Spy Troops Wave 2 (Wave 7) - Red Spot
Red Spot... Red Spot Red Spot Red Spot...an odd name for an odd figure...
The G.I. Joe Laser Trooper designation has been frought with controversy over the years. Flash in undoubtedly the favorite of Joefans around in the world, in my opinion. Sci Fi was though of as a shabby replacement for him in a garrish green outfit and Robocop-like helmet. But Sci Fi seemed to prosper and evolve over the years, eventually joining the Star Brigade division and becoming a space ship pilot...okay, that just sounds wrong. :/
So here we are with a new generation of Joes and yet another Laser Trooper. Who doesn't come with a laser rifle. What the heck?
Red Spot's odd name pretty much makes him an oddity in my Joeverse, although that's not a bad thing. Described in his filecard as a "geek" Red Spot immediately had some sort of new draw to him. He's the wannabe of the Joe team. He really wants to fit in, really wants to belong, so he gives himself what he deems a "cool" codename and tries to be cool to impress the other members of the Joeteam.
But where he really impresses them is on the field. Rediculous code name or not, Red Spot has some serious engineering skills. Yes, he's a Laser Trooper, but that is merely one of his skills. He's a smart guy...a network engineer and mechanical whiz. He's contantly tweaking and trying to improve weapons and gear and even designed his own helmet/facemask.
Not only that, but he took his machine gun and re-worked it so it now has a laser battery and can fire lasers as well...a little bit of a stretch, sure, but I think it gives him some great personallity. Add that to the fact that he's a second dan in Aikido and Red Spot has some nice depth.
But what about the figure itself? Like a lot of Wave 7, it has pluses and minuses, but overall is a pretty good addition to the Joe team, at least in my mind.
The color scheme is interesting...going for a desert/urban digital camo look he fits in very nicely on a small strike team with Repeater and Recoil, yet could also work all right in an urban environment as well. As a jungle trooper, he really does not fit in, but the tan/brown and green camo scheme is pretty interesting. The deeper brown of the flack vest adds some nice flair as well.
What about the figure's mold? Well, I'm biased here, because for some reason I find quilted uniforms very cool. I love Skidmark's arms...even Captain Grid Iron's! And Red Spot has that same pattern throughout the legs and arms. A very neat effect and it really adds soem cool depth to the figure. His forearm long gloves are neat as well, and for whatever reason I dig the thick pants that droop down over the boots. All this is amplified by the pretty neat helmet and facemask combination and brings the figure together pretty well into one nice piece. The red goggles on the mask brighten up the face and I like the little lined details on the mask itself. Those little pads on the shoulders and hips add another cool zip of color and design.
He moves nicely, like Kamakura and Lady Jaye wth some cool, loose joints and great poseability options.
His weapons leave something to be desired...his funky weapon is a little odd, and has a very hard time fitting into his too-small hands. His shoulders are wide and torso is a little on the broad side and his arms are somewhat short, and of course his hands are tiny. Add that to the somewhat long legs and he looks a little off, but not enough to really stand out in a crowd. I'm not sure how much use he'll get in my universe, but his characterization is growing on me, so he may be integrated somehow.
Is he worth the purchase? I think so, yeah. It would be a little bit iffy, but he comes with a pretty kick-butt COBRA trooper which makes it pretty much a no-brainer. The figure is all right enough that he will get some use as well.
