G.I. Joe Con Photo Roundup – The Toys

If you noticed any red and blue lasers in the Providence, Rhode Island area last weekend, it might have due to the fact that the International G.I. Joe Collectors' Con was in town with heroic and villainous weapons blazing.

The annual event landed just a few miles from nearby Pawtucket, R.I., the home of Hasbro and the birthplace of G.I. Joe. This meant that fans were treated to a tour of the Hasbro facilities, as well as panels featuring comic book writer Larry Hama, toy designer Ron Rudat, Hasbro exec Alan Hassenfeld, and others who brought the Real American Hero line to life. And, of course, there were plenty of toys for fans to purchase and ogle.

ComicsAlliance attended JoeCon, and brought back photos of the toys-- everything from fan club and con exclusives to new swag from Hasbro-- just for you.
[Photos by Nick Nadel and Tim Finn]

Hasbro's G.I. Joe: Pursuit of Cobra line continues last year's movie storyline as the Joe team, uh, pursues Cobra. Arctic troops Snow Job [insert filthy joke here] and the Wolf Hound with driver Whiteout (they're naming characters after office supplies now?) join the ranks of characters too cool to score a role in the movie.

An awesome new Alley Viper and Cobra snow trooper with vehicle are joined by Jason, scourge of sexed-up teens everywhere, in his costume from "Jason X." Wait, what? That's Cobra Commander in his horrid movie mask? Oh dear.

This new Jungle Assault Recondo is pretty sweet and all. But did he "go native" during a mission and start worshiping some sort of jungle god? That native mask and totem pole is pretty freaky.

If this new Zartan figure is any indication, the "master of disguise" has officially gone insane and is just straight up skinning people and wearing their skins Buffalo Bill-style.

Beachhead, Snake Eyes, and a Duke that thankfully looks nothing like Channing Tatum.

More figures from "G.I. Joe Resolute," aka the best piece of G.I. Joe animation produced in the last 25 years, are on the way this summer.

Adventure Team--the 1970's incarnation of G.I. Joe-- arrives in 3 3/4" size in this Collectors' Club exclusive. Land Adventurer and Air Adventurer hail from the time when Vietnam made the whole military toy thing unpopular, so Hasbro had to get crazy and force Joe to battle stuff like man-eating plants.

Action Force--G.I. Joe's European counterpart-- gets its due with Z Force members Gaucho (not to be confused with Gung Ho), Jammer, and Lifeline. (The latter's American version is a pacifist and one of the lamest Joes of all time.)

More club exclusives, this Q Force members Natalie and the unfortunately-named Lt. Dolphin.

The Nazi-ish Red Shadows-- part of the con exclusive set "Vacation in the Shadows"-- also hail from the British Action Force line.

Sorry, "Venture Bros." fans. This fantastic Brock figure is one of the many cool custom figures you'll find over at JoeCustoms.com. (Look for awesome versions of the Burger King King, The A-Team, and He-Man characters Fisto and Jitsu.)