Christmas may have come and gone but the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club has one more present for members: the reveal of the Dreadnok Ground Assault 4WD and Heartwrencher!
Wow… just wow… this one came out of nowhere! Ever since it was announced at the Collector’s Club roundtable back in 2015, fans have speculated about the fate of the club exclusive Dreadnok Ground Assault 4WD with Heartwrencher figure. Now, thanks to the our friend “Shattered Glass Jazz” we have a look at the preview of this upcoming set. (Rick always gets his newsletters before anyone else. I’m thinking he has “mob ties.”)
Let’s start with the driver Heartwrencher…
Not a bad build, considering the lack of new parts for the body.
Heartwrencher made her first (and potentially only) regular appearance in Devil’s Due’s G.I. Joe Frontline #18. In that issue, a group of Dreadnoks (including Gnawgahyde and Burnout) crashed the taping of Roadblock’s new TV series “Kiss Your Momma Home Cooking”. Of course, mayhem and chaos ensued with our favorite machine gun-toting chef from Biloxi coming out on top. However, the flame had been lit and Heartwrencher had made an impression on Joe fans everywhere. She’s since been cos-played expertly by Mary Mercenary and has been the subject of countless custom figures.
The build is pretty close to the comic appearance with a few changes made to allow for existing tooling. Heartwrencher’s loincloth and fishnets have been replaced by the Renegades Tunnel Rat coveralls and she’s now sporting a pair of black pants. The arms also come from the SDCC exclusive Zarana. Her shirt, originally presented as more magenta is now purple. However, she’s not a brand new head and a snazzy Dreadnok tattoo on her belly. Plus, the Club can get one more use out of the giant wrench accessory they’ve been released for the past few years.
And there’s no forgetting that killer Dreadnok Ground Assault 4WD…
Back in 1986, then-retail juggernaut Sears snagged yet another G.I. Joe exclusive in the form of the Dreadnok Ground Assault set. This vehicle set was comprised of two repainted units from both the G.I. Joe and Cobra motorpools. The 4WD was a repaint of the Cobra Stinger while the motorcycle was a redeco of the signature Joe motorcycle the RAM. Both vehicles sported a color scheme similar to the Dreadnok Swampfire, the odd fusion of a helicopter and a motorboat that was released the same year. The set was discontinued just one year later and has since become a favorite of Joe collector’s everywhere– both for its rarity and its vibrant color scheme.
The Club did just fine with the color scheme chosen for this vehicle! In fact, it’s so close to the original that it has me hoping that a repainted RAM might be one additional Club surprise in 2018.
So far, no word on pricing on timing of availability but I think it’s safe to say that Club members have something else to look forward to in 2018!
And now you know…
Knowing the club, this set will be pricey. On top of that, I’m not a huge Dreadnok fan. That said, I will wait and see for a bit. I do want to get the comic now that I know about the story! It’s very Sunbow-ie, like most of the DDP stuff. I think I only have the first arc of Frontline because Larry Hama was writing the Joes after several years at the time. Maybe I ought to get the whole series since I only need 14 issues to complete the run.