Destro's TARGAT 20 years ahead of time

The story of a man free falling from space just makes me think of Destro's T.A.R.G.A.T.s.

Head over to the Red Bull Stratos page and check out the space jump!

Compare this to TARGAT 1989!!!


Trans
Atmospheric
Rapid
Global
Assault
Trooper

(TARGAT was never a huge player in my JoeVerse, and was often used as a pilot. Perhaps it was the lack of a counter-combatant?   Star Brigade had some potential, in my opinion, perhaps still very much does!) 

Serpentor and mothballed memories

Hawk was around since the beginning, but the 1986 figure is THE figure that became my mental take on the character of Hawk.

In 1986, we also have Serpentor, the Cobra Emperor!

The king snake made his appearance as a toy in that year of 1986, as well as in both comic and cartoon.  Cobra Commander faded into the background in some ways, except for that 1987 battle armor Cobra Commander.

I ended up with a second-hand battle armor Cobra Commander back in the day, but I just couldn't accept that figure as Cobra Commander after years of the hooded villain and/ or the man in the battle mask.

But, really Serpentor was king, but now that we're so far down the line of years in these modern days, we've only really seen homage figures and reincarnated comic characters.  The guy never really replace Cobra Commander, did he? 

In my own JoeVerse up until a short time ago, before my big collection trim, Serpentor was the head of my version of a Coil group.   My Coil group was essentially where all the usurpers and other odd bad guys were put, more or less.

But in my scaled back JoeVerse these days, Serpentor (and my made up Coil) are all gone.   Only my original 1986 figure remains as that representation of my old childhood collection.  A non-active figure, which rests alongside my original childhoods Hawk figure.  

These two figures represent the "way back in the day" for me, and along with my very first vehicle, the Cobra FANG.   These three items are nostalgic in some ways, and I don't see them getting much play time.

Things for the box ....

The enemy at the HQ

You most likely know my GIJoe team, a.k.a., "the good guys," was trimmed way back in size and scope to a much smaller team of 28 members.  This has been the main event for about the last year in my world of collecting G.I.Joe.  Cobra didn't get away from my downsizing, either.


A little personal toy history

My most original "back in the day" Cobra force had Serpentor ('86) leading:
1-Strato-Viper
1-Motor-Viper
1-Sea Slug
1- B.A.T.
Thrasher
Zandar
Zarana

Eventually, what I considered my "back in the day" collection was essentially this:

A rather random mix of figures in various states of condition.   This photo is about when I started my more "collector" angled interest in GIJoe.  The Rock Viper and Metal Head being among the first purchases as I a "collector," I suppose.

And this collection grew:

Overall, it was a good mix of figures, a lot of specialty Vipers and factions all throughout.   And from this point in the picture from 1995, it was a continual growth over the decade to come.

To the present

The multitude of Vipers available is huge, as you may know, and I like them all.  While I was trimming "the good guys," I was wondering if I should heavily army build the "bad guys?"  I was considering building squads of at least six of every trooper figure, and as I thought about going this route, the sheer expense and time to try to acquire the large amount of figures that I had in mind was really looking intense.

Longer story shorter, I re-directed my attention onto the individual "named" Cobras, and I started to think they were more interesting as individual characters, much like an individual GIJoe character.  Considering the troopers didn't have much personality per individual figure, I thought perhaps I should just have a "fire team" of all the essential battle Vipers to support individual Cobra members.  for example,  a fire team with a few regular Vipers, one SAW Viper, one Frag Viper, etc, etc.

But then I started considering all the comics and cartoons and other GIJoe media I had saturated in me over the decades, and then it hit me:

What would Cobra Commander do?

Here's a character that's been enemy number one on the GIJoe teams list for quite a while.   Cobra Commander has also had a lot of strife within HIS own camp over the years, too.

Consider assassination plots, like when Bludd made his play in the comics early on.   Or the Baroness essentially being more behind Destro.   Or Dr. Mindbender, a guy who was looking out of number one himself, and the eventual creation of Serpentor the usurping Emperor.

And let's not forget the Cobra civil war.   I suppose I can make that plural, "wars."   On one hand, a Crimson Guardsman, one of the Commanders most trusted, shoots HIM in the back and rolls in to control Cobra.  Tomax and Xamot, Raptor, and others.  Even Destro, long since "done" with Cobra in my own personal 'JoeVerse.

The list goes on as I see it.   How can Cobra Commander keep trusting some of these friends?


Well, Cobra Commander isn't so trusting here at the HQ, any more.   Cobra Commander doesn't spend his days sitting on a throne with ceremonially dressed Crimson Guards flanking him anymore, surveying his legions orderly lined up on display.  No longer.

Now, were back to the nitty gritty, bare-bones of it all.  Cobra Commander wants the money and the power and anyone that wants some of that can grab an assault rifle and get behind him.  These are his Vipers:

Essentially I went with the 1986 "basic" Viper for the core of my Cobra forces.   I've discussed some thoughts on these guys before, and as much as I totally dig all the "specialty" Vipers out there, I figured I could simply arm any one of these guys with any weapon, courtesy Marauder, Inc., of course!

The gear may look dated on the outside, all '80's, but it is 100% effective in my mind, and a lot of the "specialty" components built into "specialty" Viper gear is modular and fits in with the standard issue of the Viper.

Of course, my favorite Marauder, Inc. armament for these guys:

While my vehicle pool is very slim right now, Cobra Commander knows he will need good mounted infantry and armor troopers:

One "specialty" Viper remains, however, these are the Range Vipers.

Originally I wanted to "army" build the 1990 Range Viper, but I had more of the later 2000 Rock Viper re-makes, and considering expense, I went with these guys.   I also wanted a Rock Viper 1990 squad, but that idea also was compressed into this Range Viper crew above me. 
The Vipers ('86-style) are very versatile, and if any hierarchy is in my Viper legions, the Range Vipers are the best of the Vipers.   Like GIJoe, these individual Range Vipers are like a long range elite patrol in my mind.   They can exist with no support for extended times and are considered some of the nastiest, meanest, individuals under Cobra Command.   They hit hard and completely.


Cobra Commander even retooled his Crimson Guard.  No longer a squad of ceremoniously dressed red troopers, the elite trooper for Cobra Commander at the HQ here and now is suited up for battle anytime.  (Tomax and xamoT can't be trusted in my mind, anymore.)

(I would like more of these guys, too, by the way....)    The Crimson Guard is very club-like, only truly elite  individuals even get an invite, and even then through (my imaginary...) the recruitment process across the worlds Universities is brutal. 

But once you're in the Crimson Guard, you are Immortal.




Cobra Commander has only one real trusted individual in his own organization.  For decades, this individual has remained a mystery to any outside or INSIDE the Cobra organization.

He is a world class pilot, expert at all weapons, and all around deadly individual, known only as the Interrogator:

The Interrogator is often seen serving as second in command of all things Cobra.  It is rumored he exceeds the skill level of even Snake Eyes.

Fangboat float

It has been a long time since I put a GIJoe vehicle in the water.

There wasn't much in the way of any missions today.   The "junior Joe" pretty much just tossed "the boat" into the pool.


Currently as I type this, the Fangboat sits completely beneath, except for one tip of port bow and a little bit of the fan shroud/ steering vane, the waters surface.


I'm trying to remember how my old Tiger Shark floated.     I know I tried it out back in the day, and if I remember right, the rear figure standing boards were pretty much on the waters surface.

I could be wrong, though, it has been awhile.   I suppose, time to fish the Fangboat out....

Rock & Roll vs Roadblock vs Repeater

What do you think?

Currently on my small GIJoe team of 28 active 'Joes, there are essentially THREE machine gunners.


I've got Rock & Roll, who as the original 13's machine gunner is not only capable with most light and heavy machine guns, but has upgraded from his original M60 to a "5.56mm, six-barreled, electronically driven, mini-gatling machine gun!"

 And then I've got Repeater, the "steadi-cam" machine gunner, who has a long history of service time.

And of course, a figure that by itself I can call a favorite, despite being not from the original RAH run, Roadblock.  The heavy machine gunner with a .50 caliber browning.

Do you have a favorite machine gunner?  Does Crossfire beat them all, or is there someone else that is better that I don't know about it?  Is "Doubleblast" in existence in your Joe verse?

Cobra Fangboat

I bought the Fangboat today for the "junior Joe" of the house.  (Ok, Ok..., and I wanted to play with a new toy, too...)  It was on sale at Kmart for $11.99, usually $14.99.   (It really looks like I'm the first one to buy any Retaliation product at this store, too.)

I bought the TRU Sting Raider almost two years ago.   I really like that boat. and I thought I had more of a review of it, but apparently not?

It's hard to believe for me, that I've had the Sting Raider sitting on a shelf in the basement for almost two years.  I've made a lot of changes to my collection since then, but the Sting Raider is still here.   (Almost in the same spot as when I first got it, which was something I was considering using as a replacement for my 2005 Hydrofoil.)

I wasn't very excited about the Retaliation Fangboat, though, from online images.  The big missile launcher addition to any vehicle is usually a feature that makes a vehicle a "pass" for me.

Overall, the Fangboat is a pretty nice boat.   Most everything that made the Sting Raider interesting to me, from the engine cover, storage compartments, enlarged canopy/ cockpit/ and improved turret, to name a few features are all still there.

With the exception of that big missile launcher.   It doesn't add anything different or really even all that fun to our old-school Water Moccasin's design.   The launcher sits just high enough so that it even impedes the gun turrets rotation to a certain extent.  (see image above)   The "gattling gun" detail added onto the launcher does not help, it seems more out of place to me here.  Perhaps if the barrels were longer, or a different color that would have helped.
Still, it is what it is, and in its own way it is kind of interesting to look at; just not my thing.

As a toy, it is something that could be looked past, but, this launcher actually makes it a little more challenging to put the canopy cover on.  It sits rather close, and watching the "junior Joe" play with the thing, kind of makes me really dislike the launcher more.  I mean, if it takes effort to put the canopy on, that takes away from the fun of play time as I see it.

And most collectors will most assuredly not even touch the included figure with its limited articulated joints.
In some ways I like this figure for the simplicity, though.   I mean, after watching the "junior Joe" fuddle around with all the joints on some of my modern style figures, this limited articulation figure almost made it seem enjoyable for the "junior Joe" to put it into the vehicle.

Personally, I find the head/ helmet is really kind of cool.

One of my non-favorite aspects of modern figures is the vest gear, actually.  It looks just fine, but some of it seems to just "float" on a figure, with many of the "snap" together straps just barely hanging together (if they don't just break off, as Blowtorch had that happen here with almost no play time on him.)

Here, with this limited articulation figure, the "layered" effect is achieved, just like the old days.  It's just too bad the hips don't swivel, or elbows and knees don't bend.

Back to the boat, the overall colors are really pretty decent.  A black hull, with a nice metal top deck.   I think it has one of my more favored shades of "Cobra" blue, too.  If I could have made the decision, I would have left the front window frame blue, but the red is ok, too.

The stickers were all the clear plastic decals that make if much nicer, as I see it.  The Cobra symbols are painted on.

Even though the overall colors aren't bad at all, I think I still prefer the TRU Sting Raider over this one.   The Water Mocassin is an airboat/ swamp boat, more or less, and the swampy deck camo on the Sting Raider feels more at home in a swamp.

The Fangboat with its colors almost wants to be something it's not, possibly that air boat that is in the movie pictures and previews we've seen?

Still, at $11.99, I think this will be a fun toy to play with, I wouldn't recommend this boat at any higher of a price, considering it was released not long ago with TWO figures with more gear and articulation..   And not long before that as the 25 Anniversary Sting Raider with the colorization of the original Water Moccasin.  With the Fangboat the only "extra" I can find here is a spring-fired missile launcher.  (not my thing, usually.)