In most people’s minds, the Coast Guard isn’t really regarded as a branch of the US Military. Back when I worked at FAO Schwarz in Boston, I recall an extremely heated argument between two of our stock room staff over this very assertion. One of them, red-faced and waving his arms in the air for effect, swore on his grandmother’s grave that the Coast Guard wasn’t a branch of the military. He went on and on about how the military was comprised of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. It wasn’t until I asked him how many sides the Pentagon had, and why he thought it had an “extra side” that he finally calmed down. Unfortunately, this sentiment seems to be more commonplace that I once thought if the GIJoe team is any indicator. In all the years of both RAH and GvC, there has been but one Coast Guard representative on the team’s roster. Previously, the pilot of the WHALE hovercraft, Cutter returned to the scene in 1992 with a new look as well as a new sub-team.

It seems like I’m always talking about how simple a particular figure’s design is. Yet, for the 1992 Drug Elimination Force Cutter, this statement is remarkably appropriate. (Note: Technically the 1993 version is the DEF version of Cutter but this is the color scheme that was used in the Marvel Comics appearances of the DEF.) Cutter has tossed away his previous uniform and has gone a bit more basic—an orange padded vest and dark blue pants comprise the components of his new threads. His arms are now bare and, if his biceps are any indication, it would seem that Cutter has been bulking up a bit since 1984. Attached to his vest are a holstered pistol, radio, and a single grenade. His pants are mostly unadorned—with the exception of a white strap around his left calf which provides a mounting point for his flashlight accessory. The strap, as well as his belt and spats, are all painted white. I’m not really too crazy about the white spats which, in spite of adding some needed color to the lower body, don’t seem entirely practical. They present a more ceremonial effect than a “combat practical” one but I’m willing to overlook them as a minor detail. The real result of this “stripped down” character design is a much leaner and meaner Cutter figure. I’m not usually a fan of bare arms on the character but they work quite well with the padded vest. The result is not that of an overly muscular body builder but rather that of someone whose job requires a tremendous degree of physical work. This is a man who prefers to have his arms bare when working; the original figure had his sleeves rolled up above the elbows. I actually find this Cutter to have just the right amount of detail—the vest is nicely sculpted with both a “quilted” feel and also features a molded zipper. While the design might seem a bit basic when compared to the original figure I find this to be a nice upgrade to the character—one that took what could have been an obscure vehicle driver and brought back to the forefront once more.

If the DEF Cutter has one major improvement over the original, it’s the head sculpt. The original 1984 head wasn’t a bad sculpt by any means but it never seemed to fit properly on the original Cutter body. The result was that Cutter came across a bit lanky with an extremely thin neck and a very slight jaw. This new sculpt remedies those sculpting issues and presents a much stronger visage for the sole Coast Guard representative on the team. The jaw line is now squared, the moustache is much thicker, and his trademark baseball cap is not nearly as bulky as it was on the original figure. Oddly enough, Cutter’s hat is now missing the distinctive Red Sox “B” across the front—which makes me wonder if there was some issue with copyright infringement between 1984 and 1992. The result of these changes is a Cutter who looks more like a leader than just a hovercraft pilot. There is a commanding presence to this sculpt that wasn’t found in the original figure, and this breathes a new life into the character in my eyes. This Cutter is actually the commander of the Drug Elimination Force—a small group of soldiers who patrol the Gulf Coast and stop drug smugglers before they can enter the country. This is a character that I can see grabbing an SMG and spraying squads of Eels that are trying to board “his” boat. The upgrade moves Cutter firmly to the forefront of my Joe team.

When it comes to accessories, the Battle Corps is a mixed bag. Many times a figure will be packaged with a pretty decent assortment of gear (many reused from other figures) but will also come with some sort of “gimmick” weapon. The “Electronic Battle Flash Grappling Hook” makes its debut with Cutter; it’s a large orange apparatus that sits on the same tripod as the ’92 Duke figure’s launcher. It’s a highly-detailed accessory, molded in translucent orange plastic and covered in sculpted detail. When the grappling hook is fired, a small LED is illuminated which gives the device its “electronic battle flash” moniker. It’s also and ultimately forgettable accessory that will almost immediate be dumped into most Joe fans’ parts bin or given away to small children at Halloween. Cutter’s other accessories include a small SMG and what appears to be the pre-cursor to the D-Cell Mag-lite flashlight. Practically the same length as the Coast Guard officer’s leg, this cell will require more batteries to power it than I can comfortable count to without using scientific notation. Both of the accessories are molded in white plastic which limits their used somewhat; call me old-fashioned but I like my weapons molded in more believable colors. (After all, wielding a white weapon after Labor Day is pretty passé.) The flashlight itself is pretty thin and I had to do a bit of wrangling to get Cutter to hold it reasonably well. The SMG is well-designed weapon but it’s that whole “gun molded in white” aspect that kind of kills it for me. Thankfully I’ve got a bunch of Marauder Inc weapons lying about so Cutter is now packing a G36. If this figure has a weak point, it is his accessories.

It may have taken 8 years but Hasbro certainly did Skip A. Stone justice when he received his “DEF overhaul”. The combination of better parts, sharper design, a significantly improved head sculpt, and better proportions make this THE definitive Cutter figure out there. While I’m not a huge fan of his accessories, their exclusion does NOTHING to hamper the figure in any way. As such, fans looking to add this version of Cutter to their collections don’t have to worry about tracking down a complete figure and can save a few bucks by snagging one of the many “loose” figures floating around the market. I do miss the signature Red Sox “B” on his cap but that is easily remedied with a steady hand and some red model paint. (I’ll have to cut back on the caffeine before attempting that one.) Originally a figure I’d written off as “lame” because of his sub-team, this has become THE Cutter figure in my collection and he blends in well with both old and new sculpt figures. So, my recommendation on this should be obvious by now—if you own only one Cutter figure in your collection—make it this one. The figure fails to disappoint on ANY level.