Clutch - VAMP Driver

The final figure in the 1982 lineup is the first one I ever had. I did the 2nd version of Clutch already, but choose a different miniature to do the original version.

I still remember the day I got Clutch and the Vamp (which sounds like an awesome band.) It was in '82 and I believe I got it from a Safeway grocery store. When I got it home, I was amazed at home movable the figure was (even the original straight-armed version) compared to the Star Wars action figures I had.

I'm pretty sure I got him on a Sunday because I remember being distracted at school the next day because I just wanted to get home an play with him. And when i saw the catalog in the box, I couldn't wait to get one of the Cobra Soldiers for him to fight.

And from that beginning grew a large collection of Joes that I wish I still had today. *Sigh*

For this version of Clutch, I used the Heroclix H.A.M.M.E.R. Agent and added his shoulder pads and other details with green stuff.

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Snake Eyes - Future Noir

There have been many, many versions of Snake Eyes over the years.

And here's another one.

The problem with Snake Eyes is that, although there have been many versions of his costume, they are all pretty similar. (With a few funky exceptions.) So, for Future Noir, they didn't really do anything unexpected. He's still in black with a mask. He looks a little more futuristic, but still basically Snake Eyes.

The biggest difference between normal Snake Eyes and the Future Noir universe version is that Noir Snake Eyes is not associated with G.I.Joe. He works solely for the Arashikage clan. Had the Future Noir series continued past those 2 issues though, I bet he would have joined the Joes.

For Snake Eyes I used a Star Wars Mandalorian Marauder mini. I had to trim the neck a little because of how the Mandalorian's helmet was shaped and I added the visor with green stuff.

Again, I did my best guess for the colors since it was a B&W comic. For all I know his suit is dark purple with yellow highlights.

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Barricade - Bunker Buster

Barricade is one of those later releases that I just don't know much about. I never had or even saw the figure. I don't think he was in any comics or cartoons, at least not that I saw. He doesn't stand out as being one of those "what the heck were they thinking" kind of figures.

He's just kind of...there.

That being said, Barricade does fill a niche that was missing from the Joes for a long time. In the past, opening doors usually fell to the explosives or missile specialists...even when it didn't make sense. Having someone who job is all about removing obstacles seems a great fit for G.I. Joe.

For Barricade I used a Halo Heroclix...I'm not sure which one it is actually. I can't seem to find which one has the big shoulder laser. This is what happens when you buy bulk Heroclix from eBay.

But if I hadn't, I might not have gone through the effort to make Barricade.

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Ali Bombay - Motorcycle Racer (M.A.S.K.)

Back in the 80's, a popular trend on cartoon shows was to include "foreign" characters to the cast to encourage diversity (I guess). Usually, this mean adding a character that was pretty much a walking bundle of stereotypes for a culture. For example: El Dorado from the Superfriends cartoon or John Thunder from the Centurions.

M.A.S.K. had several characters like this, such as Indian immigrant Ali Bombay.

Ali Bombay was a little stereotypical in some ways, with his head wrap and Ali Baba facial hair, but honestly it could have been worse. He could have been dressed like Aladdin, with just a vest, poofy pants, and no shoes. Instead, he's wearing what looks like Motorcycle racing gear.

It's unfortunate that his mask kind of looks ridiculous. I always thought he kind of looked like a shark with his mask on. That might be appropriate since he came along when the M.A.S.K. had jumped the shark to be a racing cartoon instead.

For Ali Bombay, I used the Star Boy miniature and added his Vortex mask with green stuff.

The pose for this mini looks like he's saying, "Hey, check out my awesome ride! Taa-daa!"

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Ace Riker - Former NASA Test Pilot (M.A.S.K.)

How many kids asked themselves the question, "What if Grandpa was a superhero?"

Probably not that many, but for the ones that did, there was Ace Riker.

For some reason, Ace talked a bit like John Wayne and his figure had grey hair. And he drove an RV (with a jet hidden inside.) Gotta give the M.A.S.K. toy line credit for not only having young, white dudes on their team.

I don't really remember if I had Ace and his toy. I remember seeing it in stores but I think I wasn't that interested in the RV aspect. On the other hand, the jet looks a bit like the Cobra Firebat, my favorite jet from the Joe line, so maybe I did get it. I feel like I had the figure, at least. Maybe I traded for it?

Anyway, for Ace Riker, I used the Doc Samson Heroclix and used green stuff for his Ricochet mask.

Pilgrim.

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Brad Turner - Rock Musician (M.A.S.K.)

One day, back in the Eighties, I wondered into a toy store to check for any new G.I.Joes on the shelf. There weren't any new Joes, but there was something I hadn't seen before called "M.A.S.K.".

I was intrigued so I picked up the Condor with driver\pilot Brad Turner and took it home. At first, I was a little put off by the figure size being half the size I was used to, but I quickly took a liking to it and picked up quite a few more over the next couple of years.

But it all started with Brad Turner.

While most of the M.A.S.K. members have some kind of function on the team in addition to their job, I always felt like Brad Turner was pretty much just a rock star. That was his job and that's how he was pretty much defined.

Ain't nothing wrong with that.

For Mr. Turner, I used the Smasher Heroclix and used green stuff to add his Hocus-Pocus mask.

Really tempted to find a motorcycle at his scale...

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Agent Helix - Covert Operations

Agent Helix has all the earmarks of being a total Mary Sue character: her origin comes not from the cartoon or comics, but from a video game. She's an Olympic level gymnast with an ability called "Total Organic Battlefield Awareness" that lets her analyze a battle down to how many bullets the enemy has. And she's mastered numerous martial arts fighting styles.

She's kind of like the Taskmaster crossed with Batman. The only thing she isn't is that she's not an Arashikage ninja...yet...

And yet, even though she seems kind of contrived and too awesome, I think she's a cool addition to the Joes.

Now that I think if it, Helix is kind of like the Black Widow of the Joes. She uses dual pistols and acrobatics to control the situation. If they can get Scarlett Johansson to play her in the next G.I. Joe movie, it just might be watchable.

For Helix, I used the Domino Heroclix and added a little greenstuff to try and make Helix's hairstyle. Nice that Domino is also a dual pistol shooter.

That's kind of a trend, isn't it?

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Darklon - Evader Driver

Darklon came along around the time I was getting out of collecting G.I. Joe, so I'm not sure if I ever had his toy.

I'm not even sure what a "Darklon" is...

Looking back, I get the feeling that Darklon was planned to be a more important character, but something got swapped. His vehicle seems similar to Serpentor's chariot or Zartan's swamp-skier: designed specifically for him, but not the main focus.

That, combined with his "distant cousin of Destro" status, suggests that Darklon was planned to have a more important role, but that never played out. Which is a shame because he's got a very unique look to be a simple vehicle driver.

For Darklon, I used a Guardians of the Galaxy - Sakaaren Commander Heroclix. That guy's pose is perfect for a villain.

I had picked up that miniature as a possible Cobra Commander, but once  saw the weird alien face, I switched it to Darklon.

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Ace - Fighter Pilot

I don't think Hasbro thought too long and hard to come up with Ace's codename. Having a pilot named Ace is like having a card player called Lucky. It's a little obvious.

That being said, Ace's codename might come from his gambling as well. He is know for being a card player.

I also remember him for his stinky helmet. Something about the plastic they used made his helmet stinky. The glass canopy for the Skystriker had a similar issue. I can still kind of remember that odor...

Anyway, for Ace, I used another well known pilot, Wedge Antilles.

I opted not to add Ace's weird cone collar thing. Makes him look like a dog after surgery.

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Blue Falcon - Super Hero

I don't generally paint super hero miniatures (Heroclix has that covered pretty well) but I had this Man of Steel Heroclix sitting around so...

Any Saturday morning that featured Blue Falcon & Dynomutt was automatically a little bit better. There's probably some science that can back that up.

Anyway, I used green stuff to add the beak and other details. I suppose if I run across the Heroclix Dogpool figure sometime, I can make BF's assistant.

(I may have just open the door to doing a bunch of Wacky Racers minis too.)

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Melodia - Mon*Star Gang Gunner

<Insert obvious Melodia - Lady Gaga joke here.>

Anyway, Melodia was kind of a cool addition to the SilverHawks cartoon because she used music as a weapon. Of course, so did Bluegrass, but Melodia was much cooler than him.

Much, much cooler.

For Melodia, I started with the Heroclix Kabuki mini and added details with green stuff. Her keytar is green stuff and a bit of paper clip.

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Chell - Test Subject

You don't need me to tell you how good Portal was.

But I didn't plan to make a mini for Chell. Then they came out with the Days of Future Past Ariel, wearing a jumpsuit and holding a box that, from the right angle, looked like a cube.

I knew what I had to do.

For Chell, I used green stuff and a little plastic to make her Long Fall boots. The box she's holding is longer than a cube, but close enough.

Her jumpsuit and boots are kind of a mix and match from Portal and Portal 2. Since her jumpsuit is already orange, I painted the base blue. It would be kind of fun to have two, one with a blue base and one with an orange base though...

Will I be doing minis of GlaDOS or Wheatley?

Never say never...

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Miranda Lawson - Cerberus Officer

Mass Effect is full of dynamic, interesting characters.

And also Miranda Lawson.

I'm kidding, but Miranda was kind of dull to me, compared to the other characters. I almost always sided with Jack against Miranda, and rarely listened to her advice (for better or worse.)

But, I'll admit she has a cool uniform.

For Miranda, I used the Gamora Heroclix. I trimmed Gamora's sword a little to try and make it look like an Omni-tool or something.

Or maybe Miranda is secretly a Jedi?

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Samara - Asari Justicar

If they ever make a Mass Effect game where you can choose races other than Human, I bet there's going to be a million Asari.

Trust me on this one.

Anyway...

Samara fills the role that you have to have in any RPG-type game of being the stuck up Paladin type. She also kind of fills the role of the stuck up Wizard too though with her biotics, so she's kind of a two-for-one deal.

I thought she was kind of creepy at first, but as you get into her back story,  a lot of things make sense. She was my go-to Biotic troop...at least until I got Jack.

For Samara, I used a Heroclix Livewire and added her head tentacle things with green stuff.

For some reason, she looks a little like she's smiling which I don't think Samara ever did.

It's kind of worrying...

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Baroness - Cobra Intelligence Expert (Sigma 6)

Another version of the Baroness? Why not?

If there's one character that stays pretty much the same from version to version, it's Baroness. Black outfit, glasses, dark hair, all the same.

The Sigma 6 version looks a little more like a spy, but still pretty similar, so it was easy to convert a Heroclix Black Widow.

I think the strangest thing about the Sigma 6 version of Baroness is that I don't remember her doing much. She was pretty consistently used in the Sunbow cartoon and the Marvel comics, but in Sigma 6, I only remember her playing chess with Destro.

Which sounds like a euphemism, but isn't.

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Long Range - Sigma 6 Marksman

Long Range existed before Sigma 6 as a red haired vehicle driver, but let's be honest, he was pretty forgettable.

So, when I saw they recycled the name for a new character who is not only a driver, but also a sniper, I was interested. Plus, for some reason, Long Range's design reminds me a bit of the characters and art style of Lupin III.

I think it's kind of nice that this version of Long Range is Hispanic, rather than being one more white guy on the team. Between Duke and Hi-Tech, there's already plenty of white on the Sigma 6 team.

For Long Range, I used the Heroclix Johnny Blaze and added the visor with green stuff.

"Long Range lean and mean..."

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Spirit - Sigma 6 Tracker

Spirit is one of my favorite Joe characters so I was glad to see him included in the Sigma 6 reboot, but like his ARAH version, he's a little...problematic.

For some reason, it's hard to include a Native American character without them becoming a stereo-type. It seems to happen more with Native Americans than any other minority that they automatically get certain Indian traits: tracking, archery, mysticism, etc.

I'm not saying it's bad necessarily, but it's easy for the characters to become just caricatures of their culture.

Maybe it's even more obvious a problem since I was able to easily adapt the Warpath Heroclix to be Spirit.

Food for thought.

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Swamp Rat - Cobra V-Troops Infiltrators

I'm not sure what a "V-Troop" is actually.

Valor vs. Venom is one part of the Joeverse I haven't delved into yet. The only reason I even know about Swamp Rats is because one comes bundled with Snake Eyes (v23).

I picked up the Snake Eyes \ Swamp Rat set because I liked that version of Snake Eyes, but the Swamp Rat has kind of grown on me. He has a kind of alien look that is pretty intimidating.

I still had an extra Heroclix Man of Steel Soldier, so I used green stuff to mod his helmet and give him the cape thing.

I wasn't expecting it, but I think the outcome is one of the cooler looking Cobra troops I've done.

Way to go, Swamp Rat!

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Cobra PR Trooper - Public Relations

In general, I stick with "official" G.I.Joe figures. The source might vary and the character might be a minor, one-shot character, but they need to be official.

But, in the case of the Cobra PR Trooper, I'm willing to make an exception.

To me, this is an example of a good original character. Instead of being a super cool ninja or gunkata expert, the Cobra PR Trooper is just an underling who is pretty low on the totem pole.

And yet, she fills a necessary role in the Cobra Organization.

For the Cobra PR Trooper, I started with a Lois Lane Heroclix and added the bag, helmet, boots, and mask with green stuff.

I'll admit her helmet is a bit clunky. Perhaps Cobra Commander just took out his frustrations on her...

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Croc Master - Cobra Reptile Trainer

Croc Master or Bane?
Bane or Croc Master?

Which came first?

I knew when I stared this project who I would use for Croc Master. It was just a matter of finding the Bane Heroclix at a reasonable price.

Croc Master is another one of the divisive figures from the '87 line, like Raptor and Crystal Ball. Some didn't like the idea behind him, but I thought he made a great partner for Raptor. Plus, I figured a guy with a crocodile was kind of the equivalent of Mutt & Junkyard.

Although, there has been some question on whether his pet is a croc or an alligator...

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Shadow Demon - Venger's Spy

Every villain needs a henchman, but Venger is unique in that he seems to have the only assistant in fiction that isn't a moron.

Shadow Demon is interesting not just because he is a flying shadow with wings, but also because of how helpful he is. He doesn't complain, he doesn't try to overthrow Venger, he rarely (if ever) makes a mistake that interferes with Venger's plan. He's just...helpful.

And a demon.

For Shadow Demon, I trimmed the legs off an Adaptoid Heroclix and added his tapering tail and wings with plastic and green stuff.

And a lot of black paint.

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Eric the Bogbeast

If I did a miniature for every time someone is in disguise or gets shape-changed to another face, well, I'd never run out of minis to paint probably.

I don't plan to do every little alternate look for my favorite characters, but this one was too obvious (to me) to pass up.

In the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon episode "Beauty and the Bogbeast", Eric the Cavalier somehow gets changed into a bogbeast. I don't remember how but he probably said or did something stupid.

Anyway, while looking at Star Wars miniatures one day I saw the Ishi Tib Scout and realized that it resembled Eric's bogbeast look. A lot.

So, I replaced its gun with a shield and voilà: Eric the Bogbeast.

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Kelek - Evil Sorcerer

As I have mentioned before, the Dungeons & Dragons Cartoon is my all time favorite, and it's because of guys like this.

Kelek was an evil sorcerer who was determined to take all the unicorns' horns which (in theory) would give him to power to defeat Venger.

Considering he was only in one episode, you can guess how well that worked out for him.

But, Kelek was iconic enough to be one of the action figures that TSR made in the 80's. There were a few others that made it into the cartoon as well.

For Kelek, I used the Heroclix Mandarin and some green stuff and plastic to make his beard and funky collar.

(Unicorn horns not included.)

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Kevin Flynn - User

There are still some Tron: Uprising characters to go, but I think it's time to go back to the beginning.

What can I say about the original Tron. I loved it, still love it. I think it blew my mind when I saw it as a kid and it's still a favorite.

One thing I like about the original is that Flynn is not really the hero type. He's more Han Solo than Luke Skywalker and he screws up a bit (especially in the sequel), but he's a character we can relate to.

For Flynn, I used the Leash Heroclix and trimmed off his leash things, then added the helmet, tunic, and disk with green stuff.

"Games? You want games? I'll give you games..."

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Paige - Tesler's Second-in-Command

As anyone who watched Tron: Uprising will probably tell you, the real tragedy of the series not continuing is that we don't get to see Paige's Heel-Face Turn.

And that's a shame.

Paige is one of the most well developed characters in Tron: Uprising and a great character in general. She's fighting for the wrong side for the right reasons (at least, as far as she knows.) She's been betrayed and manipulated, but still manages to show her compassionate side.

Unfortunately, that doesn't always end well (Keller).

For Paige, I sued the Heroclix Maria Hill and added a little green stuff for the disk and her hair.

Paige's hair is very hard to reproduce...

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General Tesler - Clu's General

I thought I was going to have trouble finding a miniature for General Tesler. At least, one that shows off his weird hand attacks.

But as it turns out, there's Weapon X.

There is a long list of reasons why it's a shame Tron: Uprising stopped after the first season, and one is General Tesler. He's such a good antagonist.

Unlike the Tron movies, which don't get much time to delve into Sark or CLU's personality beyond the surface level, Tron: Uprising was able to spend time showing the strengths and weaknesses of Tesler. We get to see how he rewards (and punishes) his troops, and how obsessed he gets about stopping the Renegade.

And of course, he's voiced by Lance Henriksen, who is awesome.

For Tesler, I used Weapon X and added the disc on his back.

I'm a little tempted to make a Tesler mini with his upgraded arm cannon...

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Snow Serpent (V2) - Cobra Snow Trooper

The G.I. Joe cold weather troops have always come with an assortment of cool gear: skis, snow shoes, ice cleats, etc. So it was only a matter of time before we got one with a snowboard.

The big surprise to me is instead of getting a Joe with a snowboard and a back story about Xtreme sports or something, we got a Cobra troop builder.Which means Cobra has not just one, but whole legions of troopers armed with weapons and snowboards.

That's how committed they are to their cause.

For the new Snow Serpent, I used Rocket Racer and trimmed the wheels off his skateboard.

I'm not sure what he's snowboarding on...maybe the snow is melting but he's making the most of what's left.

Radical.

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Scarlett - Counterintelligence Agent (Valor vs Venom)

Another version of Scarlett? Heck yeah!

This time it's Valor vs Venom Scarlett.

When I first saw the figure for VvsV Scarlett, I didn't think much of it. But when I saw it used on the card art for the G.I.Joe Trading Card Game (more on that later), I started to like it.

It's a different look for Scarlett, but it works.

For this version of Scarlett, I used the Star Wars Deliah Blue miniature.

I imagine the black sash is a hold over from her Ninja Force costume (which I may get to eventually.)

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Wild Bill - Helicopter Pilot

Who doesn't love Wild Bill?

Wild Bill was not one of my favorite figures, mainly because his head seemed too large for his body, but I've always liked the character.

If there's one thing G.I.Joe benefits from, it's larger than life characters like Wild Bill. It's no wonder he got so much time in the cartoon.

Speaking of which, I might have to do a Sunbow version...

For Wild Bill, I started with the Heroclix Hal Jordan and added his hat, guns, and vest with green stuff.

Oh, and his shades and cool 'stache.

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Jack - Subject Zero

I didn't get into the Mass Effect games until pretty late; far after ME3 came out. There are a lot of great characters in the series (which I plan to get to eventually) but one of the first ones I wanted to do was Jack.

Jack is bad-ass.

If you know the Mass Effect series, you know why Jack is cool. If not, you just need to play the games to find out.

Anyway, for Jack I started with the Jinx Heroclix. She's bald and doing something that looks kind of biotic-y, so a good start. Then I trimmed the skirt and tried to make Jack's pants which...kind of worked.

Then came the tattoos.

I almost gave up trying to do the tattoos, but I persevered.

As a side note, this is not the default outfit for Jack. It's her loyalty outfit. The original outfit is still a bit iffy for me.

(Don't tell Jack I said that.)

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Kate Wilson - Systems Engineer

Hydrophobia Prophecy (aka Hydrophobia) was not a great game. It was half game and half tech demo, with a really nonsensical boss fight at the end, but it was OK.

It at least had an interesting enough story to make me care about the protagonist, Kate Wilson.

Kate was systems engineer for the floating city Queen of the World where the game Hydrophobia takes place. As terrorists attack the city, she deals with flooding, fighting, and getting infected with a virus that lets her controls the water (sort of).

It's a weird game.

For Kate, I used the Shimmer Heroclix and tried to add her headband thing with green stuff.

You know, if you have a couple of bucks to spare, you can usually pick up Hydrophobia for under $5 on Steam. It goes on sale pretty often for half that. It's worth at least $2.50.

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Regina - S.O.R.T. Agent

The Dino Crisis games are kind of the little brother series to Resident Evil, I guess. Similar game play, but substituting dinosaurs for zombies.

You wouldn't think it would work, but it kind of does.

Regina, heroine of the first two Dino Crisis games, is a good example of a female video game protagonist with an outfit that just doesn't make sense. While everyone else is wearing military gear, she's dressed like she's making a workout video.

But at least it's not as stripperific as it could have been...

I picked the Sin Heroclix for Regina, which works pretty well, except for the face which is strangely lacking detail. Maybe it's just the one I have, but her face is a little too round, like a doll's.

Very odd...

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Duke - Sigma 6 Operations Commander

I said long ago that I probably wouldn't do a Duke miniature.

This one makes the third Duke that I've done though, so what do I know?

Sigma 6 Duke is loud, brash, and headstrong. He's a little different than how Duke is usually portrayed, but he fits the standard anime leader trope pretty well.

In a way, I actually kind of like this Duke better than other versions. The Sunbow cartoon Duke is kind of dorky, but the Renegade Duke is too brooding. This Duke is just kind of a vanilla action hero guy, which I think is what they were going for.

To make Sigma 6 Duke, I used the Heroclix Max Fury and gave him a visor.

I tried to make the Sigma 6 logo on his suit.

*Tried* to...

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Agent Scarlett - Sigma 6 Pilot

In 2005, Hasbro tried to revive interest in G.I.Joe with a new product line: G.I.Joe: Sigma 6. The line had an all new look for the figures and an anime-esque cartoon.

I didn't pay much attention to the line until recently when I tried watching the cartoon. I watched about 10 minutes of the first episode and quit.

About a month later, I gave it a shot again and, slowly, it started to grow on me. The voice acting is terrible, but the stories are kind of interesting.

So...

All of the Sigma 6 characters are similar to their original versions and Scarlett is no exception. Like most versions, this Scarlett is a bad-ass and quite competent leading the team if Duke isn't around. There's something more though that I can't put my finger on. This version of Scarlett seems more...innocent, maybe? Possibly because she's younger in this iteration?

Whatever it is, she seems familiar but also new.

The change in voice actors halfway through the series is jarring though...

For Agent Scarlett I used the Fairchild Heroclix.

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Ice Storm - Polar Sharc Driver

There have been many iconic G.I.Joe characters developed over the years.

This isn't one of them.

Ice Storm was one of the new characters created as part of the line that tied into the Rise of Cobra movie. He's not in the movie though...

He doesn't even have a MOS, so I just put it as Polar Sharc Driver since that's what he came with.

He does, however, have a nice coat which is really why I made a miniature of him.

I used a little green stuff to give Wonder Man gloves and a hat.

Still kind of looks like Wonder Man...

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Old Snake - Former Terrorist Leader

When they first showed the "Only Human" episode of the Transformers cartoon, guest starring Cobra Commander as "Old Snake", my young mind nearly melted. A cross-over?

Nowadays, G.I.Joe and Transformers crossing over is old hat, but then? It was awesome.

For Old Snake, I used a Maggia Goon Heroclix and added the mask with green stuff. I opted not to make his big swashbuckler boots though. I kind of like how it looks a bit like the pants and shoes from his version one figure.

His hat could have been floppier too, I guess...

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Josie Beller - Circuit Breaker

When you think Transformers, you probably think giant robots who turn cars and planes and stuff. You might have a favorite Autobot or Decepticon that you think of.

For me, my favorite Transformer character isn't a robot. She doesn't even like them much.

Josie Beller was a genius designer who had an unfortunate run in with the Decepticons, leaving her paralyzed. Her story would be just a tragedy, but she put her genius to use and designed a suit that gave her movement again, as well as the ability to zap the heck out of robots, good or bad.

As Circuit Breaker, she attacked both the Autobots and Decepticons without question and was kind of awesome while doing it.

Sadly, since she is a Marvel character, she's kind of in limbo nowadays. Who knows how the rights for her character work now, but if there's any justice, she should star in the next Transformers movie.

For Circuit Breaker, I used the Heroclix Thunder and a lot of silver and skin color paint.

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Megatron - Decepticon Leader

The trouble with doing a miniature of Megatron is picking which version. Not because of the different ways he's been re-imagined: gun, tank, spaceship, dinosaur.

No, it's because of the different versions of his G1 robot form. Between the toy, the comic, and the cartoons, there's not much consistency between them. So, in the end, I settled on going with the cartoon version.

I picked the Colossus Heroclix for Megatron because I wanted a large build and a stern face. I added details with green stuff and added his fusion cannon and barrel using coffee stir sticks.

For his gun mode, I found marauderinc.com and picked up their G.I.Joe sized replica of Megatron's gun mode.

And just like in the cartoons, the size difference between his robot mode and gun mode is completely illogical.

So, in a way, it's accurate.

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Starscream - Decepticon Air Commander

You know you have a good character on your hands when they get their own trope named after them.

The Starscream.

When it comes to Transformers, the ones I had were kind of all over the map. And Starscream was one I just never got for some reason. In fact, I don't think I had any of the Seekers.

The original toy was nothing to write home about, but some of the more recent ones look pretty awesome. Very tempting...

Anyway, for Starscream I started with the War Machine Heroclix and added wings and other details with green stuff. And his guns are green stuff and bits of paper clips.

Gonna have to keep my eye on this mini though...he might try to dethrone me.

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Soundwave - Decepticon Communications

Who doesn't love Soundwave? He has the coolest voice, an awesome design, and other little robots come out of his body.

Actually, when you put it that way, it sounds a little gross...

As a kid, it never bothered me that Soundwave turns into a tape deck the size of a car. I thought of it as a stereo system, instead of a Walkman. I think at least once, some G.I.Joe bought a new stereo and it turned out to be Soundwave.

You'd think they'd notice the giant tapes though...

For Soundwave, I used the Iron Patriot Heroclix and a lot of green stuff to customize his face, chest, and shoulder gun. For his cassette player mode...I used a small block of wood.

Bet you didn't see that coming.

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Wild Boar - Razorback Driver

Destro's Razorback was kind of a weird looking tank, so it's kind of funny that the driver is kind of plain.

Wild Boar probably won't win any awards for his outfit. There's a lot of black, a lot of red, and a little gold but it's over all pretty simple. There's not much painted detail either.

When I got the Agent X Heroclix, I wasn't sure who it was going to be. He kind of looks like Wild Boar with a jacket, so I went with that design. I didn't even need to add an green stuff.

I wonder if people in the Joe universe ever get Wild Bill and Wild Boar mixed up...

-c

Crimson Asp - Cobra Saboteur

The G.I.Joe universe has a lot of characters. Between Real American Hero, Sigma 6, IDW, Renegades, Valor vs Venom, and more, there are tons of characters (and versions of characters). Maybe even more than Star Wars.

So, I'm always impressed when a new character comes along that really stands out, like Crimson Asp.

As far as I know, Crimson Asp was created by the G.I.Joe Collectors' Club and is not featured in an comic or cartoon. I hope she does work her way into the universe though because she has a great design and seems like a formidable foe.

To make Crimson Asp, I started with the Silver Sable Heroclix and added the eye patch and skirt with green stuff.

Now that I think of it, this makes at least three Joe or Cobra figures with eye patches.

Somebody needs to invest in safety goggles.

-c

Decimator - Hammerhead Driver

Another driver I never had for a vehicle I never owned.

But this one has a cool leather jacket!

I'm a little sad that I missed out on getting Decimator when he came out. When I first saw him (years later) the yellow mask and green pants seemed odd, but the more I look at his design, the more I like it. I don't care for the helmet much, but the rest of the uniform is pretty cool.

This is also one of those intended-to-be faceless Cobras that I probably would have played as a single soldier. Having a whole legion of Decimators sounds weird to me for some reason.

For Decimator, I used the Agent Zero Heroclix from the Deadpool set.

-c

Skeletor - Evil Lord of Destruction

I don't know who came first, Skeletor or Doctor Destiny, but I think somebody owes someone some money.

As I said before, I never got into Masters of the Universe, but I have to admit that Skeletor is a pretty cool bad guy. Who *wouldn't* like a skeleton face evil guy to fight?

I could almost have got away with not even painting the Doctor Destiny Heroclix, but I went ahead and added some details with green stuff to more closely match the original figure.

No twisting punch action though...

-c

Prince Adam of Eternia

I was not a fan of Masters of the Universe as a kid. I didn't like the design of the toys and I thought the cartoon was too silly. I *did* kind of like the Dolph Lundgren movie though...

Of all the possible MOTU figures to start with, why start with Prince Adam?

Because I saw the Jericho Heroclix and was immediately saw who it could be. I don't know how many MOTU minis I might be willing to paint, but I've got a few ideas.

-c

Scarlett - Future Noir

Future Noir Scarlett is basically Black Widow, but I'm okay with that. When you consider the origin of the G.I.Joe comic as a failed pitch for a Nick Fury based team book, it seems likely that she was based off Black Widow to begin with, so why not?

Like most of the Future Noir versions of the Joes, Scarlett is younger and "cooler" than the original, in a Buffy the Vampire Slayer kind of way. Instead of a crossbow, she has a mini-bow on her arm and throws little light dart things. She's less serious than the way Scarlett is usually portrayed, but still familiar.

I used the Heroclix Manhunter, which tool some work since she had a textured mask. I had to sand the face a little which resulted in a little loss of detail. I used a small piece of a paperclip to make the bow on her arm.

More office supplies put to good use.

-c

Roadblock - Future Noir

As a kid, I found Roadblock's rhyming on the cartoon a bit tiresome. So, it's kind of funny that I like the Future Noir version of him because he does some very similar rhyming. Maybe it makes more sense because the Future Noir version is into conspiracy theories and stuff, so the rhyming just makes him seem a little unhinged. In the cartoon, it was just...weird.

Since Future Noir is a Black & White comic, and Roadblock isn't featured on the cover, it's hard to guess what color his uniform should be, so I went with what I felt like he would wear.

I guess his right arm is armored? Not really sure.

Pretty much just repainted Heroclix Crossbones with some green stuff goggles.

-c

Baroness - Future Noir

Back in 2010, IDW created a 2 issue G.I.Joe special called Future Noir that was a different take on the normal Joes. To me, it felt like G.I.Joe crossed with Nextwave or maybe even Buffy. Since nothing else came from that special, I assume it was not that successful, but I found it interesting.

At least enough to paint some minis for it...

Future Noir Baroness is similar to regular Baroness, but with a whip. Luckily for me, the Heroclix Viper mini has a while and a very similar look, which made it easy to create this version of the Baroness. All I really had to change was the red collar.

I decided not to try to add her glasses as the Future Noir Baroness glasses are weird little angled things that would be a pain to make.

-c

S.A.W.-Viper - Cobra Heavy Machine Gunner

The infamous S.A.W.-Viper. Responsible for killing more Joes in the comic than any other character ever, I think. That was a pretty terrible story arc.

I don't remember where I saw it, but someone referred to the S.A.W.-Viper's resemblance to Marvel's Paladin. By coincidence, I was already planning to paint the Heroclix Paladin up as S.A.W.-Viper, so I consider that fortuitous.

Pretty much the only mods I did were to make his helmet using green stuff.

He better not kill any of my Joe minis though...

-c