G.I. Joe Classified Series Alvin “Breaker” Kinney with RAM Cycle

By Hervé St-Louis
September 15, 2021 - 01:29

Alvin (Breaker) R. Kibbey is one of the original G.I. Joe troopers from 1982 and their first communications officer. Much like the original RAM from 1982, Breaker is the rider of choice for the super fast Rapid Fire Motorcycle that G.I. Joe deploys on Cobra Island. Much like the original RAM, the Classified version comes with a Gatling gun attached to a side-car. Renamed Alvin Kinney by Hasbro in some of the promotional material, Breaker rides the first vehicle of the Classified line assigned to the Joe team.

The RAM was previously released as a repaint for the Dreadnoks in 1986 and for the Joe team with Breaker in 2008, and with Sandstorm in 2010. There have been many versions of Breaker released since 1982, including one modelled after the character in the G.I Joe the Rise of Cobra movie. Breaker is mostly known for chewing bubble gum at the wrong moment.

Likeness

Breaker is very reminiscent of his 1982 version. He wears the plain green grunt G.I. Joe uniform rendered famous by the first generation of Joes. He is a perfect base for custom troops, of course. Instead of having his sleeves rolled above his elbows, they are rolled at the forearms, like Duke and Flint. Breaker has knee pads but lacks the pouches on his thighs. It is a bit odd for an army trooper to lack pouches on his pants.

The Classified version of the RAM is as close as Hasbro could be with a contemporary update. I love the army green and wish that other G.I. Joe Classified vehicle use this colour. There are added details to the dashboard which were not there in the 1982 toys. Also, there are no detachable saddle bags that could contain the ammo used by the Gatling gun or gas. Breaker was the original driver of the RAM, so this set feels just right.

Sculpt

The figure has almost no original parts. Its arms are from Duke. Its torso and butterfly joints are from Beach Head and Firefly. It’s hips and legs are from the first Snake Eyes. Only his head and his shins and boots are new. He wears army boots without any shin guard. The right leg of my Breaker appears to be slightly longer than the left leg. Being Canadian, I am always surprised to see crisscrossing boot laces. Canadian personnel’s boots used the bar lacing approach.

While Breaker is a mix and match of various parts, they all look great and create a guy with a smaller build which is funny, considering he has the same Gatling gun as the newer Roadblock. I like Breaker’s face, but there are moulding and plastic imperfections on his lips. His arms which were designed for a guy Duke’s height, feel too long for him.

The RAM is the highlight of the set with a beautiful and compact bike that is easier to handle than the Cobra Coil which is so much larger. I wish Hasbro would sell the RAM separately as it’s a great army-building bike that could be used by several characters. This army needs some vehicles. Notice the double wheel guards. They are very detailed and look marvellous. The RAM is a bit too elevated for a bike. It’s base feet platform should be lower.

Paint

There is minimal paint of this figure and the bike. The basic green plastic is used throughout the figure except for Breaker’s head, neck, hands and boots. There is no wash or highlights on the green parts of the uniform. It would have been fun of Breaker’s collar was red, as depicted in the comics for the original Joe team. The paint on his forearms is not thick enough and not the right tone to fit with his skin tone. I do like the hue on the visors of his helmet.

There are metallic sheen on parts of the motor of the Ram. There are also basic G.I. Joe logo decals on the bike and a few technical details painted throughout. I miss the stickers though. If there had been some, it would have been very fun.

Scale

Breaker is a shorter guy, taller that Snake Eyes but shorter than Beach Head, Duke and Flint. The scale is just right though as not every soldier needs to be six feet. He looks funky and small, next to the artillery Roadblock.

Stability

While his feet and ankle articulations are weak, Breaker still stands up quite well without his bike. The RAM has to a foot pedal that allows it to stand when the side car is not used. However, with the side car, the RAM is will balance well. I write well because with Breaker on, the RAM still falls on the left easily as the weight on the bike is distributed to the right. Breaker stands so high on the RAM that it makes it top heavy and easy to topple.

Articulations

Each handle pivots a bit but together, they can change the steering of the front wheel. The front wheel rolls more freely than the back one. The Gatling gun’s turret can twist on itself. I like that feature. There is no suspension on the front wheel, although it is sculpted in.

Breaker has the classic G.I. Joe Classified articulations such as a separate neck and a head on a ball joint. I find the head quite loose. The neck does not move as freely. Breaker’s shoulders have butterfly joints which are quite flexible. He also has bicep curls and double elbow articulations. His right hand bends within the palm while the left one bends up and down, making it good for a trigger hand.

Breaker’s torso can bend but because of the thick vest, that feature is hidden and unused. The curl at the waist is stiff. Although there is also a ball joint at the waist, it is not used much. The hips have the usual G.I. Joe Classified drop down feature allowing the figure to do the split, as well as move his legs up to about 90 degrees. The hips are very loose too.

The thighs have curls, and the knees have double articulations. The ankles have rockers and can also bend up and down. The ankles are very loose and could topple the figure over time.

Plastic

The plastic used for the RAM is brittle and breaks easily. After one fall, there were stress marks in one of the hinges on the bike. The wheels are rubber-like though and have good traction on surfaces. I don’t like that the side car’s wheel is in plastic as it does not roll as well as the regular wheels. The Gatling gun is in PVC and easily warped. The front hood of the motorcycle is transparent and tinted PVC.

Breaker, like most G.I. Joe Classified action figures is mostly PVC plastic.

Props

Breaker comes with nothing but his communication helmet and not even a backpack radio. He has no knives, no handheld weapons. That sucks. The Gatling gun does not count as it is the weapon that is loaded on the RAM. It makes the character feel plain and not fully equipped for an assault mission into enemy territory. I would not want to be Breaker without my motorcycle.

The helmet has an integrated camera, audio capabilities, and what could be an augmented reality visor. The vest is thick and huge but has no weapons. It probably hides communication gear and battery packs in the big pockets. The back of the vest has a Y styling reminiscent of the first generation of Joes’ straps.

The Ram includes the side car and the Gatling gun. The side car opens up so the Gatling gun can be inserted. Surprisingly, the amounts of rounds that can be shot buy the RAM should be more limited that Roadblock as he does not have extra ammo secured in the side car.

Packaging

Breaker comes within a huge box with a full map of Cobra Island with focuses on new areas of the areal map. The front and side of the box feature artwork of Breaker riding his bike by John Tyler Christopher.

Cost

I paid $46.99 CAD for this set. In the US, it retails for $41.99 USD.

Availability

Breaker and the RAM are exclusive to Target stores in the United States and Toys R Us in Canada. Currently, the set has been released in Canada in late August and is about to be released in the US. The set keeps selling out quickly at Toys R Us. Clerks at the store keep reserving it and putting it aside for collectors ordering it online for store pick up. If you find this set, buy it on the spot as the it is very popular regardless of the plain action figure. Breaker is a perfect base for the original Joes such as Grunt, Short-Fuze, and Zap.

This action figure set is almost perfect. I wish that Breaker had more gear, weapons, and pack on himself. He looks quite plain here.