As a young lad in 1985, I was keen to "keep up with the Jones'" and collect as much as I would be allowed from the major toy lines that really appealed to me. M.A.S.K. was no exception. I had told my parents about them and my mother bought me Condor. (Which we looked at last time.) So when Christmas rolls around that year, imagine my surprise when I received Thunderhawk with the leader of M.A.S.K. Matt Trakker! (I also received Switchblade with Miles Mayhem but we will look at that one in part 3.)
I remember opening the wrapping and I can remember I sat in my pajamas with a large gaping mouth in shock at how I was one lucky boy to receive such a prestigious gift. (I also seem to recall that I also had received so many GI Joe figures that year that my parents couldn't even wrap them all but that is a story for another time/place.) The box art was great showing Thunderhawk in action on the front. Accented in the classic M.A.S.K. red and white. It was a sight to behold.
In addition to being a what could only be described as a classic red sports car (Z Type 85 Camaro) with gull-wing doors, it was the leader of M.A.S.K.'s signature vehicle. It featured heavily in the cartoon and perhaps featured the easiest vehicle transformation of any toy of the line. With a push of the button, and a pull on the running boards, the sports car soon would be in "jet" mode. The rear spoiler would pop up at the same time as the doors, exposing the turbo thrusters. By pushing on these thrusters, one could release the bombs that would be found on the under carriage. Undoubtedly, these are the easiest parts to lose, and if you happen to find a complete Thunderhawk for purchase, it can increase the price greatly to have these small bombs included.
The graphics on the car scream 1980's hip. A purple high tech looking graph with a lightning bolt that represented speed, the car/jet was the epitome of cool.
Looking at the leader of M.A.S.K. himself, Matt Trakker with Spectrum Mask. Just like the rest of the toys in this line, he would have different helmet versions. (Shown below.) However, it does surprise me that this particular toy line varied from the other toys of the time because you would only see one maybe two iterations of the "leader" character. (Optimus Prime, General Hawk for example) M.A.S.K. however gave us 7-8 variations! (Action packs included...more on those later.) The Spectrum mask allowed Matt to hover/fly, read various heat signatures, analyze various materials (such as how much of a particular metal was in a rock wall) among other things as the writers saw fit. Truly a weapon fit for a leader.
I would like to give a shout out to Michael Mercy and his videos which inspired me to take another look at the toys of my youth. His video on Thunderhawk (embedded below) does the toy way more justice than what I am capable of. Thank you Michael, and "Nermast'e!"
Many years later, I found my Thunderhawk (mostly complete) and was shocked to find the real rubber tires were still intact and stickers in good condition. (A rarity as many would dry rot away if not properly stored.) I found Matt Trakker and his mask Spectrum and proudly told my 8 year old son of the great times I had with that toy as I presented it to him. He played with it for a while, and I am sure that when my ex and I divorced, she left it in the house she abandoned to be disposed of. It is now probably sitting in a landfill somewhere. Sigh....oh well. At least my son got to share in my childhood if only for a brief time.
Next time we will take a look at some of the bad guys from V.E.N.O.M. featuring the main man himself, Miles Mayhem and his vehicle Switchblade!
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