Crimson Neo-Viper (2009)
So I guess the idea here was to create a sort of homage to the Crimson Guard for all of us 80s Joe freaks. The all too brief file card states: CRIMSON NEO-VIPERS are masters of power and lethality within the COBRA ranks. They guard the leaders of COBRA and willingly submit to agonizing procedures to obtain exceptional abilities and incredible endurance. Sounds familiar except for the exceptional abilities part. More on that in a bit. So did the homage work? Not really, since most everyone, from casual to hardcore fans, didn’t much care for the film’s portrayal of Cobra’s front line troops in the first place. Why couldn’t badass enemy troops just have been badass enemy troops, instead of badass enemy troops genetically modifed to be impervious to pain, fatigue and all other things that would serve to make the audience actually care a whit about what was happening in the film? As disappointing as the film experience was, it did provide collectors with much needed improvements in the modern Joe figure construction that had begun in 2007. I may not have cared about many of the figures from the first movie line, but they were fun to play with in the end. And hey, they brought back the Ginormous Missile Launcher concept to GI Joe, so it was all good for me.
Though the Neo Viper design was more than a little funky, I think it worked to greater effect in this paint scheme. I’m a sucker for metallic anything, and couldn’t resist picking up a couple of these shiny fellas. The accessory choice also added a little more interest, with a very nice and exotic rifle, a pike (hmm, red guards with pikes, where have I seen that before?), and inexplicable axes, machete, and a snake in a glass case. Are these guys responsible for groundskeeping and snake wrangling when not guarding Cobra leaders? On the bright side, if you don’t like the fiction surrounding the Crimson Neo-Vipers, or even the design itself, the figure can make for a festive Christmas ornament. I think I just might hang one on my tree this year.
The r.o.c toyline tanked over here. I’m guessing that was down to the lackluster performance of the film, no interest in kids and the shops overstocking on the first 2 waves. Down here, anything from waves 3 and later is next to impossible to find.
I wanted this guy and the crimson cobra commander so i could make a gleaming red crimson trooper
The figure itself is cool with its crab-like armor and alien-looking head. I’m a fan of metallic paint as well, so that’s always a welcome addition.
I do think the concept of submitting folks who join Cobra to “agonizing procedures” has been done to death by now. In fact, it makes CC, Mindy, and company sound downright sadist when you count the number of file cards where characters are “pumped up” through painful tinkering with their organisms. You have soldiers who are turned into androids, monsters, zombies, amphibians, cyborgs, or just plain old, “enhanced” muscled-up freaks.
I much preferred the old school training of Vipers and Troopers by the likes of tough drill sergeant types such as Big Boa. Heck, even the original fascist version of Cobra with their kamikaze mentality and “All Hail Mighty Cobra” salute never goes out of style if done right. And since I’m a sucker for neorealism, that’s always been my favorite take on the Joes’ perpetual archenemies.
I don’t know what to think of this guy. He’s not a bad figure, but he’s just not Cobra Infantry…more like somebody the movie Avengers might fight. It’s almost like he’s from a different toyline, and should be equipped with a crab-shell shield and some kind of sword to go with the pike. All of it covered in barnacles. The metallic red is cool, but it draws attention to the shortness of the crustacean-style-vest.
I suppose with his weirdness he could join the Red Shadows. Not just because he’s red…they’ve got a robot with modern architecture for a head, a sea serpent soldier, a skeleton-cyborg, and a tank that’s shaped like a skull. Man, the Red Shadows are awesome!
The Cobra Infantry figures from the new movie are much more fitting of the Cobra moniker and ethos–if only the Tactical Ninja were as big a peg warmer as the NeoVipers were after ROC, the world would be a happier place!
Hmmm…He could also be from Cobra-La. Maybe that’s where the costume designers took their cues, trying to incorporate ALL of EVERYTHING into their story? The good, the bad, and the dumb of the history of Joe?
@Ben
I’ve taken to calling him “Shell-don” , evil ally to bone-head and enemy to the overlords of the galaxy [never guess who theyre a parody of]
@Skymate
Would that make him Clawful’s brother?
One more comment (for a figure that barely deserves any) it would have been cooler, and made more sense, for the ROC Elite Viper to have gotten this metallic red treatment.
Any pictures out there of huge R.o.C. Cobra armies that anyone knows of?
@Scott
Sure, just search for pics of the Joe section at WalMart circa 2009. (rimshot)
Nice colors…
I found a few of these guys on clearance last year, IIRC. Slightly damaged cards. Maybe they were stuck to the floor somewhere.
I got a few regular Neo-Vipers for 85 cents a figures at Target year ago. As standard Cobra troopers, they are not ideal but they have a stargate villain quality to them which is fun.
Actually in the movie wasn’t there only 12 of them? The standard Cobra troopers in the movie were the “Elite-Vipers” which were not as numerous at retail.