Review – G.I. Joe (25th Anniversary) Cobra (The Enemy)

As the Marauder Task Force action figure project on Kickstarter (see the project page) goes into that last forty or so hours, I wanted to take another look back at where the modern G.I. Joe action figures started. And after taking a look at the 2007 Cobra Air Trooper (review here) I decided to simplify everything just a bit for today’s review.

Say hello to the G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary Cobra (The Enemy)* action figure.

You again?

At its core, the Cobra (The Enemy)* figure is identical to the recently reviewed Cobra Air Trooper. The figure’s entry on yojoe.com identifies this silver sigil version as v3, with v2 sporting a red Cobra sigil on the chest.

The basic body is such a great Cobra soldier that Hasbro has used it over and over, from the Target H.I.S.S. toy driver (see yojoe.com) to the 2009 Cobra Stinger driver (see yojoe.com) . . . and many other figures. It’s a popular mold for Hasbro and one I suspect we’ll see again and again in the future once Hasbro returns to G.I. Joe. After all, the classic eighties molds were used for roughly thirty years so I can’t see Hasbro starting over once they relaunch their 3.75-inch scale G.I. Joe series.

A Little Lightly Equipped

Where many of Hasbro’s G.I. Joe action figures of the past five to seven years have come with lots of gear, this Cobra (The Enemy)* figure feels a little light on equipment. Helmet, rifle, stand, knife, and webgear are it. Way, way less than many other figures, but it works well for the cannon fodder of the Cobra army and if you need more you can always offload excess weaponry on this guy to toughen him up a bit.

Closing Thoughts

There are more exciting soldiers in the Cobra army, but the basic Cobra (The Enemy)* action figure is the ultimate troop builder toy, generic and ready to stand in on any shelf or diorama. It’s a nameless thug and one just waiting for you; buying another one of these or two is an easy way to add depth to your Cobra forces and overall the toy’s an excellent update to the 1982 version of the figure.