Hammerhead (Cobra) — G.I. Joe Action Force Vehicle (1990)

Hammerhead is Hasbro's 1990 G.I. Joe (Action Force in Europe) amphibious assault vehicle — a Cobra hovercraft that drives, floats and was one of the largest non-aircraft pieces of the line. It was sold with its driver figure, eight missile-shaped depth charges, a removable command bridge and a tow hitch. Both the box art by Hector Garrido and the playset's chunky military-engineering aesthetic put it among the most striking Cobra vehicles of the early 90s.

European Action Force releases of Hammerhead have their own collector following thanks to the differently-coloured boxes and multilingual packaging compared to the US Real American Hero releases. The 1990 timing means it hit the wave just before the line started slipping in popularity, so unplayed examples are rarer than their 1985-1988 counterparts.

Completeness is everything for Hammerhead. The depth charges, missiles, sticker sheet, driver figure (Decimator) and the long instruction sheet are notorious for going missing. A complete-in-box example with the original twist-tie holders and unapplied sticker sheet trades at a strong premium — typically several multiples of a loose, partial unit. Check for cracked plastic on the tow hitch and the missile rack, both common failure points.