Head: Chap Mei
Torso: Dodger
Arms: Gung Ho v3
Waist, Legs: Clutch v3?
Gun: Red Star or newer copies
Knife: Chap Mei
Gun, Holster: Intoyz
Helmet: Chap Mei
Goggles: BBI
Facemask: Intoyz

File Name: Zekov, Ivan Vladimirovich
Primary Military Specialty: Infantry Commander
Secondary Military Specialty: Interpreter
Birthplace: Magadan, Russia (ex-USSR)

It is virtually impossible to create a worse fate for a human being then the one suffered by Ivan Zekov. His last name by itself, a play on term for prisoners of the cruel Soviet Gulag prison system, foretold the imprint slavery would have on his life way before his parents ever inadvertently crossed the authorities, got their teeth bashed in, and met in the area of the prison camp where he was born.

Even though his parents instilled a vicious hate of the Soviet authority, like any good slave, Ivan rebelled into the arms of the system. He embraced his communism like he embraced the words of his political science teachers. As soon as he was of age Ivan joined the Soviet Army and specifically requested he be sent to Afghanistan to fight the Mujhadeen and advance the seemingly noble ideals of his country.

Three years, and dozens of dead comrades later, failed to shake Ivan's commitment and loyalty to the political movements of his nation. Even as he walked in on his commanding officer raping a civillian girl, and got arrested for treason, and sent to the same place his parents live in and raised him, that loyalty did not falter.

Two more years of pain, labor, malnutrition, and abuse only served to harden his resolve.

It was with a terrible pain that he learned of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Everything that Ivan had defended and suffered for had dissolved with a shallow political whimper. There was nothing for Ivan now. He detested his nation, he detested America, and he detested himself for not being able to bring victory to those ideals he had sacrificed for all his life.

It was at this point that the COBRA organization started expanding its operations into the heart of Eastern Europe. Cobra's leading recruiter Major Bludd needed less time to convince Ivan to join their movement, then he did in deciding to shoot General Flagg in the back.

Since that point Ivan has become one of the poster boys for the righteousness of the terrorist organization's cause. More then overqualified to join any specialized force in the organization including, the Serpents, Night Vipers, or C.G.s Ivan has chosen to retain his position as a humble infantry commander.

"Zek" as he is known to his men is a truly inspiring leader. Never a man to shove 18 and 19 year old, barely trained kids in the line of fire, he instead wills them to do so himself. Were it not for his own stupidity, and Ivan's ambitious-less nature, Cobra Commander should have logically had Zartan put a bullet through "Zek's" face in the confusion of battle long ago.

Even so not everybody in the Cobra organization is dumb enough to not realize the value a man like this would have in initiating another October revolution.

As far as Zek goes, his only passion at this point is to lead the first assault on the White House. To either die gloriously storming it like his ancestral brothers did the Reichstag, or be the one to raise the Cobra Blue above it.

"There is nothing more for me now then death, or vengeance against those materialist pigs, who made me wish for it."

_________________________

This custom came from a simple realization regarding how 2 parts in my fodder bin (both from Secret Santa's of years past) are Cobra Blue. Both the torso and helmet looked like they would work well on together if i could find a head that could fit between them.

The Chap Mei guy head was always a favorite of mine and looked like one of those guys from the movie Soldier with Kurt Russell. THankfully it fit perfectly. I also added the intoyz hood as a mask to match the regular trooper ones.

I have no idea why he has a knife but i figure what the hey.

Btw, the reason he is a "ex-Soviet prisoner" is because those guys used to tatoo different crap of the nature of his barcode tatoo on his head. Maybe not that one particularly but that is where the creative bit comes in.