The History of GI Joe: A Real American Hero (1986 Edition) 

Love how his tape deck is Blaster from the Transformers. Lol.

I feel so fortunate to have grown up in this era! Rushing inside the house as a kid after school to watch Heman GIJoe, Thundercats Silverhawks was a dream come true, The lession and morals that were taught were priceless and dear to my heart . Thank you Michael! Yo Joe!

This was the Golden Age of G.I. JOE. I will never forget those days and those toy shelves!

1986-1987 was a helluva span from GI Joe, to Transformers, Thundercats, He-Man and on and on ! Miss the good ole days

G.I.JOE ARAH 1982-1986 is the best five year run of any toy line in history. Like, it’s not even close. Great video as always, good sir. Nerdmaste and YO JOE!!!

The introduction of Serpentor was when they started to lose me as a kid. That along with the move from realistic looking vehicles and uniforms to a more science-fiction setting. But I would hold on until about mid-1987 before my interests shifted over to comic books, then Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1988. For me, the concept of GI Joe is strongest the more grounded in reality it is.

The amount of editing in this was impressive. Hell of a video!!

IMO, 1986's a top 5 year for GI Joe. Memorable characters and vehicles introduced, as well as the last full season of the Sunbow cartoon.

Can we all just take a minute and appreciate the amount of work that went in to naming each figurine, playset, vehicle and such. The more of these videos I watch, the more I realize how much effort was put in ahead of time. Thanks Ron Friedman and Hasbro! Edit: Hey, thanks for the love!

Imagine if Hasbro could get their act together and get these toys back on shelves at affordable prices like Mattel has with their Masters Of The Universe Origins line

Cobra Commander's line about being a great stand-up comedian is probably an inside joke, since the voice actor really was a stand-up comedian!

Man I remember getting my Sgt.Slauter

1986 was an excellent year for GI Joe. Recently I just acquired a Thundermachine and a few Dreadnoks. I'm slowly reuniting the family. The Sears exclusive Dreadnok vehicles are very rare and can be considered grail pieces. Thanks for another great video.

I remember getting the Tomahawk for Christmas and was so excited after I opened it I immediately started playing with it and didn’t even want to open the rest of my presents that year. Watching these videos brings back so many good memories I had as a kid.

That was my favorite year of GI Joe, those are the figures I remember most on the playground. Thanks for the awesome video!

Thank You, Mom and Dad for making Great toys like GI-JOE when i was a kid, I like the WHOLE TOY COLLECTION and Cartoons to go with it , i was glad to be a boy , i Love when 🇺🇸 Christmas come around back in the 80s

My favorite Dreadknock quote...Destroy the foundation...and the rest come tumblin down

This was the year when I got fully into the toy line, later than most people my age. I got more vehicles and it's the only year where I got all the new figures. Sadly, I didn't get the Cobra Terror Drome though. Little playsets and vehicles like the L.A.W, the Surveillance Port and the Devilfish weren't just for "kids who couldn't afford the big" stuff, but for anyone filling out the equipment. I often wanted the small stuff just as much as the big stuff because it served a purpose.

G.I. Joe- A Real American Hero is simply the greatest action figure line ever made.

Beachhead made this wave for me, but it's so hard to pick a favorite lol. Great job as always!

I was ten years old in 1986 and I too was noticing a more sci-fi aspect with both G.I.Joe and Transformers because I was collecting both at the time and the shows were maturing as I was, 1986 was also when my friend introduced me to the Marvel G.I.Joe comic and I was blown away at seeing characters die that it reignited my comic collecting.

Fun Fact: Sgt Slaughter and his "battle battalion" of AWA wrestlers also defeated the legendary monster truck Bigfoot in a tug-o-war which was broadcast live during a USHRA show in minneapolis in january of '86, it would also be included on the Blood, Sweat & Gears video that was released that summer.

14:50 "Cobra's got a new hydro sled and that's real danger-ous for GI Joe" LOLOLOL that was awesome!

I agree. 86 was the BEST yr for G.I.Joe!

Finally! The year I really got into G.I. Joe.

My science teacher in Junior High knew all about, Serpentor back in the day!

I love that a large part of these videos is actually playing with the toys. Brings back loads of memories. Thanks!

I was 10 years old In 1986. What a great time to grow up with all these cool gi joe figures and vehicle’s 👍🏻

My absolute favorite year, I love 1990 and 1984, but this tops them all.

True story: When I first saw the episode with Sergeant Slaughter a few years back, my testosterone levels increased by 5000%. Now I can benchlift weights with just my mind alone. YO JOE!

The last good year of GI Joe. I still love the ‘82 team best but this was a good line up.

My whole childhood revolved around G.I. Joe. It was my life. I grew up poor in East LA but I had a huge imagination with my only 4 figures. Flint, Gung-ho, Sgt Slaughter, and Beach Head. I always dreamed of seeing the USS FLAG in person but still haven't. I'm 42 now and just last week I found G.I. Joe socks and wore them with pride... but unfortunately my girlfriend didn't agree. She's gonna really lose it when I go on a shopping spree thanks to this video. When the newer movies came out I almost vomited...by the way, did everyone forget Sgt. Slaughter was supporting the Iraqis with General Mustafa (Iron Shiek in Iraqi uniform) in the WWF?🤔 There's gotta be a poll on how many kids enlisted in the military due to G.I.Joe's influence...

This was brilliantly done. Your use of animation, staged skits, camera work (slow panning, zooming in, etc.) and editing are really professional. I would also like to note that your lighting is excellent as I never have to strain to see what you item of focus is as you go from character to character and vehicle to vehicle; all at a pace that is never too slow or feels rushed. Here's to looking forward to 1987 EDITION. It is comforting to know you already have the biggest items from that year in your museum, so gathering the smaller stuff should be easy by comparison. YOJOE!!🇺🇸🙏👍👍✌

bringing back some memories. Looking back, its strange how the toy designs utilized the foot pegs to accommodate passengers in spaces that would never have passengers. standing on the bumper of a moving truck, standing on the railing of a moving helicopter, standing on the ledge of a moving boat....

Love this G.I Joe history. I´m looking forward to some more and the Tiger Force Edition.

I owned almost all of the toys featured in this video. On my 11th birthday my parents took me to Child World and allowed me to pick out a large playset. They had two USS Flagg's there and I immediately ran over to it. Guess what, they said no way. Not only was it over $100 (it was $109.99 IIRC) but the bigger deal was that the box was too big they claimed to fit in the car. Right next to the Flagg was the Terror Drome for $49.99. I chose that. I loved the Terror Drome and played with it for a few years until it kind of sat in the basement for some time collecting dust. It was just so big and I had really nowhere in my room to store it, and it wasn't like I could easily move it around. After some years I got bored of it and it sat in a corner. Until one day when I decided when I was around 14 to have my OWN battle against Cobra. As much as it pains me to reveal this now, I shot the Terror Drome up with my newly acquired Crosman Air Rifle. I have no idea why I did that. I always took great care of my toys as a kid (most I did not even play with and they went immediately on display on shelving units...yeah...I was a weird kid) but for some reason I did this to the Terror Drome. I cannot recall what happened to it after that. My parents may have tossed it, or maybe it ended up being sold as is at one of our yard sales. So, if someone out there owns one with a few hundred BB holes (and a few embedded into the plastic)...now you know why.

This was SOOOO GOOD, thanks for uploading. I'm 42 and recently started to want to recollect my joes from back in the day. This year (86) was the absolute peak for me and this video really locked that in for me. With all that there is too recollect (really wanting my Slice and Dice back lol) I was looking for a starting point with the serious recollecting and I have now decided on 86. I have some loose joes that I got from a comic store and I got a good deal (3 for $5) one of em is iceberg v2 and another is double blast who i didnt know wasnt roadbloc because i wasnt messing with joes at that point. then I have a cobra officer from the 2000s as well so the only one that is close to where i wanna be is the v2 iceberg. anyway, thanks again for making this video, loved the pace and use of clips and all the info. GREAT WORK , I subbed btw.

People seemed to think Dr. Mindbender was crazy, but he had a dignity about him. Plus, that Cobra cape he wore was awesome! That Thunder Machine was completely Mad Max-inspired. I had all the Drednoks! Even Zanzibar! I had that Special Missions set with Claymore! The cassette it came with is downright bonkers.

This was so fun to watch, and such a blast from the past... I'll never forget picking up a new action figure at Toys R Us or Childs World..

The time ,effort and love you put into your videos are recognized and absolutely appreciated Michael!! You never disappoint, U ROCK BUDDY!

Beach Head was my favorite figure out of the ones I owned for this year. Terror Drome I never had. That’s probably going to have to be added to my bucket list.

Best time of my life . Playing with my joes! Makes me so sad that the 80s were the best for kids and now it’s gone forever

3:12 “...I don’t USE any deodorant!” 😆

Wow! Thanks so much Michael! I’m stunned at your production quality! The special effects, the camera work amd lighting-it’s all awesome!

My brother had the Night Raven. It was such an awesome toy!

This is the line of Joe's I grew up with I was born in 81 so I was two young for the early versions. But when the GI Joe movie came out I was all about GI Joe

Awesome review. Watched with the kids and my wife at breakfast. Just recieved the dvd set for the first season for my birthday yesterday! Love these years of joe! Yo Joe!

Oh man...that Sgt. Slaughter sequence was EPIC!

Please please please continue the history of GI Joe through the years!!! It’s been so awesome watching the 1982-1986, seriously reliving my childhood! And even seeing things released that I had never seen or heard of before, mainly the exclusives. But your videos are like little time capsules of my childhood! Thank you so much for that, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE continue with the next year,and the one after that, and the one after that, and the one after that, and the one after that!

Wish I was still a kid running off the bus so I wouldn't miss the episode...toys were awesome

Dr. Mindbender..... the only Scientist with a six pack.😂

I spent every dime of allowance and birthday checks all on GI Joes. My dad bought me the aircraft carrier for Christmas but my mom would take any gifts he sent me and say it was her or “Santa”. For the longest time im3as only allowed to get Joes. My Stepbrother got Cobra when he stayed with us and both sides at his moms. That first night I had the carrier setup I think i slept on the thing my mom finally divorced that stepdad and for a while I didn’t have to worry about me or my mom getting hit. Unfortunately in remove most of my collection disappeared. Even the carrier got thrown in a shed with pieces lost. I always thought Cobra had some cooler vehicles. The aircraft that had the drone on its back like the SR-71 Blackbird(my favorite aircraft in the world) was really cool. We used to set up little track we could send guys down on skis. And of course every kid’s favorite thing, making paper clip grappling hooks and making zip lines from one side of the room to the other.. man I miss my G I Joes....... and really miss my micro machine collection.

Good thing for Monkeywrench there weren't any big hairy spiders in the area.

I loved my Night Raven! I got it Christmas '87 I was six. and my grand parents unboxed it and and set it up under a white snow covered (fake snow)Christmas tree with blue lit Christmas lights. And that G.I. Joe X-wing fighter but the Raven.. Man what a lucky kid! Thanks for the vid lots of positive nostalgia!

I can't believe ole Beachhead wasn't a 1st Gen or O.G. G.I.JOE figure. What with the level of importance he took on the team and G.I.JOE mythos. As bossy as he was, you'd think he was in the original toyline by the way he kicked Falcon out of the team in the animated movie.

Not my favorite year for GI Joe, but easily in the top four. I loved how much time you spent on Sgt. Slaughter. He was great as a character. Thanks for this video!

1986 was the peak for the '80s line.

I have always considered myself 'checked out' after 85 but after acquiring a minty fresh complete Beachhead I have newfound interest in the 86 line. Also, your videos always have a way of peaking my interest in things I would not have normally considered collecting. Thanks for another incredible review Michael. NERDMASTE!

Awesome video. Really appreciate the lighting you displayed much of these with. The Night Raven and Serpentor particularly looked menacing.

im 40 years old im glad that I grew up in this erra,what a great time to grow up in,and everything that came out was 1st time new! I had many of these gi joes

This was indeed another fine history lesson...💯✔😌

I still remember when my buddy laughed when he heard me call Low Light "Low life". For the longest time, I thought that was his codename. I miss those days. Such awesome toys!

I recently re-watched the old GI Joe cartoon, going back and watching it as as an adult, I loved how they made the team sniper the guy that always has nightmares.

'86 was a life-changing year for me. My family sold our ranch, and moved to a small town. The kids at the old school were huge Transformers and G.I.Joe fans. The kids at the new one weren't. Aside from just a few of them, the kids there were far more into sports and "just hanging out" than imagination or reading. It didn't help that the Joe and TF cartoons were changed to early mornings on weekdays, either. So for me, G.I.Joe peaked in '85, even though I did get a decent number of the '86 Joe's for birthday and XMas. It just wasn't the same after that.

86, the last great line! I was lucky enough that my mom & dad had a small toy shop as as well as my aunt . . . so I was indeed living the GI Joe access dream as a kid. great collection!!! envious!

Interesting that the commander said that about stand up comedy considering that chris lata. His voice actor was a comedian

I find myself laughing way too hard at the reenactments and dramatizations! Fantastic work,had been looking forward to this! Great content, thanks from a new sub!

This was so good. All your history of videos are my favorites.

This was so awesome to watch,...especially how you had the toys mimic the cartoons. & Sgt. Slaughter taking care of the trash like he was the terminator, & grunting / growling like Mr. T. LOL! I was LMAO the whole time. I bet it was a blast to setting them all up to make this video. Again, AWESOME Job.

Great observation on the digital background. Me and my twin bro love Dialtone and Mainframe as a comms and IT expert back then. Got the Devilfish vehicle, Zandar and Zarana recolor. The collector showcase flag is still with me now I gotta go back home and check out my joe toys. We already got the 86 toys and was waiting for this to come out on air on Philippine Television (which came out very late). Good thing we had a Betamax rental store and "The rise of Serpentor" blew our minds since the new characters are already showcased there. Eversince they aired we record all episodes we can muster. But good thing Hasbro is now airing (even live) their animated series on RU-vid. YO JOE!

Thank you so much, Michael. Was well worth the wait 🙏🏼

Looking forward to 87 and 88! Great work! I checked out by 89, still have all my childhood joes, replaced all their o rings as well a few years ago. Can't wait for new videos! Keep it up!

Thank you for sharing this! I can tell a lot of hard work went into making this. It is very much appreciated. 😊

Just discovering this channel, and the G.I. Joe stuff is really enjoyable... excellent presentation where you pose the figures and go into detail about each... loving it

Michael, I absolutely love these segments!😁👍 I can see all the special attention and detail you put into these and it is awesome. Thank you for taking the time to make these. I can say I watch these multiple times because they are great. One request though, please continue through 1994 pretty please!!!😁😁😁

1986 was the last year of the Comic book, show and toy awesomeness to me. Once Zartan got an orange Mohawk… just wasn’t the same. Still love it today but that era from ‘82-86 will always be the best to me.

BeachHead and IceCream Soldier are my favorite GI Joe action figures.

Saturday mornings with Michael Mercy Toy Museum GI Joe history 1986 my favorite year for GI Joe I also enjoyed the movie my favorite character Sergeant Slaughter and my favorite vehicle is the GI Joe havoc

Got some major nostalgia vibes from this. Thanks for bringing back all the great childhood memories...

Love your videos! I was 12 in 86. Had all this stuff, including the Flagg. Remember rushing home to watch the cartoon!

Holy cow I just discovered this channel and it’s brilliant!!!

What a great video -- this must have been a huge amount of labor. Thanks for making it!

Fantastic job my friend, I enjoyed reliving a few moments of my past!

Love the Sgt Slaughter section beating up the enemies

If only the series found again its way to the market!

brings me back to such a great memory spot in my child hood. Back when life was so simple

I had a great time watching this video and going down memory lane. Thanks for all of your hard work in piecing this great video together.

This was really good. I like the info and different takes on the toys I have/had as a kid.

Most of my Joe figures and vehicles are from '86, so I've been looking forward to this retrospective for a while. I loved how Leatherneck and Wetsuit were going at it throughout. Fantastic job, and thank you for taking the time to share your great videos with us.

The title says "The History of GI Joe 1986". I read: all the cool toys you had when you were 9. I click. Thank you.

For me 1986 was the best year with the best G.I.Joe releases

We had all the Transformers, Star Wars, and He-Man collection also. Loved the DreadKnox, especially, the two twins who changed color in the sun.

I had all of them GI Joe, Transformers, Go Bots He-Man, TMNT etc

These history videos are awesome. Please keep up the great work!

2:02 Wow that was extremely cool how you did that; guess it helps to have all the Joes to realize that.

Oh man, I did not want this vid to end. All of your vids have Such fun editing on a subject near and dear to my heart.

A big salute to Mike. Thank you for the video. I recently had to sell my entire collection, so seeing this truly warmed heart. I'm hoping when the movie comes out next year I will be getting back into collecting again if the money is available. I miss my GIJOE bigtime. Keep cranking out the cool vids bud and thanks again.

Great video Michael, your editing is really top notch. Yeah 86 was the last big year for me too, sad to see Sunbow wrap up production but all good things must come to an end. I vividly remember that Christmas, I got the Terror Drome, most expensive and largest toy I ever got, think it was $50ish back in the day. I passed on some of the more outlandish vehicles, 87 would be the very last year I bought any new Joe toys, the combination of the outlandish designs and puberty kicking in spelled the end of G.I.Joe days, for a while anyway.

Michael this was your best work yet in my opinion! That x35 cloud shot ❤️

I had (and still have) a lot of these.