Marissa Fairborn & Afterbreaker

G.I. Joe / Transformers Collectors Club Exclusive

A few years ago we got a couple great G.I.*JOE/Transformers sets from the SDCC and many fans were happy with this as two of their favorite childhood toys were combined, despite the non-transforming vehicles.

In keeping with the concept of those sets, both the G.I.*JOE and Transformers Collector’s Clubs had a joint release highlighting Joe characters that had appeared in the Transformers cartoon.

Starting on the good guy side, we have Marissa Fairborn and Afterbreaker. Going off the information from Marissa’s file card, Marissa is the daughter of Flint and Lady Jaye from the G.I.*JOE team. She graduated from the Air Force Academy and went on to become a member of the Earth Defense Command to proactively address the Decepticon threat in alliance with the Autobots. Afterbreaker is her Autobot partner.

Marissa is a pretty simple figure configuration using the Resolute Scarlett (and the FSS1 Jinx) body with the Cover Girl v2 head. I’ve always liked this figure for Scarlett, since it keeps with her classic look, yet she doesn’t look as anorexic as her 25 th offering. The figure offers some remarkable articulation, especially in the arms, she’s actually able to hold he pistol in a Weaver firing stance. Her legs allow her to kneel down nicely too.

She does suffer a bit from “giraffe-itis” in the neck, but it kind of works in her favor on this figure. Since her hair is a bit stiff and has that “flowing” look, her long neck allows the head to fit properly with her jet pack. I like this head sculpt, but at the same time, I think I’m getting tired of seeing it, even though we’ve only gotten it with Cover Girl v2, 2011 Convention Sparta and the Club’s Cover Girl. It’s a nice sculpt, but I hope in the future we get a different “pretty face.”

Marissa comes with some simple gear: her personalized figure stand, a jet pack with the EDC logo, rifle and pistol. The jet pack is the standard issue from the 25th line and fits in her back, but you’ll have to move her head around a bit so her hair doesn’t get in the way. The rifle and pistol fit in really well with this set as these sets are supposed to be from the future. The rifle is from Arctic Threat Destro from the PoC line and has a nice futuristic look to it. The pistol is shared with the 25th Anniversary Iron Grenadiers and looks like a ray gun from a 1950s sci-fi movie.

I like this figure a lot. It’s a decent combo of parts and accessories, though I guess I have to figure out how to use her in my Joe-verse, considering she is from the future.

Marissa comes with her Autobot partner, Afterbreaker. Like the previous Transformers, Afterbreaker is a non-transforming repaint of an existing Joe vehicle, in this case, Firefly’s Wheelblaster motorcycle from the Retaliation line.

I think this is a good fit for an Autobot as it’s not a conventional looking motorcycle and it’s armed with four machine guns. I think this would work well for a design if it actually had the ability to transform. Yes, it does include that goofy feature of launching the front wheel out, although I broke mine the first time I tried it.

Firefly had holes on the inside of his knees that fit on to pegs that stick out the side of the bike so he sits on the saddle better. Marissa lacks these holes, but because of her good articulation, she manages to sit on the bike and hold the handlebars nicely. If she had better neck articulation, she wouldn’t be looking at the fuel tank though, but that’s expected.

Continued in the Old Snake & Stealth BAT Duo set review

Continued in the Old Snake & Stealth BAT Duo set review