25th Anniversary Cobra 5-Pack
The second set of figures released as a 5-pack box set by Hasbro in their 25th Anniversary GI Joe line has a Cobra the Enemy theme and includes classic GI Joe villains Cobra Commander, Storm Shadow, Destro, Baroness, and a generic Cobra Trooper. This set is an outstanding complement to the GI Joe 5-pack and a really great way to kick off the new line. Expand the post for pics and reviews.
COBRA COMMANDER
Ah, yesssssss. Good ole CC. Hasbro did him right. Standard articulation for this line, a nicely detailed sculpt, excellent range of motion in his joints, and… a fist! Yay! A FIST! Cobra Commander also gets a removable helmet (which just looks odd removed and tends to flop around, so I glued mine in place) and his gun fits neatly into a molded slot in his back. This is a very nice, accurate rendition of the character.
DESTRO
Destro, to me, is the best figure in this bunch. He lacks double-knee joints (like Roadblock from the Joe set), but it doesn’t bother me as much on Destro as it did on RB. His sculpt is, well, perfect. He’s big, thick, muscular, and imposing - just like the Scottish Lord should be! And Destro is hooked up with gear - he gets his M.A.R.S. brief case that opens to reveal a machine gun, another cooler machine gun, and two pistols - one of which fits in his hip holster. I also really dig his ‘awkwardly’ sculpted left hand. Looks like he’s about to tear out someone’s throat or something. Very cool toy here.
BARONESS
Yep. The evil villainess who makes wire-rimmed glasses and a bad fake Endo-European accent sexy! Heck yeah! Her articulation mirrors what we saw on Scarlett with a swivel-hinge style knee substituted for the double-hinge that most of the boys get, and while her sculpt is very slight, she’s nicely detailed and looks… okay. She’s also kind of hunched over like Scarlett and mine was painfully bow-legged before I heated her up and did some repositioning. She gets a lot of weaponry - rifle, pistol, dagger, etc. Overall, a nice figure and a good addition to the set.
STORM SHADOW
Like Snake-Eyes was in the Joe set, Storm Shadow is the real stand-out of the Cobra set. His sculpt is perfect, his articulation and range of motion are excellent, and he is completely hooked up with wicked gear. SS gets a bow and arrow and a body harness/quiver that holds two swords - one long Katana and a shorter Wakizashi type blade - and there’s also a spot in the front of his belt to secure his small dagger. This ninja is decked out and ready to dish up some hurt. Awesome figure and just a great toy to fiddle around with!
COBRA TROOPER
The Cobra Trooper is a decent enough figure, I suppose, but why Hasbro put an army-builder type figure in a five figure box set escapes me. His spot would have been better held by Serpentor or Zartan, in my opinion. Nevertheless, it’s a good figure with a nice look and nice articulation. But, we’ll be seeing this guy over and over again as Hasbro has stated they’re committed to re-releasing this generic trooper in pretty much every wave going forward to ensure that everyone has plenty of chances to build their armies of generic grunts. That’s cool and all… but why is he in the 5-pack then?!
GROUP SHOT
Tags: 25th anniversary, baroness, cobra commander, cobra trooper, destro, gi joe, storm shadow
I’m still waiting on my Cobra pack, but I agree about the trooper. Personally, I would’ve enjoyed Hasbro including Major Bludd. It’d complete the love triangle (Destro, Baroness, Bludd). I’m sick, I know.
- Brian
word on the street is that major bludd is scheduled to be released in the 8th series of single pack figs. (we’re on series 5 now). so, your wish will likely come true in the next few months!