baroness – European Joe's

More than meets the eye.

I went on a trip recently, spending 5hr on a plane. To pass the time, I downloaded several movies and series onto my iPad. One of them was the entire run of Netflix’ The Toys That Made Us. They have an episode on G.I. Joe which I had seen before, but now I also watched the episodes on Star Wars, Star Trek and Transformers. Since the 80’s Transformers and G.I. Joe have been sharing a universe within the Marvel comic book series. Rumor has it that a crossover movie is in the works for 2026. We’ll have to wait and see if this will be the next big thing for both Transformers and G.I. Joe, until then we’ve been getting some toys crossing over. This time around, I’ve got the Megatron H.I.S.S. and Baroness dropping in.

Straight of the bat, the box art is a nice split image showing off the robot form of Megatron and the Baroness in action with him transformed into a H.I.S.S. Tank.

The back of the box shows the actual toys in both shapes. It takes 28 steps to transform Megatron into a H.I.S.S. Tank.

Once you slide both parts away, you get the real manufacturer for all weaponry, Hasbro! The inner box, is not a simple brown box though. The back displays a Top Secret Dossier, while the top and bottom have a cool looking crossover logo.

Opening the inner box, we get most of Megatron already built and looking very menacing. On the left is the H.I.S.S. Tank canopy and swiveling turret mount, on the right are guns and a piece of the H.I.S.S.’ Armor.

Megatron is tied to the top part of the box. We can lift this one up to reveal the instructions manual depicting all the 28 steps needed to transform from Megatron into the H.I.S.S. Tank and back again. Alongside the little booklet, there is the Baroness figure, to my surprise, a fully carded figure!

On the front of the box, the outer sleeve really, is a print of the Baroness as if she was behind some plastic, reminiscent of the old 3.75” vehicle boxes. In the box, there was a small cardboard piece that held the figure with a plastic cover so you could see the figure that came with the vehicle. This time though, the outer box is just a cardboard sleeve, so I knew the Baroness figure would be presented in a different way, but I honestly didn’t expect to find a carded figure. She comes with her backpack and a sniper rifle.

The back of the card is showing the beautiful art from the sleeve again, this time with another crossover logo. The top of the card shows a familiar file card, less information than the good old days, but in 5 languages now.

That’s all for now, see you again soon. Until then, Happy Collecting and YoJoe!

I just brought in 7 figures, here’s how.

Okay, that does sound a bit like a clickbait title, but it’s not a lie. I actually brought in 7, yes, SEVEN new Classified scale figures last week.

The first figure is one that has been released quite a while ago, but back then, it wasn’t all that clear how easy or difficult it was going to be for us here in Europe to get a hold of the Classified figures. So, I made a few inquiries with a colleague of mine in the US and she ordered the figure from Hasbro Pulse. Unfortunately, with the travel restrictions because of COVID-19, it took quite some time before someone from the US branch was allowed to travel back to our HQ here in Belgium. This week, a corporate training session made it possible for some US colleagues to come over and so I finally got Snake-Eyes (the 02 figure).

By now, everybody and their uncle have seen this figure and probably have it in their collection, so I won’t be dwelling to long on it (there are 6 more figures coming below too). It’s a great rendition of the figure, lots of black, some shiny details and a splash of silver. And as always, nice artwork.

Now, on to the next figure. Again an “oldie” in Classified terms, but also a figure I didn’t think I could easily get and that I ordered through my colleague in the US. It’s the Regal Cobra Commander.

Compared to the other 06 Cobra Commander, this Regal version has more golden details and the blue is a few shades brighter. The sword and handgun are golden now as well. All in all, the figure looks more … eum… Regal.

The commander really does look the part here with his faceplate helmet and golden touches. I still would like a hooded version of Cobra Commander. I know Hasbro is reluctant to release that look, but I honestly don’t think that people would react wrong to it. We’ve known the hooded Commander look for nearly 40 years and there is a huge difference between CC’s hood and an all-white pointy hat some nutters like to wear. That being said, the chrome dome look is definitely very cool looking as well and I really like the brighter blue.

And now, it’s time for something completely different and still quite familiar.

A while back – not so long as the Snake Eyes and Cobra Commander figure from above – I was able to order the next set of figures from In Demand Toys and – as always – these super people delivered them – not like some well known other geek-oriented webshop that cancels orders without reason. Although the movie isn’t bad, it’s far from the G.I. Joe we know and love. Still, I enjoyed it and the figures we got because of it do look very nice.

These five figures, Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, Akiko, The Baroness and Scarlett, are true to the actors portraying them and their revamped design does resemble the figures we all know and love. Aside from Akiko who should clearly have been Jinx.

We start this series of with Snake Eyes, the main protagonist of the movie. His figure is 50 shades of black, which harks back to the original 1982 figure. He comes with 2 knives, a scabbard and his katana Morning Light.

The head sculpts really do resemble the actors. I remember looking at the promo video Hasbro made with Henry Golding and how excited he was about seeing his face on the figure. Now, keep in mind, the man is an actor, but still, I really do believe his excitement was genuine and looking at the sculpt, it really is great. Stubble and all.

Next up is Storm Shadow. His outfit really does look very nice. At first, I thought the off-white would put me off, but the color doesn’t bother me as much I expected. He has 2 swords and a holder for them.

And now, let’s turn our attention to the ladies. The movie figure set contains 5 figures of which 3 are women. G.I. Joe has always been a very inclusive line. Race and gender have all been represented during the 40 years of comic books and action figures. I do believe this is something that doesn’t get highlighted enough.

First off, we have Akiko, the Arashikage’s head of security. It’s a new figure and so there’s nothing to reference to, but again the look of the figure is really good. The black and white outfit may look simple, but it’s nice.

Next up, we get The Baroness. Again, they did stay rather true to the look of the original figure, just updated to match the actress’s look and a more modern outfit. She comes with 2 Cobra knives, a pair of glasses – these will probably get lost quite easily – and a suppressed rifle.

I’ve watched all episode of La casa de papel (Money Heist) and wondered how she would portray The Baroness being from Southern Europe and The Baroness is traditionally Eastern European. I have to say she did good. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m jus not a fan of the choker around her neck. It looks a bit weird.

And then finally, we get the movie version of Scarlett. She too, gets an updated look and it really does fit the character. A little extra armor, a spot of color. It really is a good look. The only negative thing I can say about the figure is the lack of accessories. She only comes with her crossbow. Yes, it’s the most iconic weapon she wields, but still, I’d like to get some more.

That’s all for now. Don’t be disappointed, you just got to share in my joy to receive 7 figures in one week! I’ll be back soon. Until then, Happy Collecting and YoJoe!

Little friends with Big Heads

Earlier this week my pre-order from Back to the toys arrived.

I had the figures pre-ordered way back in January. So it was a nice surprise to come back from a short holiday and see the box in my package locker.

The Baroness, Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow and Scarlett.

I know some people aren’t fans of the Funko Pop! line, but I really like them. They display nice and aren’t too expensive – most of them. So far, I’ve got quite the collection (see some of the previous posts on them). From these 4, the Storm Shadow digital camo figure has to be my favorite. Withe the Baroness and Snake Eyes a close 2nd. The colors on Scarlett don’t look quite right to me. The tan and green may be more reminiscent of the original Joes, but I like the faded blue/purple better with the tan of her costume.

In the end, I’m very glad to add these 4 figures to my collection.

Until next time. Happy Collecting and YoJoe!

Another kiddy toy

Just a short one today, I just received another figure from the cheaper 6″ Sanke Eyes movie figures, the Baroness.

These figures are cheaper, which is noticeable in the design and play functions. A lot less detailed and nice looking than the Classified Baroness figure, but that’s the point of this line. Cheaper and more accessible to children to play with.

I’m still glad I was able to find the figure and she’s a nice addition to the collection.

See you soon. Until then, Happy Collecting and YoJoe!

Noblesse Oblige

When the Classified series was announced, I was very sceptical about the new size and how the figures would look. As soon as I received my first figure though, I was convinced that G.I.Joe was back on track to being a good selling toy line. Since those first figures, a lot more have made their way over to Belgium – see my previous posts. One that kept eluding me, however, was the Baroness figure with the C.O.I.L cycle. Yes, I wrote ‘was’, because here she is, in all her European Nobility.

G.I. Joe Classified Cobra Baroness with Cobra C.O.I.L.

To be honest, I was doubting if I was ever going to get one. They seemed to go up in price all the time and the online offers were very scarce, hence also awfully expensive. During one of the Fan Friday events, Hasbro announced there was going to be a re-release of the set and that did raise my hopes a bit, but still I wasn’t holding my breath. I did keep an eye out though and sure enough, it seemed more and more became available online. The prices were still high though. Eventually, I was able to strike a deal on eBay and after a short wait, I can add the set to my collection.

The head sculpt is really nice and the gold details on the glasses matches the golden gun and dagger handle nicely.

As with all the Classified Series figures, the artwork is top notch. The bullet (laser beam?) that pings of the windscreen is a nice touch. I also like the golden Cobra (I’m assuming the dagger handle) popping up from behind her.

On the side of the box is another great piece of artwork.

A nice addition to the collection. #13 in the set of Classified Series. If anyone at Hasbro is reading this. We could really do with a nice guide or checklist to keep track of them.

That’s it for now. See you again soon with more new additions to the collection. Happy Collecting and YoJoe!