1985 Lamprey - Around the Web

I opened my Moray for my birthday in 1985.  While the vehicle was amazing, it was the driver that grabbed my attention.  The Lamprey was just an amazing figure with a great weapon.  One of my great laments as a kid was that I only had one of them.  As such, I took tremendous care of the figure.  Fortunately, the Lamprey is now fairly easy to find and can be army built.  He remains one of my favorite Cobras to this day.  Here's the best of him from around the web.

1985 Lamprey Profile

Lamprey Dio 01

Lamprey Pre Production at YoJoe.com

Moray and Lamprey Video Review

Lamprey Variants

Lamprey at Brave Fortress

Lamprey By Outrider

2003 Python Patrol Lamprey - Around the Web

The Python Patrol set in 2003 received mixed reviews.  Collectors loved the fact that you got 5 unique army builders.  They also loved that Python Patrol was returning.  But, the actual figure releases didn't really fly.  While the figures matched the vintage vehicles: few collectors in 2003 really focused on the them.  The figures not being compatible with the vintage Python Patrol was a detriment.  So, while collectors did buy quite a few sets, the Python Patrol stuck around at retail for quite a while.  Due to its pegwarming, the Cobra Infantry set in 2004 only got a production of 20,000 sets instead of the Python Patrol's 25,000.  Now, though, this set is more appreciated by collectors and has gotten a bit harder to find.  For me, the highlight of the set was the Lamprey.  Here's the best of him from around the web.

Lamprey Profile

Python Lamprey at JoeBattleLines.com

Violentfix's Python Lamprey

OGToys.com Python Lamprey

Diorama - Swamp Base

At my old house in Indiana, there was a ditch behind the fence that would pool water after rainstorms.  In the early spring, one of the rains left a nice puddle of clear water.  It was there for a couple of days, so the grass got waterlogged and the leftover fall leaves gave the whole scene a swampy look.  I went out for a pretty elaborate set up.  But, it was very cold that day.  My fingers froze in the cold water as I set up the figures.

I had plans for this to be the beginning of a dio story.  But, I didn't get all the photos I wanted due to the temperature and I never had another chance to get out before I moved that fall.  This was one of the few times that I was able to get the Mega and Cyber Viper out and into dios.  The focal point was supposed to be the Bronze Bombers Firebomb figure (a Secto Viper repaint) but I ended up looking at the Secto Viper instead.

This General shell was really beat up.  I ended up throwing it into the trash rather than moving it.  I did strip all the pieces, which I still have.  I kind of wish I had kept the body.  But, it was massive and broken in ways that couldn't be fixed.  The Moray in the pics below got pretty beat up through my various moves and is in nowhere as good of condition as you see below.  In all, it was a fun setup with lots of obscure and bright Cobras.

2000 Lamprey

Back in the summer of 2000, the first lists and photos of brand new, retail Joe toys started to circulate.  At the time, everyone was pretty much excited about each and every release.  As the hype died down and I had more time to digest the full list, there were certain items on it that appealed to me more than others.  One of the items that was highest on my list was the fact that Hasbro would be releasing a new Lamprey figure.  The 1985 Lamprey had long been a personal favorite and he was one figure that I really, really wanted to army build when I was a kid.  But, I was out of Joe by the time that he became a staple of the mail away premium.  So, my childhood dreams had to be fulfilled by the adult collector.  A collector who, by early 2000, had managed to acquire an impressive for the time amount of original Lamprey figures.  So, seeing the figure would return prompted me to assume that I would quickly amass quite a few of these figures and build an impressive force of Cobra naval troops.

In October of 2000, the first reports of collectors finding the newly released vehicles began to appear on the G.I. Joe Usenet group and the PIT mailing list.  On a Sunday afternoon, I decided to head over the nearest Toys R Us store and try my luck.  I was rewarded when I found several of the new Man O War subs on the shelf: each including a Lamprey.  I snatched one up, took it home and opened it.  I discovered that the Lamprey figure was what I wanted from the character.  I was disappointed, though, that he did not include his vintage rifle.  But, after not seeing Joes at retail for nearly two years, this figure was a shot of enthusiasm.  Unfortunately, the Man O War was not.  To paraphrase Homer Simpson, the Man O War is the suckiest ball of suck that ever sucked.  It's just terrible.  It's small, had no play value, will not stand up on it's own and displays terribly.  It may be one of the single worst G.I. Joe toys ever released.  Why this was chosen over any number of other vehicles makes no sense.  But, for around $7, I felt somewhat ripped off.

This feeling, of course, was compounded by the fact that vintage Lamprey figures were still cheap.  In the late spring of 1999, huge amounts of mint in bag Lampreys were discovered in the Hasbro Canada find.  I, personally, got three or four of them as fill ins for other figures I had ordered who were sold out.  The overstock was readily available on Ebay and you could easily buy up bagged Lamprey figures for around $3 without really trying.  If you were willing to buy in lots, you could get them even cheaper.  As such, you could get two mint and complete 1985 Lampreys for about the same as you'd spend to get a Man O War and a new, weaponless, Lamprey at retail.  The Man O Wars were completely worthless (you can't give them away to this day!) so the full retail cost was associated with acquiring the figure.  With scads of 2 figure packs available for 5.84 at Wal Mart, my retail money was quickly focused on those and the original Man O War and Lamprey was the only one I ever purchased.

In 2001, Big Lots did get overstock Man O War sets that they sold for a discount.  This got a few people to pick up extras as the price of vintage Lampreys had risen a bit in the prior year as the army builder craze began to take hold.  But, superfluous 2000 Lamprey figures remained somewhat scarce on the aftermarket unless you were willing to buy boxed Man O Wars.  That changed in the mid 2000's, though, when Asian G.I. Joe sellers began to offer large quantities of 2000-2004 army builders for very low prices.  The catch was that you had to ship from Asia, which added a great deal to the cost.  However, these same sellers were often also the ones selling the alternate, unproduced figures from the Toys R Us and other exclusive sets.  As such, it became economical to buy some of these higher priced rarities and then add in a few $1 or $2 army builders since the shipping was, basically, the same.  The result was that a lot of Lamprey figures were imported into the hands of collectors and the figure became much more available.  I took this route and acquired a few of these figures from Asia.  Simultaneously, as the prices fell, it became easier to find extra figures for sale from domestic collectors who were looking to downsize.  With this phenomena, I was able to acquire a few more of the 2000 Lampreys and add them to my forces.

With them in hand, though, the limitations and highlights of the figure became more prominent.  On the plus side, the 2000 Lamprey is a perfect paint match for the 2001 Sub Viper and the 2000 Undertow.  Paired together, they make for a great Moray crew that retains the uniform coloring, but offers some breakups in the molds used.  On the down side, the figure isn't that strong as the color palettes are left to plastic rather than paint and you get some awkward joints on the figure that make him seem cheap.  The other thing about the figure's look was the paint wipes.  Paint wipes were controversial in 2000.  Hasbro had created the concept in their Star Wars line where they used paint to simulate weathering and age.  The results in that line were mixed.  On the Joes, though, it was a rough road.  The earliest waves were heavy on paint wipes and not in a good way.  The black paint to showcase details looked like oil and it appeared that the Lamprey had been cleaning penguins after the Exxon Valdez.  In later production runs, Hasbro would lighten up on paint wipe applications.  But, the did detract from the shiny, spit polished look of the 1985 figure.

Still, this isn't a bad figure.  He meshes with the 1985 version and looks good at any station on the Moray.  For me, Lampreys are the backbone of the Cobra naval forces.  This is in stark contrast to their filecards where Lampreys are elite Eels, culled form those ranks and further refined.  Cobra filecards always made each character out to be the elite of the elite or best of the best.  It was a mandate to make the villain seem dangerous.  But, the world needs grunts, too.  And, the Lamprey was too cool of a figure to make a super elite trooper.  Cobra needs maritime forces to guard coastlines, man ships and even commandeer wayward vessels.  Eels would be wasted on such duties.  And, Eels need a base from which to be pulled.  The Lamprey fills that need nicely.  I use the 1985's as the standard commandos while this 2000 version forms the basis of my Moray crew.  The different uniform and lack of gun denotes their specialty versus the common ground troopers.  With this role change, I get to use Lampreys more often and in more settings.  I can also justify having far more of them than I do Eel figures.

The Lamprey mold was used 4 times.  The original 1985 figure is far and away the best use.  In 1990, the figure was painted bright orange and released in the Super Sonic Fighters line.  The figure's weapons were good, but the fig is a '90's kind of terrible.  It's found some popularity due to the horridness and has a bit of a collector following.  But, it's not a great look for the Lamprey.  This figure was released in 2000.  Hasbro used the mold again in 2003 for the Python Patrol Lamprey.  He was a solid choice for the set and the figure is decent.  Aside from that, the figure's legs appear on the infamous Chinese Major Bludd and also appear on the unnamed 1995 Figure.  (Though, that may be convenience rather than planned construction based on drawings of the figure.)  Hasbro could have done a lot with the Lamprey.  But, the later Moray releases were all for Joe rather than Cobra and there weren't many other slots for the figure to fit.  A white version based on his first appearance in #40 of the Marvel comic would have been awesome.  And, a version that matched the coloring of the Eel would have been another no-brainer repaint.  But, those didn't happen.  To me, the original Lamprey is just about perfect.  This 2000 version is decent, but doesn't do anything you can't get from the original.  The other versions are one off, fun releases that serve as conversation starters, but nothing around which you build a Cobra army.  The mold has untapped potential.  But, it will never come to be now.

These days, the figure isn't as available as he was in the 2000's.  Dealers sell him in the $7 range.  Due to low supply, they seem to sell at that price, too.  (Though they will sit at $10.)  If you can find a collector selling the figure, you can get it a lot cheaper.  You will find lots of the figure that are leftover Asia stock, too.  And, those can be a great way to pick up quite a few for a low average cost per figure.  It will take you a bit of time to find loose figures at open market pricing: mainly due to the low value of the figure.  Though, if you ask around, you may find people who will sell you a figure or two just because you have the interest.  But, if you really want Lamprey figures, just spend $5 to buy loose, incomplete vintage figures.  They are easier to find, better quality and more readily available.

Personally, I don't understand the Lamprey's lack of popularity.  I've always felt it was a great figure and Cobra would have a need for naval commandos.  But, the fact that the collecting community doesn't agree with me has left all his versions as fairly cheap acquisitions.  That, I do like.  While I'd have loved for Hasbro to have better utilized this mold in the 2000's, the enduring lack of popularity of it's actual uses shows their decision to ignore it after 2003 looks smart.  For the modern collector, the Lamprey remains a cheap army building target and this 2000 version is a great way to add some ranks or specialties within their legions.

2003 Python Patrol Lamprey

Years ago, I profiled one of my favorite Cobra figures of my youth, the original Lamprey. As he was one of my original profiles, I've wanted to revisit the mold and better explain the Lamprey's use in my collection. At the time of that original profile, the only other version of the Lamprey available was the 1990 Super Sonic Fighter figure. As he is cast in neon orange, I had little incentive to profile him. In 2000, another Lamprey was released. However, this figure was very similar to the original version. And, as he was only available with a terrible vehicle that cost around $7, it simply wasn't worth acquiring more than one of them as, at the time, you could get bagged V1 Lamprey's for less than that. Finally, though, an opportunity to profile this mold again arose. The Lamprey's inclusion in the Python Patrol set allowed many collectors to take another look at the Lamprey figure. I am one of them.

To me, Lampreys are Cobra's maritime troops. They are the aquatic infantry who board ships, defend coastal positions and patrol Cobra controlled waterways. They remain fully qualified Eels and Moray pilots, but also spend a lot of time as infantry soldiers. I've always felt that Cobra was underrepresented in this regard. The basic Cobra Infantry is great for land based operations. However, if a Viper fell into the water, he would be hard pressed to escape in a timely manner as his waterlogged body armour and field pack would weigh him down. The Lampreys, though, have no such problem. Their wet suits repel water while their life vests can pull them back to the surface. I have their helmets being capable of sealing in a few minutes of breathable air so that they can remain submerged for enough time to convince an enemy of their watery demise. These little features are what makes the Lampreys Cobras troop of choice when attacking marine harbours, shipping ports or cargo carriers.

This figure, and the rest of the Python Patrol set, is remarkably well done. His paint detailing is precise and is conceived well enough that the figure works both as a stand alone unit or as part of the overall Python Patrol. The combination of black, red and gold creates a unified look that is not gaudy. The entire set actually looks like a team but the individual figures can still be used on their own or with the originally colored figures of the same mold. The entire set is a perfect example of how ARAH repaints can be done. The Python Patrol offered collectors three figures (Rock Viper, Laser Viper, and SAW Viper) that have never been repainted and have not been available since their original molds. It also offered a "new" Major Bludd that uses the head from the '94 Bludd figure and the body from the 1991 Zap figure. The result is a figure that looks like Bludd but is not a straight repaint. The HEAT Viper is just the Fast Blast Viper but with the original head. While we've, essentially, seen this figure before, the return of the original head is nice. Basically, the entire set is a great grouping of seldom seen molds that really breaks the monotony of the constant Viper and Alley Viper repaints that have comprised the majority of ARAH style army builders in the past year.

The one area where the Lamprey is a bit lacking is his accessories. The well done original Lamprey gun has long since disappeared from Hasbro production. As such, this figure possesses the accessories from the Sonic Fighter Lamprey. The small machine gun, first offered with the '88 Shockwave figure, works well with the Lamprey. As these guys are more commandos than long term field troops, a small, more controllable weapon makes sense. They also come with an original Spearhead's rifle. However, this has been modified and has an unsightly Sound Attack tab protruding from the top of the gun, rendering it useless. This leaves the Lamprey with just the one weapon, which looks paltry compared the plethora of accessories that accompany the remaining members of the Python Patrol set. However, when the Lamprey's specialty is remembered, I can forgive his lone gun. That is all he really needs to make the figure effective.

Going forward, Python Patrol Lampreys are not going to be too hard to find. Aside from the fact that the set is still readily available for order at Toys R Us.com, there are tons of collectors out there who have army built this set in incredible numbers. Add to that the fact that there are a whole lot of people out there with 20-30 PP sets sitting in storage who are speculating on PP with the hope of it pulling another 1998 Cobra Infantry Team where it sees a 3-5 times gain in price in just a few years and you can see how there will be an ample supply of Python Patrol sets available to the average collector for a long time. If you look at the size of the collecting world back in 1998 as compared to now, it was much, much smaller back then. However, my estimation is that the size of the collecting world in 2008 (hard to believe that will have been another 5 year period!) will be smaller than it is right now. As such, I don't see the long term value potential in sets like this Python Patrol. While Cobra army builders are always popular, the collecting market will be saturated with these by the time the retail supply dries up. (The same it true of the BAT pack.) So, with that said, I would enjoy these figures for what they are. They are not going to fund my retirement, but they are a neat addition to my collection. Many of these modern repaints give collectors an opportunity to re-examine some classic molds. When those molds are done up in drastically different interpretations, like with this Lamprey, it just makes any collection that much more interesting.

What do you think of Python Patrol? Let me know.

1985 Lamprey

Lamprey is one of my old favorites. The Hydrofoil is my favorite Cobra vehicle of all time. It ranks third to only the Hovercraft and the Tomahawk on my all time favorite vehicles list. Part of what made the Hydrofoil so cool was the pilot. Lamprey was an awesome figure, with a cool gun, and a great color scheme. He was the perfect fit for what was, at the time, the largest Cobra vehicle ever attempted.

The minute I opened my hydrofoil, the Lamprey was almost too cool to use. I took extra special care of him since I knew that I would never be able to get another one without buying another hydrofoil. (This was before Hasbro Direct started offering vehicle drivers through mail-in offers.) He was one of about 7 or 8 figures I always hid from my little brother. He liked the Lamprey and really liked Lamprey's gun. If my Lamprey was ever missing, I could always find it in my brother's room. I managed to keep him well hidden, though, and my original Lamprey is in excellent shape. My brother did manage to lose his gun for a while, but I found it about two years ago in a box of forgotten Lego's that appeared in our attic. I was lucky enough to get a couple of these guys in early 1999 from Hasbro Canada as part of the find up there. Unfortunately, when I tried to order about a dozen more a few weeks later, they were sold out. At least now, though, I have enough to fully man a hydrofoil. I've also managed to pick up the bagged sample you see here. He is the mail in version of Lamprey. He's got the red backed file card that is indicative of Hasbro Direct. On the file card page, you will see another bagged sample from Hasbro Canada that does not have the file card included.

The 1985 Cobras are considered by many collectors to be the best year of Cobra figures ever released. While most people like the old blue troops, with the additions of the Tele Viper, Crimson Guard, Snow Serpent, and the Eel, Cobra became a legitimate enemy to G.I. Joe. Lamprey just extended the already great '85 line. Unfortunately, he is often overlooked in most conversations about the '85's. Looking at this figure, he is not just cast in cool colors. His mold even looks good when it's grossly exaggerated like the Super Sonic Fighters version was. The sleek helmet and tight life preserved make the figure look realistic without sacrificing any of the figure's overall look. It's a shame this guy wasn't used more in the comic. I've always made him a special guard to Cobra Commander or other high ranking officials since he is just too neat to only use in the hydrofoil. His gun also usually finds its way into some of my custom terrorists' hands.

Since the Lamprey was available as a mail-in for several years, he isn't too tough to find. Many people had the original hydrofoil, and many more purchased the mail-ins to get this figure. He often appears in big lots, and can usually be picked up still in the bag like the one you see here. You don't often hear many collectors clamouring for more Lampreys, but since they are readily available, most people can get their fill without breaking the bank. Personally, the Lamprey is one of those figures that everyone says, "Oh, yeah. He's really cool.", but never brings him up in conversations about their favorite figures. Like many of the figures that were only available as vehicle drivers, Lamprey is kind of forgotten by the collecting community. It is unfortunate, but it keeps this figure from reaching catastrophic price points like the other '85 Cobras.

Of interesting note about this figure, his legs were going to be reused on the 1995 Battle Corps Rangers Flint . This figure has great parts, but they weren't used on too many other figures. It also proves that Hasbro had the mold around until at least late 1994. It's just too bad we didn't get a Moray remake with a new Lamprey in either the 1997 or 1998 re releases.