By Loran
Destro has always been one of my favorite characters in G.I. Joe lore. I find the idea of a big, intimidating Scotsman who wears a metal mask selling weapons to both sides just awesome. You can bet I was excited when I found out that he was the primary villain of Rise of Cobra, and even though Chris Ecclestein didn’t don the shiny head til the end of the movie, his performance was awesome enough to carry the character-so much so that I use the unmasked Destro from that movie as my default. I even made my own little group of Iron Grenadiers about 20 strong for him to command.
Much like the amazing new Snake Eyes, I got a glimpse of this guy for the first time at Joecon last year, and of course, I was sold. While that wacky arctic Destro released earlier in the line looked nice, he just didn’t do it for me. I think that opinion seems pretty widespread, since I see that figure pretty much everywhere I go. I’d guess that mostly has to do with how awesome this figure looked in the eyes of the fans!
To everyone’s surprise, underneath all the armor is the same mold as the earlier Pursuit of Cobra Destro! It looks MUCH better here, with much more intricate paint apps and no silly snow paint job. The red/black pseudo-camo works really well and all of the details the mold contains are much more apparent here.
Remember what I said about Destro being big and intimidating? Yeah, he sure is here. All of this added armor makes him a total BEEFCAKE. I think this might be taken from the unreleased Heavy Duty figure, but don’t quote me on that. It’s really nice to see a really battle-ready Destro that isn’t tied to any specific environment. I always saw him as spending most of his time doing negotiations or behind his desk, only going out for battle when absolutely necessary. It’d good to finally have the perfect figure for that purpose.
Amazingly, the armor barely affects his poseability, unlike Ripcord/Skydive. The only part that’s really hindered is his left shoulder, but all things considered, it’s a pretty impressive feat.
One thing I do have a problem with is all these damn Cobra symbols. AUGH, it always drives me up the wall when they do that to Destro and his troops. MARS isn’t really a part of Cobra; rather, just an organization they’re close to. The upcoming Iron Grenadier has this problem, too. Ah well… I guess I’ll overlook it considering how cool the rest of the figure is.
And speaking of cool, these accessories rock. His main armament is a gigantic Gatling gun that clips into his belt. It’s really hard to get him to hold it properly, but it really helps complete the whole ensemble. Unfortunately, getting him to hold it properly isn’t easy. Like most other figures in this line, he comes with a small pistol as a sidearm.
But the coup-de-grace of this kit is not the machine gun, but his suitcase. Now, suitcases aren’t uncommon accessories for Destro. Normally, they come with a gun or something, right? Well, not this time-this suitcase is filled with nothing but cold hard CASH. There are about several million US Dollars and Euros in his suitcase, with half of them actually capable of being removed. This is probably one of the best accessories EVER for a Joe. Just imagine the possibilities. Dreadnoks making a bank heist? Major blood getting his payment? Tomax and Xamot yelling at Cobra Commander for messing up the organizations budget? Let your imagination run wild.
When I first saw this figure, he was pretty high on my list of figures to get, and he did NOT disappoint. The color scheme is awesome and blends perfectly with the Pursuit of Cobra Alley Vipers, making him the ideal commander for your Street Forces. The suitcase of money is quite possibly the most brilliant accessory any Joe has ever come with, and I dare so I’d recommend the figure on that account alone. While he won’t be taking the spot of my Ecclestein Destro anytime soon, he’s definitely gonna get some use. If you see him hanging out on FP’s shelves, make sure you get him!
