Sky Raider (Red Lasers Army)

It’s been a while since I covered a Red Lasers Army custom, so here’s one of my favorites from last year’s run, in terms of both design and its place in the Joe mythos. Vipers are always a good bet for an interesting repaint, and I’ve been a fan of this trooper’s variants since the late 90s Toys R Us sets. I was stoked to see the mold done up in the unique grey, orange and blue of Action Force Space. Oh, and who hasn’t wanted a removable Viper helmet?

Sky Raider was the code name for the Action Force’s Space Force Commander. Red Laser made use of the Viper mold, and I initially thought it was meant to be a Space Force trooper. However in checking further into the creation of the figure, the original intention was to give it a modified Capt. Grid-Iron head. That would have solidified the figure as an individual rather than a trooper. The uniform usually reads like a Viper, but the head swap and colors break up the uniform somewhat. I found my Funskool Grid-Iron and his head works nicely. I may switch out another set of grey arms at some point to complete the look.