Marauders SPIRIT

Okay, now time to move onto Slaughter's Marauders! This set has a compound history to it. Three out of these seven guys in this Big Bad Toy Store exclusive set are actually from a small subgroup called The Renegades, while the other four are Marauders. They (Hasbro) just kinda grouped them all together since both groups are under the watch and leadership of one Sgt. Slaughter! First I'll get the Marauders out of the way since I don't really care that much for 'em...ehhhh...sorry, I just don't! See, the original Slaughter's Marauders were one of many "color-coded" subgroups in the G.I. Joe team. Sometimes Hasbro would take old figures and re-release 'em under some new banner, all with some matching color scheme. More popular examples of this are the Tiger Force, Python Patrol, or Night Force. The Marauders had a yucky camo theme to their uniforms...a kind of layered color camo print...not the usual marbled or swirled colors but uneven layers of green, light green, brown, with black and blue highlights. I wish I could show my guide scans, but can't so I don't do any copyright infringement (a sensitive subject these days). My brother had the Sarge from this series...he actually wasn't that bad...the best looking of the Marauders. The others were just rehashed old guys with ugly colors. The vehicles were also rehashed, but those were actually awesome! Not only did old vehicles get new realistic color patterns, but got major weapons upgrades. The new Marauders have a toned-down camo scheme. No big, yucky bars of color, but actual camo. They still have blue highlights though.

You know, if it weren't for the excessive blue, this version of Spirit wouldn't be so bad. Back in the day, Spirit was the "Indian guy" of the Joe team...*sigh*...I don't wanna seem like a disrespectful jerk, but the subject of the character of Spirit could be one of debate. Some people probably hate the idea of him. SOme see him as a goofy stereotype, while others love him. What can I say? I'll admit, I'm no expert on the various Native American cultural groups out there today or in the past. The classic character was supposed to be a "mystic" tracker. He wore bright colors, had a headband and braids, fringed boots and a breech cloth, had a "pet" eagle, and even carried an "arrow gun"! One might say he was an ignorant stereotype, while others might think he was a celebration of certain Native American traditions. Eh, I won't dwell on that. The core figure is actually based off of a newer, more modern Spirit figure. This one got used as a Toys R Us exclusive single pack figure at the time of the first live-action flick. He didn't appear in the film, but a lot of toy characters did not. That Spirit was also a mild homage to a character from the Predator movie from the 80s...I forget which character. When the Pursuit of Cobra line started, Hasbro continued to make all the jungle-themed Joes as mild homages to the various jungle commandos from Predator. Kinda neat. Anyway, this version of Spirit uses the new style or look of the character. They did give him a new tattoo, though! I'm actually not sure if the tattoo has any meaning or anything (off the top of my head). The 25th Anniversary Spirit was pretty much the spitting image of the vintage version, but the head sculpt was quite lousy. I have it...coulda dug it back out...darn. Eh, trust me, very mask-like and ugly. Hasbro coulda done better. This version isn't as nice as the TRU exclusive. It also pays a very mild homage to the old Marauders Spirit. He's and okay figure overall.