Ahem...

True, but the fact that it replaced a listing named "MASK" seems like too much of a coincidence to be ignored.

At the risk of repeating myself...

EDIT: I should repeat this is all my own speculation, don't assume I "know" anything one way or another.

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AW HELL YEAH!!!

Thank you Hasbro, you magnificent bastards!

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Well, regardless of whether we're getting Matt Trakker as a Joe or not (I guess I'd rather have the slot go to an actual Joe character, but it sounds kinda cool) I'm glad to have the final two waves of '08 confirmed. Though does anyone else find it more likely that they'd throw a MASK character into Joe than it is that they'd do a 25th style Tracker? I'm glad to be getting Croc Master, and if the Para-Viper is as interesting as the Air Trooper I'm cool with it. My guess, a Viper with para gear. Mutt and Junkyard should be cool, and Wraith is just a huge left-field choice. Pretty sure we'll see Mindbender in the Arise Serpentor Arise pack, and I'm wondering if we won't get Dusty as part of the "Best of" pack since so many people have a fondness for 'The Traitor" two parter.

I'm just curious what they mean by unique deco and packaging . . . I guess I'd probably vote differently if I knew how these figures would be painted. My ten favorite 25th figures is a lot different list than 10 figures I'd like to see in deco X.

Does anyone know what is meant by "unique deco?" That will determine what I vote for. If the Joes are in NightForce colors or the Cobras are in Python Patrol colors, I'm going to choose differently compared to if they are, let's see, painted in all silver and gold.

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I can see some new and dynamic repaints really touching on something wonderful. Take the V1 BAT: it has never been recolored, and any repaint of the figure is going to be "new". But at the same time, how cool would a repaint be if it were in Cobra blue with grey/black webgear (instead of yellow)? The BATs, after all, are wearing uniforms over their exo-skeletal structure... why shouldn't they match?

I hope, if we're getting dynamic new paintjobs, they they're logical at least, and offer something new... not just a cash grab.

I couldn't care less about this HoH thing- its just a Joe spin on the Star Wars "Saga Legends" idea- its a repaint line.

But if they're adding Matt Trakker to GI Joe, that is the most badass thing I've heard since R.O.B. showed up in Super Smash Bros Brawl. I want Miles Mayhem too. And if they're adding characters of existing Kenner toys, I want the Real Ghostbusters too. Hey, a man can dream.

Hey that's sort of lame... 5 pack figures don't count? What if I want to vote for Baroness in black or Stinger Driver?

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It would be cool to see in the Joe line. Maybe even use the villains in a comic somewhere too. Sort of like what they did with the Red Shadows.

I don't know what MASK is. I must look into this. I also don't really know what I voted on just now, either. But I feel proud of it. Is this their way of getting a repaint wave out without having ALL of us complain about the figure choices like crazy?

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i just nerdgasm'd to the thought of a1:18 Thunderhawk!


what about a MASK/Joe cross over. Mayem and Cobra?
Sly and Zartan?
Zarana and Veronica?
Matt and Duke? two blond haired Blue eyes leaders.

sounds like a good deal to me.
however it would be a shame to tease, unless some vehicles made
thier way into production. at least a Condor and or Piranah.

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Hawk you mean. Hawk is the leader of GI JOE not Duke.

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Thanks Norm -- I was just about to say something. Hawk is like Matt and Duke is like T-Bob...

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My head would explode if it's Matt Trakker in his 80s get up. That would be friggin' amazing.

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Now that we are speculating....and prolly spelled it wrong...What is this "Trakker" (notice even the spelling) is Matt Trakker is the gateway for a new MASK release. Maybe a Movie....I mean with CGI and the way the Trasformers worked...Hell, I can see a MASK movie.

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I tend to agree that this Hall of Heroes line is more or less a repaint line for all intents and purposes, with a lot of hype behind it.

Regarding MASK, since someone asked, and PLEASE bear in mind that I am not an expert -- MASK was a 1980's toy line produced by Kenner, that in my opinion tried to trade off the best of G.I.Joe and Transformers, in that both heroic and villainous human characters used special masks -- helmets, really -- to control specially designed vehicles that had certain transformation capabilities.

This was not a military adventure. The good guys of MASK were civilians. The villains of VENOM were more criminals than terrorists, interested in plundering the world's treasures, not so much ruling the planet.

There was a very capable animated series prodiced by DIC that ran for a decent first season, and a rather short second season where the storyline underwent a considerable change and focused on auto races. Someone behind the scenes at the animation company had apparently seen a few too many episodes of Speed Racer or Wacky Races or something...

And, of course, there was the toy line, which enjoyed a healthy run for several years, although obviously didn't last as long as either G.I.Joe or Transformers. I think it would be fair to say that MASK would belong in that "second tier" of 80's pop culture toy products.

The figures were distinctly smaller than G.I.Joe, standing about 2-7/8" in height (he says as he takes a ruler to his original Matt Trakker figure). They were somewhat limited in articulation, but not bad for the time, poseable at the head, arms, legs, and knees. The detail was really quite good given their small size.

The main good guy was Matt Trakker. The main bad guy was Miles Mayhem. Obviously, when Hasbro acquired Kenner, they acquired their properties, but by that time, MASK was long in the past. Based on what's been reported in the thread, there is interest among some at Hasbro in reviving MASK, and if indeed Matt Trakker has signed on with the G.I.Joe Team, as speculation might indicate, it could be a way of testing the waters for a larger product, or at the very least is a nice tribute.

And a properly done live-action movie is certainly within the capabilities of modern technology, and would be immensely cool.

I wasn't really into MASK when it was first out -- I didn't have the money or the space for it -- but I did think it was a cool concept, and certainly those red-toned boxes were hard to miss in any toy department!