1991 Impel GI Joe trading cards take a deep dive into the characters and some of the vehicles from the franchise’s peak run. It’s not the most valuable set of GI Joe cards but, overall, it is the most informative.
Made up of 200 total cards, the checklist is modelled similar to Impel’s Marvel Universe line. Most of it is character-based, highlighting the many Joes and Cobra villains over an extended period of time. The set draws from the comic books, although it applies similarly to the action figures as well.
Releasing at a time when GI Joe was past its popularity peak, many cards feature later (and lesser-known) versions of key characters as well as some late ones. That said, there are several some spots that take a “greatest hits” sort of approach and look back on many iconic heroes and villains.
Fronts have comic-style art of the character.
Backs draw their inspiration from the file cards found on the backs of action figure packaging.
The 1991 Impel GI Joe checklist is divided up into several sections. That said, most center on specific teams so the general look and feel remain the same. The main exceptions are the Famous Battles and Special Missions subsets. Both of these use art from comic covers. Honor Roll cards at the end of the set are all character-focused. However, these have a different design.
Beyond the Box
In addition to regular packs and boxes, a Footlocker factory set also exists that packages together all 200 cards. Sets come with a certificate of authenticity inside that’s numbered to 10,000 copies.
1991 Impel GI Joe is a good set for info and a jolt of nostalgia. That said, it came out in 1991 — a year in which virtually every trading card product arrived with a massive print run. It’s no different here. Unopened boxes are still readily available at reasonable prices.
1991 Impel GI Joe Checklist
Set size: 200 cards
Cards per pack:12
Packs per box: 36
Boxes per case: 20
Shop for 1991 Impel GI Joe boxes on eBay.
Base Set
200 cards.
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Patrols: Eco-Warriors
1 Cesspool
2 Flint
3 Toxo-Viper II
4 Sludge Viper
5 Clean Sweep
6 Septic Tank
7 Ozone
Rank & File
8 Skystriker
9 Rolling Thunder
10 Tomahawk
11 M.B.T. Mobile Battle Tank
12 Snowcat
13 A.W.E. Striker
14 Night Raven
15 Rattler
16 H.I.S.S.
17 Cobra Hydrofoil, Moray
18 G.I. Joe Headquarters
19 Bazooka
20 Shockwave
21 Dusty
22 Duke
23 Tripwire
24 Alpine
25 Shipwreck
26 Spirit
27 Deep Six
28 Storm Shadow
29 Captain Gridiron
30 Roadblock
31 Gung-Ho
32 Cobra Commander
33 Televiper
34 Metal-Head
35 Snow Serpent
36 Baroness
37 Dr. Mindbender
38 Firefly
Original Joe Team
39 Zap
40 Breaker
41 Snake-Eyes
42 Scarlett
43 Grunt
44 Flash
45 Rock & Roll
46 Short-Fuze
47 Stalker
48 Clutch
49 Steeler
50 Grand Slam
51 Viper
52 Cobra Officer
53 Hawk
54 Jet Pack, J.U.M.P.
55 Rapid Fire Motorcycle, R.A.M.
56 Attack Cannon, Flak
57 Attack Vehicle, V.A.M.P.
58 Heavy Artillery Lazer, H.A.L.
59 Mobile Missile System, MMS
60 Motorized Battle Tank, MOBAT
Battle Gear
61 Wet-Suit
62 Gung-Ho
63 Payload
64 Deep Six
65 Light Foot
66 Fast Draw
67 Salvo
68 Hard Ball
69 Outback
70 Air-Tight
71 Charbroil
72 Ambush
73 Pathfinder
74 Hit & Run
75 Desert Scorpion
76 Techno-Viper
77 Toxo-Viper I
78 Hydro-Viper
79 Range Viper
80 Astro Viper
81 T.A.R.G.A.T.
82 Night Viper
Special Missions
83 That Sinking Feeling
84 Words of Honor
85 Burn-Out
86 No Holds Barred
87 Showdown
88 Evasion
89 The Old Switcheroo
90 Ambush
91 Plausible Denial
92 Turnabout
93 Sheep’s Clothing
94 Airshow
95 Washout
96 In from the Cold
97 And Into the Fire
98 Tight Circle
99 All in a Night’s Work
100 Extraction
101 Getting There
102 Snowblind
103 The Lower Depths
104 Decisions
105 Scoop
106 Ladies’ Day
107 Forced Play
108 Passing of the Guard
109 Mexican Holiday
110 Condor
1991 Recruits
111 Badger
112 Paralyzer
113 Attack Cruiser
114 Ice Sabre
115 Brawler
116 Battle Wagon
117 Interrogator
118 Major Altitute
119 Sky Creeper
120 Night Vulture
121 Cloudburst
122 Skymate
123 General Hawk
124 Sci-Fi
125 Heavy Duty
126 Crimson Guard Immortal
127 Incinerator
128 Big Ben
129 Red Star
130 Desert Scorpion
131 Low-Light
132 Dusty
133 Cobra Commander
134 B.A.T. II
135 Snake-Eyes
136 Tracker
137 Grunt
138 Mercer
Patrols: Sonic Fighters
139 Law
140 Tunnel Rat
141 Dial Tone
142 Dodger
143 Viper
144 Lamprey
Patrols: Super Sonic Fighters
145 Major Bludd
146 Falcon
147 Road Pig
148 Rock & Roll
149 Zap
150 Psyche-Out
Famous Battles
151 Assault on Cobra Island I
152 Battle of Cobra Robot in Pit I
153 Operation: Wingfield
154 Battle on Fifth Avenue
155 Battle of Hindu Kush
156 Code Name: Sea Strike
157 First Battle of Springfield
158 Alaskan Pipeline Battle
159 First Battle of Sierra Gordo
160 Battle of Washington, D.C.
161 Operation: Scarface
162 First Battle of Pit I
163 Solo Assault on Destro’s Citadel
164 Battle of Lucca, Italy
165 Dreadnoks’ Assault on McGuire Air Force Base
166 Battle at Snake-Eyes’ Cabin
167 Firefight at Staten Island Mall
168 Air Battle: Skystriker vs. Rattler
169 Sea Battle: Whale vs. Hydrofoils
170 Firefight at the Carnival
171 Raid into Sierra Gordo
172 Battle of Joe Air-Sea Base
173 First Assault of New Cobra Island
Honor Roll
174 Serpentor
175 Zartan
176 Dr. Mindbender
177 Raptor
178 Golobulus
179 Nemesis Enforcer
180 Royal Guard
181 Crystal Ball
182 General Flagg
183 Breaker
184 Quick Kick
185 Heavy Metal
186 Thunder
187 Crank Case
188 Blocker
189 Avalanche
190 Blaster
191 Crazy Legs
192 Maverick
193 Knockdown
194 Doc
195 Sneak Peek
196 Croc Master
197 Voltar
198 Firefly
199 Checklist
200 Checklist
