G.I. Joe: Retaliation - Firefly

When it comes to this latest wave of G.I. Joe: Retaliation figures, I've seen boundless praise for nearly every figure in the assortment... except Firefly. By and large, the response seems to be "well, the best Firefly is the one from the 3-Pack" and that fans didn't necessarily need another somewhat movie accurate one. I can certainly see that perspective, part of me is happy that we're getting a more toned down and realistically colored version of one of the central Cobra characters from the Retaliation film.

I don't think anyone would say that this Firefly is 100% movie accurate...but it's pretty close, and certainly closer than his day glow brother from Wave 2. What really interests me, though, is the claims that the 3-Pack Firefly is head and shoulders above this one purely from a quality standpoint. I can see why folks who are a big fan of the vintage look would say that (and heck, I'm one of those) but really, looking at this strictly from an action figure point of view, I don't see where this figure is significantly worse than the 3-Pack version. He's got the same head, the same arms, and the same legs, and really, what's the big deal about a different torso (especially since the 3-Pack version's torso is obscured by web gear anyway). This figure has the same exceptional detailed sculpting in the arms and legs, he has the sheath and holster and the same range of motion that this other great Firefly has.

There is actually slightly more interesting color variation in this version, with a green camouflage jacket to go with the gray pants and black trim, and I like the popped up collar as well. Functionally, I think this figure is great and just as good as the one in the 3 pack, but obviously to folks who prefer the vintage look, that version gets top billing (as it deserves).

I would agree with that as well. I did like Firefly in the film, though his background didn't necessarily match a previously established view of the Cobra saboteur. The vintage one has a lot to love about him, and the movie one doesn't quite match up aesthetically, but I think if that previous version didn't exist and raise the bar high, this figure would get a lot more love and praise.

ACCESSORIES

Firefly comes with a lot less accessories than many of his compatriots in this wave, but he does come with that awesome miniature HISS Tank. This particular HISS Tank was easily available from the G.I. Joe Collectors Club version of PoC Cobra Commander, but this is the first time its been for sale to mass retail. Hasbro designed this particular version in jet black to match the classic HISS Tank look, which is a very nice touch. It has the missile and the removable tri-barrel weapon as well. Firefly also has a backpack, two knives, a pistol, and the automatic shotgun that other figures have come with as well.

The weapons allotment is great and makes sense within the realm of Firefly's specialties, and I will always love this mini HISS drone and I really enjoy the way the weapon interacts with the tank, but can also be held by the figure.

At the end of the day, I feel like this version of Firefly suffers somewhat from the "PoC Snake Eyes" syndrome... that figure was the epitome of awesome design, construction, and execution, and every version of Snake Eyes is lined up with that nearly perfect measuring stick. Now, every Firefly will be treated the same way. I think this version of Firefly is exceptionally cool, and while not as interesting as the 3-Pack version, he has his own nice merits, and retains at least a bit of movie accuracy as well. A great figure that doesn't necessarily stand out against the previous version (or, interestingly enough, the rest of this wave) but has some great qualities all his own.

GRADE:

The above Cobra Commander has been getting a lot of reaction from the readers. It's a custom that I assembled using the following recipe:

Head - Retaliation HISS Driver Cobra Commander
Torso - Rise of Cobra Storm Shadow
Arms - Retaliation Wave 1 Storm Shadow
Legs - PoC Cobra Commander
Jacket - Rise of Cobra Shadow with the front panel cut away with an exacto
Collar - G.I. Joe: Resolute Beachhead