In the fall of 2001, I got out a Mamba and took these pics. I've never been a huge Mamba fan, even though it was the last toy I got as a kid. Sadly, I still have this Mamba and a companion. But, both have been pretty much destroyed since these photos. The Mamba's large size makes it difficult to box up and move, especially when you're in a hurry. But, the fact they aren't worth much and aren't much fun also makes me less careful with them than I would be with something I liked more.
Showing posts with label Gyro Viper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gyro Viper. Show all posts
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Thursday, December 26, 2013
1987 Gyro Viper
In December of 1987, I turned 14 years old. I was, frankly, too old to still be playing with toys. My parents were loathe to buy me any additional Joe toys and rolled their eyes when I bought them with my own money. However, as 1987 progressed, I slowed down my Joe acquisitions. By the fall of the year, I was buying baseball cards with my hard earned money. This was, for many, a more acceptable collecting past time than toys. But, for that birthday, I got the final large Joe toy of my childhood: the Mamba. The large Cobra helicopter looked like an awesome toy but quickly showed its limitations. As such, the chopper simply never made a dent in many of my Joe adventures. The pilot, though, resonated with me much more deeply than the vehicle. The Gyro Viper was a figure that I thought was the best Cobra pilot ever released. In retrospect, that praise is probably overkill. The figure has its limitations. But, the design is still strong and the Gyro Viper delivers on the promise of a Cobra pilot that Hasbro often failed to deliver.
As a figure, the Gyro Viper is decent. The lack of traditional Cobra colors is a bit deceiving since the figure is mostly designed to be cooped up in the cockpit of an aircraft. The tan base is something new for Cobra. But, the red helmet does give him some standard Cobra relevance. The body mold features an array of hoses that suggest the suit has built in life support systems and that the Gyro Vipers can fly at great altitudes. It also appears that the suit has a molded on ripcord. I'm not sure how a pilot would abandon a helicopter with blades that would hit the canopy were it thrown open in flight. But, it's a detail that may suggest the Gyro Viper was originally intended for a different purpose and was pulled into duty as the Mamba pilot as a last minute replacement.
In the comic book, Cobra had a tremendously cool transport helicopter. Armed to the teeth, this chopper was also capable of carrying crew and vehicles. It appeared for a number of years as the go to Cobra air transport. Unfortunately, that copter never made it to toy form. Instead, Hasbro sold the Mamba. The selling point was that it was a twin blade attack copter with removable jet drones. The reality is that the Mamba looks a lot cooler on paper than it is in actual toy form. I was quickly disappointed with it as a toy. (Though, the drones ended up being an important piece of my Cobra army for many, many years.) It was the Gyro Viper, though, that kept my interest. The figure was high quality and needed to play an important role in my collection. For a few weeks, at least, the Gyro Viper was involved in any Cobra operation. He might be a pilot who was shot down and needed rescue from the Joes. Or, he was a new Cobra advisor partaking in his first battles. But, as 1987 wound into 1988, toys simply faded away. As such, the Gyro Viper didn't get the full treatment that other, solid vehicle drivers from 1987 saw. Instead, he was packed away with my other figures and left for many years, awaiting the day he would rejoin my collection.
These days, the Gyro Viper is a Cobra pilot. Figures like the Strato Viper can be more useful since he fits into any Cobra aircraft. But, the Gyro Viper still has a place. He is a perfect pilot for the AGP or even the Firebat. It's just a figure that can be plugged into any number of Cobra aircraft without looking out of place. The flight suit is flexible in that way and the helmet denotes both high tech and standard combat issue. Even as the pilot of his native Mamba, the figure works quite well. The maps on the leg and general detail really showcase that Hasbro still cared about vehicle drivers in 1987...even if the paint applications would fade away in 1988.
The Gyro Viper mold saw little use. Aside from its appearance as the Mamba pilot, the body was reused for the 1990 Skydive figure. After that, the mold disappeared. The Gyro Viper would have been an excellent candidate for a repaint during recent years. Done is more traditional Cobra colors, the figure would have been a welcome addition to the line. But, it was not to be. So, collectors are left tracking down the vintage version and living with the limitations of just a single release.
Gyro Vipers are not expensive. The figure was available only with the Mamba. But, it seems that unlike other vehicle drivers that were packed with expensive vehicles, the Gyro Viper is fairly easy to find. Mint and complete with filecard figures sell in $6-$8 range, with some skewing higher due to an impatience factor. It's a small price for a solid figure and one that works well as either a chopper or aircraft pilot. Due to the high availability and low price, it's a great candidate for army building and it's a cost effective way to standardize the Cobra pilot corps.
As a figure, the Gyro Viper is decent. The lack of traditional Cobra colors is a bit deceiving since the figure is mostly designed to be cooped up in the cockpit of an aircraft. The tan base is something new for Cobra. But, the red helmet does give him some standard Cobra relevance. The body mold features an array of hoses that suggest the suit has built in life support systems and that the Gyro Vipers can fly at great altitudes. It also appears that the suit has a molded on ripcord. I'm not sure how a pilot would abandon a helicopter with blades that would hit the canopy were it thrown open in flight. But, it's a detail that may suggest the Gyro Viper was originally intended for a different purpose and was pulled into duty as the Mamba pilot as a last minute replacement.
In the comic book, Cobra had a tremendously cool transport helicopter. Armed to the teeth, this chopper was also capable of carrying crew and vehicles. It appeared for a number of years as the go to Cobra air transport. Unfortunately, that copter never made it to toy form. Instead, Hasbro sold the Mamba. The selling point was that it was a twin blade attack copter with removable jet drones. The reality is that the Mamba looks a lot cooler on paper than it is in actual toy form. I was quickly disappointed with it as a toy. (Though, the drones ended up being an important piece of my Cobra army for many, many years.) It was the Gyro Viper, though, that kept my interest. The figure was high quality and needed to play an important role in my collection. For a few weeks, at least, the Gyro Viper was involved in any Cobra operation. He might be a pilot who was shot down and needed rescue from the Joes. Or, he was a new Cobra advisor partaking in his first battles. But, as 1987 wound into 1988, toys simply faded away. As such, the Gyro Viper didn't get the full treatment that other, solid vehicle drivers from 1987 saw. Instead, he was packed away with my other figures and left for many years, awaiting the day he would rejoin my collection.
These days, the Gyro Viper is a Cobra pilot. Figures like the Strato Viper can be more useful since he fits into any Cobra aircraft. But, the Gyro Viper still has a place. He is a perfect pilot for the AGP or even the Firebat. It's just a figure that can be plugged into any number of Cobra aircraft without looking out of place. The flight suit is flexible in that way and the helmet denotes both high tech and standard combat issue. Even as the pilot of his native Mamba, the figure works quite well. The maps on the leg and general detail really showcase that Hasbro still cared about vehicle drivers in 1987...even if the paint applications would fade away in 1988.
The Gyro Viper mold saw little use. Aside from its appearance as the Mamba pilot, the body was reused for the 1990 Skydive figure. After that, the mold disappeared. The Gyro Viper would have been an excellent candidate for a repaint during recent years. Done is more traditional Cobra colors, the figure would have been a welcome addition to the line. But, it was not to be. So, collectors are left tracking down the vintage version and living with the limitations of just a single release.
Gyro Vipers are not expensive. The figure was available only with the Mamba. But, it seems that unlike other vehicle drivers that were packed with expensive vehicles, the Gyro Viper is fairly easy to find. Mint and complete with filecard figures sell in $6-$8 range, with some skewing higher due to an impatience factor. It's a small price for a solid figure and one that works well as either a chopper or aircraft pilot. Due to the high availability and low price, it's a great candidate for army building and it's a cost effective way to standardize the Cobra pilot corps.
Friday, October 6, 2000
1987 Gyro Viper
The Gyro Viper is one of my all time favorites. Every year, I got one big toy for my birthday in December. In 1987, it was the Cobra Mamba. While this chopper looks very cool, I never had all that much fun playing with it. It was the figure the Mamba came with, though, where I got my money's worth. The Gyro Viper immediately vaulted to the top of my play list. Since, by 1987, most of my friends had outgrown Joe toys, I was one of the few people that had this figure. For that reason, he was mine. I let everyone else fight over the more common figures while I kept the unique ones to myself. For that reason, the Gyro Viper you see here shows his extensive use.
The Gyro Viper is a very nice mold. I love the map, or whatever it is, that's molded onto his leg. His coup de gras, though, is his helmet. 1987 saw several Cobras with removable helmets, and most of them are very cool figures. The Gyro Viper is no exception. The helmet fits tight to his head. (Almost too tight, it would seem, as after the first or second time you remove the helmet, you rub paint off this guy's nose. Finding a Gyro Viper without any paint wear on his face is usually indicative of a Gyro Viper that has almost never worn his helmet.) The long, silver faceplate makes this guy look like a pilot. Frankly, I thought he was wasted on the Mamba. Almost immediately, I started using the Gyro Viper as the pilot for the Sea Ray or Rattler. To me, he looked like a jet pilot, not a chopper pilot. The Mamba promised so much, but delivered so little. The pods were fun to play with, but the lack of any chin gun on the Mamba itself, as well as the lack of landing gear, made the toy feel like a neglected relative of the awesome Joe vehicles that were its contemporaries.
The Gyro Viper was never a common troop builder in my Cobra army. He was the elite pilot who only flew the most dangerous missions. As late 1987 was near the end of my Joe playing days, though, the Gyro Viper never really got the opportunity to be more fully developed. In more recent years, figures like the 91 Bat and Cesspool have become my elite Cobra pilots. All the while, this guy has been hidden down in my parent's basement, out of sight and out of mind. Just recently, I managed to return home and rescue this guy. Now that I've got him, I would love for him to replace the Astro Viper as my upper echelon troop building Cobra pilot. Unfortunately, I've only got one Gyro Viper but 2 AGP's and Firebats which are my standard issue Cobra flying machines. Since the Aero Viper has found use in my Cobra ground forces, perhaps this guy will fly some of the more sophisticated Cobra planes, like the Rattler or Night Raven. The helmet is so cool, though, that he must be in an aircraft where you can see him through the cockpit canopy. Since I think he might be too bulky to fit into the Rattler's small cockpit, this guy may have to wait a bit longer before he finds a permanent aircraft to call his own.
Gyro Vipers aren't too common a find. For some reason, they are a bit tough and you don't often see them in lots. Sure, the Mamba was an expensive vehicle that wasn't available until late in 1987, but the Gyro Viper was available as a mail in for a couple of years. Still, you don't see this guy very often. He is rather forgotten, though, as they don't get expensive when they do appear. In fact, this guy is best known for having his mold reused on a Sky Patrol figure. When that is your biggest claim to fame, you can be sure you are in the presence of an unheralded Joe. What is nice, though, is that, with some patience, you can build up a nice cadre of these guys without spending a whole bunch of money.
I would like another Gyro Viper. I just recently found this one and would like to have a nicer conditioned companion for him. If you can help, drop me a line.
The Gyro Viper is a very nice mold. I love the map, or whatever it is, that's molded onto his leg. His coup de gras, though, is his helmet. 1987 saw several Cobras with removable helmets, and most of them are very cool figures. The Gyro Viper is no exception. The helmet fits tight to his head. (Almost too tight, it would seem, as after the first or second time you remove the helmet, you rub paint off this guy's nose. Finding a Gyro Viper without any paint wear on his face is usually indicative of a Gyro Viper that has almost never worn his helmet.) The long, silver faceplate makes this guy look like a pilot. Frankly, I thought he was wasted on the Mamba. Almost immediately, I started using the Gyro Viper as the pilot for the Sea Ray or Rattler. To me, he looked like a jet pilot, not a chopper pilot. The Mamba promised so much, but delivered so little. The pods were fun to play with, but the lack of any chin gun on the Mamba itself, as well as the lack of landing gear, made the toy feel like a neglected relative of the awesome Joe vehicles that were its contemporaries.
The Gyro Viper was never a common troop builder in my Cobra army. He was the elite pilot who only flew the most dangerous missions. As late 1987 was near the end of my Joe playing days, though, the Gyro Viper never really got the opportunity to be more fully developed. In more recent years, figures like the 91 Bat and Cesspool have become my elite Cobra pilots. All the while, this guy has been hidden down in my parent's basement, out of sight and out of mind. Just recently, I managed to return home and rescue this guy. Now that I've got him, I would love for him to replace the Astro Viper as my upper echelon troop building Cobra pilot. Unfortunately, I've only got one Gyro Viper but 2 AGP's and Firebats which are my standard issue Cobra flying machines. Since the Aero Viper has found use in my Cobra ground forces, perhaps this guy will fly some of the more sophisticated Cobra planes, like the Rattler or Night Raven. The helmet is so cool, though, that he must be in an aircraft where you can see him through the cockpit canopy. Since I think he might be too bulky to fit into the Rattler's small cockpit, this guy may have to wait a bit longer before he finds a permanent aircraft to call his own.
Gyro Vipers aren't too common a find. For some reason, they are a bit tough and you don't often see them in lots. Sure, the Mamba was an expensive vehicle that wasn't available until late in 1987, but the Gyro Viper was available as a mail in for a couple of years. Still, you don't see this guy very often. He is rather forgotten, though, as they don't get expensive when they do appear. In fact, this guy is best known for having his mold reused on a Sky Patrol figure. When that is your biggest claim to fame, you can be sure you are in the presence of an unheralded Joe. What is nice, though, is that, with some patience, you can build up a nice cadre of these guys without spending a whole bunch of money.
I would like another Gyro Viper. I just recently found this one and would like to have a nicer conditioned companion for him. If you can help, drop me a line.
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