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.