How does Cobra continually attract talented members willing to risk danger, prison and even death to support the organization's
evil goals? Simple: money. The pay and rewards are better than anything a private corportation can offer. That's why skilled pilots join the elite Air-Viper force. After basic aerial combat training, those who rise to the top are given advanced training with next-generation aircraft to become commandos. They also have to endure a surgical procedure, which makes them resistant to hypoxia, hyperventilation and other decompression sicknesses that affect pilots above Armstrong's Line (63,000 feet).
Hey, remember when we asked where the regular Air-Vipers were? Guess this is our answer. This figure is quite clearly an update of 1986's Strato-Viper, but he's been rechristened. Demoted, apparently. The old Strato-Viper's filecard contained the first mention of Air-Vipers, referencing them as the class the pilots went through before becoming Strato-Vipers. All that stuff about the surgery? That happened when they were moved up, not when they were still just plain Air-Vipers.
Anyway, this figure is the originator of the mold that was also included with the movie Night Raven - Artemis said that pilot was a "pre-paint," and sure enough, here's the real guy. The mold is the same, but the colors are much better: a grey flight suit with red and black armor, a bare neck, and a red and black helmet with silver visor. The body is Wild Bill/Ace, but the shins and arms are new.
The leather padding the Strato-Viper wears is a single, separate piece, with a non-functional holstered gun sculpted over the right breast. Meanwhile, the figure comes with a silver pistol that looks like it would have fit in the holster, if it were working. Strange. This same figure, without any significant changes, is available in a super-rare vehicle two-pack, but you're better off buying the set.
The figures are arrayed next to one another in a long horizontal box. The backdrop shows the shore of Cobra Island, with an explosion happening on the far side of some nearby trees. Two Skystrikers and a Conquest X-30 are in the sky. It's a nice enough scene, but certainly not something worth saving the box for.
The two "Cobra Island" packs are seen by many as Hasbro's last hurrah with the G3 figures. After all, with the focus on the movie toys, RAH is falling by the wayside. And although it seems a safe bet that classic characters will return some day, right now these two-packs are the end of what's on the horizon. The Cobra set is proving more popular than its Joe counterpart, since it's chock full of army builders. Thus most online retailers are bumping up the price of the bad guys, to help pad their bottom line. I got my set from Entertainment Earth, but they're sold out at the moment. So shop carefully. And if you're just looking for certain of these guys, you can find places that will sell you individual figures for a reasonable price. So don't go nuts, but be aware that yeah, this is a set worth owning.
-- 08/28/09
This oceanic fortress of villainy is under attack, and it will take every bit of skill and trechery to stop the heroic GI Joe team from capturing the island.
brainwave device as a means of relieving dental pain. The good doctor tried his invention on himself with tragic results. His personality underwent a complete conversion, changing him from a caring, conscientous doctor to hateful, deceitful, and vain man. He abandoned his practice and devoted all his time to perfecting brain-scrambling equipment to alter or control his subjects, reducing even the most strong-willed individual into a cowering shell.
of Dr. Mindbender's origin (and gave his real name: Dr. Binder), but it offers no explanation as to why a balding orthodontist would have the physique of a professional athlete. There's 
and a monocle, there was no way to make this a repaint.
coastal and island facilities. They are hand picked, highly trained and formidably equipped to act as the ultimate protection system. To qualify for this elite amphibious group, a candidate must have completed the rigorous 
The Lamprey definitely falls into the second category. Rather than a guy in a silver bodysuit and a blue lifejacket, this figure has been given a lot more detail. His arms and legs come from 
The blue "glass" can be removed, allowing you to see this generic Cobra's face. A rarity!
deep within unfriendly territory, completely cut off from communications or supplies. They have an unusually high tolerance for discomfort and can survive on a diet of snakes, grubs, roots, berries, nuts, and whatever slow rodents they can catch. They are expected to build their shelters out of indigenous materials, usually rocks and mud, and procure their own ammunition by way of hit and run raids on enemy ammo depots.
apparently originated with a DTC figure), the Range Viper comes with a grey version of 
use them to instigate chaos and spearhead assaults rather than contain them. They are equipped with heavy body armor, advanced night optics, covert observation gear and an arsenal of weapons. Masters of brute force and diabolical treachery, Alley-Vipers use any means necessary to achieve their objectives. To graduate from their training program, they are required to survive a full burst of machine gun fire across their frontal body armor, execute a thirty foot jump onto concrete with full combat load and run down a hundred meter gas-filled corridor without a gas mask.
Like 
a thick tactical vest that really does a great job of capturing the old design. It's got poches on the stomach and shoulder, a greande and a knife over the chest, and the back is sculpted with details to make it look padded. His weapons include a submachine gun, a black backpack with a grappling gun, and a pointy riot shield with a slot in the back where you can plug in the included nightstick. So that's all good. Now the bad.
In '89, the grappling gun was just molded onto the backpack, and perhaps they should have gone the same route today: though there's a space where the gun is designed to fit, it doesn't actually plug in or anything, so it just doesn't stay. Yes, you could strap it on with one of the rubber bands that hold the figures in the tray, but that's a temporary measure for something that should have worked right in the first place. But then, as a surprise making up for that disappointment, the knives on his chest and forearm can both be removed from their sheaths. They may look like they're merely sculpted pieces, but no - fully functional! How excellent is that?
Cobra Commander specializing in espionage and covert intelligence. They have a reputation as cunning manipulators who are experts in at least five martial arts forms, and they have a predilection for advanced electronic stealth and infiltration technology. Moving with the silence of ninjas and equipped with their high-tech espionage gear, they are almost impossible to catch - because you'll never know they were ever anywhere near you.
The design choices here are rather inexplicable. The Night-Creeper gets a new head, with his distinctive visor and cowl. The cowl is a separate piece, but don't assume that means it's removable: it's glued lightly in place, so don't expect to pop it off. Below the knees, the figure is a new sculpt, but in order to attempt to duplicate the old version's sleeves, they used 
We get the distinctive chest armor, a separate piece worn over the torso. His wavy sword (or flamberge) fits into his backpack, and he has a wonderful crossbow with six additional bolts held underneath for easy access. Unlike the original accessory, which was solid black, this one gets silver apps for the arrows.
an endless supply of "fire and forget" soldiers: combat machines sent into battle that keep fighting until the enemy reduces them to scrap metal. They go in first to wear down GI Joe forces, allowing 
The BAT in this set is functionlly identical to the 
Beyond all that, the figure includes a second chestplate: one shattered, cracked and riddled with bullet holes. Switching the glass is easy, and the pieces stay in place securely. Finally, there's one more accessory that's a stroke of brilliance - in keeping with the purple spores, the figure comes with a repainted bundle of vines, originally included with one of the DVD packs. You'd have to have read 
