1992 Flak Viper vs. 1993 Night Creeper - Brothers in Design

A few years ago, I was cataloging some new acquisitions.  I spread the figures out on a white plastic lid and take pictures to document them before they join the rest of my figures in various drawers that are segregated by year and affiliation.  Two figures in the bunch, though, drew my eye.  I happened to place one above the other.  At first, I noticed how their accessories were the same color.  But, upon closer inspection I found that these two figures shared more than just common hues of their gear.  At first glance, the 1992 Flak Viper and the 1993 Night Creeper could not be more different figures.  But, they share quite a bit of common design.

One of the hallmarks of the Joe line is compatibility.  Not only were things like accessories and vehicles designed to work with any figure, but the figures themselves were designed to complement each other in terms of the colors chosen.  This is why you'll see instances where figures released years apart use plastic of exactly the same color.  This trend started with the line's initial release year and carried over through 1994.  Most collectors lose sight of this compatibility as the line progressed.  But, it's still there.  And, the similarities between the Flak Viper and Night Creeper showcase that the designers reused color combos and sculpting elements that worked well.

The most visual clue to the figure's similarities is the blue base used for each.  The blue color is identical.  The color matches on the figures as well as on the accessories.  As such, you can interchange their weapons and still retain the same visual appeal.  Each incorporates the blue into the main figure coloring, too.  In fact, the blue forms the accent color for both figures.  Really, the only difference in color between the figures is the green on the Flak Viper and the purple on the Night Creeper.  

Going deeper than the blue, though, you see that both figures utilize the same shade of grey as well.  While it's more prevalent on the Flak Viper, the same hue is used to mute the Night Creeper's purple and blue.  The crazy part, though, is the Night Creepers lower arms.  The grey there is broken up by lines.  These lines perfectly match those used on the Flak Vipers vest.  Were is possible to swap the Night Creeper's lower arms with those of the Flak Viper, the Flak Viper would appear as if he were designed with the Night Creeper's arms.

There are a few other design similarities as well.  First, both figures feature a massive chest that is crossed by a strap.  For the Flak Viper, it's his overalls.  For the Night Creeper, it's a bandolier.  But, both start at the bottom right and cover the left shoulder.  Both of their arms feature short sleeves over a grey undershirt.  And, both have elaborate gloves on their hands.

In addition, you will note that both figures feature details on the upper arm, right above the swivel joint.  These adornments are unnecessary.  But, help to hide the joint and give both figures more bulk in their arms.  The construction of the arms on both figures is remarkably similar.  It makes both figures appear more bulky and adds details to break up the mold and make it appear more substantial.

The final point of similarity is in the helmets.  While this one is a bit more far fetched, both helmets are blue with a visor of a different color.  (Black for the Flak Viper, red for the Night Creeper.)  Each helmet has a design in the center with smoother lines on both sides of it.  While the helmets are definitely different.  You see some of the same design elements on each.  Hasbro knew how to make an action figure look cool.  And, they could incorporate artistic creativity inside standard templates that they knew would translate to a toy kids would love.  

Having noticed these similarities, I now want a Flak Viper in 1993 Night Creeper colors and a Night Creeper in 1992 Flak Viper colors.  Both would make for excellent toys and would complement each other very well.  I'm probably the only person who would want this.  But, the fact that these figures are so similarly colored really makes me want to see each figure in the other's color scheme.  

I'm sure there are more examples in the line of figures who, at first sight, appear totally different but who are, actually, very similar in their design.  It was a bit of kismet that lead me to see these two figures and how similar they were.  So, if you have some other examples (The Interrogator and Sonic Dial Tone are another.), please post them up in the comments.

1993 Flak Viper - Around The Web

By the time I was hunting down the final Joes remaining at retail in my area in the mid 1990's, most of the Cobra army builders were gone.  Figures like the Headhunter, Alley Viper and, especially, the Flak Viper mocked me from the cardbacks of the Joes I could still find.  The bad guys were long gone: sucked up by a combination of the first adult collectors as well as the burgeoning speculator market.  So, as the internet became a viable option to acquire old toys, my first focus was finding many of the figures who had I longed for just a few years prior.

The Flak Viper was among my most wanted acquisitions.  Fortunately, at the time, the 1992 version was pretty available and relatively cheap.  The 1993 version, though, was a bit harder to find.  Even carded versions weren't all that common.  In the ensuing years, though, the 1993 became more common.  And, today, remains among the easiest to find 1993 army building figures.

There's lots of good Flak Viper content out there.  The figure's stark colors, congruency with the 1992 original and excellent gear all adds up to a figure that is a lot more fun to own than you might otherwise think.  While I've managed to build up a small army of these guys, I still want more.  And, when the price is right, I still pick up a spare or two to keep building my forces.

1993 Flak Viper Profile

1993 Flak Viper by fun time at serpentor's lair

1993 Flak Viper by thedustinmccoy

1993 Flak Viper by Danish Dude

1993 Flak Viper by HCC788

Flak Viper at halfthebattle.com

1993 Flak Viper by thedustinmccoy

1993 Flak Viper by gvilla74

1993 Flak Viper by Slipstream80

1993 Flak Viper by nightforcetunnelrat

1993 Flak Viper by ronnie_trickshot

1993 Flak Viper by thedustinmccoy

1993 Flak Viper by gen_liederkranz

2006 Operation Flaming Moth Flak Viper - Around The Web

Back in 2015 and 2016, you could buy large lots of these figures from  Asia for a couple of bucks each.  As those sold out, you could get plenty of complete versions or $12 each.  Since then, the prices on these figures have gotten ridiculous.  Which makes little sense since these figures were hugely unpopular, were heavily clearanced and had overstock available for nearly a decade.  But, many of today's collectors have no concept of the line's history and can't imagine there are guys with dozens of these figures sitting a bucket, still thinking they are unwanted, cheap acquisitions.

There's little content on this Flak Viper any more.  Most of the items you'll see below have aged quite a bit.  Which is more about the changing nature of the collecting community than the quality of the figure itself.  So, check out all the content below for a glimpse of the past when the community was more vibrant.

2006 Flak Viper Profile

2006 Flak Viper by gen_liederkranz

2006 Flak Viper by fireflyed

2006 Flak Viper by yovalleyjoe

2006 Flak Viper by nightforcetunnelrat

2006 Flak Viper by plasticbattles

2006 Flak Viper by scarrviper

2006 Flak Viper by kushviper

2006 Flak Viper by LTCLAYMORE

2006 Flak Viper by Scarrviper

2006 Flak Viper by gen_liederkranz

2006 Flak Viper by blast_gijoe

Flak Viper - Where in the World

There are figures of which I am an irrational fan.  The Flak Viper is one such figure.  In the early and mid 1990's, the Flak Viper mocked me from the cardback of every figure I was able to find at retail.  I could not find him anywhere.  As Joe disappeared, I figured my chances of ever owning the figure were gone.  Fortunately, that was not the case and I was able to build a nice army of Flak Vipers as a collector.  But, the figure still fascinates me.  I can't get enough of the mold and love all his color combinations.  The two vintage releases and the two repaint era releases offer two very different takes on the mold.

The Flak Viper mold debuted in 1992.  It and the 1993 repaint are well done.  But, they are also identifiable as originating in the 1990's.  The two 2000's repaints, though, avoided many of the trappings of army builder repaints from that time.  Usually, Hasbro overdid it and the repaints were good, but had some minor issues that prevented them from becoming iconic.  But, with the Flak Viper repaints, Hasbro kept it simple and there's a Cobra blue and black repaint along with a desert themed figure.  They are well done.  

The first release of the Flak Viper is the 1992.  The debut of the sculpt showcased solid design and decent gear.  The primary colors are a bright blue and green.  They are offset with a grey sash and pants.  

The following year, Hasbro repainted the figure.  The base of the figure is the same.  However, the blue highlights have been replaced with orange. While the figure is bright, the orange is kind of fun.  This is my favorite version of the figure just because it's odd, bright and unique.  

The Flak Viper had another use in 1993.  Toys R Us got an exclusive set of Dino Hunters figures.  It was an absurd idea but capitalized on Jurassic Park. The Flak Viper's contribution is that his backpack was modified with holes that allowed it to be held by a mount.  The pack was colored in light grey.  You can still find the packs matched up with Flak Vipers from time to time.  Though, it was much more common a few years ago.  

In late 1994 or early 1995, Hasbro used parts of the Flak Viper again.  This time, the Street Fighter Movie Edition M. Bison figure included a silver version of the Flak Viper's rifle.  The silver was a cool look and a great color for the weapon.  It wasn't really a nice match for the 1992 or 1993 figures.  But, it turned out to be a great match for the later uses of the mold.

The Flak Viper mold then disappeared for a decade.  In 2004, the entire Flak Viper mold appeared in the Cobra Urban Strike set: this time under the name of Nullifier.  This figure is colored in Cobra blue with black and brown leather highlights.  It's the best paint job on this mold.  It's only drawback was the lame accessories.  The figure didn't include any of his original gear and only came with generic weapons from the 2000's.

In 2006, the final version of the Flak Viper appeared in an Operation Flaming Moth set.  This desert version was a nicely done update to the Flak Viper and was the type of repaint that made sense for Hasbro to do.  While not as nice as the 2004 release, the desert version is useful in it's own right.  The best thing about this version was the return of the full complement of Flak Viper accessories.  The black rifle and pack are also great since they work with the 2004 version, too.

The Flak Viper never got exclusive use anywhere else in the world.  The 1992 Flak Viper was released in Europe on exclusive cardbacks.  The figure is the same, though.  The Flak Viper mold is relatively unique in that it's a mold whose potential was fulfilled.  

1992 Flak Viper - Around the Web

I've always considered the Flak Viper figure to be relatively obscure.  Debuting in 1992, the original release is in decent colors and includes some fun gear.  The figure is very common and you don't find too many people who really go out of their way to collect them.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there's actually a ton of content on the 1992 Flak Viper that's available online.  There's blog posts, dioramas and memorials of the Flak Viper that make him more discussed than many classic Joes from the 1980's.  Here's the best of him from around the web!

Flak Viper Profile

Flak Viper at TheJTJ.com

Flak Viper By JogunWarrior

Flak Viper at 3DJoes.com

Flak Viper at Half The Battle

Flak Viper at G.I. Joe Chile

Flak Vipers by Cobra Freak

Flak Viper at Toys From The Past

Flak Vipers By Slipstream80

Flak Viper by Andrewcf1992

1993 Flak Viper

In the fall of 2001, I planned to profile this figure.  I even went so far as to take him outside with the 1997 Rage on a crisp autumn day and took a couple of photos of him.  You can see him in the background of a couple of other figures I profiled around that time.  For some reason, though, I never got around to writing the profile of the figure.  I acquired a few other figures around that time who got my attention.  Then, I got really sick for a couple of weeks as the year ended.  As the photo session drifted further out of sight, so did the desire to profile this figure. 

In the mid 2000's I had occasion to acquire a couple of new versions of this figure.  Even then, though, the timing never seemed right.  A few years later, I began to purge my collection and trim it down.  Among the figures who were let go were all my Flak Vipers.  (For some reason, at the time, I was only keeping the best coloring of any mold.  So, I got rid of tons of excellent repaints since there was at least one "definitive" version that I retained.)  I grew to regret that decision and have been slowly rebuilding my neon army.  While this Flak Viper is hardly anyone's favorite, there's something about the bright orange offset against the green base that makes for a stupidly fun to own.

There were a couple of figures that I simply never saw at retail during my 1990's trips to the toy store.  I'd stumble across a freshly stocked case of Joes at various stores from time to time.  But, in every instance, some common figures were already gone.  The two who stick out to me the most are the Alley Viper and the Flak Viper.  For a couple of years, those two characters mocked me from every cardback I owned.  The Flak Viper, especially, looked like an awesome figure.  The fact that I could not find one was overly frustrating. So, when I returned to Joe, finding a Flak Viper was an early priority.  It was also fairly easy.  While '92 Joes were overly common at the time, there was no competition for lots containing them and most of them contained a Flak Viper.  In short order, I had a small army of blue and green 1992 Flak Vipers and a single version of this 1993 repainted Flak Viper.

If you look back at that Flak Viper profile I wrote in 1999, I twice call this 1993 figure terrible.  And, at the time, I was about the only person who actually liked neon Joes!  But, when I wrote that, I only had one, incomplete 1993 Flak Viper figure.  It took a couple of years and couple more acquisitions for me to fully appreciate the orange and green goodness that Hasbro offered collectors in 1993.  Sure, this figure uses orange as the primary color to offset the base green and grey of the Flak Viper.  But, this works for a couple of reasons.  First, bright orange figures are a lot of fun.  I don't care if you disagree with me because, if you do on this point, you are wrong. :)  Second, since the base colors are identical to the 1992 Flak Viper, this version does work well as a different rank or specialty within the Flak Viper corps.  Finally, the bright colors do work with some of the vehicles of the 1990's and having a gunner type figure available for the crews is a nice addition to the Cobra army.

But, if we're real for a minute, this figure is not good.  The 1992 is light years ahead of this orange version.  And, the 2004 Nullifier simply makes both vintage versions obsolete.  (The desert version is also pretty good, though very environmentally specific.)  Orange, green and grey are not, exactly, complementary colors and the figure is a mish-mash of contrasting brightness.  The orange accessories are probably worse than of the colors from the weapon trees that dominate 1993 and 1994 figure releases.  But, it is that terribleness that drives my fondness for this figure.  You would never see a figure released at retail like this in the 2000's.  (One of the charms of Funskool was that they did, though.)  Now that collectors dominate the Joe market, fun figures made just for kids are non-existent.  As the collector base has aged and kids of the '90's have become a larger part of the fandom, we've seen some homages to neon figures.  But, they are done with an eye towards either realism (to the degree it can be) or as straight homages to subsets that the general collecting world finds more palatable when compared against the worst the vintage line had to offer.  That's a good thing since the crazy diversity of the vintage line was what made it so much fun.  But, we're not, yet, to a point where a figure like this Flak Viper could come out without being accompanied by tremendous collector backlash.

I do wonder what the Hasbro design sessions were like in those days.  I'm guessing that many of the brighter colors were mandated based on focus group feedback.  (Hasbro loved focus groups.)  I can see the designers having to concede which of their creations would have to have the bright colors infused into them.  Some choices were likely made out of necessity.  And, in cases where we got a brightly colored 1993 repaint of a solid 1992 figure mold, I assume that those were concessions to avoid the brightness on a newly created mold.

1993 and 1994 brought some construction changes to the Joe line.  Torsos got bigger and bulkier.  It was a way to move the line more towards other action figure stalwarts of the time.  In the case of the Flak Viper, though, the larger body works.  Seeing the massive missile launcher that the Flak Vipers wear on their backs, you conclude that they must be big and strong.  The overly large rifle also adds to the premise that Flak Vipers are larger than your average Cobra Trooper.  Through the years, I've attempted a couple of customs using Flak Viper parts.  Even the large chest works well with heads from earlier in the '90's.  There are some really nice custom Flak Vipers out there.  But, they are few and far between since so few people really focus on the line's final years as a source of parts.

The Flak Viper's gear isn't great.  Setting aside the fact that it's cast in bright orange plastic, the figure doesn't include all that much.  The rifle is interesting.  But, it's a little big.  I'm not sure how more Flak Vipers don't have snapped thumbs as the rifle features a very thick handle.  Even the softer hands of the 2000's era figures is stretched when holding the rifle.  The missile launching pack is kind of cool.  If it were a little smaller, it would be within the realm of Joe reason.  But, the pack had to accommodate the spring loaded firing mechanisms which necessitated the size.  The beauty is that the figure works well without the pack.  But, if you're going full on neon army, you might as well push the absurd and have the brightly colored figures wearing back-breaking missile launchers on their backs.

For me, this figure's use is limited.  There's not a lot of situations that call for an orange and green trooper carrying massive missiles on his back.  Despite that, though, I'm fascinated by this figure and want many, many more of them.  It might be a simple relic of not being able to find this figure at retail.  It could just be the fact that the figure isn't commonly army built so having several of them stands out in photos.  They are good matches for the Nitro Viper and Detonator and those are among my favorite late release items.  I could have terrible taste.  All are equally likely.  But, I like this Flak Viper and will buy all I can find for reasonable prices. 

For a very long time, this Flak Viper repaint was cheap.  He was never overly easy to find.  But, those who did have him didn't care about him.  Even into the late 2000's, it was pretty much the same price to get a loose mint figure and a carded figure.  Now, pricing is more uneven.  Dealers will get as much as $18 for a mint and complete with filecard figure.  Yet, on the open market, carded versions of the figure sell for around $15.  While the supply isn't as great as an army builder would like, you can get mint and complete figures for just under $10.  Missing their gear, the figures can be had for under 1/2 that, too.  As with most figures from the line's later years: the perceived dealer rarity far outweighs the actual market desire.  So, with patience, you can still get a decently priced Flak Viper army.  It may just take a while.

Diorama - Nullifiers

The Cobra Urban Strike set is just about my favorite Toys R Us 6 pack that was released.   The Nullifier figure was just excellent.  In those days, I was up very early to beat the traffic to my office.  In the mornings, I'd go out and water the plants, though.  Usually, the sun was only partly up.  So, you can see the shadows and lack of light on the periphery of the photos.

This was also a way to highlight my recently acquired Paratrooper Guile.

2004 Urban Strike Nullifier

While 2003 ended on a whirlwind of G.I. Joe releases, 2004 was equally frenetic.  Hasbro bombarded retail with massive amounts of product.  Sadly, the general retail line was met with relative malaise and stagnated badly.  But, the vintage style exclusives that were offered at various retailers were more successful.  The year started with a bang with both a Night Force set and the collector favorite Cobra Infantry Forces.  The next wave of 6 packs at Toys R Us were greatly anticipated, but were unknown until very shortly before their release.  While the initial reception to the packs was cool, collectors came to realize that Hasbro had put together a couple of solid sets in the Cobra Urban Strike and the G.I. Joe Anti Venom releases.  Of the 12 overall figures, though, it is the Urban Strike Nullifier who stands as one of the stronger vintage repaints Hasbro ever offered.

Hasbro released the Flak Viper in 1992.  This version is decent enough.  The mold is great, but the colors are non-traditional Cobra.  The 1993 repaint added orange highlights.  Neither figure stands among the Cobra army building greats.  But, like many of the 1990's molds, the Flak Viper had a lot of potential.  Hasbro decided to use the mold again in 2004.  Only, this time it was not the Flak Viper.  Instead, the figure was named the Nullifier.  The original Nullifier was an Iron Grenadier character released in 1988.  Why Hasbro chose to use the Nullifier name instead of the Flak Viper is unknown.  It likely had to do with copyright issues since the figure retained the Flak Viper's specialty and filecard info.  The confusion somewhat obscured the quality of the Nullifier's release.

But, as a figure, the 2004 Nullifier is top notch.  The best part was the classic Cobra coloring.  (Though, oddly enough, the figure's filecard seems to show him in the 1992 Flak Viper color scheme.)  Hasbro had heavily avoided Cobra blue prior to 2004.  But, it came back in the Infantry Set and made another appearance in the Urban Strike set.  The Nullifer features a rich, deep Cobra blue base color.  He's a perfect match for the early days of Cobra and perfectly complements the Hiss Tank.  He is offset by black highlights.  It's tough to go wrong with blue and black for a Cobra army builder.  But, this figure really worked.  As a slight added bonus, the figure also has a leather brown colored shoulder pad and thigh pouch.  It's just enough color to break up the blue and black combo without being intrusive of the figure's overall palette.  The result is a figure that fits perfectly with 1998 Cobra Troopers and can enhance the backbone of your Cobra army without straying too far from the classic color scheme.

Gear wise, though, the Nullifier's accessories stink.  None of the mold's classic gear is available.  Instead, Hasbro threw in 3 rather non-descript weapons.  One is a black version of the 1986 Lifeline's pistol.  It's not a great fit, but also not a terrible weapon.  The second is a new sculpt mold that is a weapon without a stock, but including a grenade launcher.  Personally, I detest this weapon.  But, many collectors really like it, as well.  But, it came with so many figures in its era that it seems generic.  The final weapon is based on an AR-15.  It's also a new sculpt weapon that was most famously included with the 2005 Crimson Guard set.  I like this weapon quite a bit.  But, again, it was so ubiquitous that it's lost any real connection with the Nullifier.  You will see a silver version of the Flak Viper rifle in the photos below.  This version of the rifle was included with the M. Bison figure from the Street Fighter Movie line.  It's tough to find on it's own.  The Flak Viper's full complement of gear returned in 2006 on the desert Flak Viper.  This figure featured a black version of the classic rifle.  It should be impossible to find these loose.  But, large amounts of Asian overstock has appeared and into 2016, you can buy overstock versions of the black, 2006 Flak Viper rifle for very reasonable prices.  So, these are options to re-accessorize your figures should you so choose.

The Urban Strike set was both popular and unpopular.  When it was announced, collectors were less than enthused.  Hasbro was coming off of the collector favorite Cobra Infantry set and anything that was not 6 army builders in classic colors was going to be met with derision.  Once the set came out, though, collectors warmed to it.  The characters were decent and the army builders were excellent.  But, for many collectors, buying three characters for the three army builders made the set less attractive for mass accumulation.  Shortly after the set's release, though, the first signs of trouble in the Joe line surfaced.  Toys R Us dropped the price of the set to $15 in their brick and mortar stores.  It seems this was a promotion, but it was indicative that Joe's popularity was dipping.  For this reduced price, many collectors were enticed into an extra set or two.

Personally, I find this figure pretty much the best repaint of that era.  He had everything you could ask for from a repaint with the exception of accessories.  (Which, by 2004, were pretty much never again going to happen.)  The Nullifier looks great in the Hiss, manning an ASP (Though he is a bit large for the cockpit.), or holding down a gunnery position on any number of Cobra vehicles.  He also looks good as a general infantryman.  Sure, the helmet is a bit Robo Cop.  But, the design still works on a lot of levels.  It Hasbro had released every army builder in this color scheme, they would have become a sea of banality like the drab green color did for that era's Joes and even red did for the Cobras.  But, as the releases in the classic blue were so few and far between, those who got it really stand out.  More than a decade later, this Nullifier rises above nearly all of his contemporaries as a figure that every collector should have.

The Flak Viper got decent use.  There were the two vintage versions from 1992 and 1993.  Hasbro released this figure in 2004.  Then, in 2006, Master Collector used the mold (this time with his full complement of accessories) in the Flaming Moth series of figures.  This desert colored Flak Viper is another solid repaint and has the bonus of the original gear.  While I would have, personally, liked to have seen another repaint or two, this is a case where Hasbro really took advantage of a mold.  Collectors have the vintage figures to showcase the potential and the modern figures to fulfill it.  I can't really ask for anything more from the mold at this point.  This is a rare case where Hasbro really got it right and gave collectors satisfactory repaints.

Urban Strike sets have gotten somewhat popular on the aftermarket.  Finding boxed sets can be problematic these days.  And, when you do find them, they are often $60 or more.  Individually, the figures can be equally popular.  Right now, the Alley Viper appears to be the figure du jour from the set.  But, that seems to fluctuate quite a bit.  Finding excess Nullifiers can be tougher now than it was a few years ago.  As the figure's accessories suck, you can get incomplete figures for under $5.  But, complete with filecard versions tend to run between $9 and $12.  That's a lot for a modern army building figure based on an obscure 1990's mold.  But, it's also a testament to the figure's quality and the desire of collectors to integrate the figure into their classically colored Cobra armies.

Diorama - Tomahawk

Another shot from a fall day in 2001.  I was setting this up as a series of photos for some profiles.  Few of those came to pass.  But, I got this dio with the Tomahawk.   I really liked the visual of Snake Eyes on the rope at the time.

2006 Flak Viper - Operation Flaming MOTH

In the vastness of the Cobra army, there is one area that was largely ignored during the vintage line. Desert themed Cobras were few and far between during the original run of figures. In the modern era, there are still very few desert themed Cobras done in the ARAH construction style. (The new sculpts did see a few more desert characters and repaints.) In 2006, though, Master Collector offered collectors a series of 4 2-figure sets. Each one themed to an environment. Included were aquatic Joes, and Cobras from the forest, Arctic and desert. The reception to these from collectors was no commensurate with the quality of the figures. The molds were generally not overused. The colors were very good. And, most included original accessories or close enough approximations that they were acceptable. Sadly, though, the concept failed and the Operation Flaming MOTH figures were the last ARAH-style retail offerings that Master Collector attempted.

The Flak Viper mold is one of the gems from the last years of the vintage line. The massive figure meshes with his speciality, even if the notion of a missile firing backpack that large (which would pulp the wearer) is ludicrous. The two tone desert pattern on the upper body along with the wealth of painted details really brings the mold to life. The inclusion of the figure's original accessories was another great surprise. The mold had appeared in 2004 as the highly likable Urban Nullifier. But, that figure had not included even the solidly designed Flak Viper rifle. So, seeing the full complement of original gear, helped to make this figure more desirable.

It is impossible to mention any figure from the MOTH sets without also mentioning the public relations fiasco that surrounded their release. When originally announced, the sets were trumpeted as not being army builders. For many collectors, the idea of dropping $16 on one figure is much more palatable if that figure is a character. When the first set appeared, though, the figures were army building molds. MC quickly went into a game of word play saying these sets weren't "meant" to be army builders. As such, the result is that this figure is actually Flak Viper Andrew. This wasn't cute. It wasn't coy. It wasn't fun. It wasnt' clever. It was a disingenuous ploy by a company who lacks any understanding of their 3 3/4 fan base to exploit the collectors and then laugh at the collector's expense. As such, these figures are forever tainted by the organizational failure of their release. To this day, when these figures are mentioned, someone brings up the fact that they aren't "meant" to be army builders and reminds the collecting community of the great laughs that MC's employees had at all our expense in regards to these sets.

It is no secret that packaging adds substantial cost to a toy's release. In the case of retail stores, this packaging is a necessity from a marketing standpoint. You have to have products that are eye catching on the shelves. However, these costs can be spread out over the higher production numbers of a full retail release and are built into the retail price. However, for a product marketed only online to a dedicated fan base that is interested in pretty much any new figure regardless of design, this packaging quickly becomes superfluous. This is especially true when the packaging offers little to the collector except for increased production and shipping costs. This was the case with the MOTH sets. Had these figures been offered bagged, they would have likely cost about half of the real price. When you think about this figure at a retail price of ~$8, it is much more attractive. At $8, this Flak Viper would be competing against an entirely different group of figures at the price point then it does at $16. The worst part about these boxes, though, is that they aren't even gradable. Sealed products can be graded. That appeals to a segment of collectors and makes things like packaging worth something. Since these boxes weren't sealed, grading wasn't an option. In fact, by not sealing them, MC pretty much dictated that these figures be enjoyed loose. But, even with that implied mandate, they forced the expensive boxes onto collectors. The upside is that the market forces rendered these sets a failure and the planned vehicle was scrapped due to low sales. But, that meant that a poor marketing decision has left collectors with 8 figures that are artificially inflated in price and have reduced availability due to the way the exclusive was handled. In the end, collectors lost on this whole endeavor and the ill will generated by these sets helped to diminish Joe's popularity in late 2006.

Today, these Flak Vipers aren't overly desirable. Despite low production numbers, they failed to capture the attention of the collecting community and are still available for their original retail price from MC. On the secondary market, it is not very common to find these figures offered below that original price since anyone who bought these for resale is reluctant to take the loss so quickly. Those that are left to full market conditions tend to sell for around $10-$12 or so. Those that are priced closer to the $16 price usually do not sell at all. The reality is that those who buy every figure purchased this set when it was released. Due to the price point, few collectors army built the set, many who were marginal about the figures simply skipped the set altogether and it was hard for dealers to purchase extra sets for profitable resale. As such, the figure quickly faded into obscurity and remains the type of figure that most collectors only seek for completion's sake. Personally, at $6, I'd buy a full dozen of these guys. At $8, I'd buy about half that many. For $10 or more, one is enough. Once you cross that price threshold, there are too many other options from the line that are available for the same price, but whose figure surpasses this desert Flak Viper. That's unfortunate as this is a good figure and one that I'd like to make a larger part of my collection. Based on comments from the community both at the time of this figure's release and even today, it seems that I'm not alone in that feeling. Alas, it will likely be several years before prices on this figure fall into line with the demand of the character. When that happens, I'd like to think that I'll get a few more. But, history has shown me that I will likely be on to some new figure at that point and this Flak Viper will remain alone in my collection.

1992 Flak Viper

Not many people pay attention to the Flak Viper. He is the most highly underrated Cobra figure to come out in the final years of the Joe line. Unlike the awful 1993 version, the 1992 Flak Viper is among the best Cobra figures that were ever made. It is unfortunate that this figure didn't get a Cobra sigil painted on him. That is the one mark that would make this figure even better. The 1992 Flak Viper has a great mold, realistic colors, and acceptable accessories. Had his gun been cast in black, this figure would have been off the charts. Most people, though, know little about this figure. He was never featured prominently in the comic, and I don't think he was ever in the cartoon. Since the 1993 version is so bad, this guy can be overlooked by people who associate him with that figure.

This figure is a perfect Cobra field trooper, or a specialty soldier. His colors work well in both urban and forest or jungle settings. His gun is a bit off color, but it still looks good with the figure. He has a decent mold and the helmet looks perfect. Besides, who can resist a figure that has kill marks already painted on his uniform? I don't know why more people aren't after this figure. He rarely garners any real attention when he is offered for sale. I think the lack of a Cobra sigil keeps him down a rung or two on the popularity scale. It's hard to identify him as a Cobra without it. This figure also starts the trend of the 1994 figures in that his torso is rather big. With him, though, it works perfectly. How else could a man be expected to carry an anti-aircraft missile on his back if he isn't huge?

Back in 1994 and 1995, I was never able to find a Flak Viper on the retail shelves. Most Joes were still available then, but the Cobras had all been scooped up. It just shows the eternal popularity of a good enemy that is chock full of army building figures. The Flak Viper was one of the many good Cobras that were released in the final years of the line. The 1993 version has a terrible red and green color scheme, but this 1992 version is worthy of standing tall among Alley, Night, and regular vipers. As collectors get their fill of those earlier figures, and their prices continue to rise, I think that figures like the Flak Viper and other later edition Cobras will become substantially more popular. They are still readily available and there is no collector sentiment that keeps potential sellers from parting with this figure.

***Update 1/15/08***

It seems that Hasbro finally came around on this figure mold. (The Flak Viper was never used by a company other than Hasbro.) In 2004, the Flak Viper mold was used as the Nullifier in the highly underrated Urban Assault set. (You can see some of these figures in action here.) Painted in a dark Cobra blue with black highlights, this mold finally got some well deserved collector appreciation. In 2006, that release was followed with the Desert Flak Viper that was released by Master Collector. This figure is also very well done and features the return of the original Flak Viper accessories. Both of these figures are classic updates to a great mold and really give fans of the Flak Viper a few more options when trying to use the character. Personally, I'd still like to see this mold used a couple more times. It could appear in arctic or jungle motifs and still be well received. In the meantime, though, at least we have a couple of other options available to enjoy the Flak Viper mold.

***End 1/15/08 Update***

Flak Vipers are rather easy to come by. They aren't expensive, but collectors are starting to pay attention to them. You can find them both carded, and mint, complete for very reasonable prices. Building an army isn't too difficult and can be accomplished without investing too much time or money. Flak Vipers are an excellent way to build Cobra ranks without having to pay outrageous prices. Many collectors focus on the early Cobra figures and let later gems, like this guy, pass them by. Flak Vipers, especially the 1992 version, appear in all sorts of lots. They are also usually complete, or at least with their gun. I've managed to build up a half dozen of them in the last year. That was all accidental. It's not like I've been seeking these guys. They just seem to appear all the time. I would highly recommend, though, taking advantage of this while you can. In a few years, many people will be talking about the "good old days" when you could get figures like this for nothing. As more people discover the Flak Viper and realize his potential, I don't think they will stay readily available for long.