One & Done: COLONEL COURAGE
STRATEGIC COMMANDER - COLONEL COURAGE
"You and I are not all that different... I, too, am a NEAT guy!" -- Ross Gellar, Friends
It's implied that the members of the G.I. Joe Team spend a lot of time in the field doing their thing. That's the way I perceive it... Alpine is out climbing mountains, Tripwire is out detecting mines, and Shipwreck is sailing. In 1993, however, we got a character that primarily stays back at the Headquarters. This is the Joe known as Colonel Courage!
As the Joe Team's Strategic Commander, Colonel Courage helps assemble their battle plans and figure out their next moves against Cobra. His file card doesn't really touch on his skill in this department. Rather, it talks a lot of his character trait of being well-organized and being properly dressed.
So he enjoys being dressed to a T and keeping things nice and orderly. Maybe that's part of the secret of his skill in creating strategies against Cobra? Perhaps it shows that he is careful and his moves are well thought out? The file card also mentions that he is qualified to drive the Patriot vehicle which was released the year prior. Beach Head and Hawk also share this vehicle qualification.
The figure falls in line with the file card description as he is well-dressed in his shirt, tie and slacks. Though he is dressed for a day at the office, he IS wearing his helmet, that way kids can thrust him straight into battle when they need to!
Colonel Courage comes with an accessory tree with all the parts molded in bright green. Included are recycled weapons such as two rifles (Tunnel Rat / Sky Patrol Airborne), a pistol (Shockwave), a laser pistol (Blaster), a knife (Hit & Run) and a machette (Muskrat). He also comes with a spring-loaded weapon - a gold battering ram (and green projectile) that previously came with Barricade.
For someone that admittedly is not on the field as much as the others, Colonel Courage sure has a lot of gear! Not sure why Blaster's laser pistol is one of them? It wasn't cool to begin with and as a weapon previously used by a member of Battle Force 2000, I would have thought it would remain unique to that character. Also... why does he have Barricade's battering ram? This does not seem like a job that would be in his wheelhouse. The Joes responsible for busting down doors are typically Shockwave, Long Arm and Barricade... not Colonel Courage.
Colonel Courage is a figure I picked up as a collector, so I don't have any childhood attachment to him. He also never appeared in the original Marvel comic run or in the cartoon series. So he never really got any attention and kind of fell between the cracks. I like this figure though! I think the figure looks great and I even like the concept of him and his "neatness". He fills a need on the Joe Team and even though he has more of an Administrative position, he DOES like the opportunity to jump into battle!
My problem is with the accessories. I think he would have been better off with some simpler gear - a pistol, a rifle, and maybe a pair of binoculars. Also, a removable helmet would help. I'm not one that prefers the helmets to always be removable, but on this particular figure, it makes sense. Instead it was the era of spring-loaded missile launchers and weapons trees of bright colored, re-used weapons - so that's what the figure was stuck with.
So with everything considered, I'm going to give Colonel Courage here a rating of 3 out of 5 Dress Ties! He is a good figure with incorrect accessories! I think if had he been released earlier in the line, he may have faired better, because he would've been more properly equipped. With the Battle Corps figure, however, he falls right in the middle.
What are your thoughts on Colonel Courage? Was he sitting behind a desk in G.I. Joe Headquarters, or was he out on the front lines? Maybe he was cruising around in your Patriot...? Let me know your thoughts below!
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