Sgt. Slaughter is my favorite GI Joe character. I'm not afraid to admit it. Anyone that knows me knows that. In fact it's the first thing I tell someone when I meet them.

"Hi nice to meet you, Sgt. Slaughter is my favorite GI Joe."

It's a hit at gas stations. A lot of Joe purists think that Slaughter is a disgrace, much less can he be your favorite Joe. GASP! Oh no! You didn't select Snake Eyes as your favorite?! What is wrong with you man? Some even contend that the Sarge isn't a real part of GI Joe. Placing him next to the Fridge as some celebrity brief stint. How could a "wrassler" be qualified to be a GI Joe?


You know, GI Joe, the elite unit that has basketball players, mutes, guys with dogs, CHUCKLES... But Sgt. Slaughter is too much? Please. Some have said Sgt. Slaughter was simply too tough because he kicked butt in his cartoon and comic appearances. REALLY? Seth, Amy, REALLY? Come on, has anyone ever seen Snake Eyes? Duke? Those guys did way more than Sarge ever did. Plenty of characters were "tough" in GI Joe. Singling out the Sarge is ridiculous as it is unfounded. A few facts about both the Slaughter character and the man he was based on.

FACT: Sgt. Slaughter has appeared in ever incarnation of GI Joe. From the Sunbow cartoon to the DiC cartoon. He appeared in the Marvel Comics run. He was featured on an IDW cover.

FACT: Unlike the Fridge, Sgt. Slaughter has had five versions of figures made of him. He also had two custom vehicles and a subteam.

What about the man?

FACT: Sgt. Slaughter was a REAL LIFE Marine for six years.

FACT: Sgt. Slaughter's in ring persona was one that very much fit the bill of GI Joe, standing up for America whenever it needed it.

FACT: Sgt. Slaughter has been honored by two US Presidents.

Sorry folks, but Sgt. Slaughter is not just a part of GI Joe, he's a BIG part of it. He was the spokesman for Joe for years and spent many more years afterwards attending conventions, signing autographs and keeping the GI Joe name out there. Even when GI Joe was in dire straits, Sarge promoted it and he's never once looked down on his time as a GI Joe.

Since the Sarge has always been my favorite Joe, I've gotten a lot of versions through the years. I had a custom 25th version made for me. I don't love it, but it's not bad either. My favorite version as a kid was the version that came with the Warthog, pictured below in the center.



Since I've always liked the Sarge in different outfits than the one he is typically depicted in, I decided to make a custom Sgt. Slaughter a couple years back. This was right before the 25th line hit and it's one of maybe four custom figures I've ever made, so I thought I'd show him off. He's pretty much a simple head swap and at the time he was a good "modern" version of the character.



His skin tone slightly differs but I think he's a decent approximation. I was trying to give him big brute arms as the Sarge figures were the first ones to really have huge muscles. Ultimately I would have liked to use Major Barrage's body but it didn't really work. Still this Sarge looks the part to me.



It doesn't seem likely that we'll ever get a 25th or Generation 3 style Sgt. Slaughter any time soon. Trust me, I've begged Hasbro to make it but due to some entanglements with the WWE license it seems like we won't end up with a Sarge. Jakks made a decent one but he's a tad too small. I plan on reviewing him someday, but when I don't know.



Sgt. Slaughter made his name in the GI Joe cartoon in "Arise, Serpentor, Arise" showing up and beating up a bunch of BATs. I decided to recreate the battle using these modern but not current Joe figures. Enjoy!






"Alright, who's next maggot?"

Later today I'll have a full review of another brand new Rise of Cobra toy. Check it out this afternoon!