Action Figure Barbecue: Action Figure Review: Night Creeper from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

1988, 1989, and 1990 were some of the best years for action figures in the vintage G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line. I know there are quite a few "fans" who seem to have no memory of any figures past 1983, or 1985, or 1987, but Hasbro was still cranking out some really good figures during those years. It wasn't until 1991 that some of the sub-teams started to get a bit iffy (Eco Warriors and Air Commandos) and the basic figures started to have more neon that didn't fit in with the figures. 1990 has some great concepts and the accessories were incredible, far superior to what had come before. I didn't have all of the 1991 figures (I had eight basics and about half of the Sky Patrol), but Night Creeper was definitely one that I had. These guys seemed awesome. Yeah, they're ninjas, but they're ninja armed with the most high-tech gear available. I love these guys and I'm definitely convinced this is the best version since the original (though I do really like the 2003 version with the SCUBA gear). Ready for a look at the stealthy Night Creeper? Then join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height:6 1/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed drop down hips, ball jointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, butterfly pecs, swivel/hinge shoulders w/ ballsockets, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, ball jointed neck base, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: Kalis sword, barbed sword, 2 swappable portraits, 4 swappable hands, crossbow, arrow, and 2 daggers.

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars

The Positives:

* Let's be honest: The G.I. Joe line would have gotten boring after awhile if every figure was wearing green, brown, or black. Hasbro did experiment with more unusual colors and while they were offering up some less traditional color schemes in 1990, they hadn't gone full on neon yet. The Night Creeper is based off of the original figure and manages still have a purple and maroon paintjob without burning anyone's retinas. The colors are muted and balance well with the grey camouflage pants.

* The portrait is plain, but pretty good. The Night Crawler looks like he's wearing a maroon balaclava with silver goggles, kind of like Commando Snake Eyes. He's also sporting an interesting helmet with a silver protective dome and a scarf or cowl around his head. It kind of reminds me of Keshikten helmet.

* The Night Creeper comes with two portraits, which is quite a nice surprise. The second helmet seems to be inspired by the second and third versions of the Night Creeper, both part of the Ninja Force subset. The colors here match the standard Night Creeper, though, and really might be cooler looking than the standard head. This one feels more advanced, like a piece of equipment with all kinds of image intensifying equipment and communications gear. Maybe even a voice changer.

* Besides the chest armor, this guy is also sporting some camo on his forearms and shoulder pads that move, allowing for a better range of motion in the shoulders.

* Here's a closer look at the Night Creeper's cool camouflaged pants and his traditional looking ninja boots.

* The articulation is excellent. The Night Creeper has been one of my favorite figures to pick up and mess around with over the past two months as he's a ton of fun to pose and play with, especially because of all the cool gear he comes with.

* The Night Creeper comes with four swappable hands: A pair of trigger hands, a right hand with a small climbing claw or a hand blade of some sort and a left hand with a shuriken. The two hands with weapons are reused from the original Classified Series Snake Eyes figure

* The Night Crawler's weapons are fairly faithful to the vintage toy, just upgraded nicely. First up is his curvy Kalis, a Philippine double-edged sword with a curvy blade. The design looks good and the handle is pretty impressive, too. It's a very cool, unique looking weapon that I would imagine is probably pretty nasty in a fight.

* The Night Creeper's second sword is as nasty (or maybe even nastier) than the first! It's a long, straight blade with barbs down the side. I love this sword though it's tough to find anything resembling it in the real world (there is a Kiribati blade called a rere made with shark teeth and other barbs from sea life, but it seems to mainly be a decorative or souvenir item. This thing seems like it might be really useful for disarming or for simply assassinating a target. That'd be gruesome as heck.

* I love this crossbow. The vintage Night Creeper's crossbow is a gem from the vintage line and this one is pretty nice, too. It's a larger crossbow than most we've seen and it doesn't fall apart as it's all one piece. There are spare arrows held on it, too, so the Night Creeper can more quickly make multiple shots.

* A loose arrow is included and can fit securely into the crossbow.

* The loose arrow can also attach to the rack of arrows on the backpack. The rest of the arrows are just sculpted on and aren't removable. The backpack is fairly similar in design to the vintage toy (with a sculpted on rappelling rope and bedroll)

* This backpack is really useful, allowing the Night Creeper to securely stow both swords, the loose arrow, and the crossbow. I like it.

* A if all that gear wasn't enough, the Night Creeper also has two wicked little daggers. There are loops on the end and the blades have a wicked curve to them.

* They can be stored in the sheaths hanging off the Night Creeper's belt, too. They fit great.

The Night Creeper is absolutely one of my favorite Classified Series figures of 2024. This is an amazing figure with a great design, excellent articulation, and some really impressive accessories. This guy has some of the best ninja styled gear in the line and is so much fun to gear up and play around with. I liked the vintage Night Creeper (as a kid I always liked to pretend that his chest armor has some sort of powerful magnetic field built in that caused bullets to gravitate to his armored areas) but he was never one of my absolute favorites. This guy just might be, though. He's an Epic figure for sure.

This is the first Night Creeper I've reviewed on the site. For more G.I. Joe: Classified Series reviews check out the following:

Action Sailor (Recon Diver)
Action Soldier (Infantry)
Agent Helix

Alley Viper

Alvin "Breaker" Kibbey
Arctic B.A.T.

Arctic Mission Storm Shadow

Baroness with Cobra C.O.I.L.
Baroness (Retro)

Baroness (Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins)

B.A.T.
B.A.T. (Python Patrol)
Big Boa

Blue Ninjas
Buzzer
Chuckles
Clutch with VAMP (Multi-Purpose Attack Vehicle)

Cobra Commander

Cobra Commander (Regal Variant)
Cobra Eel

Cobra Infantry
Cobra Officer

Cobra Trooper (Special Missions: Cobra Island)
Cobra Valkyries