Snake Eyes Commando (2007)

By 1985, Snake Eyes was equal parts commando and ninja. Just a couple of changes to uniform and weaponry transformed the Joe team’s mystery man/soldier into a mystical warrior. With the introduction of Storm Shadow, an entire ninja mythos was born. It continues to this day.

In 2007, the anniversary series met with enough success that the pegs saw the pure commando and the ninja commando (with wolf companion) in the same year. The figure is more of a combination of the two iterations of the character than the 1985 toy. Imagine if the second Snake Eyes had been made up of mostly 1982 figure parts. It definitely would have seemed more a military accurate outfit than the superhero-ish mid-80s ninja hero we’re all familiar with. I like this combination as another variation on what could have been. It definitely reads as more in the commando vein to me.

Later Snake Eyes figures in the 25th anniversary series would more closely recreate the original figure, but this take, unique to the then-modern Joe series, will stand as a pleasant memory and an example of the few figure designs that dared to deviate from the familiar classic 80s designs. Oh, and Timber is pretty fantastic too, if not fully articulated.