Night Lazer (Corps!)
Night Lazer was one of the later Corps! figures to be released after the first wave in 1986. These things were repainted so often in the 90s and 2000s that catching all the variations can make your head spin. From what I can tell, this one hails from later in the 90s. The original version was released in 1992, and was one of a few new molds for the year. The original was a lovely shade of pea green, but has also made appearances in funky white amoeba camo, and solid grey.
Whereas the original Corps! line-up was full of obvious military based GI Joe design cribs, the later series branched out farther into the fantastical, much like Joe. Night Lazer is reminiscent of Sci-Fi to a certain extent. He’s equipped with night vision and what’s described as cutting gear. Somebody must have remembered the scene in GI Joe issue #1 when Flash cut a communications cable with his laser rifle.
Like many Lanard sculpts, Night Lazer tends toward a simplified, almost doll-like style. Just look at that face. He looks like he’d be more comfortable in a Fisher-Price dollhouse than charging across a battlefield. In a vain attempt to make this friendly faced fellow look more like a hardcore badass, one of the repaints gave the figure black hair and a Fu Manchu mustache. Difficult to do when you’ve got a face like Rick Astley.
I’ve seen that pistol before–it came with the early-90’s Marvel Super-Heroes Punisher figure in black.
Wow, that guy sure is colorful…
However, I really have to say, that helmet just has me absolutely fixated. It just looks so cool in a weird way. Having that on the figure really just seems to tie him all together for me for some reason. It’s a crazy look, but somehow, it’s just crazy enough to work.
I have this guy….somewhere. His face looks identical to Spike from G1 Transformers cartoon
Several c.o.r.p.s characters are pretty much Joe dopplegangers in different colours.
There was a C.O.R.P.S hazmat guy whoes face/headsculpt is based on Airtights animation model
I’ve got this dude, probably in a couple of flavors. My take? That head sculpt could easily pass him off as Lightfoot’s kid brother. Think about it. The yellow suit shown here even helps support my argument.
I’ve always viewed the later version with facial hair as a whole different Night Lazer. Same goes for Toxic Waster, the guy Skymate mentioned. Given the hardships poor Lightfoot endured in the comics so he could join up with the Joes, it makes sense that his younger bro would end up KIA. Just look at that face. The Corps had to replace their laser trooper with a more seasoned specialist sooner or later.
I’ve been sorting through my Corps! guys recently and there were two hazmat guys. Toxic-Waster was one but the one who came with the hazmat jeep had the same body and gear but the headsculpt of one of the paramedics.
It was always my impression that this was the first Night Lazer and the other repaints came later but without a yocorps.com, who knows…
I just found something. Its simply called CORPS! and its the c.o.r.p.s equvilent to yojoe
seriously I love The CORPS but this guy is just a bit goofy. Really the helmet is silly but that head sculpt is just as absurd. LOL
ARGH!