Last week, Mike and I posted a Top 15 list for the last decade, outlining our top 15 figures of the past ten years, and I let readers know that my initial list was actually a top FIFTY, but for obvious reasons, we pared it down simply because…well…a top 50 list would have been long and probably insane. But mostly just long. But a few readers showed an interest in seeing the Top 50 list, so I’m going to post what I was originally starting. I won’t go into gory details with each and every entry, though, and just leave it as a list, so folks don’t go homicidal halfway through it.
Continued after the jump…
Oh no… I couldn’t do a Top 10. Top 25’s are for panty-waists. I went straight to the top and decided to do a full blown weeklong “Top 50” list of my favorite G.I. Joe figures of the entire 2000 – 2009 run of G.I. Joe. Yeah, baby.
At first blush it may seem like a cop out…and yeah, I think it probably is. :shifty: But if you step back and take a look at the sheer number of G.I. Joe figures released in the last 10 years, you realize that “Holy Crap…there were like a thousand or something”. Actually, to be more accurate, nearly 1200 figures were released since 2000, if you include the 8″ Sigma 6 figures (which I do). That does not, however, include the various 12″ iterations (or 2.5″ iterations) of these figures, because…well…I can’t be bothered. Two scales is enough in my head.
Read below for a quick outline of my 50 top figures for the first decade of the 21st Century!
50. Commando Snake Eyes (Sigma 6 Commando)
49. HEAT-Viper (2003 Toys “R” Us Python Patrol)
48. Cobra Paratrooper (25th Anniversary Best of the 80’s Battle Pack)
47. Major Barrage (2005 DTC Wave 1)
46. Rex “The Doctor” Lewis (2009 Rise of Cobra)
45. Air-Viper (GIJCC Operation: Anaconda Paradrop)
44. Destro (2003 Spy Troops)
43. Destro (Sigma 6 Commando)
42. General Hawk (2009 Rise of Cobra Single Pack)
41. Flint (Sigma 6 Commando)
40. Grand Slam (GIJCC Tanks for the Memories)
39. Steel Brigade Commander (GIJCC MARS Invades)
38. Snake Eyes (2004 Valor Vs. Venom Wave 7)
37. Night Creeper (2004 Toys “R” Us Urban Strike Team)
36. Swamp-Viper (GIJCC Operation: Anaconda)
35. Crosshair (2003 Spy Troops)
34. Duke (2002 Wave 4 G.I. Joe vs. Cobra)
33. 25th Anniversary Cobra Commander (Best of the 80’s Battle Pack)
32. Cobra Commander (2003 Spy Troops)
31. 25th Anniversary Tomax & Xamot (Comic Pack #36.5)
30. Dr. Mindbender (2004 Valor Vs. Venom)
29. Snow Serpent (2008 25th Anniversary)
28. Shock-Viper (2002 Real American Hero Collection)
27. Agent Helix (2009 Rise of Cobra)
26. Cobra Eel (2008 25th Anniversary)
25. Interrogator (2005 DTC Viper Lockdown)
24. Zartan (Sigma 6 Commando)
23. Gung Ho (GIJCC Mars Invades)
22. Black Ice (Candian JoeCon Exclusive)
21. Zap (25th Anniversary Attack on Cobra Island)
20. Duke (Sigma 6 Commando Wave 1)
19. Lady Jaye (25th Anniversary G.I. Joe 5-Pack #2)
18. Starduster (GIJCC Tanks for the Memories)
17. Sgt Flash (2009 The Rise of Cobra)
16. Cobra B.A.T. (25th Anniversary Defense of Cobra Island)
15. Venomous Maximus (2004 Valor Vs. Venom)
14. Baroness (25th Ann. Cobra 5-Pack #3)
13. Resolute Cobra Trooper (2009 25th Anniversary)
12. SDCC Destro (2009 San Diego ComicCon Exclusive)
11. Iron Anvil (GIJCC MARS Invades)
10. Sgt. Airborne (2009 25th Anniversary)
09. Barrel Roll (2003 Spy Troops)
08. Cobra Firefly (Sigma 6)
07. Resolute Duke (2009 25th Anniversary)
06. Alley-Viper (25th Anniversary Defense of Cobra Island)
05. Range-Viper (25th Anniversary Defense of Cobra Island)
04. Horror Show (2004 Comic Pack Issue #6)
03. Cobra Trooper (2004 Toys “R” Us Infantry Squad)
02. Snake Eyes City Strike (2009 Rise of Cobra)
01. Lt. Stone (Sigma 6)
So what are your thoughts? Obviously there are so many others that could be honorable mentions… the Cobra Para-Viper, Dusty from the Pyramids of Darkness Battle Pack, the Hall of Heroes Beachhead, not to mention the Rise of Cobra Duke (Accelerator Suit), or even the Reactive Armor Ripcord. They’re all great, great figures that deserve some recognition, but you folks think I’m too much of a fanboy anyway, so somewhere I gotta cut it short.
Agree? Disagree? Am I out of my mind? Love to hear some feedback…
I disagree ’cause there are three yes, i’ve counted ’em, three dukes and not a single beach head, either the hall of heroes version, or the comic pack version with mainf-err, data frame, c’mon that beach head even came with an alternate unmasked head for the very first time! in the words of derrick lyle coleman:”in what plane of existence do you live?”
Hard to argue with any of those. Some of the figures from JvsC have aged pretty darn well, I’d say.
I like all of your choices I do think some of the other comic book characters were great too
Soooooooo….I take it that the Valor vs Venom Storm Shadow that came with Kamakura is #53 with the 25th Beach Head that came with Mainframe being #52.
AND I REALLY HOPE THAT RESOLUTE COBRA COMMANDER IS #51!!!!!!!!
Resolute CC, the VvV Storm Shadow, and 25th Beachhead (Comic Pack and HoH) were all VERY close cuts at the top. Painful cuts. Who wants to see the Top 100? :shifty:
“Resolute CC, the VvV Storm Shadow, and 25th Beachhead (Comic Pack and HoH) were all VERY close cuts at the top. Painful cuts. Who wants to see the Top 100?”
I do,I do!!!!!
Admit it Justin. The list is actually almost every Joe figure from the past 10 years with only 3 figures left out
And still no Big Brawler. You’re still dead to me.
Interesting that every Sigma 6 figure that made the list, save for Cobra Firefly, was a Commando class. There are some solid Soldier class figures missing from your list, like the Sky B.A.T., Gung Ho, Iron Grenadier, Shipwreck, and Tunnel Rat.
I know v.1 Sigma 6 Duke had to be on there somewhere but I’m surprised by Commando Snake-eyes. The sculpt is great but the color scheme does nothing for me. If it had come in the traditional black and gray I could see this on the top 50. But in the greens it just doesn’t wow me. Neither does Sigma 6 Destro especially when there are other awesome figures like Shipwreck and Lockdown that didn’t make the cut on your list. But its YOUR list so its all good.