Cobra Moray (2002)

The 2002 relaunch of GI Joe afforded collectors with the opportunity to build their forces in two different scales. Among small scale Joe fans, the redesigned line often gets short shrift. I am still a fan of the period, not only due to the memories of collecting a new line at its beginning, but also for the interesting redesigns of existing characters. The Cobra Moray, based on the same concept as the 1980s Cobra Eel, remains a favorite of mine. I hadn’t considered picking up the 12 inch version until I had checked out a few of the other offerings from the same series.

The Cobra Moray, like many other large scale Joe figures of the time, is short on clothing. Well, soft goods clothing. He’s not naked. I imagine the lack of a full sewn outfit was a method of cutting costs. Whatever the reason, in most cases the effect was disappointing. The Moray however fares a little better considering his uniform is basically a form fitting wet suit. The black molded plastic top half doesn’t look quite a odd as other figures who wore sculpted shirts or sweaters. The addition of a substantial chest piece and detailed arm and leg attachments help offset what could have looked really odd.

The Moray’s single weapon is a shoulder mounted missile launcher. It’s a strange choice for an aquatic operative, although the shape is somewhat reminiscent of a harpoon gun. Overall, the large scale Joes of the era are pretty fun, from a toy standpoint. They surely weren’t designed with us collector types in mind. That’s fine with me, since I gravitate to toys that both look cool and bring back memories of play. I’m currently on a mission to track down more of these figures, as they feed my interest in both new designs and pure toy fun.