Hello. How have you been? Are you still interested in old GI Joes? Because most of the time I still am.

Today we’re looking at a figure that is absolutely nobody’s favorite. But it’s one I got carded for less than the cost of a Wendy’s combo meal a couple years ago, and I’ve been itching to clip the accessories from the weapons tree, take some photos, and then never think about again.

So here’s 1993 GI Joe Star Brigade Duke from the Armor Tech sub-line.

Let’s get to it.

Even in the Past, No One Cared About 1993 GI Joe Star Brigade Duke (Armor Tech)

Armor Tech is pretty much universally hated by vintage GI Joe fans. The figures don’t feature the series’ standard articulation, the proportions are different from regular Joe figures, and the heavy space-faring sci-fi themes don’t sit well with most collectors.

Those things weren’t a huge concern for kids in 1993, though. We were open to the idea of Armor Tech, but there were also a ton of other Star Brigade, Ninja Force, Street Fighter, Mega Marines, and Battle Corps figures on the pegs to choose from that year. With so many options, it was kind of tough to get too excited about Armor Tech, even though the very concept didn’t offend us.

Way back in my Armor Tech Destro review, I talked about my friend across the street who owned that Destro and a BAAT. We really liked those figures and used them pretty often.

But I never owned any Armor Tech figures myself as a kid, with once exception. I was all about GI Joe going to space, but Star Brigade didn’t exactly fulfill what I wanted from an all-out science fiction GI Joe toy line. I liked them anyway, but I wasn’t thirsting to complete the sub-line.

I did get an Armor Bot for Christmas in 1993, so I had Armor Tech Hawk. I liked him, but he spent nearly all of his time in the Armor Bot’s cockpit. He also didn’t really get my imagination going like other figures did, despite reminding me of my beloved (and vastly superior) 1991 Hawk figure.

So, basically, Armor Tech was accepted by my friends and I, but it wasn’t really on the forefront of anyone’s minds. From commercials and marketing materials, I thought Robo-JOE looked cool. I also really liked Heavy Duty and Rock n Roll as characters, so I wouldn’t have minded owning those. I was also fond of my friend’s Destro and BAAT. Hawk was around, too, and he was fine.

But you know who was on absolutely nobody’s radar? 1993 GI Joe Star Brigade Duke (Armor Tech). I never knew anyone who owned the figure, anyone who wanted the figure, or anyone who even mentioned the figure.

Armor Tech Duke was a total non-entity when I was a kid in 1993, and he continues that legacy today.

And here’s why.

1993 GI Joe Star Brigade Duke (Armor Tech) Review

This version of Duke was released in 1993 as part of GI Joe’s Star Brigade Armor Tech sub-sub-line. These figures featured vastly different construction than “normal” GI Joe figures from 1982-1994. They have no rubber o-ring and cannot be opened with a screwdriver. Instead of the standard Joe articulation, they only feature a swivel head, swivel shoulders, hinged elbows, swivel wrists, swivel hips, and hinged knees. Several of the figures have missile launcher arms (like Duke here), which means they have even less articulation.

I’ve since learned there is a reason for this. While my prior theory was that Hasbro was trying to compete with bulkier superhero and sci-fi figures from Toy Biz and Kenner, I’ve come across some new information. I’m sure there is some merit to my idea, too, though.

Observe this tweet from Necronomitron:

There’s no source cited here, so take it with a grain of salt. I tend to believe it, though, because of this 1993 catalog:

Catalog Image Courtesy of 3DJoes

Note how you can see Transformers Action Masters Shockwave’s silhouette next to the Armor Bot. I think a few of the other blacked-out figures are likely Action Masters, as well.

I honestly might try that kitbash idea in a future Armor Tech or Action Master review. Sounds fun!

Anyway, onto Duke himself.

As I mentioned previously, I bought this figure carded for about $10. Strangely, I never took a photo of the carded figure before I opened it. That is unusual for me. But it also shows just how much I actually care about 1993 GI Joe Star Brigade Duke (Armor Tech).

Sorry about that. But here’s the figure:

Aside from his head, Duke is made up entirely from parts of other Armor Tech figures. His arms come from Armor Tech Heavy Duty, his torso comes from Armor Tech Hawk, and his legs come from both Hawk and Robo-JOE. Not much effort was put into this guy.

I do really like the sparkly blue paint used on the left side of Duke’s torso, but wish it continued onto his left leg. That’s just regular blue plastic. Similarly, the half-black-half-blue color scheme gives the figure a more interesting look than it would have otherwise, but that only goes so far.

The left missile launcher arm presents a few problems, but we’ll go more into those later. As far as pure sculpted detail goes, I like how it looks– like a gatling gun with many barrels, which seems like a devastating weapon for an armored space warrior to have.

And, though they’re reused and not at all unique to the figure, I like the sculpting on the legs. They look neat.

The head sculpt may be the most interesting part of the figure. Clearly, the sculptors were going for a Duke v1 look. It’s not the same mold at all, but the intention is there. Which is interesting, since that’s not really how Duke looked in the 90s otherwise.

You’ll also notice Duke’s left eye is droopy. The paint application is just off. Perhaps it’s a problem unique to my copy of the toy, but that’s not something you really ever saw during the vintage ARAH run. Generally, eye paint applications were uniformly solid from 82-94.

The funniest part about that little facial fiasco is that it’s identical to the problems facing the 2022 Hasbro o-ring Duke. Observe:

I’m not really sure why Hasbro wanted to homage the original Duke head sculpt with this figure, but it’s fine when taken on its own. It just becomes puzzling when you consider the other versions of Duke available in the 1990s.

The 1992 Duke was an iconic figure for people my age. He was our version of Duke. He was all over marketing materials, all over the DIC cartoon, represented in video games, and probably present in every GI Joe-loving kid’s toybox. Armor Tech Duke looks nothing like him.

He also looks nothing like the other Duke released in 1993 (Battle Corps) and even less like the Star Brigade Duke released in 1994.

The head sculpt isn’t really a problem, other than the sloppy paint application. It’s just more of a curious choice.

Onto accessories.

Like most 1993 figures, all of Duke’s gear (other than his helmet) came attached to a weapons tree. You had to clip the weapons out yourself.

First, let’s look at the helmet:

Unlike most Armor Tech helmets, Duke’s doesn’t fit him very well. It’s prone to falling off and the entire back of his neck is exposed while he’s wearing it. It’s also very boring compared to what Destro, Rock n Roll, Robo-JOE, and Heavy Duty got. The little black paint application is nice, though, I guess. I guess.

Here’s the entire single carded Armor Tech lineup so you can compare for yourself:

Aside from the helmet, Duke came with a red battle stand, two red missiles, a modified red version of 1991 Cloudburst‘s assault rifle, a red version of 1991 Flint’s laser bazooka, and a red knife that was available with a ton of other 1993 figures in various colors.

Let’s start with the big gun. I like this weapon, even though including it with any version of Flint was always a little bit weird. It makes much more sense with an armored space trooper than it does with the leader of the Eco Warriors. Granted, it may not actually be a laser bazooka, but I’ve always seen it that way.

I will note that Duke doesn’t really grip the handle very well, and you have to sort of turn the weapon sideways a bit in his hand if you want him to hold it securely.

The rifle also works pretty well for Duke, in theory. Cloudburst’s trusty weapon is now missing its stock, which allows Duke to hold it– up to a point. In reality, the handle is too thin for him to grip and it just sort of sits loosely in his hand. Still, the gun is somewhat reminiscent of 1992 Duke’s weapon, so I don’t mind it being included here. It adds a bit of continuity.

Next up, we have the knife. Knives are pretty useful whether you’re on Earth, in space, or in the CBGB bathroom circa 1978. Again, he doesn’t hold it very well, but it’s a decent little accessory.

And, in case you were curious, the missile launcher functions perfectly well and shoots the two included red missiles clear across the room with no issues.

Now that the Objective Truths are out of the way, let’s talk about why 1993 GI Joe Star Brigade Duke (Armor Tech) is probably the worst figure in the entire vintage ARAH line. Yes, worse than the original Deep Six. At least that toy had a purpose.

First, the obvious– the reduced articulation is not ideal. The weapon arm is strange (where is Duke’s real arm? Is this a cybernetic replacement? Etc.). The design is uninspired. He has a droopy eye. He can’t hold his weapons very well. But it goes deeper than that.

I like the idea of GI Joe fighting aliens and Cobras in space. I am fine with Duke being there with them, as he is an important character in the mythos. I guess I’m even fine with Duke wearing a heavy suit of armor while he does it. But the way it was all executed is just plain bad.

Let’s consider the other members of GI Joe’s Armor Tech team. If you’re going to send some walking tanks with heavy firepower into space, Heavy Duty and Rock n Roll are your guys. Giving them tons of armor and weapons is great. They fit the concept very well. Rock n Roll also got an awesome helmet, a cool shoulder-mounted missile launcher, and can dual-wield big automatic weapons. Heavy Duty is a natural fit for the gatling gun arm and he is covered in horns and spikes. I love it. They both look cool and are about as good as any Armor Tech figures could ever be.

Robo-JOE, as a scientist/cyborg, also fits the concept. His half-robotic body is built into his bulky, armored spacesuit. Star Brigade Armor Tech is the perfect place for him.

Duke, though? I’m not sure about the whole thing. Duke is L7. Squaresville, man. The spikes on his arm do not fit with such a straight-laced character, and I don’t really see him wearing a big suit of power armor. The gatling gun arm also makes no sense, as Duke has never been a heavy weapons guy. And compare him to Rock n Roll, Heavy Duty, and Robo-JOE– they all look cool, their appearance matches their character, and they all have something that makes them stand out and look unique. Cool orange and black spackled paint, great helmets, good head sculpts, and fun colors.

Duke has none of that. He is entirely an afterthought. He’s only in the line because he is a popular character, but Hasbro decided to make him with cobbled-together parts. There is nothing unique about him and nothing to make him stand out. He has every flaw present in the Armor Tech sub-line (and then some!), but he’s also completely, utterly boring.

With something like Armor Tech, you have to go big or go home. Duke did not go big, but he also had the audacity to not go home. This is a boring figure that makes absolutely no sense. Even in a maligned line like Star Brigade. Armor Tech, Duke is the most blatant example of a “filler figure” I can think of, and that includes the copious repaints we saw in 1993 and 1994. At least those figures are standard GI Joes, and even the worst GI Joe is still a good action figure.

There is nothing good about 1993 GI Joe Star Brigade Duke (Armor Tech).

But, on the bright side, at least GI Joe’s first sergeant was somewhat redeemed in 1994 by his other Star Brigade figure. But we’ll get there when we get there.

For today, we just have to consider the lowest GI Joe: A Real American Hero ever sank. And that was 1993 Star Brigade Duke.

Overall: This toy is bad. It’s bad even by Armor Tech standards. Even if you can excuse reduced articulation, reused body parts and accessories, and sloppy paint, this toy is still bad. It’s nonsensical and, even worse, it’s boring. I find no redeeming value here and I like Star Brigade. If you’re a completist, you’re going to buy this toy eventually if you haven’t already. For everyone else, this is a figure I recommend you Avoid.

Additional Resources:

• Armor Tech Duke at 3DJoes
• Armor Tech Duke at YoJoe.com

Closing Thoughts on 1993 GI Joe Star Brigade Duke (Armor Tech)

Thanks for joining me! Next time, we’ll look at a toy I don’t dislike nearly as much as this one.

Also, I got a new phone with a new camera. What do you think?

Also, have you come around to Armor Tech? If not, what is your least favorite figure in the vintage ARAH toy line? Let me know in the comments!