Action figure:G.I. Joe Super Joe Commander in Power Vest

In 1976, Hasbro, Inc. retired its line of 12-inch Adventure G.I. Joes as the cost of plastic (made from petroleum) soared. The toy maker redesigned Joe as an 8-inch hero similar to Big Jim and MEGO action figures popular at the time. Called the Super Joe, the new Hasbro figure sported a light-up power vest that gave him an advantage in battling the evil Gor and the army of Terrons (also available in action figure form). Super Joe enjoyed measured popularity during the Christmas 1977 season, but when 3.75-inch Star Wars figures became available the following spring, Super Joe was left in the dust. Hasbro halted production after just two years. In the early 1980s, Joe returned as a series of figures in the same size as the phenomenally popular Star Wars characters.