I remember hearing a long time ago that Mutt was originally designed with the intent to be a Cobra instead of a Joe. I more recently heard that Beach head was another. Does anyone know or have any suspicions as to which figures released as a Joe may have originally been intended as a Cobra instead?

Sci-fi, Shockwave, Battle Corps Law, and Ice Cream Soldier all pop into my mind based on some of their design elements.

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Chameleon

If you want a Cobra who was meant to be a Joe, you have Scrap Iron. His body was meant for the character that became Alpine. You can still see the pitons sculpted on his leg. I have no idea why he became Scrap Iron or why Alpine was redone the next year. But, there is schematic artwork showing the original design.

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I'm fairly certain Sci Fi was a riff on Robocop.
Mutt was most definitely intended to be a Cobra initially. There are lots of sources out there to support it.

I've never heard of the Beach Head figure being intended for Cobra. Where did that come from?
And Mike T's bang on about Scrap Iron. Again, lots of concept and presentation art to prove it.

Although I have nothing to support it, my gut tells me Blowtorch was conceived as a Cobra, but quickly became a Joe early in the development process. Just knowing of what I do about the early Gijoe crew and atmosphere at Hasbro at the time as well as the process, it's just always sat with me that this was the case. The same could be said for Barbecue. I'm not talking about a fully sculpted figure that got an alternate paint scheme at the 11th hour and a new filecard; I mean, the concept was put on the table, rough sketches began, and the character morphed or developed over time into the Joe you know today.

Not related, but sort of - Nullifiers were originally meant to be in Cobra La.

Robo-Cop was released in 1987...filmed in 1986. "Filming began on August 6, 1986" according to wikipedia

Sci-Fi would've been designed in early 1985 to make his 1986 release date.

It just doesn't add up.

Concept art would have been started on the Robocop movie well over a year before the movie started shooting. It took 8 months just to fabricate the suit for Weller after he was measured.

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Also, here is a custom someone did of the pre-Scrap-Iron concept art for the NEw Orleans 2 Joe Con custom contest.

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I don't see Sci-Fi as a Cobra, or Shockwave, really.

Law -- maaaayybe.

Ice Cream Soldier, almost definitely, and some years later, WAS produced as a Cobra, the Shock-Viper, and it was an improvement for the most part.

Has anyone ever seen the concept art for Cobra Mutt? I'd love to see what they were thinking. Was he still going to be a dog handler or would he have had another discipline?

Show me some RoboCop deisgns that were widely known/circulated in 1985 or some info from someone who worked at Hasbro and I might buy it. Usually movie inspired GI Joe figures came well after the source material.

I feel like Sonic Fighters Psyche-Out was originally intended to be a Tele-Viper.

He was going to be a Cobra Dog Handler. Dan Klingensmith's "3.75 Joe" books have some concept art.

Are there any that went the other way? As in, designed as a Joe but became a Cobra?

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Thanks for the help and info! The Scrap Iron as a Joe is one I hadn't heard or seen before!

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Agreed. It doesn't really make sense unless someone can show a through line.

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