Another G.I. Joe FSS 5 preview has been released – Z-Force Gaucho!
Z FORCE MECHANIC: RICO “GAUCHO” GONZALLES
(Based on the European exclusive Command Centre action figure!)Includes: removable vest, grenade launcher, wrench, tool satchel, boot knife, pistol, and figure stand.
NOTE: All images are Photoshop representations, final product, accessories and/or colors may vary!
To quote the 1980’s Saturday Night Live character the Church Lady: “Well isn’t that special…”
It’s no secret that I’m a HUGE fan of the 2015 Gung-Ho action figure which I regard with the same reverence that some folks reserve for their favorite sports teams. It is an AMAZING figure that fixed ALL of the issues I had with the abominable 25th Anniversary release and then some. Seriously– it’s one of the best pieces that Hasbro has released in years and nothing will ever persuade me otherwise.
Gaucho, from his very origins, was a repaint of Gung-Ho and so, it seems logical that the Club would take the path of least creative resistance and merely re-release Gung-Ho in a different color scheme. I should be fine with this… except that I’m not for the simple reason that this figure looks like a lazy repaint to me. When Gaucho was released as part of the 2010 convention set, his skin tone was changed to reflect his ethnic background and it really helped to set the character apart from Gung-Ho who is, in my opinion, one of the more visually distinctive members of the G.I. Joe team. As such, I was expected the G.I. Joe FSS 5 version to be similarly produced. Call me crazy, but this just feels lazy to me. Even the FSS 4 Jammer wasn’t just a straight repaint of the 25th Anniversary Stalker.
Sorry Gaucho fans, but you deserve better than this figure.
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The G.I. Joe FSS 5 Roster:
- Concealment Specialist – Ambush
- Flamethrower – Charbroil (Classic deco)
- Iron Grenadier Courier – Darklon (more modernized version than previous convention version)
- G.I. Joe Strategic Commander – General Flagg (similar to Battle Corps version)
- Cobra Battle Corps Cobra Viper – based on Iron Anvils from 2015 Convention version
- Anti-Armor Trooper – Salvo (more Pursuit of Cobra styled, based on existing tooling)
- Combat Journalist – Scoop (using the Sky Patrol Airborne head sculpt from this year’s con set)
- Cobra Falconer – Raptor
- Advanced Recon – Sneak Peek (based on FSS 4 Tiger Force version)
- SKAR Infantry Officer – Steel Raven (based on Club magazine comics – FEMALE character)
- Cobra Shattered Glass Xamot (from the Club Comic Adventure Team storyline with new head sculpt)
- Z-Force Mechanic Gaucho (pairs with Jammer)