Night Viper - Grey (Black Major Version)

We can argue whether the default Cobra color is blue, red or even purple.  (Seriously, there's more purple Cobras than other colors.)  But, everyone will agree that Cobra's principle color isn't green.  There were just two vintage green Cobras that both appeared in 1989: the Aero Viper and the Night Viper.  Both figures are highly regarded as the color can work in small doses.  The dark green palette works for the specialty of the Night Viper.  But, there are many other color schemes that would have also fit the mold.  Hasbro never saw fit to repaint the Night Viper and he remained one of the more desirable vintage army builders for many years.  In the late 2010s, factory custom maker the Black Major released several series of Night Viper repaints.  All showcased the untapped potential of the Night Viper mold.  The paint job I've found most useful, though, is a grey and black color combo.  The grey hearkens back to the Stinger Driver from the vintage line and fits with the iconic Cobra vehicles from the line's early years.

I've recounted my discovery of the Night Viper before.  He was, though, the only figure I purchased at retail between early 1988 and December of 1992.  His pristine cardback with bubble still attached sat inside a small Banana Republic brown paper shopping bag on the top shelf of the closet in my childhood room for nearly two decades.  While I never really got to use the figure, his top notch design kept him as someone that held more value to me than most of my post-childhood Joes.  As an adult, I acquired a nice squad of Funskool Night Vipers that were my core Cobra army for a few years while we waited on Hasbro to finally get some diverse army building molds into production.  

In time, though, that novelty waned.  I had less interest in a Night Viper army because I had other figures that became available.  But, when I liquidated a huge chunk of my collection in the early 2010's, I kept all the Night Vipers.  I saved my four vintage figures.  And, kept my entire Funskool army.  (It helped that Funskool figures were worthless at the time and I've have sold them for less than my $4/figure cost.)  So, even as the figure fell out of favor from a usage standpoint, it remained a viable army in my collection.  Every now and then again, I get the urge to get the old Night Vipers out and relive their heyday as the pre-eminent Cobras in my legions.  But, you'll see that Night Viper appearances are few and far between.  Heck, the photos in this profile are at least 3 years old and I don't have any newer ones to supplement them.

This figure is pretty basically colored.  His body is a silverish-grey with black highlights.  Aside from a small, silver belt buckle and the small green and yellow logo on his left arm, the figure is two tonal.  But, in this context, the figure works.  His paint masks match the vintage Night Viper and this figure very much feels like something Hasbro could have made during the vintage run.  While additional painted details would have been nice, they are less necessary for some repaints due to their ties to the vintage figure's appearance.  

For gear, the Black Major Night Vipers match with the vintage figures.  He includes the classic rifle: complete with strap to go over his arm and the weird holes to affix the rifle to the Night Viper's legs.  The Night Viper backpack is there, though it's kind of underwhelming due to the original design.  The figure features both the face shield and the monocle that attaches to it.  The face shields are the biggest source of consternation for these figures.  The shields are difficult to get on and can either break or snap off the pegs that are on the figure's helmet.  Some colors work better than others.  But, they are all tight fits and take a bit of patience to get onto the figure's head without breaking something.  

The result of all this is a really nice repaint of a classic figure.  I'd hesitate to say that this grey Night Viper is better than the green version.  It's just different.  The green has many uses.  But, this grey version does, too.  He fits well with the Stinger, Hiss Tank or even the Night Watch.  And, it is nice to have a a grey figure from some of the later years to fill in gaps on Cobra vehicles when you want to use other figures who were released after 1984.  More importantly, it's a sensical color for both the mold and the character's specialty.  Grey and black is about as classic "night" as the Joe line gets.  So, seeing it on this Night Viper mold makes this release feel like it could have been a vintage Hasbro design.  For me, that's a huge plus when it comes to factory customs.

At this point in my collection, knowing that this figure exists and that I have a couple is where the value in him lies.  I don't really see me taking this guy out and using him in extensive photo shoots.  And, it's hard to get proper night shots where the figure really makes sense.  I like to take him and mingle him with 1989 or Funskool Night Vipers.  But, I rarely find the occasion warrants any photos to commemorate it.  I do enjoy the Night Viper mold.  It's one that I've never been able to fully appreciate because I had the figure in my teenage years but couldn't really appreciate him.  That's carried over to today and I generally feel that the Night Viper is a figure that I really should use more often.

Hasbro released one vintage Night Viper.  Some of his parts were used on the 1992 Heli-Viper: but in very odd colors.  After that, the mold went to India.  Funskool released the Night Viper for many, many years.  The figure was colored in similar style to the American figure and was a staple of online Joe dealers during the Funskool heyday.  (Funskool Night Vipers would sell out routinely throughout 2001 and even into 2002.  Guys bought them by the dozens.)  There are a few minor coloring variants on the figure and accessories.  But, the figure's main design doesn't stray from Hasbro's vision.  Hasbro got the Night Viper back in April of 2003.  His parts were then used for the 2005 Iron Grenadier convention figure.  And, in 2006, the club released an exclusive "not an army builder" Night Viper that was...in green.  So, even the newly painted version didn't really bring anything new to the mold other than some painted details.  Due to the club's use, the Night Viper didn't get picked for any retail sets...even though he was a natural fit for the Night Watch set.  Factory Custom makers re-creating the mold, though, has finally brought about the Night Viper repaints we've always wanted.  You can now get them in grey, tan, red, gold, blue, black, python patrol and even colored like the Alley Viper.  At this point, every Night Viper you could ever want is available.  So, the mold finally got its due.

The Night Viper series debuted as a higher price point figure from Black Major.  And, it's never really come down.  These days, it's pretty easy to find the less desirable Night Viper colorways.  They don't really seem to sell.  The earlier figures with many of the more collector friendly colors are much harder to track down.  You'll end up paying between $25 and $30 if you can find one.  Which, is probably too much.  As the market cools down, figures like this will be less desirable and should come up, from time to time, at cheaper prices.  You just have to be ready to pounce when one appears.  Until then, there's lots of other Night Vipers that are just fine to tide you over. 

2018 Cobra Starduster - Black Major

When Starduster variants first showed up in 2017, I picked up a couple of them.  They made for great figures.  But, as more repaints appeared, I had less interest in them as I was rushing to catch up on the Steel Brigade, Cobra Trooper, Alley Viper and Night Viper repaints.  By the time I got around to chasing down the Stardusters, they seemed like old news.  In late 2020, though, Nekoman showcased a Red Shadows Starduster as part of his Laser Exterminator profile.  Not to be outdone, RTG at the Attica Gazette then showcased the figure in its full glory on his site.  With these, my interest in the figure was piqued.  And, at that time, you could still get a few of the late 2010's Black Major figures for cheap prices.  

When I thought about it, Starduster makes more sense as a villain.  His jet pack is very much a super villain weapon.  His visor hides his face well enough.  And, he's obscure enough that switching the affiliation of a repaint doesn't really hurt any Joe mythos.  Shortly after reading these other blogs about the figure, a red Starduster popped up for $12.  I quickly snagged it.  Mine, though, is not the Red Shadows version.  Instead, it's a Cobra version of Starduster cast in all red.  But, it still works for my intended purpose.  And, it's a damn fine example of the work Black Major can do.

Black Major released a massive amount of Starduster repaints.  Some were Starduster.  Others were marketed as Cobras.  And, there were Red Shadows versions, too.  Quickly, collectors who were pigeonholed into Starduster's intended role were freed to actually do something with the character.  I've never really clicked with Starduster as a character.  To me, the most interesting thing about him is that he was named Hedge-Hopper in a preview issue of Marvel Age.  That's not much on which to base a character, though.  So, having the figure in a definitely Cobra color and Cobra markings was an interesting way to re-envision the character.  

The calling card of the figure is the red color.  It is a deep and vibrant red: fitting for a Cobra.  The camo pants are in oddball choice that shouldn't matter.  But, they add depth to the look of the figure and give him some visual interest.  The black details and silver highlights stand out against the red backdrop.  Really, there's not a ton of paint applications.  But, when you have a powerful base against which accent colors can pop, small amounts of paint can go a long way.  And, with this Starduster, they do.

I'm not really sure what to do with a Cobra Starduster.  Just having a jetpack guy isn't all that much fun after a few interactions.  It's why I had jetpack troopers when I was a kid.  They were useful in spurts.  But, not enough upon which to base a character.  But, every villainous organization requires some B-level bad guys who can be beaten by the good guys but not be so important that their capture would compromise the bad guys or their plans.  So, this Starduster fits that role well enough.  He'll show up from time to time.  But, usually, it's for a short time and a limited role.  But, with thousands of figures now available in the vintage Joe style, some have to be intended for bit parts.  

The Starduster era Black Major figures are very well done.  From a quality perspective, the joints are solid, they will hold a pose and the paint masks are vibrant and sharp.  You'll see some paint wear on the figure's visor in the photo below.  The translucent plastic of the visor doesn't hold paint all that well.  But, some other colors seem to better maintain their paint.  The grenade launcher is also painted.  So, it can wear if you use it frequently.  Beyond that, though, the jetpack is awesome: equal of a Hasbro release.  And, the helmet fits nicely onto the head.  You'll note the reversed rivets in the figure below.  A function of the time when these figures were released.  You can find them with proper rivets, too.  So, there's plenty of little things to look out for when chasing this figure.  

Depending upon when you bought this figure, you got a variety of different pieces.  Early figures included both a Duke chest and a Recondo chest so you could make an imitation of either major Starduster variant figures.  The figure should always have a helmet, visor, jetpack and grenade launcher.  Some will have the weapon and hose from the JUMP, too.  As time has gone on, many of the figures made available have become separated from some of the superfluous pieces.  But, you'll see variants of the chest and weapons among various figures that you can acquire.  

This Starduster is tough to price.  You see them offered at $40 or $50.  But, they don't seem to sell at that point.  You'll see some sell around $30.  But, those seem to be outliers, too.  Contemporary Starduster variants that were released at the same time as this Cobra version seem to run between $20 and $30.  So, that's probably the sweet spot.  There's a lot of people who try to oversell this figure just due to the association with Starduster.  But, the original, Hasbro Starduster is one of the most over-hyped figures in all of collectordom and isn't nearly as popular or rare as his price suggests.  So, don't overpay for the Black Major figures just due to a false sense of rarity associated with the Hasbro release.

2010 Black Major Blue Cobra Mortal - Random Photos of the Day

In the case of this figure, I couldn't do an around the web feature.  The reason is that there's nothing out there.  So, instead, I'll just post some of the various photos I've taken of him over the years.

Back in 2010 or so, when this figure first showed up, I thought that the Cobra blue body combined with the chromed head created an incredible visual.  Back then, factory customs were pretty new.  And, there was only a couple of dozen total figures.  So, this figure felt very fresh.  It seemed like something that could have been released.  And, it was actually much better than any official version of the Cobra Mortal character that had seen production.

Now, the figure seems almost quaint.  When compared to the current crop of factory customs, this figure is akin to comparing a 1982 Joe to one released in 1992.  They have evolved to a degree that the originals are easily recognized.  And, I kind of like that.  It shows that there is still work to do in the Joe world.  Despite that, these early figures retain a type of innocence from their early design period.  

2021 Black Major Cobalt Guard (Gold Trim)

Back in the early 2000's, I was vocal that Hasbro should release a repaint of their updated Crimson Guard mold in Cobra blue.  I was hassled for this by collectors hung up on the "Crimson" part of their name.  When the Shadow Guard were released in mid 2005, I was adamant that the set should have included at least one Cobra blue figure to lead the new legions of black clad Siegies.  More people came around on the idea.  But, Hasbro was done and new repaints of their Crimson Guard mold were not to be.  In the early 2010's, though, Black Major released his first Crimson Guards.  These figures, though, were not as ubiquitous as the Cobra Troopers and Invasors had been.  The cheap lots of 4 to 6 figures were no more.  And, when he released a Cobra blue version, I was pretty much out of the Joe world.  Around 2016, I managed to get one of the blue Black Major figures off of Ebay for a few bucks.  In short order, the figures would get very expensive: too expensive for army building.  But, in 2021, Black Major brought back the Crimson Guards with a new mold.  This time, the figure included additional heads and a Viper rifle.  Among his color offerings were a few takes on Cobra blue.  Sold under the Cobalt Guard header, these blue Crimson Guards finally gave me a chance to build a blue Siegie army that I had wanted for a decade and a half.

The Crimson Guard was one of the most requested army builders from the early 2000's.  He was the third or fourth most requested figure behind the Viper, BAT and Cobra Trooper.  Eventually, Hasbro relented and resculpted a new Crimson Guard figure.  The figure wasn't bad.  But, it reused some existing parts, didn't have the classic gear and only included heads with removable helmets.  In short, they were fine.  But, they didn't really scratch the itch for collectors who loved the original mold.  In the early 2010's, though, Black Major made his first round of Crimson Guard figures.  These featured a multitude of color options and included the original gear.  But, these figures were made in lower quantities than the Cobra Troopers of that era.  And, while plenty of guys did army build a few flavors, they really didn't permeate the collecting community to the degree that some of the other factory customs from those early days had done.  Finally, about a decade later, Black Major's second run of Crimson Guard figures were released.  Done up in even more colors, these figures were well received by the dwindling collector base of the time.  Since there isn't much content being created these days, the figures don't appear with the frequency that you'd expect.  But, that's more about the dwindling creative collector and less about the figures themselves.

For me, as a kid, the Crimson Guards really were Cobra's elite troopers.  To me, the red uniform was combat ready.  The Siegies were just so good that they could wear red into battle with little concern.  The best of the best would then become Eels (I still swear that, somewhere, I read that CG's became Eels.  But, this appears to be youthful exaggeration on my part rather than any official canon.)  who could then become Snow Serpents.  (Who were the pinnacle of the Cobra army and equal to most Joes.)  But, as I got older, I saw this as a less likely use for the character.  Instead, they slowly became guards for Cobra Commander and other Cobra hierarchy.  They were still elite fighters.  But, they were reserved for protecting Cobra's top leaders.  The dressy uniform was still cool.  But, I didn't see it as combat ready...especially now that I had far more army builders available to me.

It is from this protector role that the CG's evolved.  One of the main events in my Joe world was the Crimson Guard Rebellion.  The group tried to take over Cobra in the mid 2000's.  The end result was that the elite unit was mostly broken up.  Those who remained are still entrenched in Cobra leadership: a powder keg of potential unrest just waiting to be lit.  But, mostly, they keep their heads down after they saw so many of their brethren be unceremoniously executed by Cobra Commander when he defeated them.  

One of the humiliations that the Commander bestowed upon the Crimson Guardsmen was that he allowed for their uniform to be worn in different colors.  Most of the younger elites choose blue to show their loyalty to the Commander.  Elders often wear black to denote their status.  But, some choose to wear red.  Mostly, it's done as a troll to the remaining rabble of rebellious guardsmen who see the youngers wearing red as an insult.  But, the Commander prefers blue and his personal guards always wear the blue uniforms as a means of confirming their loyalty to him.  The golden trim, though, is reserved for the officers among the Commander's entourage.  A special notation fitting of their status.  And, the blue and gold motif matches the Commander's dress uniform: implying the leaders have access to the Commander when he's at his least guarded moments.

My main draw to the gold trimmed figure is just how exquisite it looks.  For some reason, the color combo of the lighter blue and bright gold really clicked.  Not so much in that I wanted a dozen of them.  But, it worked as the leader of a large unit of figures.  As you can see in the photos below,  the blue is a bit lighter than standard Cobra blue.  But, it's not quite the Soldado blue.  It works for me.  Especially now that there are several other figures that have similar hues that are available from factory custom makers.  For this figure, the paint masks are tight and  the figure quality is really nice.  The golden paint really makes the fine details on the CG mold pop.  It's great to get Crimson Guard rifles.  And, you get an extra Viper rifle with every figure.  (Which is kind of handy when you have a couple dozen 2006 Viper Pit figures sitting around.)  Even now, where I'm in a phase of hyper-criticality on anything Joe, I still find this figure aesthetically pleasing.  Which keeps it relevant to me.

It is likely that this gold trimmed figure exists in smaller numbers than the other blue Crimson Guard flavors that were made.  For those who pre-ordered a set, a single gold trim figure was included along with nine of the silver trim figures.  (You could choose red Cobra logos or silver Cobra logos for the 9 other figures.  I went with silver.)  What this means is anyone's guess.  On the one hand, lower run figures tend to do well if people can't get them.  But, at the same time, the obscure nature of their differences combined with the massive amount of new figures released all at once tends to leave the figures the odd men out.  We'll see how it plays out with this figure.  But, I'm glad I have one as he's a visual treat that really helps provide more depth to the Crimson Guard brigades.

You can get the gold trimmed Cobalt Guardsman for about $22.  This is a far cry from the pre-order pricing.  But, in line with the retail cost when single figures were made available.  In general, Crimson Guard flavors from that era sell in the $15-$20 range.  So, the gold figure has a slight premium.  But, that's also likely due to reduced options for acquisition.  In the end, the gold and blue is a striking combination that makes for a visually pleasing figure.  But, you have lots of options for visually pleasing figures these days.  I go with what speaks, specifically, to me.  This golden trimmed Guardsman did just that.  So, he's a fun addition to my collection.  I just need to use him a bit more often.

2023 Black Major Mercenary Troopers

Major Bludd doesn't need troopers.  Really, as an independent mercenary, he'd be bogged down by the responsibility of troopers.  He might have some associates in the event he'd need some additional help.  But, he's not the type of person who would command an army.  Despite that, there are some 2023 Black Major Cobra Trooper repaints who just mandate that Bludd have a few, select Troopers at his disposal who just happen to share the color scheme of Bludd's 1983 debut.  

It is my opinion that, when it comes to the Cobra Trooper mold, less is often more.  The paint jobs that follow the vintage paint masks, just with alternate colors, are my personal favorites.  In cases, though, where one subtle paint mask is added, like on these Mercenary Troopers, the result is often even better.  It breathes life into a mold that is now fairly common and makes up a large percentage of the overall figures released in the past decade and a half.  

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the cammo pattern Trooper repaints.  That is, definitely, a minority take, though.  As, most collectors really seem to love the various cammo Troopers that are out there.  I prefer the figures that utilize solid colors.  This isn't to say that there aren't some bangers among the cammo Troopers out there.  I just have to draw the line somewhere when  it comes to factory customs and, with Cobra Troopers, I remain particularly choosy about the new paint designs I'll track down.  

Major Bludd is one of my personal favorite Cobra characters.  The main thing about him was that he was always evil and never really had a redemption arc that ruined his fundamental character.  He was just a guy who would kill with impunity provided that you were the best paying customer.  Despite my enjoyment of the character, I don't use him all that often.  Mostly, this is because I have just one loose vintage Bludd and he sits among my main collection that rarely gets used for photos.  I still have a bagged version from Hasbro Canada.  But, I can't mingle that with my other loose figures.  So, Bludd sees little use unless it's his later versions.  And, those are less inclined to blend with this early Cobra Trooper mold.  So, getting these figures out is usually a special occasion.  

Black Major has gone through several different Cobra Trooper molds in the past 15 years.  This Mercenary Trooper uses the (as of today!) most current mold.  The most notable feature is that the head is a bit...squished.  So, it gives the Troopers of this mold a distinct look that allows them to be distinguished from earlier releases that might share the same color scheme.  There are other differences, too.  But, the Attica Gazette better covers them.  So, go read that for a full breakdown of the nuances of Black Major's various Cobra Trooper incarnations.

There are, now, over 100 flavors of Cobra Troopers that are available.  They extend from standard repaints like a crimson figure to obscure and ridiculous versions like an orange figure with brown tiger stripes.  So, with so many Cobra Troopers available, you can afford to be choosy.  I've skipped many great repaints in the past couple of years because they are similar enough to figures I already own.  But, I do find figures like this Mercenary version to be somewhat fresh and interesting. With so many variants available, every collector can have their personal favorites that might be something in which other collectors have no interest.  So, that's a huge upside of a mold being repainted into oblivion: there's something for everyone.

The main draw of this figure, for me, is the juxtaposition of color.  You have the black base that is offset by the brown pants.  The brown is a unique color that's both realistic and under-represented among Joe figures.  The swath of brown on the figure's collar provides a nice starting point for the hue, too, and really ties the top and bottom of the design.  The entire thing, though, is highlighted by a bright green.  The green isn't too bright.  But, it's not a drab that would blend into the brown and black.  Instead, it really highlights them and gives the figure a contrast that is visually stark.  It works against both the black and brown, which is hard to pull off.  The logo and bullets aren't silver.  They are a silvery, metallic blue color that, in its sparse application, accentuates those details more so than when  they are in traditional Cobra logo colors.  If all that isn't enough, there's a few splotches of cammo paint on the figure's helmet.  This provides a little extra detailing that makes the figure feel like something more than just a base Cobra Trooper repaint.

Like most of the recent Cobra Troopers, this figure includes three accessories.  He starts with the classic Dragunov sniper rifle.  It's a requirement for any Cobra Trooper.  Despite the iconic stature of the homage to the character's original weapon, though, I find myself more drawn to the second rifle included with the figure.  I'm not sure of its origin.  But, it's properly scaled for the 1983 body design of the Trooper and looks more like a more modern assault rifle.  It's a bit tighter in the figure's hands.  But, not so much so that you are worried about stressing or breaking a thumb.  The final piece of gear is a Big Bear backpack.  It's a common yet, unremarkable pack.  So, it works in the context of the Trooper.  It's something that's nice to have, even if you seldom use it.

The overall quality of these figures is pretty par for the course for Black Major figures.  The joints are tight.  The paint masks are sharp and crisp.  The figure can hold its weapons.  The limbs will hold a pose.  The figure isn't the same as a vintage Joe figure.  But, it's still pretty good.  After 15 year, you should know what to expect from factory customs.  And, if you've never owned a Black Major figure, that's not because of lack of opportunity.  But, if you like this figure's look, it's certainly worth tracking down a few and building up a squad to your liking.

This figure is relatively recently made.  Had a small production run and is rather niche.  Right now, you can still get mint and complete versions for $20 - $25.  If you can find a lot of them, you'll probably pay slightly more than 1/2 of that per figure, though.  I have a tough time predicting which Black Major figures will be super popular on the collector market and which will fade into obscurity.  But, pricing on out of circulation Black Major Cobra Trooper repaints does seem to be softening a bit.  This is a function of the overall market downturn we've seen in recent years combined with the sheer volume of new figure releases that have been pouring into the community in 2024.  

My general rule when it comes to factory custom army builders is to acquire figures I like if I can get them in bulk.  I don't really have a use for one or two of these figures.  But, four or five fill out a photo and have some value in my collection.  My point isn't to suggest you mimic my rules for my collection.  Instead, it's just a reminder that, sometimes, guardrails on acquisitions are good.  Otherwise, you end up with dozens or hundreds of figures for which you overpaid and for which, now, you have no real use.  And, we all know how much it sucks to try to sell off large quantities of single figures.  So, approach figures like this with a purpose and pick and choose among those who speak to you...even if the reason for your interest in them isn't readily definable.

2016 Tank Commander - Black Major Exclusive

There are hundreds of paint jobs available on the 1983 Cobra Trooper mold.  Some are great.  Some are terrible.  And, most, are just there.  They're neat enough designs.  But, they don't really transcend the others.  Many of them, though, serve a specific purpose.  There is one area where a certain color scheme is completely necessary.  But, then, doesn't really make much sense in any other context.  Such is the fate of the 2016 Tank Troopers.  Black suited figures with red trim is a fine design that is also not all that exciting.  But, when paired with specific Cobra vehicles, the Tank Troopers are great.

The idea of having Cobra Troopers in color schemes to match any vehicle or specialty figure seems great.  And, back in 2010, it really was.  Collectors could get Troopers to match some of their favorite Cobra figures and vehicles.  As the decade crawled on, more and more Troopers were released.  And, with that, came some diminishing returns.  Now, in 2024, there are Cobra Troopers for every occasion.  And, you'll go batty trying to get squads of them all.  I find it better to pick and choose and focus on designs that really speak to me.  Among my preferred color schemes of Python Patrol, Swamp Troopers and Soldados, I also have a small cadre of these Tank Trooper figures that are cast in red and black.  

The reason for that is because of the 1985 Sears Exclusive SMS.  This special repaint of a Hiss Tank and MMS was meant for the Crimson Guard.  However, I've never felt that the CGs really matched the tank.  Simultaneously, the blue Cobra Troopers and Officers were not great matches for it, either.  But, with the advent of these Tank Troopers, I finally had an adequate crew for one of the key vehicles of my childhood.  The red black perfectly matches both the SMS and the 2004 Operation Crimson Sabotage.  On top of that, they are also really nice matches for the 1983 Hiss and even the Stinger.  In short, they fit with Cobras 1983-1985 vehicle aesthetic.  So, if you have a soft spot for those early Cobra designs, the Tank Troopers are the crew you wished you had back when you were a kid.

The Cobra Trooper remains the best incarnation of Cobra's classic bad guy.  Vipers are just too well equipped to see them as foot soldiers in an upstart terrorist organization.  But, guys wearing blue shirts and pants with a mask over their face gives the appearance of affordability that would have been imperative in Cobra's early days.  In case you think they aren't dangerous, though, each trooper carries a piano wire on his arm.  These are men of no moral compass who view murder as a matter of their job and nothing more.  Those who place such low value on human life would have been attracted to Cobra by the pay and sphere of safety that Cobra could provide.  

The fact that things like this were incorporated into a children's toy is amazing.  The early Joe team wasn't shy about making the good guys be good guys and the bad guys be bad guys.  The 1980's were the decade of clear heroes and villains.  The notion of the anti-hero would only become pervasive in the 1990's...mostly as a way to evolve the simple tropes of the prior decade that were no longer drawing in audiences.  Now, we have sympathetic villains and heroes who, frankly, have character flaws so deep that they really should be villains.  But, the early Cobra was designed in the vein of Hydra and other Nazi-derivative villains of the post World War II era.  And, the Cobra Trooper is the textbook example of this.

There really isn't much more to say about the Cobra Trooper mold.  I've looked at tons of colorings of the mold.  And, I have several more sitting in my draft folder that will appear in future years.  The mold remains the same.  But, the color schemes offer chances to use the mold in more circumstances and have some nice color matches with additional members of the Cobra hierarchy.  While we really don't "need" any more Cobra Trooper color designs, the fact is that must have colorings still continue to appear.  And, I often find that that there are lots of designs that I never thought I wanted until I saw them.  Once in hand, I have yet to be disappointed.

The Cobra Trooper is Black Major's most used character.  There are at least 4 different incarnations of the mold.  You can tell the differences by the foot pegs, backpack hole and even the head.  The Tank Troopers are earlier molds.  But, the quality is still high.  They don't have the floppy joints of some 2010 era releases.  They hold their weapons well.  (These figures actually include the standard Dragunov rifle, an Officer AK-47 and a backpack.  You'll often find current sales not including all the proper gear, though.)  And, best of all, the paint masks are simple and effective.  It's hard to believe these figures are coming up on their 10th anniversary.  But, the fact that new Cobra Troopers have already been released this year shows the enduring appeal of the mold.  And, it's a safe bet that as long as factory custom figures exist, new Cobra Troopers will be among the releases.

The Tank Troopers were not popular upon their release.  You could buy sets of 4 or 5 Troopers and one Viper Pilot for under $25.  Resellers would offer even better deals if you made a bulk purchase.  Now, you can barely get one Cobra Trooper for that amount.  But, 2017 was a very different time in the Joe world.  The documentary hadn't pulled in fly-by-night scalpers and pickers.  And, the pandemic hadn't destroyed all the collectible markets and created an unsustainable zeal for nostalgia.  So, these aren't $5 figures any more.  But, they are also not expensive.  You might have to wait a while to find the figure, especially if you want a set.  But, you should be able to find them in the $15-$20 range with prices going lower if you can find a full team.  

2018 Black Major "Purple Haze" Snake Eyes - Around The Web

Back when this figure was released in 2018, it was quite popular.  And, in very short order, the strong Joe photography community used him in tons of various photos. Now, though, I can't find any of them!

Attica Gazette's look at the Desert Version of this Snake Eyes this week brought back the memories when the latest Black Major figures appeared in photos by all the Joe creators of the day.  Now, though, the day of big set pieces and action poses are all but gone.  And, the online Joe photography community has gotten much, much smaller.  It's a sad state of affairs and the change happened pretty quickly.  But, I know how hard it is to get out a nice cadre of figures and vehicles and try to pose all the figures in fun ways before they are all knocked down from a sudden breeze.

The Purple Haze Snake Eyes remains my absolute favorite paint job of the V2 Snake Eyes mold that Black Major produced.  It was just the combo of a single base color matched against some very nice details.  The purple color is just stunning.  And, it makes for a great match on the Snake Eyes mold.  On some level, I wish the figure had been released sans Cobra logo.  But, it works fine as an Invasor or Mortal or Lobisomem or whatever other character you wish to assign to him.  

I do hope we see some of the derring-do of the Joe photography community return.  I don't know if it will.  But, as we age, time does become more available.  So, that might spur a content Renaissance for a short time.  Until then, enjoy what I could find of this figure.

Purple Haze Snake Eyes Profile

Purple Haze Snake Eyes by C3pesto

Purple Haze Snake Eyes by AtticaGazette

Purple Haze Snake Eyes by gladiousbrazil

Purple Haze Snake Eyes by MrMikeVinthePit

Purple Haze Snake Eyes at the Surveillance Port

Snake Eyes reviews at the Dragon Fortress

2022 Blue and Red BAT - Black Major

I don't much care for BATs.  I didn't like them when I was a kid.  And, the idea of robots hasn't really developed any additional appeal to me now that I'm an adult.  I like the 1991 BAT figure because the colors are great.  (The fact that no one has yet painted the 1986 BAT mold in 1991 colors seems like a hugely missed opportunity.)  But, I've never been overly fond of the 1986 BAT's design.  It's not bad, per se.  I just don't get the hype.  Even as a kid, I thought the figure was wildly overrated by other kids.  I just didn't see the appeal.

One of the upsides of being a rational person is that you can realize that something, while not for you, personally, can be something that most other people like.  And, with that knowledge, you can learn to take advantage of opportunities when they arise, even if they aren't something in which you'd normally partake.  Such was the case with Black Major's 2022 BAT releases.  He created a new mold and offered the classic 1986 sculpt in a rainbow of colors.  Most were small runs, dispersed among various resellers who marked up the prices to, in some cases, as high as $35 per figure.  But, the Black Major himself offered a special deal to those who pre-ordered.  They had the choice of 2 BAT colors and could buy up a small army for about $9 per figure.  I may not like BATs.  But, you don't often get the chance to buy even factory custom figures for that price.  So, I jumped at it and added a bunch of blue and red BATs to my collection.

I've always felt the BAT would lend itself to classic Cobra colors.  Black Major did make some Cobra blue BAT's back in the very early 2010's.  But, they were relatively hard to find and I never came across a lot of more than 1 figure where the price was right.  In the late 2010's, Red Laser Army made a couple of blue and red BATs.  But, their availability was problematic.  One seller even pulled some shady stuff and dragged Red Laser Army's reputation through the ringer due to their terrible offering scheme of some, otherwise, cool BATs.  So, there was never really any good options to pick up an army of the robots in the classic Cobra colors.  

Black Major fixed that in 2022.  Among the many BAT colors are this red and blue version.  There are other versions that are blue, red, orange, purple, green and grey.  In 2023, there are glow in the dark figures, some that look like Overkill and even niche homages like Boba Fett and Batman paint jobs.  Pretty much every collector desired paint job for BATs is now available.  But, for me, the staple for my collection is just the classics.  So, I plunked down the money and added a small cadre of these blue and red BATs to my collection.

Once in hand, these BATs are nice.  The blue is the lighter color you often find on blue factory custom figures.  It's brighter than classic Cobra blue.  But, it does nicely mesh with the multitude of Vipers, Alley Vipers, Night Vipers and Cobra Troopers that have been released by factory custom makers in the past few years.  They will integrate with classic army builders.  But, they do stand out among 1986 Vipers or 1983 Cobra Troopers.  On their own, though, they make for a formidable force.  And, they are a nice match for some of the 2022 and 2023 Hasbro Cobra Commander figures.

Now that I have these figures, though, I still find that my uses for BATs are limited.  The idea of battlefield robots always seemed boring to me.  You just turn them on and they move forward.  Sure, they can mow down people who don't have the explosive firepower to stop them.  But, that's fun a couple of times.  After that, the human element that is essential to storytelling simply fades away.  You lack the decisions that humans make which turn a carefully tuned exercise into chaos.  It's in that pandemonium that the actual story occurs.  Here, people become heroes and villains in an instant when a random decision they made (often out of fear or panic) turns out to be right or wrong.  This can deify incompetent leaders and vilify honorable people who made the right decision for the right reasons but it still went wrong for them.  

This is why I've always found robots like the BAT to be so mundane.  You can't really tell stories about them unless they become sentient.  And, in that case, the robot is then a human: at least from the storyteller's perspective.  The Battle Droids threatened to suck the soul out of Star Wars.  But, the Clone Wars humanized the Clone Troopers and elicited great stories by exploiting the personality and humanity of the Clones.  Turns out, they were a lot more interesting than simple robots.  Fortunately, vintage Joe story tellers didn't rely on BATs too often.  And, in cases where they did, the BATs were a faceless foil to showcase the heroism and bravery of people: not celebrate the mindless automation of poorly conceived robots.

But, I'm drastically in the minority on that point.  Most collectors love the BAT and there's an argument that he's the most popular vintage Cobra army builder.  People build massive armies of the figure.  Even if it's just to stand them in 2001-esque rows on some dusty metal shelf in their basement.  But, that's OK.  I like a lot of offbeat and obscure figures.  Others love the classics.  There's no wrong way to enjoy a hobby that has well over 2000 different figures to chase down when you include international releases and factory customs in the count.  

These BATs have the standard complement of accessories that were included with the 1986 figure.  There is the backpack and 4 arm attachments: hand, laser, flamethrower and claw.  The hand is red while the remaining accessories are all silver.  In addition to this standard fare, though, the figure also includes two additional accessories.  The first is a remade 1992 Eel weapon.  It doesn't make much sense with the BAT.  But, as an avid fan of the 1993 Eel, I have given the extra silver weapons from these BATs to my burgeoning 1993 Eel army.  The figure also includes a blue gatling cannon.  While the weapon is large, it is exactly the type of thing that robots could carry into battle as the size, weight and sheer force of the weapon would be less of an issue to a non-human.  I'm not, usually, a fan of the robot with stupidly big gun trope.  But, the gatling is in scale with the BATs.  And, the figure's claw can easily grip the weapon to make for fun posing.  

The figure quality on these guys is pretty good.  The joints are tight and the paint masks are crisp.  The figures have replaced the glued on lenticular with a painted Cobra logo.  The lack of sticker does take something away from the figures.  But, it's also one less thing that can go wrong.  The handle on the silver spear gun is a bit large...likely just a function of it's later introduction date.  But, the figure can still hold it.  The thumbs are more solid than  Hasbro's post-vintage offerings.  They are, though, still more pliable and less prone to breakage than vintage thumbs.  And, the figure has an added paint detail on the head that is the robotic Cobra logo.

The blue and red BATs haven't really taken off in the collecting world.  So many BAT flavors were produced in a short time that it was difficult for any one coloring to really break out.  You do see these blue and red figures show up in Joe photography moreso than other colorings.  But, the relative availability of them allowed for some people to stock up and then reduce their army.  As such, you can still find these figures in the $15 to $18 range.  If you're patient, you can even still find deals on multiples that will drop the price per figure below that range.  This is good, though.  I'm not sure that $40 aftermarket factory customs are really a good thing for the hobby.  And, as our numbers shrink and the desire to army build anything and everything has subsided, figures like this BAT remaining affordable is a decent byproduct that still allows newer collectors to enter the hobby without breaking their entire budget on just a couple of cool figures.

2022 Wraith Viper - Black Major

It's tough to find Halloween themed Joes.  There's some monsters and aliens that you align with the holiday.  You can find some other lines that work, too.  Fortunately, Hasbro has avoided holiday themed figures in the Joe line.  (Some of the Star Wars figures are interesting.  But, Joe is small enough that holiday releases would seem like a waste of resources.)  But, it's still fun to find figures that fit a holiday theme.  And, in this case, we'll look at the 2022 Wraith Viper from Black Major.

One of the great discoveries of 2018 was that skull prints could be usefully applied to classic G.I. Joe figures.  Red Laser Army was able to use skull faces on a few of his releases.  Shortly after that, Black Major managed to create a really nice skull and bones feature on the classic Bonecrusher figure.  There were some experiments on Cobra Officer and Firefly heads.  And, there is even a Skeletor themed Cobra Trooper out there.  But, when the Cobra Viper factory customs appeared, there were a couple of figures that featured skull and bones prints.  And, it turns out that the Viper helmet is really conducive to a skull print.  And, it probably works better than many other uses of the theme since it looks like the skull is floating inside a helmet and would be somewhat terrifying to come across on the battlefield.

The neon green paint that is offset against the black background is also very nicely done.  It's a start visual that stays with you.  Being memorable is sometimes better than being good.  But, in this case, it's both.  The remainder of the bones on the figure are nice.  The ribs on the torso stand out to me because they really accentuate the visual of the countenance.  In short, the figure works well.  While everyone claims they want a green Viper, the reality is that the mold and the Cobra concept don't really lend themselves to a green Viper.  But, as an accent color, it can work.  There's now a couple of green highlighted Vipers that were contemporaries of this Wraith Viper.  All have some quality.  But, you can pick and choose among them for your personal favorite design.

If I had a squad of these figures, I'd definitely make them an elite squad of some sort.  As an individual figure, though, I'm not sure what to do with him.  Bonecrusher has the stranglehold on characters wearing the skull and bones.  And, I don't really see him as a former Viper.  So, time will tell how this figure evolves in my collection.  For now, he'll remain a figure who may appear from time to time just because he's visually interesting.  Eventually, a purpose for him may become clear.  Maybe he'll just be a guy who wants people to think he's dangerous.  The idea of a poseur Viper whose reputation by his visuals far outstrips his abilities might be a fun concept to toy around with for a bit.

Recently, Hasbro people have made the statement that Joe collectors "buy the brand regardless of scale".  I found this somewhat odd.  Joe fans have, historically, been very adamant that scale was a necessary part of the Joe world.  When I dug into it a bit, I realized that both sides of this statement are true.  Hasbro only asked collectors of the 6 inch scale figures if the scale mattered to them.  Since every collector of Classified started with 3 3/4" Joes, you can see how they'd be less concerned with scale, now.  However, there are collectors like me to whom scale is paramount.  However, we've already been left behind.  Hasbro doesn't even bother to query us about our desires for the brand as we're dinosaurs whose money isn't worth the hassle.  We can get on board or be left behind...as we already have been.

With that, makers like Black Major become more important.  While there's lots of o-ring Kickstarters out there, many of them have failed to deliver a true vintage Joe like experience.  Instead, most feel like cheap knock offs of Joe that are driven by the cliched "tacti-cool" looks that are overdone.  The heads fall flat and the figures are bulky to accommodate inexperienced sculptors.  And, they are stupidly expensive.  A $30 figure needs to be perfect.  And, none of these Kickstarters have delivered on that for their price.  A couple of upcoming projects look promising.  Others...don't.  So, having a source of vintage inspired Joe molds has great value.  I wish Red Laser Army was still around to also supplement army builders like this Viper.  But, at least there are options for those of us who no longer matter to the Hasbro Joe brand.

This Viper includes the standard Viper rifle as well as a pack.  Mine included the Big Bear backpack instead of the standard Viper pack.  There may be slightly different accessories offered with the figure from different sellers.  It should be noted that this is the second release of factory custom Vipers.  Red Laser Army released a variety of Vipers starting around 2016 or so.  Those Vipers featured removable helmets, though.  This Black Major figure is a new mold and has a head whose helmet can not be taken off.  But, this figure is high quality.  The joints are tight enough and the paint masks are great.  The figure can hold his weapons and can hold all the poses you can concoct.  

Wraith Vipers are still available.  You'll find them with frequency for about $18.  That's about the going rate for Black Major figures in general.  There are people who army built them upon their release.  And, you'll find some nice photos with squads of them in you look hard enough.  But, a year after their release, it's more common to see individual figures offered for sale.  Some factory customs take on magnificent aftermarket values.  But, I have no idea which ones will do that.  Some of my absolute favorite designs  remain super cheap.  While some figures that I think are useless and bland have become really expensive.  So, I pick up the figures that I like when they're available.  If this guy interests you, I'd suggest the same approach.

2023 Steel Brigade Ranger (Black Major)

I like very vibrant green colors.  Duller greens are somewhat boring to me.  But, if you get a strong, powerful green color, then it's usually something I enjoy.  In the vintage line, it was rare to find figures who featured a sprightly green base color. But, those who did were often found in my play rotation.  I even like figures such as Blaster: where I'm willing to overlook mold problems in favor of his dominant color.  It's one of the reasons why I do like Action Force as the green color they used is bright, fun and kid friendly.  So, it has been a modern lament that no factory custom maker has been able to adequately mimic the European green seen on Action Force.  But, in the process, there have been some interesting attempts that have still created awesome looking figures: even if the green isn't quite right.  Just recently, though, Black Major released his Steel Brigade Ranger figure.  In my opinion, it's one of the strongest Steel Brigade repaints we've ever seen.  It features a powerful green color, offset by a dark brown torso and opaque cammo patterns on the legs.  In short, it's exactly the type of figure that I would enjoy.

It should come as no surprise that I am not a fan of the Steel Brigade.  To me, the notion of G.I. Joe army builders is somewhat anti-thetical to the notion of an elite military unit.  At the same time, when I was a kid, I had a ton of figures that were faceless army builders so that Cobra could rack up some kills, too.  My main issue with the Steel Brigade is that it was co-opted by the worst elements of fandom and was used as a cudgel to keep Joe fans from ever getting toys that were not rubber stamped by people who had a very limited view of what Joe should be.  The entire debacle of o-ring releases in the 2000's was orchestrated by this group.  And, it's forever sullied me on the notion of the Steel Brigade.

On top of that, many collectors that are newer to the hobby don't recall the days of all the Steel Brigade figures you could ever want available for $5 for a MIB figure on Ebay.  You see them call common variants "rare" with no irony.  There are hard to find Steel Brigade variants.  But, others are quite common.  But, the modern collector seems to have confused popular and rare and simply can't fathom that there are people out there with hundreds of vintage Steel Brigade figures hoarded away.  They simply built their army when it was affordable and easy to do.  We're now in the third decade of online Joe collecting.  So, a lot of what seems to be true today is actually just a result of the actual truth from 25 years ago.

So, what is someone who dislikes the concept of this character to do with the mold in several differently painted themes?  Well, Cobras need someone to kill in my photos.  And, this site is littered with Steel Brigades being blown apart and executed in various ways.  Having nice colors to better mix with Cobras allows for the characters to continually die without me having to waste a main character in the various photos.  I like the idea of the character being cowardly and begging for their life, even willing to turn over their comrades.  Because of this, the Joes don't trust the Steel Brigade and don't tend to interact with them all that often.  They let them die on ill-fated missions against Cobras mainly as a way to gauge Cobra's effectiveness.  So, it's worth having a figure or two for photos like this.  Even if they serve no other role in my collection.

The 2017 era Steel Brigade figures included a backpack, the Recoil rifle, an Airborne rifle and an alternate Chest that was originally used by Airborne, too.  Now, the figures still include a backpack and both rifles.  Gone is the alternate chest.  But, now, they all include JUMP jet packs.  Personally, I'm a fan of the changes.  Hasbro is including a jet pack with their Classified figure that's based on the Steel Brigade.  (They lost the rights to Steel Brigade to a former employee.  Hasbro has since been low key trolling him with their product releases for a while, now.)  So, the inclusion here fits with the current depictions of the character.  But, it's just good to have more JUMP packs.  And, the tan color is neutral and can be used with a lot of figures.  The rifles are not the glossy black of 2017 and are, instead, closer to the charcoal color of the original.  It's still easy to distinguish.  And, the plastic is so different that it even sounds different than a vintage piece.

The biggest issue with the 2017-ish Steel Brigade figures was the quality.  The hands were too small to actually hold the rifles that were included with the figures.  Some collectors were able to shave down the handles of the weapons to get them to work.  But, this was a major detriment to them.  This time around, though, these quality issues have been addressed.  The figures hold their weapons with no issues.  Both the Recoil rifle and Airborne rifles work very well with the figures.  On top of that, the quality of the figure itself is better.  The joints are tight and the figure is poseable in ways that the 2017's just weren't.  So, it's a big improvement over the original releases and definitely worth an upgrade.

These figures are still available.  Individuals run $18.  But, you can buy them in multiples for less.  The last iteration of Steel Brigade figures have taken on nice aftermarket appreciation.  Personally, I feel this wave is far better in terms of quality and colors.  So, you'd expect them to remain desirable well after production has ceased.  I find this Ranger to be one of the better Steel Brigade repaints that have been created.  Not everyone will share that opinion, though.  Some may find this guy overdone.  And, the tone of green isn't everyone's color of choice.  But, it's a vibrant, attractive figure that really works well in a collection.  

Satan - Plastirama (Argentina) Exclusive

What do you do when you've owned a figure for nearly 15 years, but never actually been able to use it?  The answer, of course, is you find a close enough proximal figure and finally bring one of the most sought after characters to your collection.  But, what happens if you miss those, too?  And, suddenly, your desire for any representation of the figure is suppressed by prices that seem out of line for rarity and popularity of the figure?  The answer there is, you go without.  And, one of the most iconic foreign repaints in the entire history of G.I. Joe is among the last figures from Argentina to make an appearance on a site that was heavily built upon the introduction of foreign figures to American collectors.  All due to the generosity of a fellow collector who had a spare Black Major figure he was willing to give to me.  Thus, without further ado, I present a profile on, really, 2 figures: the Satan figure that is exclusive to Argentina and the Black Major homage from 2016 or so.

As 2007 wore on, I decided to close the gaps in my Plastirama collection.  I had noticed that a few figures that were once common were starting to disappear.  So, in short order, I completed my run of the common swivel arm figures.  Two of the last three acquisitions were Cobra De Hielo and Satan.  The plan, of course was to open the figures.  I had just taken most of the other Plastirama releases off their cards.  And, Satan and Cobra De Hielo were next.  But, I never got around to it.  Shortly after I acquired these figures, I started a new job, lost interest in Joe for a bit and simply left the figures out in the garage for years.  I accidentally acquired a second Cobra De Hielo and did open that figure for my loose version.  This sparked my interest in Satan.  But, upon reviewing Ebay listings for him, I found that the figure was now worth way more than I had thought he'd be.  And, as such, opening him became a fool's errand.  It's one thing to open a $10 carded figure.  It's another to open a $150 carded figure.  So, Satan stays on his card to this day...something that I'll never open due to the current collectible value.

That's where the Black Major comes in.  In the middle 2010's, Black Major started producing Storm Shadow repaints.  Among the earliest releases was a red repaint based on Satan.  Sure, Hasbro had tried the Red Ninja thing in 2004.  But, those figures were a poor man's Satan.  Black Major's version was tied to the original figure and featured colors very similar to the Argentine release.  And, as a huge bonus, the Black Major figure included a full complement of 1984 Stormshadow accessories.  In short, it was a cheap way for people to acquire a Satan (or an army of red ninjas) for sane prices.  

There is the question of how to pronounce this character's name.  Of course, there is the generally accepted SAY-tan.  This, though, ties the figure too much to a devilish motif and seems overly cliched.  I prefer to say Sah-TAN as it's less obvious where the name's origins lie.  Modern comic writers, most ignorant of foreign Joe characters beyond Ebay listings, incorporated the character with various mnemonic takes of the name.  Some are better than others.  But, in the end, it was the basic Red Ninjas who were introduced in Silent Interlude (#21) that were the driving force behind the collector appeal of this figure.  The Satan name only became interesting after the fact when there were other Red Ninjas available and collectors were desperate to find anything that could break their Joe worlds from the Hama-verse and set them a bit apart.

For me, though, having the figure carded meant that he didn't really join my collection.  But, I also acquired the figure late in the game, as I was losing interest in Joe for a bit.  So, I never really came up with a characterization of him.  While Ninja Ku often appears in photos as a random ninja, I have yet to find Satan as useful.  Having the Black Major figure finally gives me a loose version to use.  I just haven't found myself incorporating him into the fold like I thought I would.  There was a time when an army of red ninjas was enticing.  But, I built one with the 2004 Red Ninja Vipers and found that it wasn't all that interesting.  If I ever set up a Cobra display with early figures, you can be sure that Satan will find a way to be a part of it.  I just don't think that's ever really going to happen, though.

So, here's the thing.  Satan's aren't rare.  They're not.  Tons of cases of them were imported to the U.S.  And, all the carded figures you could ever want sat unsold on Ebay for between $30 and $50 between 2001 and 2003.  Satan's case mates of Cobra De Hielo and Ninja Ku were similar.  As were Destro, Sparta and Sokerk.  Those three are important as the Destro figure exists in similar quantities as Satan.  Yet, he's very available and cheap.  For every Fuera De La Ley, there is a Satan.  And, there are more Satans because, in the early 2000's as Argentine collectors foraged every nook and cranny of their native land for G.I. Joes to sell to American collectors in American currency during that particular economic crisis in Argentina.  Those collectors found many additional, loose Satan and Ninja Ku figures to offer to collectors who could pay in stable currency.

The reality is, Satan is super popular.  Neither the 2004 Red Ninja Viper nor the anniversary figure release did much to offset the massive appeal of Satan.  And, because of that, Satan is way too expensive today for as common as the figure is.  You can be sure there are many collectors from 2001 - 2004 who have long been out of the hobby with carded Satans and Ninja Kus in their basement who have no idea the figure has increased in price more than 40 fold in the past twenty years.  In the summer of 2020, Satans were $600+ MOC figures.  Just one year later, carded figures sold for $1200+!  Now, you can get MOC figures under $1000 again.  But, some still climb to $1500.  Loose, mint versions are $250 or more.  Even figures with broken thumbs or broken crotches will break $100.  This is difficult to swallow as I remember all those figures sitting, unsold, with $30 buy it now prices.  I remember thinking $30 was way too much for a loose, complete with cardback 3 figure set of Satan, Ninja Ku and Cobra De Hielo.  But, I also remember scrambling to buy the last Satan I could find for $70 in 2007 in fear that he would continue to rise out of my price range.  

You see way too many collectors who are new to the Joe world incorrectly calling this figure "rare" because they can't find one.  He's not rare.  He's popular.  And, that popularity drives the price...even if there are hundreds, or thousands, of carded examples that were imported to the U.S. and now sit in tons of old collections.  This, though, has been the fate of many of the foreign Joes that were readily available for cheap prices in the early days of online Joedom.  Action Force vehicle drivers, Funskool Street Hawks, Brazilian Eco Warriors and all of the Plastirama figures have dried up and are now thought to be only the domain of enterprising collectors who braved foreign postal services to acquire the figures.  Old timers know differently.  But, in the end, it is demand that drives prices and the current crop of collectors are willing to overpay for items like Satan since they think it's something exotic.  If only they really knew how these figures were ignored and derided by earlier generations.