Head: 25th Ace
Entire Body: 25th Comic Pack Duke (Vs. Red Star)
Web Gear: 25th Grunt (Senior Officers Three Pack
Helmet and M-16: 25th Comic Pack Duke (Vs. Red Star)
Backpack: 25th Gung-Ho (Single Pack)

Grunt was one my favorites as a little kid. Even though the original figure was butt-ugly I didn't care. I thought that there was no way the 25th version of this figure could go wrong. Just make a plain, nondescript guy with brown straps and an M-16. The molds of the body and web gear are already out. Make it a light green body, brown straps, arm him with an M-16 and shove him in single pack and I'd buy 20 of him.

But that was not to be....

I immediately started planning him once I saw the Senior Officers pack. I knew his web gear was the only item I could salvage from that debacle. I got lucky when Duke vs. Red Star arrived in stores soon after. Duke's body was perfect.

Now for the head... After touching up Ace's eyes I realized I really wanted Ace to look like his black haired cartoon counterpart and kept thinking about how this head looked more like Grunt on the cover of one of the comic books. I believe he was wearing civilian clothes and was standing alongside Roadblock and Covergirl. I think they went to free the Joes from the Jugglers or something. Might have been after Cobra Island.

Anyway, I dremeled the head hole a little deeper, slapped him on and I was ecstatic. My idea of what Grunt should look like, now fully assembled before me. Putting him together took maybe 2 minutes including careful, careful dremel time. Took over TWO WEEKS to get all of the figures I needed on eBay for their parts.

A week later I would turn around, do the whole thing over again, buying another Grunt, Duke, and an Imperial Pilot Evolutions BIggs Darklighter to make Zap... Coming soon...