1987 Cobra Commander (Battle Armor)

Posted on April 12, 2021 by mwnekoman

1987 Cobra Commander

In some ways, Cobra Commander is the main character of GI Joe, as a story line. The GI Joe team, which consists of a revolving cast of individuals, was created to counter Cobra, and capture Cobra Commander. Thus, without Cobra Commander, GI Joe has no plot. Of course, this is a somewhat limiting view on the brand, but little to say it underscores the importance of the character.

Of course, that’s also probably why attempts to replace Cobra Commander are so often poorly received. In short order, you had Serpentor and Golobulus who both effectively replaced the character. Then, in 1987, you had this new Cobra Commander, who was actually Fred VII in the comics, or in other words, another replacement for Cobra Commander. How many leaders did Cobra need? If nothing else, it was a little too much, too fast.

This figure looks really good, and I think that’s partly because the sci-fi themes of the armor fit with Cobra Commander’s megalomaniac character. The armor looks elite, while at the same time showing a more combat oriented look. The angry expression sculpted onto his eyes is also a really nice touch on the sculpt, it makes him look far more hostile than the soft eyes on the ‘84 figure.

The colors are really nice on this figure, and I really like that they kept all of V1 Cobra Commander’s colors. The excessive amount of silver really makes the figure look more regal and sci-fi at the same time. The only downside is that he’s sort of fragile, given that most of the figure is made from notoriously delicate silver paint, while the rest is still made of sky-blue plastic, that’s very prone to discoloration.

Included for accessories are his backpack, pistol and unique hose for his helmet. The backpack and gun are pretty neat, though nothing particularly special. His backpack is really only useful to this one figure and doesn’t have much life outside of that, but the scoped pistol looks pretty good with a wider variety of figures. The hose, however, is something that really draws some ire out of me. What purpose does it serve to make this a separate piece? It’s one of those pieces that’s like it’s only there to get lost, and he looks wrong without it.

There were some okay repaints of this figure. After the first release, it went to Brazil and then India, where the figure was released in colors similar to Hasbro’s. In ‘97 we got a blue and gold repaint of the mold, which was interesting, at the very least. The mold came back in similar colors to it’s first usage, but far more drab in ‘02. Then it was used for the Imperial Guard from the Imperial Procession set in ‘05. Lastly, it showed up again in ‘05 as a part of a comic-pack, retooled with a new Fred head and removable helmet. My dream repaint of this figure would be one in green armor as Serpentor, or some bodyguards for him, but that’s just my taste.

Mint, complete ‘87 Cobra Commanders are not hard to get, and if you look around, you can easily acquire one for $12 to $15. Every now and then, you’ll see eBay idiots push the price up towards $30, but the figure is still easy enough to acquire for half of that. Keep an eye out on his gun when looking for one though, as a lot of listings swap the original gun for the silver Accessory Pack version, and the 2002 Snow Serpent’s gun as well (which is a perfect match for the plastic used on the backpack).

1987 Cobra Commander Links:

Forgotten Figures

Half the Battle

3D Joes

1987 Falcon

Posted on July 13, 2020 by mwnekoman

1987 Falcon

Falcon came along in ‘87, and despite not receiving many subsequent releases, is a pretty popular figure. When you consider his obnoxious portrayal in the cartoons, the fact that he’s from an otherwise unpopular year, and that he was intended to replace Duke, it seems like a surprise that Falcon’s so well liked; that is, if you ignore the quality of this figure.

If you’re mostly a cartoon guy like me, Falcon’s pretty hard to get into as a character. The movie pretty much made him the worst character in the franchise, and DIC used him as a junky in the Headhunters two-parter. I’m under the impression the comics made him a lot more likable, but I’ve not read those issues yet, so I don’t know. Despite all that, he’s relatively popular with fans and I can imagine a few reasons why.

1987 was not a very good year of figures, and is a jumping-off point for most older GI Joe fans. It’s pretty fair to say the line jumped the shark with this year, as most fans don’t like Cobra La (though I do a bit…), or other cringe-inducing classics like Crystal Ball and Big Boa. The Joes from that year were mostly better than the Cobras, though many could be seen as a step down when compared to figures from years before.

Then you wind up with Falcon, who as a toy is pretty much great. There’s nothing too crazy going on with his design, and overall the figure looks like quite a down to earth Green Beret. The sculpted detail is easily on par with classics like ‘85 Flint, so you can see why the figure’s so popular.

Of course, the colors are fantastic too. Several cool repaints came out later, like the Night Force version and the Sonic Fighters repaint, but if I could only have one, I think this one might be the best. He features a rich green color for a base with splotches of dark camouflage, while other little details are painted separate colors, like his hat, scarf, knife and his radio. Nothing really feels overlooked here, which is why I think later versions don’t compare as well (even if a few of them are really cool).

His parts are excellent too: you get a Mossberg shotgun, backpack, knife and antenna for his backpack. The shotgun’s a pretty distinct and nice looking weapon. It has this odd foregrip-like handle he holds it by which allows him to pose better with it, though the weapon’s actual grip is thin enough he can hold it there too. The knife looks good, and nicely it stores in his backpack, which was a feature you hadn’t seen too much until this point.

Mint complete Falcons go pretty routinely around $25, these days. If you really want one, I think the figure’s worth it, though once prices calm down he’ll probably be worth half of that like he used to be. It’s a great enough figure I think he’s worth having even if your collection focuses on figures from the earlier part of the line.

gi joe falcon gi joe the movie 1986 1987 vintage hasbro arah

1987 Falcon Links:

Forgotten Figures

Half the Battle

3D Joes

1987 Sea Slug

Posted on February 24, 2020 by mwnekoman

1987 Sea Slug

1987 was a weird year for GI Joe. I imagine it was hectic at Hasbro following the relative failure of the ‘86 Transformers movie, the cancellation of Sunbow season 3, and the fact that ARAH was on it’s fifth straight year, with the initial batch of fans getting out of toys. Reflecting this, you saw a real shift in the line’s style compared to the prior years, and some strange figures such as the Sea Slug are potentially a result of that.

The Sea Slug is a figure I have a hard time arguing a need for. There are so many naval Cobras that are vastly more fun and interesting than him, not to mention visually pleasing. I think the only reason I even own the figure is because I bought him during a depressed phase in my life where literally any vintage figure I could get my mitts on was a vice to help me through the week. The bright side of toy collecting as a vice, is that unlike other stress outlets such as substance abuse, I suffer no long-term repercussions other than having this terrible figure to gripe about.

A lot of 87‘s have remarkably good sculpts and character designs. Just of the Cobras, I can find a lot to like about the Techno Viper, Cobra Commander, Gyro Viper, and even the Royal Guard. The amount of interesting detail you see on the Sea Slug is far less than any of those figures. His torso is almost devoid of anything to make it remarkable or interesting. The rest of his look, like his head or the sculpt on his boots is just weird and tacky looking. The vague shapes and details make him look more like a Flash Gordon reject.

Sea Slugs, like too many other Cobra’s have a prominent chest decoration that’s made from delicate silver paint. It’s strange, given that other figures from this point aren’t as often worn as earlier figures like the Cobra Officer. It’s actually quite easy to find perfectly mint Techno-Vipers, compared to Sea Slugs. Not trying to make it sound like they’re rare or precious or anything, but anecdotally, they seem more prone to wear.

Amusingly, he comes with a small pistol. Much like the figure, it’s neither necessary nor very good, but as a small bonus it’s definitely something that adds more value to a vehicle driver. I could’ve swore I had one, but upon further investigation, it seems I don’t. Must have never bothered with it because it’s pretty mediocre looking, but maybe when I get around to getting a Sea Ray, I’ll get a pistol for this guy too.

I always feel like a lousy groupthinker whenever I dismiss a figure like this, that seemingly no one else likes either. Complete Sea Slugs can be had for as little as $5, which is astounding given how much other figures go for on the market these days. Though, the Sea Slug is a terrible and almost useless figure, so it makes sense to me. As a notorious cheapskate and army-builder hedonist, I’m tempted to get another, though frankly I doubt I will.

Sea Slug Sea Ray GI Joe arah cobra vintage o-ring hasbro

1987 Sea Slug Links:

1987 Crystal Ball

Posted on November 12, 2018 by mwnekoman

1987 Crystal Ball

Originally, I was going to take a new photo of Raptor for this week’s post and write about him, but I forgot where I put him. So instead, I’m looking at a figure of similar quality and status among the collecting community: Crystal Ball.

1987 was the start of a different chapter in the life of the vintage ARAH line. With the GI Joe movie leading the push, the toy line took a deeper step into the sci-fi and fantasy elements of the line. It would seem fair to say that most of these concepts never took off well, and Crystal Ball’s a good example of that.

It may even be fair to say that Crystal Ball was one of, if not the most unpopular figure from the original line. Of course, there’s nothing but old stories and anecdotes to back up that claim, but it’s pretty common you hear about how badly this figure peg-warmed upon release. My older brother who had this figure, wasn’t even old enough for toys until closer to 1990. Let that paint an image in your head of how long these lingered at retail while all of the other ‘87 and ‘88 figures had long sold out.

With his infamous nature being said, I find that Crystal Ball really isn’t that bad of a figure, at least not compared to a few of his contemporaries. The paint is rather well detailed on the figure, especially his head. His hair is painted black and white, I suppose to represent graying; his eyelashes and irises are separately painted black and red too. The rest of the figure’s design may not make the most interesting Cobra agent, but at the very least it’s nicely colored and detailed.

Crystal Ball has two major weaknesses, the first being his character. He’s a hypnotist, and he interrogates Joes by reading their minds… I mean I guess it’s only as crazy as aliens, monsters, Serpentor and whatever else I’m fine with in Joe, but Crystal Ball just seems hokey on a conceptual level. It’s commonly said that Stephen King and his son Owen were either involved with, or directly created this character, which explains it enough for me.

“Born of a Romalian father (who supposedly had “second sight”) and an American mother from Bangor, Maine, Crystal Ball actually was the seventh son of a seventh son . . . and such men, the gypsies of old believed, were possessed of supernatural powers. That may or may not be true, but Crystal Ball can sometimes read minds, making him a unique addition to the Cobra forces, especially as an interrogator of captured Joes. Cobra doesn’t use torture to interrogate their prisoners; when Crystal Ball is having one of his good days, they simply don’t need to.
“When Crystal is around, ya don’t just have to watch what you’re sayin’; you have to watch what you’re thinkin’!” ”

Crystal Ball’s other major weakness, is his parts. The only thing he includes is a holographic shield that clips on his wrist. It’s a boring part/gimmick and I doubt it held the attention of children back then for long. Interestingly, most of the 1987 Cobra’s don’t include a gun, and Crystal Ball is no exception.

As you may know, the market for vintage figures has seen a lot of bizarre pieces shooting up in value recently. That’s certainly not the case for Crystal Ball, as this guy is as worthless as ever. Often you can find mint, complete Crystal Ball’s going at auction for around $5. If you don’t care about his silly shield, his value seems to plummet further to only a dollar or two. It’s very telling as to what collectors feel about the figure. Personally I don’t think he’s that bad, but I can’t think of a reason why anyone would really need him.

1987 Crystal Ball Links:

Yo Joe

Half the Battle

Diorama by Cradea2

1987 Cobra La Royal Guard

Posted on April 30, 2018 by mwnekoman

1987 Cobra La Royal Guard

The 1987 GI Joe movie was a controversial and polarizing piece of GI Joe media to the fandom. Maybe not to the same extent as the similar Transformers movie from ‘86, it still marks the portion of the brand where you hear many collector’s quit buying the toys as children. Personally, I really like GI Joe the movie and all of what it entails, including the unpopular villain of Cobra La, so of course I like the Royal Guard as well.

With that said, there’s going to be a lot of subjectivity surrounding this figure, and I totally understand why most people wouldn’t like the Royal Guard or Cobra La as a whole. The prevailing reason for said disdain is that Cobra La just doesn’t fit with the military identity GI Joe has and that most people strictly view it as. A primordial group of clandestine super humans is far from the terrorist concept of Cobra, and I think it’s fair to say the idea was a poor fit for the brand.

Like the Renegades from ‘87, the three Cobra La figures Hasbro made were sold in a set, and is the only Cobra La item to be released in ARAH. The Nullifier was planned to be a Cobra La vehicle driver, but was reworked into being an Iron Grenadier instead, which I think reflects how much of a flop this group was.

But with all this being said, the Royal Guard is a fun and eccentric figure. He’s covered in a bug-like armor with a nice amount of sculpted detail and texturing. The insect aesthetic is one of the elements that makes the figure appear so unique and different from most other Cobras. Of course, if Hasbro had gone down the path of making a bunch of figures all just like him, that uniqueness would have quickly diminished.

The Royal Guard has a pretty decent amount of paint on him too, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. Large areas on his thighs, arms, shoulders, feet and head are all mostly painted, which goes a good way towards making the figure look better. It can present a problem in finding a mint example however, as all of these areas are prone to a lot of wear. I also speculate that a lot of kids who bought these were emulating scenes from the movie, and may have been slightly more rough with them than other figures.

For parts, the Royal Guard included a pistol, removable antenna, and his melee weapon. I like the inclusion of the pistol which makes him a little more useful as a soldier, although other than that it’s a forgettable gun that doesn’t look too good. The antenna, is a unique and good looking part, but there was no need for it to be removable. The part is expensive and missing from most examples, and I still don’t own the piece. It would’ve been nice if Hasbro could’ve glued the part on, but alas that wasn’t the case. Lastly, his most memorable and iconic part is the scythe/melee weapon. It’s unorthodox looking, but I think it completes his look and has a great appearance when you pose him with it. It’s a fantasy oriented figure, so a weapon like this suits him better.

Mint complete Royal Guards go for $30 to $50, but aren’t really too hard to find. I’m fond of this figure, but that price is far beyond what he’s worth. One should exercise a lot of caution when buying a complete example, as there’s a lot of reproduction antennas out there that could be passed off as real to the untrained eye. If you sacrifice the antenna, the figure’s price drops to around $15. Which is still kind of a lot for this figure. I acquired most of mine through the occasional lot featuring one, which seems to be the best way to acquire them given most collector’s won’t have much interest in them in lots.

1987 Cobra La Royal Guard Links:

The Viper Pit

Tag Archives: 1987

1987 Cobra Commander (Battle Armor)

1987 Cobra Commander

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1987 Falcon

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1987 Sea Slug

1987 Sea Slug

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1987 Crystal Ball

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1987 Cobra La Royal Guard

1987 Cobra La Royal Guard

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