Okay… this is what G.I. Joe Convention exclusives are all about.  It seems like ever since 2007 all we’ve been doing is wading perpetually through endless rehashes of vintage figures, combing the tiny, dark corners of G.I. Joe history to try and find something redeeming about isolated pockets of Real American Hero that we can mine for modern updates.

As much as I love 1990, I still question the need for an updated Sub Zero, and in fact, even within the context of this convention set, I questioned the decision to resurrect DeeJay, especially at Collectors’ Club steep pricing.

A guy like this one, though?  COBRA Corrosion?  I’m all in favor of stuff like this.

Mostly because it explores a pocket of history that many domestic G.I. Joe collectors still haven’t properly explored and have no exposure to.  I was legitimately shocked at just how many fans, many of whom are long time G.I. Joe members of the online community, had no idea what the inspiration was behind COBRA Corrosion.  They had never come across Corrosao, the Brazilian repaint of DeeJay that belonged to Eco Force south of the border.

But it occurred to me then that not all of these long time fans lived in a world where there were no domestic G.I. Joe releases.  At all.  Like anywhere.  No Collectors Club, no Toys “R” Us exclusives, no statues, no high end 12″ figures.  Not. A. Damn. Thing.

During times like that, fans gravitated towards things they hadn’t explored yet, like foreign figures.  So for the Club to dip into that well, as they so often do, is a much appreciated aspect of these Convention Sets, and with DeeJay a part of this set already, it just made so much sense for them to bring Corrosao to the table.

At the core, this figure is the same as DeeJay, using the same parts and the same head sculpt, with some color tweaks to better resemble the foreign original.  This all makes perfect sense, considering the figure was a DeeJay repaint back in the day.

However, the Club does something interesting an gave Corrosao a different piece of chest armor, electing to go with the Nitro-Viper one rather than the Techno-Viper one that DeeJay had.  It changes things up a bit and gives him a little variety, which is a cool idea to establish him as a different character.  With the same modern parts allowing for the same great range of motion and sculpting as DeeJay, this figure feels like a win on all levels.  Even the colors are unique and fun.

Accessories

Another place they changed some things up in comparison to DeeJay was with the accessories.  Marketed as a gas trooper, they included a grenade launcher with Corrosion (Hardball’s Grenade Launcher which caused a roar of celebration among Joe fans who have longed to explore yet another super obscure corner of previously unwanted G.I. Joe mythology) as well as a Rise of COBRA laser rifle.  The weapons selection is nice, and it’s cool to see Hardball’s grenade launcher again.

COBRA Corrosion is another previously foreign exclusive that the Collectors Club is working into the more mainstream G.I. Joe universe, which is something I’m always a fan of.  Some of my favorite figures from last year’s set were Black Vulture and Flying Scorpion, I just love seeing these foreign figures in a domestic setting.  Nice job on this figure, and the ultimate enemies 2-pack as a whole.