REVIEW: GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra - Agent Helix

Produced by Hasbro | Released 2009

Agent Helix is a covert operations officer with advanced Martial Arts training and expert marksmanship. An Olympic-class gymnast, her distinctive ''Whirlwind Attack'' is an overpowering combination of kicks and firepower.

Packaging Shots

Agent Helix

Agent Helix was a character created for the GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra videogame, developed by Double Helix (hence the name.) She has since been made ''canon'' with her appearances in the IDW GI Joe comicbooks. But that's enough history for now - let's get to the actual figure.

The sculpt is great. One thing I always like about Hasbro's GI Joe females (GI Janes?) is that they look like women, rather than men with boobs and long hair. Agent Helix is no exception. There's a definite sense of the feminine form about her and whilst she may well live-up to the tough-girl-with-guns videogame cliché, she's still a very well-produced, good-looking figure.

The figure's sculpt is a new one, created especially for this toy and that much is clear. There's a lot of unique detail and design not seen on other characters in the line, such as the pinched-waist corset/harness, utility belt and rolled sleeves. It's a nicely detailed sculpt with some good asymmetrical design and a lot to engage the eye.

The head sculpt is also new (although it was later used for the Dialtone in a Toys R Us-exclusive Army Builder pack) and looks great. Unlike some of the other Rise of Cobra figures, Agent Helix's facial features are easy on the eye and her signature hairstyle works well to compliment the look. I like that it's practical but also retains some femininity. As I said before, I like that the GI Joe women look like women.

The sculpt does have a few problems though. This may be limited to my figure but Agent Helix's face has some casting pockmarks on her cheek (or is she sporting a scar?) and the exposed wrists don't fit as tightly to her sleeves as I'd have liked. They're only really there if you look closely and do little to detract from the quality of the design.

Articulation is very good. Although Agent Helix has no waist joint, it's still possible to get some superb poses from her and the joints themselves are fluid yet capable of holding poses well.

The figure's paint design is eye-catching without being neon-bright and pretty well applied on the whole. There's some good detail on the belt and corset, with a number of silver studs/buttons setting-off the sculpt nicely. It's unfortunate that the belt's silver pouches have a sloppy paint app, as this does detract a little from the figure's quality. Similarly, there's a little spill-over on her gloves and neck.

I'm also a little confused as to why Hasbro's designers lined-up the yellow/grey arm stripes in the way they did. Basically, the line remains ''unbroken'' when the elbow joints are pointing inward, which just seems strange. A lot of Joes come with their arms in this position, so perhaps it's deliberate. It just seems odd though.

Facial detail is highlighted well with a clean paint app and her hair is rendered in a two-tone/highlight pattern that is a little heavy-handed for my tastes but still looks pretty cool.

Extras

Agent Helix comes with an assortment of weapons, including her signature twin 10mm autopistols, an assault rifle, a machete and an oversized rocket launcher.

The accessories are one of the poorer areas of the figure. Cast from a very light grey, toy-like plastic they detract somewhat from the more lifelike colouring of Agent Helix. They can also be quite difficult to get her to hold properly and have a tendency to pop-out of her hands. As soon as I finish this Review, I'm going to find some replacement pistols from the my Pursuit of Cobra spares box.

Agent Helix also comes with her own base. This can be a little difficult to get her to stay on, thanks to the port on her foot being positioned in the instep created by her heeled boot. It's fairly easy to get her to remain in-place once you figure this out, though.

Final Thoughts

It's difficult to find fault with Agent Helix's sculpt. She's a sexy, sassy, athletic fighter that has a very distinctive look yet remains ''of'' the line. I know I keep saying it, but kudos to Hasbro's designers for producing a figure that genuinely looks female.

Whilst the paint app is a little sloppy and the accessories are disappointing, Agent Helix is still a great figure. She's fun to pose, has a great range of mobility and her design is eye-catching and detailed enough to keep you looking. She reminds me a lot of the Resolute/City Strike Snake Eyes. Not only do they share a design look and sport similar colouring but they also have a the same kind of covert-ops thing going on. And they're both great figures.

Granted, younger, male kids probably won't be too happy playing with Agent Helix (because girls are icky) but she's a very robust, solidly-produced figure that could withstand a good play-session yet at the same time is highly detailed and looks great on the shelf.

It's just a shame Hasbro gimped her on the accessories front. But if you've a few spare weapons lying around (and let's face it, most Joe collectors do) you can easily kitbash her up to standard and when you do, you'll find Agent Helix to be a superb addition to your collection.

Scores

Sculpt	A
Paint	B
Articulation	A-
Production Quality	B+
Final Score	A-

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