Patreon Special Missions: G.I. Joe Skystriker XP-14F with pilot Ace (1983)

Going 'all in' for one of the greatest toys of any era.
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#GIJoe #skystriker

[@Summertimeblues28]

If you had this as a kid you were really lucky. And I did. I was really lucky. Also Thanks Mom.

[@MichaelMercy]

God bless her.

[@sportislife4012]

That's a lovely thing to recognise 😀.... respect to u sir 👏.... i feel the same way- I never had this but I had alot of very cool toys- always felt very blessed by my parents and the situation I had dealt to me- My friend had this- it was beyond awesome 👌

[@Markuma]

I did! It was great!

[@VictorCho]

Totally had the same experience. My mom bought this for me.

[@k.t.1641]

I had the "garage sale" version lol but I ain't complaining. Got plenty of use

[@sneakyquick]

I got one in 1983. I was five. It is the best toy I ever had. I remember my mom taking me to Pennys and picking it up and I made her taje me home so I could play with it. I walked out of the store toting that huge box like a boss!!!

[@SamGuthrie1977]

The Skystriker was the first Joe toy I ever got. My dad got it for me in Christmas of 1984 and I loved it. Unfortunately a neighborhood kid stole it from me a couple years later. I've always wanted another one, so I'll be excited when my Has Lab version finally shows up.

[@aidanacebo9529]

I can't believe I missed the haslab one. what the heck!

[@scottpalmer1109]

I got the killer whale.

[@joshua3732]

When I think back on my childhood I think the Skystriker was probably the best toy I ever owned. I still have my original.

[@RodimusPrime1982]

My old man, the crafty old fox he is, surprised me last year's Christmas with the 30th anniversary XP-F21 Skystriker. He saw I wanted that HasLab Skystriker but you know what, the 30th Anniversary is good enough for me. I had a professional made acrylic stand made for it so I could display it.

[@MichaelMercy]

God bless him. Congrats.

[@RodimusPrime1982]

@@MichaelMercy Thanks Michael that means a lot coming from you. Also, do you know a safe way to disassemble it SAFELY so I can put it back in box when I need to?

[@chumps7974]

That's pretty cool

[@johndorosh5512]

Remember to this day when my dad bought it for me, such a holy grail for children in the 80s.

[@brandonbrown6379]

When I was about 8 or 9 yrs old, Iwas in a Sears catalog add for Hasbro. We spent the day playing/modeling toys for Hasbro. I was featured playing with the U.S.S. FLAGG, Skystriker and various other G.I. Joe toys. The deal was they were going to send me, and the other kids all the toys we modeled with. The add was in the sears catalog showing me and another kid (forgive me I forget get his name) Playing with everything. We were supposed to get everything that was featured in the add. That meant I was supposed to get the Flagg aircraft carrier. Unfortunately, I didn't get the flagg, but i did get a skystriker and Rattler a few months after. I was disappointed, but hey, it was better than nothing! The Skystriker was one of my favorite toys growing up. Thank you for this video, it brought back a lot of great memories.

[@mixmix1487]

My moms boyfriend yelled at me really bad one day (which he never did before) and I went in my room mad. My mom wasn’t home so he came in and apologized and asked if I wanted to go to Toy R Us. We went….and I stared so hard at the Sky Striker that he had no choice to buy it. And that is how I obtained that baby. Pound for pound one of the best Joe vehicles made. Great video sir!

[@nils920]

As someone who never grew up with G.I. Joe I can honestly say the Skystriker is indeed one of the most beautifully looking toy planes ever! The detailing, the wing- and landing-gear mechanism, it truly deserves the greeting "Hello Gorgeous!" Also, I did some basic googling and from what I found Wayne Ruthel was one of the designers who worked at Hasbro at the time, and who I assume designed the Skystriker.

[@zerocooler7]

I love the Skystriker. When I was a kid I saved up my money and then gave it to my dad so he could buy me one. I felt proud to have been able to buy it, and I thought it was awesome. Eventually it got broken and lost or thrown away and I moved on to other GI Joe toys, but I never forgot it. Eventually as an adult I bought another one. I painted the tail fins black and hung the plane from my ceiling, next to a Cobra Rattler. As much as I loved the Sunbow cartoon, it always bothered me seeing the other Joes just wearing their normal outfits when flying the Skystrikers. Like Ace only wears his outfit to show he is the ace pilot, not because flying a military fighter jet requires a special suit to prevent a person from passing out.

[@bleeneo101]

I have pictures in my photo album when I got this for Christmas when I was 3 back in 1983! 😯 One of the best Christmases ever. I also got the the G.I. Joe hydrofoil too. Which was one of my favorite toys ever. Best years to be alive 🙏

[@jasonsangwin4006]

I remember getting this for Christmas, I just about wore it out because it had such great play value. The single switch to open and close the wings was great. This was one of my favorite toys as well as the hovercraft.

[@SamGuthrie1977]

I agree. I love all my vintage GI Joe toys, but if I absolutely had to pick two favorites, it would be the Skystriker and the Whale.

[@cosmicsurfer4963]

Yeeeeeah!!!! I got this for Christmas the year it came out and I'll remember that Christmas my whole life. Every time I see this toy, I remember the feeling I had when I ripped the wrapping paper and seen the box art! Greatest Christmas ever!

[@MichaelMercy]

Lucky!

[@jrewing73]

This brings back many memories! I got this for Christmas in the 80's along with Ace! I LOVED that jet!

[@cestall1]

I remember the smell of the plastic when I first opened the box 39 years ago. Also, I remember being surprised the tailfins were white instead of black like in comics and cartoon. Still, it was an awesome toy.

[@dionanderson8185]

What a great time to live and be raised in memories. 👏🏽

[@RossJNunn]

I had a TON of GI Joe figures, most I bought from allowance earned by mowing lawn and other chores but, I got the Skystriker for my 11th birthday from my Father. It was my pride and joy.

[@Eric-ew8jt]

I had the Jet and the rattler the tank and the the snowmobile with the dog and the Laurie also even saved up UPCs and mailed them away for different characters. The 80s had the best toys the best movies and the best music! . Thanks for the stroll down memory lane

[@MichaelMercy]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Cheers.

[@jsttv]

Great video, and editing as always. I did not have a Skystriker when I was kid, but I was able to get the SDCC Jetfire version about 2 years ago. Then shortly after purchased the SDCC Powerglide. Moreover, they are still still sealed in the box. As soon as I purchase a glass case I will open and display them. Thanks for the tip on how delicate, and to be careful with the tab.

[@reavern]

I loved the G.I. Joe Skystriker as a kid but I never got one. My parents and family bought me mostly Transformers as gifts, and I couldn’t afford the G.I. Joe larger vehicles because I was 4-8 years-old when the cartoon was on the air. I’ve been re-watching the G.I. Joe cartoons on YT recently and it occurred to me that despite some people criticizing the cartoon for being glorified toy commercials, the cartoon really didn’t focus much on the vehicles - not compared to the actual toy commercials. The cartoons were mostly plot or character focused, and the vehicles were there to get Cobra and the Joes where they needed to go and to pew-pew and KA-BOOM! No particular vehicle, boat, or aircraft was ever OP compared to another. Right from the start in the cartoon, countless Skystrikers got blown up by Cobra when they were on the ground but then Duke and Scarlet got a few airborne and turned the tide of the battle. It was a very balanced portrayal. I’ve be collecting the Retro Collection G.I. Joes, including some of the vehicles. I’d love to see the Skystriker in the Retro Collection!

[@drozwalker9]

The Skystriker is one of my all-time favorite GI Joe vehicles. I remember unwrapping the massive box on Christmas and enjoying many hours of having dogfights with friends in the neighborhood. Thanks for an excellent retrospective of an iconic jet and cool pilot!

[@MichaelMercy]

Thanks Droz! Glad you got to have one as a kid.

[@terrywest111]

If they ever grant my wish to actually base the movies on the comics and set the story in the 80s, like they're supposed be... I would love to see the scene with Ace and Wild Weasel saluting each other. FREAKING AWESOME scene!

[@bighands69]

If they did more updated ones but kept to the spirit of the originals would be the way to go.

[@cestall1]

I still have that issue :)

[@andre9191]

Thank you for hitting all the nostalgia buttons on that one. I had all the comics and your right on those two issues being the best. That dog fight/salute image will pop in my head when I see a warthog. The silent issue was great too. I totally forgot you could remove the engines for repair. My cousin and I Would always buy the opposite faction vehicle. Sky striker/ rattler Hovercraft /hydrafoil Tank /hiss tank. Thanks again for another great video fellow Canuckle-Head.

[@edwardsantos9517]

I had the Skystryker as a kid and loved it. GI Joe was my favorite cartoon and toys as a kid.

[@Chrisuperfly1]

I wish I still had all my GI Joes, love your vids it takes me back to better times!

[@kwu2242]

I can still smell my Skystriker. It had a very peculiar, yet pleasant smell. Thanks, Mom and Dad for spoiling me! Thanks, M.M., for showing the parachute; I totally forgot about that feature.

[@1TokeNChoke]

I have an uncle that is three years younger than me. We grew up as best friends and my grandfather always picked me up on weekends so we could play. I remember my uncle and I going to his friends house next door and the kid had the aircraft carrier and a couple of these on the aircraft carrier. The aircraft carrier was huge and took up most of his bedroom. We were very poor and though we had some gi Joe's I remember being so amazed by this jet and wishing I had just one.

[@JimmyFoxhound]

Mannnn all of these years later and I STILL want one!!! lol I love it!!

[@gerainthorton8980]

I had the Sky Striker. when I was a kid It was the biggest toy I had. I wanted the Conquest as it was the modern looking plane. But looking back I'm glad I had the Sky Striker instead. We got GI Joe later in my part of the world so the Sky Striker wasn't released locally. My mother got it on a flight to the UK and had to pack it up in her luggage and haul it across the world with a few other Joe vehicles and figures we didn't get here. To get it her luggage she had to get rid of the box. So the distance my Sky Striker travelled makes it special. My one regret is I never put the stickers on it. Now seeing people post pictures or videos of it I wish I put stickers on mine. My kids now play with it I originally left it at my parents so when we'd visit I'd be asked to pull out the Sky Striker. Mad their faces would light up when it came out.

[@RedSiegfried]

IMO, still the coolest GI Joe toy ever. Better than the HQ, the aircraft carrier, the killer whale or the terror drome ... just so much fun. And I miss the Tomcat!

[@eco8gator]

I have the original on my shelf in the man cave. My kids play with it too...it was cool back in the day and remains cool

[@dylanfgarrison]

I would fly my Sky Striker all over my backyard and then across the street and all through our small town park. It was amazing.

[@Steven-ip8xo]

Hi Micheal or should I say Yo Micheal, also great video, excellent review also The G.I. JOE F-14 SkyStriker With Ace Action Figure was superb, also both The G.I. Joe SkyStriker and Ace(Captain Brad J.Armbuster, 6'0"(adult,cah,195ibs) are two of my absolute best but favorite G.i. Joe Characters ever,also Ace (as of 2022): is a member of both The G.I. JOe Team and The Earth Corps team from inhumanoids as well,also Ace is from Providence,Rhode Island(RI), also as for the Cobra Rattler with Wild Weasel figure and Vehicle I'll watch it tomorrow, also the G.i. Joe F-14 SkyStriker and Ace Vehicle and action figure are superb, I'm also looking forward to watching your next video tomorrow, also Ace is voiced by Pat Farley, also thank you for sharing Micheal keep up the great work stay safe out there have a happy Thanksgiving and YO JOE.🙂👍🇺🇸👌💪🇺🇸🦸🏋️✌️😍😚👏

[@christopheranderson2158]

I got the Sky Striker for my birthday back in ‘83 or ‘84 and played with it constantly! I also had the Dragon Fly helicopter. Good times!

[@omarkho4284]

Its a really amazing toy, I've always loved the design.

[@grahamcracker_Photography]

I got this on a recommended and I'm glad. My cousin got his original. I only got to play with it later when it was missing half the pieces. But even then it was such a joy.

[@Doongie4ever]

I love your GI Joe videos!

[@MichaelMercy]

Thank you. Have a nice day.

[@darthandy6438]

Wonderful video, thank you! Absolutely perfect choice of tune too

[@davidfluty7213]

I have such fond memories of playing with these toys for hours by myself after school! Thanks for the video there’s much I didn’t know about these toys since I was so young.

[@WayWorthRacing]

Man I haven’t thought about this thing in 30 yrs, this and the all metal General Lee were my absolute favorites, crazy nostalgia right now, they don’t make toys like they use too.

[@daviddorward7684]

Good to see you back for such a great vlog! Love this toy.

[@joeottsoulbikes415]

When I was a kid Wild Bill and his helicopter was my favorite. My friend James's dad was a Cobra Helicopter pilot and one day flew to the scool landing on the playground. That's how he went home from school that day. His dad somehow got away with a lot during the Cold War in Germany

[@Lasagabaster]

Great video, Michael! Thanks!

[@MichaelMercy]

Thank you. Have a great weekend.

[@timothywolleck7628]

One of my favorite toys as a kid. Got it for my 6th birthday. Had it for years.

[@threeerasers4873]

My dad owned this as a kid then one day someone set it at the edge of his bed and he liked to run into his room and jump on the bed and fall off it and one day he fell on top of it and broke it he was so upset and had his dad try and fix it but it was beyond repair and they threw it away. Today I want to get my dad a new sky striker toy for his birthday since that toy meant a lot to him.

[@Zan_Jayna]

I love how the remake kept the fact that the gas cannister falls off when you try to hold the plane with it. I glued my original one.

[@jsslush]

Thanks Michael, another great video!

[@MichaelMercy]

Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers.

[@craigbloxham8344]

Glad to see new Joe content from you, love your videos.

[@MichaelMercy]

Thank you. Take care.

[@animationcycles7109]

Fun fact... the Sky Stryker "flies" fantastically, in a lap pool. Center of gravity, was easy to achieve, once you figured out how to angle it into the water for proper air bubbles/water ingress.Not that I would condone doing it today, but that's how my friends and I would fly ours. It glides so gracefully!

[@roshanabraham6869]

I still have mine in a box at my parents place... a little worse for wear with a couple broken parts. kinda cool that almost 40 yrs later we all think back on it fondly!

[@christophermcnulty8786]

My favorite childhood toy.

[@ValkyrieMagnus]

I always wanted the Sky Striker but never got it as a kid. Not till I was in my late 30’s did I finally get one and I was as happy as a kid when I did.

[@tomservo5347]

The Skystriker was too expensive at the time it came out. However I did get the Conquest X-30 for Christmas and it was one of my favorite toys. One of my classmates smuggled in his Skystriker (his mom felt it was too expensive for recess) and we flew missions in tandem against endless waves of imaginary Soviet pilots that had invaded our playground.

[@charliebronson1274]

Marvel's GI Joe, was my comic growing up. Sure I read Spider-Man, Batman etc. But GI Joe was amazing. Larry Hama wrote some amazing stories.

[@malcolmar]

Well done! Sadly, I was not able to have a Skystriker as a kid but a neighbor of mine had one and I thought it was the coolest thing. Fast forward a few decades later and now I was able to back the Haslab Skystriker. Can't wait to finally have my own Skystriker.

[@Schush]

Christmas gift from the Sears catalog of '83.

[@polorsport5007]

Fantastic Video. Thanks for putting in so much time, and effort to cover my favorite Joe. The Top Gun Nes Music was a stroke of Genius.

[@reytech1786]

I just stumbled upon your channel, and hooked! I freaking love everything about it, bring back so many amazing memories. I’m a subscriber, keep making them videos ❤

[@MichaelMercy]

Thank you. Have a lovely night.

[@badgerscratch]

Had a friend who had one too. We mostly just threw the parachutes 🪂 around in the field behind his house. I have one now as a collector and the haslab one on the way. Great video 🍻

[@Xingularity]

Kudos for giving the Skystriker the love it deserves. I had both the Skystriker and the Night Raven as a kid. This toy and later on the movie Top Gun is the reason I wanted to join the Navy to be a pilot. Unfortunately, I need glasses so that shattered that dream. I did go on to join the Army though and my real-life Joe adventures.

[@MichaelMercy]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. 🤝

[@CS-xi9dz]

Had this and loved it! Wish i still had it.

[@mulderncc]

Ahh the memories. Got the Sky Striker for a birthday present. I remember it having an odd smell, brand new right out of the box. Also loved the Joe comics and the more adult themes (realistic war battles, which included death, unlike the show).

[@farminglittlepeople9623]

Absolute beautiful review of my favorite jets ever!👍🙏🇺🇸 Go Joe!💪🏻🇺🇸

[@MichaelMercy]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Yo Joe!

[@Triiplesiix]

Amazing videos man 😎🤘

[@truckingoover]

I remember opening this Christmas morning…one of my most vivid Christmas 🎄 memories as kid

[@walterwright8454]

I had this and it was awesome!!

[@Brees1986]

I loved that issue with the air battle!

[@yamzyzf]

I actually had this as a kid, loved it.

[@andyboy3661]

That pod on the bottom was a cannon as well. It gets used in one issue of the comics.

[@oculus1857]

That end music is dope! 8-bit awesome

[@OldManTheseDays]

Skystriker, Night Raven and Rattler make up (imo) the very finest toy planes ever made.

[@MichaelMercy]

Agreed. The Phantom X-19 has stealthily sneaked onto my prettiest planes list too. Appropriate. 😉

[@eljay5009]

My mate got one of these for Christmas one year when I was a kid. It was absolutely enormous.

[@movienerd202]

I got the MOBAT tank for Christmas and it was awesome.

[@ryanmac8829]

I had the grey version of this as well as the hovercraft. I miss the 80s, good times.

[@ballsdeepsugar]

I had one and the cobra rattler. Great memorys.

[@thebeestingconspiracy]

Shake Down is not just the best single issue of GI Joe ever, it's one of the best single issue Marvel Comics ever..

[@Commander_Bly327]

Never had a Skystriker, but a friend had it AND the Flagg! Had lots of fun playing in his back yard. 😊 Love the 16 bit Top Gun theme!

[@aidanacebo9529]

this was and is my all time favorite joe toy.

[@nickademuss42]

Loved mine, launching the guys out of the cockpit and seeing the parachutes open....I also had the helicopter that you made the rotor spin with a thumb lever...

[@Dreamshadow1977]

I loved this toy as a kid. Played with it til it fell apart. I think I have a box of old toy bits with a couple of the missiles in it, thirty years later.

[@abcdefgh4404]

Good old times when toys for boys were really for boys. I remember my first F-14 GIJOE. Loved it.

[@Deez276]

2 Skystrykers, 1 Rattler, 1 Conquest, 1 Raven and the helicopters too. my room looked like an airfield. Never had the Flagg. Too expensive and too big according to parents lol.

[@konkyolife]

That swing wing switch!

[@eightbit1975]

I never had the Skystriker as a kid but I had a ton of other vehicles. A good friend of mine at the time had the Skystriker and I always wanted one! I didn't really want a second hand original and I passed on the anniversary version. But, I DID back the Haslab version so I will be flying the friendly skies soon!

[@wrayday7149]

I just realized what G.I. Joe was after all these years. It's Duke's subconscious mind active as he passes on into the afterlife. Trying to take off and pushing a stick all the way forward as he did would bury the nose of the aircraft into the ground. Finally makes sense as to why so much outlandish stuff just came off as ops normal.

[@lexdunmon7345]

there were a few instance of Allies & Axis aviators giving a mutual salute in WW2; one example is American pilot Charlie Brown flying his crippled B17, & German pilot Franz Stigler shadowing the damaged aircraft. additionally, reconnaissance aircraft without armaments passing in the skies, sometimes gave the gesture; even on opposite sides, they still respected each other as aviators.

[@Indy1977TX]

What a great trip down memory lane. I never got the carrier but I had a bunch of GI Joes and their vehicles. Sadly, I do not know if any were kept but I would love to find them in a box in my parent’s attic.

[@terrywest111]

The Skystriker was always involved in every one of my toy battles. There was always a duel between Ace and Wild Weasel. Cobra rarely won the battles, because the air superiority belonged to the Joes. My brother and I prided ourselves on understanding the real roles of the vehicles. The Rattler is based on the A-10 Warthog. That is not an air superiority fighter. It's a ground attack fighter. Good for blowing up ground targets, and that's what they excelled at in our battles. But the Skystriker was a fleet defense/interceptor that could also be a multirole fighter. It can intercept, be a strike fighter and dog fight. The Rattler was always at a disadvantage like that. Plus, we knew that the Skystriker's Phoenix missiles could out range Cobra. Wild Weasel and his cohorts always had to try to hide in "mountains" (which were usually always crumpled up blankets) to avoid radar locks. Cobra really never had anything that could match the Skystriker or later the Conquest. Eventually Cobra had to steal Conquests to even stand a chance in the air. We did get the Cobra Conquest... Python Patrol Conquests. Cobra had the advantage of a real spy plane. The Night Raven was unmatched. Faster than anything the Joes had and could fly higher... out run any missile. There were always great air battles in our house.

[@Flan67]

I loved the jet, but I loved the parachute in action even more.

[@ExUSSailor]

I remember, I got this, and, the Amphibious Personnel Carrier for Christmas '83.

[@MrEd20901]

Never had a skystriker growing up, but always wanted one. Was hoping you wod bring it up and got goosebumps when "Shakedown" was mentioned. Was probably my favorite comic in the series.

[@gregmcdonald3361]

I got skystriker for Christmas in 83. I was 7 yo. It was sometime later...my mom found a complete one at a garage sale! To be a kid with 2 skystrikers... I was HAPPY

[@MichaelMercy]

So lucky! God bless your mom.

[@gregmcdonald3361]

@@MichaelMercy thank you. I was lucky... I had two amazing parents. Thank you

[@MrRjsnowden]

Oh the nostalga!! I had the Cobra A-10 like jet!! love it!

[@WhiskeyShred]

I used to want this so bad! We never got this whole wave in Australia, we started in ‘86 with the Conquest x-30 which was great, I loved it..but this was the one..!

[@mikegeorge8132]

One of the largest toys I had as a kid until Castle Greyskull.

[@drozwalker9]

I stil remember playing flight sims and going to air shows. Just being a kid in a candy store during air shows many years ago. Ironically, I earned my wings in a different way. Far as a full lengh film the final count down is a gem

[@MichaelMercy]

Never seen that one. Thanks for the tip, Droz. Merry Christmas!

[@Anjunabeast23]

I was lucky enough to have this when I was a kid… loved it! I did always want that Cobra Raven though

[@Towerr72]

I had the Skystriker as a kid back in the 80s, got the Night Raven also, which sadly, is still sitting in my basement now but so covered with dust, I wouldnt even know where to begin on cleaning it

[@johnkirk2863]

Forget a GI Joe movie...I want a GI Joe series!!! =)

[@TheLilith1978]

Great review mate I own this toy as child and was and still is my favourite vehicle. I lost the seats and parachutes but still it’s is great toy.