2001 G.I.Joe A.W.E. Striker

I had the G.I.Joe bug today and decided to check the local shop to see if any new items were in.   There was a large selection of G.I.Joe products to be seen.   There was something from 1982 to the present there in all manner of condition.  

One of the items I had the most interest in was something I already had, the 2001 A.W.E. Striker.

 

It didn't seem like all that long ago but it has been since I bought the 2021 A.W.E. Striker.    I've had other A.W.E. Strikers, too, like the "Ninja Cruiser".   The 2001 version still stands out as my favorite.   When I was slimming down my collection, I had two of them.   But in my minimalist approach to that project I thought that there wouldn't be two in a small G.I.Joe team type of unique force.  I regret that call.

But no matter, I second one is back in my hand and actually just a little bit better than my previous "second" one sold long ago as I had cracked the roll cage near to the point of breaking by the antenna part...., it was still mostly solid and backed up by the other 5-points of solid contact but it could have definitely have gone the rest of the way.

Like the 2021 A.W.E. Striker, I'll open this up and write about it.   This was a lot more satisfying of a purchase even as it was more expensive comparatively.

Just look at the box.  Bigger isn't always better.  There is a lot more packed onto The Real American Hero Collection box and I am not just saying that because I'm old.   The same product is essentially in each of these except for the figure.  

Inside the box, parts!   In plastic bags.   

 

I don't remember the individually wrapped wheels from back when I put the other two I've put together, well, together.

This was fun.   I didn't find the 2021 A.W.E. Striker quite this fun for some reason.

 

This roll cage bar is straight, unlike the 2021 A.W.E. Striker.  It is solid.    

I think I might leave the antennae on the tree for now.  I have other antennae from other A.W.E. Strikers not being used and I have found that if I wanted to put the A.W.E. Striker on a bookcase shelf that was maybe too low, or maybe having to put it into a Rubbermaid storage bin, I would be taking the antennae off.   

I had to compare the suspension on my original 2001 A.W.E. Striker that I have had for 20 years with this new out of the box 2001 A.W.E. Striker.  The suspension sag of sitting on a shelf or in a box under the force of gravity does bring it down, doesn't it?

 All-in-all, nothing new to me all but definitely a fun purchase that didn't leave me with some weird bit of modern less-than-quality thing that would end up bugging me.

Below are some views with my original two 2001 A.W.E. Strikers years before I trimmed back on my collection.

Lonzo "Stalker" Wilkinson a $12.93 overpriced figure

The toy department is slim.  Most everything has been slim for some time in all categories.   This is nothing new.    The angry patriot G.I.Joe fans like to blame the lack of product on a lack of patriotism or a certain Snake Eyes movie.   These people simply can't handle mental processing the reality of supply and demand and a backed-up supply system and need some mythical boogeyman to sow their hatred towards.

Today the local brick and mortar has some unexpected arrivals.    Unlike other trips through in general in the toy aisle, which used to be a fun thing to do, I almost felt like I had seen this scene before.  It has that been-there-done-that feel.    

At first I was thinking this is great, first pick on a bunch of Cobra Troopers and here's that instant bad-guy miniature army.   Then I started looking at the bent up warped accessories in every one of those packages and at $12.93 a figure it just lost all appeal to me.

Not being a "modern" G.I.Joe figure style collector, if we call it "modern" anymore, there was nothing here that I really had to have.   But for my small "modern collection," Stalker, as a character, was good fit.

After inspecting all the Stalker figures, I picked out the one with the better paint application and accessories.

The other two scales of figures looked like fine toys but what would I do with them?   They actually looked like they had a ton more dollar value in them.

The old plastic blister card came off really easy, almost too easy.  In the real world I deal with packaging, and glue seems to be coming in lighter, if not sometimes non-existent, levels.

Unlike G.I.Joe A Real American Hero that we had from 1982-1994, the card value is totally lost on this 2021 re-take.

There's not much to go on and nothing that hasn't been seen before.   The "Lonzo "Stalker" Wilkinson" title does not have that simple power like the old card did.  "Ranger."   Codename:.....

Happy Meal toys are not much less in quality from what is hear.

Even after a relatively scrutinized inspection, the rifles still had some warp to them.  

The molded "made in" is replaced with straight up painted on numbers.  Gone are the days of seeing the year code stamped on a butt for the modern collector.

These hip-upper-thigh joints were a feature I liked on another modern figure that I can't think of but now they feel like these might be the structurally weak spot on this figure.

This gun just sucks.   I liked it in the package but it is like getting one of those early knock-off brands of G.I.Joe back in the day with their chunky weapons.

This weapon was one that is very fitting with Stalker, this really adds to the retro value.   And the figure can hold this rifle.

All in all, a figure that will look well with my small "modern" G.I.Joe collection.   The "web gear" doesn't float as bad as the earlier "25th" year figures I have had and the pistol fits nice in the holster as well as the knife.

With the construction format not being my favorite, this one seems good for the uniform style.  It does not have that bashed together parts feel that some of these figures have given me.

Overall the simple green/ camo look of the G.I.Joe Ranger came out alright.

A $12.93 figure?   No, not that great of a value.   Not at all.

Snake Eyes Origins Spoilers

I might go see this again in the theater.  There's a lot of stuff going on in the background and a lot of stuff left open-ended throughout the movie.

I would like to discuss this movie online in the social media sphere more but the hard-liner nationalist people there are spending more time attacking their fellow fans in those G.I.Joe groups for liking anything without blonde hair and blue eyes.  I'll retreat to my HQ basement.

First, I like that "G.I.Joe" wasn't really there.  

Scarlett is awesome.  We don't get to learn much about her or her role, but as G.I.Joe fans we know that this is a person that has intelligence and covert operations in the background.  From what little we get, that's my impression.

"Scarlett is confident and resilient...it's remarkable that a person so deadly can still retain a sense of humor."

I really want to know where and who was on the helicopter that dropped her off, we didn't even see it.

 

Snake Eyes is really brought back down to that total mystery.  Heck, Snake Eyes doesn't even know who he is in origins.

"The man is a total mystery, but he's real good at his job, heck, he's the best."

" "Snake-Eyes was tempered on the anvil of life until he was as dangerous as a razor-edged sword, flailing in the dark. The G.I. Joe Team sheathed that sword and harnessed its deadly energy but even they are wont to forget that even within the safety of its scabbard, the blade retains its cutting edge."

 The character on the screen fits this file card inspired image for me.  I had never given this much thought before but Snake Eyes on screen really is good and that razor-edged sword flailing in the dark is only just starting to get sheathed in this movie.

The loss of the Marvel comic L.R.R.P.  angle or any military conflict seems to be an irk-thing for some fans but we don't get to see what happened after Snake Eyes approached the burning cabin to cage-fighting.  For a modern take, I could see Snake Eyes entering into a mercenary role at some point, perhaps why he wasn't interested in Kenta's initial solicitation.  

And we don't know much more about why Cobra wanted Snake Eyes dad killed and exactly who that was that killed him.  But we know that cabin safe-house had a G.I.Joe connection.  In the Marvel Comic Snake Eyes had a cabin that was destroyed. 

 

Storm Shadow has a lot left out here, such as who were his parents?   The whole ninja clan has a lot going on that is not shown on screen.   Storm Shadows rage after not being able to best Kenta on the rooftop as well as the full-blown flip when faced with a life of servitude in the clan instead of commanding it reminds me of the Marvel comic story where Storm Shadow had been bested by Snake Eyes leading to the more favorable eye of the Hard Master. 

 

 

I thought Akiko was Jinx, but was this stated in the movie?  Did we really get a background story on her?   Same with the Blind Master and the Hard Master, both really awesome but I'm left wanting to know more about these characters.

 

The Baroness felt Marvel comic personality with a little cartoon flair, I really liked this.  The Baroness had a scheme and totally played this one out until that "f-this, I'm outta here" slide away after Kenta decided to keep the stone. 

The most cartoon-ish vibe was the heart stone moment but it didn't feel too outlandish at first.  Something with that kind of power and ability is definitely reminiscent of Sunbow cartoons and the aim of Cobra to get a super-weapon. At the same time, a ninja clan with that kind of power would ascend to a powerful position and that makes me wonder if the Arashikage were much more influential and well-known in general in this universe, almost like feudal nobility.  Tommy did state that his whole life was grooming to command the Arashikage.   

 

Maybe there is something in the ego of having a powerful weapon that Tommy's Grandma knows.

 

Man, there is a lot stuff to discuss in here.   And the possibilities of where this could go.

 

I didn't miss the Rise of Cobra Neo Vipers or accelerator suits not being in this movie.  Or Duke.  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

G.I.Joe Mudfighter

My HQ has not been very exciting.   Some days I think I should just sell off more of it and get it smaller.  Other days I think I should sell all of it.   Above are four vehicles I was contemplating trading in locally.  The Locust was one of the last BBTS purchases I made from their former vintage department.   It hasn't gotten a lot of use.  I have not even unboxed my vintage Tomahawk or Retaliator that has sat packed up since I moved from my former HQ.

Others have come into my collection since being in my current HQ.  The Eliminator 4WD came in in 2013, The Sea Ray in 2016 the Persuader in late 2017.

I decided against trading in today.


But I did get these, the Mudfighter (thank you, 3DJoes!!!) and a helmet-less Gyro Viper.  Neither are mint, the Mudfighter a C7.5 by my grade but complete.  I graded it down a .5 for the sight warp on the one rear landing gear/wing piece.  Dogfight had more play wear than what I have seen on the Mudfighter so far.  I like this pistol a lot.  Long before I ever had a Dogfight figure I had one of these pistols and 1988 Iron Grenadier Destro used this pistol in many adventures back in the day.

This is my first Mudfighter.  I can't recall seeing one in person before.   It's everything I expected, though.  I was not expecting a lot.  Dogfight has a bit of a strange CIA type of characterization vibe to me and this little propeller-driven plane just seems like something that could go hopping around somewhat unobtrusively, save for that loud noise.  But unlike one of the massive jets, like a Skystriker, this is the type of plane that can operate in those short, rough, rugged areas.  

The profile is kind of fun.

It really sits low on the ground.

It is really fully-loaded on the bomb side.
There was a prototype picture that I came across somewhere that had what looked like the Rattler/ Thundermachine cannons up on the nose and found that to be really cool.  As is, the cost cutting that likely occurred left the front guns something to be desired. 

The green of the 1989 Mudfighter carries closely over into the Generals 1990 Locust.  The green reminds me of my Mobile Battle Bunker, too, that's long gone, however.

 

G.I.Joe A.W.E. Striker

The new 2020 G.I.Joe A.W.E. Striker is, was, or may not have been at your local brick and mortar dealerships.

It was not at my local one, the "Retro" figures were, and they sold through.  Was it due to being cool, being there, or just the better option of whatever was left over the toy aisles generally?

I really am not a "modern" figure sculpt collector, as you know if you have followed along here, I stuck with the o-ring.  And I really am more of a vehicle fan.

The FIRST A.W.E. Striker I ever had was mostly the chassis, wheels, and lower body that was pretty beat up way back in the day. 

The Eco-Striker was my first real A.W.E. Striker.  I mean, as much as the V.A.M.P. seems to have claimed that iconic G.I.Joe vehicle title, the A.W.E. Striker always stood out to me so much more comparatively.  The Eco Striker in blue and yellow with a big water cannon did not replace the original green one in my mind.

The Stargate All Terrain Cruiser became my "go-to"  A.W.E. Striker after a chassis swap.    Below is how I was starting to roll it big time in 1997:

So for a few years that Eco Striker/ All Terrain Cruiser was my A.W.E. Striker.  (And yes, that Street Striker was my "V.A.M.P.").


That changed up in with the 2001 A.W.E. Striker.  That was my favorite and after subsequent models that I have had remains my favorite.  When I slimmed down my collection I gave it a lot of thought and I tried making any "getting rid of" mistakes, and I somewhat regret getting rid of the 2nd 2001 A.W.E. Striker I had.   With the "dirty" paint and wheels look, having two of the same, at the time took away from the uniqueness of an individual vehicle.  Or so I was thinking at the time.  At the same time, having the numerous different A.W.E. Strikers was something I also something I slimmed down one, so that there was only one A.W.E. Striker to keep as a more treasured item in my possession.


Today I took that "out of my way" trip, mostly due to me needing a reason to get some old gasoline burned out of  real life vehicle that has been wintering since the beginning of December.   I had checked the online checkers with the SKU's for nearby locations and I had at times considered taking a run to go grab some H.I.S.S. tanks to work toward my Cobra arsenal, even though I wanted to get away from the 1983 H.I.S.S. and make my Cobra forces seem more modern or a little less like everyone else's Cobra forces.  I never made those runs.  

As I did this one, the online inventory checkers indicated that the location I was headed to had 5 or more on hand.  Every other location had nothing all on anything.  I had the thought of using this modern A.W.E. Striker to get a few or more and give each one some sort of paint schemes to provide more transportation for the troops and be able to have a little more personalized collection.

Well, there was only one there.   I am happy that there was at least this one.  It wasn't a wasted Operation: Crimson Sabotage style trip (of which there were many of those that never panned out).

I did not expect much from this and I have very little excitement for new Hasbro G.I.Joe product.   The box was nowhere near information and excitement filled in the graphics, the most interesting part to me was this number.  I don't know what it means.  I want my imagination to think I have #02811.   Maybe the first 10,000 customers get something.

 

Just look at that rim below, as a "wannabe" G.I.Joe designer and not a very skilled one even back in the day, I would have gone a little farther than that with a marker rendering.   Is it toss it into Illustrator and go these days?

This is where this figure is going to stay.  The battle stand was a nice inclusion and while I got the $18.00 discounted pricing, at the original $24 and change I think a rifle would have been an easy thing to drop into the bag.

There are numerous reviews out there and I did notice the roll bar frame bend in some of these.  This box was in good shape but the roll bar bend was on this one.  I will say I was a little angry.   But what does a consumer do at this point?  Drive 30 miles back for return?  I was hoping this bend wouldn't be on mine but on the upside I paid $18-ish for what is a basic dune buggy that can become parts. 

It's not all doom and gloom for me, probably the largest upside of this purchase was this piece of cardboard.  Really.  Sure, it wasn't a full vehicle assembly, and unlike a G.I.Joe Sound Attack Spytroops flattened rear suspension, this cardboard kept the 2020 models springs tight.  A total contradiction in packaging to the curved roll bar.   I am going to cut some cardboard like this to put under my 2001 A.W.E. Striker now.

If you've followed along here for awhile, I have to look underneath the vehicle.

Here's a 2020 underside:

Here's the 2001 underside.

With the roll bar frame bend on the front I didn't want to look at that on a brand new vehicle.  I got the old Stargate All Terrain Cruiser frame out and considered using it despite the color difference.  Maybe something to paint at a later time anyway, right?

Well, the swivel and post are not the same size between the two.  I didn't want to use the spring fired rocket from the Stargate A.T.C. so I went with what I got.  Noticing that the top hole had that hexagon shape I haven't cared for but then realized that the Pursuit of Cobra vehicles weapons might fit on this.  I have very few of these but tried some out.

The new cannon does not fit in the Stargate roll bar frame hole.   No parts swapping today.

"D.T.C." is just a little smaller.

I kind of like this, if only some elevation could be had.

This gun lacks finer detail but with the hand grips it would make a third rear gunner seem really natural.

I have not seen a lot of Cobra Black Dragon use on the internet.  

I like the more gray tire look.

Here you can see that rear suspension sag.  And I have tried to keep the 2001 A.W.E. Striker elevated off its wheels over the years.

There's something more iconic or natural feeling with the side mount of the cannon versus the rear mounted cannon.  Having a roof-roll-bar-snap-on part like on the 1984 Cobra Stingers roof that would allow for different weapons or accessories to be used would have been a nice modern upgrade.

As much as I really like my 2001 A.W.E. Striker, I really like the green vehicles.