Thursday, January 9, 2020

2001 Laser Viper - Around The Web

In 2001, collectors were army builder crazy.  So, when early images of a figure in blue and red showed up online, we went bananas thinking of all we'd do once cheap alternatives for Cobra Troopers were finally available.  In the end, though, the Laser Viper somewhat disappointed.  While people did army build him to a great degree, the new head wasn't perfect.  And, as better army builders continued to pour out of Hasbro over the next couple of years, the need for massive amounts of the Laser Viper in a collection diminished.  But, overall, this version of the Laser Viper did offer some things that would never be seen again.  Hasbro took more chances with their earlier figures.  But, collectors punished them for doing so.  In time, figs like the Laser Viper became quaint reminders of what we didn't really want more of.  I've grown to appreciate this figure more in the past 18+ years for this reason.  Here's the best of him from around the web.

2001 Laser Viper Profile

2001 Laser Viper Pre-Production

2001 Laser Viper by gigamech

2001 Laser Vipers by dreadnokdread

2001 Laser Viper by kushviper

2001 Laser Viper by yotothejoe

2001 Laser Viper by gijoe_rama

2001 Laser Viper, 1987 Maggot, ARAHC

2001 Laser Viper, 1987 Maggot, ARAHC

3 comments:

  1. that headsculpt looks like someone took the original sci fi head and mashed a bunch of liliput all over it in an attempt to make a “cobra trooper” for all we know that’s probably what actually happened. a fun relic from a different time in the hobby, like everyone else i had a few of these. they made for good gunners in the HISS from 2000.

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    1. It was actually Undertow's head modded, you can see the lines of the wet suit mask on his face. It's strange that Hasbro had some thing for Undertow's head, like the Fast Blast Viper which really should've been just a HEAT-Viper repaint.

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  2. A poor man's option for building up a cheap army of blue shirts.

    Not my favorite but they do help swell the ranks

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