G.I. Joe Spy Troops Vehicles - Missile Storm Helicopter
When the first views of the new G.I. Joe Vs. Cobra small vehicle assortments came out last year, I was very excited for the Fang III. The Assault Quad looked questionable at best, and only came with another green version of Gung Ho, and didn't seem very enticing. The Fang III, though looked quite cool. Small and sleek, very snake-like and like a fine successor to the Fang line.
However, in my book, in execution, the Fang III fell a bit short of the helicopters that came before it. It was way to squat...seemed kind of scrunched together...the blades were a very odd shape and the pilot seemed woefully unprotected. While the previous Fangs were odd in design as well, they still seemed believable at least. This new Fang didn't even seem that.
So, when I saw that a new Joe "Missile Storm" helicopter was destined to be released, I was looking forward to it...although it seemed a low price point. When the first pictures surfaced, however, my enthusiasm waned. I wasn't crazy about the Fang III...I really couldn't see how another Fang III, this one in different colors, was going to be a good addition to the Joe line. It just didn't seem necessary.
And for the most part, my first intuition was pretty correct. The Missile Storm has very few missiles to storm anyone with, so the name is kind of a conundrum. It's armament is light, and it's design is annoyingly similar to the Fang III. There are some things that set it apart...these things actually make it a BETTER toy than the original Fang III, but still don't go quite far enough to make this a really good toy.
First of all, the design is similar, but there are significant differences. The tail is longer and sleeker, which makes a world of difference in my mind. While the Fang seemed obnoxiously short and squat and unmaneuverable, the Missile Storm is at least a little longer and more believable. The propellors still maintain their odd shape, which hurts the design somewhat. The front of the Missile Storm is different enough to separate it as well...instead of the sleek snake's head, the front looks more normal, and there is a canopy to at least semi-protect the poor cannon-fodder pilot. The sound attack weapon here is world's better than the Fang, too; it's a nicely adorned gatling gun (who doesn't like a good gatling gun???) with a cool belt of bullets that curls around it. To polish it all off, the green camo coloring is actually quite nice. It's a great shade of green, and a pretty interesting color scheme...but all in all, the helicopter just falls a little short of desirable.
But you know what? I'm sure several people will end up with one any way. Why? Because of Wild Bill, the figure that comes with it. The figure takes advantage of the awesome mold that Wild Bill came in with his Wave 4 version. I still maintain this as one of the best molds is GvC to date, and this version is no different. From his twin pistols to his bullets on his belt...his nicely molded, baggy pants and his sunglasses...this figure looks GREAT. Sure, he's got a little Stone Cold action going on, but I actually think it suits Wild Bill, and when I look at this figure, I can still think of it as G.I. Joe's venerable helicopter pilot, which is something I can't say for a figure like Wave 5's Recondo. This Wild Bill does not come with his trusty cowboy hat, but instead comes with a very cool flight helmet, which is better for his role in the cockpit of the Missile Storm anyway. Perhaps the best thing about this figure, though, are his new, dramatic colors. Instead of the brown and tan, he is now glad in deep, dark green, with a hint of black trim. This makes his silver pistols stand out really nicely, but most importantly, this color scheme matches that of the Night Attack Copter perfectly. The Wave 4 Wild Bill has been my NAC pilot ever since he came out, but the colors just didn't seem right. Now, in a dark green and black, Wild Bill looks as he should when piloting this beast, and that alone will probably sell hundreds of Missile Storms.
If you're not a completist when it comes to vehicles, I'd say you can safely overlook this one...but if you have any way of getting the figure besides buying the vehicle, I say go for it! If you're like me, and just can't wait to see if you can find the figure loose, go ahead and pick up the Missile Storm...it's an okay vehicle, and the Wild Bill figure is great!
Back to the Spy Troops Vehicles