Firefly '92

All right, all right, calm down. I know what you're saying. "Firefly '92??? What are ya on crack?". Well, the short answer is no, I am not on crack, and the long answer, well it follows:

By 1992 Hasbro had arguably run its course with the G.I. Joe line. Now I say arguably, because that is many people's opinion, although it is not mine. There are some fine specemins '92 and later, and while they are fewer and farther between than the earlier years, they are no less distinctive for their good points. Firefly is one of those.

Now, don't get me wrong. This Firefly is most definitely the worst version of this character. Without a doubt. The 2000 version is the best (in my opinion), the '84 version comes a very, very close second, then comes the Arctic version, simply because it has the classic mold and can be painted better colors, and then the '93 version with black highlights, and then this boy. BUT, those are some tall boots to fill! In my opinion, Firefly (both the character AND the figure) is pretty close to the pinnacle of the Joe line. I may have actually profiled the original version except that he gets so much stinking press that anything that can be said about him already has been. This guy is scoffed at, so I want to try to prove that he isn't quite as bad as everyone seems to think.

First of all, is the mold. Very, very cool one, I think. His mask/hat combo has a nice pattern and texture and maintains his secrecy without copying the original design. Then, the chest pad, which keeps the same texture and such, and turns it into a fairly cool chest plate which adds some differing color and design to a possibly bland figure. All of the assorted grenades and weaponry are very suitable for a sabatour. A personal favorite part of this mold is the garrote that hangs from his belt. A nice little touch that says that this is someone prepared for ANY eventuallity. It still amazes me that Hasbro got away with molding some of the stuff that they did. I mean, this little garrote is an instrument to slit someone's throat, plain and simple. I picture Firefly being an absolute expert at this little tool, even though technically he is a sabatour and NOT an assassin.

Next is a somewhat rough spot: the colors. Yeah, the colors on Firefly are a little shady, but not unforgivable. The gray is a nice subtle tone, which compliments the green well. The green IS bright, but not TOO bright (at least in my opinion...). It works of the gray to tone down the overall color and not get TOO crazy with neon wackiness. The gold? Eh...kinda crappy, yeah. Luckily the gold paint on mine is somewhat worn down so it doesn't stand out too much, and works all right. Silver would have probably been better, but the gold is a nice compliment to the green and gray. Now, this mold is the exact same as the next version, only the '93 version had black highlights, which I think are much cooler. Unfortunately, the black highlights also brighten the rest of the green and make him a little TOO neon.

And then there is the weapon. Oh, if only Hasbro had cast it in black. This gun is REAL cool! I like it a lot. I believe it is based on a real life sniper rifle, and it rocks. One of the nicer weapons in the line, and one I would stock up on if offered in black. Great compliment to Firefly's "shadier" aspects...

Overall, this is a very nice figure that doesn't really get noticed. When I use a Firefly character, this is NOT the one I use, but it does deserve some recognition anyway.

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