There’s just something about the concept of zombies that makes for a good antagonist in fiction.  I’m not referring to the moustache-twirling, plot-monologuing foes that actively plan to thwart the heroes at every turn.  Rather, zombies work as an excellent passive obstacle-- almost serving as a force of nature. Now wait a minute! Imagine a mustached wearing zombie who also ties hapless women to railroad tracks!  Yeah?  Yeah!  Gonna sell that screenplay to Syfy right after I get done with this review!  The heroes can’t simply escape the burning Cobra chemical lab because there are hordes of highly contagious Compound Z infected troopers standing in their path.  The Joes are unable to mow them down viciously with superior firepower because some of those infected used to be their comrades-in-arms.  Can they still be saved?  Possibly-- but it’s hard to make the case for non-violent means of subduing these lost souls when the zombies are desperately trying to consume the flesh from their bones.  Such is the case in the Zombie Initiative and the case of the Toxo-Zombies.  Are these merely easy parts-reuses from the Toxo-Vipers?  Read on and find out two long-time Joe fans’ opinions!

If you’ve not already read it, I’d suggest starting with the review of the Toxo-Viper from this set first.  The reason for that is simple-- these figures share the vast majority of their body construction with those Cobra HAZMAT soldiers.  In fact, the only differences between them are found in an all-new head and use of the lower left arm and lower left leg of the  30th Anniversary Zombie Viper figure. Some folks might call this “lazy figure construction” or even think that the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club “cheaped out on this one.”  Well, yes, they did cheap out and it was lazy, but it was good and effective lazy.  Yet, to me this massive parts reuse makes perfect sense for one simple reason: THESE ARE INFECTED TOXO-VIPERS!  Well duh.  

In the vintage A Real American Hero line, the  1992 Toxo-Zombies featured an entirely different uniform color scheme than the  Toxo-Vipers of the previous year in spite of the fact that their design was based on those troopers.  It may have been the “neon 90’s” but I have a hard time believing that the infected pseudo-undead had time to change into a new-but-similar-and-yet-still-damaged uniform just to help differentiate them from their fellows on the field of battle.  To my adult collector mind there’s no real reason that the Toxo-Vipers and the Toxo-Zombies should have radically different color schemes.  Instead, having a similar visual aesthetic helps logically tie the figures together.  Besides, I really like the Toxo-Viper color scheme!

C’mon Fred, use your imagination.  Obviously the Plasmatox bleached their uniforms, so that’s why the hue is off.  Sheesh, even my sister knew that.  (Wow, it’s actually pretty easy being a ‘Joe apologist!  No wonder so many people are!)   

I’m going to sound like a broken record here but one of the wisest moves the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club has made in years is to enlist the talents of the folks at  Boss Fight Studio.  Reaching out to a group of former Hasbro employees who are themselves admitted G.I. Joe fans can only produce spectacular results. Such is the case with the Toxo-Zombie head!  I fully agree.  About the broken record part that is. This brand new head sculpt is based on the helmet that was created for the Toxo-Vipers but it’s obvious that something went wrong for the occupant.  Instead of an intact removable helmet, this infected trooper has a bent respirator, damaged antenna, and smashed face plate which reveals a blue-hued face that has been twisted by the toxic effects of Compound Z.  From the gaunt lips to the large pustules over the eyes it’s obvious that this poor soul is a fairly recent victim of the reanimating effects of this dangerous chemical weapon.  (Or he’s just sick and his condition is deteriorating because he can’t go to the doctor since he’s still waiting for the Obamacare website to process his insurance form…)  While I’m sad that the helmet isn’t entirely removable so that more of the infected’s twisted countenance can be seen I’m still incredibly happy with the results.  If the folks at Boss Fight Studio ever read this, BRAVO!

I agree, the head really sells these figures, and with all the cost saving that was accomplished by reusing parts, it’s good to see some money has been spent on creating a great looking head that successfully pays homage to the original. 

I also agree that in this day and age all helmets should be removable, but here it’s not that big of a deal since we can always swap heads with the Zombie-Viper and have the same effect.  Thank goodness the Club used common sense and kept the infected’s skin the same colors as the prior figures.  Nothing would have been worse if the con zombies didn’t match the retail ones.  (Well, maybe nuclear war would be worse, but you know what I’m saying.)

What kind of gear does one expect to find included with a zombified soldier?  How about a giant bomb and a pistol sidearm!  That’s exactly what the Toxo-Zombies are equipped with-- the odd bomb that was first released with the Resolute Roadblock and the same sidearm that was included with the Toxo-Vipers.  What’s amusing to me is that I can easily rationalize both of these as being perfectly logical.  The sidearm is a remnant of the days when this was a fully functional Toxo-Viper; now, it hands forgotten in a holster that no longer has any meaning to its wearer.  The bomb-- well, that’s where things get a bit dark.  (As compared to zombified troopers!)  It can either be a purely explosive device that is deemed too dangerous to be carried by valuable living troopers or it could be filled with more of the dreaded Compound Z. In other words, the already infectious Toxo-Zombies are equipped with a weapon that can spread the dreaded toxin even further.  I would wager since the warhead is blue like all the other Compound Z munitions, this is yet another vehicle to spread the outbreak.  Just simply load these poor souls up with some time-delay bombs and set them loose on a civilian target of Cobra’s choice.  Once the BOOM! is heard, Cobra will know that more troops are on the way!  It’s a bit macabre but the entire storyline of this set revolves around the concept of non-living bio-weapons.

At the end of the day, is this figure worth picking up?  As was the case with the Toxo-Viper, I have to issue a resounding “YES!”  I never really cared for the vintage Toxo-Zombie.  Perhaps it was the lack of a compelling narrative to explain his condition or the garish color scheme but there was little-to-no appeal in the character for me.  Flash forward to 2014 and I honestly cannot get enough of these guys.  The GIJCC could have both included the figures in the boxed set and sold extra three-packs of additional Toxo-Zombies and I believe they would have sold very well.  These figures take the solid design of the Toxo-Viper and produce a twisted reflection of the original-- which is precisely what a good zombie should be.  I could go on but I’d be gushing and that would just be overkill.  I love my trio of Toxo-Zombies and find them to be some of my favorite pieces of this entire set!

I agree, but I will admit I am biased in this regard.  I love zombies, and next to werewolves, they were my favorite horror trope before Hollywood bashed us over the head with enough zombie cliches to fill a football stadium.  But the silver lining was, since we are being flooded with zombies, it was wise for the Club to strike while the iron was hot instead of waiting a few years and releasing a zombie set when the undead craze was over.   

The Bottom Line: If you like zombies and you like the Toxo-Viper then the Toxo-Zombie is a no-brainer!  (Get it?)  A solid addition to the collection of more sci-fi minded fans!

I agree that if you like them, buy them.  They may be sparse with gear, but the brand new head more than makes up for that.  However, despite my love for zombies, I don’t know if I’d recommend this to the average ‘Joe collector, as I don’t find this figure mandatory unless you are of the zombie persuasion.

.