Vibora - Brazilian Exclusive Python Cobra Trooper

Two decades ago, Hasbro managed to convince the collecting community that most of the classic Joe molds were "lost".  Usually, the culprit was that they were not returned from Brazil or India.  In most cases, this excuse was pure bullshit designed to shut collectors up and get us to stop demanding figures that would have required Hasbro to spend extra effort to find and produce.  One such case was the classic Cobra Trooper.  It was, simply put, the most requested army builder from the turn of the century collector base.  Hasbro, though, was able to put collectors off by saying the mold was gone.  And, the blame for that went to the Brazilian Vibora figure.

The reason is that Vibora was a 1993 release in Brazil.  And, Hasbro's line was that they had never gotten the molds back.  So, collectors went without a Cobra Trooper and watched as Ebay prices for the (arguably) most desirable army builder of the time climbed higher and higher.  In 2004, Hasbro remade the Cobra Trooper body and released it in a Toys R Us exclusive set that was amazingly received even though the weapons just sucked.  Then, later in the year, Hasbro miraculously found the original Cobra Trooper mold and used it for the Comic Pack and Night Watch figures.  Turns out, the molds were in Hasbro's possession but they just never looked for them.  So, collectors didn't get repaints of Vibora's contemporaries like the 1987 Gung Ho, Voltar, Rampart and Hit and Run.  Looking back, knowing the extent of the mold library that Hasbro actually did have, the collector themed releases of the era seem even more like antagonistic ploys that were meant to drive away adult collectors who demanded products that the Hasbro team of the time simply didn't want to make for what was later revealed to be rather selfish reasons.

All of this leads us to Vibora.  At his core, this figure is the 1989 Python Officer.  Only, he has slightly brighter paint and more brittle construction.  Toss in some different accessories and you have a figure that's not really different enough from the Hasbro version to be a necessary addition to your collection.  But, we know I'm a sucker for barely repaints that were released outside the U.S.  So, Vibora was a quick target for me to add to my collection.

Back in the mid 2000's, carded Viboras were everywhere.  So, I picked up a cheap one (a carded Vibora cost less than a mint and complete Python Officer) and promptly opened him up.  In hand, the small differences between Vibora and the Python Officer became even less significant.  The two figures were, basically, the same.  And, as Python Officers were slowly becoming a more common army builder in my collection, I lost any real desire to develop Vibora as a stand alone character.  So, the figure went into a plastic container and has rarely ventured out for any significant usage.

In the late 1990's and into the early 2000's, I was hell bent on creating new Cobra characters.  This stemmed for a boring afternoon at work in the summer of 1994 where I dreamed up a new crop of Cobra leaders and wrote their info down on some index cards.  As the 2000's turned to the 2010's, though, I had lost much of this zeal.  My Joes had gone from a relic of childhood and turned into a full fledged collectible.  I was less interested in retconning a figure into something of my design than I was just enjoying owning something foreign, bizarre or rare.  Vibora fell into that time trap.  He was among the last Brazilian exclusives to enter into my collection.  I really wanted to do something with his character, though.  I needed some figures that could represent very early Cobra operatives (like the bald or eye patch wearing Cobras from the first issues of the Marvel Comic) and Vibora was of the proper construction do fit that motif.

With the figure in hand, though, I simply couldn't come up with anything interesting for the character.  I had little use for a figure who was the same as one of my preferred army builders.  So, the development of Vibora's character was dropped and the figure just because a piece in my Brazilian trays of figures.  It was a sad fate for him.  But, he really didn't even get used with Gatilho and Relampago who were also early mold exclusives from Brazil.  While he matched up with them, I preferred to use those figures with an army of Python Officers.

So, Vibora was lost for about a decade.  In 2018, though, the character popped back up.  Red Laser Army made a Vibora figure that was colored like this Brazilian release, but used the body mold from the classic 1983 Joe.  This slight difference allowed Vibora to stand out as more of a character and he could be used to lead the Python Officers.  I anxiously awaited the arrival of my Vibora so I could flesh out this character.  When I got the figure, though, he had two right arms....rendering the figure useless.  For whatever reason, Vibora is not meant to be in my collection.  And, to this day, the character has not evolved because I can't seen to get a figure for him that works.

Vibora's gear is drastically different from any Cobra Trooper.  He included a Hit and Run rifle.  This seems like a great choice for Vibora.  But, the handle will snap the brittle Brazilian plastic thumb and is, essentially, useless with the figure.  He also includes the 1990 Range Viper grenade launcher.  He did not include the grenade, though.  So, the launcher is meant to represent a pistol of some sort.  (You can see this on the card artwork.)  Sadly, the thinner handle on this piece makes it somewhat useful for Vibora.  He can hold it with no fear of thumb breakage.  The final piece with Vibora was a repainted 1992 Destro disk launcher.  The fact that this appeared in Brazil in 1993 is odd.  Destro was one of the few figures from 1992 that didn't get a repaint in 1993.  His launcher being sent to Brazil could mean his mold was, too.  But, the entire figure and launcher was released in 1997.  So, it seems more likely that there were multiple launcher molds with one going to Brazil and the other staying with the figure mold that would appear just 4 years after Vibora was released.

In the early 2000's, Vibora figures were very common.  Many dealers had imported massive stock of them and could not move them for even $15 for a MOC figure.  Then, even more stock was found and collectors were able to acquire cases of them for ridiculously cheap prices.  Today, carded Viboras can be had cheaply.  While you'll see some figures priced at $250 and even higher, you can buy carded figures for about $70 and even less if you pick up a couple of other figures with him.  Loose figures, though, sell for around the same price just because they're harder to find than the carded samples.  For the price, pick up a Red Laser Vibora and an extra Python Officer.  You get the best of both worlds and will spend less.

Super 7 - October 2026 Figure Reveals

I've been saying that I need to do more posts like this just to keep track of the various Joe releases.  I did it during the Hasbro Pulse era.  But, I've been slack during the Super7 era.  Which is too bad because some of the fun details of each release are going to be lost to time...just like what has happened with all the community discussion during the early 2000's. 

Super7 has (finally!) announced their October 2026 wave of figures.  (So, these figures showed up in August.  Super7 said nothing.  So, I updated this draft post to a title of September Reveals.  Super7 still said nothing.  Now, we're in October.  Snake Eyes has been out for almost 2 months and 2 new Ninja Force figures have already hit retail.  Super 7 really dropped the PR ball on this wave.)  The wave includes a winter coat Baroness, winter coat Shipwreck, a SNAKE Armor and Flint.  Target will be getting an exclusive Tiger Force Jinx,  too.  This wave is an all cartoon wave as Baroness, Shipwreck and the SNAKE are all based on their cartoon outfits and Flint is in his cartoon coloring.  On some level, this is disappointing.  Not because these are bad figure choices.  But, because the last two comic figures have been excellent.  Flash and Deep Six were both excellent figures that filled major holes in the Joe line.  So, seeing a break in that line is unfortunate.  I do expect them to pick back up in future waves, though.

The figures themselves are pretty strong.  Super7's sculpting is improving.  And, the smooth textured figures from the earlier waves are looking more and more dated as their skillset grows.  The headsculpts are the most notable improvements.  Shipwreck is light years ahead of human heads from the first wave or two.  The colors are very nice.  And, the accessories...well...they're improving.  But, still have a long way to go.  

Super7 was planning to announce the figures and have them in stock the same day.  Which, they did.  However, the figures appeared in Asia ahead of the announcement and collectors got a full look at them about two months ahead of the planned release date.  This isn't bad.  But, it might get Super7 to go back to  their old model of announcing the figures a month or so ahead of their availability so that early markets don't spoil the surprise.

Shipwreck:

Shipwreck is the plum of the wave.  For as popular as he is, Shipwreck figures based on his sailor uniform are few and far between. You have the original, a weird Tiger Force figure from Brazil and the Flaming Moth figure.  That's it.  It's weird that it took Super7 almost two years to get to a character who was so integral to the cartoon.  But, by waiting, they delivered a figure that looks really nice. The peacoat is a great addition as it gives the figure some uniqueness while not detracting from the sailor motif.  He's got Polly and his anchor rope.  But, bafflingly, he doesn't include a pistol.  Even if he didn't use in the cartoon, Shipwreck should always include a old timey pirate inspired gun.

SNAKE:

The SNAKE is a weird choice.  It's not a collector favorite nor is it heavily associated with the cartoon or the comic.  This figure isn't an armor in which you insert another figure, though.  It is a figure.  And, that's a neat idea.  It's oversized and looks like a SNAKE.  It adds something you don't normally see in the line.  Hopefully, this is a precursor to oversized figures like the Monstro Viper, Bio Viper or even a Manimal appearing in the line.  But, as a release, it's an odd selection.

Baroness:

Like Shipwreck, it's weird that it's taken this long for Baroness to appear in the line.  But, again, the wait will give us much better  quality.  The winter coat works with the Baroness' colors.  Her head looks well  detailed and is a different approach to her countenance than we typically see.  She's a solid entry and has me regretting buying a pink Daina  figure since this Baroness fills the role of a winter themed villain much more effectively.

Tiger Force Jinx:

I don't care for Jinx.  Never have.  At first, the blurry photos made her look  strong enough. She's cast in black and orange with some green highlights.  She's a nice rendition of a Tiger Force version.  Then, I  noticed that, for some reason, Jinx includes Falcon's shotgun and backpack.  I don't know why, but that little detail now has me wanting the figure.  I've never done much with Jinx's character.  But, with this figure, I now have an evolution arc for her that I might explore.  Should I stumble upon her at a retail store, I'll pick one up.

(No promo image for her, yet.  But, she's been out for over two months.  You all know what she looks like.)

Comic #2 Snake Eyes:

Technically, this guy was announced In August.  He was a surprise.  And, within a week, was already being memory holed.  It's a decent rendition of the arctic Snake Eyes.  But, I think there's too much uninterrupted blue on him.  The figure also looks like it was sculpted early in the line and is very smooth.  It feels out of place and the comic packs seem like a dumping ground for some early figure designs that didn't fit into the regular carded wave of figures.  The upside is the weasel skull necklace.  But, if you're making Comic #2 in a collector themed release, why not Kwinn?!?  I'm hoping these bland comic packs are discontinued so they can focus on the main carded line.

Flint:

I'll have lots more to say about this figure at some point in the future.  We all knew Flint would show up in the line.  And, he's here.  He's  pretty much how you expected it to go.  He's got really nice sculpting and includes vintage inspired gear.  Flint's tough for me because he's my favorite figure and I've overly critical of anything that treads upon his original design without improving it.  So, we'll explore that in more detail at a future date.

In sum, this is a good wave of figures.  Only the SNAKE is really a loser.  Generally, fandom seems pretty excited about the entire wave.  It will be interesting to see who ends up getting the most use.  My money's on Shipwreck just because there are so few other options for the character.  All in all, though, Super7's evolution is continuing and the figures are delivering more and more.  I'm happy with the release cadence and remain optimistic about the line's future.

2004 Tracker Kwinn (Comic Pack) - Around The Web

I was able to dig deep on this one and find some cool stuff that was done with this figure back, closer to his release date.  It's weird to see how advanced the Joe photography community was back in the early 2010s when you compare it to now.  As for the figure, it's not a great Kwinn.  But, he's all we have.  I'm hoping Super7 gets to him.  I just want it to be in another year so their design team has a bit more maturity and they're really able to nail his likeness and character.  Until then, check out this older Kwinn content.

Tracker Kwinn Profile 2004

Tracker Kwinn Profile 2017

Tracker Kwinn by cradea2

Tracker Kwinn at JoeBattleLines.com

Tracker Kwinn by yotothejoe

Tracker Kwinn by K. Otto Phillips

Tracker Kwinn at GeneralJoesReborn.com

Tracker Kwinn  by nekoman2010

Tracker Kwinn  by thedustinmccoy

Tracker Kwinn by werewolf_spaceman

Tracker Kwinn  by decepticreep

1988 Sgt. Slaughter - Random Photos of the Day

What the heck.  Let's go with some 1988 Sgt. Slaughter photos.  I use this figure an awful lot.  And, I'm not that big of a Sgt. Slaughter fan.  This version of the character just photographs really well.  He's visually interesting and looks good when posed with an array of accessories or at the helm of many different vehicles.  I've used this figure consistently over the last 10 years since I first profiled him.

There used to be a ton of bubbled overstock of this figure available.  I bought a few for just a dollar each.  So, he exists in ample quantities should you want to acquire one.  And, you should.  It's the best Sgt. Slaughter figure and, just a good Joe figure in general.  The removable hat works quite well.  And, Sarge looks good with an array of vintage weapons.

It kind of sucks that this figure didn't get dusted off in the repaint era.  Almost all of the other 1988 vehicle driver molds were either used during the 2000's or were confirmed lost to Olmec in their ill-fated Bronze Bombers release.  But, the original features decent colors and they go with the original Warthog or the 2001 Night Rhino.  (He looks even better in the Mean Dog.)  So, it's a figure with a lot of value should you want to get the Sarge into some Joe photos.

1998 Col. Brekhov

The 1997 G.I. Joe releases at Toys R Us were not well received.  Collectors were far more likely to complain about them than praise them.  And, the sets lingered through all of 1998.  Despite that, though, Toys R Us had enough faith in the line to pick up a 1998 line of figures and vehicles.  As the names leaked, the most anticipated set was the Oktober Guard.  Hasbro had never released the Oktober Guard in any format and they were, at the time, the most requested collector pieces.  When the figures appeared in December of 1998, the Oktober Guard flew off the shelves, leaving even the single unit per case Cobra sets behind.  Slowly, though, the interest in the sets waned. And, by late 2000, you could still find Oktober Guard sets lingering around the country.  Time, though, has been kind to many figures of the late 1990's.  The Oktober Guard is an excellent case in point.

The 1998 Joes hold a special place for me.  They were released right as I was committing to Joe collecting full time.  The fact that the figures tended to be excellent was an added bonus.  I had just gotten a big raise at my first job right as they appeared at retail.  So, I was able to buy all of the 1998 sets that I wanted.  (It helped that Star Wars hit a retail lull right at the same time.)  In the nearly 30 years since their release, though, the 1998 series has been able to stand on its own merits, regardless of my personal situation at the time.

In 1998, the Red Star mold was fairly obscure.  While it was one of the more recognized molds from the '90's and was a staple among customizers, few collectors otherwise cared about it.  Most collectors in the 1998 era were guys who pretty much stopped collecting Joe either after 1985 or, for the real youngsters, 1987.  So, Red Star wasn't a figure that seemed overdone.  For many of the people buying up the first Oktober Guard set, their first experience with the Red Star mold was as this Col. Brekhov.  And, the fact that Red Star was pretty much designed as a Col. Brekhov doppelganger resulted in the neophyte collecting era genuinely enjoying this take on a classic character.  

Personally, I was enthralled by Brekhov's accessories.  The rifle was amazing.  But, his wrist mounted twin cannon device was one of those stupid ideas that resulted in a really fun toy.  Despite my enjoyment of the Brekhov figure, I rarely used him.  Mostly, that was a result of the fact that I didn't appreciate Gorky at the time and I wasn't really a fan of the Volga head.  I've come around on both of those figures.  But, really, they weren't members of the Oktober Guard team from the comic.  And, without Stormavik, Horrorshow, Daina and Schrage, I had little use for Brekhov.  For that reason, the Oktober Guard was the only 1998 3-figure pack of which I only purchased one version.  I stocked up on the Cobras and divers.  But, never felt compelled to acquire more of the Oktober Guard pack.  

It's hazy, now.  But, I know I had a carded Red Star prior to Col. Brekhov's release.  But, I don't think I had a loose one until a few months after Brekhov's debut.  Regardless,  I was more interested in Red Star as I found his color scheme more intriguing.  28 years after Brekhov's release, little has changed.  I don't really use him that often.  In fact, the photos of him in this profile are more than 5 years old.  I've been trying to write about him for that long.  Brekhov is a figure I should really like.  Instead, he's a guy I have and I use Red Star when I want the mold to appear.  

The 1998 paint masks were unfathomable.  At the time of their release, they seemed well done.  But, as Hasbro began to skimp on paint throughout the 2000's, the immense amount of detail put into the 1998 series became more apparent.  Col. Brekhov is no different.  His base pea green is a solid match for vintage Night Force green.  Layered on top that base is red, gold, tan, grey and graphite paint applications.  They accentuate the mold's details and showcase the intricacy of Hasbro's sculpting talents.  He is given black accessories which add even more color to his appearance.  By 2001, paint masks of this quality were reserved for convention figure set releases.  But, in 1998, paint applications like those on Brekhov were par for the course and showed that Hasbro could deliver amazing updates of old molds.

The 1998 series succeeded in part due to the use of original accessories.  Hasbro still matched up body molds with much of the gear that was originally meant for them.  So, Col. Brekhov included all of the 1991 Red Star gear, with the exception of the spring loaded launcher.  Despite the fact that Red Star's launcher is one of the best spring loaded weapons, Hasbro was fearful of old curmudgeonly collector backlash over spring loaded gear.  So, it was omitted.  But, the rest of Red Star's gear is among the best packages in the line.  And, seeing the pack, antenna, knife, mini-gun and the near perfect AK-47(ish) rifle was more than enough to make the 1998 Brekhov an amazing release.  Again, for many collectors, this Brekhov was their first experience with Red Star's rifle.  And, it began a collector love affair with the weapon...one that Hasbro was never really able to fulfill.

The Red Star mold ended up getting used a lot during the repaint era.  After the 1991 figure's release, it had it's first reuse for this 1998 Col Brekhov.  It would then reappear in 2005 where it was used on two of the five Oktober Guard figures from the comic packs.  Col. Brekhov used the body, but with a new head.  And, then, Stormavik also used the body with a new head.  You now had three uses of the mold in relatively similar colors and appearing on two characters who would be used in conjunction with each other.  In 2010, the legs, waist and chest were used to great affect on the Red Shadows figure.  Sadly, the Red Shadows proved that the Red Star mold could have been used more creatively.  In fact, one of the best Cobra Trooper customs of the early 2000's used the Red Star body as a base.  Hasbro could have gotten much more life from the mold.  But, at least the Red Shadow exists as proof.

The Oktober Guard pack was quite a pegwarmer in its day.  While it wasn't really around well into 2001, you could still get them fairly easily in late 2000.  1998 releases never really experienced the stupid price swells that affected the 1997 series.  So, the figures have always been relatively affordable.  Today, you can get a Brekhov in the $20-$25 range.  Which seems a bit high.  But, for a high quality figure with lots of gear, it's not completely out of whack.  I'm not sure I'd drop that much for him, though.  Instead, I'm happy I was able to acquire one back in 1998.  He's never really been a huge presence in my collection.  But, he's still a nice figure and one I want in my collection.