Target COBRA Island exclusives– the gift that keeps on giving!
Just as I was feeling settled from the scramble to get Roadblock, Beachhead and COBRA Trooper, suddenly there was another focus of collector fury – The Baroness with COBRA C.O.I.L. Motorcycle. While I’m thrilled to see key characters like this appearing early in the line, I can’t help but wonder if these characters truly are well-served as exclusives. Somehow I feel confident that The Baroness will appear in single-carded format somewhere along the line.
I was very fortunate, however, that my friend Ben kindly helped me acquire this figure very early in its release schedule, and I couldn’t be happier he did!
First and foremost, I love the character of The Baroness. The fact that she plays such a huge role in the COBRA hierarchy is awesome. She’s a persistent, pervailing force in G.I. Joe and COBRA continuity, and a cornerstone for the mythology.
Early art for The Baroness showed some slight differences to the overall design, which I think has led folks along the path that we’ll see a single-pack release at some point, but while we wait for that event, I think this version is a fantastic supplement. Some might even prefer this one to the upcoming version.
DESIGN
The Baroness has a very familiar look and feel, as she has always had since her first figure release in 1984. While in the comic and cartoon she started off in a more blue jumpsuit look, once the layered black armor took over, the character really seemed to take off, and that has been a hallmark of her appearance since then.
The G.I. Joe Classified line takes that look, yet adds some really interesting and unique twists, the changes subtle enough to not dramatically alter her overall look, but significant enough to add some really nice, high quality flair to the figure. First and foremost, as with the other figures I’ve reviewed in this line, the larger scale of these figures allows for some very interesting sculpting textures.
Thanks to that sculpting, you can see what appears to be a sort of chainmail underlayer with armor plate on top which is a great look for the figure and also allows for some slight paint variations.
Another really cool touch is the snake-themed shoulder armor, which is a small change, but a really fun and interesting one, giving her a bit more of that snake-themed super-villain feel.
Rather than a simple painted on logo as well, The Baroness has actually raised, sculpted COBRA sigils on her breastplate, her belt, and her wrist guards, each of them painted a vibrant crimson color to add more striking differences to the overall figure.
What really impresses me about this figure, too, is her head sculpt. She’s got a stoic, determined look, and the way her separately sculpted glasses are situated over her eyes, yet attached to her head gives her a fantastic, three dimensional look.
Along with the base sculpting, there’s a great cross-strap belt (with dual holsters at the small of her back), and a leg strap with knife sheath at her left thigh. Both of which hold removable accessories (which I’ll talk about below).
Top to bottom, this figure is truly spectacular from a design perspective. Very reminiscent of the classic model, but with just the right new touches.
ARTICULATION
As with Scarlett, Baroness does suffer from limited articulation, one would imagine mostly due to her more slender sculpted limbs. It’s likely a result of form restricting function, which is unfortunate. I love the removable cannons that come on the motorcycle, but with her limited elbow mobility, she cannot hold them very effectively.
Beyond her elbows, she’s got decent articulation, with double joint knees, rocker ankles, swivel thighs, wrists and forearms, plus great ball joint shoulders (and her shoulder pads are somewhat flexible, allowing for additional range of motion). The hair does limit how well the exposed head can raise chin-up, but it’s not a significant issue.
ACCESSORIES
Man, The Baroness has some great accessories.
When I was thinking about this review, I was trying to figure out how to approach the C.O.I.L. motorcycle. Did it deserve it’s own place? Or is it, effectively, just a large accessory?
I decided to land on the accessory aspect, though I fear my labeling the motorcycle as an accessory is a disservice to how cool it is. Yeah, that’s right. I love the COBRA C.O.I.L. I’ve seen quite a bit of hate online about the bike, but I think it’s a ton of fun.
Its sleek shape, thick tires, functional front axel, plus the removable cannons on front are all awesome touches and make for a really fun, COBRA-themed vehicle and I, for one, love that it’s included here. I never would have really pictured The Baroness as a biker sort of character, but the artwork on the box has convinced me otherwise, and I love its inclusion here.
Beyond the C.O.I.L., The Baroness comes with some other really neat gear. She’s got a second head, complete with motorcycle helmet, so you can replace her haired head with a covered one, or also put the helmeted head on another figure (like the COBRA Trooper) to have them use the bike as well. Along with the head, she comes with twin golden pistols, a snake-themed dagger, and a really awesome serpent gun, with a flexible snake shape that wraps around her arm and allows her to hold it like a pistol. Very, very clever.
So, yeah. I really, really love these accessories, and yes, that includes the C.O.I.L.
PRESENTATION
Again, Hasbro bits the ball out of the park with the package presentation. The artwork on the box (courtesy of Craig Drake) is gorgeous, and does an awesome job portraying The Baroness as a speedbike riding bad ass. I dig it, big time.
CONCLUSION
A cornerstone of the COBRA ranks, awesome new details, fantastic accessories and a key overall addition to the G.I. Joe: Classified line. Baroness checks all the right boxes.
General Gallery
G.I. Joe Classified Baroness (Special Mission: COBRA Island)
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Sculpting
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Paint Applications
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Articulation
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Accessories
Summary
You can’t have G.I. Joe or COBRA without The Baroness, and Hasbro manages to not just get us our familiar COBRA Intelligence agent, but to also add some fantastic new twists. Love this figure and love her motorcycle, too.
Pros
Cons
SWEET !