COBRA (v1)
THE ENEMY (straight-armed)
Year: 1982
Series: One
Cobra was one of the first figures released carded in the first series (1982). Like all of the original sixteen figures, Cobra was released with "straight arms."
In late 1982, the figure was also available packaged with the
Sears exclusive Cobra Missile Command Headquarters.
Cobra is also sometimes referred to as "Cobra Soldier" or "Cobra Enemy."
Figure Views
Accessories
Cobra came with a black Dragunov's sniper rifle.
Packaging Information
Filecard Information
File Name: Unknown
Grade: E-4 (or equivalent)
Birthplace: Various Countries
Primary Specialty: Infantry
Secondary Specialty: Sabotage
One of the nameless, faceless legions of COBRA Command. Each COBRA is highly skilled in the use of explosives, all NATO and Warsaw Pact small arms, sabotage, and the martial arts. Qualified expert; Skorpion (VZOR61) Machine Pistol; Dragunov (SVD) Sniper's Rifle; Uzi Submachine Gun; M-16.
"COBRAS swear absolute loyalty to their fanatical leader...COBRA Commander. Their goal...to conquer the world for their own evil purpose!"
Variations
Some versions of Cobra came with the eyes and eyebrows painted in red, while some came with the eyes and eyebrows painted in black. Neither variant is more difficult to find than the other.
When the new version of Cobra was released in 1983, the straight-arms were replaced with arms that could swivel at the bicep. Also, the date stamp on the figure was changed from "1982" to "82-83." While technically only a variation, the changes are substantial enough to consider this a new version. However, as many people consider this only a variation, we have chosen to list this figure as version 1.5, rather than version 2.
There are two versions of Cobra's filecard. The one that came with the 1984 Sears Exclusive Cobra Six-pack or from Hasbro Direct has a glossy red backing, while the one that came with the carded Cobra does not. Filecards included with the Sears exclusive Cobra Missile Command Headquarters also had the red backing.
The 1983 Cobra Viper Pilot looks exactly like the Cobra v1.5, except that it has a silver logo instead of a red one. Unlike the Cobra's red logo, the Viper Pilot's silver logo scratches away extremely easily. If you find a swivel-arm Cobra that has no logo on its chest, more than likely you have a scratched-up Viper Pilot instead of a scratched-up Cobra.
For the JC Penney's release, some Cobras came with Rock 'n Roll's machine gun and bipod. Others came with the thin-handled version of Zap's bazooka. Still others came with a dark green version of the bazooka.
Body Construction
Note that the figure's head only turns left and right - it does not allow the head to look up and down. The heads only turned left and right until the the swivel ball head that was introduced in 1985 (Series Four).
The modified Cobra v1.5 body mold was re-used in 1983 for the Cobra Viper Pilot. Note that the Cobra has a red Cobra logo while the Cobra Viper Pilot has a silver Cobra logo. The mold was later used for Python Officer from the eighth series (1989).
The same waistpiece was shared with Cobra Officer, H.I.S.S. Driver, Tiger Force Duke, and some versions of Steel Brigade.
International Variants
In Brazil, the Cobra Soldier was released in light blue with an Estrela stamp on its back. In Argentina, the Cobra Soldier was released with no markings.
Versions of Cobra
In 1998, Cobra was renamed "Cobra Trooper." So while there are several names, they are all based on the "Cobra" trooper.
- Cobra (v1) 1982
- Cobra (v1.5) 1983
- Cobra Troopers (v1) 1998
- Cobra Trooper (v2) 2004
- Cobra Trooper (v3) 2006
- Cobra Trooper (v4) 2006
- Cobra (v2) 2007
- Cobra (v3) 2007
- Cobra Trooper (v5A) 2007
- Cobra Trooper (v16) 2011
- Cobra Trooper (v5B) 2007
- Cobra Trooper (v5C) 2007
- Cobra Trooper (v6) 2007
- Cobra Trooper (v7) 2008
- Cobra Trooper (v8) 2008
- Cobra Trooper (v9) 2008
- Cobra Trooper (v10) 2008
- Cobra Trooper (v11) 2008
- Cobra Trooper (v12) 2008
- Cobra Trooper (v13) 2009
- Cobra Trooper (v14) 2009
- Cobra Trooper (v15) 2011
Reference Information
The below information contains information about references to various collector's guides, Hasbro references, original retail prices, and other reference material related to Cobra (v1).|
Original Retail: $1.99 Hasbro Product: 6423 RAHC: n/a Lee's Guide: GIJ-82011 |
Desimone Guide: 11 Tomart's Guide: GI5021, GI5069b (Cobra hq) The Ultimate Guide: Pg. 13 (1st Ed.), Pg. 18 (2nd Ed.) Action Figure Archive Guide: n/a |
