I finally saw some 30th and Renegades fig's in the wild this week, so I picked up a couple - the Iron Grenadier (my second) and the Cobra Viper. Okay, I got him for his Panzerfaust-3, honestly, because I have plans for that weapon in a fictional modern-day 'verse I write in. But that's a tale for another day. I strongly believe that GI Joe is the best thing to happen to us SW toy-fiends, and am not shy about saying it. So I'm always willing to give a decent Joe fig a try, especially if it has other plus-points for me, like that awesome 2-part rocket-launcher. 2-part, you say?? Yes!
How cool is that?!? VERY, in my book! But ok, so it isn't all that Star Warsy. His goggles. Yeah - don't they look like what our smuggler-buddy wears in the TOR trailer? They did to me too and I was having visions of putting them on a trimmed-down Cad Bane hat. Too bad they are molded onto his helmet. Oooooook, dangit. Maybe his helmet will fit a typical human SW head. We'll have to see about that...
Ok, high-speed review of the Cobra Viper. He's a standard Joe, as far as articulation goes - lots of ball-joints, T-bar hips, ball-n-socket head, swivel wrists, articulated in the chest. We *know* this style makes for an insanely useful fodder-figure. (and now I have George Michael stuck in your head!! mwahahaha!!)
Pack-ins. C. Viper has plenty - he starts with the Pzf-3, then adds in the standard Cobra rifle that looks like a VEPR (AK sniper variant) with an HK straight-stick mag for a front handgrip, an HK UMP, a USAS-12 drum-fed 12ga shotgun (with what looks like it wants to be a 40mm M203 grenade launcher under the barrel, but as molded is far too small to actually BE that), and a sub-gun that I think is based on a Russian special-purpose weapon. After that, he has a fairly small field pack that has a couple of red hand-grenades that appear to be removable with a little attention. Unfortunately, there is an obvious US-style canteen molded into the very center of the pack. Finishing it off are a stand with two foot-pegs and a folded catalog-page. Mine was the Dusty/AWE-Striker sheet, so off it went into the trash. (ie: NOthing new on it!)
He also sports a nice arming-vest, held closed by a pair of mushroom-headed posts over his left-rear hip.
It comes off, of course. Those two red grenades are a single unit and are held in place with a peg that inserts into a hole in the vest. You can't see it in the pic, but the hole for them actually goes all the way through the vest, requiring a bit of filling for those of us figuring on using the vest in non-modern-world apps.
So, about that buy'ce... Right, right! It has some nice detailing across the back, molded into the helmet itself.
But can we use it on, say, Mr. RFT? Well, let's see. Trying to remove the helmet resulted in removing Mr. Viper's entire head,
AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Heh, is that you, D'artagnon? Apaprently, some of the chroming treatment had gotten inside the head-socket, as my fig's head was in fact virtually immovable at first. In fact, there might have been some glue in there. Glue...?
So, on attempting to remove the helmet from Mr. "I wish I was Destro" Viper, I discovered...
Mr. Viper uses Major Bludd's hairdresser!! Not only is he bald, but he has a large key-slot in the top of his noggin!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Naturally, this means there is a large tab inside the buy'ce itself, along with a copious amount of glue - intended to prevent me from accidentally doing what I just did - removing the helmet from the silver bullet of a head. That's okay - both can be removed with some care and patience.
What it means, though, is Mr. RFT cannot easily wear Mr. Viper's helmet right now.
"Does this helmet make me look like Ki Adi Mundi...?"
Oh, right - underneath the arming-vest! Hey, he's a great utilitarian figure. Actually looks like he has on a 1/4-zip sweater or pullover with sleeves rolled up to his biceps and a utility/cig pocket just below each shoulder. I've got no idea what the red arm-warmers are supposed to be - they could have been passed off as Vader-style gloves if they'd molded the glove and arm-guard in the same color. As it is - I dunno. Vambraces? Arm-warmers? Ya got me. I'm thinking add a few button-details, a blaster barrel or two, and a Maj. Bludd rocket for a Mando gauntlet look.
His boots are standard lace-up combat boots, so if you want to use his legs as fodder, be ready to hide laces. He has none of the oddball leg attachments that Joe designers seem to love. Instead, his pants are just good, honest BDU-style pants with two cargo-pockets on each leg. His knees are armored, giving him something of the look of our first Mandalorian bounty hunter we ever saw.
Personally, I think this figure is well worth adding to a customizer's fodder-box as the basis for something like a new Mando custom. That's likely the route I'll be taking with him, in fact. Is he a repack/repaint/reissue? I dunno - I'll rely on our resident Joe-fans to contribute that detail. I just know I bought him for his rocket-launcher and helmet and discovered I had a good, useable figure that has a lot of customizing potential on my hands! I consider this to be a purchase that gave more value than expected - and that's *always* a good thing!
