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TRU exclusive Viper 5-pack


Jeff

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yeah, I am kinda sad that they aren't fixing the wrists for this set. I don't get it, the one coming in the cobra 5-pack with the shiny mask has fixed wrists... why not this one?

 

The only rational reason I've heard is because that wrist is being used on the Hall of Heroes release, and they don't want to kill any chance for sales of that figure by releasing it in a multi-pack prior to its' single-pack release. (Please note I said "rational" reason, not "good" reason).

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yeah, I am kinda sad that they aren't fixing the wrists for this set. I don't get it, the one coming in the cobra 5-pack with the shiny mask has fixed wrists... why not this one?

 

The only rational reason I've heard is because that wrist is being used on the Hall of Heroes release, and they don't want to kill any chance for sales of that figure by releasing it in a multi-pack prior to its' single-pack release. (Please note I said "rational" reason, not "good" reason).

 

Well, instead they'll be killing the sales for this Viper pack exclusive. I would've definitely bought one, maybe more, if they'd used the fixed arms. As it is, I won't buy even one.

 

Hasbro needs to learn from their mistakes, and the only way they will learn is if we don't buy the bad product.

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So save yourselves some money and spend $7 on another General Hawk and switch heads.

And have a Gen Hawk with a Viper head?

 

Somebody show me where it says thats Mercer

It doesn't. But we've been getting nods like this all throughout the new line, especially in the exclusive sets. For example, there's a Crimson Guard Squad Leader with a silver chest and other details that are like the CG Immortal, and an Iron Grenadier with purple highlights who Hasbro even said was a nod to Voltar. It's also worth noting that Hasbro never made a 'Glenda' or a 'Fred' in the new line, only 'Pilot Scarlett' and 'Crimson Guardsman'... yet most of us err to referring to them by what they are intended to tribute, not the filecard.

 

It's not stretching anything to posit that a Viper with removable helmet to reveal a brown-haired man could be a pre-GI Joe Mercer nod. It's either him or some random guy, so a lot of people are choosing to say it's him.

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I like the "limp wrists" on the Viper--always have.

I can get a lot of natural looking poses out of it, especially with the weapon in hand. A "locked wrist" is okay for variety, but I'd be posing this squad in action and the wrists they have would be better for that, IMO.

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General sentiment seems to be pretty much the same. My thoughts:

 

1. I figure they went with the 'old' Vipers just to clear out the backstock before producing the 'new-and-improved' version.

2. If not that reason, then because it's an 'exclusive', and it was cheaper to do it that way.

3. I figured that would be Mercer, too, seeing as they are not all pictured with helmets off.

4. This would have been great for me to know when the single card came out - I might get 1 pack for the leader and the 'Mercer' fig, but I've already got a good enough army of them. Only sucks as this would have been cheaper.

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I'd love a BAT and EEL pack as well. I'll get this just as soon as I'll get the Crimson Guard Troop Builder. This is COOL!!

 

Just curious, where do Vipers fall in the Cobra hierarchy? Are they above the Cobra Troopers and Officers?

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No, they are the bottom of the barrell, as states on their file card!! Before they came out in 86, the regular Cobra Troops were the low level Infantry, now the Vipers are the frontline and I would assume the Cobra Troops are a notch above them!!! Of course in a battle, everyone goes in!!

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Man, I don't get it.

 

Why didn't Hasbro Included the Vipers w/ the fixed wrist.

 

This is just plain stupid.

 

And then to top that all off there are still single carded Vipers still warming the pegs. So Hasbro should have known that us collectors bitched and fussed about those viper funky wrist and thats why most pf us didn't army build him.

 

But what really gets me is then why did they released a Viper w/ the retooled wrist in the new upcoming GI Joe Cobra 5pack. Now if that Viper w/ the retooled wrist was the Vipers in this set then I would have been all over this set, but no, Hasbro had to fu-k it up.

 

And then they want us too shell out $25.00 for this crap.

 

SHAME ON YOU HASBRO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I always chose to see it as the opposite. Troopers as the bottom of the barrel, doing the drudge work and basically being completely expendable cannon fodder. They're kind of "Jacks of all trades" who do whatever Cobra needs them to do but haven't found any "specialty" yet. Vipers, who looked better-equipped and just plain "cooler" in a lot of ways, were specialist Infantrymen. Cobra Troopers were basically given a rifle and sort of taught how to shoot straight. Vipers were given actual training in how to function as part of a team and general combat tactics/battle drills. Not quite elite shock troopers, but a notch above bargain basement henchmen. Cobra Officers I take off of their original filecard: Those guys were bad news! They're basically "Crimson Guardsmen in waiting." Actually pretty high up in the Cobra hierarchy.

 

Not much/any of this is official, but I figured if Vipers were really the "bottom of the barrel" they wouldn't get better gear than the basic troopers. Just didn't make sense to me as a kid. Even less as an adult.

 

Even Hasbro can't seem to make up their mind if Troopers are higher or Vipers are higher. I know some people have just decided that (in their Joe-verses) Vipers are just Troopers in their "combat gear."

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You know TRU shops Hasbro for this right? They say, "Hey, we want some exclusives that only cost us 'X' amount of dollars, whaddaya got?". And Hasbro says we have A, B and C... such as A)greenshirts B)Crimson Guards and C)Vipers. Now, we can give you fixed forearms on the greenshirts and we'll have fixed wrists for the Vipers by the time this comes out, but it'll cost you extra for each of them.

 

Guess what TRU's answer is?

 

At this point, Hasbro has made the sale. This is TRU's fault really. And with that being said, I can slap a Hawk head on a spare Viper and have him too, so there's nothing here to interest me.

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I always thought the Vipers were slightly higher-up than the Troopers. While the Troopers were given masks and a rifle, the better equipped Vipers also had the fingernail mask that Cobra Commander did, making me guess that they had a bit better life since not only were they better equipped, but they resembled their leader which could make them an extension of Commander's ego.

 

Maybe the Vipers are slightly specialized. Since most of them go into special fields (H.E.A.T. Viper, Strato-Vipers, Something-Vipers), they could be troopers that have issues that won't make them become officers or Crimson Guard members but have a skill that makes them valuable anyway. Of course, this means that Cobra has a multi-threaded way of growing up the ranks either as an elite (Crimson Guard, etc) or a screw-up that can be trained to do something (Multiple Viper designations).

 

Plus, if we go by the cards, the ones who really suck are the Toxo-Vipers. The Leaky Suit Brigade with a guarantee of being either dying or turning into a Monstro-Viper? That sucks.

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I always thought the Vipers were slightly higher-up than the Troopers. While the Troopers were given masks and a rifle, the better equipped Vipers also had the fingernail mask that Cobra Commander did, making me guess that they had a bit better life since not only were they better equipped, but they resembled their leader which could make them an extension of Commander's ego.

 

Maybe the Vipers are slightly specialized. Since most of them go into special fields (H.E.A.T. Viper, Strato-Vipers, Something-Vipers), they could be troopers that have issues that won't make them become officers or Crimson Guard members but have a skill that makes them valuable anyway. Of course, this means that Cobra has a multi-threaded way of growing up the ranks either as an elite (Crimson Guard, etc) or a screw-up that can be trained to do something (Multiple Viper designations).

 

Plus, if we go by the cards, the ones who really suck are the Toxo-Vipers. The Leaky Suit Brigade with a guarantee of being either dying or turning into a Monstro-Viper? That sucks.

 

Yeah, Cobra's actually got a lot of paths for advancement, it seems. Some troop-types are more prestigious than others, and not everyone is cut out to be a Crimson Guardsman (which requires a lot of covert operations and undercover work). It behooves Cobra to have multiple paths, though, because if "Crimson Guardsman" is the only thing to aspire to, then those folks that know they're never going to get a law or business or whatever degree would just give up.

 

So basically, big antisocial brutes that aren't well-suited to get a law/engineering/business/medical degree (to be a Crimson Guard) can become, say, CLAWS or EELs or Alley-Vipers and still be considered pretty prestigious and dangerous despite not being super highly educated.

 

And yeah, the Toxo-Vipers are the worst job, with Desert Scorpions apparently being only a tiny notch above them. Sand-Vipers I tend to consider Desert Scorpions who ended up being very good at Desert fighting and actually enjoy it. "Redeemed" Desert Scorpions as it were, but they still like playing in the sand.

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Not much/any of this is official, but I figured if Vipers were really the "bottom of the barrel" they wouldn't get better gear than the basic troopers. Just didn't make sense to me as a kid. Even less as an adult.

 

The reason they get the better gear is because they are the frontline!! Somewhere down the line Cobra has "realized" that they need to give the frontline some padding if they are to be any good to them!! Cobra Troops aren't given too much because they stay behind and guard the bases and HQ's around the world, and of course Cobra Island!!! While the Viper is sent out into the field, with the BATS right behind when the going gets rough!!! To me it makes sense, always has!!!

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One word people . . . . LAME!

 

They couldn't even use the new Viper from the upcoming COBRA 5-pack, with the chrome face plate shield and fixed hands?! Bad enough TRU decides to the do a figure that's already clogging shelves, they couldn't have picked a hard to find one like the B.A.T., or EEL or even a figure that hasn't even been available on single card like the IRON Grenadier.

 

This blows.

 

But, with the movie coming out in August, hopefully TRU will be doing a LOT more troop builder packs.

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I always thought the Vipers were slightly higher-up than the Troopers. While the Troopers were given masks and a rifle, the better equipped Vipers also had the fingernail mask that Cobra Commander did, making me guess that they had a bit better life since not only were they better equipped, but they resembled their leader which could make them an extension of Commander's ego.

 

Maybe the Vipers are slightly specialized. Since most of them go into special fields (H.E.A.T. Viper, Strato-Vipers, Something-Vipers), they could be troopers that have issues that won't make them become officers or Crimson Guard members but have a skill that makes them valuable anyway. Of course, this means that Cobra has a multi-threaded way of growing up the ranks either as an elite (Crimson Guard, etc) or a screw-up that can be trained to do something (Multiple Viper designations).

 

Plus, if we go by the cards, the ones who really suck are the Toxo-Vipers. The Leaky Suit Brigade with a guarantee of being either dying or turning into a Monstro-Viper? That sucks.

 

Yeah, Cobra's actually got a lot of paths for advancement, it seems. Some troop-types are more prestigious than others, and not everyone is cut out to be a Crimson Guardsman (which requires a lot of covert operations and undercover work). It behooves Cobra to have multiple paths, though, because if "Crimson Guardsman" is the only thing to aspire to, then those folks that know they're never going to get a law or business or whatever degree would just give up.

 

So basically, big antisocial brutes that aren't well-suited to get a law/engineering/business/medical degree (to be a Crimson Guard) can become, say, CLAWS or EELs or Alley-Vipers and still be considered pretty prestigious and dangerous despite not being super highly educated.

 

And yeah, the Toxo-Vipers are the worst job, with Desert Scorpions apparently being only a tiny notch above them. Sand-Vipers I tend to consider Desert Scorpions who ended up being very good at Desert fighting and actually enjoy it. "Redeemed" Desert Scorpions as it were, but they still like playing in the sand.

 

Man, all this makes me want to go back into the yojoe.com filecards section and look up this. Brainstorming the whole Cobra hierarchy is just too much fun. So, everybody who wants to go into Cobra goes in as a trooper, basic and everything. Eventually they're evaluated (the ones that survive) and they either become an officer or a Viper: the officers are trained, smart, and pretty much the cream of the crop. The Vipers are the ones who are brutal, are messed-up, or basically have something wrong with them that would make the Cobra highers-up (probably Destro since he seems to be competent) nervous. Cobra Officers are dedicated and are willing to go train for the Crimson Guard, which is essentially the smarter Cobras and the ones who would probably be Joes if they weren't so greedy/amoral/etc.

 

Vipers are basically the ones who don't have degrees/incapable of getting them/have a special ability that makes them valuable plus the survival instinct not to die when fighting Joes. After becoming a Viper, they learn a little more to see if they're truly worth the effort of training. After this, there is a few options that include specialization and/or Viper Officers. Which makes a little more sense.

 

Not much/any of this is official, but I figured if Vipers were really the "bottom of the barrel" they wouldn't get better gear than the basic troopers. Just didn't make sense to me as a kid. Even less as an adult.

 

The reason they get the better gear is because they are the frontline!! Somewhere down the line Cobra has "realized" that they need to give the frontline some padding if they are to be any good to them!! Cobra Troops aren't given too much because they stay behind and guard the bases and HQ's around the world, and of course Cobra Island!!! While the Viper is sent out into the field, with the BATS right behind when the going gets rough!!! To me it makes sense, always has!!!

 

I'm guessing the Troopers are in a 'prove your worth to the organization or die' mode where the Vipers are just plain mean and are 'company men.' This would make more sense if you think of Mercer since, as a Viper, he probably had nowhere to go except an officer and decided to desert.

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I don't think it's ever been too clear, even the DDP comics refered to the Blueshirt trooper as 'Vipers' which add to the confusion a little more.

 

My Joeverse Cobra army in rank starting from the top and working down is:

 

-Cobra Commander

-Cobra Command (characters like Baroness, Bludd, Scrap-Iron, Wild Weasel, etc.)

-Crimson Guard

-Cobra Officers

-Eels / Air Troopers

-Vipers / Hiss Tank Drivers

-Blueshirts

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Not much/any of this is official, but I figured if Vipers were really the "bottom of the barrel" they wouldn't get better gear than the basic troopers. Just didn't make sense to me as a kid. Even less as an adult.

 

The reason they get the better gear is because they are the frontline!! Somewhere down the line Cobra has "realized" that they need to give the frontline some padding if they are to be any good to them!! Cobra Troops aren't given too much because they stay behind and guard the bases and HQ's around the world, and of course Cobra Island!!! While the Viper is sent out into the field, with the BATS right behind when the going gets rough!!! To me it makes sense, always has!!!

 

 

Yeah thats about how I see it too.

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I was going to buy one of these, but now that this guy is complaining up a storm about something so minor as wrists, I think I'll buy 5 or 6 of them.

 

More power to you. As you can see from the other posts here (including the OP), the "limp-wrists" are a sticking point for far more people than just me.

 

We've already seen that Hasbro's got a fixed version of that tooling on-hand (see the upcoming Cobra 5-pack), so this just smacks of poor decision-making/laziness/et al on their part.

 

 

It's because it's upsetting so many people and not just you that I'm getting 5 or 6 of these. The ones already out look just fine on my shelf and if noone will be buying them, I'll be able to get a bunch when they go on clearance.

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TRU always gets the leftovers.

I have had mixed results with those Viper hands. My very first one I opened is just perfect. However the Tele-Viper I got his hands seem to be softer & do suck.

I'll probably get one pack just for Mercer.

Here is a compromise Vipers are blueshirts with battle gear on. ;)

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