Everyone talks about neon or spring-loading or Cobra-La as being the downfall of Joe.

For me it was shoulder spikes. From Fast Draw to Maverick, to Taurus and BA Cobra Commander, shoulder spikes have always been lame - but the joe line, into the nineties, kept adding shoulder spikes!

Am I the only one who feels this way? I've never seen a discussion about it. I just looked at a picture of an MOC 1987 Renegades pack and was like - arrghh! Taurus' shoulder spikes are soo lame! Good thing I have those mega-marine GI JCC Renegades on the way!

I just looked up all of those guys, and not a one of them has shoulder spikes. What they've got is stylized shoulder armor. More like spaulders. Worst they could be called is pauldrons.

It is a design element that becomes less cool, the more people have it.

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When you think about it, the "shoulder spikes" as you call them do serve a purpous.

In (fantasy) close quarters combat, imagine being speared ala Goldberg, with one of those shoulder spikes being driven into your gut.

Even with a kevlar vest on that would definately knock the wind out of your opponant.

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I never liked them. Never knew they have a name either. I guess I can understand the use in close quarter combat but seriously, how likely is that to occur. It ruins the Taurus figure, but I can still understand him having it cause he's a crazy gypsy.

Where it really ruins a figure is in cases like 2002 Sidetrack v2 http://www.yojoe.com/action/02/cardedim ... rack.shtml where an otherwise "soldier" looking figure has some goofy 80's shoulder pads. Not the most extreme case of shoulder scallops but definately out of place.

Skymate is very similar, but when making my Skymate custom I toned down his shoulder pads by painting them to look like leather and convinced myself that they were necessary padding for archers.

Still in the "Deth of the Line" category, I'd say the signs of the apocalypse went as follows:

1. COD PIECES
2. SCI-FI INTRODUCTION 1987
3. Freaky Shoulder Pads
4. Obtuse weaponry
5. Neon
6. Mass produced Weapon Trees

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You never watched the cartoon did you?

When both teams are running at each other and no one is getting hit my the red and blue lasers, it is inevitable that the eventually run into each other intiating close quarters combat.

What I never got was how Joes always managed to punch a viper in the faceplate knocking them unconcious without breaking their hands.

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Cuz they're Real American Heroes, that's why!

As tough as they come!

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Thanks, CabanaJ!

Good call on Sidetrack, he is egregious.

Some other Joes ruined by shoulder spi--aulder-ike-erons:

Charbroil. Astro Viper, Disc-launcher Destro, ICE CREAM SOLDIER!!!