A SNAKE Lost at Sea

In 1982 REMCO released a series of action figures based on the DC Comics series "Sgt. Rock". These figures were the same scale as the G.I. Joe figures on the shelves at the time and the backing cards even told kids to play with them alongside your Joes. There were several good guys released in the set including Sgt. Rock himself, but I was more interested in "The Bad Guys"!

On one of my Mom's trips to a store called "Rockaway Sales" in Newton, NJ, me and my brother took our traditional stroll through the video game and toy section. My Mom said if we were good, we could pick out a toy. My brother picked out one of the "Good Guys" from the Sgt. Rock line while I snatched the badass, eyepatch wearing, mustache toting SNAKE from "The Bad Guys".

I loved this action figure so much that I took him on a family trip to Seaside Heights. My Aunt had rented a house on the beach for all of us to stay in for a few days and I was ready for some fun in the sun with Mr. SNAKE! This is where this delightful story turns into a tragic tale of woe!

The first day there, we went to the beach and I thought this would be a good time for SNAKE to practice his swimming. I took him down to the ocean and buried his legs in the sand. I thought that would be enough to keep him hunkered down, but I underestimated how strong the tides were and SNAKE was taken out to sea, never to be seen again! I WAS DEVASTATED!

My brother had joked and teased me by telling me that SNAKE was now in the belly of a shark somewhere near the bottom of the ocean. This did not help the situation and I'm pretty sure it led to some tears being shed.

Well, on the way back to the beach house, I was feeling terrible, but then I was in disbelief of what I saw! It was an Incredible Hulk arm popping up out of the sand! Was this the miracle that would turn this vacation around? Was karma smiling on me willing to replace the figure I lost with an AWESOME Mego Hulk toy?

I grabbed the arm thinking I was going to pull out a full intact Hulk! Instead...

I pulled out a broken off green Hulk hand. No body attached! Would the disappointment ever end! Why was Seaside Heights providing me with the cruelest summer a young boy in the 80's could ever have? Well, I hung on to that arm for a while and actually played with it every now and then, but whenever it was in my hands it brought back the crushing memory of losing my pal SNAKE out to sea!

Flash forward about 35 years and I found a loose SNAKE action figure on ebay for around $5! I needed this lost piece of my youth back in my life!! I paid and waited and when SNAKE arrived it was one of the happiest moments of my collecting life!!! In the listing it didn't even mention that he came with his accessories, so that was a happy surprise. Since the day he arrived in my mailbox at work, me and SNAKE have been so happy together...again! I still wonder what did happen to my original SNAKE?

I like to think he is living out his years on a beautiful deserted island, sipping delightful exotic drinks with his wife Golden Girl by his side. Wherever he ended up, I hope he is doing well and living the good life. God bless you SNAKE, your service will never be forgotten!