Rarities - Brazilian Cobra Soldado

Cobra's iconic army building duo of the Trooper and Officer were exported all over the world.  Versions of them were released in Argentina, Mexico and Brazil.  Each of these releases features its own hue of blue to differentiate it from the those of the other nations.  It is the Brazilian version of the Cobra Trooper, though, that is the most famous of these releases.  While the other blues all tend to be dark takes on the color meant to evoke the look of the Hasbro originals, the Brazilian Soldado used a much lighter blue color.  This makes it visually distinctive and one of the more sought after versions of the Cobra Trooper that was released outside of Hasbro.

A figure that is either the same or is very similar to the Soldado was also sold as a pack in with the Brazilian Viper Glider.  This Cobra Piloto is also in the Brazilian blue.  It's tough to tell, but it might have some slight coloring differences.  Since so many Soldados were found loose, it's tough to really differentiate the figures.  But, be aware of the Piloto's existence, too.

The Soldado can be found with some different weapons.  The most common is the Rock and Roll M-60 with bi-pod.  This is how the figure is advertised in the Estrela retailer catalogs.  You can also find them with Grunt M-16's.  There are reports of him also being available with the standard Cobra Trooper Dragunov.  But, I've never seen a carded version that confirms this, though.

Sadly, the Soldado only exists in straight arm versions.  The swivel arm versions of the Trooper and Officer didn't make it to South or Central America.  That limits the usefulness of the Soldado.  Straight arm figures aren't really worth getting.  So, only have colorways in that construction can be frustrating.  Fortunately, factory custom makers have taken on the Soldado coloring and produced several versions of the swivel arm Cobra Trooper in Brazilian colored homages.  

The Soldado isn't as bright as the factory custom takes on the figure are.  So, if you're only familiarity with the Soldado is through the factory custom realm, you might be surprised at the actual hue of the figure.  You'll note the Estrela stamp on the figure's back, too.  

Soldados are surprisingly common.  Despite the high prices that many sellers try to get, the figures are always available and have been since the earliest days on Brazilian sellers.  There are collectors out there with decent Soldado armies just due to their availability.  The figure is neat and desirable.  But, it's not rare.  

Rarities - 2004 Comic Pack Cobra Trooper (Alternate Head)

In 2004, Hasbro resculpted a Cobra Trooper.  4 of them were then released as part of a Toys R Us 6 figure pack.  For $20, you got an army in a box.  Later in the year, Hasbro announced a new product: Comic Book packs.  For $10, you'd get three classic Joe figures and a reprinted issue of the Marvel Comic.  It was a novel idea and made for great products.  When the first images of the figures dropped, collectors were ecstatic.  Most of the designs looked like renditions of the characters they had always wanted.  Sadly, the Comic Packs were not a retail success.  Part of that was too much repetition in the early packs.  The other was collector malaise was setting in after a solid three year of brand growth.  

Lost in the details of the actual figures, though, was that the Cobra Trooper from the first Comic Pack had changed.  The pre-production images had shown the Trooper using the mold from the Toys R Us pack.  It made sense as Hasbro had spent the money to resculpt the new figure.  But, upon release, the actual figure brought back the classic chest and head from the original, 1983 Cobra Trooper.

Supposedly, Hasbro had found the mold for the original Cobra Trooper and Officer.  They were a bit sketchy on the details.  But, we now had the original head back after more than 20 years.  The story went that the TRU mold wasn't in the same factory as the Cobra Commander and Baroness molds.  But, there were many stories that Hasbro never verified or denied.  The end result, though, was a new parts combination for the Cobra Trooper that hadn't been released before and would return in the 2005 Night Watch set, too.  The 2004 Cobra Trooper and Officer parts combo would never appear again.  An odd fate for what was Hasbro's most successful Toys R Us exclusive set.

Personally, I never cared for this Comic Pack Trooper.  While the colors weren't terrible, his accessories were.  And, I have never liked Cobra Troopers with bare hands.  The Comic Pack Cobra Officer, who uses the same color scheme as this Trooper, is one of my favorite army builders of that era.  The difference being and appropriate rifle and gloved hands.  Little details go a long way.  The promo photo also shows two weapons that didn't end up being included with the pack: the 2 1992 Shockwave rifles posed with the Baroness and Trooper.  The production Baroness also included a knife that's not shown in the promo photo.

I do think the TRU Trooper mold was better than the mold used for the production Trooper.  The smooth arms and large waist didn't do the figure any favors.  The TRU Trooper used bulkier Thunder arms and a waist that was designed for the figure's legs.  In this case, the pre-production mold would have been better.  I'm not sure I'd still have any of them.  But, it would have been a better figure than the original mold based figure.

2017 Cobra Soldado - Around The Web

When the first factory custom Cobra Troopers appeared, there was one, single design that I wanted to see: an homage to the Brazilian Cobra Soldado.  The brighter blue on that figure was always visually distinctive and appealing.  It's a rare situation where the different color was still a perfect match for Joe figures.  Finally, in 2017, we got the first Soldado release.  The blue isn't a 100% match for the real figure from Brazil.  But, it works well enough.  And, it remains one of my favorite Cobra Trooper repaints.

The two best early Brazilian repaints were the Cobra De Aco and the Soldado.  (Though, Athena is pretty good, too.)  But, they were both straight arms.  Making them useless as toys.  While we're still waiting for a proper, swivel arm De Aco, this 2017 figure finally gave us a swivel arm Cobra Soldado.  I've never understood the appeal of straight arm figures.  I find them useless and don't even collect them.  So, having a swivel arm Soldado finally gave me the enemy force I'd been craving to battle against my later Brazilian Joes.

There's not a ton of content on this figure out there.  Like most of the late 2010's factory customs, the content of his release era has been buried by the algorithms and few people still use him.  Some of the photos are of later edition Soldados who came out in the 2020's.  They are equally nice.  After checking these guys out, let me know in the comments which repaint of the Cobra Trooper is your personal favorite.

2017 Cobra Soldado Profile

2017 Cobra Soldado by gen_liederkranz

2017 Cobra Soldado by cyko_9

2017 Cobra Soldado by Nekoman

2017 Cobra Soldado by sintechness

2017 Cobra Soldado by hobieshinobi

2017 Cobra Soldado by slipstream80

2017 Cobra Soldado by sintechness

1998 Cobra Trooper - Random Photos of the Day

 These 1998 figures are so old that they are, technically, vintage.  (At least in antique terms....)  But, to me, they are still relatively "new".  Mostly, that's because they entered my collection when I was an adult.  So, they have always seemed more like a collectible than a toy.

The 1998 Cobra Infantry Team is the single best army builder set that Hasbro ever produced.  You got three nearly perfect army building figures for $10.  The figures featured classic colors, plenty of paint masks and a cadre of well placed accessories.  No other set that Hasbro ever did could live up to all those amenities and be offered at a price point that was actually conducive to multiple purchases.

And, purchase multiples, I did.  There were at least three separate production runs of these figures: in the fall of 1998, the summer of 1999 and the holidays of 1999, again.  So, there were several chances to acquire some sets.  And, I bought a couple in each round.  At the time, I thought I had bought too many because I didn't see a way to ever get 18 or 20 of any other figure.  But, it turns out I didn't buy enough.  Between late 2002 and mid 2004, I traded several carded sets of these to collectors based in Brazil and Europe.  In exchange, I got many of my earliest international exclusive Joes.  

Now, I don't get these guys out as often as I should.  Not really sure why, though.  I still think these are great figures and they are conducive to photos with a great many post 1984 figures.  Maybe this will get me to break these guys out more often.  They work so well with classic vehicles and figures.  It's just too bad Hasbro wasn't able to capture this magic more often during the repaint era.

2018 Cobra Trooper Driver - Red Laser's Army

One of the great things about the 1982 Cobra Troopers and Officers was that they were completely compatible with all the Cobra vehicles of the era.  You could drop one into the FANG, HISS, Stinger or Rattler and the figure would look perfectly in place in whatever position you chose to use the figure.  They were the everyman of the enemy line.  As figure designs progressed, though, more specialization was introduced.  And, in just a few years, Cobra was a highly diversified army with figure and vehicle pairings that were less general and more specific.  (To be fair, the Joe side of the equation was similar.)  As kids of the '80's turned into adult collectors, though, there was a demand for more of the simpler offerings.  And, while Hasbro was able to deliver some Cobra Troopers and Officers, more support staff in their vein didn't actually come around until 2023.  Where Hasbro failed, though, factory custom makers thrived.  And, during the 2010's, we saw every color of Cobra Trooper imaginable from Black Major.  Red Laser Army, though, took the next step.  And, offered not only some basic Troopers in different uniforms, but also a few specialty Troopers who could fill in gaps from the vintage line.  This Cobra Trooper Driver might be the most useful of the designs.

The design aspect that makes this figure a driver is the introduction of the 1982 Clutch torso.  Clutch had one of the most memorable torsos among the original 13 Joes.  (He's tied with Steeler with just the single use for his parts.)  And, Hasbro never reused it for other characters.  That ties the chest piece to the driver specialty and allows collectors to instantly associate this figure with being a driver.  One on hand, the selling point of the original Cobras was that they didn't reuse Joe parts.  But,  for 30 years influential custom makers have been putting Cobra heads on original 13 Joe bodies to great effect.  So, the Hasbro precedent was usurped by the fan community's ingenuity.  And, it carried over to the 2018 Red Laser releases of this driver and the machine gunner Trooper who used the classic Rock and Roll torso.

The figure's coloring is vibrant.  The blue is much brighter and more powerful than the drabber Hasbro colors.  So, that makes these figures pop in photos.  The blue is offset by an equally powerful silver that's used on the accents.  I'm not sure why a driver needs a bomb on his leg (the legs were originally those for the the original Snake Eyes) but it gives the figure a much needed swath of color on his legs.  The grey and black on the torso are reminiscent of the Stinger Driver and help tie this figure to the first Cobra driver from 1984.  The short sleeves are also a Clutch homage.  They feature a relatively faint Cobra logo on the right arm.  (It tends to float up onto the rivet.)  The face is highlighted by a red mask.  Red mask Cobras appeared in the comic and were a stark difference from the black masked toys.  Most collectors have assumed the red masks as a classic, though.  And, the red also provides some strong color to the figure.  The one downside is that the entire lower leg is cast in black.  This was surely done as a cost savings.  For this figure, the look is acceptable and less ostentatious than on other figures.  But, it is something that can drive some collectors batty and is worth noting.

The blue color of the Red Laser Cobra Troopers has upside and downside.  The good thing is that the 2017 and 2018 Troopers that Red Laser produced match with each other.  So, you can get a nice squad of specialty Troopers that all blend together very nicely.  The downside, though, is that the blue color doesn't match any other early Cobra figures.  So, these figs are not a great complement to early Cobras.  Together, they look great.  But, when you try to mix and match them with classic Cobra blues, the lighter color really stands out.  The brighter blue color, though, is still a great complement to the classic black and red vehicles from Cobra's earliest years.  So, these drivers look right at home in a Stinger.

During the repaint era (1997-2010ish), Hasbro never resculpted the Clutch torso.  They made lots of other parts, often parts that were already existing.  So, the choice to not bring back a sparsely used fan favorite is bizarre.  One thing they did have, though, was the 1984 Thunder mold.  The Cobra Trooper or Officer head would have looked great atop the Thunder body.  And, repainted in Cobra blue, it would have made for an amazing updated Cobra Trooper that could have served as a vehicle driver.  Just one of these in the 2004 Cobra Infantry set would have been a great replacement for one of the Cobra Officers.  But, it was not to be.  Seeing the Clutch torso used for a driver, I do think that Thunder would have been a better choice for a new amalgamation.  

Which brings me to the final judgment of these figures.  And, it really comes down to the fact that the idea of a Cobra Driver using the Clutch torso seems like a better figure than it actually makes.  Despite being excited to own these guys, I've found that I rarely use them.  Each time I look at them, I just feel like they should offer something...more than they do.  I mean, the design is fine and the figure is pretty much perfect for it's intended usage.  Despite that, it's not a default choice for me, even when I'm yanking the Stinger out for a photo.  It could be that this torso was used on so many different Red Laser Army figures in the 2018 series that it lost some of its impact.  It could be that I'm just getting old and finally getting a figure I'd wanted for 20 years was somewhat of a letdown.  At its core, this is a very good figure.  It just doesn't inspire me like I had hoped it would.  

This figure included two accessories.  Both were originally seen on the 1984 Firefly.  The driver included a grey walkie/talkie and a grey sub machine gun.  The colors are unique.  But, also very light.  I don't find the rifle to be a great fit for this figure.  (The walkie/talkie does make some sense, though.)  But, truthfully, the Firefly weapon was kind of ruined by its constant appearances in the 1998-2005 Joe repaint line.  Here, the rifle was used ad naseum and I'm still burned out on it.  I've found that Red Laser Army's grey Uzis based on the 1982 Snake Eyes weapon or the grey Mac-11 based on the 1984 Mutt's pistol to be much better fits for these drivers.  Red Laser Army accessories remain cheap and available to this day, too.  So, you can get some more fitting weapons for the Driver should you come across one.

Red Laser Army upped their figure quality quite a bit in 2018.  Gone were the loose upper arm seals and the hands that couldn't hold weapons.  This Driver is closer to a vintage Joe than many other factory customs of the day.  He can hold his accessories and poses.  The joints are tight and the paint masks are crisp.  If you were hesitant to acquire any 2018 figures because of the issues with the 2017 series, that's not a feeling you should indulge.  The flaws were fixed and these figures work extremely well in any collection.  

It's not terribly easy, these days, to find these figures.  All the original resellers of Red Laser products are long sold out of their extra stock.  And, few collectors are liquidating their extras these days.  You can find the figures for sale by dealers for around $30.  But, they don't sell.  So, this is, more likely, a $20 figure or so.  But, it will take you a while to track one down.  Which is both a shame and, kind of, OK.  It's a neat figure to own.  But, it's also not essential.  The Driver is a fun way to expand a collection and bring some visual diversity to your army.  But, he doesn't fill a role that isn't already taken up by a vintage design.  When these guys were $12, you could take a flyer on one and not have risked too much if you didn't end up liking it.  If $20 or more is an amount you're comfortable with, then,  it makes sense to pick one of these guys up and see if it's more appealing to you.

2023 Black Major Mercenary Troopers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rarities - The 2023 Unproduced Lot - Mickey Mouse Cobra Trooper and Officer

In late 2023, a random Ebay lot appeared.  In it were loose versions of the unproduced alternate head Zap, Short Fuse and Breaker figures.  The figures had been played with.  But, the molds matched the known, existing samples of those three figures.  Also in the lot, though, were two other figures that had never before appeared publically: an alternate logo Cobra Trooper and Cobra Officer.

These figures feature the "Mickey Mouse" Cobra logo that appeared on  the early run Mickey Mouse Cobra Commander figure.  Up until this point, these logos had never been seen on either a Trooper or an Officer (in public).  And, the collecting community quickly went into overdrive to authenticate the figures.  

It certainly helped that the figures were found along with loose samples of the alternate head 1983 figures.  That gave them a  provenance boost since there were other items in similar condition that indicated a pre-production find.  And, those other items featured mold changes rather than the more easily faked paint differences.  The fact that the items had play wear meant that the original owner had no idea that they had anything special.

At the end  of the day, these figures aren't all that interesting.  We've seen the logo before.  And, the figure molds are the same as production releases.  Seeing the two together is notable when you put together a timeline of the design process.  The Mickey Mouse Cobra Commander, though, already gave us that information.  But, really, the Mickey Mouse Cobra logo sucks.  The logo that they went with for production is drastically superior.  So, Hasbro made the right choice with the change.  But, seeing production figures like these tells you how close this logo was to being the definitive symbol of everyone's favorite evil terrorist organization.  

The value on these figures is likely in the thousands of dollars.  Even if more of them appear (as happened with the alternate head 1983 figures after the first samples were discovered), it won't be enough to sate the high dollar demand.  Items like this don't appear all that often.  And, it's been a while since legit pre-production variants had been found on vintage Joe items.  

The fact that things like this still exist speak to the sheer volume of product that the Joe line encompasses and the fact that many people who had access to these items may not have really cared, or even noticed, that they had  something materially different from the full production items in  their possession.  It's great that there are still  finds to be made out in the world.  But, they are far more likely to be made by professional resellers who buy out old toy designer's closets and basement than actual collectors.  

Which means items like this will remain the domain  of well heeled collectors.  We can just hope that the original sales of the items continue to be in public forums so that the items in question don't get to just disappear into private collections with no documentation of their existence.  (Like the pre-existing samples of these did.  Yeah, other copies of these exist and are kept hidden for...reasons.)  So, at least we now know these figures exist: even if they aren't all that cool.

2016 Tank Commander - Black Major Exclusive

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2022 SDCC Carded Skystriker Figures

I was really hoping these figures would be released on the old resealable bubble cards that were used for convention figures.  You'll have to tear up the cards to get a set of loose figures, which is what I'm after.  So, that kind of sucks for loose collectors.  

The artwork on the never before carded figures looks pretty weak, though.  It's similar to the fan art inspired stuff we see on Super7 cards.  It's definitely lost the feel of the vintage work.  It's just a bunch of guys (and one girl) standing around.  Meh.  These will definitely look out of place among either vintage carded figures and even the 2022 releases that were based on the standard vintage artwork.

But, these will resell for stupid amounts.  I'm guessing over $300 easy for the Cobra Commander, maybe higher if the vintage market hasn't cratered by the time this is released.  But, man, is his artwork weak.  It's really amazing how much the Ripcord artwork (which is based on the vintage) stands out among the rest of the statues.

February 2022 Hasbro Pulse Reveals (Cobra Army Builders and the Baroness)

It's hard to believe that we now get some new G.I. Joe news about once per month.  Today revealed a whole bunch of new 6 inch figures.  But, those aren't anything in which I have interest.  So, instead, I'll focus on the meat of the new info today: the ARAH anniversary homages.

The first new reveal was additional images of the upcoming Cobra Trooper and Cobra Officer 2 pack.  There's really not much unexpected here.  It's the same Trooper and Officer we all know and love on the cardback inspired by their vintage design.  The set is now $41.99 and goes up for pre-order today.  The only real reveal is that they will include a mortar, stand and green bazooka so you can kind of recreate the JC Penny Cobra 3 pack that very few kids actually owned and few collectors actually care about.  

In this case, the homage part actually gets in the way of something useful.  The bazooka would be MUCH better in black or blue plastic.  In green, it just looks like you stole the bazooka from a Zap because you lost the Cobra Trooper's rifle.  The club used to do this type of stuff where they'd sacrifice quality so that something would be a "proper" homage.  I'd rather have a weapon that looks better and is more useful than something that references a release so obscure that it wasn't properly documented until like 2015.  Maybe we'll get lucky and get another darker green, A-1 bazooka, too.

Next up is the reveal of the filecard and code-name for Ace's co-pilot in the Skystriker.  The new character is named Fail-Safe.  As names go, it's better than what Hasbro cooked up in the early 2000's.  And, the filecard isn't bad as it's focused on his specialty.  It's more believable that someone is an expert in one aspect of training than also believing he's perfect at everything.  

The final reveal is the one I struggle with.  I don't really care for the Transformers.  But, they had a bunch of G.I. Joe crossovers, so I understand the fascination with them.  And, as Transformers is a much larger brand than G.I. Joe, combining the two helps bring in some additional fans to buy Joe toys.  But, in this case, if you want a brand new Baroness figure, you have to spend $89.99 and also get a transforming Megatron.  Sure, he turns into a full sized Hiss Tank that can hold figures.  But, it's not a toy in which I have interest.  And, you can be sure there are a ton of Transformers fans out there who have no interest in paying an additional $20 for a Baroness figure.  

But, there's lots of interest in stuff like this.  While I don't, personally, care for it.  This will sell a lot better than a Baroness and a Retro Hiss Tank mold for $50.  And, I ended up buying one.  You'll note that Baroness will come carded in the box.  So, you'll have to get one for a full carded collection.  This isn't scheduled to ship until January of 2023.  Maybe it will come earlier.  But, it will be a while before we see it in hand.  

Haslab Skystriker - Funded!

So, on 12/6, the Rancor failed.  Despite a strong last minute surge, it still fell about 500 backers short.  Instantely, this lead to doom and gloom among the Joe groups that the Skystriker was sure to fail, too.  And, at about 85% heading into the final day, it was kind of a possibility.  But, as we neared 12 hours before the funding deadline, the backers suddenly surged.  Over 600 Skystrikers were backed in under an hour.  And, the next hour saw over 400 more.  Slowly, the counter climbed over 98%, over 99%.  And, then, it stopped.  There was a major Amazon Web Services outage on this day.  And, the counter got stuck at 9924.  

But, after a while, it jumped and the Skystriker was fully funded with about 8 hours to go.  From there, the numbers continued to climb.  Historically, about 2/3 of the orders for a Haslab are placed in the final 2 days.  But, the failure of the Rancor and the quick funding of the Ghostbusters Pack put some of that historical context in doubt.  The various Joe forums were full of gloom about the Skystriker's fate.  More collectors than you would think took up a schadenfreude approach and took glee in the impending doom.  But, as the numbers rose, those posts and comments started to disappear.  For a moment some of the toxicity of Joe fandom was beaten back in shared accomplishment that will bring some desired toys to the collecting world.

Now, the Skystriker is happening.  It's the most ambitious Joe toy since at least 2005 and, maybe, since 1993.  It's also a telling milestone.  We know that vintage style Joes are making some kind of a return in 2022 for the 40th Anniversary of the line.  To see a flagship toy get produced by a collector base that's still firmly stuck in the "wait for Ross" mentality gives me hope that a retail Joe line will get a little more of a marketing nudge than it might otherwise have.

Around 3 hours away from the funding mark, the Skystriker passed the Scarlett tier of 13,000 units backed.  This means that pilot Scarlett will be made and it makes this Haslab a better than retail cost proposition.  In the last 90 minutes of the campaign, though, there was a final surge.  And, the Skystriker's final number was 16,784 units backed.  This meant that not only was Scarlett unlocked, but Ripcord, too.  So, the final product will include 7 figures, the plane and the deck vehicles.  Not too bad when you consider what the aftermarket pricing on the figures will be.

In the end, 12/7 was as much fun as February 15th, 2002: the date that the internet exclusive Wave V debuted at online retailers and the entire Joe world was united in their desire to get them and the frustrations as ambiguity set in.  Days like that are rare in the Joe world.  Nearly 20 years between two dates is a lot.  But, for now, there's something to be happy about in regards to Joe.  When those two huge boxes show up at my door sometime in 2023, though, we'll see how the happiness lasts as I try to explain $500 in toy airplanes to my wife.

Haslab Skystriker - Cobra Figures Added

Prior to today, the Skystriker was on pace to easily fund and probably reach the Ripcord tier.  However, due to the bad press around the Rancor, there was a lot of concern among Joe groups about the Skystriker funding.  So, today, Hasbro dropped a new tidbit of information on some additional figures that are included in the base tier.  They are: Cobra Commander, a Cobra Trooper and a new amalgamation of the G.I. Joe Deck Crew figure and the Cobra Trooper that makes a Cobra Deck Crew.  

The Cobra Commander is the helmeted version that is in desperate need of a new release.  It features the Mickey Mouse logo.  This is certain to be an exclusive variant and the sure to be retail release in 2022 will have the standard Cobra logo.  

The Cobra Trooper is based on the cartoon look.  I HATE the ungloved hands.  But, that's just me.  It's tough to get excited over Cobra Troopers when there's over 100 repaints of them available.  But, it's a nifty looking figure for sure and something that will have some demand later.  The final figure using the Cobra Trooper head, Ripcord legs and the chest from the Deck Trooper.  It's a neat looking idea and also pretty much ensures the Deck Trooper mold will probably appear at some point.

As you now get these included in the base tier, you are guaranteed to get them when the Skystriker funds.  I do not like the idea of army building figures in an expensive set like this.  I'd prefer them to be characters.  But, this shows that Hasbro wants the Skystriker to fund and is also showing their hand when it comes to probable 2022 commemorative figure releases.

One thing to ponder:

Back of the napkin math if this were a retail item:

Figures:

5 x $15 = $75.

Refueling Vehicles: $25

Shipping: $30

Skystriker and Base: $100

All of those are in line with retail pricing.

After the announcement, we're seeing massive uptake in the Skystriker backing.  It's probably a combo of hard core collectors upping their max order to 5 to get the army builders and some new people coming on board.  Will be interesting to watch these next few days as the campaign ends.

2005 Night Watch Trooper

At the 2003 G.I. Joe Convention, Hasbro showcased the upcoming Cobra Infantry 6 pack.  This set included four Cobra Troopers and two Cobra Officers that were painted up as homages to the original characters from 1982.  It was a hugely anticipated set and proved to be extremely popular.  Collectors of era assumed that Hasbro would then repaint the molds into the rainbow of basic troop colors that every Joe fan had yearned for since 1984.  At the time, Hasbro was repaint mad and collectors were army builder obsessed.  It was a no-brainer.  But, then, it didn't happen.  Sure, a Cobra Trooper and Officer showed up in the first 5 Comic Packs.  But, they were poorly colored and used terrible arms.  As 2005 brought about the retail line's cancellation, it became apparent that collectors would never get Stinger or Crimson Troopers.  The loss of these highly desired releases, though, was drowned out by the general malaise over the line's overall demise.  But, Hasbro then offered collectors a lifeline: the DTC experiment.  Among the figures and vehicles that comprised these online only toys was a 6 figure set of classic Troopers and Officers: the Night Watch.

At first, collectors were ecstatic about the Night Watch.  Cheap Cobra army builders were rarely scoffed at.  But, once in hand, the oddity of the release hit home.  The Night Watch figures didn't really fit anywhere.  Sure, they were supposed to be Cobra's night guardsmen.  But, their color scheme didn't fit with Night Vipers.  Nor did it really match up with the Stinger or it's driver.  They were an island unto themselves.  And, this quickly took a bite out of their popularity.  Slowly, the sets began to stagnate.  And, when Hasbro finally sold all of their non-moving online stock to Toys R Us, there was a large supply of Night Watch sets that were included in the sale.  A year after the set's online release, you could find plenty of Night Watch sets hanging at Toys R Us stores around the country. 

With time, though, comes perspective.  And, this set was both over-hyped and then overly derided within its release window.  Now, though, you can see the figures in the set for something new.  The Night Watch doesn't fit the traditional definition of Cobra Trooper colors.  But, the bluish-grey with camo pants does add some design flair to a normally staid look.  The grey pads on the chest straps bring out the detail on that feature that had been lost to a sea of black on other releases.  The multiple skin tones allowed for more diverse army building.  Though, Hasbro did do away with the differing eye and eyebrow colors for the caucasian members of the 2004 Infantry set.  

Truth be told, I don't much use the Night Watch figures any longer.  Not because they are bad.  It's just because there are better versions of the Cobra Trooper that were released by the factory custom makers in the ensuing years.  So, the uniqueness of the Night Watch is lost as there are lots of Cobra Troopers out there with multiple colors, additional painted details and camo pants.  And, the factory customs include the correct arms as well as the original rifle.  So, they offer all that made the Night Watch unique.  But, in getting these figures out for photos, I was reminded of their quality.  They seemed a bit odd at the time.  But, the details make for good figures.  But, because we were deprived of basics like Stinger Troopers in 2005, these Night Watch Troopers became victims of collector expectations.  We wanted them to be something they were not.  And, they were dropped because of this.  When taken for what the Night Watch is, the figures hold up much better.

The Night Watch Trooper's accessories are OK.  The Toys R Us six packs had devolved into a just including massive amounts of non-sensical gear for the figures.  The Night Watch brought back a bit of order to the weapons...even if it meant a decrease in quantity.  Each of the four Troopers includes the same black stand, black knife and black rifle.  Both the rifle and knife are JvC era designs.  But, they actually work with the older figure molds.  The knife is menacing.  It looks good and it's always nice to have extra bladed weapons lying around.  The rifle is also OK.  It's a rifle/grenade launcher combo that debuted a few years earlier.  It's compact for what it is.  The handle is a bit blocky, though, and would snap vintage thumbs.  The softer, more pliable plastic used in the 2000's releases, though, allows the Night Watch Trooper to hold it with no fear of breaking.  In fact, the greater issue is that the weapon stretches out the figure's hand so much that you have to push it back into place before he can hold the weapon again. 

This figure uses the same parts as the 2004 Comic Pack Cobra Trooper.  Supposedly, the change from the 2004 Toys R Us Infantry figure mold was due to Hasbro finding the original Officer and Trooper parts in a different factory.  The sad part is both the waist and arms are from the 1984 Roadblock.  I don't really mind the waist.  It does look a bit out of place.  But, it doesn't bother me to the extent that it does others.  The arms, though, are a different story.  Roadblock's arms were meant to be bare.  So, with painted sleeves, they look skinny.  I thought that Thunder's arms on the 2004 Troopers worked well.  But, these Roadblock arms are the weakest point of the Night Watch figures.  The original Cobra Trooper arms were iconic in that they included the piano wire that really gave you an idea of how bad they were.  Losing that detail (and all details) on the Night Watch figure made them appear more plain.

In looking back at the Direct To Consumer strategy, Hasbro was really ahead of their time.  In 2021, a series of collector themed toys sold via online dealers who cater to that constituency should be viable.  More than a few companies make it work.  But, in 2005, it was downright innovative.  We do have to account for the fact that that toys had already been designed and molds created.  So, Hasbro had a lot of sunk cost into their creation.  So, the proposition was less risky for them than it otherwise would have been.  The fact that DTC failed is both a function of the timing (2005 was a LONG time ago!) and the size of the Joe collecting world.  Joe collectors like to believe we exist in great numbers.  But, we don't.  And, we never have.  People point to large populations on various social media forms as proof of a large size.  But, those groups are mostly people who joined to ask a question (usually about value) and then never come back.  There's a few dozen to a few hundred really active people out there with an overall collecting community that's, maybe, 10% of the size of the Star Wars community.  In short, there aren't enough of us to sustain a line.  Even in 2021, that's true.  The Joe toys we see are geared towards people who collect scale: almost exclusively at retail.  If they flock to Joe, we'll get more of that product.  But, there aren't enough of us 3 3/4" collectors left to really support a toy line.  And, that's now been true for 15 years.

Like all of the 2000's era ARAH releases, the Night Watch sets have kind of dried up.  You can get boxed sets in the $80-$90 range.  And, dealers tend to sell a lot of loose, complete sets for similar amounts.  This appears to be a deal, though, since dealers will get up to $20 per figure for the individuals with many still reaching $16 on the open market.  It's a far cry from the days of these being $3 or $4 figures.  And, at current pricing, it's hard to justify these figures.  Most of the factory custom paint jobs of the Cobra Trooper are better.  And, they are around the same price.  The Night Watch is something different.  But, it lacks a true identity and it doesn't really mesh well with any existing Cobra units or vehicles.  If you can get them cheap, the bizarreness of their release is worthwhile.  But, at current pricing, there are a lot of better options out there for classic Cobra Troopers.