1990 Laser Viper

I have not looked at this figure in over two decades.  Back in 2000, I wrote a quickie, crappy profile on this figure.  And, then, he disappeared.  I took one really small picture in 2007 or so.  But, that's it.  In my time updating photos, doing follow up features and obsessing over little details, I neglected the 1990 Laser Viper through all of it.  So, I felt it was time to make amends and pull out an obscure figure from a pretty solid year and understand why this figure fails to resonate with me.  

On the surface, a Laser Viper should be pretty cool.  Cobra always had advanced technology.  So, Cobras running around with lasers on their backs isn't really much of a stretch.  The figure that was released is a solid combo of near Cobra blue, silver and very dark grey.  In short, he has the classic colors collectors tend to love.  (He's a nice match for Interrogator, too.)  You might observe that his helmet is a pretty close cousin of the Astro Viper's.  But, that's about the only figure with any great similarity.  Really, there's nothing about the Laser Viper that's anything other than slam dunk Cobra figure design.  The sculpting's solid, the colors are amazing and he's got some heavy gear.  So, why have I never bothered to track down any additional figures in what's fast becoming 3 decades of collecting?

The real purpose of Laser Vipers isn't to be a Star Wars like blaster.  Instead, they are spotters for Cobra artillery.  They "light up" a target and let the HEAT Vipers hone in and destroy it.  While it's an incredibly practical role, it doesn't make for a fun toy.  Here's a guy who holds an incredibly important job and wears a cool uniform.  But, he doesn't actually blow anything up or shoot at anyone.  He just makes it easier for other, equally cool figures to do their jobs.  Were the Laser Viper a better color match with some of the Cobra heavy weapons figures, I might be more inclined to take him along for photo shoots.  But, the solid colors on the Laser Viper are a sharp contrast to his on the battlefield dependents.  So, it's tough to really set him up with some HEAT Vipers.

And, that's the crux of why this figure doesn't really resonate.  He's...fine.  But, that's it.  And, you don't really need him around for anything.  There's no reason to co-opt him for space duty.  So, there's not much you can really come up for the figure to do.  Really, the sculpt is kind of plain.  There's almost no adornment on the figure aside from the weird chest harness.  So, you it's difficult to make him into something more.  Sans helmet, the figure is even more bland.  There's just not a lot that's going on.  So, once you have one, you don't really need any others.  

The other thing about the Laser Viper is that he's very similar to the Astro Viper.  From the helmet design to the backpack, the entire figure just seems like an Astro Viper rip off.  I'll even posit to say that the Astro Viper is a better design with a superior helmet fit.  The Laser Viper has a backpack with two lasers on top.  There are two hoses to connect to various parts of the pack.  And, the pack has one arm that can be used as a trigger for the rig.  That's basically the same gear that's included with the Astro Viper.  The whole design works, of course.  Which is probably why Hasbro returned to the basic premise just two years after it debuted.  

The Laser Viper saw the single release in the vintage line.  In 2003, Hasbro surprised collectors with an updated Laser Viper in the Toys R Us exclusive Python Patrol set.  This version even included all of the original version's accessories.  But, that was the end of the Laser Viper.  Despite the possibilities that his parts held for kitbashing, we never saw him again.  Though, this probably isn't a bad thing.  The original is nearly perfect.  And, the Python Patrol version was a solid release that tied him to Cobra's main repaint subset.  There isn't much need for a Laser Viper beyond these two uses.  And, the fact hat neither really resonates as anything other than collection filler certainly cements that limited use was probably for the best.

Laser Viper pricing is odd.  Dealers still try to get $30 or more for a complete version.  It seems that the market, though, for the same figure is around $20.  You can get them as low as $12 or so if you're patient.  There's not a ton of supply, though, mostly because you can't really guarantee you'll get the high or the low end.  We'll see how this plays out in the next 18 to 24 months.  But, for me, I don't have the compunction to find any more of the figure.  In fact, I don't really use the one I have.  It's been over 4 years since I last got him out for photos.  Yeah, this profile has been sitting in drafts for 4 years.  That's how hard it's been to come up with something to write about this figure.  That seems unfair.  The Laser Viper is good.  Despite that, though, he just doesn't grab or hold my attention.  Hopefully, he's more impactful to you.  

2001 Laser Viper - Around The Web

In 2001, collectors were army builder crazy.  So, when early images of a figure in blue and red showed up online, we went bananas thinking of all we'd do once cheap alternatives for Cobra Troopers were finally available.  In the end, though, the Laser Viper somewhat disappointed.  While people did army build him to a great degree, the new head wasn't perfect.  And, as better army builders continued to pour out of Hasbro over the next couple of years, the need for massive amounts of the Laser Viper in a collection diminished.  But, overall, this version of the Laser Viper did offer some things that would never be seen again.  Hasbro took more chances with their earlier figures.  But, collectors punished them for doing so.  In time, figs like the Laser Viper became quaint reminders of what we didn't really want more of.  I've grown to appreciate this figure more in the past 18+ years for this reason.  Here's the best of him from around the web.

2001 Laser Viper Profile

2001 Laser Viper Pre-Production

2001 Laser Viper by gigamech

2001 Laser Vipers by dreadnokdread

2001 Laser Viper by kushviper

2001 Laser Viper by yotothejoe

2001 Laser Viper by gijoe_rama

Rarities - European Exclusive Firing Weapons Figures

Everyone is familiar with the European exclusive Action Force G.I. Joe repaints, the 6 European Tiger Force exclusive figures and even the more obscure European variants of Mutt and Spirit.  But, there were actually many more European exclusive figures.  Some are just minor color differences.  Some are date stamp discrepancies.  And, some are exclusive accessory variants.  It is the last category that is the focus of today's profile.  In the 1990's in Europe, Hasbro released 15 figures who featured exclusive accessories.  They are defined by the fact that the most identifiable characteristic is that most included spring loaded, firing weapons.  But, these are a lot of interesting tidbits hidden within these figures that we'll look at below.

The 15 figures are all 1990 and 1991 figure molds.  It should be noted that most, if not all of these figures were also released in Europe with their American accessories.  But, these altered releases were exclusive to the continent.  I'll start with my favorite of the bunch, the Rock Viper.

As you can see in the photo above, the Rock Viper now includes gear from the 1991 Snake Eyes figure.  The backpack is in an exclusive dark maroon color.  But, the thing that I really like is the neon green gun and missile.  The green is a nice color offset for the Rock Viper and I don't mind neon accessories in some cases.  But, this colored missile and gun are exclusive to this European version of the Rock Viper.

Next up is the Night Creeper you see below.

The main reason I like this version is because I like the Night Creeper in general.  This version, though, includes the backpack and launcher from the 1991 Mercer figure in a dark purple to match the Night Creeper figure.  He also includes an exclusive silver missile.

Next up is Ambush.

The obvious difference in Ambush is his accessories.  He now includes the backpack and missile launcher from the 1991 Snow Serpent in an exclusive light tan color.  He also have the Snow Serpent missile in red.  But, if you look closely, the figure itself is different.  Instead of dark brown cammo on his body, this Ambush features a brighter, lighter brown that has an orange-ish hue.  It is definitely a variant to Ambush.  Though, I'm not 100% certain that this cammo variance was exclusive to Europe or was also available elsewhere.  This European figure also features exclusive card artwork.

The 1991 jet pack General Hawk stands out because he does not include a spring loaded weapon.

As you see above, Hawk includes the launchers and missiles from the 1991 Crimson Guard Immortal figure.  They appear to be in the same color as the CGI weapons.

Next, we have Bullhorn.

Bullhorn is still the same great figure.  But, this version includes the 1991 Snow Serpent missile launcher in an exclusive maroon color.  He also has a neon green missile.

The most famous figure from this crop of missile launching figures is the 1991 Dusty.  This is because Dusty was also released in Asia with the same accessory configuration.  (There were some other figures in this series that also saw Asian releases with the alternate gear including Range Viper, Laser Viper and Desert Scorpion.)

You see Dusty includes the 1991 Red Star AK-47 and missile launcher.  The figure also features unique card artwork that showcases his alternate inclusions.

The 1991 Low Light follows the Dusty.

Low Light also includes the 1991 Red Star launcher and missile.

Up next is the Laser Viper.

This Laser Viper variant includes the missile launcher and missile from the 1991 Sci Fi figure.

Pathfinder shares a detail with Laser Viper:

Pathfinder also features the 1991 Sci Fi missile launcher.  These accessories appear to be unchanged from the American Sci Fi figure release.

Captain Grid Iron makes the Sci Fi launcher reuse a trifecta.

Captain Grid Iron, though, also features exclusive card artwork to help make him a little more interesting than just the reused launcher.

Metal Head brings us back to exclusive gear.

Metal Head includes a golden launcher from the 1991 Cobra Commander figure.  He also includes the standard 1991 Cobra Commander gun.

The final four figures are all Cobra army builders.

Range Viper:

The Range Viper also features Red Star's AK-47 and missile launcher.  He includes an exclusive golden missile, though.

SAW Viper:

The SAW Viper includes the gear from the 1991 Incinerator figure.  He also features exclusive card artwork that showcases his different accessories.

Desert Scorpion:

The Desert Scorpion includes the backpack and missile from the 1991 Mercer figure.  The only exclusive part of the figure is the card artwork that shows an oddball configuration for the new gear.

Undertow:

The Undertow figure also uses the gear from the 1991 Snake Eyes figure.  But, it's in an exclusive red color meant to mimic the Undertow's colors.  He also features an exclusive grey missile.

As accessory variants don't tend to command great attention as opposed to figure variants, these European figures remain very obscure.  But, they are generally hard to find and carded figures can command a premium in the right setting.  I'd love to track down a few of them as the offbeat colors are right up my collecting alley.  But, the general rarity of them makes them another fun subset in foreign Joe collecting.  One final picture is from a European catalog that showcases several of the figures in their alternate accessory configurations.

Rarities - 2001 Pre-Production Laser Viper

It seems odd that the A Real American Hero Collection's success at retail caught Hasbro off guard.  But, it seemed to do so.  The first was only shipped in 2000 and Target did not carry it.  Wave 2 showed up quickly and then shipped for nearly six months.  The third wave was kept relatively quiet.  But, when blurry pics first surfaced of it, collectors went bananas over the possibility of a new Cobra Trooper.

Soon, though, it became evident the figure was not a Cobra Trooper but a newly created Laser Viper.  The first showcase of the figure, though, was drastically different from the production figure.  Below you can see how Hasbro originally envisioned the figure.

Of the 4 figures shown, the Laser Viper is most drastically different.  Instead of the solid blue figure with red vest, Hasbro went with a silver body that was more reminiscent of the Lamprey and Sub Viper.  Frankly, the look is more apropos for a laser trooper and I like the design better than the actual production figure.  It does't appear that the Fast Blast Viper was changed all that much beyond some lighter grey highlights.  You will see the early, prototype, head on Sure Fire.  Low Light appears to be nothing more than a 1991 figure.  So, they hadn't really done anything with him, yet.

The Laser Trooper was a retail success.  But, that was more based on the fact that he was an army builder released at a time when any army builder would sell out: no matter how ridiculous.  He wasn't hard to find, but was always the first figure to appear.  The figure was carried over into Wave IV as well.  It would have been awesome for the Wave IV to have been a repaint done in this originally proposed style.  Collectors would have welcomed the diversity and we would have gotten a decent repaint of a figure that was liked at the time.

The Laser Viper disappeared after his 2001 release.  By 2002, Hasbro had moved on to releasing Vipers and Alley Vipers as the base, vintage style Cobra troops.  The brought around BATs in 2003 and finally remade the Cobra Troopers every collector wanted in 2004.  Those later releases doomed the Laser Viper to obscurity and there was no call for another look for the figure.  That's too bad as these early samples show that the Laser Viper could have had at least one solid repaint that collectors would have enjoyed.

Diorama - Chopper Base

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.

2001 Laser Viper

Several months ago, some pictures surfaced of the Wave III Joes. The pictures were small, and tough to make out. I took one and blew it up to see if I could get some clearer details of the 4 new figures they showed. One of these guys caught my eye. It looked like a new version of a basic Cobra Trooper only it had a red face mask. As you can guess, this figure really intrigued me. A couple of days later, though, clearer pictures of the figures surfaced. This basic Cobra Trooper was actually a new version of a Laser Viper. Still, though, I thought he would have some great potential. Finally, after many months of waiting and listening to many other collectors finding this figure and using him for the exact purpose I had planned for him, I managed to find one. Once I held him in my hand, the original purpose I had intended for the figure was no longer desirable. While this version of the Laser Viper is cool, he could not be the basic troop I had intended.

This figure's look is perfect for a Cobra trooper. The basic blue uniform with a combat helmet and the red face mask really hearken back to the old comic days when there were only Cobra troopers and officers in the enemy ranks. It's a feel that shows there is some respect for the original releases. I would suspect that the molds for those original old blue Cobra troopers are long gone. As such, Hasbro offered us a new figure that would help us reminisce about the days when Joes were first plentiful on retail shelves. I'm happy with that. The '80's are gone forever. I know that many people wish Joe was just like it was back then. For me, though, I like progress. Seeing new figures like this guy keep the line fresh and maintain my interest. I'll admit, I have a much lower interest for straight repaints of earlier figures than I do for newly arranged or molded figures. I've been a big proponent of the new Joes since they were first released. With figures like this guy in the mix, you can bet that support is still going strong.

For some strange reason, I don't feel compelled to buy up more Laser Vipers. My main problem with him is that his accessories suck. He comes with rehashed '91 Sci Fi accessories that really aren't all that cool. Had he come with a Red Star AK-47, or a Low Light rifle, and a standard Viper pack, then I think I would feel a greater need to have a small army. However, once I used this guy, he no longer spoke army builder to me. I no longer see him as a generic Cobra trooper. I see him more as a high ranking Cobra troop who is a step below the rank held by Worms and Decimators. He is not a commander and is still required to be in the field, but he is the field leader and has troops report directly to him. In fact, I'm thinking that he will become the Cobra security commander. He will be in charge of my 1997 Alley Viper ranks who have become my "sweepers". They are called out for any security break and sweep the area to eliminate any potential leaks. The Laser Viper will be among a hand full of lesser Cobras who will answer to my Cobra Security Commander who is represented by a figure that will be profiled in the coming weeks. I think you will be surprised at who it is.

Lately, I've found myself moving away from my army building past and focusing more on characterizations. This figure really represents that. I have a very large Cobra army. I have found, though, that those figures rarely get used. Often, I will use one or two of an army builder, but rarely 6 or 7. The Laser Viper is going to become the first of my new breed of Cobra. No longer will they just be faceless legions. Now, those legions will have a unique leader who is not yet to the level of the named Cobras. It adds some depth to the Cobra forces and allows some figures who can play a major role, perish, and be replaced with no danger to the overall continuity. This fits my new collecting focus as well. Some day, I may regret not acquiring more Laser Vipers when I had the chance. I think, though, that I will appreciate this figure more for it, though.

Some people will tell you how tough the new Laser Vipers are to find. Fact is, they are still shipping. Wave III has not hit total market saturation, yet, and won't for a couple of weeks. Even after Wave III stops shipping, though, these guys won't pull a Firefly/Undertow. They will still ship 1 per case in the Wave IV figures that will come out this fall. With that in mind, though, there is no time like the present to build your armies now. For me, I've got enough of this guy. I know people, though, who have over 20 of them. Every time the collecting community feels a sense of security that a figure will be released in great enough quantities to satisfy their army building needs, that figure ends up disappearing from retail and making a reappearance on Ebay for prices 8 to 10 times the original retail cost. It's happened with every release since 1997. Just a friendly reminder. At any rate, though, the Laser Viper is a figure that I see having some use in my collection. Based upon collector sentiment that is out there, mine will not be the only one.

I dig the Laser Viper, but will buy more at retail should the need for them arise. How many of the '01 Cobra army builders do you have?

1990 Laser Viper

The Laser Viper is another of the very seldom seen, but very cool 1990 Cobras. He eluded me for nearly a year before I managed to track down a complete specimen. Like most of the 1990 figures, he takes some patience to find. Once you have him, though, this is another unsung Cobra figure that is a very nice addition to your armies.

This guy is cast in a very nice, subtle grey with dark blue highlights. He is in a color scheme that actually lends itself to combat. (Unlike the 1988 Toxo Viper or 1988 Astro Viper, the two figures to which this guy is most similar in mold.) The problem is that his accessories limit him. While he has a nice mold, an awesome removeable helmet, and a good color scheme, this guy's accessories suck. The huge pack, with the lasers built into it, really limits the amount of use this guy gets in my collection. They very easily could have created accessories that were similar to the 1986 Sci Fi's, or even the aforementioned Toxo Viper's. Had this guy included a hand held gun that attached to a smaller pack, I think he would enjoy a little more popularity in the modern collecting world. I know that my interest in acquiring multiples of him is limited due to lack of cool accessories.

Due to the Laser Viper's lack of decent accessories, and his relative scarcity, my Laser Viper has found himself in new roles. I use him, sans helmet, as a commander of a Hiss Tank battalion. I've also used him as a support Viper who works along side the Techno and Tele Vipers in support of Cobra's heavy artillery. With his helmet, I've used him, sparingly, as a pilot and as the leader of my Astro Viper brigades. In those settings, I've found a bit more use for this figure. I think they wanted to put out a foil to the Joe laser troopers. Rather than give us a named Cobra higher up, (Instead they squandered their crop for 1990. It's really amazing how they pumped out the army builders in 1989 and 1990, but really forgot the Cobra hierarchy until '91 and '92.), Hasbro graced us with this figure. His mold offered so much, but delivered so little. I think part of the reason why 1990's are so seldom talked about is because the figures are nice, but could have been so much more. I just don't have much use for a Laser Trooper. You can use him as a welder, but I never went for the guys with laser rifles. I used lasers as tools, not weapons. Give this guy a good looking assault rifle, tough, and I think that his usage would increase greatly.

In 2001, Hasbro gave us a reinvention of the Laser Viper. He was better equiped to serve in the infantry and actually addresses many of the issues I had with the original mold. But, that new Laser Viper is still better suited to other roles than a laser trooper. In 2003, Hasbro dusted off this original mold and included it (with all the original accessories) in the Python Patrol set. This figure brought the mold back into the collector vision, but still showcased many of the limitations which are discussed above. It is likely that Hasbro still has the Laser Viper mold available for use. However, I'd rather the character not make another return appearance and, instead, like to see the mold used in various amalgamations for new characters. There are many parts of the mold that have potential, so seeing this figure as a base for others is probably his best use going forward.

I've already said that Laser Vipers are tough to find. However, they are not that popular among collectors. They really don't lend themselves to army building, but do provide nice custom parts. Since the 1989 and 1991 Cobras steal most of the thunder from the 1990 releases, Laser Vipers can be had for a relatively small price. The problem is finding them. Usually, they turn up in lots, but they are missing accessories. While Range Vipers are semi-tough to find, these guys take the obscure Cobra moniker to a new level. You can find them offered by themselves from time to time. When this occurs, though, the interest is minimal and you can often get the figure for under $5.00 for a mint, complete specimen. I've found that one Laser Viper, though, is enough. Unlike most Cobra army builders, I have yet to want a second to complement my original. While this guy is a very nice figure, I think he will always remain one of Cobras most unknown minions.

The Laser Viper is a cool figure, but not one of whom I want to build armies. What is his function in your collection? Email me.