A celebration of the Intruders

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In 1976, Hasbro decided to change the game for it's G.I. Joe line, hoping to improve sales. So not only did Joe get a Superheroic sidekick in Bulletman but he also got his first bonafied enemy. Before then, Joe always seemed to fight a faceless foe or an angry animal. I guess you could count the Soliders of the World but I'm not.

So after 13 years, what did Hasbro make as G.I. Joe's new foe? A caveman from outer space of course!

The intruders are a race of muscle bound savages,who have come to earth in a meteor and plan to kick a little ***. Not exactly a grand scale invasion, did I mention they're unarmed?

The figure itself was a good deal shorter than Joe and far stockier, his articulation was limited and the button on his back allowed you to bear hug things.





Overall, it's a very strange toy and really wouldn't a mad scientist have been a better foe for our heroes? What does it say about you when your arch enemy doesn't have shoes?

As you probably know, 1976 saw the demise of the adventure team and the 12" joe. The intruders were not well recieved and actually languished a bit on store shelves. Finding one MOC isn't easy now however and i gotta admit, years later, I've grown fond of the character despite his short comings. My main reason for liking the Intruder are the two good things that came as a result.




1) The Capture Copter
This was my sixth birthday present, there is nothing cooler than this toy.



2) Big Trapper
While I never had this vehicle as a kid, I own one now and it looks like it popped out of "Damnation Alley" or "Ark 2".

For more Fashion Mockery and 70's toy love visit us at Plaid Stallions.com


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[HardyGirl]

As a kid, I never saw these. From the packaging and the commercials, these things look as though they were made of rubber instead of hard plastic. For my cousins and I, it was more fun pitting the Joes against each other, or the SMDM or Johnny West, (but we called him John Wayne), instead of some weird caveman.

[toys2cool]

I never saw these until like 97,it's a cool figure

[rche]

I love the intruders. Cavemen + spacemen. If only they had some space dinos to ride.
They do grow on you. Dig the eagle eye looking over his shoulder on the splash page.

[kryptosmaster]

I had one Intruder (and Eagle-Eye Joe & Atomic Mike). Unfortunately it was a victim of my move across country in 1979 when I had to get rid of almost all my toys. :(
Rich

[Jason73]

I'd love to get one or two of these guys to battle my AT Joes.

[haran_banjo_]

I own a Palitoy Intruder, the one with gold suit (the chief, the simple soldiers have the grey suit).
It isn't a beautiful item, it has a really poor movement and I've knew it few years ago, 'cause in Italy isn't arrived.
This is mine:



In consideration I own Bullet Man and Atomic Man in box, I've decided to own almost one Intruder in box. The next step is the Land Adventurer with eagle eyes to end the series.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I've never had an Intruder, but I consider him a fascinating example of a line revamp. His stocky stature also foreshadows Mattel's MOTU figures of years later.

Chris

[DocDrako]

I never had an Intruder but he has that classic appeal. I may have to get one for my meager Adventure Team collection. On a side note I gotta say I really love the classic GI Joe package art. It's my favorite classic toy art besides Mego.

[Mikey]

It seems like it was a toy that was designed for some other reason then Joe and then the idea was abandoned... making him a Joe bad-guy by default.

[Neutron X]

Brian the intruder pics are great! There is Ledy version of this as well.
It always bothered me GIJOE was bigger than the Intruders. So here is a Kitbash I made to even things up.

[Mikey]

He resembles A Martinez with a Kenny Loggins beard

[cjefferys]

I remember the commercials but I never had one of these (the only Joe I had was Atomic Man). My friend had one though. I didn't care for the figure at the time, but I now think he has a certain charm.

I never saw a boxed Palitoy Intruder or even knew there was one, that is very cool.

[rche]

YES, the boxed Palitoy is fantastic!
Artwork through the ages. Dig it!

[haran_banjo_]

This is the Hasbro blistered, front and back:


But I know there's also a boxed Intruders by Hasbro, a simple box in three colors, black, white and red with a stylized Intruders as a picture.