Cobra Trooper (2014 Kre-O)
Over the course of the Kre-O GI Joe run, there have been quite a few different variations of the classic “blueshirt” Cobra Trooper. Some were straight copies of the ’82-83 baddies, while others were new adaptations of the familiar helmeted henchmen.
At a first glance of photos online, I thought that the figure was based on the 25th Anniversary Cobra bazooka trooper. It wasn’t until I had a figure in hand that I saw the uniform design is instead taken from the 25th Anniversary series’ version of the Night Watch Trooper, albeit with a few differences. The helmet here is blue rather than black, and the legs are strapped up like he’s come out of a 90s Image comic book.
The final two waves of blind bag figures were big on micro build accessories, and the trooper this time out got a formidable missile launcher. This thing is so large that the figure can’t stand holding it without a little support. It reminds me of the old statement on the packaging–some poses may require hand support. In this case, a Dungeons & Dragons stand did the trick. I preferred those neat little circular times to the black brick stands. Oh well, maybe if the series makes a come back, we’ll get some for Joe.
This guy is great! Weird, though, that most incarnations of the Cobra Trooper have totally different faces. I would’ve thought Hasbro would just give them the same head, maybe recolored.
I’dve preffered if the legs were blue with the same cammo pattern as the arms.
Nice guy!
I think of him as a cross btw the JC Penney release of the original 1982 Cobra Trooper (with bazooka) and the original 1983 Viper pilot (with silver Cobra sigil).