Up for auction on TaoBao is what appears to be an upcoming Rise of COBRA figure of a mystery female character. Click here to check out the auction. Keep in mind, the seller has stated this this is not a custom figure. Of course, there’s no way to know for sure if this is an elaborate custom, or a real figure, but I gotta go with what the seller is saying. Who knows for sure?
If it is a real figure, it’s quite a departure from the movie style, this particular figure is very bright and unusual. It would be my guess that it’s a figure that’s not based straight on the movie, but perhaps something that might come in the Headquarters for Heroes line, or it may be a figure as part of the Rise of COBRA toyline that doesn’t necessarily appear in the film.
I actually have my own hypothesis about this particular figure that suddenly came to me while I was writing this…it probably won’t be a popular hypothesis, but my guess is this may be an upcoming Dial-Tone figure. My reasoning is this:
- Dial-Tone is a female character in the new IDW comic book series
- The Dial-Tone in the comic is more of a general computer expert and not so much a strict communications specialist.
- The “look” of this figure is that of a non-uniform, somewhat “out of the box” team member, which might fit a Hollywood stereotype of your typical “not normal” computer tech.
- Her face sculpt is very similar to how Dial-Tone is depicted in the IDW book, just without the glasses
- Dial-Tone also makes an appearance in the Rise of COBRA video game, and appears there in female form.
- The darker green highlights on this figure are almost a perfect match for the familiar green uniform color of the ’86 Dial Tone
- Hasbro stated we would be getting a Dial-Tone in an upcoming figure assortment in the latest Q & A, and that it would be something fans “didn’t expect”.
To me, the pieces all fit. I expect some “nerd anger” over this, and to an extent I think some of it is justified. But this is a “new” G.I. Joe, and apparently in this “new” G.I. Joe, Dial-Tone got himself Starbucked. In a way they did him a favor, though, I think… the character of Dial-Tone hasn’t been this much of a focus of attention in twenty-five years! 😉
EDIT: Just ran this page through a Google Translator. The title translates as: GIJOE 09 years Special Forces were female version of casual telephone
Guess that settles it.
“The Dial-Tone in the comic is more of a general computer expert and not so much a strict communications specialist.”
How can you be a modern communications specialist and NOT be a general IT guy nowadays? Communications and computer systems have become significantly more integrated since the 90s.
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I hope the face has a better paint job when the figure hits retail, but it looks decent overall. Better than the early 25A Scarlett and Baroness molds.
“GIJOE 09 years Special Forces were female version of casual telephone”
Reading that just makes me laugh. LOL.
The head sculpt seems different from the other styles we have seen lately. She looks great but kinda reminds me of an anime figure.
I really wish I had a reason to use the phrase “female version of casual telephone” in my life, for some reason I found that incredibly funny.