Re-Assigning The Team - STAR BRIGADE (Part 1)

August 23, 2022

Re-Assigning The Team - STAR BRIGADE (Part 1)

Re-Assigning the Team - STAR BRIGADE (Part 1)

By 1993, the G.I. Joe toy-line was splintering off into multiple sub-groups to cover a variety of threats. The team, Star Brigade, saw several members of the G.I. Joe Team and Cobra gearing up and taking their fight into outer space!

I remember reading a long time ago, that Hasbro had plans for a "Green aisle" in Toys R' Us stores. Basically, the Barbie toy-line had grown to a point where there was an entire "pink aisle" in the store devoted to it. I see Star Brigade as a part of Hasbro's plan. Just as Barbie ventured out into various territories or professions (dog groomer, Girl Scout Leader, or astronaut), G.I. Joe would follow a similar path - going to space, fighting mutants, capturing dinosaurs and adding Street Fighter figures. You can see where the possible endgame was to likely branch the brand out into a whole aisle.

Personally, I have always been on the fence with Star Brigade. While there was certainly some cool additions to the Joe Toy-line, there was also some strange directions made and some laziness as well. Star Brigade debuted in 1993, continued into 1994 and was even set to also move into 1995 had the line not been cancelled.

Star Brigade is one of the bigger sub-groups, even having it's OWN sub-groups within it. So this edition of Re-Assigning The Team will be split. We will look at the G.I. Joe side first and the villains sometime later.

So let's consider the 13 individual G.I. Joe members from Series 1 and 2 that make up Star Brigade... This includes standard figures and Armor-Tech figures as well.

*Payload - the original Defiant Pilot/Astronaut, now using the mold of Eco-Warriors Barbecue. He was recolored 3 times between both sets of SB figures.

*Countdown - Another Joe Astronaut. Recolored twice in this Series.

*Ozone - Fresh from his stint with Eco-Warriors, Ozone now heads into space. Same mold as the original figure... recolored 3 times in Star Brigade.

*Roadblock - The Joe Team's Heavy Machine Gunner heads into space. He used the body of Hawk (v3) and was recolored twice.

*Sci-Fi - Once the Laser Rifle Trooper, now a Space Pilot. Series 1 figure was recolored from Version 2 of Sci-Fi. Came with the G.I. Joe Starfighter (a recolored Cobra Stellar Stiletto). Released again in Series 2, single carded, with an all-new mold.

*Duke - Released as an Armor-Tech figure in Series 1. Returned in Series 2 as a standard release with an all-new mold.

*Rock n Roll - The Joe Team's original Machine Gunner now an Armor-Tech figure.

*Heavy Duty - Heavy Weapons Specialist from the Joe Team, now an Armor-Tech figure.

*Robo-J.O.E. - New character. Half man / half robot, member of Armor-Tech.

*General Hawk - Original Field Commander for the Joes, now an Armor-Tech figure. Came with the Armor-Bot G.I. Joe Mech.

*Spaceshot - All new character with an all-new mold for Series 2.

*Effects - All new character with an all-new mold for Series 2.

*Gears - All new character, borrowing the mold from Barricade. Came with the G.I. Joe Power Fighter.

So that's Star Brigade - 13 characters and 3 vehicles! Now how do we "re-assign" this group? Who goes? Who stays? What changes? Here's what I think...

First and foremost - BRING BACK THE DEFIANT!!! Or Crusader... This is most important! We need a ship! Wrap the whole Star Brigade idea around this thing. Maybe a brand-new Defiant with a new Payload with it! Give him a weaponized backpack in the same vein as the original Astro-Viper. So strange that our original Astro-Pilot has NO SHIP!?!? This terrible oversight needed to be corrected!

Next up, Rock n Roll and Hawk are getting red-carded! Sorry boys, we need you two on the ground, you are outta here! We are going to put Duke in command of this team! The others are staying but not without some changes...

Next, can we please let Sci-Fi be the Laser Rifle Trooper he was always meant to be? For crying out loud, the guy FINALLY gets to have some purpose with his Laser Rifling skills and they change him to a pilot. When we already have pilots?? I'm thinking he could have more of a "space sniper" role while Roadblock fills the Laser Gunner spot!

Speaking of Roadblock... he should also have a gunner station on the ship on one side. You know who can operate the gun on the opposite side? How about Grand Slam? He's handled heavy laser weaponry AND jet packs in the past. Perfect!

Next, lets make a new starfighter! We need something more nimble to battle Cobra with and NOT a recolored Stiletto! Put a recolored Maverick (Battle Force 2000) with this thing! Don't tell me he's dead... Dee-Jay from BF2000 saw a re-release in 1993! (Actually, Dee-Jay would have been good for this group too!)

Other standard release figures will be Countdown, Ozone, Effects and Spaceshot. It's not a problem if some of them are repaints, but lets give them some cool, space gear. The gear Series 2 had would work. Some creative, interactive backpacks like the grappling hook Spaceshot had.

As far as Armor-Tech... instead of a whole group... let's take it down to just 2 specially equipped figures. This could be Robo-JOE and Heavy-Duty. They could have some great weapons-units and snap-on armor pieces... maybe even battle-damaged pieces too. This would have been awesome!

With Hawk out of the Team and back on the ground, let's put Mr. High-Tech Scientist guy - Gears, in charge of the Armor-Bot. We'll get rid of the Power Fighter (seriously, who needs that when you have the Armor-Bot?). He can be just a standard figure size. That way, you can put anyone in the Armor-Bot if you choose... not just Armor-Tech figures.

So the way the revised team ends up is...

1 - Duke - Star Brigade Leader

2 - Payload - Shuttle Pilot

3 - Space Shot - Shuttle Co-Pilot

4 - Roadblock - Space Gunner

5 - Grand Slam - Defiant Laser Gunner

6 - Sci-Fi - Laser Rifle Trooper

7 - Ozone - Space Trooper

8 - Countdown - Combat Astronaut

9 - Effects - Explosives

10 - Maverick - Starfighter Pilot

11 - Heavy Duty - Armor-Tech Trooper

12 - Robo-JOE - Armor-Tech Trooper

13 - Gears - Armor-BOT Driver

There... that's 13 properly assigned Star Brigade soldiers and 3 vehicles to go with them! I really like the concept of a new Defiant that the figures would have specific positions to operate. That's how G.I. Joe started... so many things could interact with one another (think of G.I. Joe Headquarters!). They got away from that and this sub-group could have been an opportunity to bring that element back!

So what are your thoughts of Star Brigade? Do you agree with my line-up here? Who would have made YOUR Team if it were put in your hands? Let me know in the comments below!!

Sometime soon, we'll visit Cobra's side of the Star Brigade fence and see what we can do there!! Stay tuned!