The goal of writing one Thirtieth Anniversary G.I.Joe review per week kinda went up in flames the last few weeks. Plans tend to do that around here. We’ve got theme reviews lined up next week, but April needs at least one Joe review, right? How about a quick look at Sci-Fi?
I’ve been having a blast with the Joes of late. I’m excited about some of the upcoming movie figures and hoping I can snag all of the “discount Joes” (via HissTank). And, of course, we’ve got a Zombie Viper Giveaway! My re-association with Joes started a few months back with some, amazing, figures, and then things really kicked into gear with this particularly fun last 30th Anniversary wave.
So Sci-Fi is the Joes resident laser trooper. Which, if you think about the cartoon, doesn’t really make a lot of sense. They all had laser-like weapons. Well, Sci-Fi doesn’t have that kind of laser. He has the more realistic kind, where if you sit real still somewhere and aim real carefully for long enough, it’ll burn through whatever you need. Isn’t that exciting?? His old bio even purports to sell his coolness by pointing out that he’ll sit still even as bird perch on his helmet. Interestingly, his bio does unintentionally paint him as an expert sniper. He’s incredibly patient, he engages the enemy from a distance, and he presumably needs to go undetected, which is where that neon green camouflage comes in… handy… oh.
Note: Pay little attention to the contrast my camera produced between the green parts of his uniform in some of the images. His parts match to the naked eye.
I never had Sci-Fi as a kid, but he’s always been a Joe that I remembered and his neon green uniform ensured he always stood out when I was perusing old Joes at conventions and comic shops. Somehow though, I never pulled the trigger on the old vintage Joe. I don’t know if it was just a lack of nostalgia or something specific to the original. He stuck out, but never stood out. Similarly, when this wave debuted months ago – I was stoked to see updates of Lifeline (an all-time favorite Joe for me) and Law & Order, but Sci-Fi kinda flew under my radar. I think I always would’ve bought him anyway, but my wife snagging the entire Wave 3/4 case ensured I ended up with him. I’m glad because, in hand, he’s become one of my favorite figures.
Sci-Fi is built reusing a lot more parts than I’d originally thought. The base figure here is either the 25th Anniversary Artic Snake Eyes or the Snow Serpent (I can’t remember which one came first). The unique details on Sci-Fi’s uniform are achieved with new arms (upper, lower, and hands) and new lower legs (that attach to new cartridges on his upper legs), as well as new webgear and a belt to match the original. There’s a few modifications and upgrades over the vintage version, but they’re all for the better. In particular, the original figure always seemed a little more portly than his fellow Joes, but on this sculpt you can tell it’s definitely the suit and not just that this guy lays around pointing his laser at stuff all day.
I always hate talking about paint on 1:18 scale figures. I’m just naturally more forgiving of a little slop in this scale. And there is just a little bit, the white fuzz on the skullcap or the paint not quite flushing with the sculpted lines on the helmet. Most of the painted lines are pretty sharp though. The accessories look great and the detail on the webgear and the lower arms is painted nicely. Continue to Page 2…
Why does Airlift look like he is urinating in the corner of the first pic??
ha ha he does!
I get bored with the background Joes sometimes. 😀 I’ve got these nifty “dio pieces” and they need background people, but what to have them do?
Also, there’s a pair of Hazard-Vipers trying to take advantage of Airtight being distracted, but they didn’t make it into the final picture. You can see the hint of orange above the viewscreen.
Nice to see a new Joe review now that the site has been upgraded! Great pics as always. Also, that Slaughter custom is cool enough. I only scored a vintage Sci-Fi as a kid while the 1986 figures were being cleared out, so it was a real squeaker. I always loved him for his bright green colors, much as I do Lifeline for his red medic look. Hasbro has not disappointed updating these 2 guys last year. Hopefully, we’ll see Iceberg and Cross-Country after the movie line is history and we can finally complete Team ’86.
I think that’s a Legendary WWE Slaughter back when Jakks Pacific had the license…
Yes! Good eye. I think it was Brawl and Build or something to that effect. He’s a bit high on eBay too, but not nearly that high and I found him in a store.
Thanks, Clutch! Looking back, I think it’s kinda weird that I never had him. He’s in the middle of nearly everything I did have (really heavy from 85-88), but he just never came up. Perchance my parents took offense to neon green?
And I’m dying for Iceberg! I want some potentially ‘out there’ ones like Dress Blues Gung Ho, Payload, and Keel Haul, but I can’t believe do don’t have a good Iceberg yet!
That last pic is so awesome…I want to make Slaughter and Sci-Fi fight a mummy now…
They’re the new “it” team! We need Psyche-Out to round out the trio!
That was brilliant, Noisy! You have outdone yourself.
Thanks, 3B! I felt bad only having four story pictures after the last two Joe reviews, but I think I set the bar too high on those. :/
glad to see im not the only one who is unwilling to pay the crazy prices for the Sgt Slaughter Joe…..tho everyday I look at all my Mauraders lined up I get closer to just doing it! Great job as per always Noisy!!
Thanks, Doc! I’d love to have one, but I’d want the more expensive Triple T version, plus I wish he looked like the old figure more. Either way not worth the crazy prices – which shot up after the Marauder’s pack! Similarly, I have bought the Marauder’s pack cause I got no Sarge. Hasbro should at least figure out a way to do the blue repaint.
I’m thinking of tring a custom using a Roadrock body, but I need to see it in person first.
I was never a fan of Sci-Fi as a kid (his bright green overall always looked silly) but I have to admit they did a damn good job on updating him here.
Oh, and is the Sarge and SyFy trying to beat Dr Mindbender at his own game and prevent the creation of Serpentor there? 😀
LOL Y’know I went off on this picking on SyFy Channel tangent, but at the end I realized it’s not completely uncommon to find mummies, oversized animals, or humans turned into whales. 😀
So, yeah, absolutely! Sci-Fi & Sarge are just on the standard freaky patrol!
Awww, and that’s why I love IAT.
Thank, Seth. lol
I had this guy, and for some typically unsane reason, he was my “RoboCop” character before they introduced the “RoboJoes”. Must have been all that shiny armor?
He was one of the easy ones to do for my 6″ Joes, or whatever scale those HALO figs are. 6″ Slaughter was even easier! LOL
Did I not mention that in the review? I might have skipped over the helmets entirely then… doh!
The half-visor is TOTALLY Robocop! It’s completely “80s futuristic”.
I need to see some of the 6″ custom Joes!
Fun review as ever, and loved the “SyFy” gags!
Thanks, Beedo!
Great captions on this one. Really laughed on them.
I really like this figure, it is a real great update to the original and is often an overlooked character. Awesome job hasbro.
Shame you had to blow it with the Retaliation line.
Thanks, Zed!
Yeah, it’s like Hasbro gets to this really good harmonized place and then BOOM a movie blows it all to hell.
35th Anniversary figures are gonna be soooo awesome.
I’m unclear, or just stupid. He comes with three heads? Or the helmets actually fit and he doesn’t suffer from ‘pinhead’ or ‘fat helmet’ issues?
And dealing with mummies is a Joe tradition. 🙂
I think a cleft might have formed between my talking about the helmets and the accessories. There are two removable helmets and everything just works out great.
SyFy… sigh…
Great review. Great figure too. Sadly, I never seem to see any of the new GI Joe figures that I want on the shelves. I’d buy up Sci-fi and Lifeline in an instant. Two of my favorite Joes ever.