The battle for shelf supremacy continues as G.I. Joe and Cobra face off for your wallet!
In one of the worst-kept secrets of recent months (thanks to some retail listings that leaked more than two months ago), Hasbro and Super7 are collaborating on two new lines of products inspired by the 1980s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero animated series and toy line. A wide array of classic characters will be produced as a vintage-style 3.75-inch ReAction Figures line while a 7-inch Ultimates! collection will pack super articulation and premium deco alongside a multitude of special accessories. Additionally, previous Super7 x Hasbro G.I. Joe collaborations for apparel and the mega-sized Cyborg line will continue.
“As a kid growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, there were a few toy lines that became unique worlds to themselves; the space fantasy of Star Wars, the technology of Tron, the robot missile-firing mayhem of Shogun Warriors, and the expansive world of G.I. Joe,” says Super7 Founder & Owner, Brian Flynn. “From comics to cartoons, action figures to vehicles, G.I. Joe was one of the widest worlds of action and adventure you could imagine.”
According to Flynn, the G.I. Joe ReAction Figures collection is already deep into development with “year’s worth” of action figures in the pipeline. The first wave is set to hit stores in September and includes Snake Eyes, Kwinn, Scarlett, Cobra Commander, Destro, Baroness, and a variety of G.I. Joe Greenshirts and Cobra Troopers in assorted skin tons and uniform styles that are prime for “army building.”
The first wave of cartoon-accurate G.I. Joe Ultimates! includes First Sergeant Conrad S. Hauser — better known as Duke — along with the team’s original commando, Snake Eyes. On the Cobra side, Cobra Commander and the Cobra Battle Android Trooper (B.A.T.) are available for preorder now ($55 per figure) through Aug. 15. Ultimates are “made-to-order” based on the number of preorders received and the company expects to ship next spring.
“G.I. Joe is an important toy line in the lives of so many collectors, and to have the opportunity to delve into its history and create new action figures for collectors like ourselves is truly a dream come true,” Flynn says.
On July 23, G.I. Joe is back on the big screen in Paramount Pictures’ Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins. G.I. Joe returned to toy departments last year with the launch of Hasbro’s G.I. Joe Classified Series. This summer, a kid-focused line based on Snake Eyes hit stores, joining additional G.I. Joe products from licensees including Jada Toys, Funko, Jazwares, and others.
