Edward 'Starduster' Skylar — G.I. Joe Classified Series #136

Overview

Edward ‘Starduster’ Skylar is figure #136 in the G.I. Joe Classified Series — the PulseCon 2024 headline GI Joe exclusive. Starduster is the Joe team’s Sky Patrol jetpack specialist, a character from the 1990 Sky Patrol sub-line whose defining visual is the personal jetpack that allows independent aerial mobility. The PulseCon exclusive format — premium packaging, elevated price, Pulse-exclusive sales window — suits a character whose visual identity demands premium presentation.

File Card

Code Name: Starduster Real Name: Skylar, Edward Primary Specialty: Aerial / Jetpack Operations Secondary Specialty: Sky Patrol

The Sky Patrol concept — GI Joe team members equipped with personal jetpacks for independent aerial insertion and extraction — was one of the 1990 vintage line’s more ambitious sub-group concepts. Starduster as the specialist most associated with the jetpack programme receives the PulseCon treatment that the Sky Patrol concept’s visual drama warrants.

The Jetpack as Display Element

The jetpack creates a specific display possibility: Starduster elevated or posed mid-flight, separated from the ground level where most Classified figures stand. A figure displayed as if airborne — using a display stand to position him above the shelf surface — creates visual drama that no ground-level figure can achieve.

PulseCon 2024

The PulseCon programme’s 2024 exclusive continuing the annual premium convention exclusive tradition that began with Snake Supreme Cobra Commander in 2020.

Verdict

Starduster #136 is the PulseCon 2024 celebration of the Sky Patrol concept at premium scale. The jetpack display possibilities make him one of the programme’s most visually distinctive convention exclusives.

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Part of G.I. Joe Classified Series | PulseCon 2024 Exclusive. Related: Falcon #64 | Duke #04 | Night Force Big Ben #77.

Sky Patrol and 1990 Franchise Expansion

The 1990 Sky Patrol sub-line was part of the vintage franchise’s mid-career expansion into more specialised sub-groups — the same era that produced Night Force, Tiger Force, Python Patrol, and other collector-beloved sub-lines. Sky Patrol’s jetpack aesthetic gave it a visual identity distinct from the ground-based military operations that dominated earlier years.

Starduster as the PulseCon 2024 exclusive represents the programme’s engagement with 1990 franchise history that had been comparatively underrepresented in the Classified line’s first four years — a sign that the programme was reaching into the franchise’s later-era characters to give collectors beyond the classic 1982-1986 era their moment.

PulseCon Exclusives Programme 2024

PulseCon 2024’s GI Joe exclusive continuing the tradition: Starduster follows Snake Supreme Cobra Commander (2020), Master of Disguise Zartan (2021), and Crimson Strike Team (2023) as the annual convention headline. Each year’s PulseCon exclusive represents the franchise’s most visually distinctive character or concept available at that moment.

The Jetpack Display

Starduster displayed with the jetpack mounted and posed in flight configuration — elevated above the shelf surface on a display stand — creates the three-dimensional aerial display that the Classified line’s predominantly ground-based characters can’t achieve. The vertical dimension adds drama to any display he’s part of.

Secondary Market

PulseCon 2024 exclusives command secondary market premiums above retail. Secondary prices typically run $70-100 for Starduster.

Part of G.I. Joe Classified Series | PulseCon 2024.

PulseCon Exclusives and the Annual Programme

The PulseCon exclusive programme has delivered some of the Classified line’s most visually dramatic and character-specific releases: Snake Supreme Cobra Commander (2020), Master of Disguise Zartan (2021), Crimson Strike Team (2023), and Starduster (2024). Each year’s exclusive rewards collectors who specifically engage with the Pulse convention event and its associated announcement calendar.

Starduster’s selection for PulseCon 2024 — a Sky Patrol jetpack specialist rather than a core roster character — demonstrates the programme’s confidence that the convention audience will engage with characters beyond the obvious marquee names. The PulseCon programme’s audience skews toward depth rather than breadth.

Sky Patrol’s 1990 Legacy

The 1990 Sky Patrol sub-line was among the vintage line’s most visually ambitious concepts: personal jetpacks, chrome helmets, the distinctive Sky Patrol colour scheme. The sub-line’s failure to receive Classified representation in the programme’s first four years made Starduster’s PulseCon debut a long-awaited arrival for the Sky Patrol collector segment.

The jetpack at Classified 6” premium scale can be rendered with engineering and detail the 1990 format couldn’t achieve — functioning joints, paint detail on the propulsion systems, the overall quality step that makes a Classified version worth owning even for collectors who have the vintage figure.

Secondary Market Navigation

PulseCon exclusives require either direct engagement with the PulseCon online event window or secondary market acquisition. Secondary prices for PulseCon exclusives typically remain elevated — the event’s once-per-year nature and the exclusive’s limited production sustain demand. Secondary prices typically run $70–100.

Starduster at PulseCon 2024 brings the Sky Patrol concept to Classified premium scale for the first time — the personal jetpack aesthetic that the 1990 vintage line established finally rendered at the quality it always warranted. The jetpack display elevated above the shelf surface is the 2024 programme’s most visually dramatic convention exclusive moment. The Sky Patrol concept finally at Classified scale, through the convention programme that suits it. The jetpack display elevated above the shelf is worth the PulseCon investment. Starduster belongs in every collection that engages with the 1990 Sky Patrol era. The PulseCon exclusive format is the right home for the franchise’s most dramatic personal aviation concept. Part of the G.I. Joe Classified Series — the most complete premium GI Joe display programme the franchise has ever had. Buy it at launch. The display is waiting for it. The Sky Patrol concept deserved a premium presentation and PulseCon 2024 provided it. Starduster at Classified scale is the jetpack programme’s definitive collector version.