The Ultimate Soldier line of toys was produced by a company by the name of 21st Century Toys. 21st Century Toys specialize in making 1/6, 1/18, and 1/32 sized scale vehicles and action figures. The action figures are all based on World War I soldiers, World War II soldiers, Vietnam War soldiers, Korean War soldiers and soldiers from Operation Desert Storm.
Originally created to compete with the Hasbro G.I. Joe models, the original line of soldiers from 21st Century toys were of a similar design with accessories that featured more details and soldiers that came in a 12” size in 1997. The 1997 line of soldiers had the same basic designs as the Hasbro G.I. Joe Classic which had 15 repositionable parts. The original line was improved on in 1999 and featured what was called the Super Soldier designed body that used 27 movable body parts.
When the 21st Century Toys new line featuring the super soldier body came out, there were several sets and new figures available. There was a line called America’s Finest which most people can recall. This line included a K-9 Police Officer, as well as Steve McQueen and a group of firefighters. There was also a Villains and Misfits line which included a bounty hunter, a biker and a KGB agent in the Villains line. The Misfits line included a character by the name of Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein. By expanding their line they eventually created a couple of Third Reich Nazi soldiers which earned them quite a few complaints.
The Ultimate Soldier action figures and vehicles are now favorites for certain collectors of those genres. These can be found at prices that start around $10. More recently 21st Century Toys only produces smaller action figures rather than the original 12” models, as well as planes that are palm sized, and tanks. Action figure collectors have meeting places and clubs where the true appreciation for these figures reign. Just like with any other collectible item, there are fan sites and blogs that discuss these toys in detail. Ultimate Soldier toys are truly appreciated in unofficial scrapbooks and kit bashing groups where they talk about their own dream versions of the Ultimate Soldier Toy line.
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