G.i. Joe Classified # 178 Mainframe
Blaine Parker is the Joe team’s main tech expert. Tech-savvy and highly knowledgeable with everything to do with computers, Mainframe is also a surprisingly skilled soldier. He can tough it out with the best of them, staying cool and composed even under heavy enemy fire.
Ok seriously, who signed off on this? Mainframe has got to be the shortest Joe in the line! Why??? I get that he reuses parts from Tunnel Rat, but c’mon!
Supposedly, the best fix at the moment is to just “boil and pop” the legs off of the Cobra Stinger Driver and put them on Mainframe to increase his height. Sigh..
Mainframe’s head sculpt is OK, it’s nothing really impressive. But at least he isn’t smiling awkwardly or anything.
Mainframe doesn’t come with much in terms of weaponry. He only has his sidearm, which can be holstered on his chest, as well as a knife that can be sheathed on his right thigh.
Lol.. I love that the design team included some red and yellow cables to be part of Mainframe’s belt. Too bad they’re not removeable.
Of course, Mainframe’s main skill is hacking and working with computers. So naturally, he comes with a handy laptop.
Mainframe’s computer comes with an optional monitor screen that you can slide out. Pretty cool.
He comes with a lot of hacking gear.
Portable modem (?) can be stowed on his left leg.
Of course, he also comes with his CPU backpack.
A cable can be connected from the backpack to the removable hacking (comms?) device on the backpack’s side.
Ok seriously, I’m pretty sure Mainframe is giving himself cancer at this point with so much signal-centric tech all over his body. Then again, he did date Zarana. I guess he likes to live dangerously?
Lastly, Mainframe comes with an alternate cap-wearing head, just for some added variety.
Overall, a bit of a big miss here. I really loved the character in the comics and cartoons and I was really excited to get him when they first announced him, but the Hasbro design team really dropped the ball here by making this character so short. It’s very, very bad.
I’m really tempted to try the legs swap trick with the Cobra Stinger Driver just to get this guy taller. Man…
Accessories-wise, the figure does come with a passable amount of gear. I do wish they included an actual rifle for Mainframe to use, like how Dial-tone comes with one, but that issue pales in comparison to the height problem.
I really hope they redo him in the Retro Carded line, with cartoon-accurate pants.
Hasbro’s internal oddball codename for pre-orders for Mainframe is “Moe”, named after the Simpsons Character.
Gold
