He is certainly in my top 10. I just got him in 2022 after wanting him so bad in 83/84 I just never found him on the pegs. I love him and wish he had more airtime on the series, I've always been intrigued by twins, esp and I'm part native American. Airborne has a great backstory that should have been further explored.
Airborne is in my Top 10, but that is largely because he was one of the first figures i received, alongside Duke & Doc. Airborne would serve as one of my parachute troopers alongside Duke. Great Memories.
I love the old style videos I love the new style videos. The cameos are always fun I know in more recent videos you don't do them but I love any kind of video you've ever put out. Because of this channel I got back into collecting GI Joe old and new.
this guy was my first of the second wave figures and i remember utilizing him a LOT - even fashioned some rappelling gear for him out of a binder clip and some string then when i finally got the Dragonfly there was a resurgence - so yes top ten for me
I loved Airborne as a kid. I fondly remember him impaling many Cobras and then discharging his weapon to dislodge the bayonet. The grit of this figure made him stand out.
HoodedCobraCommander788 The design he was not just green like most the other joe's at the time. But this would be a guess I was in grade 1 at the time LOL.
Well done!!! I have a reason. I had the OG13 in straight arm, then replaced them as swivel arm. I then received all of the 83 figures, at once. Wild Bill did not see any action unless the Dragonfly was being used, and, due to his specialty, Airborne was relegated to be paired with Will Bill. Each team member had a specialty, and Airborne's had to do with his abilities related to a helicopter. Unfortunately, if I was using the helicopter for a non-strike mission, Airborne was frequently replaced by Lady Jaye. GI Joe was an awesome toy, and if Airborne had been released the same year as the Tomahawk, he would have been a lot of kids' goto character, but the Dragonfly could only seat two. Missile Commander was never seen in the cartoon as a Colonel, only as a General. The same question could be asked about the Missile Commander; how many kids played with him as the leader of the GI Joe team? Nuff said
Loving your videos just found your channel. Decided to start collecting G.I. Joe "again" at the age of 42. I dove in head 1st and the 1st item in my new collection is a near mint Flagg. I have nothing else yet. Your videos are helping me greatly in determining what versions of which figures I want to get and what to look out for as far as weaknesses for each vehicle and figure. I'm about 10hrs into viewing your back catalogue and just wanted to say thanks!
I had more than my share of G.I. Toys when I was a kid. Between getting things new and things at garage sales I had just about everything I wanted including the Flagg. I even had doubles and triples of things... two Pitts and lots of extra figures. I never had Airborne or Scarlett. They're about the only figures I didn't get that I wanted.
Most of all, Airborne has a vintage old school G.I. Joe-look to him. That's the reason why he would've fitted in great amongst the thirteen Joes who made up the original G.I. Joe team from 1982.
Airborne was definitely in my top 10. Great sculpt, great accessories, and a neat file card. Mos def a favorite. Now I'm not saying Airborne inspired me to go Airborne, but I did get my wings (though I admit I kind of forgot about him when I was offered jump school). I thought he was great with Spirit at Snake Eyes' cabin and he had some fun interactions with Wild Bill. I wish he didn't get forgotten though.
I like Airborne's look. I wouldn't mind putting him in adventures with Ripcord and Crazy Legs either. They could all work together. In fact I'd also put Airborne in scenarios with Lift Ticket in the Tomahawk as well. Thank you for this video HCC.
Another great review!!!! Your videos are all top notch. Never watched a bad one. Love the old school format but I will take any format. Lol. Great reference to Brave Star. Haha. Unfortunately, I do not have an opinion as to where Airborne should rank. Don't remember much of him when I was younger. But still a cool figure!!! Can't wait for more, especially a review on Outback, please.
Airborne is one of my all time favorites from the vintage line. He was the first figure i got from the 2nd year of the line and there is just something about his design that is just....perfecty put together. He just looks like a bad ass solider. Duke has the same thing. I think its the mix of the tan and green that i find very complimentary. I also loved that he was Native American but wasnt so stereotypical like a lot of the later figures would be.
So here's my 2 cents on why Airborne was never an A-star: He was not "different" enough from the original GIJoe line to achieve stardom. Look at the other figures in 1983: Gung Ho, Doc, Snow Job, Torpedo, Tripwire, Ace, Wild Bill and, oh, well, Duke. Cobra-wise, we got Destro, Major Bludd and the Cobra HISS Driver. See where I'm going? And there are these other two guys: Tan Grunt and grey Grand Slam, who were never on anyone's Top Ten either. I think the reason these three figures were never Top Ten is that two of them (Tan Grunt and grey Grand Slam) were just two 1982 figures with different color schemes and the other one (Airborne) was just one step ahead of the uniform of the 1982 figures. His uniform is what one would expect if Hasbro was to go a step further in GIJoe standard uniform, whereas the other 1983 figures were so far away from that. Also, the fact that he was never big in the cartoon or in the comic books help push him away from most Top Ten lists. Anyway, I love this figure and I always loved him in the comic book (seriously: Just go reread GIJoe #2! Now that's how you introduce a new character!), so whatever.
He is the only character I repurchased when I was a kid because I wore him out. Not being the focus of so many scripted events, that character allowed me a greater range form which to construct my own stories.
Airborne was one of my first action figures. His gun was awesome and he became the brunt of my many parachute missions. I lost him up in a tree, which totally sucked but man what a great story as a kid. Your reviews are the best. Thanks for the great detail.
He was one of my favorites of the 1983 line and he was a great compliment to the Dragonfly. I think he got overshadowed by characters like Gung-Ho, Destro, Duke, Major Bludd (even if they were mail-away at that point)and the cool accessories that came with Snow Job and Doc. 1984 is such a strong line-up and I think Spirit stole some of what made him unique as a Native American and is a great figure in his own right that I think it overshadowed many of the 1983 figures. Anyway, I look forward to these every week, so please keep up the great work
I think the reason he gets overlooked is that the run of memorable figures from 1983-1986 (and on, but IMHO that period is the best) is about as strong a run as any toy line had. It speaks more to the strength of the combination of memorable toy design and character building between the cartoon and comics than any slight to Airborne. It is just hard to compete with some of the best action figures ever created.
When I saw Airborne way back in 1983, there was a certain look about him that I liked and I bought him. When I read his file card and saw he was Native American, I liked him even more because of my own ancestry. Even today although I no longer have any of my vintage G.I. Joe figures or vehicles, Airborne is still one of my favorites from that time.
Great Review, Airborne to my was one I really wanted when he came out. Unfortunately I didn't get him until about 6 months ago. The who Helicopter Assault Trooper is what sold me. I he could been used better in the comic.
His character really could have used a boost from the cartoon and comic book. He was neglected in both. For some reason these forgotten figures intrigue me.
Airborne would be in my top 10, i used the heck out of that figure, as a kid i picked the best figures by card art! and look at that card art! he looks like he's about ready to bust thru a skylight and kick ass! great review HCC you should pepper in regular reviews in with the higher production reviews so ya don't burn out. your review of the warthog w/sgt.slaughter was the best review of any gi joe item i have ever seen on youtube by anyone! keep it up brother.
"Far seeing look" - I always figured he was a veteran, old soul, bad-ass. One of my favorites at the time, the m-16 and bayonet meant business. Appreciated the skin color, kind of off but I dug having a native-American helicopter trooper. I think he was paired with Wild Bill in the comics even with the big transport planes, operating the ramps. Cool.
Airborne could have been popular, but other figures out performed. I wish he had more focus in the cartoon. Last week, I went to couple of flea markets looking for GI Joe. I thought my search was in failure. But I search through the Star Wars figures and notice a non-Star Wars that looked like Hasbro made, not Kenner. It was Airborne. I was excited to find him. The only Joe in couple of flea markets (Majority were TMNT). To my surprise, Airborne had all but his weapon. Paid only $10, in great shape. I miss the days of buying GI Joe in the 1980s to early 2000s before the redesigned from the o-ring.
His figure would have been better if the goggles went over the eyes, when wearing his green helmet (you're aware the 1990 Sky Patrol Airborne is a different, unrelated character to *this* Airborne, and isn't the same identity; the two are merely namesakes). It's merely the *code name* the two characters share. Regarding *that* 'Airborne', he should have worn his grey helmet (with red visor) in the new 90s DiC (post-movie) cartoon.
There where just too many other great figures that came out at the same time. My friend had Airborne when I was a kid, so I never felt the need to ask for him or buy him with my allowance. As an adult collector I have a rule that if I did not own the figure then he cant be in my joe collection, but this guy is a hard one to resist getting. First, he is inexpensive to purchase. Second, he is a great figure. May have to break my own rules again. Thanks for your efforts.
Those rules always tend to bend. My initial goal was just to get the 1982 series. NOW LOOK WHAT HAPPENED! :) But I can understand wanting to limit your collection. It can quickly grow out of control.
As a helicopter trooper, he would have been named Air Assault. Airborne is for paratroopers. Air Assault rappel from helicopters. Different training completely. Still my favorite Joe, though!
your videos are awesome. im a huge fan of joe and would never be able to afford to collect. so its great so see the vehicles and figures so up close like this. i was wondering though, do you have aome sort of military background? the way you describe things in such detail is very impressive. thanks.
Airborn is a great figure! He is "father" and "grandfather" of other figures who came later! LOL I fully agree with your conclusions. Thank you for this dynamic review of great quality.
Airborne was my very first GIjoe. The was a great new version in 2008 with the same design. I think his lack of popularity might be because he lacks eccentricity. He's "just" a soldier. He's not a ninja, or a bare chested Marine.
I didn't chose him. A friend who didn't care for action figures gave it to me. I didn't even know his name until later when GIjoe media arrived in Canada.
Airborne is a bad ass. Gungho should have been but they colored him like a foo foo marine, when he was introduced and it didn't help to mold his head to look not unlike Freddy Mercury.
With the shorter, round hand guard, and, collapsible stock, it looks more like the XM177E2 to me. It was a Vietnam era design for a shorter, more compact M16 carbine, that the current M4 carbine is based on.
I think it would, but the collar would be blue. If you painted it the same color as his arms, that would look good. Keeep in mind, Steel Brigade figures are often more expensive than Airborne. That could be a pricey chest swap. But sometimes you can find a bargain.
+HoodedCobraCommander788 The default paint scheme looks cool, I don't mind it. I think airborne would look cool in basic military olive green kind of like grunt
Don't know what it is about Airborne... I didn't have him as a kid, and I still don't have him today. I don't dislike him, but for some reason I never bothered to chase him down. It probably doesn't help that he was rarely featured in the comics or in the cartoon. Not a bad figure or character...he just doesn't seem to have much going for him.
He would have looked much better with darker skin complexion would have offset that blandness you mentioned. The contrast of skin vs uniform would have given him a stronger presence. Maybe like the skin tone seen on Red Dog or something would have been good. Anyway Great review, I recently left a comment on comic review #14 thinking you were still doin those lol but that was august of 2015 not 2016.
Airborne is my all time favorite. I wish they would have done more with the character. I thought was the best of the new batch that introduced the swivel arm battle grip. In my mind at the time his assignment was the most exciting. There is an expected amount of badassery that comes with being a helicopter assault trooper. I paired him with Wild Bill in the Dragonfly and entertained some banter between the two characters, referencing frequent cowboys and Indians jokes. They were the best of friends in my world. As a child that really admired the Marines and Army Rangers, I was actually disappointed with the Gungho action figure. Airborne came with a more versatile assault rifle. Snow Job was probably my second favorite for that year but I was not a fan of the lazer rifle he came with (same as Duke and everyone in the animated presentation).
great job. i think that airborne was released ahead of his time, shared too many accessories, and the animated series killed his persona. airborne looks like a better fit with the tomahawk than the dragonfly, but being a kid back then i read the words airborne assault trooper and thought of jumping out of aircraft and he had no visible parachute. Being a helicopter gunner and not having the dragonfly it made no sense to have him. the color scheme is good. in summary airborne needed to be marketed with the tomahawk if the hasbro execs had any vision at the time and he is a low mid-tier figure.
I think in the comic book Airborne was eventually shown in the Tomahawk. Of course, that was 3 years after the figure was released. Maybe if Airborne had been in a two-figure set packed with the Tomahawk. Or the Dragonfly.
+HoodedCobraCommander788 hes not ninja force, DEF, eco-warrior, battle corps, crystal ball, zandar, raptor, darklon, ice cream soldier, so he has that going for him.
I've long believed that the media appearances can help a character grow, and I believe that what you have with Airborne is a good character which was not utilized to his strengths. Take a couple characters by comparison; Ripcord- doesn't have the cartoon appearances to be popular but had a good run as a main character in the comics with 'Search for Candy' arch to be memorable. Grunt- had more than a few comic appearances but doesn't stand out until he gets discharged in issue #55, and had a memorable appearance in ''World Without End' episode of the cartoon. Now shifting gears, Zap & Short-Fuze- neither one never played a major role in either comic or cartoon. I think that while Spirit had a stereotypical Native American appearance and characterization stood out, and there by became popular as a result. Airborne gets lost in the shuffle by assimilation essentially that his Native American roots are unobvious and incidental, but also because by the time the comics and cartoon was getting into full swing his toy was discontinued and was forgotten.
Hahahaha mrs cobra commander! I love Airborne and yes he would be in my top ten. That far seeing look that was mentioned on the file card I used to try to do that as a kid. Btw I see in the background the tomahawk. Please review that soon. Being from Oklahoma myself I loved that Lift Ticket was from Oklahoma. Great Review
You didn't mention the misspelling of the word "Navajo", is the world locked into the phone and not care about proper spelling of words anymore ? Nice review of Airborne, so cool.
I always liked the way that Airborne was colored in the cartoon, with the sky blue/orange/grey uniform. Why they decided to color him that way God only knows. He also didn't sound like anyone else on the team because of that really deep gravelly voice (courtesy of Peter "Optimus Prime" Cullen). In a never-ending sea of green, he definitely stood out! i.ytimg.com/vi/jDB8y-PCD0s/maxresdefault.jpg upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/83/Airborne.jpg rs275.pbsrc.com/albums/jj317/Joelist/Airborne---Cobrasoundwaves.png?w=280&h=210&fit=crop
I might be. What do you have? How much are you wanting for them. And of course... congratulations on picking up vintage Joe stuff. That's always nice. :D
There's nothing about the figure that is obviously Native American, unlike Spirit. I think they were trying to convey that with his skin tone, but he looks green.
You should let the Misses Cobra Commander review a figure or vehicle sometime. Their was a gray version of the helmet that came in a weapon pack that was perfect for a motorcycle helmet for Firefly.
Airborne just didn't have a presence about him, he should have had come with an actual parachute. His color scheme was blah, he should have been in a camouflage pattern. Great review of a "meh" Joe, good work HCC!
![HCC788 - 1983 GUNG-HO - Marine - PATRONS' CHOICE! [Re-upload!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kGJFQKq6nNc/mqdefault.jpg)
Airborne is my favorite Joe
He is certainly in my top 10. I just got him in 2022 after wanting him so bad in 83/84 I just never found him on the pegs. I love him and wish he had more airtime on the series, I've always been intrigued by twins, esp and I'm part native American. Airborne has a great backstory that should have been further explored.
Nice move Mrs. HCC788.
MRS HCC788 ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Airborne is in my Top 10, but that is largely because he was one of the first figures i received, alongside Duke & Doc. Airborne would serve as one of my parachute troopers alongside Duke. Great Memories.
Nice review
I love the old style videos I love the new style videos. The cameos are always fun I know in more recent videos you don't do them but I love any kind of video you've ever put out. Because of this channel I got back into collecting GI Joe old and new.
this guy was my first of the second wave figures and i remember utilizing him a LOT - even fashioned some rappelling gear for him out of a binder clip and some string
then when i finally got the Dragonfly there was a resurgence - so yes top ten for me
I loved Airborne as a kid.
I fondly remember him impaling many Cobras and then discharging his weapon to dislodge the bayonet.
The grit of this figure made him stand out.
Airborne was gritty for me also,jumped out of helicopters with that awesome gun.
That's what I'm saying!
My first ever Joe. Cool stuff.
What drew you to Airborne for your first foray into G.I. Joe?
HoodedCobraCommander788 The design he was not just green like most the other joe's at the time. But this would be a guess I was in grade 1 at the time LOL.
great figure!!! he went on many missions in my backyard as a kid.... :)
Well done!!! I have a reason. I had the OG13 in straight arm, then replaced them as swivel arm. I then received all of the 83 figures, at once. Wild Bill did not see any action unless the Dragonfly was being used, and, due to his specialty, Airborne was relegated to be paired with Will Bill. Each team member had a specialty, and Airborne's had to do with his abilities related to a helicopter. Unfortunately, if I was using the helicopter for a non-strike mission, Airborne was frequently replaced by Lady Jaye.
GI Joe was an awesome toy, and if Airborne had been released the same year as the Tomahawk, he would have been a lot of kids' goto character, but the Dragonfly could only seat two.
Missile Commander was never seen in the cartoon as a Colonel, only as a General. The same question could be asked about the Missile Commander; how many kids played with him as the leader of the GI Joe team? Nuff said
In 87 was good figure called Freefall ... Some things was used from Ripcord but it was good figure Locust pilot ... Thanks for video ...
I haven't picked up Freefall yet, but I will eventually. Looks pretty good.
87 to 90 was good years for Joes . BullHorn , Salvo ( My second Joe ) , Rock Viper , Laser Viper , & many more was OK ...
you should do more reviews in your gi Joe room. Thanks for the review.
Loving your videos just found your channel. Decided to start collecting G.I. Joe "again" at the age of 42. I dove in head 1st and the 1st item in my new collection is a near mint Flagg. I have nothing else yet. Your videos are helping me greatly in determining what versions of which figures I want to get and what to look out for as far as weaknesses for each vehicle and figure. I'm about 10hrs into viewing your back catalogue and just wanted to say thanks!
I had more than my share of G.I. Toys when I was a kid. Between getting things new and things at garage sales I had just about everything I wanted including the Flagg. I even had doubles and triples of things... two Pitts and lots of extra figures. I never had Airborne or Scarlett. They're about the only figures I didn't get that I wanted.
Most of all, Airborne has a vintage old school G.I. Joe-look to him. That's the reason why he
would've fitted in great amongst the thirteen Joes who made up the original G.I. Joe team from 1982.
Airborne was definitely in my top 10. Great sculpt, great accessories, and a neat file card. Mos def a favorite. Now I'm not saying Airborne inspired me to go Airborne, but I did get my wings (though I admit I kind of forgot about him when I was offered jump school). I thought he was great with Spirit at Snake Eyes' cabin and he had some fun interactions with Wild Bill. I wish he didn't get forgotten though.
I like Airborne's look. I wouldn't mind putting him in adventures with Ripcord and Crazy Legs either. They could all work together. In fact I'd also put Airborne in scenarios with Lift Ticket in the Tomahawk as well. Thank you for this video HCC.
Another great review!!!! Your videos are all top notch. Never watched a bad one. Love the old school format but I will take any format. Lol. Great reference to Brave Star. Haha. Unfortunately, I do not have an opinion as to where Airborne should rank. Don't remember much of him when I was younger. But still a cool figure!!! Can't wait for more, especially a review on Outback, please.
Airborne is one of my all time favorites from the vintage line. He was the first figure i got from the 2nd year of the line and there is just something about his design that is just....perfecty put together. He just looks like a bad ass solider. Duke has the same thing. I think its the mix of the tan and green that i find very complimentary.
I also loved that he was Native American but wasnt so stereotypical like a lot of the later figures would be.
Another great review. Please keep them coming! YOJOE!
So here's my 2 cents on why Airborne was never an A-star: He was not "different" enough from the original GIJoe line to achieve stardom. Look at the other figures in 1983: Gung Ho, Doc, Snow Job, Torpedo, Tripwire, Ace, Wild Bill and, oh, well, Duke. Cobra-wise, we got Destro, Major Bludd and the Cobra HISS Driver. See where I'm going? And there are these other two guys: Tan Grunt and grey Grand Slam, who were never on anyone's Top Ten either. I think the reason these three figures were never Top Ten is that two of them (Tan Grunt and grey Grand Slam) were just two 1982 figures with different color schemes and the other one (Airborne) was just one step ahead of the uniform of the 1982 figures. His uniform is what one would expect if Hasbro was to go a step further in GIJoe standard uniform, whereas the other 1983 figures were so far away from that. Also, the fact that he was never big in the cartoon or in the comic books help push him away from most Top Ten lists. Anyway, I love this figure and I always loved him in the comic book (seriously: Just go reread GIJoe #2! Now that's how you introduce a new character!), so whatever.
I agree that Airborne was overshadowed by the other figures released at the time. I'm looking forward to getting the modern version at some point.
I look forward to seeing your review of the modern Airborne.
Another excellent review. I remember getting Airborne in early 1985. He must have been on clearance.
Thank you! I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up in clearance bins.
He is the only character I repurchased when I was a kid because I wore him out. Not being the focus of so many scripted events, that character allowed me a greater range form which to construct my own stories.
Great gi Joe room sir. And another fantastic review😀😀
Thank you!
In the Sunbow/Marvel animated series, he was voiced by Peter Cullen
Airborne was one of my first action figures. His gun was awesome and he became the brunt of my many parachute missions. I lost him up in a tree, which totally sucked but man what a great story as a kid. Your reviews are the best. Thanks for the great detail.
Another cool thing about Airborne was his psychic powers
cool video
Thank you!
He was one of my favorites of the 1983 line and he was a great compliment to the Dragonfly. I think he got overshadowed by characters like Gung-Ho, Destro, Duke, Major Bludd (even if they were mail-away at that point)and the cool accessories that came with Snow Job and Doc. 1984 is such a strong line-up and I think Spirit stole some of what made him unique as a Native American and is a great figure in his own right that I think it overshadowed many of the 1983 figures. Anyway, I look forward to these every week, so please keep up the great work
I think the reason he gets overlooked is that the run of memorable figures from 1983-1986 (and on, but IMHO that period is the best) is about as strong a run as any toy line had. It speaks more to the strength of the combination of memorable toy design and character building between the cartoon and comics than any slight to Airborne. It is just hard to compete with some of the best action figures ever created.
+Sean Dowling I agree!
That is true. It was a high bar. Not every figure, even good ones, could stand out in a crowd of stand-outs.
When I saw Airborne way back in 1983, there was a certain look about him that I liked and I bought him. When I read his file card and saw he was Native American, I liked him even more because of my own ancestry. Even today although I no longer have any of my vintage G.I. Joe figures or vehicles, Airborne is still one of my favorites from that time.
Great Review, Airborne to my was one I really wanted when he came out. Unfortunately I didn't get him until about 6 months ago. The who Helicopter Assault Trooper is what sold me. I he could been used better in the comic.
His character really could have used a boost from the cartoon and comic book. He was neglected in both. For some reason these forgotten figures intrigue me.
I didn't know that Airborne is Navajo, pretty cool, a fellow Arizonan!
It's fun to find a Joe from your home state! Mine is Lift Ticket.
@@HCC788 Mine are Airborne and Mainframe from the time I collected them.
@@HCC788 Wild Bill and Iceberg are from mine.
Mine is Scarlett!
I always loved the olive skin color.
Airborne would be in my top 10, i used the heck out of that figure, as a kid i picked the best figures by card art! and look at that card art! he looks like he's about ready to bust thru a skylight and kick ass! great review HCC you should pepper in regular reviews in with the higher production reviews so ya don't burn out. your review of the warthog w/sgt.slaughter was the best review of any gi joe item i have ever seen on youtube by anyone! keep it up brother.
Thank you so much! I do enjoy doing the production stuff. But it is *really* time and energy consuming. And there is a lot of it coming up!
"Far seeing look" - I always figured he was a veteran, old soul, bad-ass. One of my favorites at the time, the m-16 and bayonet meant business. Appreciated the skin color, kind of off but I dug having a native-American helicopter trooper. I think he was paired with Wild Bill in the comics even with the big transport planes, operating the ramps. Cool.
Airborne always rode in the front seat of my Dragonfly.
Airborne could have been popular, but other figures out performed. I wish he had more focus in the cartoon.
Last week, I went to couple of flea markets looking for GI Joe. I thought my search was in failure. But I search through the Star Wars figures and notice a non-Star Wars that looked like Hasbro made, not Kenner. It was Airborne. I was excited to find him. The only Joe in couple of flea markets (Majority were TMNT). To my surprise, Airborne had all but his weapon. Paid only $10, in great shape. I miss the days of buying GI Joe in the 1980s to early 2000s before the redesigned from the o-ring.
I remember he was not too popular with most of kids at the time.... But I liked him. Indeed, he is one of my favorites.
His figure would have been better if the goggles went over the eyes, when wearing his green helmet (you're aware the 1990 Sky Patrol Airborne is a different, unrelated character to *this* Airborne, and isn't the same identity; the two are merely namesakes). It's merely the *code name* the two characters share. Regarding *that* 'Airborne', he should have worn his grey helmet (with red visor) in the new 90s DiC (post-movie) cartoon.
Sad thing about him is that am never catch him . :( First joes shows in Poland in 89 ...
If you ever have a chance to pick up Airborne, I think you'll like him.
There where just too many other great figures that came out at the same time. My friend had Airborne when I was a kid, so I never felt the need to ask for him or buy him with my allowance. As an adult collector I have a rule that if I did not own the figure then he cant be in my joe collection, but this guy is a hard one to resist getting. First, he is inexpensive to purchase. Second, he is a great figure. May have to break my own rules again. Thanks for your efforts.
Those rules always tend to bend. My initial goal was just to get the 1982 series. NOW LOOK WHAT HAPPENED! :) But I can understand wanting to limit your collection. It can quickly grow out of control.
As a helicopter trooper, he would have been named Air Assault. Airborne is for paratroopers. Air Assault rappel from helicopters. Different training completely. Still my favorite Joe, though!
Wasn't Airborne the co pilot of the Dragonfly with Wild Bill?
Love it one of the first figures I ever got and still one of the all time best! A nice way to spend the morning with my bowl of cereal!
hes probally a Navajo code taker.
your videos are awesome. im a huge fan of joe and would never be able to afford to collect. so its great so see the vehicles and figures so up close like this. i was wondering though, do you have aome sort of military background? the way you describe things in such detail is very impressive. thanks.
Always loved this figure but never had him because I was an idiot. Would've gone great with my Dragonfly.
Airborn is a great figure! He is "father" and "grandfather" of other figures who came later! LOL I fully agree with your conclusions. Thank you for this dynamic review of great quality.
Airborne was my very first GIjoe. The was a great new version in 2008 with the same design. I think his lack of popularity might be because he lacks eccentricity. He's "just" a soldier. He's not a ninja, or a bare chested Marine.
What drew you to Airborne as your first Joe?
I didn't chose him. A friend who didn't care for action figures gave it to me. I didn't even know his name until later when GIjoe media arrived in Canada.
Airborne is a bad ass.
Gungho should have been but they colored him like a foo foo marine, when he was introduced and it didn't help
to mold his head to look not unlike Freddy Mercury.
Airborne was my favorite joe of all time
With the shorter, round hand guard, and, collapsible stock, it looks more like the XM177E2 to me. It was a Vietnam era design for a shorter, more compact M16 carbine, that the current M4 carbine is based on.
Thinking about buying an airborne figure and swapping the steel brigade chest that was re issued. I think it would look decent
I think it would, but the collar would be blue. If you painted it the same color as his arms, that would look good. Keeep in mind, Steel Brigade figures are often more expensive than Airborne. That could be a pricey chest swap. But sometimes you can find a bargain.
+HoodedCobraCommander788 The default paint scheme looks cool, I don't mind it. I think airborne would look cool in basic military olive green kind of like grunt
Don't know what it is about Airborne... I didn't have him as a kid, and I still don't have him today. I don't dislike him, but for some reason I never bothered to chase him down. It probably doesn't help that he was rarely featured in the comics or in the cartoon. Not a bad figure or character...he just doesn't seem to have much going for him.
He would have looked much better with darker skin complexion would have offset that blandness you mentioned. The contrast of skin vs uniform would have given him a stronger presence. Maybe like the skin tone seen on Red Dog or something would have been good. Anyway Great review, I recently left a comment on comic review #14 thinking you were still doin those lol but that was august of 2015 not 2016.
Damn, has it been a whole year since I did a comic review? It's something I want to get back to, but I just can't find the time to do it.
The best Diversity Joe ever was able to pass for several races.
A friend of mine had Airborne I thought Airborne was badass
make a review on the x19
could you review a BBI elite force figure they are in the same scale as GI Joe
do a review on the Phantom X 19 & Moller tank please I'm begging you
Airborne is my all time favorite. I wish they would have done more with the character.
I thought was the best of the new batch that introduced the swivel arm battle grip. In my mind at the time his assignment was the most exciting. There is an expected amount of badassery that comes with being a helicopter assault trooper.
I paired him with Wild Bill in the Dragonfly and entertained some banter between the two characters, referencing frequent cowboys and Indians jokes. They were the best of friends in my world.
As a child that really admired the Marines and Army Rangers, I was actually disappointed with the Gungho action figure.
Airborne came with a more versatile assault rifle.
Snow Job was probably my second favorite for that year but I was not a fan of the lazer rifle he came with (same as Duke and everyone in the animated presentation).
He had ESP
I like him okay. Nothing special. He's my Dragonfly gunner.
Speak about Cobra de aço the Brazilian cobra soldier.
great job. i think that airborne was released ahead of his time, shared too many accessories, and the animated series killed his persona. airborne looks like a better fit with the tomahawk than the dragonfly, but being a kid back then i read the words airborne assault trooper and thought of jumping out of aircraft and he had no visible parachute. Being a helicopter gunner and not having the dragonfly it made no sense to have him. the color scheme is good. in summary airborne needed to be marketed with the tomahawk if the hasbro execs had any vision at the time and he is a low mid-tier figure.
I think in the comic book Airborne was eventually shown in the Tomahawk. Of course, that was 3 years after the figure was released. Maybe if Airborne had been in a two-figure set packed with the Tomahawk. Or the Dragonfly.
+HoodedCobraCommander788 hes not ninja force, DEF, eco-warrior, battle corps, crystal ball, zandar, raptor, darklon, ice cream soldier, so he has that going for him.
I've long believed that the media appearances can help a character grow, and I believe that what you have with Airborne is a good character which was not utilized to his strengths. Take a couple characters by comparison; Ripcord- doesn't have the cartoon appearances to be popular but had a good run as a main character in the comics with 'Search for Candy' arch to be memorable. Grunt- had more than a few comic appearances but doesn't stand out until he gets discharged in issue #55, and had a memorable appearance in ''World Without End' episode of the cartoon. Now shifting gears, Zap & Short-Fuze- neither one never played a major role in either comic or cartoon. I think that while Spirit had a stereotypical Native American appearance and characterization stood out, and there by became popular as a result. Airborne gets lost in the shuffle by assimilation essentially that his Native American roots are unobvious and incidental, but also because by the time the comics and cartoon was getting into full swing his toy was discontinued and was forgotten.
Hahahaha mrs cobra commander! I love Airborne and yes he would be in my top ten. That far seeing look that was mentioned on the file card I used to try to do that as a kid. Btw I see in the background the tomahawk. Please review that soon. Being from Oklahoma myself I loved that Lift Ticket was from Oklahoma. Great Review
That's right, Lift Ticket was the only Okie Joe. I kind of wish they had made Airborne from an Oklahoma tribe. I could see him as Cherokee or Quapaw.
You didn't mention the misspelling of the word "Navajo", is the world locked into the phone and not care about proper spelling of words anymore ? Nice review of Airborne, so cool.
I always liked the way that Airborne was colored in the cartoon, with the sky blue/orange/grey uniform. Why they decided to color him that way God only knows. He also didn't sound like anyone else on the team because of that really deep gravelly voice (courtesy of Peter "Optimus Prime" Cullen).
In a never-ending sea of green, he definitely stood out!
i.ytimg.com/vi/jDB8y-PCD0s/maxresdefault.jpg
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/83/Airborne.jpg
rs275.pbsrc.com/albums/jj317/Joelist/Airborne---Cobrasoundwaves.png?w=280&h=210&fit=crop
I picked up some vintage g I Joe items u can have if you're interested...
I might be. What do you have? How much are you wanting for them. And of course... congratulations on picking up vintage Joe stuff. That's always nice. :D
+HoodedCobraCommander788 it's free I'm not a collector I'm more in motu
Oh! Alright! If you want to shoot me an email at hoodedcobra.commander788@gmail.com, I can send you my info. You have the POWEEEERRRRRR!!!!
Airborne is my all time favorite vintage Joe! I was so disappointed in the 25th Anniversary figure. Ahhh that red face! Just horrible 😡
jet fighter
Ha I would pretend he was me, so in my mind he was Mexican-American!
Get in there Mrs 788 lol!!!
I get no respect for my shooting space. No respect at all!
Even filming alone causes problems. I once knocked over my camera tripod doing a Transformer review. No respect from my own equipment!!!
I didn't know he was Native American all these years. Should have read his file card. He's ok figure, middle tier.
There's nothing about the figure that is obviously Native American, unlike Spirit. I think they were trying to convey that with his skin tone, but he looks green.
You should let the Misses Cobra Commander review a figure or vehicle sometime. Their was a gray version of the helmet that came in a weapon pack that was perfect for a motorcycle helmet for Firefly.
You're not an old school viewer if you don't remember his brief, yet torrid, affair with star war reviews!
We don't talk about that anymore.
Lol. Nothing wrong with reviewing something from a different galaxy.
Airborne just didn't have a presence about him, he should have had come with an actual parachute. His color scheme was blah, he should have been in a camouflage pattern. Great review of a "meh" Joe, good work HCC!
Thank you!
!😟😟😟😟😟
The "far seeing look" seems to be a stereotypical version of the thousand yard stare.