While I was supposed to be writing my final article for class, I gave this more thought and there is another figure that really surprised me.

Terra Viper. Yeah, I love the silly silver and black Croc Master repaint. I even enjoy the Mole Pod (though maybe this is because I got it for ten bucks and not fifteen). I was surprised by how that figure felt improved. I like the Croc Master figure, it works for the character, but the repaint feels sturdier, and like a better toy, not just a display piece, like much of the 25th line was.

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I love the Terra-Viper.

He was my main motivator for getting the Mole Pod.

I use him as the Rise of Cobra version of Big Boa, thanks to his large frame. Even gave him Rex's gauntlets as a ROC upgrade to his boxing gloves.

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For a movie line I was a bit surprised how useful I'd find the line.

While I don't use the accelerator suits for GI Joe, darn if they aren't great for both using with the Marvel and Star Wars figures. For me it's just the coolest thing ever when a toy is not restricted to just one line.

I think several figures also really out did anything I was expecting. I've already got some nice Shipwreck figures, but the movie figure was just so cool the way it combined so many different Shipwreck looks all into one figure.

I'm another who swore they wouldn't get any movie figs. Then I got Destro. Then SE, then SS etc.

I friggin' love these guys. I have nearly all of them (even if I got them cheap from Asia)
In no order, I like -

CS SE, Paraviper, D6 Duke, Destro (grey), Arctic SS, Arctic SE, RIA Scarlett, RIA HD, Night Adder and Rex.

LOVE the Steel Crusher, and most surprising of all, I can't get enough of the Night Raven, even with it's crappy wheels and pump action.

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Honestly I love the single-card Hawk. I've been grabbing one each trip I make to get fodder and have about 3 or 4 now. Love the figure. LOVE the jetpack.

Elite Viper is one I wasn't sure I would like. I've passed on all of the single pack Vipers due to a dislike of the designs (I blame the movie guys for them, not Hasbro) but of them all the Elite Viper is one I disliked the least. The two I got in the TRU 5-pack are great and if I could get a 5-pack with just this figure I'd be a happy camper.

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I don't know if I was really surprised by her, but maybe not to the degree that I was: RA Scarlett is hands down my favorite version of the character. My single complaint is that a headswap from the ponytail version isn't possible/aesthetically pleasing without significant modding.

While they weren't specifically in the movie, I have to say I became pleasantly surprised with Night Adder and Red Fang. It always bugs me to see names reused, but at least these were vehicles before, rather than other characters. I was really all set to pass on them, but then it occurred to me that they never fleshed out The Plague. So once these guys hit $5, they became its two newest members!

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I just got Rex "The Doctor" Lewis. I like the figure and his accessories, but I'm surprised how much I like the big claw thing he comes with. I doubt I'll ever equip him with it, but it's fun to play with.

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The whole line is exemplary, the tons of accessories make it worth the price point, the off screen characters have made it so much more than a movie tie-in!

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Arctic Snake Eyes. I just found this figure today (in saturation at multiple stores no less) and I can't stop messing with him. He's got to be one of the most boring looking figures in the line and yet he's just so cool. I love this figure. New favorite of the line.

Infiltration Duke. This is another really neat figure. Yeah, its another Duke, but this one is really cool looking. Sure he's just a recolored Airborne with Duke's head and backpack, but he has a great spec ops look to him that for some reason none of the other figures have and Hasbro has never really gone with before on any other characters other than maybe Snake Eyes.

Ya, he looks awesome, but I had to slice his arms a bit to get him to hold any weapons right. If you pop a Para-Viper head onto him, then color his lens black from his gas mask, you get a near-perfect SAS trooper in 'anti-terrorist' gear. I have been waiting 20+ years for that!

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I love the impact Armor figures.

With what 4 different male bodies and a female body in impact armor I think some re packs with new heads, gear and new paint jobs could easily flesh out an entire Joe roster.

I also dig destro.

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Think there's only 3 different reactive armor male torsos, (Heavy Duty, Duke/Ripcord/etc, and Shipwreck) and three arms.

But yeah, while I'm not using many of the movie figures as the characters Hasbro sold them as, I like a lot of em, and I'm using tons for parts.

While I still don't like the film itself (and its designs) because of the lack of military influence, what really surprised me were the "expanded universe" stuff and how much real world military and near-future tech they have, particularly:

• Ice Viper
• Charbroil
• Night Adder
• Jungle Ripcord
• Wild Bill
• Volcano Viper
• Ice Storm

I even started to like Shipwreck, Flash, and Helix once I played the game.

Figures that I want but have yet to buy: Moto Viper (from the Humvee), Aero Viper (from the F117), and Gyro Viper (from the gunship)

- JM

Arctic Assault Storm Shadow. I just bought him for a custom, thinking his wrist guards were the same as the other two SS figures. Discovering that they were different, I equipped him with all his gear and started playing around with him. He grew on me in that short amount of time, and I ended up sacrificing the Paris Pursuit SS instead.