Fractal Dreams

For many G.I.Joe kids, Destro was THE man.

He’s got everything: he’s rich, he’s nobility, he’s got the wicked (Barry Manilow….oops, I meant) Isaac Hayes thing with his voice going on, and the cute, evil glasses girl loves him. Tsk. Some men have all the luck.

Since I was still a baby when the sunbow series started, and I really can’t remember if I even watched an episode of GIJoe, I mostly remember Destro to be the guy with the shiny helmet.

When this figure was released, I was skeptical on buying it. Not knowing much on GIJoe lore yet, I wondered if this costume change was even canonical (it is), and I really had my eyes on the single carded regular destro. Good thing, I still bought it. It’s worth it.

click pic to enlarge

Like most 25th anniv. figures, IG Destro receives a sculpt update. For the most part, the proportion issue is fixed, the uber-large head of the original is resized in the new one.

The figure is predominantly black, and there’s not much paint application (The spots being, his neck, the insignia on his chest, the spikes on his shoulder,and the buttons on his high cuffed boots). But pay close attention and you’ll see a lot of detail. He looks like he’s decked out in leather. Must be hot in there.

Another feature they carried over from the original is the inclusion of cloth capes. Hasbro likes using cloth for their figures- I have a handful of Star Wars figures (4 actually) and 3 of them have cloth parts fused or draped over the figures. So not a total surprise there. The difference in the 25thA version however, is that the cape now covers one arm- the old one just hangs from the back. Some people may find it to be obstructing, but it gives Destro more of a “laird”-like ambiance.

As for his noggin, Destro is again vac-metallized, resulting in a friggin’-shiny golden helmet. While a lot of fans prefer the vac-metallized heads, I’m for the painted version. I just had a bad experience with vac-metallized toys, especially my old Steel (from the old Superman Line) which is completely covered with it. But it is hard not to like the shining head, despite the fact it might wear off someday.

His weapons received anniversary treatment too. The old one had to content himself holding a sheathed saber, maybe smashing a head or two with it. But this time, the sword and sheath are two different elements, with the former cast in gold plastic and painted gray on the blade, while the latter is now attached to him by his belt (it’s removable). The sheath is fully working too, you could slip the sword in there if you want. (But don’t do it just yet! Read on first).

Another bonus item is a new weapon for the figure, which is a gold revolver. (I know some of you are already thinking of The Man with the Golden Gun. Haha. Funny.) Destro much be pretty damn rich to have his weapons in gold. I’m not 100% positive, but this gun is similar to Snow Job’s side arm.

I complained with the Crimson Guard’s holster earlier on, saying that it didn’t look like much of a holster. While the original looked actually like that, they could’ve least updated the design just a little. (See the crimson guard review!) In Destro’s case,now this is what I’m talking about, a fully detailed, yet working holster! So far, this is one of the best I’ve seen yet in the line, and if Hasbro keeps their releases up to speed with this one, I’m a happy guy.

Complaints? There are a few, actually. Despite its greatness, the figure is marred by a few production problems. First of all, my figure’s head won’t move, and it’s permanently tilted to the left. I’m not saying that this would happen to your figure too, but it’s just a warning. I solved the problem by tilting the midtorso a little in the opposite direction, resulting in a more dynamic pose. Another problem, which I’m sure will probably be present in your sample too, is that the sheath is bent. The figure was forced to fit in the small blister packaging, while wearing the belt. So when you pull it out, the sheath looks a little out of shape. So don’t go sheathing in the sword just yet. When I let it stand for a while, the sheath seems to straighten out a little. But I still won’t put the sword in. He looks better holding it anyway.

Final Word? If you’re one of the guys who spent hundreds of bucks to get the exclusive Pimp Destro, you’d probably see this one as a worthwhile addition. Even if you didn’t, this is still a figure I’d recommend, because this shows hasbro in their best game. Better yet, if you have an armored Cobra Commander, and you’re looking to recreate the Cobra civil war. then this is the destro for you. Great figure. Just great.