SCC Figure Spotlight - SPEARHEAD & MAX (Version 1 & 2)

POINTMAN AND BOBCAT - SPEARHEAD AND MAX

    In some ways, the year 1988 was a "course correction" for G.I. Joe, following some of the wild elements introduced the previous year.  Now we were getting back to a more normal playing field.  Yet there were still a few question marks among the 1988 offerings.  

    The Joes brought in Spearhead and his pet bobcat, Max.  As the Team's Pointman, it was Spearhead's job to be the leading soldier in a unit moving through potentially hostile territory.  In a Military unit, this is the most dangerous and exposed position you can have.  He can be tasked with spotting boobytraps or mines and is likely to be the first to encounter the enemy.

    According to Spearhead's file card, he is a fellow that everyone likes.  He started out as a very successful insurance agent and then switched tracks and joined the Army.  Spearhead is SO likeable, that as the Pointman, his teammates simply follow him - smiling, no matter what he is potentially walking into.  It doesn't necessarily explain WHY they like him though???  Is he just a nice, kind guy?  Really charismatic?  Does he wear a great cologne that smells great?  I don't know...  

    His pet... the bobcat, Max, only gets a mere one line on the file card.  It states that he is a good source of inspiration.  That's it, nothing more.  I'd rather have that one line shed some light on how this dude tamed a freakin' bobcat???  Wow, he must REALLY be likeable!!

Spearhead was a part of my Lower Depths diorama.  I actually put him as taking "point"!

    The figure for Spearhead has an odd choice of uniform.  His chest piece is beige with an ammo belt coming over his shoulder and going across his chest.  The rest of his outfit, however, the helmet, sleeves and pants are all covered in a bright orange camo pattern.

    Spearhead came with several accessories - and some of them are going to require some discussion.  He came with a rifle, knife, helmet, bobcat and his backpack.  There isn't much to say about the backpack.  It's molded in bright orange plastic that matches his camo.  Looks nice enough... I would have preferred another color, but it does match his clothes.

    The rifle is certainly odd.  It's a large, light grey weapon with a weird, large barrel, a bayonet, shoulder-strap and two different ammo clips.  This raises some questions... on why he has two ammo clips in the gun... and remember, he wears an ammo belt.  Does this gun use 3 different types of ammunition?  This rifle, without the strap, was reused multiple times in 1993 and 1994 when it was added to the 90's weapons trees.  So, despite the mysteries of how the gun works, several figures were also carrying it.

    Now the knife... or machete... or gladiator sword...  Certainly an odd shape for a knife or machete.  Like the gun, this accessory was reused several times, including being carried by enemy ninjas.  So I guess you can add "ninja sword" to it's list of possibilities.

    The helmet matches his camo pattern with the beige and orange.  While it is always great to get a removable helmet, the problem is, it does not sit on his head properly.  It sits slightly raised on Spearhead's melon, which gives for an odd look.  

    Finally the bobcat - Max!  Molded in a darker shade of orange plastic, Max is a pretty cool accessory.  Animal companions were a welcome addition to any figure in the G.I. Joe line.  I wish, however, the file card would have shed a least a LITTLE light on how this came to be his "pet".  A bobcat would be difficult, maybe impossible, to tame.  Furthermore, Max shares top-billing with Spearhead.  The card packaging says "Spearhead and Max", as does the file card.  Junkyard didn't get the headline on Mutt's cardback???  Strange...

    All these things considered, I don't dislike Spearhead.  A lot of the oddities of the figure, I didn't pick up on till I was older.  So, while I really liked the figure when I first bought it, now he's just kinda "ok".  

    Overall, the sculpting is great, it's just an odd choice of colors.  As for the accessories - a pet is still cool, even when it doesn't make much sense.  I actually really like the gun!  For me, I just figured it WAS different types of ammo, Spearhead had different option of what he could use it for (I don't know what though).  The helmet and "knife", I ignore. 

    So in the end, I think Spearhead is going to end up with a rating of 3 out of 5 Jars of Orange Marmalade Jelly!!  He's a good figure, not the best, but still far from the worst.  Right down the middle.

- - - - -

Special thanks to Wayne Bartley for letting me use this awesome pic of Spearhead and some of his Night Force teammates!!!

POINTMAN & BOBCAT - SPEARHEAD & MAX

    For those that were put off by Spearhead's loud orange colors there was an update of the figure right around the corner.  Now a member of Night Force, Spearhead would be given a color scheme that would appeal to more people.

    Night Force was a G.I. Joe sub-group in the same vein as Tiger Force or Python Patrol with repainted figures and vehicles.  With Night Force, the figures were outfitted for nighttime maneuvers, so they sported a lot of black and other darker shades.  

    One major difference was that this sub-group was a Toys R' Us exclusive and the figures were sold in 2-packs.  There was two waves of figures that were released between 1988 and 1989.  Spearhead was included in the second wave and was packaged with Muskrat.  

    The character's file card got a small addition to it.  It made mention that Spearhead (and Max) always lead Night Force in the charge against Cobra bases.  Otherwise, the rest was the same as the original.

    While the figure for Spearhead maintained the brownish color on his chest, the rest of the figure was decked out in dark gray with some dark green highlights.  He came with the same accessories.  The helmet now had the black and gray camo.  The rest of his gear was all jet-black... including his bobcat - Max!

    MAX?!?!  He's black now???  The poor cat!  How did that work?  Lt. Falcon is giving everyone their new Night Force gear for the mission and he tells Psyche-Out to dye his hair and Spearhead to dye his bobcat???

    This figure is popular because of his preferred color scheme and the fact that Night Force figures are very rare due to being exclusives.  I actually found this figure in 1993 when I got back into collecting Joes.  There was a toy store called Toon Town about 45 minutes away from where I lived.  They had a box of loose Joes right next to the door.  It was almost as if they were inviting people to steal them.  Their focus was on Star Wars and Spawn at the time and they didn't care about G.I. Joe.  I managed to find 2 Night Force figures - Spearhead and Lightfoot!  Lightfoot didn't have any accessories, but Spearhead had his helmet and gun!  He may have been worthless to the shop, but he was valuable to me!  

    While Spearhead (v2) is had the helmet that didn't quite fit properly and also a bobcat that had been dyed black, I think this was definitely a step up from the bright orange figure from the year before.  Though I did like the original version, I have to say I think Version 2 is better!  I think the color scheme is an improvement for a guy that is acting as the Pointman on the team of Joes.  It's a great looking figure and I'm going to hit him with a rating of 4 out of 5 Jars of Orange Marmalade Jelly!!  Alright!

    So where are you at with Spearhead?  Do you like him or dislike him?  How did you utilize that snazzy orange camo pattern or prefer the Night Force?  What are your thoughts on the bobcat?  Let me know in the comments below...

Further musings on Spearhead and Max...

--- Spearhead (and Max) were not popular comic characters either!  They showed up in ONE issue of G.I. Joe:  Special Missions, Issue #21.  Unfortunately, he didn't even act as "pointman" in that issue.  Weird...

--- Although Spearhead is SO likable that he had the ability to tame a bobcat... the question remains.  What do the dogs - Junkyard and Order think of this cat hanging around G.I. Joe Headquarters???

--- Again, thanks to Wayne Bartley for use of the Night Force pic with Spearhead.  If you want to check out some more of his excellent Joe photography, check his Instagram at Relinquished1979!