By 1989, G.I.Joe had become increasingly less military in appearance. To what degree this was seen as a serious problem depended on who you asked. Personally, I believed that there were still some very cool-looking figures and new characters being introduced, and if they weren't specifically military in appearance, that honestly didn't bother me all that much.

However, there were some figures that managed a more military look than others. One of these also became a personal favorite of mine. His name was RECOIL.

Recoil pretty well had everything going for him that a good G.I.Joe figure should have. A cool code-name, with a good sound to it for a military character; a suitably military-looking uniform that nevertheless had a good amount of individuality to it, and certainly a good military specialty, one that the G.I.Joe Team did not specifically have, although some of their other team members had operated in this function before joining the Joes.

Recoil was a Long Range Recon Patrol specialist. Established G.I.Joe fans may recall that Stalker, Snake-Eyes, and Storm Shadow all served on a LRRP squad in Vietnam in their pre-Joe (or pre-Cobra) days, although that wasn't the designated specialty of any of them. Nor did Recoil have any specific connection to these characters' pasts when he came on the Joe Team.

Recoil's real name is Joseph Felton, originally from Fashion Island, Washington. According to his file card, he was a marathon runner and professional body-builder before he signed on with the G.I.Joe Team. This made him an ideal candidate for being the Joe Team's LRRP specialist (or "Lurp", as it is pronounced), given that a "Lurp" is assigned the task of sneaking out into the bush with 100 pounds of assorted equipment, including radio, rations, ammo, weapons, and Lord knows what else. He is expected to infiltrate deep into enemy territory, gather intelligence, and then get out and get back without being detected.

According to the personal side of Recoil's file card, he's not exactly the most popular member of the Joe Team. He's constantly practicing. And not just the usual survival range stuff. He practices sneaking up on people. You think you're alone in a room or wherever, and all of a sudden, he's right next to you. Apparently when asked what his job in the Army is, Recoil's usual answer is, "Being quiet."

And if he wasn't really good at it, he wouldn't be with the G.I.Joe Team, would he?

The figure is superb. The figure is wearing a very pale olive green uniform with dark green camouflage, almost a sort of urban camo done in wilderness colors. It's probably very effective since it wouldn't be something you'd be looking for. The figure is wearing a dark green harness with a couple of grenades on it, and a dark green belt and holster on his right leg. To offset all the green just a bit, Recoil has brown gloves and nicely designed boots.

The only really unusual aspects to Recoil are his cap, which is dark green but has an odd, angular, almost futuristic design to it, and his bright green glasses. Perhaps some sort of limited night vision capability in them? I'm not really sure what's up with the cap, but if Recoil has a "signature piece" to his outfit, it's got to be the cap.

Recoil also has blonde hair -- what you can see of it on the back of his head. This was sort of unusual in my opinion. There really haven't been that many blonde-haired G.I.Joes, and there really hadn't been one for several years when Recoil came on the scene in 1989, if memory serves. Interestingly, 1989 saw a second new character with blonde hair -- Downtown.

Recoil's equipment was, unfortunately, a little less military than the figure, and included a light blue rifle and a very strange pistol-like apparatus. Fortunately, he also came with a backpack and a mine case that were produced in more sensible colors of dark grey and green.

Recoil has never turned up again, and I think that's a shame. I don't recall him getting a lot of time in either the comic book or the animated series. For that matter, I'm not sure he ever turned up in the animated series. I do believe he was in the comic book briefly. Granted, it's difficult to give everybody in such a massive team proper attention. But I've always liked Recoil, and think it's a genuine shame he didn't get a little more of the limelight.

The character, and the figure, has been around now for almost 20 years. I'm glad he's part of the G.I.Joe Team, and am very pleased to have the figure. And maybe this profile will, in some way, give him a little attention. I hope you've enjoyed this look at the G.I.Joe Team's Long Range Recon Patrol specialist -- RECOIL!

YO JOE!