G.I. Joe Mighty Muggs - Duke - Snake Eyes

GI Joe Mighty Muggs derive from the G.I. Joe Comic Book series and toy line brought to you by Hasbro. GI Joe collectible action figures are a bit of American past time, as they have been collectible toys since the 1960's. As a matter of fact, they are for boys as what Barbie Dolls are to girls.

Over the years, the action figures have changed, from 12 inch dolls to 6 inch action figures and die cast models.  But one thing stands true to heart, GI Joe has always been popular with boys and remains to be so even to this day. And with the upcoming action film soon to be released in 2009, you can bet children from all over the world will dive into GI Joe collectibles even more.

The Mighty Muggs offer some of your favorite characters from GI Joe Comics here, such as Duke, Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, Cobra Commander, Baroness, Destro and much more! With head and arm movement, they make great pieces for staging any type of display showcase. So continue to read on and discover why you should start your own collection today!

In 1963, noting the commercial success of the Barbie doll for girls, Stan Weston, a toy creator and licensing agent, came up with the idea of a Barbie-like line with a military theme that would be marketed to boys. He presented his idea to Don Levine, the creative director of Hasbro, who saw the potential of the idea and approved. The prototypes were originally named "Rocky" (the marine/soldier) "Skip" (the sailor) and "Ace" (the pilot), before Don Levine, inspired by the 1945 film The Story of G.I. Joe, decided on the generic name G.I. Joe.

The line was launched, on February 2, 1964, with a World War II theme (although some of the clothes and other items, such as the Willy's Jeep, were actually of Korean-war vintage). The G.I. Joe figures were approximately the same physical scale as Barbie dolls - 12 inches, or 305 mm, tall. There were originally four figures, one to represent each branch of the Armed Forces. Accessory packs (often called "blades" in the toy industry - the "razor" was the action figure and the "blades" were the accessory cards) containing additional gear and clothing were also released.

For its first ten years, G.I. Joe was a generic soldier/adventurer with only the slightest hints of a team concept existing. In 1975, after a failed bid to purchase the toy rights to the Six Million Dollar Man, Hasbro issued a bionic warrior figure named "Mike Power, Atomic Man", which sold over one million units. Also added to the Adventure Team was a superhero, Bulletman. Comics included with figures at the time featured "Eagle Eye" Joe, Atomic Man, and Bullet Man operating together. The Adventure Team was finally an actual team.

2007 marked the 25th anniversary of the "Real American Hero" line. To commemorate the event, Hasbro released a "25th Anniversary" collection of newly sculpted 100mm figures (as opposed to the 3¾" scale of the RAH line) based on classic and new designs of many of the line's best known and most popular characters. The 25th Anniversary figures replaced the classic O-ring construction with a swivel chest feature and increased points of articulation beyond the standard shoulder, elbow and knees to swivel wrists, ankles and double-hinged knees.

"GI Joe - Duke!"

Duke is a fictional character from G.I. Joe, a line of military-themed toys. The character is featured in two series, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and G.I. Joe: Sigma 6, appearing in both the animated series and comic books.

Duke is the code name of First Sergeant Conrad S. Hauser. He is field commander and second-in-command of the G.I. Joe Team after Hawk. He is one of the key characters of G.I. Joe and a fan-favorite. He is generally regarded by fans as a main character, despite not appearing in the comic series for a number of issues, nor was he one of the original toys.

His file states that he hails from St. Louis, Missouri and is fluent in English, French and German, as well as several Southeast Asian dialects. He was at the top of his class at Fort Benning, has undergone Special Forces training and worked with South Vietnamese Tribesmen. He was also an instructor in four different Special Forces schools. Despite his accomplishments, he has repeatedly turned down any officer commissions offered to him. He believes a commander's place is with his troops, not behind the battle lines.

For the live-action G.I. Joe movie schedule to be released in 2009, Duke will be played by Channing Tatum.

This Duke Mighty Mugg stands at 6 inches tall. Ok, so these will undoubtedly become very popular when the film comes to theaters later this year. GI Joe is a classic for boys -- just like Barbie is for girls. Expect many of these to go very fast.  As for detail, it looks good. I feel as time goes, we will see a ot more of these come with more props.  This vinyl action figure comes out in November of 2008, just before the movie is released. So online stores are taking preorders, so if you're a fan, then you might want to do just that.

"GI Joe - Snake Eyes"

Snake Eyes is a fictional character from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a line of military-themed toys created by Hasbro. The character is one of the original members of the fictional team and toy line. He is a major character of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero G.I. Joe comic book series and appeared in the animated series. He has also appeared in G.I. Joe: Sigma 6, appearing in both the animated series and comic book.

Snake Eyes is the code name of a member of the G.I. Joe team. Much of his history and information, including his real name, place of birth, as well as most everything else about him, have remained classified throughout all depictions of his origin. All that is known for certain about his military standing is that he holds the rank of U.S. Army Sergeant First Class (E-7) and has undergone Drill Instructor training. He is also the team's resident hand-to-hand combat instructor. Very little else about his past has been revealed. He was originally billed by Hasbro Toys in 1982 as a Commando, but by 1984, in the pages of Marvel Comics, it became clear that he was also a full-fledged ninja master.

In every version of his story, Snake Eyes is quiet in his movements and is a swift and deadly master of multiple martial arts. He is an expert in the use of the ninjato and trench knives (which he collects). He usually carries them in pairs but often uses only one. He is equally qualified with and willing to use standard weapons like firearms and explosives. Making him even more dangerous is that he usually never relied on one set of weapons to the exclusion of others. For instance, in one mission, Snake Eyes is confronted by a ninja with a sai and he defeats him by simply throwing a standard grenade at him. Snake Eyes did give up much of his ninja training in later issues of the G.I. Joe America's Elite comic series.

In keeping with his quiet personality, Snake Eyes usually wears what could perhaps best be described as a black "military ninja" bodysuit, along with a balaclava and visor to cover his face, which was disfigured in a helicopter explosion which also left him completely mute. Since then, Snake Eyes has had extensive plastic surgery to repair the damage to his face, but he still has a few scars left and might never speak again.

When shown out of his uniform, Snake Eyes is around six feet tall with an athletic build, blond hair and blue eyes. He has a pet wolf named Timber that has appeared several times in toys, comics, and animation.

Snake Eyes has been shown in many of the continuities of comics and animated series to at some point being romantically involved with fellow G.I. Joe member Master Sergeant Shana M. O'Hara, a.k.a. Scarlett, and he has several apprentices, including Ophelia (Deceased), Kamakura, Tiger Claw, and Jinx.

This Snake Eyes Mighty Mugg stands at 6 inches tall. Folks, if you're going to buy any single vinyl figure from the GI Joe collection, then this is the one to buy.  I kid you not, this one will definitely be sold out and likely be the most saught after one of all the GI Joe Mighty Muggs. I can only say that had better preorder this baby, or you won't find it anywhere. Again, like the others, it comes out in November 2008.

"GI Joe - Cobra Commander"

Cobra Commander is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise. He appears in the toyline , animated series (the 1985 and 1989 incarnations and the Sigma 6 animated series), comic books, video games, and movie as the usual principal antagonist. The character was created by Marvel Comics writer Larry Hama and was loosely based on the James Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Cobra Commander was first released as a mail-in figure in 1982. Wearing a light blue uniform and his signature Battle Helmet, early production runs were marked with a prototypical Cobra sigil, nicknamed the "Mickey Mouse" emblem for its overly round shape. In 1983, a swivel-arm version of this figure, with a proper Cobra sigil would be released on a card for mass market. In 1984, the Commander was offered again as a mail-away, this time in a darker blue, with the iconic hood that he wore prominently in the Marvel comics. This figure would continue to be available as a mail-away until the line ended in 1994.

In 1987, a new Cobra Commander figure was designed, this time outfitting him in full-body Battle Armor. Cobra Commander was given another overhaul in 1991, wearing a blue and black ceremonial uniform with an ornate redesign of his original Battle Helmet. Finally, in 1992, Hasbro released a Talking Battle Commander figure featuring a blue and yellow uniform inspired by the admiral's jacket and hood worn by Cobra Commander in the comics since Marvel #1. This figure was repainted in black, with silver accents, for 1993's Battle Corps subset. A 12" version of the Commander wearing the same uniform (blue with yellow accents) was released in 1993 as well.

Finally, Cobra Commander was suited up for space combat in 1994, as part of Star Brigade. Wearing a strange teal and purple spacesuit, the Commander's domed helmet was removable, revealing a masked head underneath. This face is similar to the sculpt which lay under the hood of the 12" figure, with dark hair, and a half mask covering his nose and mouth.

After the line was cancelled in 1994, Hasbro made several attempts to resurrect A Real American Hero through repaint series. In 1997, Cobra Commander was released as part of the "Cobra Command Team" 3-pack, utilizing the 1987 Battle Armor mold in a dark blue. In 2000, the Talking Battle Commander mold was repainted (sans talking backpack) in an even darker blue, with silver highlights, with a new character "Chameleon" (a Baroness dopplganger created to sidestep copyright problems). A second repaint of the 1987 figure was made available in 2001, in a muted version of its original color scheme.

This Cobra Commander Mighty Mugg stands at 6 inches tall. Ok, again, this vinyl action figure comes out in November of 2008, just before the movie is released. I like the Cobra Commander -- doesn't he look cool?  :-)  This will likely go fast too, so you might be better off preordering online before the rush begins -- after all, it will be Christmas by that time.

"GI Joe - Storm Shadow"

Storm Shadow is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe comics series and television shows. The character is best known for his history with fellow ninja Snake Eyes. Throughout their history, the duo have been everything to one another from the bitterest of enemies, to the most loyal of friends (and blood brothers) who would fight and die for one another.

Storm Shadow is one of the few characters from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line that has been released as both a member of Cobra and a member of G.I. Joe. He first appeared in 1984 as a member of Cobra, but his second figure, released in 1988, was changed to a member of G.I. Joe. His loyalties remained with G.I. Joe until his 2000 figure was released again as a Cobra agent. Since then, he has remained a member of Cobra. He is most often paired with his Blood Brother, Snake-Eyes in multi or comic packs. He has had 26 different 3 and 3/4 inch figures released before the begining of the 25th Anniversary line. He has been released two times (once as a mail away figure and once in a comic pack) unmasked and revealed to be Tommy Arashikage.

Storm Shadow served in southeast Asia on the same LRRP team as future Joes Stalker and Snake-Eyes. The intense nature of this service together forged a strong friendship between him and Snake Eyes. After Vietnam, Storm Shadow visited his family in Japan. His family, the Arashikage Clan, had actually been a fierce ninja clan but for many centuries had remained clandestine. Hoping to learn the ways of the ninja, Storm Shadow studied under the tutelage of his estranged uncle, the Hard Master.

When Snake-Eyes arrived in Japan following the death of his entire family in a horrific automobile crash, he was invited to study with the clan. He quickly began to surpass Storm Shadow's abilities and was the Hard Master's choice to succeed him as the head of the clan. This caused a rift between the two friends, and Snake-Eyes decided that he would leave the clan. However, before he could, an assassin (who later would be revealed as Zartan) killed Storm Shadow's uncle while he was demonstrating a ninja technique. Storm Shadow, seeing the assassin fleeing in a COBRA helicopter, left the clan to follow the assassin. Due to his abrupt disappearance, and the fact that the killer appeared to use a technique that Storm Shadow was a master of, Snake-Eyes, the Soft Master and the remaining clan members thought that Storm Shadow was to blame for the murder. Storm Shadow blamed Snake-Eyes for the murder, as the Hard Master was using a ninja technique to imitate Snake-Eyes, thus fooling Zartan into shooting the wrong target.

Years would pass and Storm Shadow eventually was led to the international terrorist organization called Cobra. He was quickly made Cobra Commander's bodyguard and soon thereafter encountered his old friends Stalker and Snake-Eyes as members of the American strike team designed to destroy Cobra, the G.I. Joe team. After several battles with the Joes, Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes would work together to bring down the men responsible for the death of the Hard Master (Zartan, Cobra Commander and Firefly). During their first attempt, while trying to flee Cobra Island, Storm Shadow was shot by the Baroness, and believed dead. He was revived during Dr. Mindbender's creation of Serpentor. Finally, Storm Shadow was made an official member of the G.I. Joe team and regained his honor through countless acts of courage.

He would later return to Cobra after being captured and brainwashed along with several other former Cobra agents. He was frequently given continuous sessions of brainwashing to ensure his loyalty and it took him a few years to finally shake off the programming and rejoin his sword brother, Snake-Eyes.

"GI Joe - Destro"

Destro is a fictional villain from G.I. Joe, a military-themed line of toys from Hasbro. He first appeared in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line. He is portrayed by Christopher Eccleston in the motion picture set for release in 2009.

Born in Callander, Scotland, Destro's full name is James McCullen Destro XXIV, and is Laird of Castle Destro in the Scottish Highlands. The Destro clan has designed and sold weapons for centuries, and Destro is the head of their current incarnation: M.A.R.S. (Military Armament Research Syndicate).

He wears a mask forged from Beryllium Steel, a tradition dating back to the English Civil War, when an ancestor of his was caught selling weapons to both sides. Forced to wear a steel mask for his crimes (neither side wanted to execute the ancestor because they still wanted the weapons he sold), the Destro clan has since turned it into a symbol of pride, passing it down from father to son for over 20 generations. In the episode "Skeletons in the Closet" it was also revealed that Destro is distantly related to Lady Jaye.

Destro's key characteristics are his sense of honor, a calm demeanor, and love for Cobra's second-in-command, the Baroness. As a businessman, Destro is cutthroat and unyielding. He uses his own troops, the Iron Grenadiers, and hires mercenaries to stir up conflict in dangerous regions, then sells weapons to those armies. Continuing a tradition started by the first masked Destro, he will even sell to both sides of the same war.

This Destro Mighty Mugg stands at 6 inches tall. Move over Snake Eyes, as someone will surely take over the fastest selling Mighty Mugg of all GI Joes.  This Destro Mighty Mugg will sell out very fast -- VERY FAST!!  Probably the most popular character of the series, so if you can buy lots of them, then you might just have a profitable business on eBay. This is expected to be released as part of the Wave 2 collection sometime in 2009 -- but I have a feeling they will be released as part of the Wave 1 collection, as to cash in on the busy Christmas rush. I don't know why, but that is my gut feeling.

"GI Joe - Baroness"

The Baroness is a character from the G.I. Joe toyline by Hasbro, originally appearing in the first issue of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic series by Marvel Comics. The Baroness is a villain, usually associated with the G.I.Joe's enemy, Cobra.

Baroness serves as the COBRA Organization's intelligence officer and lieutenant to Cobra Commander. With long black hair, black rimmed glasses, and a black leather outfit, Baroness is a dark, sensual femme fatale whose beauty is matched only by her ruthlessness. In both comic and cartoon incarnations, she has romantic relationships with Destro.

Although the character was not part of the initial G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero release in 1982, she did appear in G.I. Joe #1, published by Marvel Comics in June 1982 and was, in fact, the first character to crossover from the comics, into the animated series, and finally into the toy line. She made her debut as an action figure in the 1984 series, wearing a new uniform that was then carried back over to the comic and cartoon.

This Baroness Mighty Mugg stands at 6 inches tall. Baroness is a great addition to the GI Joe collection. The detail on Baroness looks great too, doesn't it? :-)  Again, I have a feeling this will be released as part of the Wave 1 collection.  It is expected to be released as part of the wave 2 in early 2009, but don't be surprised if it gets released early.

Hasbro Mighty Muggs
Everything you wanted to know about Mighty Muggs.  Learn all about Hasbro Mighty Muggs, their collections, what they're made of and what you can do with them creatively.

Marvel Mighty Muggs
All the best Marvel Mighty Muggs are here!  Carefully sorted out with descriptions of characters, where to buy them and when the new arrivals are expected to sell. Tons of favorites including Venom, Spiderman, Iron Man, Wolverine and so much more!

Star Wars Mighty Muggs
The force is with you... and now comes with Mighty Muggs as well. The entire collection is here. Discover new characters from the Star Wars saga and start collecting these wonderful urban vinyl dolls.

Indiana Jones Mighty Muggs
The world's greatest archeologist is now available in a fun collectible item -- enter the Indiana Jones Mighty Muggs collection. We've got them all here for you, from Indiana Jones, Dr. Henry Jones, Toht, Monkey Man and so much more!