In the '80s, there were two action figure series to turn to for anyone who wanted pocket-sized, military-themed heroes and villains. One of those, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, has managed to stay on the pop culture radar for decades. The other, Eagle Force, experienced a meteoric rise and fall and has now begin lost to time. But that's finally changing in 2022.
Eagle Force is returning next year in celebration of the original line's 40th anniversary. This time around, the new Eagle Force Classics series is manufactured by Fresh Monkey Fiction and will be sold exclusively through Big Bad Toy Store. Preorders for the first two waves of figures are open now. You can get a closer look at all 12 figures in the slideshow gallery below:
Both waves are expected to be released in Q4 2022. BBTS is adopting a Kickstarter-style crowdfunding method for the preorders, with additional accessories being offered as stretch goals depending on the total number of preorders.
Even if you're not familiar with Eagle Force, G.I. Joe collectors will be happy to know the figures are designed at 1:18 scale (4-inches), which should make them compatible with classic Real American Hero toys. Here's the official description for the new series:
Fresh Monkey Fiction has brought back and reimagined Eagle Force, the beloved modern military action figure line from the 1980's. The long retired Captain Eagle is recruited back into active duty by his old teammate General Brown. Together they're recruiting the next generation of Eagle Force team members to combat the re-emerging forces of R.I.O.T. (Roving International Organization of Tyranny) an evil organization driven by revenge and desire for global domination.
While many might assume Eagle Force was created as a clone of A Real American Hero, in truth the two franchises debuted around the same time in 1982. Eagle Force proved incredibly popular that year. Unfortunately, the line also quickly fell victim to the sudden collapse of toy manufacturer Mego, cutting short what likely would have been a very successful series of figures.
Will you be preordering these new Eagle Force figures? Do you have nostalgia for the original line? Let us know in the comments below.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.