Blowtorch

Let's heat things up! To Blowtorch, the use of fire in warfare is a science that predates the bow and arrow. He also has an annoying habit of checking every smoke detector he sees. Instead of just copying old filecards, like most of these marketing copy bios do, this one snips sentences from two sources: the line about the bow and arrow comes from the orginal Larry Hama wrote for the 1984 figure, while the line about smoke detectors is from the 2002 SpyTroops line. That latter one also introduced the idea that Blowtorch was studying for advenced engineering degrees - both chemical and structural - so he'd have an even better knowledge of the way fire worked and how it affected buildings he might have to go into. Every version has really leaned into the pathological obsession with fire safety, and you know what? Good for him! Blowtorch, in Generation 1, had the dopiest, plastered-down, 8-year-old-boy haircut imaginable, and this figure does nothing to update it. He looks like just as much of a straight-laced nerd today as he did 40 years ago. A splotch of paint that accidentally landed on my figure's earlobe makes it look like he's wearing an earring, but that doesn't suit his no-nonsense personality. Only having a single G1 toy means Blowtorch doesn't have a lot of costumes for Classified to pick from. I've never understood why his uniform had this weird padded look to it - if you look at real-life flamethrower troopers, they just wore the same normal uniforms as everyone else even through Vietnam. And when specialized protective clothing did begin to appear, it was more those big silvery hazmat suits that look like a walking baked potato. The kind of padding Blowtorch wears looks like it's meant for protection from impact, not heat. Like he's about to go out and pick up golfballs from an active fairway. Those pads do make identifying all the toy's new sculpts easy, though! Vintage Blowtorch was famous for his bright, bright "ketchup and mustard" colorscheme, helping GI Joe break away from realistic military colors. This one tones things down slightly, making the colors feel kind of grimy. Like he's covered in soot, appropriately enough. The studs in the center of each pad are painted silver, and there are black details breaking everything up. The colors are definitely "Blowtorch," but it's also different enough that they could do a Retro Collection release later and still find people willing to pay. These colors are more like what was seen on the cartoon than on the toy. Blowtorch used to wear a helmet and air mask, and this figure includes those as accessories. They're two separate pieces, as before, though this time the helmet goes over the mask, not under. The mask has a tube that plugs into the device hanging on his chest and, in a first for the character, the goggles on the mask are translucent, allowing you to see the toy's eyes within. While previous toys have made the helmet and mask both solid yellow, the show made the mask black and had a black band around the back. This toy splits the difference: the mask has black around the visor, in the center over the mouth, and for the hose; the helmet has black fixtures on the forehead and over the ears. They're both a tight fit, and you need to be careful when putting the helmet on so it doesn't accidentally push the mask strap out of place. His articulation is mostly the normal kind: swivel/hinge ankles, double-hinged knees, swivel thighs, hips that are a balljoint mounted on a hinge, balljointed waist, hinged chest, swivel/hinge wrists, double-hinged elbows, swivel biceps, swivel/hinge shoulders, pectoral hinges, balljointed neck, and a barbell head. Notice that there are no shin swivels, not even at the bottom of the pantlegs. The device hanging on his chest can swivel where it plugs in, and the hose has a swivel where it meets the mask. His stats are Vanguard 3, Flamethrower 4, Siegecraft 2, and Urban Combat 2. There was already a Classified gas tank backpack, so this figure just reuses that mold. The colors get partially swapped, though! Instead of a small yellow tank between two larger black tanks, this has a small black tank between two larger yellow ones. This yellow is brighter, more like you'd expect the figure to be, proving that the one Hasbro went with was a choice, not them not understanding more accurate colors exist. His actual flamethrower is green, just like the vintage toy's, though its nozzle is silver and so is the shield in front of the trigger. We get the three same flame pieces as before (a small one, a large one, and a long one), as well as a pistol to fit in the holster on his right hip. Since the flamethrower is a new mold and the backpack isn't, you can't store the weapon back there like you could before. Blowtorch was the first GI Joe I ever got, so of course the Classified update is going to be one I was really looking forward to. The colors may not be as vibrant as the old toy, but they're not without precedent. But as much as I love him, I recognize that he's a wildly minor character to most fans, so it makes sense it would take five years and 153 previous releases before he gets to be part of the line. -- 08/01/25 What was your first-ever Joe, and did it remain your favorite? Tell us on our message board, the Loafing Lounge.