AWESOME PLAYSETS: G.I.JOE MOBILE COMMAND CENTER

   A couple of weeks ago I did an article on my SUMMER FINDS, that ended with my best find of the summer, a massive playset for the G.I.Joe A real American Hero toy line. The Mobile Command Center.

   Hasbro released the original 12 inch G.I.Joe in 1964. The first "action figure" would go from being an army man to being an adventure over the years. Then the line would be re imagined as a line of 7 inch figures in in the 70's called SuperJoe before being discontinued.  In 1983 the line would be brought back in a 3 3/4 inch scale under the name G.I.JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO.  This time there would be an entire team of Joe's all with unique names and specialties. There would also be a full team of bad guys known as the terrorist organization Cobra.
 
   The line was an instant hit. It spawned both a cartoon and a MARVEL comic. By 1987 the line was on it's seventh series. The Mobile Command Center was one of two vehicles that turned into a playset in the line that year. It originally retailed $34.99.

   The Command center in vehicle mode towers over other vehicles from the series. The cab could fit three figures. Complete it is equipped with gun's on the lower front, a radar dish/ missile launcher above the cab and, missile launchers up on top. Mine is not complete, I have the radar dish stand/ missile launcher but, not the radar dish and am missing the top missile launchers.

   The vehicle mode may look like a block on wheels but, once you unfold it into the Command center that is when this playset truly shines.

   It folds out backwards similar to a fisherman's box into a 3 story command center that can fit a lot of figures. All of the Joe's I own are pictured here, that's that's 26 Joe's and 2 members of Cobra (I have more Cobra Figures) set up in this and there is plenty more space to spare. I bet you could set up 50+ figures on here.

   Each floor is separated into it's own themed section. The first floor is a vehicle repair and fuel station. There is two gas hoses or, water hoses or, whatever you imagine them to be. There is a yellow crane arm that the hoses fit into to give you more play options. There is machinery laying around like an engine. There is a stair case leading to the next floor. There are even several places with pegs to securely hold your figures in place.

   The next floor up is more of a tech/ war room kind of room. With walls of computers and monitors.  The side computers flip down. That chair is on a track and can be moved straight back. There is a hidden prison cell that you can place a member of Cobra in. The stairs continue up to the third floor. Weirdly the first floor is the only one to have pegs for your figures.

   The third floor is longer that the other two due to having the roof of the vehicle swing down on both sides. The left side is basically just a balcony to attach the elevator to and the right side is a landing pad (I do not have a copter for the Joe's side so I placed the Cobra one there for demonstration). Besides that there is not much going on up here, there is still some platforms and steps. There may also be an escape slide that, your figures can use to slide down to ground level behind the Center.

  

   It also came with a slew of search lights and guns you can clip onto the walls to make it ready for an attack from Cobra.

Front view from the floor.

   This is one of the several playsets for the G.I.Joe A Real American Hero toyline. It is very cool with it's 3 floors and and vehicle mode. It's such a well liked item that it was re-released in 2003 when the REAL AMERICAN HERO line was brought back in full force.

   I hope you enjoyed this look back at a classic playset, it will not be the last so many great toy lines have had so many great place sets and I will continue to find them and write about them.

    For now Yo Joe!

SUMMER FINDS

  During the better parts of my summer I have been on my ever going dorky quest to save geeky old toys from ending up in someones uncaring hands. So here I gather my finds over the summer. Some of these I picked up at yards sales or during the Superman celebration and others are from a box full of retro toys that were missing for over a year and finally found.

   ThunderCats figures, I may not have any of the ThunderCats themselves but, when I get the chance to pick up some of these figures for 2 bucks each I can not pass it up. They may be missing everything and more than just a bit beat up but, that just means they were well loved witch makes them fill more like toys than collector's treasure.

   Seen here is the mail in exclusive mummy Mumm Ra, regular Mumm Ra and the Tuska Warrior. LJN may be hated for there film based video games but they made a great toy line with ThunderCats.

   My lost and re found Playmates Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. One of the greatest toy lines ever made based on a comic that was made as a joke and never meant to be a more than that. The success of this line allowed Playmates to make many other awesome action figure lines based on other cool property's
 
  Pictured here from left to right is Mickey, Casey Jones, Leo, Ralph, Splinter and Bebop. Everyone but Casey is from the first series released in 1988, Casey is from the second series that was released in 1989. This is only a small sample of the line that would run  well into the 90's.

   Masters of the Universe may be the most definitive toy line of the 80's. These are some of my figures that were missing for over a year. The Wind Raider vehicle that is missing all of it's wings was actually given to me for free by a dealer during the Superman Celebration.

  Seen here is some of my favorite figures, Orko the tiny magician, Skeletor, He-Man, He-man's trusty stead Battle cat, Trap Jaw and, sitting in the Wind Raider, Moss Man. Just like the ThunderCats these are all a bit beat up but, that is the way I prefer my retro figures. They are always better when you know they were well loved.

  Onto my greatest summer find...

   The G.I.JOE Mobile Command Center, a huge unfolding, 3 story playset for your Joes. It may not be complete and it is not in the best condition but for $25 I could not turn this down. My dad had picked one of these up when I was a kid but during one of my parents arguments my mom tossed it across the room shattering it into several pieces. The one I have here is much more complete than that one was.

   Here it is in all of it's folded out glory with all my retro and early 2000's Joe figures set up on it. There is so much going on with this playset. There is so much play value with this. I will not go over all of it's glory here because I will be doing an article just on it.

   Well I hope you enjoyed this look at all the retro junk from the 80's I've picked up over the summer so far. If not whatever. If you were a child in the late 80's you may have seen everything on here at the same time at your local Toys "R" Us.

Yo Joe!, ThunderCats Ho!, Cowabunga and By the power of Greyskull,
I HAVE THE POWER!