Saturday, October 12, 2024

Action Figure Review: Cobra Commander (Once A Man) from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   Sure, my main focus right now is on this year's 31 Days of Toy Terror Halloween Countdown (31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe), but that doesn't mean I'm not reviewing plenty of other cool stuff as well. Today I'm checking out Hasbro 2024 SDCC exclusive, Cobra Commander (Once a Man), a Classified Series take on Cobra Commander from the 1987 animated movie. In the film Golobulus, the leader of the ancient Cobra-La grows tired of Cobra Commander's failures and exposes him to some spore pods that cause him to devolve into a snake-like creature. Besides the incredible opening a sequence where the G.I. Joe team fights Cobra at the Statue of Liberty and Sgt. Slaughter's "Slaughter House" training center, Cobra Commander wrapped around Roadblock and screaming "I was once a man!" in his screech, snake-like voice is probably the main thing most folks remember from the film. The G.I. Joe: Classified Series seems to be a big enough success that Hasbro is drawing from a variety of sources for cool new figures and this one seems to be pretty popular considering the movie isn't always held in the highest regard. Well, mostly Cobra-La, though they do have cool designs. Want a more serpentine Cobra Commander? Then join me after the break to check him out...



The Facts: Cobra Commander (Transforming)

Height:6 3/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, calve swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed drop down hips, ball jointed waist, hinged mid-torso, butterfly pecs, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, ball jointed neck base, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: Pistol, backpack, 2 portraits, faceplate, 6 swappable hands, 2 glove cuffs, knife, sheath, and ripped shirt.







The Facts: Cobra Commander (Snake Form)

Height: 3 inches

Articulation: Swivel shoulders

Accessories: None

Non-Scalper Price: $40 dollars


Comparison:

* On the left is Cobra Commander (Once a Man) while the "Mickey Mouse" logo Cobra Commander from the Haslab H.I.S.S. Tank is on the right. While the snaky upper torso is all new, the lower body, helmeted head, hands, backpack, and weapon are all reused from the Haslab Cobra Commander and are also shared with the Retro carded Cobra Commander, too.



The Packaging:




* I don't often comment on regular packaging but the exclusive packaging for this set is pretty cool. It has a lenticular cover showing Cobra Commander devolving into his snake form and a transparent slipcover that protects the box. It's definitely quite visually appealing. 








The Positives:


* While you can't get a full regular Cobra Commander out of this figure, you can get the first step with a ripped shirt that's now just a vest. It's a very cool, very unique look for a Classified Series figure and I can't imagine Hasbro being able to utilize it much in the future. Maybe the Valor Vs. Venom Crocmaster? It's a unique look, combining a very organic and monstrous appearance with the exaggerated military look of Cobra Commander's uniform. The colors complement each other quite nicely in kind of a weird way.





* The Cobra Commander helmet included here features the white stripe on top like the Sunbow animated version of the character. Otherwise, it's the same sculpt as the Haslab H.I.S.S. Tank figure or the new Retro carded figure. Still cool, though, and a good sculpt with a painted faceplate that looks like metal, though it's not shiny or chrome plated or anything. You know, no vac-metal. 









* The pants on Cobra Commander are quite sharp and look very crisp and neat. He's got spats, a red stripe down the legs of his pants, and a nifty belt with some little pouches for whatever gear he might need. Well, now that he's a snake guy I guess he should be carrying around mouse guts and stuff.














* Pull off the remains of his shirt and pop on the snake head and you've got a mostly snaky Cobra Commander. He's still wearing trousers (to cover his trouser snake) and gloves, but his weird, scaly bod is on full display. The armored scaly bits are a lighter yellow than the green bumpy parts of his chest, so there's some nice contrast in color.











* The head has some freaky fangs and kind of looks like a Goomba from the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie or like some versions of Killer Croc. it's a pretty weird sculpt that definitely catches CoCo in-between being a regular megalomaniacal dictator and snake who was once a man. 











* I really like the pattern and detail on his back. It's pretty intricate with some really cool lines of ridges and an unusual design. 









* Cobra Commander might have a really unique upper torso but he moves just like you'd expect. There's not a lot of pouches or gear and stuff here, so he's pretty uninhibited in movement. He's a solid, well built figure and fun to pose in plenty of crazy poses. It's fun to imagine the crazy play scenarios we would have come up with if this version of Cobra Commander had existed as a toy when most of us were kids.




* Six swappable hands are included, all of which we've seen before. They're still appreciated, though. There is a pair of pistol grip hands, a pair of fists, a pointing right hand, and a gesturing left hand that just looks very dramatic for when Cobra Commander's giving a speech and hamming things up.


* Cobra Commander's faceplate is included as a separate accessory with a cracked visor. The cracks are simply painted on but it's a nice effect. He can't wear it or anything but the figure can hold it while sporting the snake head to lament that he was, once a man. 



* On the back of the mask are some cool details showing off all of the crazy gizmos and gadgets Cobra Commander had built into his visor. 










* Cobra Commander comes with his traditional laser pistol which still looks pretty futuristic. I like the design. It first came with the Haslab H.I.S.S. Cobra Commander and is also included with the Retro carded CoCo, but most folks won't mind each figure having their own. The "Venom" laser looks nice and can surely pack even more of a punch with it's more modern technology.







* The backpack wasn't removable on the original 1982 and 1983 versions of Cobra Commander but now, a little over 40 years later, it is! Progress! The backpack is removable with a little Cobra logo and a storage space/ recharging port for the pistol. 



* When Cobra Commander needs to stab some fools or peel an apple he can reach down and pull out this handy, dandy knife. It's classy but functional. 











* The knife slips right into the sheath on Cobra Commander's left thigh and stays in place securely.




* Let's now talk about the fully mutated Cobra Commander who is from Iran. Oh, wait, I'm sorry. I misheard him.  He was once a man. This guy is a pretty sizeable "minifigure" and comes in at around 3 inches tall. He's not a full size, fully articulated figure, sure, but he is a pretty impressive extra. I could honestly see some stalwart collectors of the 1/18th scaled G.I. Joes wanting this guy to go with their figures. He'd be a bit big, yeah, but who's to say that he's incorrectly sized for a snake man?




* The portrait is very cool and pretty creepy. I hate snakes, so this guy definitely unsettles me. The hood and the extra eyes aren't helping, either. There's some terrific detail here and while this is a fantastical design in a line that typically skews more towards reality, the textures and paintwork here definitely allow this creature to fit in with the rest of the line aesthetically. 


* Here's a shot of the back of the hood. I'm loving the paint design and the scales. This is really impressive! Imagine this version of Cobra Commander being a Filmation-like sidekick for Serpentor, kind of like Imp and Hordak or Brat-a-Rat to Prime Evil.










* Snake form Cobra Commander's arms do swivel, so he gets a little bit of articulation that you might not expect. He also can stand on his own with his coiled tail keeping him firm and upright. 




* Yes, you can wrap him around Roadblock (or most any other figure) so Cobra Commander can annoy them with his incessant screeching. Doesn't Roadblock look thrilled? You'll have to just bend his tail a bit, but it does have some give and is plenty sturdy. 







The Negatives:


* You want some negatives? OK, I got one: The top of the red stripe on Cobra Commander's trousers doesn't match the rest of the stripe. That's quite annoying if you ask me. The Laundry Vipers seem to be messing up again!


   While I do have some nostalgia for the movie and the PSAs, the animated series definitely isn't my preferred take on G.I. Joe. I'm in the Marvel comics camp myself, so I wasn't initially too thrilled by this figure and I told myself I was going to be fine skipping it if I couldn't get one through Pulse. I did, though, and I really like how Hasbro pulled this one off. There's a lot of interesting details here and a few really unique accessories like the cracked face plate and the fully transformed snake version of the chief snake himself. It's really an Epic set and for those who scored this on Pulse (I think it was pretty easy to score), you really got a decent bang for your buck.


Can't get enough of Cobra Commander? I've also reviewed the G.I. Joe Classified Series Cobra Commander and Cobra Commander (Regal Variant).

For more G.I. Joe: Classified Series reviews check out the following:

4 comments:

  1. I really like how he looks and wish he wasn't an exclusive. Will say that's awesome that he can (the snake form) wrap around Roadblock! Nice touch!

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    1. He's a cool figure though I'm not sure how he would have been received if he were a regular release. I didn't have much trouble snagging him, but that was when he was first released and seemed to go in and out of stock pretty frequently.

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  2. Great looking figure and reminds me of the reptilian aliens in V!

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    Replies
    1. I'm not very familiar with V at all so I had to look up what those guys looked like. I think you're pretty spot on.

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