G.I. JOE VEHICLE SHOWDOWN, Part 8 - 1988

Destro Starts A Solo Career...

    With the strangeness we experienced with the 1987 line which included the Movie and Cobra La, the 1988 Series was a breath of fresh air!  After Cobra La, I was concerned where we were going next.  If bug-vehicles were in our future, I was ready to check out - I had already stopped collecting Transformers at this point (I couldn't get onboard with the Pretenders).  Thankfully G.I. Joe got back on track!

    Instead the new threat was Destro's Iron Grenadiers!  Yes!  This made total sense and it was so cool to see Destro start building his own army!  Now there was a new enemy for G.I. Joe AND Cobra!  What an exciting turn of events!

    As usual, both G.I. Joe and Cobra were adding to their individual arsenals.  So how would this all play out?  Would G.I. Joe team up with Cobra to defeat Destro?  Or team up with Destro to defeat Cobra?  Maybe both "bad guy" teams would get together.  The battle possibilities were greater than they had ever been!

    So how does this new line-up hold up?  We will find out.  But first things first - the rating system...

10 - Awesome, Fantastic

9 - 7 - Various levels of Greatness

6 - 4 - Various levels of "Okay"

3 - Mediocre

2 -1 - Levels of Crappiness 

1 - COBRA BATTLE BARGE

    I'm sorry, but this thing is a dud!  I just can't understand having 3 Cobra Troopers sitting in the ocean "hoping" that the Joes cruise close enough for them to shoot at.  I mean, this thing doesn't move, right?  How bizarre.  I have never owned this thing.  We are starting off poorly with a 1.  Yikes!  

2 - R.P.V.  (Remote Piloted Vehicle)

    Things aren't looking much better are they?  I like the remote-piloted missile idea, but there are some big problems here.  The driver has 1 shot and he better make it count.  This thing doesn't look too fast and if he's got to burn rubber outta there... he's better off on foot!  Never had this either.  It's a 4.   

3 - COBRA ADDER

    I guess this is Cobra's answer to the R.P.V.  At least it looks faster and the driver has 2 missiles.  I'll also give it credit for having the proper Cobra colors and looks good among some HISS Tanks and Stingers.  How about a 6?

4 - SWAMPMASHER

    Okay, now we're onto something!  Maybe I'm weird, but I have always really liked this one!  The weird-tire situation is bizarre yet interesting.  The Gatling gun looks positively menacing!  You have a driver close by if you want - Muskrat.  I'll add that I even like the Constructicon colors of green and purple.  I'm giving it a 10, and I'll stand behind that!

5 - COBRA IMP

    A strange, little Cobra missile-tank.  Yet, there is something I like about it.  I'm surprising myself and giving this a 7!?!?!  

6 - DESTRO'S DESPOILER, with Destro

    It was only a matter of time till Destro went out on his own, and here he is - commanding his private troops from his Despoiler.  I really like the unifying IG color-scheme of gold, black, and red.  This looks cool, can land on the DEMON Tank, and has a great new Destro figure.  It's a winner - a 10. 

7 - DESERT FOX, with Skidmark

    This vehicle looks great... oddly I have never had it???  I'm not sure why.  Very cool.  I'm giving it a 9.

8 - IRON GRENADIER A.G.P. (Anti-Gravity Pod), with Nullifier

    A bizarre flying vehicle for Destro's new army.  I appreciate the odd approach to this as Destro was quite the innovator and often thought outside the box.  That said, I'm not convinced how effective this is versus any Joe or Cobra aircraft.  Back in the day, I got into a deep discussion with my buddy John (Knightmare), on this thing's ability to take out a Rattler.  He thought the AGP would win.  I remain unconvinced.  I believe a Rattler would crush this thing easily.  That said, I still like this vehicle!  It gets an 8.

9 - COBRA STELLAR STILETTO, with Star-Viper

    What is this, a rocket-jet thing?  Whatever, I actually like it!  The great appearances in the comic helped reinforce that.  There isn't a lot going on here, but it is an easy vehicle to add to a battle.  Plus it can be used as a space vehicle or in the air.  Star-Viper is great too!  It gets a 9.    

10 - SKYSTORM, with Windmill

    Another one I never had.  I think it looks neat though.  Windmill seriously needs to talk to someone at the base about a better uniform.  I'm guessing on it's awesomeness and am going to give this an 8.    

11 - WARTHOG, with Sgt. Slaughter

    Ugh, never had this either and I really feel like this is one I would have wanted.  Much better for Sgt. Slaughter than the Triple T.  I like it... cool missiles, troop carrying room, and it's amphibious (it really floats!).  I'm giving this a 9.

12 - MEAN DOG, with Wildcard

    The split-apart feature is unneeded.  I keep this thing together.  Very cool - a nice assault vehicle for the Joes.  The Gatling cannon looks like it could cause major damage to anything!  Another 10.    

13 - COBRA BUGG, with Secto-Viper

    You can probably tell I was phasing out of Joes by this time.  I never had this vehicle either.  I gotta say, this thing has never been appealing to me.  The colors, the awkward shape...  ehh...  However, it appears to have a lot of features and play-ability.  I feel I'm being generous and giving it a 7.

14 - IRON GRENADIER D.E.M.O.N., with Ferrit

    Whoa, Destro came out swinging with this one!  While I doubt the A.G.P.'s ability against any Joe or Cobra aircraft...  I think this thing can easily make life extremely complicated for any and all Joe and Cobra armor.  I really like this one!  Another 10 for the 1988 Series!  

15 - PHANTOM X-19 JET, with Ghostrider

    Like the Skystriker, this thing is overly large and hard to find room for.  Yet, I love the look or this thing!  There is amazing detail in the cockpit and it has cool features like the pop-out cannons.  For whatever reason, I actually like the lime-green parts.  I did not have this in my younger days, but Bobby (aka Deathwish) did.  I didn't get it till I was a collector later.  Anyways... it's a 10!  Probably one of my favorite jets in the whole series!  

16 - ROLLING THUNDER, with Armadillo

    This beast is crazy!  The massive size, all the features, and the crazy-large missiles.  I didn't own it back then, but I acquired it as a collector later on.  So I never had it in any battles, though I assume it would be fun.  The gigantic missiles are a bit much though!  Holy moly!!  The driver, Armadillo, is kind of boring though.  It's getting a 10 of course.

    This was a fun year to be a G.I. Joe fan!  As pleased as I was to see this positive direction with the Iron Grenadiers, by this time in life I was starting to phase out of collecting Joes.  I loved the toyline, but I was really getting into music and drumming by 1988.  So my attention was divided, but the music was starting to win.  That said, I still got quite a few figures and vehicles this year.

    While I owned many of these vehicles as a collector later, back in 1988 I only had the Imp, Swampmasher, Stiletto, and all 3 IG vehicles.  That doesn't include Tiger Force, which is coming up soon.  

    What is your take on this year's vehicles?  Love 'em?  Hate 'em?  How would you rate them?