For all of the jeeps, planes, boats, and whatever else a given military unit may have to work with, there is one vehicle that is distinctly military over all -- a TANK!

Fortunately, the G.I.Joe Team has had several to work with over the years. And although the MOBAT, originally released in 1982, and driven by longtime G.I.Joe member Steeler, is perhaps the best known of these tanks, the second best known, and in its own right a very popular vehicle, would have to be the MAULER!

Larger than the MOBAT, and with two forward speeds (although no reverse), the MAULER was a large, tan tank released in 1985. Like the MOBAT, it was battery operated and had wheels and "actual" tank treads. Also like the MOBAT, it came with its own driver, a man named HEAVY METAL.

Oddly, Heavy Metal was never all that prominently featured in either the comic book or the animated series. His best known comic book appearance was an issue in which he, along with several other "new recruits" at the time, were being put through their paces by Lady Jaye, when the whole lot of them were captured by Cobra and put through a maze of challenges to test some new Cobra weaponry under the auspices of a then-new Cobra recruit, Dr. Mindbender.

Heavy Metal's best known animated appearance, possibly his only animated appearance, and certainly his only speaking role, was in an episode in which command of G.I.Joe forces was turned over to a computer system, which ultimately turned out to have been built by Cobra.

It's a genuine shame that Heavy Metal didn't get more attention, because the figure is really a superb and distinctive entry in the G.I.Joe collection.

Heavy Metal is molded wearing a green helmet with black goggles. His face shows black eyebrows, eyes, and a fairly thick mustache. He is smiling. You'd probably smile, too, if you had a tank as big as the MAULER to enter the battlefield with. The lower part of his face has been sprayed a greyish green, one of the earliest examples of "weathering", I suppose, but not too intolerable. However, I would suggest that somebody should tell Heavy Metal to keep his head INSIDE the tank when heading out to do battle.

Heavy Metal is wearing a dark green shirt, olive green trousers, and a black jacket. It is this jacket that somehow makes him that much more distinctive. The jacket has an embossed gold emblem on the front, and a blue "3" inside a circle imprinted on the right upper sleeve. He is wearing a brown holster on his chest, another on his right leg, both with gold-handled pistols in them, and has brown shoes.

Heavy Metal's helmet also has a small microphone. This is a separate piece that connects to a small hole in the helmet. Need it be said that this is also a very easily LOST piece, and if your Heavy Metal is fortunate enough to have his helmet mike, may I recommend the careful application of a drop of Super Glue?

One unusual feature to Heavy Metal is the belt buckle. It reads "CS". I've never been sure what this means. It is not the initials of the character's code-name or real name. The only CS I can think of is "Confederate States", but while this might be appropriate for someone like Cross Country, it doesn't really work for Heavy Metal -- the man's from Brooklyn.

Which, I suppose, is as good a segue as any to present a bit of file card background on Heavy Metal. His real name is Sherman R. Guderian, which if you have any knowledge of real life tank history, you'll get that one. His Primary Military Specialty is Armor. His Secondary Specialty is Finance, although I've never been able to talk him into balancing my checkbook.

He was born in Brooklyn, and clearly spent most of his childhood there. It describes his neighborhood as "A trip to Manhattan was considered a major expedition," and "aspiring to become middle class was daydreaming, pure and simple." Apparently, he enlisted in order to attend Finance School with the ultimate goal of becoming a CPA. But one day, he watched a column of tanks roll by and was never quite the same. He put in for a transfer to the Armor Division the same day.

Precisely the sort of background that Larry Hama loved to give these characters. I doubt the average kid would care that the 3-3/4" action figure he's just bought with his new tank wanted to be a CPA. But the longtime fans love it. The quote at the end of Heavy Metal's file card reads: "Many people find comfort in order and discipline. Mathematics reduces the complexities of the world to manageable sums. Heavy Metal likes tanks. They are immutable statements in iron." Not a bad way to combine his two specialties.

So yeah, Heavy Metal is a personal favorite of mine. I wish he'd gotten a little more attention in the comic book and animated series, but at least he wasn't completely overlooked. And I hope you've enjoyed this look back at HEAVY METAL!