Like Mercer, Overlord has become a favorite character for authors of fan fictions and dio-stories to use. Overlord's only canonical biography occurred on his filecard. This hinted at his great ambition and showed some great potential in the character. He never appeared in the comic or cartoon, though, and remains a character who was never utilized. As such, he is pretty much a blank slate who character is free for authors to explore. This makes him among the most used obscure Cobra villains in the fan realm as authors do not have to worry about Overlord's history and are free to develop him as they wish without the risk of offending those who adhere strictly to the established Joe continuity. This has allowed Overlord to take on a greater life long after his release than he ever experienced during his production time. Overlord is one of the few major characters out there who was never fully utilized in Joe media.
For some reason, I have never really used Overlord in my collection. I got him very early in my return to Joe, but he never got used as any of my newly created named Cobras. Basically, he just went into a drawer and never emerged. At different times in past few years, I've been reminded of Overlord and thought about pulling him out and finding a use for him. However, I was usually sidetracked by some other newly acquired figure to ever really take any action. Now, though, I think Overlord will play a vital part in my Joe world.
If you have read this site, you know that my Cobra hierarchy is somewhat different. While Cobra Commander was once a major player, I now use him as an older, lecherous shadow of his former self.
While still the leader of Cobra, CC is more of a figurehead and doesn't really bother himself in day to day operations. Vying for the Commander's power is the character portrayed by the Sea Slug. He is slowly taking power away from the Commander while Destro and other older guard watch. On the other side is the Flying Scorpion character who also wants the Commander's power, but is seeking it through military triumphs rather than politicking. The Sea Slug character, though, has realized that the best way to usurp the Commander quicker is to attach himself to the successes of the Flying Scorpion. As such, Sea Slug has started interfering in the battle plans of the Flying Scorpion's South American campaign. In order to neutralize Sea Slug's interference, the Flying Scorpion character took a drastic, and unexpected, step.
Rather than eliminate the Sea Slug, the Flying Scorpion arranged so that Cobra Commander was killed in battle. With CC dead, the Sea Slug was appointed the new commander and quickly set himself to run Cobra's operations from Cobra Island. With the Sea Slug now preoccupied with taking over Cobra, the Flying Scorpion is free to control the South American operations without interference from Cobra Island. Here, he can bide his time until he is ready to take on the Sea Slug character and rule Cobra.
While you all may wonder what that has to with Overlord, well, I think I'll be using this figure to represent the Sea Slug character now that he is, officially, Cobra Commander. The look of the figure, with the regal colors, simple ornamentation, serpentine motif, and ceremonial look is a perfect match for the image the Sea Slug character would portray in his newly acquired role.
Early conceptual art for Overlord shows the design named as Cobra Commander. It seems that at some point in the process of this character's creation, his unique look was going to be for a new Cobra Commander figure rather than a unique individual. However, that changed. Cobra Commander was delayed and saw two figures of him released in 1991. The original conceptual designs then morphed into a new character. Seeing this happen in this case makes you wonder how many other Joe characters might have started out as someone else. Joe made a habit of recycling characters throughout its run, so it is very possible that many other later characters were originally conceptually designed as an update to an existing character. Perhaps we will one day find a stash of more artwork or internal Hasbro documents that might shed more light upon situations like this. Until then, though, it is fun to speculate.
I think that, done differently, a remake of Overlord could create a remarkable figure. His mold is dripping with potential for a great repaint. Alas, though, it is not likely that his mold is available. Along with his American release, Overlord was released in Brazil as Ciclon. There, he was part of the Iron Grenadiers (a nice match with his color scheme and overall look) and was available as an individually carded figure. Most of Ciclon's contemporary figures have since showed up in India or have been confirmed as lost by Hasbro. As such, it is unlikely that we will be able to see a return of this Overlord mold any time soon. (Though Hasbro's attempts to find old molds could always turn up some forgotten gems like this guy!) I, though, wouldn't mind seeing a new Overlord figure. Done right, he could make an excellent new sculpt figure and would be a welcome addition to the new Cobra ranks. He has the name and look of old that would entice old collectors but lacks the defining characteristics that would too firmly entrench him in the line's legacy. That would free him up to become a fuller character in the new line without having to worry about the character's legacy.
A few years ago, it was pretty hard to find a mint, complete Overlord for a decent price. As more people who collected in 1990 have sold their collections, though, Overlord has become more common. Now, you can get him mint and complete for under $10 on a consistent basis. (Sometimes you'll even get his vehicle at that price point.) It turns out that Overlord is rather common and was a figure that many people had. It just took them a while to make it to the second hand collecting market. For a character with as little backstory as Overlord has, that price might be a little high. He just isn't a player in the Joe world nor is he an army builder or all that rare. As such, only the sheer quality of the figure's mold keeps Overlord from being among the cheap named Cobras from the '90's. (Cesspool, Headman, etc.) Still, Overlord is a nice figure and a great character to add to any collection. He allows for some great leeway in characterization that can quickly turn him into a favorite member of your Cobra Cabal. I like that type of flexibility in my figures. It is what allows me to enjoy them without feeling any hindrances brought on by perceptions of how a figure should be characterized. With that being said, if you don't have an Overlord, I would highly recommend getting one. While his place in my collection is still being determined, the story to get him there will be lots of fun.
Overlord is a neat figure and I need his helmet to complete mine. I would also like a carded Ciclon from Brazil. If you can help with either of these items, let me know.
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