Saturday, May 30, 2026

Action Figure Review: Rafael "Zap" Melendez from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 


   It's usually pretty exciting when one of the Original 13 G.I. Joe figures gets made in the Classified Series as those 13 original characters definitely hold a special place in the hearts of many collectors and fans of the comic. I wasn't even born when the first series of A Real American Hero figures was released but I still love that team, particularly due to their excellent characterization by Larry Hama in the early years of the Marvel comics run. Overall, the Classified Series has done a great job of taking that original series of figures, many of whom seemed like they were initially just larger 1/18th scaled articulated versions of the classic little green army men, and turned them into unique modern figures while still maintaining a cohesive feel. It's been rally fun to see how the Original 13 have been updated and modernized while still keeping them recognizable. Unfortunately, Zap doesn't feel different and updated. Maybe it's because Rafael "Zap" Melendez has been released as part of the carded Retro series first rather than in the mainline but he feels like simply a larger version of the vintage figure or the 25th Anniversary version. Unfortunately, that makes him feel a bit generic for this line. He's not a bad figure by any means and I know there are some fans of the line who absolutely want 1/12th scale highly articulated versions of the vintage figures but I'm not usually in that camp. Zap definitely feels outdated to me. Even Short-Fuze, who Zap shares most of his body and belts with, had the modern helmet, updated colors, and a more modern rifle. Let's take a look a Zap after the break...






The Facts:

Height: 6 1/4ths inches 

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

Accessories: 4 swappable hands, helmet, thigh pouch, holster, pistol, 2 piece bazooka, backpack, 4 rockets, rifle, and display stand.

Non-Scalper Price: $28 dollars







The Positives:

* Zap's portrait is pretty good. While the original figure shared his portrait with Grunt and Grand Slam, now Zap gets his own headsculpt. He's got the thin mustache that was shown on the original card art along with slicked back black hair and a skin tone that definitely seems to reflect his Hispanic heritage. He looks like he's concentrating on firing his weapon; if you ask me, the sculptor really tried to capture the facial expression from the vintage card art. 



* It's odd that Zap doesn't come with one of the modern helmets that the rest of the Original 13 comes with. His helmet is really, really plain. Still, it does fit on him and there's nothing wrong with it. It just wouldn't be my choice for this guy considering how good the other helmets in this line have been. He might need to borrow some headgear and maybe the glasses from the Special Forces Action Soldier. Those amber lens glasses would look great on him.









* He's sporting the same pouch as Short-Fuze on his right hip. It's removable and conveniently located for storage. 










* There's not a lot to say new about Zap's articulation and I don't have any complaints. He  moves well, he's sturdy, and he can hold that bazooka like a champ. While I'm not wild about the overly vintage styling of Zap, he certainly is a fun figure to pose. He's not sporting a ton of extraneous details on his uniform so nothing is falling off or impeding his articulation, allowing you to pose him freely. 








* Like most of the Retro carded figures, Zap comes with an alternate set of hands. You can easily swap between pistol grips and a pair of fists. 











* The original Zap figure came with a bazooka, a weapon that Larry Hama commented was even out of date back in the early 1980s. So what do we get here? A bazooka. It's a mashup that looks like an American M1 bazooka and a German Panzerschreck, so it looks "realistic" but not specifically like any one weapon. It is a nice accessory, though, and it manages to be more interesting than it could have been. 







* The bazooka breaks in half in the middle, maybe for storage or maybe to allow you to better position the stock when firing it. The removable rockets can also fit in the barrel in the front. They don't go all the way down (you can see the tip poking out) so no worries about them getting stuck. 








* At least Zap comes with multiple rockets for his weapon as opposed to the single mortar shell that Short-Fuze comes with. This backpack is largely an upscaled version of the vintage backpack though not the rockets are removable. Four are included and while they take a bit of effort to get out, they stay in securely. 








* Zap also comes with a backup weapon: An XMLR-3A rifle. It's another piece upscaled from the vintage accessory that was included with Snow Job and that was prominently used in the animated series. 










* This is a great pistol. I think we've seen it before but it's a great sculpt and is a nice, modern sidearm for Zap.









* The holster is excellent and stores the pistol quite well. 








* Like the rest of the Retro carded figures Zap also comes with a stand. I'm glad these come with these figures and I wish all of the Classified Series figures came with these. 






The Negatives:

* The top part of Zap's bazooka broke off. It's a separate piece that seems to be kind of loosely affixed and it snapped off while I was posing the figure with it. That's a bummer. Any pictures you see with it in the photos are of it attached with Loctite glue.







* Zap is a perfectly adequate action figure. If you wanted a figure that's true to the vintage figure. If that's what you want, that's what you'll get. It's also true to the spirit of the Retro carded figures, so I can understand that. Still, why did we get this one first? Why didn't we get a standard version first? Will we get a standard version of Zap who looks modern and updated with a weapon that's not obsolete? The Classified Series seems to be doing well still, though with a few of the talented team members recently leaving the brand I do have some doubts about the long term health of the line. Will new team members be champions for the brand? Considering every other member of the Original 13 released to date got their Classified styled figure first, it's just odd that Zap came out first being so basic. 




   If this Retro carded version of Zap had come out after the release of a standard figure I would have accepted it better. Likely, I would have skipped it, too. It's not a terrible figure, though the broken bazooka sight is a bit of a bummer, but it's quite dull compared to so many other figures in the line. Overall, I'm giving him a Good and a 1/2. There's still a lot of cool stuff here but he's incredibly weak compared to the rest of the line, especially the Original 13. The portrait's good but everything else is reused or feels outdated next to the rest of the team. You could probably use some Valaverse and Gridiron Studios gear to salvage him, but why should you need to do that?



This is the first figure of Rafael "Zap" Melendez that I've reviewed on the site. For more G.I. Joe: Classified Series check out the following:
Destro  
Flint  






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