Action Figure Overview: G.I. Joe - Scarlett (Hasbro, 1982)

Vintage G.I. Joe "Swivel-Arm" Scarlett (Hasbro, 1983)

In 1964, GI Joe became the first doll for boys...I mean "Action Figure."  Hasbro was extremely careful to make sure that GI Joe was never called a "doll" because in the 1960s, the idea of boys playing with dolls was 100% not ok.  The plan worked and throughout the 60s and 70s, GI Joe was a huge seller.  However, Hasbro did make a few missteps along the way.  One of the biggest was the Action Nurse released in 1967.  Apparently, it was ok for boys to play with male dolls if they were called "Action Figures," but no matter what you call it, a female "Action Figure" was still a doll in 1967.  Hasbro learned from their mistake and never released another female character for the GI Joe line for the rest of the 60s and 70s.

"Swivel-Arm" Scarlett with her Crossbow

With the relaunch of GI Joe in the 80s, Hasbro reluctantly included a female figure in the line and the character of Scarlett was born.  I can only assume that Scarlett was given a chance because Hasbro saw how many princess Leia action figures Kenner had sold and didn't want to miss out on whatever demographic was buying them.  Still, they were nervous about the character and initially wanted to downplay her existence.

My childhood Scarlett action figure

On the other hand, GI Joe comic book writer Larry Hama wanted theGI Joe team to have as much diversity as possible and he made it his mission to make Scarlett (and the initial team's only black character, Stalker) as awesome as possible.  Despite the fact that the GI Joe comic book was created to sell the entire line of action figures and toys, Scarlett appears on the cover of 8 of the first 10 issues and is a main character in almost every story!  Scarlett was also one of the main characters in the cartoon series by Sunbow.  Even decades later when the first live action GI Joe movie was released in 2009, Scarlett was still one of the main characters!

A few of Scarlett's many comic book cover appearances. 

As with all of the 1982 GI Joe figures, Scarlett was originally released a single elbow joint that only allowed for the up-and-down movement at the elbow.  This version is typically referred to as the "Straight-arm" version.  The figure was re-released in 1983 with a second joint above the elbow that allowed the arm to swivel as well, giving the figures the ability to better hold their weapons.  This version is commonly called the "Swivel-arm" version.  Although most of the 1982 Joes came with two or three accessories, Scarlett and Stalker were the only two carded Joes from the first wave to come with only one accessory.  

1982 "Straight-Arm" Scarlett and 1983 "Swivel-Arm" Scarlett

While Stalker had a machine gun, Scarlett's only accessory was a crossbow.  It didn't bother me though.  I always thought it was a cool weapon and I didn't mind that she lacked a backpack or helmet or other accessories.  Even thought Scarlett's outfit didn't look very 'military,' I always liked the design of the action figure with the exception of the head sculpt.  Hasbro did a great job a couple of years later with The Baroness, but Scarlett's head always looked a little bit too manly to me.

Scarlett in Action!

Scarlett was described on her file card as coming from a military family with a father and three brothers who were martial arts instructors.  She started training at age 9 and first received her black belt at 15.  This theme was carried into the comic books where Scarlett is seen competing in a martial arts competition in the first issue.  She uses martial arts frequently in the comics, but is also presented as being smart, confident, and capable - a surprisingly good role model for girls considering this GI Joe was a military-themed toy line targeted towards young boys.

Scarlett's vintage File Card (Hasbro, 1982)

Over the years, Scarlett has continued to play a role in the GI Joe universe. Since the first figure came out in 1982, more than 20 different Scarlett figures have been released in the various GI Joe lines.  The way that she was written in the comic book certainly has helped to make Scarlett a fan-favorite character.  I know that she was always one of my main GI Joes ever since I was a kid!

Do you collect G.I. Joe figures?  If so, what do you think of Scarlett?  Tell me below in the comments!

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