Welcome to Dan's ToyBox review of the Hasbro G.I. Joe Classified Series (#84) Firefly Action Figure. The first version that was released didn't appeal to me and was a pass. When I saw the announcement that the classic look was coming, I immediately jumped on the pre-order wagon. Though Firefly wasn't in my top five Joes as a kid, he did make the top 10 list easily. The more I've learned about the character over the years, the more I've come to like him. My introduction to him was in the pages of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #24 and I immediately liked the look of his grey toned urban camouflage outfit. I'm pretty excited to share my thoughts on this updated version of a classic Cobra villain.
Firefly is a world renowned sabateur, available to the highest bidder. In his introduction to G.I. Joe, Firefly and Wild Weasel are dispatched by Destro, the Baroness, and Major Bludd to the Florida Everglades. Cobra Commander, having been captured by the Joe team is rescued by Storm Shadow. Bludd, cunningly, attaches a tracking device to one of Storm Shadow's swords, thinking they'd follow the signal to the ninja and Cobra Commander. Unbeknownst to the villains, Storm Shadow discovered the tracker and mailed it to another hidden operative, deep in the Florida swamps. As Bludd and the Baroness introduce Wild Weasel and Firefly to Destro, the Baroness comments... "The Firefly is a man of international repute. He is the best... Well... let it suffice to say that if the pilot gets the Firefly to the target, the result is guaranteed!" Firefly is a master of covert operations, demolitions, sabotage, small arms, and hand to hand combat. We also learn, later on, that as a child, his father was owed a debt by the Koga Ninja Clan. When Firefly's father died, the boy was taken in and trained by the clan, eventually earning the title of "master." Not long after, Cobra Commander approached Firefly with a job: kill the man known as Snake-Eyes. Cobra Commander blamed Snake Eyes for his brother's death and hoped to exact revenge. Firefly traveled to the Arashikage dojo where Snake Eyes was training, and after much observation, realized that he was no match for Snake Eyes. Firefly approached the assassin Zartan for help. In a case of mistaken identity, Zartan kills the Hard Master, leader of the Arashikage, instead. The Hard Master's nephew, Storm Shadow, was blamed and he fled the dojo, dishonored and branded a traitor. Ironically, Firefly himself, piloted the Cobra F.A.N.G. helicopter that rescued Zartan from the ninja compound.
Accessories: 9/10 Firefly comes with an impressive array of accessories that enhance his play and display value. He is armed to the teeth with weapons, including a backpack with two detachable mines, a submachine gun (with removable muzzle shroud and ammo magazine), a pistol, and a combat knife. Additionally, he includes a pair of removable night-vison goggles, a radio-controlled bomb robot and the controller. As with other figures in the G.I. Joe line, you can store all of the accessories on Firefly's person. The radio-controlled car has a port that plugs into the bottom of his backpack. The two mines port on either side of the backpack, his rifle can attach to the backpack, and he has both a holster for the pistol and a forearm sheath for his knife. The goggles fit on his head and the radio control fits snugly in either hand. Firefly comes fully equipped to infiltrate, set explosives, and get out before anybody knows he's been on site. The attention to detail on each of these accessories is very high quality, with each item looking just like a miniaturized version of the real thing! The sculpt and paint details are tremendous, making for very realistic looking equipment.
Appearance: 8/10 The GI Joe Classified #84 Firefly action figure boasts a sleek and highly detailed design that captures the essence of this iconic character. The sculpting work on his uniform, gear, and mask is commendable, with crisp lines and intricate textures. The color palette, predominantly black and gray with subtle red and green accents, gives him a menacing and covert appearance. I initially thought the head sculpt was a repaint of Storm Shadow's head but upon closer inspection realized it isn't. The flesh tones and detail point for his eyes and eyebrows are very cleanly applied and the sculpt gives him a fierce appearance, even without seeing his full facial features. The camo pattern is very nicely done as well and brings back wonderful memories of the original figure I had when I was younger. As mentioned before, the textures on the suit, coupled with the intricate designs on his equipment belt, holsters, and bandoliers convey a very well equipped, dangerous foe. I do continue to marvel at the amount of detail that Hasbro packs into the Joe line and Firefly is a perfect example. Close examination of this figure leads to finding something new nearly every time. As of this review, I think this may be the best-looking figure in my Joe collection!
Articulation: 6/10 Firefly's articulation is where this figure actually suffers. He features the standard engineering that the Joe line is known for and for the most part is solid. However, I have two big issues, which I'll discuss shortly. His head and neck have strong articulation, with no hindrance from his bandoliers. He can look down to a degree and somewhat upward, there is good head tilt, and the head turns side to side easily. Even with the bandoliers, his shoulders and butterfly joints work well. There is good range forward and back, full 360-degree rotation, and the arms can hit a solid T pose. The bicep swivel and double-jointed elbows work very well, and the wrists have vertical hinge, along with rotation. The upper torso joint offers a nice crunch, though somewhat limited by the bandoliers. The lower torso joint is where we have our first issue. The joint itself is very floppy and loose, and when you twist him at the torso, he tends to swivel back to a neutral position. At least, he does a relatively decent crunch, but the loose joint is frustrating. The next issue is with the drop-down hips. As with previous G.I. Joe figures, I found the drop-down hips to be very gummy and difficult to work with. I was able to get him into a split, but I won't be doing that again as it felt as if I were damaging the joint inside with the "stickiness" of trying to move them. The thigh cuts work well but are a tiny bit hindered by his holster and thigh pouches. The double-jointed knees were difficult at first, but a bit of heat helped free them. Firefly has a boot swivel, which works fine and ankle joints that have nice hinge and pivot range. Overall, the loose torso and gummy hips bring the grade down, which kind of sucks. I hope that none of you run into this issue.
Affordability: 7/10 Firefly offers good value for collectors and fans of the franchise. Given the high level of detail, articulation, and the number of accessories included, the price tag is justified. I ordered mine from BBTS for $25.99. Ironically, I also just purchased Shipwreck from my local Walmart for only $21.99. I wonder, if I found Firefly "in the wild" would he have been that price? Nevertheless, if you're a die-hard GI Joe fan or a collector who appreciates quality, this figure is worth the investment.
Overall, the GI Joe Classified #84 Firefly action figure is a standout addition to the series. Its appearance is sharp, capturing the essence of Firefly as a covert operative. The articulation allows for dynamic posing, and the abundance of accessories adds to the figure's play and display value. Firefly is a must-have for GI Joe enthusiasts and action figure collectors, earning a favorable overall score of:
7.75 out of 10 ToyBoxes
I'm very pleased to have Firefly in my collection and I suspect you will be as well. As always, thank you for supporting Dan's ToyBox and until next time... GEEK OUT!!!