This year's SDCC set includes Powerglide, a crimson red variation of the classic Cobra Rattler. We were shown and informed at JoeCon that the set would not only include stickers for Powerglide, but also extras to make different versions, including the Crimson Guard. After picking up a loose Powerglide (for more than I should have paid) that I plan to make into a Crimson Guard Rattler, I was looking for a good modern era pilot for it (I think I'm going with the Target ROC Air Viper). It got me thinking about the Crimson Guard itself and what function it plays in my Joeverse.

Originally conceived as Cobra deep cover agents, they have also been shown as Cobra Commander's private guards, an elite unit within Cobra, Tomax and Xamot's person army, etc. While I like the idea of the CG being the deep cover operatives, there are just too many cool crimson themed figures and vehicles for them to be pigeon-holed into that one function.

So I've been developing the CG for my own Joeverse. They are still the deep cover ops but also Cobra's elite special fighting unit. The CG are responsible for intelligence gathering and the security of all high ranking Cobra operatives (basically any named Cobra including Cobra Commander) as well as classified operations and facilities (Mindbender's lab, R&D, Extensive Enterprises). As the Cobra elite unit they recruit from all the other Cobra divisions, taking the best of the best which causes animosity between them and the other specialty commanders. In my current Crimson Guard division there are two units, air and ground. The ground unit is made up of Crimson Vipers and Alley Vipers as well as a few Crimson Horsemen as HISS V drivers. The air unit is a few Crimson Air Vipers piloting special aircraft including customized Crimson Rattlers and the newly developed Crimson Scythe (upgraded Skystrikers stolen from the Joes) . They operate alongside the regular air and ground units but answer to their own commanders, sometimes to the detriment of the regular troops. The CGs consider themselves too good for the more hostile environments so there are no current Crimson Eels, Snow Serpents, etc. While under the day to day command of Tomax and Xamot, the Crimson Guard ultimately falls under the direct authority of Cobra Commander.

So how does the Crimson Guard figure into your 'verse?

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The Crimson Guard first off, are fully trained officers, capable of leading Cobra forces into battle if need be. That's where they start.

That said, the plastic surgery they went through to make them a Fred series Siegie, allows them to fulfill a different mission.

They are sleeper agents in various communities that Cobra has interest in.

They are CPAs, Doctors, Common Council members, Mayors, Supervisors, etc. They are in position of infrastructure so Cobra can ingratiate itself into the community to hide in plain site.

They are subversion agents, disguised as your next door neighbor. All they are waiting on it that call to spring into action.

I don't use them as the secret police of Cobra. I think the Shadow Guard fulfills that role.

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See, I don't like the whole cosmetic surgery, "Fred series" thing from the comics. It works for the comics but in my more realistic Joeverse having a bunch of guys that all look alike is going to raise flags. Just my $.02 on that.

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Ooo, ooo; Mistah Kottah!

How about an hereditary cabal of European-descent aristocrats tracing their lineages back to Julius Caesar's Praetorian Guard renaming themselves the Crimson Guard due to his blood staining their armor as they carried his body out of the Senate and worming their families into the great houses of European history to foster conquerors to control the chaotic masses with numerous secret rites and rules of ascension separate from those of the Royal Houses?

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I like that, but used it for another organization that they splintered off of prior to joining Cobra. I have them as the Elite soldiers of Cobra. They come from both within and outside of Cobra and are highly trained and educated . The plastic surgery for my Verse is NOT carbon copies. But instead refinements that make some more average and others 'Brad Pitt'.

I consider them to be like the SS Troops from WWII, the best of the best. They wear red so no one can tell if they are wounded. It's a though and makes some sense. Just think, if they wore brown instead of red what it would mean.

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My Crimson Guard are the elite of the elite. Handpicked by Cobra Commander III himself, they are his personal bodyguard unit and are individuals with unique code names and specialties. They are the only troops allowed red uniforms in the new Cobra army as it is used to denote their rank above the other troops. The title of Crimson Guardsman gives them an air of supremacy but its one that is rarely challenged and always earned.




Originally growing up everything I knew about the Crimson Guard came from the file card. They were smart men who could very well be your neighbor spying for Cobra and ruling the world through secret handshakes and business deals.

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I have different unitis within the Crimson Guard that perform different tasks.

Crimson Guard: Undercover sleeper agents across the world that specialize in intelligence and counter-intelligence operations, which includes the dissemination of misinformation.

Crimson Guard Commanders: Front line operations Officers. These guys are the eyes and ears and even voice of Cobra Commander on the battlefield.

Python Patrol Crimson Guard: The Python Patrol specializes in guerilla warfare tactics, and the Siegie assigned to the Patrol serves as the liaison between the Python Patrol and Cobra Command. When Command gives the team an order or assigns them a mission, the information is passed through the Siegie.

Crimson Guard Immortal: They serve as elite battlefield Shocktroops, they're armed for maximum shock and awe. If you ask a Viper what he wants to be when he grows up, he'll asnwer, "an Immortal". They also serve as the legal and financial arm of a number of Cobra's corporate subsidiaries including extensive enterprises.

Crimson Guard Hunter/Killer: The H/K's serve as Cobra's secret Police, whether they're knocking on the door of a high value target, the unsuspecting family of a Joe officer, or even a rogue Cobra agent, these guys carry out Cobra Commander dirty deeds with extreme prejudice. Most Cobra's have never seen an H/K in person, and they'll tell you they never hope to.

Crimson Guard Aegis: This is the elite protection group of the Siegies. The only role they serve is as bodyguards to Cobra Command, and they do it with unwavering, unequivocal loyalty to the Commander and the Cobra cause. They are heavily armed and heavily armored.

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In my verse, the Crimson Guard is the Cobra equivalent to the Steel Brigade. While the main forces of G.I. Joe and Cobra fight on the battle fields, the CG and SB battle in the civilian sectors. They are highly trained sleeper agents that have been placed throughout the economic, entertainment and political sectors and secretly work to further the goals of Cobra. They also work as recruiters to help identify potential candidates that could be pulled into the main Cobra army.

When they are called into battle, they don their Crimson Guard uniforms and masks to keep identity a secret from the other Cobra forces and each other with only the Crimson Guard Commanders knowing their true identities.

The Crimson Guard are the COBRA Agents that run the many shell corporations and semi-legal business fronts for COBRA. Their origin is just as sinister but separate from COBRA. The Corsican Twins Tomax and Xamot Paoli come from old dirty money. They have a distinct and direct connection to the Corsican Brotherhood (Mafia) and grew their family’s illicit fortune by working as mercenaries both freelance and a stint in the French Foreign Legion’s First Foreign Parachute Regiment. Finding life behind a gun is a hard way to make a buck they struck out to create a cabal of influential people to grow their fortune through back door dealings and shady practices.
Taking up banking in Zurich Switzerland, they began to recruit only most cut throat, savvy lawyers and businessmen they could find, promising them wealth and power. Slowly they placed those sympathetic to their cause into businesses, foundations, government and religious organizations around the world. Under the shell corporation of Extensive Enterprises, one of the most complex conglomerates in the world, these sleeper agents created cells of their own. Soon a vast network of these sub-organizations came into being. The Paoli brothers may or may not have planned for this rapid expansion but seized the opportunity to control these groups by having the leaders of each report directly to them.
To give them a singular purpose the Paoli’s created a regal uniform of crimson red and began to develop a rank structure. It did not take long for these cells to resort to small acts of violence to further their agenda. It became apparent they needed formal training to be the soldiers they wished to be. With the Paoli’s own upbringing and the use of several paramilitary types, including Vance Wingfeild of Strike First, these businessmen were trained how to be cut throat in the boardroom as well as on the battlefield. Their actions soon came to the attention of the radical COBRA Commander who admired what they had accomplished though he knew little of it. He explained his grand ideals to the brothers and this intrigued them. In the maniacal machinations of this man’s mind the brother saw ample opportunity to amass wealth. They soon joined COBRA and brought their Crimson Guard with them.
The Crimson Guard found their acumen for business and law perfect for creating revenue streams to fund the COBRA cause. As the twins gained power in COBRA so did the guard. A faction of the guard, The Crimson Shadow Guard, soon began to serve as a secret police and investigative division within COBRA. Another faction, The Crimson Guard Immortals, gained the responsibility of providing security for high ranking COBRA officials. There is even a very elite and secretive unit known as the “Freds” who undergo plastic surgery to have the exact same appearance. It is said that these Freds have taken the face of COBRA Commander himself but no one dares to confirm or deny that. Many have speculated COBRA Commander did this to have a ready pool of body doubles. These Freds utilize the same combat armor the COBRA Commander does. It is thought that the current leader of the Freds, Fred VII even served as COBRA Commander for an extended period of time. Why the original COBRA Commander would ever cede authority is anyone's guess. They take the most sensitive under cover assignments and are not beneath further physically changing their appearance to acheive their goals.
Over time COBRA operatives such as Destro and the Baroness have tried to seize control of the guard but the Corsican Brothers have always wrested control back. Those who have sought to overthrow COBRA from the inside out have always been routed by the Guard. Much of the absurd ceremony of the COBRA organization stems from the Crimson Guard Influence.The guard remains very separate from the rest of the COBRA forces, most of whom they have deemed expendable and they have the actuary tables to prove it!

Crimson Guard Rank Structure:

Crimson Guardsmen (CG Figures Vers. 1,3,4,5,6,9,10,11,12,15): Rank and File Crimson Guardsmen serve as executive staff in the businesses COBRA owns. To be qualified for the CG a person must possess an MBA or law school degree and speak at least three languages. They are also required to maintain top notch physical condition and train on their weapon at least twice a month even while under the deepest cover.

CG Storm Troopers (CG Figure Vers. 7,16): In addition to the standards for a CG these assets are well trained military men who serve as the security for the CG business ventures. They often are academy trained officers from first world nations.

CG Horsemen (CCH Figure Vers. 1,2): These CG serve as couriers between the different EE fronts as well as the COBRA organization. They are skilled combat drivers and mechanics, CG Horsemen guidelines state that they can possess a degree in mechanical engineering or law/business. Part of the Guard’s military brigade includes an elite armor unit consisting of Crimson Guard, Horsemen and Immortals who wield the most technologically advanced armor in the entire COBRA force.


CG Squad Leaders (CGSL Figure Vers. 1): Project leads who also serve as line officers in the combat unit equivalent to Lieutenants.

CG Officers(CGO Figure Vers. 1): Often high level executives who are equivalent to Majors in the combat unit. These troops are EE employees who are often in working as “advisors” to the separate shell corporations like ARBCO industries and Broca Brothers Circus.

CG Commander(CC Figure Vers. 29,34): The CG Commander is the general in charge of the combat unit as well as the CFO of Extensive Enterprises itself. He holds a high position in the COBRA Hierarchy and very little is known of his true identity.

Python Patrol CG (CG Figure Vers. 2,14): These CGs handle the many clandestine laboratories EE maintains in the jungles around the world. They handle local government officials and have Shock Troopers, Horsemen, Squad Leaders and Officers of their own. Like other PP units the CGs uniforms have been specially developed to avoid electronic surveillance detection.

Desert CG(CG Figure Vers. 13): These CGs handle the many clandestine laboratories EE maintains in the deserts around the world. They handle local government officials and have Shock Troopers, Horsemen, Squad Leaders and Officers of their own.

Crimson Guard Immortals (CGI Figure Vers. 1,2,3): Made up of the most skilled military men within the Guard, most CGIs have covers in the high end private security firm under the EE umbrella.

The Fred Series (CC Figure Vers. 22,38): Given plastic surgery to look identical. Thought to serve as body doubles for COBRA Commander. Also take only the most crucial undercover assignments. In combat they don the same armor the COBRA Commander does. Led by Fred VII.

Crimson Shadow Guard (CG Figure Vers.8): Once a part of the Python Patrol Initiative the Crimson Shadow Guard serves as COBRA’s Secret Police/ Internal Affairs Division. Their diligence in duty has created an animosity in other COBRA units with the CSG.

CSG Storm Troopers (CG Figure Vers. 17): They handle the same duties as normal CG Storm Troopers but under the command of the CSG Commander.

Named Crimson Guard Members:
Tomax Paoli
Xamot Paoli
Professor Appel
Fred I
Fred VII
Scourge - South American Character (CGI)
CIA Agent Anderson - Marvel Comics
X-99
Cadet Deming
Mr. Queeg
Madame Umbra
Col. Calvin
Brian Hassle - CSG Sgt
“Watcher” CSG Specialist
Derek Sutherland - Crimson Guard NEO
Interceptor 3 - Crimson Horseman
Wendel Freen - Nexustech CEO - EE Front
Chip Goodfellow - North American Banana Monopoly - NAMB - EE Shell
General Gibbs – Former Juggler, Corrupt US Army General
Garrett Freelowe – state dept
Infrared
Odi Satori – Import/export expert

EE Business Fronts
Nexustech
NABM
Colossus Security – Cobra Military Front
International Humanitarian Aid Foundation – IHAF- Cobra Front
CobraNet – Online Trading Company
ARBco Holdings
Arbco Furniture
Arbco Bros. Cicus
Arbco Moving and Storage
Arbco Star Shipping
Naja trading
Broca Brothers Carnival
Orbac Moving
Robca Realty
Carbo Plumbing and Heating
The Carolina Cobras – Football 2k8 – Minor League Football team.
Fourth International Bank of San Francisco
Uncle Winken’s Hard Grape Soda Co.
YECH (Young Executives for Community and Home
"HOW TO BECOME FILTHY RICH FROM REAL ESTATE WITHOUT ANY CAPITAL OR EVEN BEING MODERATELY INTELLIGENT". A real estate seminar presented by "R.O.B.C.A. Realty, Inc.", and
"GREED IS GOOD FOR YOU". A seminar held by agents of Cobra that was in reality a means of recruiting new members to the criminal organization.

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My thinking is pretty much in line with Dark Jedi's.

Although I agree with Mysterious Stranger that making all of them look the same defeats the purpose.

Yet another figure that BEGS for Hasbro to have made a generic suit body. No, that Headman body doesn't count.