While the Relampago figure is nice, he is rather bland. the entire figure is done in the camo pattern that matches the Python Tele-Viper. It works and it a nice homage to the original design, but lacks any real flair. Gatilho, though, has no such shortcomings. In fact, it was the overstylized nature of this figure that decreased my interest in him. The photos I had seen didn't do Gatilho justice. However, once I had him in my collection, the truly unique nature of the figure lead to his greater prominence in my collection. This figure is colored in a way that mimics the Python Copperhead. If you look at the photos below, I made an effort to include Copperhead in order to showcase the figures' similarities. As on the Copperhead figure, the dark greens offset by the deep blacks with the yellow and burgundy accents work to create a richly colored figure who is remarkably likable.
In an odd twist, Gatilho utilizes the mold of the 1983 Airborne mold. Like Relampago, Gatilho takes a good guy mold and turns him to Cobra. For whatever reason, both Airborne and Ripcord saw heavy use in South American interpretations of the G.I. Joe line. Both appeared in Argentina and in Brazil as Joes. (Both had slight color variations, but were nothing extraordinarily different from what we saw in the US.) They were then chosen as the exclusive entries into the Brazilian Force Naja. The equivalent of Python Patrol. It could be that these molds were simply available and the powers that be at Estrela decided that they would work as exclusive figures. It could be something else. At this point, their reasoning will probably never be known.
In my collection, Gatilho is a specialized mercenary who, while employed by Cobra, is not actually a part of the organization. In my previous profiles, I've made mention of my currently running Cobra story line. Gatilho fits into this as a hired gun whose sole purpose is to protect Letal while he conducts his research. (He is the hired gun to whom I refer in Letal's profile.) This makes Letal less vital to the overall Cobra hierarchy, but also keeps him a more interesting role player as he is not pigeon-holed into Cobra and is free to associate with other factions in my Joe world. He really is a mercenary, but prefers to work for Cobra as they pay well, provide competent help and have the best equipment. As such, he is most often seen in the company of Cobra forces.
Gatilho's goal, though, is to join Cobra. He is a native to South America and realizes that if Cobra's goals on that continent are reached, he would be in a good position to help them. However, after meeting the character portrayed by the Flying Scorpion, Gatilho realized that the lack of loyalty in the past was going to prevent from just joining Cobra in a position of prominence. As such, he works as a freelancer in the hopes that he can prove his worth to Cobra and be allowed to join them. He also realized that Letal was a good way for him to show his loyalty. Gatilho's contract with Cobra was to protect Letal at any costs. When the Joes found Letal's secret lab in Brazil, Gatilho managed to flee with Letal (and all his research) and left the Joes with no tangible evidence of the operations' purpose. Gatilho took Letal to a plane he hid in the jungle and flew him to safety, showcasing a skill Cobra was not aware he had. As such, Gatilho is now more valuable in Cobra's eyes. While still not a part of their organization, he is now paired with higher ranking Cobra leaders and is slowly earning his way into the top cabal. Like most of my new Cobras, though, Gatilho is more interested in following the plan of the Flying Scorpion character than trying to gain more power for himself. However, Gatilho's past shows that he is loyal to who pays him. Where I'm going to take his story from here, though, is something that is going to have to play itself out in the coming months. ;->
Gatilho's are very hard to find. If you want them mint and complete, they are almost impossible to acquire for under $50. Like the other Brazilian exclusive Python Patrol and Tiger Force figures, Gatilho is very brittle and is VERY prone to breakage. As he also comes with an exclusive helmet, Gatilho becomes even harder to get if you are a stickler about completeness. However, when I acquired this figure, I had only ever seen 2 other mint, complete Gatilhos offered for sale. Since my acquisition, I have seen nearly a dozen more publicly sold and know that many collectors have also picked them up via private trades. Why the upturn in availability? Simple, Brazil, as a nation, is making a push to get its citizenry more internet access. As that occurs, more Brazilians are realizing that many of the toys they have sitting around can be sold to Americans for substantial amounts of money. This has, in turn, made many previously hard to find Brazilian exclusive figure much easier for American collectors to track down. As we go forward, I see figures like Gatilho becoming easier to find. However, I don't think they'll ever be so common that you'll find them for common prices. With that, if you want a Gatilho, it is probably in your best interests to wait. However, as this figure is very cool and will remain desirable, if you can find one for a price that you're comfortable with, I would go for it. I've found Gatilho to be a nice mesh into my collection. With an updated Python Patrol supposedly coming this year and, perhaps, new prominence for that subset in the collecting world, having a Gatilho makes more sense. He is certainly not a typical figure, but one that I think most collectors would enjoy.
With Gatilho, I've got the Brazilian Python Patrol exclusive figures. I would, though, like to track down a Reptil Do Ar figure. If you have one available, please let me know.
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