1985 Lampreys
For most people, I think the Lamprey is a very forgettable figure from the ever popular 1985 line-up. I can understand why, since he really doesn’t show up in the cartoon or the comics, and the figure doesn’t lend itself to too many roles. In my collection though, the Lamprey is a really important figure, and one that stimulates my imagination on some deeper level.
This figure was among the first four vintage acquisitions I made back in 2008, with the other three figures being ‘83 Major Bludd, ‘87 Techno Viper, and a mint Stinger Driver, all of which I acquired for less than $20 (boy do I miss those days…). At the time, I was only 14, so getting vintage figures with kid money was a little hard to do, and these first four figures I acquired were really special to me for that.
Photo from Forgotten Figures
The Lamprey was a particular figure I sought out, after becoming interested in him from a Forgotten Figures post I read earlier that year. Particularly, I saw this picture of an army of Lampreys, using the ARAHC repaint as an officer, as they receive some sort of briefing by Flying Scorpion with Major Bludd in tow. It made an impression on me, because I hadn’t seen diorama pictures of o-ring army-builders like this before. I’ve always wanted to recreate a similar scene, though I still lack the Flying Scorpion, and it appears that may remain the case until I make a custom of him, or find a Brazilian guy with a bunch of old toys and no clue what they’re worth.
The Lamprey does a nice job of portraying a simple, interesting design. The baggy suit looks nice without having too much going on, and comes across to me as a much more plausible design than something like the Sea Slug from just a few years later. The little blue lifejacket is another eye-catching detail, and somewhat cements them in my mind as the Cobra equivalent to Cutter. Interestingly, the figure is cast in a metallic, silver plastic, and I believe is the first figure to use a plastic color like this.
His only part is some kind of Sten Gun. I say “some kind” because there’s a million variants of the Sten, and I believe the Lamprey’s is based on one of the more obscure ones, possibly the Sten MK V. The Lamprey’s Sten is distinct, because it features both a pistol grip, and a foregrip, but lacks a stock. Supposedly, some British paratroopers were issued Sten MK V’s with a similar configuration, although the Lamprey’s gun has a barrel shroud similar to earlier versions of the Sten; leading me to believe it’s an amalgam.
I know I’ve said a lot more about Sten guns than I have about the toy part itself, but it’s a good example of how much attention to detail went into a few GI Joe guns. Putting that aside, the gun has a functioning strap which adds a lot more play value to an otherwise forgettable vehicle driver. The only real problem I have is that the grip’s a little thick on it, so it’s not always a joy to pose a figure with.
You can still get a mint, complete Lamprey for between $6 to $10. Many times, they go for more, but I expect prices to normalize on the lower end… Soon. Maybe. Or not. Either way, it’s a figure you get cheap sometimes, and it’s fun to collect an army of them for that much. The only thing that tends to wear on them is the silver paint on his helmet, which can be easily restored, if you don’t mind that sort of thing.
The Viper Pit 