2018 Asa Negra - Red Laser Army

Back in 2001, there was still not a central documentation platform for all the figures released in Brazil.  What archives that did exist were incomplete, especially for figures that were similar to the Hasbro releases.  As such, from time to time, "new" figures would pop up.  Usually, these were vehicle pack ins or from a series that was not featured on one of the cardbacks in various archives.  So, when a Brazilian collector told me he had an Asa Negra figure available, there was no documentation as to who the character was or what figure mold he used.  My Brazilian friend was able to scan in a cardback and I was able to see that Asa Negra was a repainted Headhunter Stormtrooper figure that was fairly similar to the Hasbro release.  It was kind of a letdown.  Especially since he wanted so much money for the figure at a time before Brazilian swivel arms had really begun to take off.

Asa Negra loosely translates as "Black Wings".  The original release from Brazil was a barely repainted 1993 Headhunter Stormtrooper figure that was carded with a glider.  This Red Laser figure borrows loosely from the Brazilian figure that would have been made in either late 1994 or 1995.  He feature the grey color base.  But, it's offset with gold highlights.  The most noticeable tribute to the original figure is the red goggles.  Little details like this allowed Red Laser figures to be tied back to the Brazilian or Argentine counterparts.  In the case of Asa Negro, it created a figure that is different enough to stand on his own and rise above the rest of the grey figures that were also released in 2018.

Red Laser and Black Major took very different approaches to producing factory custom figures.  While Black Major focused on army builders and maximizing the number of repaints from each, full figure configuration, Red Laser focused on characters and concepts that would mix and match the parts library.  This was nice as it offered a fuller, more developed range of offerings for collectors.  Though, in some cases, I do think Red Laser went almost too obscure.  Asa Negra is a case in point.  Prior to the Red Laser release, only the most die hard collectors knew who Asa Negra was.  And, only a small subset of them had any interest in really owning the figure.  So, the name, Asa Negra, wasn't nearly the selling point of, say, a Ghost Mortal.

The upside is that this Asa Negra turned into a really nice figure release.  In fact, it's a better way to use the character than if you owned the original Brazilian figure.  I see most Red Laser characters as early Cobras.  They were freelancers who worked for the Commander when he was still building Cobra.  Most were outcasts from other organizations or known mercenaries who were looking for a payday in the safer location of the US.  Here, Cobra Commander would use the valued skills of his new hires to carry out his early objectives.  He didn't much care if they were killed, so long as they got the job done.  And, he could keep them at arm's length should they be captured.  Asa Negra was among those early contractors.  His robotic appearance was frightening and he served to train Cobra's paratrooper corps.  I don't know how he will meet his demise, yet.  But, you can be sure he didn't survive into the mid 1980's as the Commander cleaned up those loose ends as Cobra became larger and more financially successful.

When the art mockups of these figures were produced, the skull tampo on a Snake Eyes head seemed risky.  It was the type of thing that was probably going to go wrong.  But, it didn't.  In fact, the skull print lived up to the hype and worked on every figure on which it appeared.  And, the upside is that all three uses of it are different enough that you can use the figures together without them seeming too repetitive.  Skullbuster's is the classic skull.  Shadowtracker's is the day-glow, horror skull.  And, Asa Negra's is the metallic, brass skull.  It's a nice mix of approaches that keeps the figures from seeming too similar while also getting the full value out of an expensive paint mask.

Asa Negra's quality is top notch.  The intricate paint masks on his head and chest are crisp.  And, the golden color is a departure from most other Red Laser releases.  He features Snake Eyes's head, done up with the gold skull mask and red goggles.  The countenance is the highlight of the figure.  He then features Clutch's chest.  This was a part I was most looking forward to.  And, Red Laser got good use out of it.  It gives the figure more depth when posed with pre-1985 Cobras.  His arms, legs and waist are non-descript.  But, his gloves (that also encompass the cuffs on his shirt) help make him stand out a bit.  He's not overly done in paint applications.  But, he has enough to not look cheap.  And, the tight joints and quality plastic give the feel of a real figure we could have played with back in 1984.

Asa Negra's accessories are sparse.  He included a grey version of the 1984 Firefly's rifle and a grey grenade.  The grenade is small and the type of thing that's easy to misplace since it neither fits into his hand or includes any type of holder.  Firefly's rifle is a solid sculpt.  But, I've found it doesn't mesh with every figure.  Having it in grey is nice.  But, after tons of releases in black in the early 2000's, the need for more Firefly rifles has definitely diminished.  Personally, I re-outfit him with other grey weapons from other figures.  Both the Snake Eyes Uzi and the Mutt Mac-11 work with the figure.  While Asa Negro doesn't need a helmet, it would have been cool for him to have some sort of pack.  A recolored JUMP would have matched his specialty, too.

2018 Red Laser Army figures have dried up.  You'll pay a substantial after market premium for most of them.  Asa Negra is seen less often than many of the Joe figures.  But, you should still be able to find one for $30 or under.  That's a lot for this guy.  But, much of the repetitiveness of the grey and black figures is lost to passed time.  So, a single figure like Asa Negra can really work in a collection.  And, as we aren't likely to ever see Red Laser's molds return to production, this is probably the final attempt at Asa Negra that we'll ever see.  I find Red Laser's figures to be great ways to expand the early Joe mythos, before Cobra got too big.  And, as there's also lots of heroes against whom they can battle, the figures really allow a collection to flourish.