Cobra Bazooka Trooper (2008)
I like the concept of the early days of Cobra and their use of specialized troops that look like the regular infantry with only a few different accessories. The Marvel comic had a few sprinkled throughout the early issues. Simplicity is the name of the game with this figure, and that also plays out in the file card, as these troops don’t have much use for modern technological weapons systems. They just carry trusty old RPGs that blow stuff up real good.
I can see Cobra Commander making deals with unscrupulous world powers to acquire surplus equipment and armaments. Maybe he even shopped at a few domestic military surplus suppliers. It would certainly save on costs. Can you imagine the kind of money Cobra has to shell out to equip their more dandified troops like the Crimson Guard? I’m sure that double-breasted tailored jackets with silver piping isn’t standard garb for most military of the world. That sort of high fashion wear doesn’t come cheaply. You can’t just run down to Marshall’s and buy it off the rack.
The new helmet and web gear are two simple additions that really add a lot to the look of a basic trooper. He’s even wearing the red face mask so prevalent in early 80s GI Joe media. This was another figure that I initially wasn’t excited about, but once I had it in hand, it became a favorite Cobra trooper. Here’s to the new and different.
I’ll agree with you, Rob. I wasn’t necessarily certain I was going to like this guy all that much, but when I saw him on the pegs I figured why not. Then when I took him out of the package, he just really spoke to me. I liked the idea of a back-to-basics Cobra arming their troopers with an RPG, giving them a little more body armor and just letting them go cause havoc. I do with the blue was a little better match to the standard Cobra Troopers from earlier in the 25th line, but it still looks pretty good as long as they’re not standing too close to each other.
How I see these troopers is that they’re the first step towards becoming H.E.A.T.-Vipers. You start out as these bazooka troopers, then move up to Fast Blast Vipers, then finally end up as HV’s.
This figure was a nice surprise. I’m more of a traditionalist when it comes to military, so after years of seeing absurdly high-tech troopers such as the ’89 H.E.A.T. Viper, this guy came off as a clear nod to those early Herb Trimpe issues when Cobra’s budget ran lower and the Twins had yet to be hired in Sunbow continuity. The web gear and old school RPG make this figure a sweet troop builder for older fans of the line.
When it comes to Soviet surplus. It is dirt cheap, easy to repair/assemble and can be bought with reletive ease. Plus, Cobra commander is suppoesdly a millionare if he can afford to run all those pyramid schemes. Maybe by law, the residents of Springfeild have to buy ARBCO products…Wait a minute. I know who Cobra commander is! Springfeild + millionare= C.M. Burns
Excellent.
I remember seeing this guy on mark down and passing him up because he used the earlier 25th tooper waist that made sitting poses awkward at best.
As a former 25th apologist, this figure and the modern era in general leave me cold. No one seems to want to say the emperor has no clothes. Other than customizing, what’s so great about removable web gear and helmets? Most troopers that I picked up were shoddily made with loose legs and inferior plastic. It wasn’t like I played rough with them either. Maybe it it’s my o-ring bias showing through, but these modern figures (and I had the entire collection including all the exclusives at one point)leave me cold. What I’d like to see Hasbro do is remake ARAH characters “Marvel Legends” style, to really bring out the intricacies of the sculpting.
While I’m not a huge fan of the base figure, I really like the concept of this guy. A simple alternative to the highly specialized Viper Corps. Seems like they could’ve packed a machine gun with him, too, since his webgear is full of magazine pouches.
Great figure. I loved the concept when it came out. I sometimes wish the Viper was never released in 1986 no matter how brilliant a figure it was / is even in the new sculpts…its caused mass confusion over which Trooper is the bottom of the barrel…imo, Vipers are the battlefield soldiers of Cobra, Cobra Troopers are the guards at bases, installations, security, saboteurs and back up to the infantry legions of Vipers, I’d actually place Cobra Troopers above Vipers in rank as they did originate first…I agree these are the soldiers who’ll eventually rise in ranks if they prove worthy to become H.E.A.T or FRAG Vipers, perhaps even FRAG Vipers (but I never really liked them much); I see the specialised Viper Corps (H.E.A.T, TELE, FRAG, ROCK, RANGE, etc, etc) as smaller specialised squadrons instead of immense legions…that way the main bulk of Cobra’s rank and file is made up of the Cobra Troppers and Cobra Officers, who are, as their dossiers used to suggest:
‘Many are also believed to be operating as spies at defence plants, nuclear power facilities etc’. I feel that M.O. is shared by both Troopers and Officers as well as their uniformed military duties as well…to me, it reinforces they’re above the ordinary Vipers but when called on will act as reinforcements for the Vipers in battles – hence seeing both in conflict situations…
I should add that when called on Vipers can also act as guards of Cobra run facilities but are more of a ‘standing army’ of the Cobra Organisation, hence the more armoured uniform and helmets…
Thats just my perspective on the two ranks 🙂
With the vintage line, it seems Vipers were a gradual upgrade to the standard infantry. In the comic they were initially a semi-elite assault force, but their kit eventually became the standard gear. Vipers carried the day after the trooper’s appearance in Python Patrol (along the “assualt trooper” Python Viper). The 25th series was reflective of ARAH history, so including Cobra troopers and Vipers reflects that history.
It was he 1998 Trooper set that muddles things up placing the troopers (and the officers) below the Vipers, as does everything sense then. There’s been over a decade of both coexistence and competition. Overall, Cobra Troopers actually taken the non-comic book media lead, going by Resolute and Renegades and Retaliation, the 3 “R’s” that used Troopers (Rise of Cobra used Neo Vipers and Elite-Vipers).
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Great mold!
Great mold and Rpg!
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