Here he is...probably one of the most infamous figures/characters in the C.O.P.S. mythos, and yet lots of people don't even know his name.

The similarity between C.O.P.S. construction and G.I. Joe construction back in the day drew inevitable comparisons and questions as to how exactly the lines were related, if they were at all. Visionaries, also out at that time, with the same construction didn't seem to need that qualification, mostly because it was mainly a fantasy based series, while Joe and C.O.P.S. seemed a little more "real world". So was there some sort of connection between the Joe team of the 80's, and the C.O.P.S. of this mysterious "Future Time"?

According to Checkpoint's file card, definitely.

Larry Hama wrote most of the C.O.P.S. filecards as it turns out, just as he had done for G.I. Joe, so there is a good chance that the writing of Checkpoint's ID card was purely meant as an inside joke, and not necessarily as any sort of direct correlation between the G.I. Joe team and the Central Organization of Police Specialists. Still, merely by mentioning that Checkpoint's "father served with a top-secret anti-terrorist unit during the 80's and 90's" the connection was made. Normally, this wouldn't be a major deal, except that Checkpoint's file name just happens to be Wayne H. Sneedon III, which as luck would have it, is also Beachhead's real name in G.I. Joe land. The one oddity is that Beachhead isn't a Wayne Sneedon, Jr, he's just Wayne Sneedon. So who knows what happened to the Wayne Sneedon between Beachhead and Checkpoint. ;)

Still, inside joke or not, it caught on, and I know myself, personally, I tie the two universes together in my mind as if they are one ongoing plotline spread throughout a hundred years or so. The two stories are vastly different - a specially chosen police force in one major metropolitan city compared to a federal anti-terrorist task force defending our entire nation - yet, still, I can tie the two together and make it work.

So what do I think of this figure in particular, now that I've gone on and on about his background? I dig him.

Checkpoint's mold is a nice, modern mold without too much throwback to old time military. The tunic design and pattern is pretty novel and interesting, not at all like your typical dress khaki shirt and pants. There is a sort of interesting surface that goes down the front of his torso that really brings out some great detail in the figure and makes him stand out a little bit more. But there is nothing real subtle about Checkpoint over all. He is soldier, head to toe, with a military haircut, grenades meticulously placed about his person, and straps and pouches and buckles all over the place. His uniform is elaborate and interesting, and works very well to resemble the soldier that he is. It's amazing the amount of buttons that can be fit around his right ankle, and they all work, not bogging the figure down to much, but adding a nice level of detail. He even has a cool molded loop system on his thigh to easily hold his included nightstick. The figure is an obvious homage to the G.I. Joe concept as a whole, from his ties to Beachhead, to his military roots, right to the small scar on his right cheek that is quite evidently a tribute to the original 12" Joes from back in the day.

The colors are your typical army greens and browns, with a nice simple camouflage pattern on his legs. There are a few splashes of red thrown in, but the shade is dull enough to not stick out like a sore thumb, and actually brings some welcome splashes of color the the figure. Color-wise. Checkpoint is one of the more interesting C.O.P.S. figures, simply because he doesn't rely on shades of blue for his uniform. He stands out, but still works.

His accessories are another terrific bright point. He's got a nice open-face helmet that fits him well and makes you think of a futuristic soldier. A set of oversized shoulderpads/backpack system slips down over his head and makes him look even more intimidating, although I was slightly disappointed in the loose fit of it. It wiggles around considerably, and doesn't stay very still at all. A little backpack hole to keep it secure in the back would have helped immeasurably. The backpack itself is very simply designed, but effective, with a small pouch system, a tiny shovel and knife, just to keep Checkpoint prepared.

His nightstick is small, but nicely designed, and it fits very well into his holder on his thigh. But the coolest accessory is definitely his huge machine gun. Even with the cap-firing system built in, the weapon isn't TOO big, but just plain big enough. It's a great, futuristic, intimidating firearm and it suits the figure perfectly.

One of the definite highlights of the second series, and possibly of the line in general. I'm a big Checkpoint fan, and he's definitely affordable when you can find him, so do yourself a favor and pick him up. He's got a cool backstory and the toy is pretty darn nice as well.