Presenting the G.I. Joe Flamethrower Blowtorch from the G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Swamp Team Action Figure 2-Pack [featuring Blowtorch and Croc Master].
Blowtorch is Corporal Timothy P. Hanrahan from Tampa, Florida. The Irish-American Blowtorch is probably best known for his cartoon PSA that teaches kids to exit a burning building before calling the fire-department, and for prompting Doc to utter the famous lines: “I'm wearing my asbestos underwear” while testing Doc’s Energy Mirrors to the test in the “Vines of Evil” episode of the G.I. Joe Weather Dominator series.
Blowtorch has advanced degrees in Chemical and Structural Engineering. You could say that he knows how best to burn things down. The thing is, the reason he’s so obsessed with studying fire and the damage it can cause is because he’s afraid of it. Because of this fear of fire, Blowtorch has dedicated his life to studying how best to use fire and how best defend against it.
The 50th Anniversary Blowtorch’s blister card reads: “Blowtorch is thoroughly familiar with all military incendiary devices and flame projection equipment. He’s also equally familiar with the many ways to defend against these weapons. To Blowtorch, the use of fire in combat is a science that predates the bow and arrow. He rigs a specialized flamethrower that burns a dry path through the maze of canals on Cobra Island, to the annoyance of Croc Master and his hungry crocs.”
This is the fourth Blowtorch using the same mold to be released since 2009. The previous three incarnations had very minor tint and cosmetic paint differences. The 50th Anniversary G.I. Joe Blowtorch is the first major re-paint of the mold.
PROS
FIRST: In 2011 Blowtorch was released as a part of the Pursuit of Cobra toyline. That particular toyline was celebrated for the very “Predator” styled, team of modern jungle fighter versions of Duke, Spirit and Stalker. For some unknown reason, Blowtorch’s blister card placed him in the same team. Now it’s hard to be stealthy when one of your teammates is dressed as a brightly colored as a giant poisonous tree-frog. So I’m glad that we finally have a new version of Blowtorch that can meld with the team – though he’d probably die from heat exhaustion.
SECOND: The 50th Anniversary G.I. Joe Blowtorch comes with a lot of accessories – despite his inability to carry most of them (He also has no extra ammunition – or extra fuel for his flamethrower.) - that would give him alternative fighting options or provide any diorama or vehicle with some background safety equipment. G.I Joe Blowtorch’s gear is also quite decently detailed.
THIRD: The G.I Joe Blowtorch action figure’s articulation is both a boon and a bane. I’ll discuss the bane later, but it’s enough for now to demonstrate that he can kneel.
ARTICULATION:
Head is mounted on a ball joint on a neck hinge
Upper torso is also on a ball joint allowing it to swivel and tilt.
Ball jointed shoulders with bicep swivel
Single direction elbows.
360° swivel wrists. Blowtorch does not have the new G.I. Joe wrist articulation..
Waist swivel
Ball jointed legs
Double jointed, single-direction knees
Boot/ankle swivel
CONS
FIRST: The G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Blowtorch comes with a flamethrower that has to be operated with two hands. He also comes with a rifle that has a forward grip. Both weapons have shoulder stocks and Blowtorch cannot properly hold either weapon. This is because of the bulkiness of his flame retardant uniform and chesplate, and; because the G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Blowtorch does not have the new wrist articulation of the modern G.I. Joes. You’d think that Hasbro would have swapped out his hands by now instead of just repainting him.
BUYER/COLLECTORS RECOMMENDATION: While I believe that he’s still wearing the wrong uniform for jungle combat, at least he’s a bit more camouflaged. So the 50th Anniversary Blowtorch is a welcome addition to the G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra Jungle team. The bare minimum is that you have a figure that can go into combat that does not scream “Shoot me! I’m over here!” A brand new G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Swamp Team Action Figure 2-Pack will set you back around $17.99 USD – which is a steal for two figures. Personally I would have preferred if Hasbro rebuilt him rather than just repainted him, but he’s a reasonably priced repaint.
It’s available HERE.