The Tomahawk has been one of my all time favorite vehicles ever since it was first released. I was a lucky kid, and by and large, I got most of what I asked for during my formative Christmas years. The Tomahawk and Terror Drome were highlights of my 1986 Christmas season and I clung to that damn helicopter for over 20 years. My childhood version of this awesome aircraft finally met its end probably about 10 years ago when I accidentally tipped over a lamp in my garage, which in turn knocked the copter from its perch and smashed half of its rotors. I managed to salvage another Tomahawk from somewhere, and then when Hasbro released the newly tooled version, I finally felt contentment in my need for a fully engineered and capable dual-rotor transport copter.
So, do I really need another one?
Well, no, but let’s be brutally honest here… out of any of your items in your collection, how many do you truly NEED. Collecting is about wants, ain’t it?
So did I really WANT another one?
Again, the answer to that question is probably no, especially at a Convention price point, but a funny thing happens when you end up in a congested line with a few hundred other collectors and see a new and sparkly item for the first time. Your lack of interest suddenly gets flopped around and all of a sudden you become VERY INTERESTED. VERY INTERESTED INDEED.
The Tiger Hawk helicopter obviously uses the same tooling as the G.I. Joe: Retaliation Eaglehawk from two years ago, but with a unique new Tiger Force deco. It is eerily reminiscent of the vintage deco to the point where one might believe this was a vehicle designed back in the 80s aliongside the Tiger Rat. It looks gorgeous. The yellow, black, and faded white are picture perfect vintage throwbacks, with just the right hints of faded red/orange to match the other Tiger Force vehicles.
If I have any complaints about the deco it would be the infamous smiley face that these Tiger Force vehicles all have. The face here looks a bit too far up-turned like a goofy, toothy grin much more than the sneer that is supposed to inspire fear in the Cobra enemies.
Beyond that one odd deco choice, though, the Tiger Hawk is a pretty great looking updated Tiger Force vehicle. It’s got great color matching and style matching with the existing vehicles, and unlike other Convention exclusives, it actually presents something new. Where the Tiger Shark and Tiger Sting are mostly just redone duplicates of classic vehicles, the Tiger Hawk brings something pretty new to the table, you just need to be prepared to pay for it.
I also enjoy how the Club leveraged the Tiger Hawk into a meaningful place within the confines of the Con set. Building the three pack around the helicopter makes sense, with the pilot (Skystriker) and two operatives (Alpine and Frostbite) dove-tailing into the vehicle placement nicely.
At the end of the day, buying the Tiger Hawk is a decision that you have to take seriously, as it’s one of the most expensive Convention vehicles we’ve seen to date. But if you’re a Tiger Force fan, it would be tough to consider your Tiger Force collection complete without this vehicle at the head of the table. It really is executed nicely and would fit in a modern or vintage collection quite well.
Tigerhawk
Vehicle Design
Paint Deco
Play Features
4.2
Summary
One of the all time classic vehicles in G.I. Joe’s Real American Hero history, Hasbro’s recent re-release of the Tomahawk made a Convention item almost assured, even at a steep price. The Collectors Club took that challenge and indoctrinated it into the Tiger Force theme nearly seamlessly. The question ultimately remains of how much is it worth to the average collector. It’s undoubtedly a fantastic piece, but it can be a challenge to justify the price.
Okay, it’s late, and I’ve been at this for several hours…so I think this is pretty accurate, but I welcome any feedback and comments to the contrary. Re-arranged the wave layouts to more accurately reflect what we now know. Added the EagleHawk, and the new figures we saw today. Lots and lots of pictures!
Not all of the pictures…for all of the pictures, you gotta roam over to the YoJoe Events Page and check out the hundreds and hundreds of images that have been uploaded there. The SuperPage is just for a bit easier reference point.
The images have processed from the Tomahawk/Eaglehawk vehicle straight from the Hasbro showroom floor, and they are posted at the YoJoe.com Events page! I am hitting up all other items revealed today and should be uploading them all promptly.
That was kind of my reaction when this news floated across the Internet this morning, courtesy of HissTank member Master Chief. His eagle eyes dug into some SKU listings of G.I. Joe product, which I am mirroring below:
786245 Movie 3.75″ figures $9.99
788551 Movie Delta Vehicle $21.99
786216 Ninja Showdown Set $24.99
786253 Ninja Mask $9.99
786274 Movie Alpha Vehicle $13.99
788535 Blade of Justice $16.99
788640 10″ Kata Battler $21.99
788713 Movie Bravo Vehicle $15.99
788772 Snake Eyes Ninja Set $27.99
788802 Battle Kata Weapon $15.99
863851 Ninja Chucks $9.99
867591 Ninja Command Blaster $29.99
828516 Micro Force Blind Bag $3.99
828613 Micro Force Starter Set $7.99
Now for the interesting items (all are Hasbro items):
655875 Ninja Army Special Ops $3.99
913370 Special Ops Starter Pack $4.99
835442 Special Ops Vehicles $24.99
913230 Special Ops Tomahawk $42.99
As Master Chief says, a lot of this is stuff that we already know, but what is this “Special Ops” stuff? Sure, it’s the name of the online Facebook game, but I’m not sure that particular corner of the G.I. Joe marketing bracket has really been lucrative enough to garner it’s own branch of toys.
Based on price point above it almost seems like some of these pieces are gaming related. They don’t appear to be Micro Force, since there’s a separate listing above for Micro Force already. A low price point on the Ninja Army and the Starter Pack is very interesting… although perhaps the Starter Pack and the Starter Set could be considered different?
Of course what’s drawing the most attention (as it should) is that listing for a Special Ops Tomahawk. That certainly sent the G.I. Joe world on its ear today, understandably so. The Joe design team has mentioned a few times that another classic vehicle was being planned for this year, similarly to the Skystriker, but I’m not sure anyone would have guessed the Tomahawk was a possible subject. I know I wouldn’t have. The tooling and expense required for a vehicle like that doesn’t seem feasible under a reasonable MSRP. But, really, we’ve seen G.I. Joe reuse names a ton over the years…this could be something entirely unrelated.
Regardless of what it is, things are certainly looking a little more exciting for Toy Fair next week. You can bet I’ll be in attendance to get all of the pics and information that I can!
It’s been a while since I’ve featured any of the awesome “Alexx Shorts” here, but mostly just because there hasn’t been a whole lot of new product for him to talk about, or take pictures of. But that has certainly changed recently…
When I saw his take on the two latest Alpha vehicles, the Ghost Hawk and the Doom Cycle, I just had to repost them here…even with a few months of down time he hasn’t lost his touch. The original threads can be found at JoeBattleLines, I’ve also linked them below just above the image galleries. Alexx Shorts – Ghost Hawk
