First presented in 2017, this set is a custom/kitbash companion/rival set for G.I. Joe "Original 13" of 1982, done in 25th and 30th Anniversary style. This set has gone through numerous iterations over the years, but settled down to its current incarnation in 2017. I originally wanted these to stay true 25th construction, but the price/availability of Dollar General figures in 2013 (and those terrible 25th Trooper arms and hands) changed all that.
This started as one of four 13-figure 25th Anniversary sets I originally wanted to complete and display when the line got rolling back in 2007-2009. This Cobra group was set up to display next to my G.I. O13//OG13 set and takes a lot of cues and inspiration from those figures to fill out the group.
Picture below is from 2017. I think only the Cobra Guard(s) have been tweaked since.
Front: Trooper, Comm Officer, Dr. Venom, Commander, Baroness, Field Officer, Trooper.
Back: Guard, Air Trooper, Machine Gunner, RPG Trooper, Flame Trooper, Guard.
gCobra_25th_86-82_2017-0704d by HissHissFangFang, on Flickr
Early iterations of this group had the HISS driver as well as other figures like the Cobra Diver, but I felt those guys weren’t 1982 enough, so they go booted out. Another iteration had many more duplicates to better reflect how this set would have been assembled by us kids back in 1982 (if we had the money) and also stay true to the Hasbro and Collector’s Club pattern of including duplicates to fill out large sets. But I had some figure ideas I really wanted executed as shown, and Hasbro figures like the Cobra Air Trooper really fit well here. Still, even when creating a new figure, I wanted to maintain a figure build and color uniformity to all--similar to the first 1982 Joes as a set (that’s what I absolutely love about the Joe O13). Plus the final set still includes duplicates of the Trooper, Guard, and Heavy Weapons Trooper.
Below taken last December, mirroring my current Joe O13 display. But my actual Cobra O13 display currently is part of a larger Cobra Shelf Display, comprised of six 13-figure sets. More on those in other threads.
gCobra_25th_86-82_2018-1209ab by HissHissFangFang, on Flickr
gCobra_25th_82-00_2018-1209af by HissHissFangFang, on Flickr
Uploads to the gallery from this set will be flagged in this thread. Also, please post any comments or questions for those figures in this thread. Thanks for looking!
