Look, if your given name were Conrad Hauser, you’d probably choose a John Wayne-inspired nickname too. Especially in the ’80s, where “Conrad” could easily be misheard as “Comrade.”
All-American boy Duke evokes basic military heroism with his name and actions. Though he’s not the absolute top guy in G.I. Joe — that’d be General Hawk — Duke leads the team in the field, and was generally portrayed as the good-guy leader in the popular Sunbow cartoon. He’s survived many events that would take lesser men down, like death, in the G.I. Joe animated movie. Alas, Hasbro abruptly reversed his fate when kids reacted badly to the killing of Optimus Prime.
Nobody Beats G.I. Joe
Mezco’s bringing Duke into their One: 12 Collection with a figure primarily based on Duke’s original ’80s action figure, complete with removable helmet. Though the figure doesn’t have the likeness of Channing Tatum, who played him in the live-action movies, the shape of the figure’s head on his shoulders appears to have taken some inspiration. As always, Mezco’s finely tailored outfits on a small scale stand out, but Duke also comes loaded with gear.
Per the official description, these include, “a grenade launcher, a machine gun, a handgun, six hand grenades in two distinct styles, a knife, and multiple weapon FX. He comes complete with military gear including his signature helmet, a walkie-talkie, a foldable shovel, binoculars, a canteen, and a versatile backpack with various storage options.”
To enhance displays, he also comes with blast effects, mud splash effect, and thirteen different swap-out hands to hold all that equipment properly. Kung Fu Grip alone is no longer sufficient.
All that extra stuff comes at a price: $112, to be exact. Preorder now with a nonrefundable deposit of $28, and expect delivery sometime next summer. Meanwhile, check out more official images below. Yo Joe!
