Cobra Commander (2006 Sigma 6)
I must confess that as a thirty-something grown-ass man, I woke up early one Saturday morning in 2006 to catch the premiere of the Sigma 6 cartoon on 4KidsTV. To say that it wasn’t aimed at me is a vast understatement. Heck, I felt out of place just turning the channel to 4Kids. At the time, I felt I could get by with the likes of Toonami, but this was just beyond me. It’s kind of quaint to think of it now–the idea of having to catch a first-run television show at the moment it aired. And that was only ten years ago. I did record it on my newly purchased DVD recorder. Yes!
The Sigma Cobra Commander, whether the toy or ‘toon version, was not afraid to mix it up with the Joe team. From his first appearance in the cartoon, he’s intimidating and seems downright dangerous. Not just in a tyrannical leader type of way, but also as a one on one combatant. He took on Duke in the series and more than held his own in fights.
The suit looks to be inspired by the cancelled Robot Rebellion version that later saw release as a collector club exclusive. The figure also combines the two most famous looks for the Commander; the hood and battle helmet. The helmet doesn’t have a face shield–that would have to wait for a later version.
Action features are a central component of the Sigma series, and the Commander has them in his armor as well as his gear. The chest features a rolling battle damage plate that changes when the figure is struck. If this gimmick looks familiar, you probably recall it from the Mattel’s Battle Armor He-Man. It’s a bit finicky to get reset, but fun nonetheless. Removable forearm bracers feature mini machine guns, and it wouldn’t be a proper Cobra Commander without a place to store his gun. I’m a little bummed that the gun didn’t get a peg to stick it to his back a la 1982-83, but at least he can conceal it in his belt beneath his cape. There’s more hidden storage behind the shield; a wicked knife snaps inside. His snake staff conceals knives and a firing missile. Did I mention that this Commander is loaded for bear?
Say what you will about Sigma 6, but the toys were all fun and Hasbro were pushing media tie-ins for it at the time. I even remember seeing party supplies. Seems like long ago, but just imagine, a GI Joe property with a cartoon airing at the same time the toys were available.
Sigma 6 was the fist G.I. Joe collection in the 2000’s, that had both, a tv show, and toys to sell, at the same time. Before that, there were two straight to video cgi movies. And the fist one, Spy Troops, was like 45 minutes long, or something like that. I’m not sure if that one can be called a movie. As for this figure, the hood should have been blue, so that it would have blended in better with the helmet. It actually looks like an unpainted prototype, especially since the color of it does not match with the rest of the figure’s uniform. The helmet also looks very odd, since it doesn’t cover the bottom of the figure’s head. And it’s design just looks weird. Also, the chest of this figure, reminds me of the 1980’s Battle Armor Skeletor figure that I used to have back then. It even has two damaged armor chest plates, just like that Skeletor figure. Battle Armor Cobra Commander. I miss 4Kids TV, and I miss the good old days of Saturday morning cartoons.
I’m always amazed at the creativity that went into Sigma 6. Using some basic GIJoe concepts, Hasbro created something very different, which includes the toys. They look made for fun.
There’s never been a grey hooded 3 3/4″ or 4″ Cobra Commander. The wrist gun thing would be reused for the Retaliation HISS driver Cobra Commander.