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bravo
06-04-2007, 08:37 AM
what if G.I. Joe Extreme was still going?
run down, G.I. Joe Extreme is a line of military-themed toys from Hasbro and the next major incarnation of G.I. Joe after G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero folded in 1994. The series ran from 1996 to 1997.
Cover to an issue of G.I. Joe Extreme published by Dark Horse ComicsIt was actually preceded by Sgt. Savage and the Screaming Eagles, a one-time only series that filled the hiatus between A Real American Hero and Extreme. The only character from that line was carried over to Extreme, Sgt. Savage himself. Because of Sgt. Savage’s inclusion, the Screaming Eagles series is considered by collectors to be part of the G.I. Joe series even though it was never labeled as G.I. Joe. The only other tie the Screaming Eagles had was a cartoon short that featured characters from the A Real American Hero series.
The Extreme series lasted only two years. The action figures stand at 5” tall and the size allowed for more details especially in the facial and muscular features. However, the line is criticized by collectors for having even more limited articulation than its predecessor. The title logo is reminiscent of the one used by Hasbro for the classic 12” series from the 1960s and 70s. Extreme was supported by a short-lived comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics and even had an animated series which ran for two seasons totaling 26 episodes. The TV series was produced by Claster. The line as a whole, though, never enjoyed the success the A Real American Hero series had and lasted only two years.

The series' tagline was "Extreme times call for extreme heroes!"

The series is set in 2006 where a new enemy emerges, the terrorist organization SKAR. The toyline never made it clear if the name was meant to be an acronym but it was often spelled in all capitals. However, in the Dark Horse comics, SKAR was an acronym for Soldiers of Kaos, Anarchy, and Ruin. The group is led by the Iron Klaw, a former count of a European country.

In the comics published by Dark Horse, the original leader of SKAR was a woman named the Duchess, who wanted the royal line to regain control of her country’s government through whatever means necessary and was assassinated by Iron Klaw, her lieutenant, when he became more ambitious and craved world domination.

The Joe Team is a much smaller group. Their designated commander is Lt. Stone. Their main headquarters is located on an uncharted island while their presidential liaison is a man named Mr. Clancy. It has been hinted that Clancy is much older than he looks and has been battling the SKAR organization far longer than the Joes.

It was never made clear how much of a connection Extreme had to the original A Real American Hero series. The Extreme series never made any references to A Real American Hero and was considered a separate continuity from ARAH.

The only character who was carried over from ARAH was Sgt. Savage. The Screaming Eagles toyline spawned a short animated featurette that would have served as a pilot for a possible television series. In the featurette, Sgt. Savage was a World War II American soldier captured and experimented upon by Nazi forces who eventually fell into a cryopreservation sleep in 1944. He was eventually found and revived by Hawk, Lady Jaye and Doc 50 years later in 1994, all characters from the A Real American Hero series.

Dark Horse Comics acquired the rights to publish the G.I. Joe Extreme comics in 1996. The four issue mini-series was written by Mike W. Barr with art by Tatsuya Ishida and Scott Reed. The cover to the first issue (The Hour of the Iron Claw) was done by Frank Miller, the second issue (Pawn of the Iron Klaw) by Norm Breyfogle and issues three (The Gang's All Here) and four (The Ultimate Price) by Walter Simonson. The plotline of the mini-series revealed events that occurred before the television series, but also contradicts it on several points, notable in that Iron Klaw is still second-in-command of the military wing of SKAR under the Duchess of Mklavia at the time of the formation of the new Joe Team, and with the inclusion of two new members of the Joe Team, Short Fuze and Tall Sally.

The mini-series was immediately followed by an ongoing series. This series followed the continuity of the comic and began with a three-part story (Red Scream: Hunted, Red Scream: Shakes Hands with Satan, Red Scream: Island Assault) that featured an anti-globalist group led by a woman called Red Scream who sought to discredit (and eventually destroy) the Inter-Alliance by impersonating the Joe Team and committing acts of terror. The plotline ended with the capture and defeat of both Red Scream and Iron Klaw. A fourth issue (All This and World War II and The Last, Wild Heart: The Fourth Man) began a plotline where remanants of the Iron Army were still active, but it was never concluded. A fickle comic market and the poor performance of the toys led to the ongoing series lasting only four issues. Dark Horse Comics claimed the comic was on hiatus in its news releases, rather than cancelled.


ok how far do you think Extreme would be if it was still around tody.
do you think S6 would be here or it would help the line in some way.
and do you think ARAH would have any part in playing a role in some what way?

General Scarlett
06-04-2007, 09:05 AM
It's a tough call............personally I think that ARAH should have some sort of place in EVERY aspect and incarnation of 'G.I. Joe'.........much like the original 'Star Trek' has had in every 'offspring' since it's debut.........and all the 'alludes' in the prequels of 'Star Wars'............. ;)

Lava Boss
06-04-2007, 09:07 AM
I can't see it. It was so ill-conceived that it could never have lasted long. The set-in-the-future premise wasn't popular in Transformers' post-movie cartoon...and has that premise EVER been popular (Ninja Turtles Fast Forward seems to have slowed that line down, though I'm just going by what I see in stores).

As far as the toys go, Extreme showed arrogance on the part of Hasbro's Kenner design team. For years those bozos designed new toylines that got their butts handed to them at retail by A Real American Hero. Anyone remember Bone Age, Bill and Ted's toy line, Swampt Thing, Police Academy? Their only post-Super Powers hits were GHOSTBUSTERS, and the had-to-be-a-hit-because-the-movie-was Jurassic Park ? Then they got their chance to do their take on GI JOE and surprise, surprise, it bombed like so many Kenner lines before it!

The sculpting was that much better than 3 3/4". Certainly nothing special compared to innovators of the day, notably McFarlane's SPAWN. And I've picked up a few loose figures in lots over the years, and I've never impressed with them as action figures. Iron Klaw had an interesting look to him, though. Stone was Duke-redux. Freight was obligatory big black guy...except they apparently made his figure too small. Metal-Head was the trendy surfer-punk (sometimes I hate the 1990's). They didn't even make the Scarlett knock off and the Snake-Eyes wannabe was scarce, I think. No troops for the bad guys, just a few henchmen.

I never saw the cartoon, and read a couple of issues of the comic, which seemed okay. But the toys rotted on store shelves for years after the line tanked. And I'm not a overall GI JOE fan...I just like what I like.

lehsreh
06-04-2007, 09:12 AM
[COLOR=Red]mmm, cant say much for the figures. if they were still around maybe there wouldnt be a S6. i think extreme would be S6 style and the new S6 toys would be addictions to extreme. i never got the toys myself as i didnt like them, bigger and more detail but less movement. i watched the cartoons and have the comics, but didnt really like either. i do have to say i liked black dragon 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 times better then snake eyes. he actually had character. i think it would be a great idea to have claw as a cobra in the 3 3/4 line though, he would make a great new bad guy.[/COLOR]

lehsreh
06-04-2007, 09:14 AM
[QUOTE=Lava Boss]
I'm not a overall GI JOE fan...I just like what I like.[/QUOTE]

huh???

Jay
06-04-2007, 09:15 AM
[QUOTE=Lava Boss]As far as the toys go, Extreme showed arrogance on the part of Hasbro's Kenner design team. For years those bozos designed new toylines that got their butts handed to them at retail by A Real American Hero. Anyone remember Bone Age, Bill and Ted's toy line, Swampt Thing, Police Academy? Their only post-Super Powers hits were GHOSTBUSTERS, and the had-to-be-a-hit-because-the-movie-was Jurassic Park ? Then they got their chance to do their take on GI JOE and surprise, surprise, it bombed like so many Kenner lines before it![/QUOTE]
Uh, what about all those DC Comics lines Kenner handled? Those were very popular, especially the Batman TAS line.

bravo
06-04-2007, 10:37 AM
the line had LT.Stone in it.when i first saw lt comming to s6.it was like mabe it was a door to opining Extreme . but both joes had nothing of the same backround.

bravo
06-04-2007, 10:40 AM
[QUOTE=lehsreh][COLOR=Red]mmm, cant say much for the figures. if they were still around maybe there wouldnt be a S6. i think extreme would be S6 style and the new S6 toys would be addictions to extreme. i never got the toys myself as i didnt like them, bigger and more detail but less movement. i watched the cartoons and have the comics, but didnt really like either. i do have to say i liked black dragon 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 times better then snake eyes. he actually had character. i think it would be a great idea to have claw as a cobra in the 3 3/4 line though, he would make a great new bad guy.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]
blackdragon is cool and all, and yes its a lot better then snakeface, this one talks and had character. like you said.

Lava Boss
06-05-2007, 09:52 AM
[QUOTE=Jay]Uh, what about all those DC Comics lines Kenner handled? Those were very popular, especially the Batman TAS line.[/QUOTE]


Shoot, you got me...yeah, Batman was a hit...but that's was due in part to the movies and cartoon, after Kenner got the license back from Toy Biz.
Still, it counts.

Even if the line was 99% Batman figures, none of which ever so much as had a knee joint.

Lava Boss
06-05-2007, 09:53 AM
[QUOTE=lehsreh]
huh???[/QUOTE]

I mean, I don't like anything that says GI JOE on it. Not the 2.5" or the Sigma Six or Extreme.

I just like 3 3/4", maybe a few 12" figures.

lehsreh
06-05-2007, 10:29 AM
[COLOR=Red]i think i get you. just because it has GI Joe on it doesnt mean i like it either. i hated extreme and loath S6, but ill but a lot of different 3 3/4th toys[/COLOR]

Acantilado
06-05-2007, 01:07 PM
Hey, I bought a couple of the Screaming Eagles figures, and they DO where labeled as "G.I.Joe" :confused: Or am I confusing them with another series?

bravo
06-05-2007, 02:33 PM
[QUOTE=Acantilado]Hey, I bought a couple of the Screaming Eagles figures, and they DO where labeled as "G.I.Joe" :confused: Or am I confusing them with another series?[/QUOTE]

thay said gijoe on the cover. your not confusing them with another series.,
as far as i know and can remember Screaming Eagles and Extreme are part of the line. thay just take place at diffrent times.

ender098
06-05-2007, 04:10 PM
I personally can't Stand Sigma Six or GI Joe Extreme. And the only size I collect is 3 3/4 inch.

HOWEVER (WARNING; Caveat coming!!); I never liked DEF, Mega Marines, Dino Hunters or Eco Warriors either, but I found a place for them in my JoeVerse. If they made Extreme or Sigma Six in 3 3/4 inch versions, I MAY find myself buying them....If I don't like the Joes, I'll at LEAST buy the SKAR figures...my rule is..."You can NEVER have TOO MANY BAD GUYS!!!"

;)

I wish they would make more Headhunters and headhunter stormtroopers!


[size=2][/size]
[size=2][/size]

Stormer
06-05-2007, 05:39 PM
I never saw Extreme as part of the Joe/Cobra world. Screaming Eagles had that cartoon with Hawk, CC & Co. backing it up as being connected, plus Savage & his men were kinda bigger than everyone else in the cartoon (like the figures were taller), but Extreme never had anything to connect it.

In fact, the Extreme comic series dealt with the creation of the GI Joe team and its past in a way that didn't allow for "our" Joes to exist. That's not to say that some of the character designs couldn't be cool in the 3.75" line, but IMO Extreme was GI Joe in name only and nothing else.

Blowtorch
06-05-2007, 06:03 PM
I wasn't collecting when extreme came out, so I can't judge. As for S6 well I've given it couple chances and I just can't gt in to it. I figure it's because I'm an old fart and I dn'y like change. ;)

Acantilado
06-07-2007, 06:06 AM
[QUOTE=ender098]I personally can't Stand Sigma Six or GI Joe Extreme. And the only size I collect is 3 3/4 inch.

HOWEVER (WARNING; Caveat coming!!); I never liked DEF, Mega Marines, Dino Hunters or Eco Warriors either, but I found a place for them in my JoeVerse. If they made Extreme or Sigma Six in 3 3/4 inch versions, I MAY find myself buying them....If I don't like the Joes, I'll at LEAST buy the SKAR figures...my rule is..."You can NEVER have TOO MANY BAD GUYS!!!"

;)

I wish they would make more Headhunters and headhunter stormtroopers!



[/QUOTE]


I found the Extreme line Extreme-ly lousy :rolleyes: And Sigma Six... I can't fine a world to exatcly describe them (not that I think they are s***t), but I don't like them.

As for Eco Warriors, Mega Marines et al. I did buy them in the day, but now I can't find any use...

maxtype
06-07-2007, 12:52 PM
I liked the IDEA of the Screaming Eagles 'til I saw they were a half inch taller than ARAH! :(

I was excited by Extreme until I saw that they were not very poseable....I did like the Extreme cartoon episodes I was able to see.

Sigma Six I like because it's the ARAH characters in anime style,and they are quite poseable.....BUT-Hasbro won't do Scarlett or the Baroness! :mad:

But,of course,I'm very happy over-all about the 25th Anniversary ARAH.I think it's a great re-launch......and I wouldn't mind seeing a few characters like Lt.Stone and Sgt. Savage come over to the ARAH line......

Actually,Sgt. Savage being "frozen" in 1945 and "Reborn" today reminds me of Captain America,and is no wilder an idea than Serpentor,whom I think is an AWESOME villain!

And like Frank said "you can NEVER have too many bad guys!" :D