Unproduced: Rocky Packaging Art

In 1987, Hasbro planned to introduce another celebrity as a member of G.I.Joe - Rocky Balboa - made famous by Sylvester Stallone from the United Artist's Rocky films. He even appeared in Marvel Comics' G.I.Joe Order of Battle #2 - with a rendition drawn by Herb Trimpe and a filecard written by Larry Hama.

But negotiations fell through, Stallone lent his image to Coleco's Rambo toyline, a retraction was printed in the Marvel Comics, and Rocky Balboa never became a member of G.I.Joe.

Pictured above is the packaging art that was painted and would have been used for the Rocky cardbacks and filecards. Prototypes of the actual action figure have also been seen.

In an intriguing aspect of what might have been, Cobra's answer to Rocky Balboa - Big Boa - was still released.