The Ultimate Soldier

By Arno Lippassaar

There’s a new kid on the block now in the action figure soldier line, and it’s taking no prisoners! The Ultimate Soldier, produced by 21^st Century Toys, had its beginning’s about two to three years ago by two ex-military men. Frustrated by the lack of authenticity of Hasbro’s GI Joe line, these guys decided to change the way soldier figures were made.

The Ultimate Soldier is a 12-inch tall action figure with almost unlimited movement. The figure is highly detailed and true to scale. Make no mistakes, a LOT of thought goes into each of these figures. Not only is the doll true to scale, but so are each of the accessories, weapons, and vehicles available for The Ultimate Soldier. Even the clothing colors are designed to be identical to the soldier’s clothing of that time period.

Currently, The Ultimate Soldier line includes different Vietnam and Modern era figures. Other figures that are going to make an appearance later this year include World War II soldiers, a Police SWAT line, and a Fire Fighter figure line. There are also plans for villain figures to go with the police action figure release.

So what makes this new company and figure so popular? Authenticity and affordability. Nowhere else can you find a more detailed and authentic figure. Combine that with the affordable price range of $12.00 - $25.00, and you have the winning combination. You now have a figure that appeals to the adult collector looking to recapture a piece of history, and to the child looking for a tool to expand his or her imagination.

A testament to the popularity of this new action soldier line is the introduction of a special Limited Edition MAC-V SOG Ultimate Soldier, cosponsored by eBay Inc. These figures were specially produced for the FX Antiques and Collectibles Show held in Florida this last month. 250 of these special edition dolls were produced. In the past, Hasbro has always been the one to produce a special soldier figure for this show. This year, The Ultimate Soldier was chosen instead. Produced in a 1960s’ style GI Joe^TM-type box with artwork by Marvel Comics illustrator Walter McDaniel, this doll is a winner. A technical advisor for this project was Major John Plaster, who was a SOG soldier and has written a book entitled SOG – The Story of America’s Secret Commandos in Vietnam. This figure has been fully authenticated by him, right down to how many smoke grenades the soldier should be carrying and its cut-down M79 Grenade Launcher. 200 of these limited edition dolls were sold at the FX show at a price of $60.00 each. The last 50 have been reserved to be sold on eBay in a Dutch auction to provide eBay users the opportunity to own this magnificent piece, since eBay was the corporate sponsor for this big event and helped make this doll happen

Also, as a special auction on eBay, the original artwork for the limited edition Ultimate Soldier is going to be auctioned for charity. The charity they have chosen is the NICOLE SHIFFMAN FOUNDATION from New York. This foundation provides transportation and accommodations for families of children with cancer. Since this is the first limited edition Ultimate Soldier ever produced, this is definitely an item that should draw some attention, and the proceeds are going to a very worthy cause.