This is not the fantastic Philly soul Intruders, but instead the garage rock Intruders from Pittsfield, Illinois. This is the more rough and tumble b-side to their only 45. Both sides are great, but this is a more out of control fuzz monster.
In 1976, G.I. Joe and the Adventure Team met new foes from outer space when, The Intruders: Strong Men from Another World, are introduced. These armored caveman-like aliens, although smaller than G.I. Joe, had a button on their backs which could be pressed to make them grab with their "Crusher Grip" arms. These were available in the bearded and gold armored commander, and the unbearded, silver armored warrior. It should be noted that up until the introduction of these cavemen-looking armored aliens, Joe and his team only had the forces of nature and animals to combat. Now he was pitted up against foes who despite their brutish appearance were possessed of keen intellect and bent on world domination.
So I watched Intruders last night. Correct me if I’m wrong but Dan was a legit good guy right? I mean he really liked her and was just shocked that she tried to give him a bunch of money. If I’m correct, a series could be made about him trying to mentally and physically recovering from that night. Keeping those secrets and trying to learn how to trust in people again.
A very sweet series of recovery one shots could be on the menu…
As the original G.I. Joe line was dying a slow death in the mid-1970s, Hasbro was desperate to breathe new life into what had once been its flagship product. The (relative) realism that had been the Hallmark of G.I. Joe was replaced by science fiction with the introduction of Mike Power: Atomic Man, and by superheroes with the arrival of Bulletman the Human Bullet.
In 1976 Hasbro released the very first enemy of G.I. Joe, The Intruders! Despite their caveman-like appearance, The Intruders were intelligent, super-strong aliens from outer space intent on conquering Earth. Only the Super Adventure Team (Eagle Eye G.I. Joe, Mike Power, and Bulletman) had any hope of stopping them!.
The Intruders came in two versions: a bearded, gold armored commander, and the clean-shaven, silver armored warrior. For some unknown reason, they had Thor’s helmet as the symbol on their chest.
As is quite obvious from the photos, these figures were unlike any G.I. Joe figure that had ever come before.
Not only were they shorter than other G.I. Joe figures, The Intruders had very limited articulation as well.
Their arms swiveled at the shoulders, the legs swiveled at the hips, and the head turned at the base of the neck. That was a real step down from the rest of the line.
However, like nearly every toy released in that era, the Intruders had a gimmick: press the button in their back and their arms would close around another figure in their “Crusher Grip,” as demonstrated in the comic below.
Sadly, the arrival of The Intruders on Earth was not enough to reverse the steadily sagging sales pf G.I. Joe. Later that same year, Hasbro pulled the plug on the original G.I. Joe line.
I never had The Intruder, nor did I know anyone who did. I wouldn’t have wanted one anyhow because there were more than a few guys in my high school who looked exactly like this (complete with the wife beaters they wore to school year-round).