Review – G.I. Joe Inferno (8-inch)

In 2007, the G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 series (Amazon.com search*) lost the “Sigma 6” designator and became just G.I. Joe. The action figures kept the 8-inch scale and angular look — the toys from this era blend perfectly with Sigma 6 — so even though it’s technically not a G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 series toy I see this G.I. Joe Inferno* action figure as an extension of the Sigma 6 line.

And I’m not at all alone; both yojoe.com and joebattlelines.com include the toy in their Sigma 6 sections.

Packaging

Above is the G.I. Joe Inferno* packaging which is far more standard than the Zartan package we saw yesterday (review here). As has been pointed out to me — both here in the comments to the Zartan review and on Twitter — the Sigma 6 action figures were divided into two categories: “Commando,” which came with extra accessories and the weapon case packaging, and the basic “Soldier” line like Inferno here. I was a little confused, so thank you to everyone who explained this to me.

Parts Reuse

The Inferno page at yojoe.com tells us that the action figure’s body is a blend of existing figures with a new head. According to the site — and backed up by the Inferno page at joebattlelines.com — Inferno uses the Lockdown mold from the legs down and the Shipwreck mold for the arms and torso. But since the color is so different from the two other figures it doesn’t really matter and the reuse works well. Especially when you snap on Inferno’s accessories.

Accessories

The G.I. Joe Inferno* action figure may just be a “Soldier” toy, but he’s sure equipped and ready for action. The toy includes:

• Heatblocker Gear – Soft plastic waist, forearm, and upper torso pieces snap on over the buck to give the toy a dramatically different look. The forearm parts are the weakest of these pieces — the gap showing the figure beneath if massive — but overall these parts do a lot to change the toy and make it much more than just a repaint with a new head.
  
• Helmet – The clear visor is a nice touch, the oxygen bottle that snaps to the front of the armor and connects to the helmet with a hose is cool, but the hose needed to be longer and more flexible so the toy could turn its head without the hose popping loose.

• Breather Backpack – The large pack on his back connects to Inferno’s axe weapon and the lightbars on either side make the character a walking fire engine.
  
• Supercooled Axe – The only complaint I have is that the hose restricts movement; swing the arm too far and the hose snaps off. It’s designed to snap off and on, but I wish the hose had been a few inches longer and more flexible.

A great selection of accessories! The hoses are really the only problems.

Articulation

This G.I. Joe Inferno* toy has the same articulation as Zartan, so see my Zartan review for the breakdown. Unlike Zartan, though, Inferno’s hip joints are a little weak and I worry the toy may collapse under its own weight as it stands on the shelf. I’m hoping I am wrong!

Paint

Most of Inferno’s coloring comes from the plastics used in the toy’s construction, but the few paint apps there are have been applied neatly and there’s very little slopover with the paint. I’m not sure the flesh tone needed to be so pale — Inferno looks like he may be deathly ill — but since his helmet covers most of his head and face that color selection is a minor issue. Generally, as with Zartan, no paint problems to report.

Closing Thoughts

Even though he may not officially be a part of the G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 series (Amazon.com search*), Inferno is clearly from the same basic family, and even without the “Sigma 6” designator it’s a cool continuation of that line. The weak hips worry me, the hoses are a little annoying, but that’s just me picking nits after the truly stunning Zartan action figure (review here).

Even if you ignored this line when it was new — as I did when I first saw Sigma 6 in stores — I suggest giving one of the figures a try. Durable, nice articulation, amazing accessories, and a remarkably fun sculpt/style makes me think that the series was ahead of its time and would do far better today if it were in stores. I owe Hasbro a huge apology for taking so long to figure out that I had missed something cool.