Sub-Teams Part 2: Mad Marauders

By Destro Designs – Viper Den Studios

G.I. Joe Mad Marauders is a pretty cool concept. Take the Sarge and give him a crew of great soldiers to bring it to Cobra. What’s not to like?

It’s definitely very cool, and despite being a little outside my normal color palette, I can still get down with the flavor. When I was young, Mad Marauders wasn’t nearly as cool to me as the Classified versions of these figures are today.

With that said, I feel like the vehicles they had back then were incredibly awesome, and unfortunately, we have none of them in the Classified Series right now.

Sgt. Slaughter’s Warthog wasn’t officially a Mad Marauders vehicle, but as far as I’m concerned, it suits the team well.

That said, I do feel like Barbecue was an odd choice for the team, but he was a pretty integral Joe in the Sunbow series, especially during Season 1, so I get it.

But Spirit, Low-Light, Barbecue, Mutt & Junkyard, and, of course, Footloose make for a formidable crew. I can dig it.

I had Low-Light pegged for a Night Force designation, but his OG uniform already looks like Night Force, so he can slide right into that team as-is. I also really dig the way they rocked him in his Mad Marauders colors.

In my previous article, I talked about Spirit looking just as good—dare I say, even better—in his Mad Marauders uniform, and I stand by that statement!

To complete the Classified set, all we’re waiting on now is the Mutt & Junkyard and Footloose release, which was recently moved up to the end of September. I’m very excited to see what they look like in hand.

Obviously, I love all of the Mad Marauders figures we’ve gotten so far, but I am a bit concerned about this upcoming two-pack.

In the pictures released so far, the blue looks to be a little more dominant on these figures than on the previous Mad Marauders releases. It also appears to be a brighter shade. I’m holding out judgment until I get them in hand, though, and I’m hoping they will wow me just like the rest of the team has.

You can also find the Mad Marauders Barbecue figure for around $15.99 on Amazon, and that’s a great deal considering how awesome the figure is!

As for the vehicles we haven’t gotten, the Mad Marauders Armadillo is off-the-hook awesome, as is the Equalizer. Both are fantastic mash-ups of previous vehicles that absolutely scream that wild Mad Marauders flair.

I would love to see Hasbro bring that same philosophy into the Classified Series. Reusing an existing vehicle mold with the right Mad Marauders colors and upgrades could be an excellent way to expand the sub-team without having to develop something entirely new.

All in all, Mad Marauders is a great G.I. Joe sub-team, and I can’t wait to get Mutt & Junkyard and Footloose to complete the Classified section of my display.

Next up, I’ll be getting into Night Force and Python Patrol!