The main comic story for this year was the return of the real Cobra Commander, as subplots played out involving Snake Eyes and Scarlett, Destro and the Baroness, and Mutt and Spirit. By now the Joe and Cobra rosters were jam-packed with characters, and in a year when toy store shelves were full of new faces, readers new to the comics may have found themselves disappointed: The integration of the year's toys into the comic was now the exception rather than the rule. Stretcher was the only 1990 Joe introduced into the comics this year (#105, Oct. 90). The Night-Creepers dominated issue #107 (Dec. 90), and Ambush first appeared in #111 (Apr. 91). Metal-Head and Salvo were seen in #114 (Jul. 91), followed by Rampart (#115, Aug. 91). The only other Joes from 1990 to appear in the comic were Grid-Iron, Major Storm, and Updraft (#130, Nov. 92), with no more than a panel or two for each. This left Bullhorn, Cold Front, Freefall, Overlord, Pathfinder, Sub-Zero, Topside, and all of Sky Patrol with no comic development.
However, most of these characters received their due in DiC's cartoon series, which produced an 18-episode season that premiered September 23. The new cartoon showcased the 1990 characters and equipment, along with a sneak peek at the first wave of 1991 figures and selected characters from Operation Dragonfire, primarily Scoop and Gnawgahyde. Cobra Commander, Destro, Baroness, Lady Jaye, Sgt. Slaughter, and Zarana continued in their Operation Dragonfire outfits, and Duke and Scarlett were brought back as well, albeit with new coloration and personalities. The character Night Creeper Leader also had his origin in this series. The stories and characterizations were decent enough for Saturday morning fare, but far below the standard set by the Sunbow series. Voice direction was especially poor in certain episodes, and some writers apparently had difficulty aiming a show at children without having their characters speak like children. Animation shortcuts were not as abundant as in Operation Dragonfire, but budgets were still tight, as indicated by long stretches without dialogue and frequent inserts to keep speakers offscreen (thus avoiding the need to animate mouth movement). Nevertheless, DiC still managed to produce some decent stories.
In addition to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, G.I. Joe now had to compete with Batman action figures, and to a lesser extent Captain Planet. Changes were beginning to take place behind the scenes which would alter the direction of G.I. Joe. First of all, in response to fans of the original 12" G.I. Joes, there was a concerted effort to revive a line of figures in that original size. The firstfruits of this effort would be the "Hall of Fame" series that began in 1991. Secondly, the creators decided to target a younger age group. The reasons for this move have been hotly debated among fans. Perhaps the motive was to drive the older kids to the upcoming "Hall of Fame" toys, or a resignation to the popularity of video games among the middle school set. It might also have been related to the dying Transformers line, since that toy line had historically brought a slightly younger set of consumers. Appeals to the new target group would be obvious in the following years, through brighter colors, impossibly large weapons that really shot, more martial arts, a more sensitive and less "military" message, and a greater focus on favorite characters.
Yet for the time being, Hasbro would give attention to the main assortment of Joes and Cobras. Gone were the many recolors, and while the Iron Grenadiers would receive two more figures and a vehicle, none of the other special mission teams would be expanded this year. Nearly all the figure parts and vehicles in the 1990 assortment were original. (The only exception was the Sky Patrol.) Overall, the originality present in this ninth year of the line was commendable and impressive. Accessories were again large and plentiful this year, and figures included plastic Command Rings with emblems of Joe and Cobra battalions.
This year brought several new Cobra troop types, most notably the Night Creepers (high-tech ninjas). Captain Grid-Iron was the highest ranking new Joe. Topside was the first Navy figure since Wet-Suit, and Stretcher was the team's new medic. One new concept was that of Intervention Specialist, represented by Bullhorn as a SWAT-style negotiator. (He had the role of communications in the cartoon.)
Sky Patrol was a force of six figures with four recolored vehicles. The figures themselves had bodies recolored from vehicle drivers, but with new heads and accessories. Set at a higher price point for their working parachutes, they sold poorly and are therefore among the harder to find vintage releases. They were, however, attractive figures and well characterized in the cartoon.
Fewer vehicles were produced this year, and they tended to have a simpler, "rounded" appearance. Only a few came with drivers. Most notable among these was Overlord, characterized as an upstart Crimson Guardsman with ambitions for the Cobra leadership. One scrapped concept was a smaller spacecraft for the Joe Team (which had only the two large shuttles). The Phi Star Space Cruiser was canceled in the early stages of production. It is possible that the space shuttle featured in the cartoon episode Cold Shoulder was originally scripted as the Phi Star.
Fewer toys were available by mail this year. A brochure included with figures offered only Jinx, Lamprey, and the Firebat (with pilot). The main vehicle insert focused on the Micro Figures and an exclusive set of Micro Vehicles, now mostly forgotten by collectors, along with Ace, Keel-Haul, a handful of vehicles, and the ever-present Starduster and Steel Brigade. Toward the end of the year, the G.I. Joe Bugle offer would bring back the FLAK and HAL from 1982, along with Bazooka and Keel-Haul, Serpentor and his Air Chariot, and a few other leftovers.
This was the last year G.I. Joe's advertising would include Sunbow's animation; this presumably had something to do with the decision to have DiC produce the new cartoon series. Most commercials were hosted by a live-action Sgt. Slaughter and/or a cartoon Overlord. All-new music was present, with the catch-phrase, "Get G.I. Joe Tough!," a refrain adapted for the DiC series' theme song. Two ads were devoted exclusively to introducing the new figures. The Locust and Piranha were advertised together, as were the Dictator and Rage, and the Hammer and Hurricane. (The last of these shrunk a child down to figure size in the manner of the Live the Adventure ads.) The Sky Patrol and the General each received their own commercial. Destro's Dominator and the Avalanche should also have been advertised, but their ads have not surfaced. The USA cable network also created its own "Get Tough" theme song for its reruns of the old Sunbow cartoons. Toward the end of the year, toys included Combat Pay that could be used to buy non-toy G.I. Joe merchandise and was tied into the cartoon show through a contest. Combat Pay Vouchers were good through June 30, 1991.
Starting with this series, Hasbro would begin new releases during the Christmas season, and therefore some figures would "straddle" the calendar year. The first of these would be the Sonic Fighters, recolors sold with reissued accessories and large sound-effect backpacks. A new filecard style (with less photorealistic art, a new font, and special attention given to the accessories) premiered with these figures. This would be the first subseries to include both Joes and Cobras. Also released around Christmas 1990 was Rapid-Fire, a Super Trooper recolor sold with a VHS tape of the DiC episode Revenge of the Pharaohs. (Disappointingly, Rapid-Fire did not appear in the episode itself, or in any animation for that matter.)
The comics had perhaps their most eventful year ever, with a war that led to the deaths of fourteen Joes, and yet another alliance between G.I. Joe and Destro. The year began with a confrontation in the fictional country Benzheen. Miscommunicated orders led a SAW-Viper to execute four Joe captives including Doc, and three others were killed while trying to escape (#109, Feb. 91). Sneak Peek and most of Battle Force 2000 were then killed in separate incidents in #113 (Jun. 91). Dodger was spared, perhaps because of his presence on store shelves as a Sonic Fighter. Big Ben joined the Joe Team in #116 (Sept. 91), and #118 (Nov. 91) cleverly mentioned Cloudburst and Skymate without having to work them into a story. The Ninja Force appeared in the same issue, well before its release in stores. The Eco-Warriors would be featured the following year, beginning with #123 (Apr. 92). Heavy Duty was among the background Joes in #130 (Nov. 92), and Red Star was the final addition to the comic's Oktober Guard as late as #146 (Mar. 94). Rapid-Fire, Sky Creeper, Major Altitude, Interrogator, and Tracker did not appear in the comic.
The DiC cartoon series produced a 20-episode season (the final two of which were "clip shows") with writing that was slightly above the level of the previous year. The reintroduction of classic Joes in the toys permitted stronger character work. Since the new season debuted in September, the later 1991 and early 1992 toys were quickly integrated into the series, to the near-total exclusion of the 1990 characters. The most famous DiC story aired this year in two parts: The Greatest Evil featured the Drug Elimination Force and the Headhunters, whose leader Headman apparently dies at the end of the story. This was the only demise of a major character in any Joe cartoon series. The new episodes first aired between September 23, 1991, and January 20, 1992.
The carded assortment and new vehicles began appearing in January and February 1991. The Air Commandos, whose large gliders practically qualify as vehicles in their own right, appeared around this time, as well as the Battle Copters, the only 1991 boxed vehicles to come with figures. The paucity of larger vehicles this year was unusual and may indicate low sales of the previous year's selection. One vehicle, the Desert Apache, was a recolor from Hasbro's slightly smaller-scale Flying Fighters line, with Heavy Duty's missiles added.
Around September, more new carded figures appeared on the shelves, together with the long-awaited Eco-Warriors. (They had appeared as concept art in 1991's insert catalog.) It seems this second wave of carded figures was not in stores for long and was missed by many collectors.
Commercials scrapped animation this year in favor of brief live-action sequences. These aired as serials, with a plot centered around the "Plasma-Tox" device. These would be the last occasions for Chris Latta to provide voiceover for Cobra Commander. Also present in these ads was a hammy actor playing Duke in his 1992 outfit. The series progressed nicely from smaller to larger equipment: A Badger/Paralyzer ad kicked off the storyline, followed by the Attack Cruiser and gliders, the Battle Copters, the larger Brawler and Ice Sabre, and finally the Battle Wagon.
Just a few weeks after 1991's Wave 2, the releases regarded by this site as 1992 toys had begun, with the Super Sonic Fighters and the talking Battle Commanders. The Super Sonic backpacks included small LED lights and featured mostly original accessories and three original molds. The Battle Commanders' backpacks, attached but removable, had three voice clips and one sound effect. This team also introduced Overkill, who would become a major player in the 2000s, and gave Hawk and Cobra Commander more traditional outfits.
The recent Persian Gulf War brought renewed patriotism and thus new life to American military toys. January 1992 saw the first convention hosted by the Official G.I. Joe Collector's Club of America. Subsequent conventions would occasionally have exclusive variants of figures (such as Steeler, Jinx, and Action Pilot). The Hall of Fame series went mainstream with new 12-inch versions of Duke, Stalker, Snake Eyes, and Cobra Commander, followed by Grunt and Heavy Duty around Christmas. In keeping with tradition, the larger Joe figures had battle scars, usually on the cheek.
The comic storyline was dominated by the large number of special teams, and the brainwave scanner took center stage, apparently the only way to keep Cobra's agents fighting on the same side. Dojo, Nunchuk, and T'Jbang had gotten an early debut in Issue #117 (Oct. 91), and their oddly comic Cobra counterparts Slice and Dice appeared in #120 (Jan. 92). The Ninja Force would be a constant presence in the already ninja-heavy comic storyline from here on. As the Eco-Warriors and D.E.F. storylines ran concurrent to the Ninja Force's mission, Headman began making a menace of himself in #123 (Apr. 92), and Bullet-Proof came along in #124 (May 92). Later in the year, Firefly would battle Cesspool for control of Cobra Island while Cobra Commander launched a BAT-led attack on the Joes' Pit headquarters. While this attack allowed a glimpse of long-forgotten characters and obscure new faces, the artists chose not to work in Barricade, Big Bear, or the young Gen. Flagg anywhere. (This Flagg was the son of the General Flagg from the earliest days of the comic.)
There would be no new season for the DiC cartoon. Its early-morning time slot, as early as 5:30 AM in some areas, had prevented it from gaining much of a following. However, most of this year's characters had been featured early in the previous year's episodes. Many Sunbow episodes were now available on home video, and a few from DiC got VHS releases as well.
The year 1992 basically continued the trends begun in 1991, with new figures for the previous year's special teams, more Battle Copters, additional figures with "special effects" (such as the Ninja Force's action moves) and more neon colors, spring-loaded weapons, and references to butt-kicking. The new versions of old figures were generally high-quality this year. One innovation for this year was the change to fully rectangular filecards (without a "tab" at the top left), with numbered features illustrated in the character art. Filecards also began carrying tough-sounding mottos this year.
The Ninja Force acually beat the regular carded assortment to the stores, appearing by February. Most of the carded figures were not on store shelves until April, probably due to last-minute planning. (Roadblock was especially delayed.). The use of new, modern-style molds rather than recolors made older characters such as Duke and Gung-Ho especially popular. And while the colors were often unrealistically bright, the molds were excellent; several 1992 designs are considered among the best of the vintage line.
Once again this year, the carded assortment was released in two waves. The second wave of figures and its special teams appeared as concept art in the insert catalog, as the Eco-Warriors had the previous year. These hit stores by early summer, shortly after the new vehicles began shipping. The D.E.F. carried forward the "social consciousness" theme newly prominent in the toy industry, and introduced Battle Flash weapons, light-up spring-loaded accessories. Certain figures released in 1992 included one of twenty collector's cards with bios of favorite Joe and Cobra characters. More toys were released this year than in 1991: over forty new figures (bringing the total to nearly 350), and fifteen vehicles and playsets, including a long-overdue new Headquarters.
Commercials continued to use live-action, with a serial plot that included the capture of Duke by Destro. Special features were presented through ultra-macho narration and "Batman-style" sound effects spelled out on-screen. One commercial advertised the Ninja Force, new Air Commandos, and Battle Copters together. The water-squirting jets were combined with the Patriot and Parasite. The D.E.F. received its own commercial, as did Fort America and the Headquarters set. (The Headquarters ad's claim that the playset holds "over fifty" figures is only true if they are piled on top of one another.)
