Wild Bill '00: Locust XH-1 Pilot

All right, here is the action figure that came with the Locust XH-1, Code Named: Wild Bill! Truth be told, in a normal profile, I may have never gotten around to spotlighting this guy. Upon closer inspection, though, that may have been an oversight on my part, because this figure is actually very, very well done!

It is no secret that in '92 and '93 interest in the Joe line was dwindling and dwindling fast. The figures had lost some of their spunk, the vehicles and accessories had become downright bizarre and Joe was fighting a losing battle in the action figure aisle. The Wild Bill who came out in those years was a testament to Hasbro's floundering sales. That Wild Bill was not an exceptional figure by my standards. Granted, he was not bad. Not a bad figure at all, but he just didn't really stand out. Kind of lost in the shuffle. The fact that he was a helicopterless pilot may have had something to do with it, although the garrish yellow and white boy scout outfit he wore could definitely be attributed to his forgetableness as well. However, this is not the case with the new '00 version. For one of the first times that I can remember in Joe history, the newer repaint of the figure is the better of the two!

First of all, despite the white neckerchief and white sleeves, the new Wild Bill is much more subdued, and much more color coordinated. His shirt is a dark blue with black straps, and blends very nicely with his dull gray pants. He gives off a much more "covert" appearence and looks much more respectable. And call me crazy, but coloring the sunglasses black instead of silver lends a LOT to the figure. It makes him even more subtle and dark. Which is definitely a plus!

Now the detailing on the figure is not elaborate. Fairly simple designs, no outlandish weaponry, but I LOVE the thigh holster and pistol. This is placed remarkably well, considering he would be sitting at a console most of the time, and would need easy access to a firearm. The dark holster and strap blend nicely and add a lot.

As far as accessories go, well, this can be either a failing grade, or a passing one depending on how you look at it. His only personal accessory is a cowboy hat, which upon first examination does not fit. With a couple slices of a razor, scissors, or knife to the tabs of rubber underneath the hat, though, and that problem is solved pretty quick. If you look under the hat, there are four tabs of rubber, one on each side. The front one is the most prominant, and should be the first to get sliced. If the hat still will not fit, take some hacks at the back of the hat, but be careful not to cut yourself! Within 2 minutes, Wild Bill's hat fit like a glove so to speak. Big thanks to Mark Clements for this little point which could have caused great frustration, but now is a problem easily solved. Continuing on with the accessory problem...well, to put it simply, the Locust IS his accessory. He does not come with any weapons whatsoever, which I am not crazy about. If the helicopter crashes, he needs some way to fight his way out, right?? Yeah, he's got the thigh holster, but at least give him a pistol that could have come in it. Ah well...overall, still a very nice figure with a very nice vehicle. Well worth the 14.99...