't like that they essentially replaced skin with the fabric of a shirt. Either way, all the swivel-head-jointed figures were traded out of my collection.
I was happy with the only Roadblock to remain, the Anti-venom Task Force Roadblock. This re-do of the 1992 figure has been THE go-to figure for not only being the famous Roadblock character, but being a really nice figure in itself. (and coming with the original machine gun!)
With my small team, I had to choose which figures I would be happiest with being limited to. This was one figure that was always in my top pick piles. Plus, it is Roadblock. This is a character that is darn-near just as famous to me as Beachhead, Tunnel rat, and close to closing in on Snake Eyes level.
GIJOE Renegades really added to my own characterization of Roadblock, too.
That is my best buds original 1984 helmet on the figure. I was very happy that it fit, as the original 1984 figure that it came with has since gone into the realm of parts donor. I think it is a nice way to remember my old best bud, as well as give the figure some real sense of age in this "older" version of a popular character.
Choosing Roadblock was very easy, too. But there was one little issue that I had to take into account: Roadblock vs. Rock & Roll vs. Repeater.
Essentially three GIJOE machine gunners. I chose to keep them all. But, I gotta wonder if I missed out on keeping another figure that would add more talent to my team by doing this?
Which would you choose if you could only keep one of the three?