G.I. Joe Social Clash Baroness

Presenting Cobra's Baroness from the GI Joe 50th Anniversary Social Clash 2-pack.

The Baroness is actually a reissue of a figure released in 2009 in a Cobra set that included Cobra Commander, Storm Shadow, a Viper and Zartan.

We've had her for some time, but haven't really had the time to appreciate her til now.

The Baroness was born Anastasia Cisarovna, but has been known to use the alias Anastasia DeCobray. Anastasia is the daughter of wealthy aristocrats and grew up feeling privileged and was present during the Tet Offensive in Vietnam where her brother, Eugene, was apparently killed by Snake-Eyes, while Eugene was attempting to cover up the fact that International relief goods were being diverted to fund the Vietcong. She left her brother for dead and vowed revenge against America for its hypocrisy. What she failed to see later was the presence of Destro and Destro's dad who noted that Eugene was not killed by Snake-Eyes because his bullets did not penetrate the bullet proof vest that Eugene was wearing.

The rest is history.

COBRA Arctic BAT

Presenting the COBRA Arctic BAT (Battle Android Trooper) from the GI Joe Arctic Ambush 2-pack.

In 2011 we featured the really wonderfully decked out COBRA Jungle BAT and we really loved the idea of a heavily armed soldier that just refuses to die no matter how many times you shoot him.

And this is the Arctic version of the Jungle BAT.

We picked up the GI Joe Arctic Ambush 2-pack precisely for the COBRA Arctic BAT - not that we didn't appreciate a reissued Snow-job, it's just that we already had one and this one didn't even have a bi-pod for his sniper-rifle.

You just have to respect COBRA's unrelenting disposable trooper.

Cobra HISS Attack Scout versus the Howe & Howe Tech Ripsaw

I wasn't really planning on reviewing the Cobra HISS Attack Scout because it's a fairly common toy and I didn't get it up on for review fast enough, but - being a fan of the Discovery Channel, I really felt that I had to point out a real life version of the Cobra Hiss Attack Scout.

Howe & Howe Tech is a U.S. based military contractor that makes vehicles for the U.S. Army - and as an incidental client, Hollywood. And one of their vehicles they developed, the Ripsaw, bears more than a striking resemblance to the HISS Attack Scout.

G.I. Joe 2011 SDCC Exclusive: Zarana Sister to Zartan

Presenting the SDCC 2011 Exclusive Zarana: the younger sister of Zartan and older sister to Zandar.

There's a lot more to Zarana than meets the eye. A lot of people only see her as the female version of Zartan  or as the Dreadnok's token greedy, ambitious short-tempered bad-ass female - which is definitely easy to understand given that she is notoriously short-tempered - which unfortunately at one time led to her being sent to the Cobra dungeon.

But if you've read the Marvel comic book series, you'll actually see that naturally auburn hair colored Zarana is more than a mistress of disguise, she actually at one time rose to the become the second in command of Cobra Commander and more than once has she displayed a keen tactical intellect fully utilizing her natural ability to read and mimic other people's personalities - at one time, to turn on fellow Dreadnok Thrasher's berserker rage, she punches his broken arm.

TOY NEWS: 10th Philippine TOYCON Haul

The 10th Philippine Toys, Hobbies and Collectibles Convention 2011 has drawn to a close and what a weekend it was. I met great new friends in person for the first time whom I've only known for quite some time on Facebook - found out one of them was a ten year old; I had my first exhibit; and I had a great haul over the two day period. 

G.I. Joe: Destro and Baroness Love Affair Photos

Presenting Cobra's Destro and Baroness in their younger days back when life was simpler and their love was young and innocent. Here they are captured in a photo-booth while taking a Fox studio tour :)

This photo was simply just too delightful to not share.

This photograph was conceptualized and shot by Mr. Erick Bueno and I came cross it on the Facebook Toy Photograph group.

G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra: Iron Grenadier

Presenting the G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra Iron Grenadier! I guarantee that this will soon become one of the  holy grails of the G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra Series. We wrote about the Cobra Iron Grenadier recently because of the "uniqueness" of the Cobra Iron Grenadier's main weapon after ToyNewsInc  reported about the Cobra Iron Grenadier in Feb of 2011. 

They slated the G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra Iron Grenadier for release in the US in Spring 2011. A quick glance on Google showed that - as of this writing - there were no Pursuit of Cobra Iron Grenadiers out there yet save for previews and pictures from the February convention. So when I passed through Greenhills a few days ago, I had to grab it. It was the only set available in the entire area! I had a strong feeling that this particular figure had been pre-ordered (read a smuggled) and the buyer had an extra that he wanted to recoup his operating cost from.\

This G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra Series Iron Grenadier was part of a set of 6 new G.I. Joes purchased on the black-market for PhP 4,200 or PhP 700 each. It's available on Amazon for US$12.95 plus shipping AFTER APRIL 30!!!! I'm a week and a half ahead! The Cobra Iron Grenadier is a literal TANK! and a must have - especially if you can build an army of them.

G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra: Shadow Tracker

POC Shadow Tracker

Presenting the G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra Shadow Tracker. The Cobra Shadow Tracker is probably one of the sleeper hits of the G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra series. I initially did not want to pick him up because, well seriously who or what is he? A guy dumb enough to stalk around in the jungle in a glow-in-the dark Jason inspired hockey mask and dreadlocks? Can you imagine what must live in that hair? And why is he carrying a vest with pouches for ammunition if he isn't carrying a gun? 

Plus there isn't much literature on the Cobra Shadow Tracker that can be found other than what's on the back of the Cobra Shadow Tracker's blister card. 

So I wasn't too keen on getting the Cobra Shadow Tracker. But I did. And after letting my imagination play with him, I found out that the Cobra Shadow Tracker has one feature unique to the figure that was never publicly announced and makes the Cobra Shadow Tracker a must have.

Cobra Shadow Tracker's blister card reads "Shadow Tracker works for Cobra as a wilderness hunter and guide. Scorning conventional firearms, he uses traditional weapons from around the world. he tracks his prey using primal instinct: He hears the dark whispers of the jungle, senses distant footfalls in the Earth, and taste his victim's fear in the wind. When Skydive lands in the jungle, Shadow Tracker instantly knows - and starts the hunt."

G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra: Alley Viper

Presenting the Cobra Alley Viper. The card describes the Alley Viper as "Urban Combat Specialists. They are armed with close-quarters battle gear including blast shields, anti-armor weapons and assault tonfas." The original file card of the toy read "Alley Vipers are equivalent to police SWAT units or British Special Air Service Commandoes. They are selected from the most brutal and ruthless among Corba's ranks. As part of their training regimen, Alley Vipers are "required to survive a full burst of machine gun fire across their frontal body armor, execute a thirty foot jump onto concrete with full combat load and run down a hundred meter gas-filled corridor without a mask"

My love for the Cobra Alley Viper goes all the waay back to my teens. In the old, old G.I. Joe: A real American Hero Comic books Scarlett had to battle them when they came for her and Snake-Eyes. I found the concept exciting. Urban combat troopers carrying blast shields fighting up close and personal in blood red armor. Their armor was so-high tech that instead of relying on their eyes, they relied on a sensor suite in their bullet-proof helmet. I always wanted one, but never got one.

But now it can be said: "You know you work for Cobra when they forget to provide you with ammunition."

Jungle Viper: Welcome to the Jungle

While trawling through a G.I. Joe forum, I came across this image which totally reminded me of my Jungle Viper Review. I just had to share it. It totally adds to the Cobra Jungle Viper mythos don't you think?

G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra: Jungle Viper

Presenting the Cobra Jungle Viper! Released late this 2010 as part of Wave 2 of the G.I. Joe POC series, the Jungle Viper retails in the Philippine Black Market - as it has yet to be released in the malls - depending upon who you ask - between PhP 650 to PhP 1,200. 

The collector card on the back reads: "Jungle-Vipers are Cobra troopers with special training as silent marksmen. Their opti-camo ghillie suits have digitized camouflage blades, which makes them disappear from any detection devices. They also use multi-visual image systems that give them wide visual displays of surrounding territory." 

So he's not the  bird-man that he initially appears to look like. Those "wings" are all part of his special ghillie suit (To the uninitiated, a ghillie suit is a parka like netting worn by snipers that covers them from head to toe. Snipers attach local foliage to the suit to blend in with their surroundings. The result is the ability to move into position and stay hidden when required). When I first saw the model, I thought that he was an updated version of Raptor - the Cobra genius accountant who could... well... talk to birds so he dressed up as a bird. 

Apparently he's not. He's a jungle sniper.

Which is where it starts to go downhill