I'm confused. The Firebat got a lot of use in season one of the sunbow cartoon (1985), yet the toy wasn't released until '86 with the Terrordrome. Also it was usually grey in season one. What gives? Were Hasbro originally going to release a grey Firebat on its own in '85?

Are their any other examples of characters or vehicles showing up in the cartoon before they were even released as toys?

I'm confused. The Firebat got a lot of use in season one of the sunbow cartoon (1985), yet the toy wasn't released until '86 with the Terrordrome. Also it was usually grey in season one. What gives? Were Hasbro originally going to release a grey Firebat on its own in '85?

Are their any other examples of characters or vehicles showing up in the cartoon before they were even released as toys?

The Baroness in the original mini-series. I seem to recall that Flint and Lady Jaye were in "The Revenge of Cobra" in 1984, but I haven't seen that since I was 6 or 7 years old.

Yeah. The Firebat showed up in 9 first-season episodes and was grey in all but one. (The other one was a grey 2-seater with red wings.) The red one appeared in 10 episodes of the second season, plus the Movie's opening sequence.

Off-hand, let's see:
The Baroness (already mentioned) appeared in 1983's A Real American Hero, along with prototypes of the Rattler, Water Moccasin, and what sort of resembled a Chameleon and a few SHARCs.

Flint, Lady Jaye, Shipwreck, and Crimson Guard troops were introduced in 1984's The Revenge of Cobra (as were the Dreadnoks, who I think didn't show up in stores until around Christmas).

AVACs, of course, appeared in their Firebats in season 1.

And, um, Colonel Brekhov, Daina, and Horror Show appeared in the cartoon and only became figures long after.

Edited to add: Animated grey Firebats also appeared briefly in a 1985 commercial for the Triple Win Game. They were very sketchily drawn and superimposed on a live-action TV set, not nearly the quality of actual cartoon footage.

What usually happens is that Hasbro says they need the toon (or comic) to push vehicles or characters that haven't been released yet.

There are times when the vehicle is still only a concept and so the artists only have the concept drawings to work from. These are usually different from the final designs.

That's why in the M.A.S.S. Device you see so many different variations in the characters and vehicles. For example the 3-wheeled Ferret and the Cobra version of the FLAK cannon. Plus in the M.A.S.S. Device there are a so many original vehicle concepts, because G.I.JOE just didn't have enough equipment yet!

Yeah, those prototype S.H.A.R.C.s, CLAWS and Rattlers are interesting to reflect on. Glad they polished the looks.

If I remember right, the Sky Hawk first appeared white in the comic. I remember when the toy came out I was bummed that it didn't look like it did in the book.

Duke wasn't available as a toy when "A Real American Hero" was released.

In "Revenge of COBRA," Firefly and other COBRA Soldiers use a prototype Trouble Bubble in the opening scene.

Also, in "Revenge of COBRA," Flint, Lady J, Snake-Eyes V2, Shipwreck, the Dreadnoks, and the Crimson Guards were featured but not yet available as toys until the following year.