Duke

Being a leader can mean many things, and it’s a role that exists at many levels. Some are front & center, while others are in the background. And sometimes, when the job is big enough, there’s more than one. Enter, First Sergeant Conrad Hauser, Codename: Duke.

Duke is to the Joes what Cyclops is to the X-Men (coincidence that both were played by legendary voice actor Michael Bell?). He’s not THE leader, a position filled by General Hawk. But when it’s time to deploy, he’s usually in command in the field. A job he’s good at. No-nonsense but cool, reliable at all times.

His design is a modern take on his first figure, with green pants and a tan button shirt. New/different are the style of pants, now something more tactical than plain army field gear from 30-40 years ago. Like Roadblock, he also has armor on his legs, with bullet dents, and a piece on one elbow. And some kind of device on his chest belt.

He looks younger, but he’s got grit with that scar over his right eye.

Articulation continues to be a high point for Classified, and Duke looks good all around, however you want to pose him.

Out the box, he has two belts on and a holster around his right leg. His waist belt has a pair of electronic binoculars that are actually removable. Either I forgot or I just noticed, so I didn’t get any pics of them. But they’re an awesome extra.

He has a medium-sized backpack. All green, there’s a lot of sculpted detail. Easily visible are two canteens, one on each side, and a small shovel. You’d be amazed how useful these are.

Not merely for show, his leg holster is for his pistol.

The gold top/slide is a little techy.

And his larger gun, some kind of rifle, is even more techy with more gold and the bright blue. It is slightly bent, but the material is firm, so I don’t mind. Definitely won’t get any worse.

And he definitely fits in with Roadblock & Snake-Eyes.

Duke is another solid entry from G.I. Joe: Classified, a great figure for $20 if you care to find him.