Cobra Officer (2004 Comic Pack)
As hit or miss as the comic packs were, I sure do miss them. Actually, I miss o-ring GI Joes at retail in general, but that’s a whole ‘nother story. I’m just glad I was able to catch a few of them on clearance back then. They are impressive looking when grouped.
The Cobra Officer was one of my early favorites within the Cobra ranks. I was fortunate to get a Sears Missile Command HQ after the straight arm figures had been replaced with the swivel arm battle grip versions. The original a molds are gone, replaced by what appears to be bare arms.
”It’s good to see that the molds for the original action figures are still being used.”
Not as good as the original, but still a pretty nifty little figure. There’s a lot of nice painted details on him, but the Roadblock arms hurt his look.
The Roadblock arms …not so great. Also, the yellow doesn’t quite match the comic pack trooper’s. Still a good figure. Not sure he even appears in the comic he’s packed with per se.
I despised the Comic Pack Trooper, but really liked this figure. Plus, my local Wal Mart had a huge stack of them for $5 for months. I’d go and pick one up every couple of weeks. They match the Gas Mask Troopers well, too. So, you can get a nice comic pack army.
This was a concept that really didn’t take off like it should have. I think the first couple of waves were too similar to attract casual fans and people who were buying gifts for kids. A little more diversity might have got us an extra wave or two.
I think it’s interesting that Star Wars fans weren’t over the moon with their comic packs and they, like the Joe versions, died a terrible retail death. Yet, now, those packs tend to be revered for the figures they offered. I think Joe collectors have always appreciated the comic packs. But, they had a lot of flaws (like everything in that era) that could be tough to overcome.
While not exactly better than the original Cobra Officer figure, it’s different enough to offer something. The tan webgear gives him more of a field-ready look to me for some reason, and the helmet logo is cool. Maybe they’re Cobra NCOs?