One of Hasbro‘s more brilliant innovations in the ’80s was to rerelease older, discontinued G.I. Joe figures and vehicles in new, themed paint schemes, allowing newer collectors to get some of the items they’d missed, and pressuring completists to rebuy toys they already had because the new color schemes were often better and more intricate. The first of these was Tiger Force, with stripes-on-yellow paint and angry faces on the vehicles. Well, who’s the most famous tiger in nerdy pop culture right now? Shiva from The Walking Dead, of course!
This combination of notions has led to an amazing tribute set that will be a San Diego Comic-Con Skybound exclusive from McFarlane Toys.
You could be forgiven for thinking these are from another toy line, thanks to Jason Edmiston’s spot-on tribute artwork, but the “Real Apocalypse Heroes” are in fact 5-inch Walking Dead comic-based figures: three special repaints, plus an all-new Shiva. A fifth team member, Jesus, will be available in Skybound’s summer megabox, which you can sign up for now.
To announce these awesome throwbacks, Skybound has made a somewhat NSFW version of a retro toy commercial for them:
And keeping the Shiva Force love going, Shiva Force King Ezekiel will be available for free in Scopely’s role-playing mobile game The Walking Dead: Road to Survival starting on July 20:
The four-figure set will retail for $100, and will feature regular colors and bloody versions, each in a limited run of 1,000. So you might have to be more of a runner than a walker to grab one.
And now I want a two-pack of the Governor and Negan as Cobra Commander and Destro. I can’t be the only one, right?
For now, though, that Shiva is a must-have; check our gallery below for closer looks at her and her companions. Are you roaring for delight like we are? Claw your way into our comments section and let us hear you!
Images: Skybound
