Hasbro's G.I. Joe: Classified Series has been a raging ball of burning hot fire since it released in 2020. At myself and everyone else was like, "What? A 6 inch Snake Eyes? Why?"
And then it was full speed ahead. The line feels like a true behemoth, especially considering that the only active Joe media throughout the line are comic books and the fairly disappointing 2021 Snake Eyes movie. When I look at all the figures and vehicles I've collected in this line to date there's only one disappointment that really stands out in my mind: Falcon. The figure was just a disaster, particularly because of that goofy headsculpt that looked like one of the Thunderbirds marionettes. Fortunately, Hasbro has now released an updated Night Force version of Falcon along with Quarrel, one of the G.I. Joe repaints that were part of Palitoys' Action Force line. Quarrel was originally released in 1983 as a repaint of Scarlett and has shown up off and on in US Joe collectibles, including as "Undercover Scarlett" as a giveaway at the 1992 G.I. Joe Convention. I love Night Force and I'm really thrilled to get some new figures for the sub-team. Falcon was a true Night Force member from the original 1988 line and Quarrel is a cool International variant whose color scheme fits in perfectly with the Night Force. Both figures feature a nice mixture of parts, too, so the set feels like more than just a pair of repaints. This is a Walmart exclusive and it seems to have been limited to online sales. Ready to check out these new additions to the Night Force crew? Then join me after the break...
Height: 6 1/4ths inches
Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed drop down hips, ball jointed waist, mid-torso hinge, butterfly pecs, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, ball jointed neck base, and a barbell jointed head.
Accessories: Backpack, bandanna, two swappable heads, beret, night vision goggles, two shoulder pads, pistol, holster, thigh pouch, grenade launcher, knife, light machine gun, ammo magazine, flashlight, and three piece shotgun.
Height: 5 7/8ths inches
Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball-jointed drop down hips, ball-jointed waist, ball-jointed mid-torso, butterfly pecs, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel biceps, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck base, a barbell jointed head, and a swivel ponytail.
Accessories: 2 swappable portraits, 4 arrows, 2 piece crossbow, machine gun, magazine, sheathe, leg strap, knife, 4 swappable hands, pistol, kukri, and flashlight.
Non-Scalper Price: $55 dollars
* The vintage Night Force Falcon figure (which I've never owned) was a black, grey, green, and brown repaint of the basic figure. For the Classified Series, however, Hasbro has opted to really mix things up. Falcon reuses most of the body and gear from the Range Viper but different gloves and boots. I really like the result as the different color scheme makes this figure plenty different from the Range Viper. The color scheme still matches Night Force, though, and does follow the pattern of the vintage toy. The Classified Series Night Force makes me think they're not just a group skilled at fighting at night but instead an even more secret, "off the books" sub team, more like a Delta Squad or S.E.A.L. team unit.
* Falcon's beret is cool. It's all black (even though he's a Green Beret) and has a red and yellow special forces type patch on it. I don't think it's anything that's really recognizable so far as I can tell but it looks pretty nice and fits him well.
* He does come with a green bandanna. It's the same mold as the bandanna from the Range Viper and hangs a bit loose, but the green color goes well with the Night Force look. The standard Falcon wears a green bandanna, so this also fits his regular costume aesthetic, too.
* Many of the Night Force figures have started coming with these alternate helmeted heads or helmets. Falcon's is an alternate head and is one of the Steel Brigade (or Steel Corps., since Valaverse now owns the Steel Brigade trademark) helmets with the Night Force colors, a red visor, and some red wing designs on the sides.
* There is also a set of armored shoulder pads that you can place on Falcon to give him a bit of extra protection and bulk. These are reused from the Steel Corps. Troopers as well, but the colors have been changed and the left shoulder pad has the griffin logo that seems to be a symbol for the Night Force unit.
* Want yet another option for displaying Falcon? He comes with the four lens night vision that Tunnel Rat first came with. The red lenses look great and they fit Falcon well.
* Falcon's knife is the same as the standard figure which is based off of the vintage figure's knife.
* His backpack is also pretty nice and is reused from the previous figure with a Night Force color scheme. It's another accessory that's very/ overly faithful to the vintage toy, making it kind of old school, but I do like the look of it. Its got the oversized antenna sticking out of the top from a radio system, two canteens, and some rappelling cord. The canteens each get a paint app, as does the cord. Behind the antenna there is actually a radio tuner sculpted onto the pack with a little bit of detail.
* The knife fits inside this sheath on the side, another element borrowed from the vintage toy.
* Falcon shotgun and now appears to be a Franchi SPAS-12, this time with a red forend. It's a nice looking accessory with solid sculpting and the weapon feels sturdier than the previous versions of it in the line. Not rubbery at all. The barrel is hollow, too, so you can pop a firing effect inside.
* The stock folds out and it's made from two parts that attach to the shotgun: There's an arm and the butt plate. There are also some non-removable shotgun shells clipped onto the stock.
* Falcon also comes with some weapons which were included with the Range Viper. Here's a grenade launcher that looks like a Milkor MGL. The drum magazine rotates (it can come out but it's extremely difficult to pop back in) and the forward grip allows for a great firing pose. It's a nice weapon for laying down some heat when things get hairy.
* See! Here it is, slipped right into his removable holster. He's also sporting three additional magazines (not removable or anything) on his belt at the small of his back.
* There's also a set of ammo pouches on Falcon's left thigh and some additional rounds stored on his belt.
* Some cool black pipe flashlights are included with the set as well, complete with red lenses. Two are included, so I assume one is for Falcon and one for Quarrel.
* Falcon also comes with the same light machine gun that the Range Viper carried. It seems to be a mixture of a few different weapons such as the Ares Shrike, the H&K MG34, and the FN Minimi) but stripped down to be lighter. It doesn't even have a stock! There's a forward grip and a box magazine with a belt of ammo already feeding out of it.
* The magazine box is removable, too.
* Let's start talking about Quarrel! Quarrel is a very neat inclusion in the Classified Series as she was originally part of the vintage Action Force line after Palitoy began including repainted/ reworked Hasbro G.I. Joe figures in the line. Quarrel was originally a repaint of the vintage Scarlett figure and that's kind of what we get here, though she also shares parts with Shooter. Quarrel has Shooter's torso while everything else is from Scarlett. The green, black, and red color scheme looks really good and does fit the Night Force aesthetic well, though it is true to the vintage Quarrel figure.
* Quarrel is Swiss, a martial arts expert, an undercover operative, and an expert at driving nearly any vehicle. Hasbro didn't just repaint Scarlett here: Quarrel gets a new portrait with short blonde hair and a cool, calm expression. She's also sporting an earpiece that connects to a collar on her throat which I believe is a microphone of sorts. Perfect for a Special Forces operative!
* She also includes one of the alternate Night Force Steel Corps. helmets that swaps with her portrait.
* Here's a shot so you can see the cool patches on Quarrel's shoulders. She has a Union Jack on her left shoulder (since Action Force is British) and the Z-Force logo on her right. Z-Force was the infantry and artillery division of the original Action Force. Other units were SAS Force (Special Operations), Q Force (aquatic operations), and Space Force (space operations).
* Quarrel also comes with a set of shoulder pads from the Steel Corps. set. She has additional pouches on her right shoulder and an armored pad with the Night Force griffin over the globe logo on the left. Hers fit much better than Falcon's.
* Since Quarrel reuses most of Scarlett's body, she is loaded with cool and deadly gadgets. She's got some pouches on her boots and a little device on her right hip (it's removable). What do you think it is? I've always thought it was some sort of explosive device and that's kind of what this looks like, too.
* Quarrel has the same articulation as Scarlett for the most part, so everything is fantastic. She looks great utilizing her weapons, engaging in melee combat with Cobra forces, or operating any vehicles. She's all pinless, too, so she's top of the line.
* Quarrel comes with most of Scarlett's weapons, including her crossbow. This is the one from the Retro Scarlett and it looks a bit simpler with a scope of some sort on the side. It's actually made from two separate pieces and it stays together really well unlike most prior crossbows made from two pieces.
* Four arrows are included, each with a different tip. They fit nicely on the crossbow, too.
* You can store all four arrows inside of Quarrel's quiver. Just insert them with the nock and fletching down. Yeah, it's a bit reckless to have the pointy arrowheads up but it makes sure they all fit.
* Quarrel comes with two knives, the first being a standard, simple knife.
* It fits easily into the sheath on her left hip.
* The second is a kukri that is reused from Shooter.
* It tucks into the sheath on Quarrel's left shoulder and looks great. I love knives that can pull out from the shoulder like this. I first remember seeing it in the original Resident Evil game for PlayStation and on the Toy Biz Chris Redfield figure and I've been nuts about the look ever since.
* Quarrel's more traditional weapon is an M-16A2 which also came with Scarlett and Grunt. It's a strong sculpt with a scope and a hole in the barrel for a firing effect.
* I'm loving this Glock with an extended magazine for Quarrel. As I mentioned above, the weapons in some of the pictures are a bit mixed up but I think this fits Quarrel perfectly.
* There are two flashlights with red lenses, so this one can go with Quarrel.
* She also comes with the same set of alternate hands that Retro Series Scarlett has: A pair of trigger hands and a pair of fists.
* I have a few complaints about the set, but most are fairly minor. Overall, this is a very impressive set that's loaded with extras. The shoulder pads don't fit Falcon perfectly, though, especially if you move him around. They're just a bit off.
* His backpack also doesn't fit. I'm not sure why Hasbro used most of the Range Viper weapons for Falcon and didn't use the backpack as it's designed to fit this body. Falcon's backpack on this body just sits at a weird angle. It honestly fits Quarrel better.
* Most of the paint applications are great but I do wish Hasbro hadn't ignored or forgotten to give Quarrel's little pistol on the inside of her glove a paint app. Silver, grey, even red? Just something to differentiate it from the rest of the glove.
* The crossbow stays together pretty well but the front piece definitely doesn't fit all the way snug on the front. Must be a molding error. I don't remember this with Scarlett's crossbow.
* OK, here's one of those things that drives me crazy: Falcon has a loop on his belt but nothing to go in it. The Range Viper had a dagger, but Falcon doesn't come with that weapon. I tried the flashlight but it's not going to work without some heat and I'm afraid to break the loop. It drives me nuts when figures have a sheath, holster, or space for an accessory that they don't come with.
This is the first figure of Quarrel I've reviewed.
For more of Vincent R. "Falcon" Falcone, I've also reviewed the standard Classified Series Vincent R. "Falcon" Falcone.
For more G.I. Joe: Classified Series reviews check out the following:
Blue Ninjas
Buzzer
Carl "Doc" Greer
Chip "Raptor" Talon & General Ledger
Chuckles
Clutch with VAMP (Multi-Purpose Attack Vehicle)
Buzzer
Carl "Doc" Greer
Chip "Raptor" Talon & General Ledger
Chuckles
Clutch with VAMP (Multi-Purpose Attack Vehicle)
Cobra Viper
Cobra Viper Officer & Vipers
Cobra Viper (Python Patrol)
Copperhead
Courtney "Cover Girl" Krieger
Craig "Rock 'N Roll" McConnel
Crimson Guard
Crimson Strike Team
Crimson Viper
Croc Master & Fiona
David "Big Ben" Bennett (Night Force)
David L. "Bazooka" Katzenbogen
David L. "Bazooka" Katzenbogen (Tiger Force)
Desert Commando Snake Eyes
Cobra Viper Officer & Vipers
Cobra Viper (Python Patrol)
Copperhead
Courtney "Cover Girl" Krieger
Craig "Rock 'N Roll" McConnel
Crimson Guard
Crimson Strike Team
Crimson Viper
Croc Master & Fiona
David "Big Ben" Bennett (Night Force)
David L. "Bazooka" Katzenbogen
David L. "Bazooka" Katzenbogen (Tiger Force)
Desert Commando Snake Eyes
Profit Director Destro
Python Crimson Guard
Python Patrol Officer
Quick Kick
Range Viper
Recondo (Tiger Force)
Python Crimson Guard
Python Patrol Officer
Quick Kick
Range Viper
Recondo (Tiger Force)
Storm Shadow
Stuart "Outback" Selkirk
Stuart "Outback" Selkirk (Tiger Force)
Techno-Viper
Tele-Viper & Cobra Flight Pod (Trubble Bubble)
Tomax Paoli
Tripwire, Aspara, & M.A.C.L.E.O.D.
Tunnel Rat
Tunnel Rat (Night Force)
Vincent R. "Falcon" Falcone
Vypra
Stuart "Outback" Selkirk
Stuart "Outback" Selkirk (Tiger Force)
Techno-Viper
Tele-Viper & Cobra Flight Pod (Trubble Bubble)
Tomax Paoli
Tripwire, Aspara, & M.A.C.L.E.O.D.
Tunnel Rat
Tunnel Rat (Night Force)
Vincent R. "Falcon" Falcone
Vypra
Quarrel was the first fully articulated 3 3/4 action figure we ever got in the UK. Up to that point, we had the original Action Force toys and the Star Wars line as the main toys in that scale. Snake-Eyes followed shortly (called Stalker in the very first iteration) and the repainted Destro (Red Jackal) was the first I owned. For us, Quarrel and her bike were premium figures. Good to see the Z-Force logo once more.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty neat! I'm only a little familiar with the vintage Action Force line, and mostly because of the Joe variants. Hasbro has used Quarrel a bit over the years. Super7 recently released Red Jackal in their 3 3/4th inch Joe ReAction line.
DeleteHer motorcycle was the RAM with a different color scheme, right?
Yes, the standard Z-Force green. Pre-conversion, Action Force was based around four different specialist forces (Z-Force as the regular army, SAS, Q-Force for underwater, and Space Force). Up to Quarrel, we'd only had the regular boxy toys, so seeing an affordable upgrade was a great way to get us switched over. Snake Eyes/Stalker was in the SAS repainted VAMP I think, and Destro/Red Jackal in the HISS. By the time we got the Wolverine they were beginning to phase out Action Force toys proper and the rebadged Joes kicked off with Buzzer, Barbecue and the others (Zap and Grunt barely got a look-in)
ReplyDeleteAs for CC, at first he was repainted as Red Laser - the original villains were the Red Shadows, and the regular grunts were actually WW2 German soldier moulds with a faceplate below the regular Wehrmacht helmets. Red Laser even had CCs hairdryer gun - and it was an awesome figure. We didn't have GI Joe here on TV so we got switched over to the Joe Universe very slowly. Even then it took years - the few cartoons released here had Joe references dubbed as 'Action Force', and even Sgt Slaughter's name was censored (Sgt Slammer). They finally gave up when the movie came out.
ReplyDelete