One & Done - SKYSTRIKER

"How do you keep your feet on the ground, when you know you were born to fly,"  Sara Evans, 2000

TIGER RAT PILOT - SKYSTRIKER

    In 1988, when G.I. Joe was looking to recruit someone to fly a jet for their latest sub-group, Tiger Force, they didn't look to Slipstream or Ace to join.  Rather, they picked a new, unknown pilot by the name of Skystriker to serve this team.  This was an odd move as the other 9 members were already established characters.

    Skystriker was the pilot of the Tiger Rat, a captured Cobra Rattler now recolored in the Tiger Force "tiger stripe" pattern and serving the G.I. Joe Team.  According to his file card, Skystriker was "born to fly".  He grew up around an Air Force Base in Maryland where his father used to work.  He eventually joined the Air Force and soon found his way to the Joe Team.  From there he flew Conquest X-30 Fighter jets on several missions over Cobra Island.  Shortly after that, he was recruited for Tiger Force.

    The figure for Skystriker wore a yellow with black tiger stripe jacket.  It had some black and red harness equipment and pouches on the front.  He had grey pants and on the top of his legs he had flight maps.  He wore brown gloves and shoes.  He came with a 3-piece accessory - a brown helmet with attachable clear visor and brown antennae.  While the character of Skystriker was new, his parts were originally from other figures.  The body mold came from Wild Weasel and the head (and accessories) from Thunder.

    In a sub-group of all established characters, Skystriker was an oddball.  He was "new", but clearly overshadowed by more popular characters.  He never appeared in any media or got attention of any kind.  He was just kind of "there".  Obviously, he never received a second figure either.

    The figure is okay.  He looks nice enough, even though the parts clearly have another origin.  I will also add I really like the file card giving him some backstory with the Joe Team.  It gives you the idea that there are other unnamed Joes out there, working behind the scenes and serving the Team.

    Lets take a minute to discuss the name.  I've always felt that his code name was dull and uninspired - Skystriker???  He's named after the first Joe jet, used to fly the second Joe jet, and now he is flying a former Cobra jet which is now a Joe jet.  I don't know, it's all a bit awkward, and I think there had to be a better name on the drawing board!    

    To rate this figure, I'm going to have to give Skystriker 2 out of 5... umm... Skystrikers...?  There's not much going on here for me to grab onto.  He's not bad, but he's nothing to really get excited about either.

    I had almost all the Tiger Force figures and vehicles as a kid, but I did not have Skystriker and the Tiger Rat.  I DID acquire them from my buddy Deathwish when he decided to go all Star Wars as we both returned to toy collecting in 1993.  He gave me the Tiger Rat on the condition that if he changed his mind, I would return it.  This was the only G.I. Joe item we made this deal on.  Many years later, he did decide he wanted it back.  No problem, that was the deal, I knew it was one of his favorites that he was really on the fence about trading it off.  It would be in good hands!

    So what are your thoughts and feelings on this strange addition to the Joes?  Did you like or dislike him?  What did you think of the Tiger Rat?


What else can we say about Skystriker???

--- Skystriker is yet ANOTHER "Hasbro Hometown Boy" from Rhode Island, where Hasbro's Headquarters is located.  Seriously, so many characters were from Rhode Island, you have to wonder if they knew each other?

--- I think the Tiger Rat is a cool jet!  Though in my mind - the Joes only have 1.  They don't have a whole squadron of these things.  They captured one, repainted it, and it's the only one they have.

--- Since I no longer have Skystriker in my collection, the pic above was provided by my buddy "Deathwish".  Thanks man!!!