Star Brigade
 

Effects
Explosives Expert

During the 90s G.I. Joe took a turn for the worse according to many fans. Not only did the figures become more neon and gimmicky they also split into factions like the Ninja Force and Mega Marines, even the regular Joe team changed its name to Battle Corps in 1993. At that time G.I. Joe and Cobra began reaching for the stars. Set in space and perhaps sometime in the near future these soldiers battled among the cosmos either protecting or controlling the galaxy. While the first series of Star Brigade action figures were mostly repaints the 1994 year had some interesting characters with new molds it was too bad there fate was sealed when the line ended during that same year.

To be honest I was never a fan of Star Brigade. While I could take my Joe's out in the backyard and pretend it was a jungle or arctic during winter it was never fun to play with my Joe's in pitch black pretending it was the cold vacuum of space. However several of the Star Brigade and Armor Tech figures had some redeeming qualties. The BAAT was simply a heavy armored robot, Robo-Joe was a Earth based cyborg and several of the 1994 characters could be pilots or soldiers with experimental combat suits. Effects was one of those characters with an interesting back story. Effects was a fresh face on the Joe roster as well as Star Brigade. His sculpt was entirely new. Effects was experienced in explosives and demolitions it is also hinted that he may have done special effects work in movies but this never really specified. What I can't really figure out is why anyone working with high explosives would do it bare handed. Even more strange how do you even survive in space with hands exposed to vacuum and gamma radiation. His guy has got to be totally nuts I'm talking Gary Busy nuts. I personally think Effects would be better off on Earth in the present day blowing up HISS tanks and Terrordromes then in deep space. Effects weapons include a neon green pulse type rifle and a catapult with two orange bombs.

i actually welcomed the neon colors cause it made the figures appealing and it was like eye candy. on his cover art, effects has blue gloves but i guess the designers either forgot or decided not to paint his hands blue. still it looks okay either way. the helmet visor is cool and the catapult is also nice. the name sounds interesting but more like a cobra name in my opinion. really love his grin. more accessories would have been nice.

For some reason I'm more open to a Star Brigade set than I was in the 90s. So long as we stay away from aliens, I like the idea. Call of Duty had a level where you shoot things in space, I see no reason why GI Joe wouldn't do it on occasion

It was odd that at the time, where they doing minimal paint operations, they painted his hand flesh colored.

I never disliked Star Brigade, but I wish that the effort put into the figures hadn't declined. That applied to all the GI JOE figures at the time, the recycled accessories, minimal paint ops, bright colors.

I love Effects!
 

I really like this character, one of the last A.R.A.H. Joes along with Space Shot: http://www.joedios.com/dioramas/sho...r&imageuser=444

http://www.joedios.com/dioramas/sho...r&imageuser=444

:)

Space Shot
Combat Fighter Pilot

Space Shot was the only other new Star Brigade Joe figure to be released in 1994. Space Shot traveled the galaxy as a freighter pilot and had a brash thingyy persona as a rebellious star pilot. Much like another certain someone in one of those big budget sci fi movies we are all aware of. Space Shot wears a pretty bland white space suit with exposed open helmet, again we have yet another member of G.I. Joe who is not afraid to travel the cold vacuum of space with protection. Since Space Shot appeared at the end of the ARAH run Hasbro did not make a space freighter for him to cruise around in. I ending up using Space Shot to pilot the G.I. Joe Storm Eagle as the vehicle did not include a pilot. His space gear includes a cosmic climbing backpack with working zip line and a LX-1 laser pistol.

Cobra Commander
Cobra Supreme Leader

The was a very unique version of Cobra Commander his uniform really suits him. His space helmet has kinda this xenomorph Alien look going on. His regular sculpted head resembles the Hall of Fame Cobra Commanders head once you remove his cowl. Cobra Commander includes this Climbing Assault Harness that fits around the figure and you roll the suction cup wheel on a flat surface its a bit gimmicky but what else is new during the 90s. Cobra Commander also comes with a sweet neon green laser pistol.

Space Shot...
 

Space Shot IS Freddie Mercury...AhAhAhAhAh!
:D

He does look like Freddie Mercury :D

the artwork for Space Shot looks dynamic and exciting. too bad the figure is bland. shame they didn't paint those grenades on his chest and they didn't add red to his gauntlets. as for Cobra Commander, it's cool that you can see his face somewhat. i can't stand that yellow dot on his chest. it just doesn't make any sense at all. it sticks out and looks really bad almost like a paint error. too bad the gun isn't red like in the artwork. the helmet looks cool and does remind me of alien but i can't also help thinking of DARTH HELMET! LOL! that suction cup harness looks curious. sure would like to see it in action.

Star Brigade Armor Bot

The Armor Bot was one of the largest vehicles to come out in 1993 it was certainly the biggest vehicle in the Star Brigade line. It carries two drivers in the head section and six figures on the foot platforms. The canopy opens to remove figures in the head, the three laser cannons on the head rotate, the head also rotates at the neck joint. The chin laser is very fragile on my Armor Bot but it can elevate. The chin laser features electric light and sound which connects to the lower torso and activates when pressing the two buttons. Both arms rotate at the shoulder, the right arm features spring action rocket gatling gun and the left arm rotates at the hand and features a spring action gripper claw. The legs are connected at the feet however the legs move at the hip and the waist turns using the hand grip on the back of the Armor Bot. The feet include four rolling wheels and missile storage for up to four missiles. There is additional storage for the missiles in the chest area. I believe twelve missiles were included in my Armor Bot but more may have been included. There are several variations of the color of the Armor Bot but neither is worth more then the other. While this was designed to battle Cobra in space as was featured in the Marvel Comic and commercials I always used mine to fight Cobra right here on Earth as it was too big and bulky to take into space. The Armor Bot was never featured on any cartoon. In my Universe the Armor Bot and Power Fighters were mothballed in the early 90s but were later brought out of storage to help develop the new Mech technology during the 2000s.













General Hawk
G.I. Joe Armor-Tech Commander

Included with the Armor Bot is the G.I. Joe General and Star Brigade Commander Hawk. Hawk has been with the team since its inception. He was promoted from Col. to General in 1986 and to Star Brigade Commander in 1993. Hawk is an Armor-Tech figure which are Joe's and Cobra in bulkier armored space suits with limited articulation. I'll go into more detail of Armor-Tech in a later review. Hawk includes space helmet, pink laser cannon and very limited articulation. The weapon was also included in black for those who don't like the 90s neon colors. I tend to use Armor-Tech Hawk battle suit as a prototype combat suit used on the battlefield. The armor is gold plated and deflects laser blasts and keeps the general comfortable in harsh conditions. The suit and helmet are used as a type of neural link to the Armor Bot and allow Hawk and the Armor Bot to move more fluidly in battle. While the Star Brigade technology was never used in space combat it was tested on Earth by G.I. Joe and stolen by Cobra. It was intended to be used in space missions eventually however the technology was scraped do to production costs and inflation during the mid 90s.

...
 

I like every kind of G.I.JOEs, but 1993/94 were really bad times for our heroes i.m.o.!

for its time, it was pretty cool. of course now in regards to other human-piloted robots, it pales in comparison. i do wish it had more paint to highlight all those little details like the circuits, wires, etc. a little paint can fix that. i always thought that this armor bot could walk by itself and i was disappointed to find out that i was wrong. still, i do like that it has wheels but my question is, "what kind of wheels are they? rubber? plastic? small or big wheels?" i like that this robot can store a lot of missiles especially on the chest which make it seem more imposing and powerful. i love that it shares the same missiles as the gi joe battlewagon. i think it's cool that the feet can also hold missiles. however, i think it is silly and downright dumb for anyone to 'ride' on the robot's legs while the robot is in movement. no thanks. i would stay away from this massive armor bot's feet. i don't wanna be pancaked. general hawk looks cool but i sure wish he had the traditional gi joe o-ring. i also am not a fan of his out of proportion body especially his tiny head. it's nice though that the helmet is removable. finally, i'm sorry but i do not like that PINK gun. pink doesn't even belong in this toy. i got nothing against pink. it's just that the pink gun is so out of place in my opinion. great review. thanks. i want to get this armor bot eventually.

There were a few gems during 1993-94 but they are few and far between.

They are small plastic wheels.

Maybe the platform pegs were not for Joe's to ride into battle. I see them used by Joe technicians repairing the damage during maintence or by the Cobra BAATs trying to pound uselessly on the robots feet before they are completely crushed underfoot.

I still remember my parents getting me the Armor-bot when I was a kid. I loved it. I still have it, althought it gets virtually no use. Unfortunately the lever mechanism used to rotate the cannon barrel to fire the missiles broke on mine internally, I was pretty bummed when that happened. As it's sealed shut, there's no real easy way to open it up and repair it (if anyone has a spare right arm in working condition that they're willing to sell, PM me!). The sculpted detail on this vehicle is actually quite impressive up close, A master custom paint job would really make the Armor-bot shine.

I always wanted that mech, it was like Star Wars merged with GI Joe

Be extra careful when purchasing the armor bot. They are extremely fragile. Your Best bet is to buy one mint in box but don't spend too much. Reason is my armor bot was loose and complete but arrived in the mail with a broken chin mount and right arm. :mad:

Cobra Blackstar
Elite Space Pilot

Cobra Blackstar were released in 1994 while they were suppose to be a troop builder this particular file card indicates a single individual one of the best pilots out of the Blackstar ranks. While I never cared much for the space theme of the line I usually included Blackstar as the pilot of the 1992 Cobra Liquidador fighter. Since neither Liquidator or Storm Eagle included pilots. Blackstar includes a Blackstar Blaster, battle stand, missile launcher, backback rack and two missiles. The backpack launcher could be elevated over the head and fired then retracted back down for storage. One of the more interesting launchers of the 1990s.

Robo-Joe
Jet-Tech Operations Expert

I mentioned briefly in the Armor Bot review about Armor Tech figures. Armor Tech was a sub line of figures from 1993 bigger and blockier then typical Joe's, they also had less articulation. Robo-Joe was a research scientist building the Armor Tech robotic suits for space. Destro attacked the lab stealing the plans and torching the lab crippling its inventor. The GI Joe team found it's inventor and tried to save as much as they could with the Armor Tech technology. Thus Robo-Joe was born. Robo-Joe includes a shoulder mounted missile launcher, two missiles, battle stand, helmet and several weapons all attached to those pesky weapon tree.






Even Robo-Joe fits comfortably inside the Armor Bot along side Hawk.

Cobra B.A.A.T.
Battle Armored Android Trooper

Armor Tech either reviled or loved by fans the Cobra BAAT is by far one of my favorite Cobra Troops. Even the name requires respect for these beasts. The Cobra BAAT is a Battle Android Trooper on steroids. While the file card states the BAAT is downgraded even more so it is basically a tank with legs. While I would have been perfectly happy with a rocket launcher for a arm or shoulder mounted rocket launcher like Robo-Joe we get this odd box like launcher that fit on the underside of the arm. I still hope to this day we will get a BAAT complete with gatling cannon arms and rocket launchers attached to the head will just have to wait a little longer. The BAAT includes a weapon tree, battle stand and two missiles with launcher.

GI Joe Power Fighter

The 1994 Power Fighters were miniaturized one man Armor Bots with an arsenal of weaponry. I tend to think they are the second generation of Mech technology smaller units that can be transported by plane, ship or shuttle with the same armor and punch as the Armor Bot. From what I can gather both Joe and Cobra fighters don't have any other name. At this point the GI Joe line was coming to a close in order to cut corners and save money Hasbro didn't create clever names for these mechs. The G.I. Joe Power Fighter features working buzz saw, rotating arm and shoulder laser cannons movable legs and adjustable foot flaps and scanner. The device also includes a rotating missile launcher that fires a tri-rocket.








Gears
Invention Technician

Included with the Power Fighter is the driver/pilot Gears a basic repaint of the 1992 Barricade. Gears includes a removable helmet.

Cobra Power Fighter

The Cobra Power Fighter although has the exact same name as the GI Joe version is a completely different Power Fighter. It includes a giant chainsaw arm that fires a missile, movable tri-laser cannon, shoulder mounted laser, movable legs, foot flaps and head cover for the driver. Also has storage for two missiles on the vehicle. The Power Fighters are some of the most rare and expensive vehicles to find in 1994.







Techno-Viper
Cobra Battlefield Technician

The Techno-Viper couldn't be a better choice to pilot an experimental mech weapon for Cobra. First released in 1987 the Techno-Vipers are the mechanics and tech support for Cobra. It is only fitting if there mech breaks they can fix the problem and get right back into battle. The Power Fighter Techno-Viper is a repaint of the original 1987 Techno-Viper who includes no weapons.



Next month just in time for Easter I'll be reviewing the Mega Marines :D

I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever seen pictures of the power fighters. Thanks for posting! The cobra version looks kinda cool actually, especially with its driver. Possibly an update to the cobra SNAKE armor, even though the driver is a lot more exposed.

This thread is very interesting as it covers a gap in my personal Joe timeline. I picked up only a few Joes in 1989 and 1990 and then nothing until eBay and TRU had my curiosity in 1998 or 1999.

Although it is often referred to as the death of the line around 1994, we now realize something else. The Joe line is hard to kill off completely. Just like 1987 Movie Duke, the line did not die, it just slipped into a neon paint induced coma, overcome with the inhalation of fumes and gaudy color schemes.

But it came back, first crawling, then infused with great detail and amazing articulation!
Never quite the same as the clever years from 1984-1986, but still creating interest and feeding imagination of our era.

Since 1994 there have been several small die offs of the brand one around 1999 and the other right around 2006 with the direct to consumer and sigma 6. This just proves you can't keep a good Joe down. :)

I was curious Yorktownjoe are you from the Charleston, Mount Pleasant area?

the name robo-joe sounds cool but the orange and black paint job is just wrong in my opinion. and it's also boring looking. the BAAT looks cool but those weapons suck. a gatling gun, rocket mounted launcher, and buzzsaw arm would have been cooler. the cobra power fighter looks cool, like the colors, and missile storage, buzzsaw and multiple weapons. i just don't like how the pilot's arms/hands are vulnerable. the gi joe power fighter looks cool too but again, i don't like the exposed arms/hands of the pilot. close combat between power fighters must really suck. does that missile launcher shoot the 3 missiles at the same time?

Yea it does fire all 3 at the same time I think the spring is in the center. I agree the Power Fighters are exposed and to believe these were actually used in space combat. I find that hard to believe.

As for the color pattern on Robo-Joe well what can I say its the 90s :rolleyes:

Star Brigade!
 

I bet we'll see them "modern era" at the 2015 Joecon...