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.  

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

20th Anniversary Key Moments - Black Major Cobra Mortal

 Around 2009, bootleg Cobra Troopers began to show up.  At first, the figures were all Cobra blue and made to match the original Hasbro release.  Slowly, though, new, exclusive color schemes began to appear.  Collectors quickly adopted the new designs and the first factory custom figures were a huge success that flourished among collectors of the era.  Around 2010, the second figure mold for factory customs appeared.  This time, it was a V1 Snake Eyes mold.  While this may seem odd, the figure was quickly painted into Cobra Invasors and Cobra Mortals and sold to collectors who craved these characters in cheaper and more useful color varieties.

One of the first figures I reviewed when I restarted this blog in 2012 was the Black Major blue Cobra Mortal.  This figure resonated with me since the Mortal character worked better with both a less ostentatious outfit and also colors that were more in line with early Cobra from 1982 and 1983.  This blue figure fit both criteria and quickly became one of my prominent figures in photos from the time.  

Even today, this remains one of my favorite Black Major figures.  The blue matches the classic Cobra Trooper blue.  And, the swivel head also matches pre-1985 figures.  In short, it's a perfect match for early Joe figures.  Early Cobra was short on characters who wouldn't become main characters.  So, having a chance at some figures to represent foreign characters that could fill in middle management roles in Cobra is welcomed.

In the years since, there's been a small, vocal contingent of collectors who are against Black Major figures.  But, in the past decade, these factory customs are all vintage Joe collectors have left.  Hasbro turned their backs on that style and not even a "retro" line was enough to bring back the classic look.  So, fortunately, these figures exist to keep collectors engaged...even if Hasbro doesn't care.

2018 Black Major "Purple Haze" Cobra Invasor

In the fall of 2002, an odd figure appeared for sale from Asian sellers.  At the time, it was known that a slight Snake Eyes repaint was going to be released in a boxed set as a Toy Fare magazine exclusive.  But, this new Snake Eyes was purple in color.  It was not known if this was an unreleased paint variant or something new.  Collectors, though, saw the resemblance to a cartoon episode Snake Eyes and wanted the figure badly enough that the early releases sold for over $100.  (At a time when that much would get two carded Satan figures or 2 Stardusters and 2 version D Steel Brigade figures.)  Supply, though, eventually outstripped demand and the figure's price fell.  Plus, it was revealed that the figure would appear in a DVD boxed set as an exclusive.  Collectors got their figure and the DVD Snake Eyes fell into obscurity.  Now, more than 16 years later, the world can go agog over a new purple Snake Eyes figure.  This one, though, is a remake of the classic 1985 Snake Eyes produced by Black Major.  And, it is a beauty of a toy.

Technically, you can't call this figure Snake Eyes as he's stamped with a silver Cobra logo.  You could make a case to call him a Cobra Mortal since one of his contemporary releases mimics that character.  He could also be Lobisomem since that character used the Snake Eyes mold and was a Cobra.  But, it's probably more apt to refer to him as a Cobra Invasor.  Invasor used the V1 Snake Eyes mold.  There's no logic to dictate that he would have been updated to a V2 mold.  But, why not?  The Invasor character could co-exist with the Cobra Mortal since both used the same basic uniform.  So, I'm going to see this guy as an Invasor.  Invasors are troopers, according to their South American origins.  But, I see him as a character.  I'm not huge on the Invasor concept as it exists on filecards.  But, I can use this figure as a character named Invasor and he does fit nicely with 1990 Night Creepers as a better leader of that enemy faction.

Beyond that, though, the figure just looks cool.  The purple is a great background color for the black and silver highlights on the figure's chest, arms, waist and legs.  You'll notice that the grenades on the Invasor's chest are painted grey, offsetting them from the black bandoleer.  There are more paint applications on this figure than the original Snake Eyes and they bring forth the sculpt's details in ways that decades of black obfuscation never could.  To me, these new colors highlight both the highs and the lows of this Snake Eyes sculpt.  You can see the exceptional 1985 design.  But, you also see the oddly shaped mouth and the slight pot belly.  These don't take from the memories or my fondness for the 1985 Snake Eyes figure.  Instead, they enhance it since I have more ways to enjoy it, now.

Accessory wise, this figure includes remakes of the full complement of 1985 gear.  You get an Uzi, sword pack and even a painted wolf.  I was never a fan of G.I. Joe animals.  And, to this day, I have zero interest in Timber as a character or an accessory.  But, lots of people love the the non-human sidekicks.  So, Timber's inclusion here is worthwhile.  (And, check out those yellow eyes!)  The gear is solid, but not as sturdy as vintage Joe gear and is easily discernible from originals.  The pack is the point of interest for two reasons.  The first is not a good one, though.  There was an issue with the sword holster on the pack and it's too small for the sword to fit into it.  So, all the Invasors and Mortals lose the ability to nicely lug their sword around.  The second reason, though, is cool.  The pack has some painted details.  There are grey patches in the middle which help illuminate the black pack from the darkness and showcase the details far more finely than the all black versions that exist.

The quality of these Snake Eyes figures is fairly strong.  They have nice, tight joints and will hold a pose.  Those that I have will all easily hold weapons in their right hands.  But, the left hands are tight and I have yet to get a weapon into one.  The left legs of the figures will flay out a bit from time to time: especially when you try to pose the figure on top of a boulder in a slight breeze as you race against sun down to get a good photo.  There are various fixes for this and the flay is no where near as bad as that of 2010 era Cobra Troopers.  The paint is crisp and sharp.  And, the plastic quality is very high.  Both Black Major and Red Laser's Army have upped their game for 2018 and it shows in the designs, materials, accessories and construction of their figures.

The version 2 Snake Eyes sculpt is, arguably, the most famous design in the vintage line.  Even as a relatively common figure, mint and complete versions still fetch over $70 due to the popularity.  This is because it is Snake Eyes, it was released in 1985 and, this look for Snake Eyes was never replicated or updated in the repaint and subsequent Joe eras.  There is only one other use of the mold: the Brazilian Lobisomem figure.  And, this character is a near identical match for the American figure.  With no mold saturation, the V2 Snake Eyes has taken on a mythic status and has been one of the most requested updates from factory custom makers for a long time.  

Currently, this figure is available for around $18.  Black Major figures can sell out and take on aftermarket lives.  But, this Snake Eyes is polarizing.  The mold in purple and with a Cobra logo is not for everyone.  Visually, the figure is spectacular.  But, not everyone appreciates the visuals of a figure over its utility and place in the Joe pantheon.  Plus, there were 9 Snake Eyes repaints made available at the same time with more soon to follow.  This leads to a short term mold saturation as collectors frantically try to sort which paint jobs they want and which are superfluous.  Longer term, though, the initial onslaught sorts itself out and figure molds that are no longer available get more desirable.  While this purple Snake Eyes has a novelty factor and is somewhat silly, it is also serious and grounded in some Snake Eyes appearances.  Depending on the production numbers, the figure could prove difficult to track down in the future.  But, the oddball design could also limit the demand.  (Most of the Steel Brigade and Cobra Trooper repaints of 2017 have dried up.  But, they haven't taken on huge aftermarket appreciation since the demand is still soft.)

Personally, I couldn't wait to snatch this figure up and add him to my collection.  The vibrant colors and rarely used mold all add up to the perfect fit for my collection.  In time, I'll grow tired of seeing the V2 Snake Eyes mold used as a bad guy in a rainbow of colors.  But, I found the initial wave of offerings to hold several brilliant pieces that are worthy of acquisition.  If you look back at the Black Major Invasors and Mortals from around a decade ago, most of their designs have held up and retain the uniqueness of their original release.  They have also taken on quite an aftermarket desire.  It's unlikely that the Joe world in 2029 will look anything like the 2019 version.  But, this Snake Eyes repaint is something I will enjoy for a long time: just because it is so different.

Rarities - Plastirama 2nd Series Figures

You know them.  I know them.  Everyone knows them.  The 2nd series of figures released by Plastirama in Argentina are, arguably, the most famous foreign rarities of all.  All of the 6 figures in the series are rare and very expensive.  Even today, the existence of carded figures other than Glenda remain rumors and speculation.  But, the figures themselves do now exist in enough quantity that anyone with the money can acquire them within a reasonable timeframe.

In 2001, Argentina went through an economic crisis.  One of the side effects of this, was that many enterprising Argentines discovered that they could sell G.I. Joe figures to Americans for very large sums of money.  So, as 2001 turned into 2002, tons of these figures (which, previously, had existed in quantities you could count on one hand) wafted into American and European collections.  Instead of lowering demand for the figures, though, the newfound availability brought the figures out of the shadows of the Joe world and gave them new prominence.  It lead to discoveries like the fact that Manleh included a parachute.  (Which was not known until that timeframe.)  Quickly, much was learned about the figures and they joined the general Joe lexicon.

Despite the cutesy mnemonic device that is "argen seven", there are really only 6 figures in the 2nd series.  (The 7th figure, Cobra Invasor was released in series 3 and is much easier to find and exists in greater quantities than the 2nd series figures.)  Here are each below:

Glenda

Glenda is a Scarlett repaint done in Argentina blue and chrome.  The head paint tends to be bad on all the figures.  She included a headset from Breaker and Flash's laser rifle.  As neither accessory fits on the figure, they were odd choices.  But, the blonde hair, striking blue base and the chrome highlights have made Glenda the second most famous figure in this series and a long time collector favorite.

Cobra Mortal

Arguably, the most famous foreign figure of them all, the Cobra Mortal remains the definitive holy grail of the Joe collecting world.  The economic crisis of the early 2000's in Argentina brought a lot of these figures to the market.  But, a lot was still a pretty small number overall.  Today, high quality samples of the Mortal sell for a couple of thousand dollars.  The figure was remade for the 2006 convention and has seen representations in the anniversary line as well.  The Mortal included Scarlett's crossbow.  (The Uzi  and ammo pack appear to be an incorrect inclusion in the photo.)  It is an odd choice for the figure.  But, adds to his overall bizarreness.  The mostly chrome body offset with red and black has become an iconic look for the Snake Eyes mold and the Plastirama Mortal is one of the most sought after figures from any toy line.

There is debate about the Cobra logo.  Some figures have been found without the logo.  It was initially believed that these were just samples where the logo rubbed off.  However, the abundance of them had lead to well founded speculation that the figure without a Cobra logo may be a legit variant of the Mortal.

Manleh

Manleh is a pretty drastic repaint of the classic Stalker mold.  First off, the figure is caucasian.  He is also colored in Argentina blue with yellow highlights.  For years, Manleh was actually harder to find than any other figure from his series.  In time, that evened out.  The figure includes an Uzi and a parachute.  The parachute was only discovered in the early 2000's.  But, it has become more available since then and complete Manlehs can be found.

Redmack

Redmack is a brown repaint of the 1982 Hawk figure.  This version, though, includes a brown helmet and backpack along with a version of Rock and Roll's M-60 and bi-pod.  The most interesting part of Redmack, though, is his card art.  The exclusive to Argentina painting clearly shows the character using the Zap/Short Fuse chest in lieu of the grenade/knife chest that was common to so many original figures.  This shows that Plastirama had a different idea for the Redmack figure that was changed rather late in the process.  It could be they needed the parts for other figures or made a mistake.  But, it gives Redmack something more interesting than just being a Hawk repaint.

Shimik

Shimik is an amalgamation of the Grunt/Grand Slam head with Rock and Roll's body.  The figure features dark skin as it's main differentiating point.  The overall look is excellent, though.  And, Shimik is easily on par with the more popular Mortal and Glenda figures in terms of a unique look.  To make you a bit sick to your stomach, though, this figure was not well regarded in the early 2000's when large quantities of him started appearing for sale.  Shimik figures sold as low as $17 for a few months.  That's hardly the case now.

While the sample below is pictured with an uzi, Shimik did not actually include that weapon.  Instead, he had a version of Stalker's M-32.  Along with that is a black backpack and helmet along with a version of Steeler's visor.  The visor is the interesting accessory.  Steeler showed up in Europe around 1984 and then appeared as a mail away in the U.S. after that.  But, this is the only evidence of him in South America.  It's possible that Hasbro sent the straight arm mold for Steeler to various South American Joe producers and they simply chose to not use it.  It could also be that Hasbro sent all the original 1982 accessory molds to South America and continued using duplicate molds for later Hasbro releases.  It's a great unknown.  But, seeing the visor here raises questions of what other molds were sent to Estrela and Plastirama.

Topson

The Topson figure is somewhat problematic.  The figure is a great repaint of Breaker of long sleeve arms.  He includes a grey helmet and a grey version of Grunt's backpack.  You see quite a few pictures out there of Topson with a grey version of Blowtorch's helmet, too.  However, that helmet was released in grey in the U.S. and is quite common.  There is no evidence that the Blowtorch helmet survived to Brazil, Mexico or Argentina as all the Blowtorch figure molds from these countries are either repainted 1982 helmets or repainted Doc helmets.  We've never seen a carded Topson, so anything is possible.  But, the timeline of accessories the disappearance of the helmet mold on figures with whom it's release make sense lends a great deal of skepticism to that helmet having been released in South America.  So, buyer beware if you see one with a Blowtorch helmet.

As if that's not enough, the figure also likely included a small phone/remote control.  This appears to be the remove from the Flamethrower Pac Rat.  It is, of course, often missing from the Topson figure.  On his card art, Topson is actually seen with a Snake Eyes ammo bag with an antenna sticking out of the top.  It's odd, to say the least.  But, all this makes finding a complete Topson the most daunting of the 6 figures in the series.

Here's a group photo of some other samples.  The second photo is likely the best example of the actual accessories that were included with the figures.  But, until we find carded samples, it's impossible to know for sure exactly what gear each character included.

Rarities - Rubiplas (Venezuela) Figures

Everyone knows of the ultra rare 2nd series figures from Plastirama in Argentina.  In 2003, though, it was discovered that this figure wave also saw an exclusive re-do in Venezuela from the Rubiplas toy company.  Shimik, Redmack, Glenda, Manleh, Topson and the infamous Cobra Mortal were released in Venezuela: some with unique paint applications.  While the white Cobra Mortal is the most famous variation, some other figures features slight differences as well.  Collectors love nothing more than a foreign repaint of a super rare figure that is even rarer than the original.  Below are some of the Rubiplas figures.

While the differences on the non Mortal figures are slight, it is the Mortal itself that is the most interesting.  The white base of the figure is much more useful than the red, black and chrome version from Argentina.  Though, had the white version come first, I suspect that some of the luster would have fallen from the Mortal since this version isn't as strikingly odd as the Plastirama figure.

We still don't know why Plastirama came up with the 6 new characters for their 2nd series of figures.  Nor do we know why they are so scarce.  The fact they sent them to Venezuela where Rubiplas also produced them is one of those oddities that befell the Joe line.  The rarity and popularity of these figures prices them out of most collectors' range.  The fact that they are straight arm figures limits my interest in them.  It would have been cool to see someone produce a set of these with swivel arms when the majority of the molds were still around.  I'd have loved a Manleh and Shimik figure.  But, like many obvious re-uses of vintage Joe molds, that's a desire left unfulfilled.

Venezuelan Joes are among the most difficult to find in the world.  Though, we have seen more and more of their items available as the Internet makes the world a smaller place.  (A tanking Venezuelan economy also plays a part.  Plastirama figures were nearly impossible to find until the Argentine economy collapsed in the early 2000's.  Then, they suddenly became almost common for a while.)  These figures are an example of the wide array of interpretations the Joe line received in other countries.  Were it not for their rarity, I wonder if they would be overly popular.  But, as we've seen in recent years, foreign oddities, even ones that exist in large numbers in the U.S. have steadily risen in price.  So, the uniqueness of their release would likely ensure collector interest, even if these were as common as the Plastirama Sgt. Slaughter.

2006 Cobra Mortal - Around the Web

This week, we take a look at the various content surrounding the 2006 Cobra Mortal figure.

Cobra Mortal Profile

Cobra Mortal at JoeBattleLines

HalftheBattle Cobra Mortal

Cobra Mortal at G.I. Joe Wiki

2006 Con Set Review at GeneralsJoes.com

Cobra Mortal at JoeDios.com

Red Shadows Cobra Mortal - Custom Figure

Among the early year Joes, there were plenty of Cobra villains. Major Bludd, Destro,Firefly, Stormshadow, Cobra Commander and the Baroness were all excellent evil characters who were equal foils to the Joes. In other countries, though, the Cobra villain roster was slightly expanded. In South America, there were three new Cobra characters: the Cobra Mortal, the Cobra Invasor and Cobra De-Aco. All three had one common ingredient which was the head from the 1982 Snake Eyes figure. In Europe, there was a completely different villain for the early days of Action Force. There, the Red Shadows with Baron Ironblood, the Black Major and an army of red clad troopers slowly were integrated into the European origin of Cobra. For the modern collector, these foreign figures offer some of the most expensive offerings to track down and purchase. But, the figures have limitations. The South American figures are all straight arms. The European figures are, mostly, 5 points of articulation figures that do not integrate with Joes. So, there are these great other villains out there that could expand the Cobra roster, but no quality figure representations of them.

Hasbro, for whatever reason, was loathe to release any of the concepts from these areas. But, in the late 2000's, factory produced customs of certain figures began to appear. After the intial deluge of Cobra Troopers, the Snake Eyes mold appeared. On the surface, why did collectors need more Snake Eyes figures? Hasbro had produced plenty. But, the Snake Eyes molds were quickly colored into classic Cobra colors and sold as Invasors. Shortly after this, chrome head versions appeared as Cobra Mortals. Quickly, more and more permutations appeared. Among them was a perfect hybrid of the South American and European villains: the Red Shadows Cobra Mortal.

I always like to expand the Cobra organization into more and more figures that fit with the style of the 1983 and 1984 figures. While those early years contained the bulk of the classic Cobra characters that permeate the line to this day, that is also their limitation. It's tough to play out other scenarios involving Destro, Major Bludd, Firefly and Zartan since their origins were well laid out in the comic. Having figures like this Red Shadows Cobra Mortal allows me to bring some other characters into the fray without disrupting too much of the established Joe canon. They fit with the bulk of my collection and build out the roster in ways that other foreign lines did not. While Invasor and Mortal were actual figures, they were straight arms. Most of the other pre 1985 molds that were exclusively released in other countries were Joes. Aside from Red Laser, Red Jackal, Satan and Ninja Ku, the exclusive figures from outside the U.S. who were released as swivel arm figures were Joes.

I see this figure as the Cobra Mortal's look when he operates within the European continent. My vision of the Joe world has always been that Destro was the centerpiece of Cobra's expansion into other countries. In the late 1970's and early 1980's, the world was full of splintered terrorist organizations. Some were well funded. Others were largely a facade. Slowly, though, Cobra was able to absorb most of them through its greater financial resources. Most of this, though was facilitated by Destro. Being a weapons supplier, Destro had access to the heads of most of the worldwide organizations. He would splinter these groups by funneling their most ruthless members to Cobra, where they would be better paid. Here, Cobra would turn these operatives against their former employers, eliminating the heads of the other organizations. Great operatives such as the Cobra Mortal would be employed by Cobra Commander to infiltrate organizations like the Red Shadows. There, the Mortal would actually do work for the Shadows. But, he was secretly learning about the Red Shadows and would give that information to Cobra Commander who would later use it to weaken the Red Shadows. In time, though, the Commander had no choice but to also eliminate the Mortal. Leaving him alive would have left too dangerous an individual in the wild for Cobra Commander.

This is a custom figure. It was not made with Hasbro molds, but was factory produced. The result is a high quality bootleg that integrates well with Joes, but is not a perfect match. The figure is slightly smaller than Hasbro Joes and can not wear real Joe backpacks nor fit onto vintage Joe figure pegs or stands. But, in general, the figure is decently constructed. The thumbs are a bit brittle, though. The Snake Eyes molds tended to be higher quality than many of the second wave of Cobra Troopers and Crimson Guards. There can be loose joints, but the figures are on par with many of the other quality issues that plagued both Funskool and Hasbro releases from the 2000's.

This figure is not easy to find. For a time, the various versions of the Cobra Mortal sold in the $30-$35 range, with some going as high as $50. After more and more got into the market, prices dropped into the $15 range for a few months. But, then, the supply dried up. Today, this is a $25-$30 figure. As an oddity that can be used to expand a Cobra army, that's a high price tag. But, when referenced against other Cobra Mortal figures (even the 2006 Master Collector fiasco) it's pretty cheap. I've found these bootlegs to be of more value than even the bootleg army builders. The characters are what drives Joe and having tons of repainted army builders starts to diminish the value of the entire mold as it gets overused. That is less so with characters that have no prior releases. So, I find these figures to be the type of thing that makes a collection even better. For that, they are worth the price.

2006 Cobra Mortal - Convention Exclusive

Foreign Joes are cool. There is no denying that. Owning a piece of Joedom that was only part of the childhood of kids in completely different continents with different languages is a great way to grow a collection. But, foreign Joes have some issues. They are not easy to find. They are expensive. And, they are very brittle and prone to breakage. As such, there was a vocal minority who clamored for remakes of foreign Joes so they wouldn't have to spend the effort to get the originals. In general, I'm all for incorporating foreign characters into the American Joe line. However, my feeling is that if you're going to do it, make the new figure a definitive upgrade. Sadly, in the case of the first foreign character to really join the Joe line, this was not case. Instead of thinking of a new take on the classic Cobra Mortal, Master Collector took the coward's way out and produced a figure that was nothing but the vintage Cobra Mortal with swivel arms. A chance to do something truly creative was lost and collectors were left with a figure that is outdated and highly derivative.

The Cobra Mortal as a character would have been a disaster had it been released in the U.S.  Collectors would largely ignore a chrome and red Snake Eyes figures had it been produced during the 1983 - 1984 timeline.  Because the Mortal was exclusive to Argentina, and extremely rare, though, collectors have warmed to it.  As such, the figure gained popularity that the mold, in and of itself, probably doesn't warrant.

The Cobra Mortal was first released in Argentina is the ultra rare 2nd series of figures.  This wave included 6 figures, all of whom were exclusive repaints/characters to the Plastirama line.  The wave included Redmack, Glenda, Manleh, Shimik, Topson and the Cobra Mortal.  Why Plastirama produced a full wave of exclusive figures and why they were so limited are lost to history.  But, they did and the resulting figures are among the rarest in the history of worldwide Joe releases.  Few carded samples exist of this series, with some figures not existing MOC at all.  So, there was definitely something amiss with the whole wave.  The figures, as such, have taken on an aftermarket mystique and most collectors are aware of them, even if they have never seen the figures in person.

This figure is a straight repaint of the vintage, swivel arm Snake Eyes with the 1986 Roadblock waist.  As a mold, it is not interesting as we've seen it dozens of times.  The paint job, though, is interesting.  The figure has many, intricate paint details.  But, the true value of the figure is the vac metal coating.  This shiny addition to the mold makes the figure stand out. It was a nice expense to be offered for the figure.  (It also caused the Mortal to be cast in harder plastic as the soft plastic that was common to the era would not hold the plating.)  Visually, the Mortal is interesting.  But, collecting wise, he still falls flat.  Had a later Snake Eyes mold been used, the figure would have been much more exciting.  This figure simply feels derivative and stale.

Prior to the 2006 convention, collectors were "pre-selling" Cobra Mortals for $75 each. After the convention, that seemed to be the going price...for a while. In short time, collectors tired of the Mortal and prices fell precipitously. For a few years, it was possible to get a mint and complete Cobra Mortal for under $30. As dealers didn't want to take that kind of hit on an item that they had speculated on at higher prices, the number of Mortals for sale has declined. You can easily find dealers offering the figure for $65-$75 for a figure. But, those rarely sell. Offered to the market, Mortals tend to break $40 these days, but not much more. They are, far and away, the most expensive 2006 convention set figure. But, they aren't worth what many dealers want them to be. As such patience can yield a Mortal for decent prices. But, even at $30-$40, this figure is a stretch. It is cool to have a chrome Cobra who can stand among the 1983/1984 Cobras. But, it's not $40 cool. As an oddity the Mortal is interesting. But, as an essential figure, the Mortal falls quite short.

Bootleg Cobra Mortal

In the late '00's, enterprising collectors realized that they could have some Joe figure molds bootlegged in Chinese factories.  This lead a flood of repaints of some particular army building molds.  However, it has also shown that Hasbro, despite their attempts to appease the collector market, really missed some golden opportunities to supply collectors with large numbers of easy repaints that would have been gobbled up by the collector market.  These bootlegs have also shown that, done right, simple repaints that might appear quaint on paper actually create some great figures that integrate into a collection in a way that no Hasbro repaint ever could.  Such is the case with this bootleg Cobra Mortal.

Construction wise, these figures are bootlegs.  As such, they are not Hasbro quality.  The plastic feels cheaper and more brittle.  Some of the figures have bad O-rings that makes them difficult to pose and joints can be looser than new, out of the package Hasbro offerings.  They are also very slightly smaller than vintage Joe figures.  As such, the figures can not wear vintage backpacks.  The footholes will not fit on vintage vehicles.  So, they are easy to tell apart from original Hasbro figures when you have them in hand.  From pictures, though, the figures are very similar and easily do integrate with an original Hasbro collection.

Bootlegs are extremely problematic in the collecting world.  When you have figures like this Cobra Mortal that were never released, it is easy to know what you are buying.  But, the first forays into bootlegging were Cobra Troopers designed and colored like the originals.  Other enterprising bootleggers then copied Storm Shadow and carded the figures on Chinese cardbacks.  These figures become more problematic as dealers and collectors can be duped by them.  I have seen at least three major toy dealers who have sold bootleg Cobra Soldiers as originals.  In truth, I don't mind paying $6 for a bootleg Cobra Trooper that is similar to the vintage.  But, I'd be extremely upset to spend $20 for a figure I thought was vintage that turned out to be a bootleg.  Fortunately, there are some tells on the bootleg figures and many dealers are above board and let the buyer know they are not selling an original.  But, buyer beware on deals for some of these figures that have been bootlegged as you don't want to spend too much thinking a figure is original when it's not.

The bootleg figures first started showing up in the mid to late 2000's.  Cobra Soldiers colored like their vintage counterparts were the first to appear.  Then, Crimson Cobra Troopers started popping up.  Then, black Cobra Troopers, then Desert, then Grey Troopers modeled after the Stinger Driver.  This then opened the floodgates and there are now several dozen different bootleg Cobra Trooper designs out there.  These are often referred to as "Black Major" figures after the Ebay seller who creates most of the repaints.  They are also sold under the moniker of "customs" because Ebay does not like the work bootleg.  Aside from the Cobra Troopers, there are bootlegs of V1 Storm Shadow (available in white on Chinese cardbacks and chromed in gold or silver), dozens of variants of the V1 Crimson Guard, a dozen or more variants of V1 Snake Eyes (including this Cobra Mortal) and a variety of figures designed after the Cobra De Aco from Brazil.  There could be more as time goes on.  But, these have filled a variety of holes for collectors in the past few years.

As for this Mortal, he exists in various flavors.  There is a Cobra blue version using the Cobra Trooper body and a red version with the Snake Eyes body sporting a Red Shadows logo.  (I have this figure as well and he's a great new Red Shadows villain.)  But, I like the simplicity of this blue figure.  Were the original Cobra Mortal an American release, it would be lightly regarded.  It is different.  But, the rarity of it is really what drives collector interest.  This figure, though, takes the idea of the Cobra Mortal and makes it useful.  This Mortal appears as a Cobra.  It gives him an origin within the Joe world and helps integrate him into early Cobra lore.  It was this that attracted me to this particular design.  I see this Mortal as an early Cobra assassin.  He crossed paths with the Joes and was likely killed in the very earliest days of the Joe Vs. Cobra conflict.

It's a small use, but since this figure does match up with other '83 and '84 figures, he can work as an early Cobra operative.  I've always felt that the early days of Cobra were under-represented in the comics.  We saw glimpses of Cobra's formative days, but not much detail.  However, in some of the early comics, we saw unique, unnamed Cobras who were in the company of Cobra Commander.  To create an organization the size of Cobra, the Commander surely had to have top officers in his confidence who helped move the organization along.  As the named Cobras who appeared later all seemed to have backstories outside of Cobras origins, we are left to wonder what happened to many of these early pioneers who built Cobra into the organization it became.  It doesn't appear that the Commander rewarded them.  So, perhaps he had them assassinated in a paranoid rage.  Maybe they just succumbed to the ineptitude of the Cobra Troops and died in battle.  Regardless, it's an unexplored timeframe in Cobra's existence.  And, characters like this Mortal can fill in some gaps for those undocumented times in Cobra's history.

These bootleg figures are both easy to find and hard to find.  Certain configurations were produced in larger numbers than other configurations.  As such, figures like this Cobra Mortal are somewhat harder to find now than figures like the bootleg Cobra Troopers you see in the background.  However, as these are bootlegs, there is nothing stopping anyone from producing another 10,000 Cobra Mortals and selling them to the collector market.  As such, buying bootlegs can be difficult.  If you spend $80 for one and then see hundreds come out a few weeks later for $8, will you feel you were ripped off?  If the answer is yes, you probably should avoid the bootleg market.  But, if you feel that some figures are worth any price and you won't care if they turn into pegwarmers or a Pimp Daddy Destro, then you can spend what you feel is fair for bootlegs and not be disappointed either way.  Personally, I'm ecstatic that collectors had the opportunity to acquire some figures that Hasbro so poorly skipped.  Sure, they're not quite the same quality.  But, these guys are on display and not a toy that I play with every day like I did when I was a kid.  Hasbro or certain collectors may be butthurt at these figures' existence.  But, I think they prove that, sometimes, collectors really do know what they want and would be willing to spend to get it.