G.I. Joe Convention 2015 Undertow Officer

This is something that I really don’t get.

The Collectors Club has proven in recent years that they understand the appeal of newer parts and whenever possible, they will go to the Pursuit of Cobra or newer well to get pieces that do not look dated and archaic next to other figures in the same set.

For that reason, I really don’t understand the choice for Undertow Officer here. I can see that if there’s a big demand for a vintage rehash, but the only way to do it right is to go old school… I can see the Club doing that. But this isn’t that. This is the Club developing a new character and seemingly purposefully choosing outdated and tired looking parts to satisfy their requirements for this character. Not a big fan.

As it is, the 25th Anniversary Scarlett figure doesn’t belong on the same plane of existence as figures designed over the past few years. Her sculpt is soft and almost animated in nature, with clunky joints, and a weird architecture. Heck, I didn’t even like them using it for Quarrel in the first FSS, though I can understand why they did.

I really don’t understand them using it here.

Yes, I know technically this isn’t the 25th Anniversary Scarlett, it’s the dive suit Baroness, but actually that’s almost worse. Along with the clugey base figure, this figure has permanently attached flippers and stubby arms, which ends up looking wholly out of place compared to its more recent compatriots. I mean seriously. Just standing this figure in a group of other Convention figures immediately places it in a different era…it barely looks like the same toy line. The existing Pilot Scarlett head sculpt and the dated body just do not look right among all these later generation peers, and even with a relatively nice Undertow-themed paint scheme to tie her into the other Iron Grenadier divers.

Accessories

Undertow Officer comes with the same Undertow mask as her troopers, the Torpedo backpack, and the same webgear and laser gun that the original dive suit Baroness came with. The flippers are permanently attached to her feet, so I’m not sure those count as accessories, but she does come with the trident and golden barracuda of the original Undertows. Pretty basic accessory compliment here.

Frankly, I’d be against Hasbro themselves using these parts if this figure was a ten dollar retail release, but as a Convention figure, which should come at premium quality for a premium price, I’m exceptionally disappointed in this one. I can’t really think of an excuse why a figure like this would make it into a convention set, and really hope that some care is taken to prevent it from happening again in the future.