Crystal Ball (1987)
Crystal Ball is one of those lovable losers upon which some fans of the stranger side of the RAH line have built a foundation. Yes, many think the man is a joke. But I say, look closer, and maybe there’s a spark in him that could be fanned into a greater flame.
I wouldn’t mind seeing a horror aspect make its way into the GI Joe universe. We’ve seen a modern horror twist recently in the generally well received Zombie Viper. Who’s to say that a bit of classic horror couldn’t work somewhere, if handled properly? Some of the old style horror concepts worked their way into the Sunbow cartoon to good effect, with the Phantom Brigade episode and a Lovecraftian creature in ‘Skeletons in the Closet’. The Serpentor mini-series even shoehorned in Vlad the Impaler.
If he were more than just a hypnotist, but also a mind control specialist with the ability to control the undead, I could see Crystal Ball as a sort of Cobra monster master. Imagine his showing up with a horde of undead troops (zombies, skeletons, mummies and the like) at his disposal. I think Cobra Commander would be open to such an idea, especially since it would mean having a force that required little in the way of expense, since they don’t need much care, housing or feeding. They could also be regenerated on the battlefield. Supplement this force with some other monster types as higher ranking troops, like a few werewolves as officers. Who wouldn’t like to see a werewolf outfitted in a classic Cobra uniform? Maybe even recruit a revivified ancient Egyptian general to function as a battlefield commander.
Was I talking about the figure at all? Oh yeah, the figure. Speaking of horror, anybody up for making a Vincent Price custom figure? You wouldn’t even need to paint the head to approximate the fright film legend. It’s as easy a custom as Sonic Fighters Zap to Clark Gable.
Let’s not forget that Crystal Ball is the reason GI Joe has two connections to Stephen King–King not only wrote Crystal Ball’s bio, his son Owen has the Joe known as Sneak Peek named after him.
Not a figure that had a lot of love back in the day but I always thought he had the potential to be creepy rather than corny. IDW certainly seem to have managed that with their current characterisation.
Loose the hypno-shield and the King family connection and maybe you have something. He does look like Vincent Price. I would have kept his European background and made him a wealthy nobleman with aspirations of world domination. Kind of the way Destro split from Cobra the following year and became their competitor. I always thought Crystal Ball (worst name ever) was reminiscent of Marvel’s Count Nefaria, so that would be the way to go for me.
I have always been a huge fan of Crystal Ball, I’m like one of his four supporters. But I dug this guy when I was a kid and I dig him even more as an adult. It took a few decades but finally even the comics gave him some decent storylines.
“Crystal” is a girl’s name. I think that didn’t help. Maybe if this had been a female character. Then they could really push the Gypsy stereotype!
I wonder if the unpleasant reception of the new 1987 Cobra characters led to later Cobra figures being mostly faceless troopers.
Not the worst figure ever. But he is proabably in the bottom ten. 87 was awesome for joes. But the cobras sure sucked.
I’d take this guy over Raptor any day. Come on! An evil hypnotist makes total sense for Cobra, and the guy’s design inspires the imagination. And if you think it’s ridiculous, just remember Destro’s leather track suit unzipped to the navel. Heck I take it back – Raptor belongs, too. The guy’s bio even says he understands how ridiculous he is.
Although yeah I’d lose the trash can lid.
I’m getting hyp-mo-tized just looking at the photo! But if you want to salvage CB, whip his head on an Interrogator body. A secret police commander with a penchant for hypnotism and mind control – now there’s a character!
ooooh I like that idea!
Look up G.I. Joe infestation 2. It is a Cathulu horror story in the Joe verse. It was 2 issues and it involved a Cobra psych ward, Crystal Ball some Joes, a bunch of crazy cobras and the Elder gods.
Infestation 1 was inter-dimensional Zombies with Raptor and Psych-Out. also 2 issues.
Both are available in digital format from comicology and in TPB everywhere comic TPB’s are sold.
i think i need to read those series now, thanks for the recommendation
The Mith!
😉
I wonder what the chances of Crystal Ball getting a modern update are? Personally, I’d love to see one.
Probalby one of the orignal funny creations for this line, I love him for that alone to be honest.
Those eyes! Those eyes! Burning into my very soul!
Such an oddball character – what’s not to love?
I’ve always loved this figure. Easily one of the best ever Cobra figures for me. Even if you ignore his file card, his menacing appearance makes him a standout. I had so much fun playing with this one as a kid. The hypno-shield alone helped draw attention to him on the toy shelves. And I’ve always liked that the card art resembled Vincent Price. Reading about Crystal Ball so many years later, I’m actually surprised at all the dislike for him. To me, he’s a real underappreciated character.
As a kid, he was only present in the UK as per the card art for the Cobra Jet Pack….they didn’t amend it for the UK market….I wondered if it was Dr Brainwave as Mindbender was sometimes called prior to his final appearance in UK reprints of older US stories as the backup strip to our UK Transformers Weekly….Anyhow, I dig this guy. I reckon, had Mindbender NOT come along the year before, THIS guy would have become a popular character. He actually has a ‘mad scientist vibe about him as well…He needed a pistol, or a sword, a scimitar perhaps or a foil….Theres nothing actually wrong with the character or figure really….he’d also make a great modern sculpt and perhaps the accessories I’ve mentioned would also come included this time around…as well as a more menacing, ominous M.O. and background….a quasi-mystic scientist who’d be jockeying to replace Mindbender as well as work with / against him (I’d see Mindbender HATING the guy for defiling the ‘purity’ of Science with ‘cod mysticism’….