Lamprey

Throughout its inception, the 25th Anniversary line tried to do a couple of different things, and it did them with varied success. In some cases, the designers seemed interested in replicating the exact look of the original figures as closely as they possibly could. However, in other cases, it almost seemed as if they were making attempts to improve upon the originals, make them more interesting, more modern, and with a more dynamic look. It's obvious that they took the latter approach with Lamprey, and I think they did a pretty good job at it.

The fandom was a bit confused about how this Lamprey would end up looking, considering an overseas source had shown a black and red version with a totally removable helmet. This one, however, has a sculpted helmet with just a removable semi-transparent faceplate. I love the idea, and I think it gives the figure a very cool look.

Chosen for the base figure this time around was the tooling initially done for Snow Job (with the exception of the torso), which has since gotten use in many different forms, and it's fairly successful here. It's odd to see a water based figure not sporting Torpedo's look, but honestly, I think this works, too. Lampreys spend much of their time on board the Hydrofoil or in the motor pool, so it makes sense that they wear more all-purpose clothing than someone like the Eel. The base figure gives them decent range of motion and articulation as well.

It's the weapons and secondary gear that really separate this figure from the original. His machine gun looks much the same, but he also comes with a pistol to compliment it...it's a Luger looking weapon that fits in his holster quite well. The coolest part of the figure, though, is his vest...no longer is it a simple life jacket, it's now a full on aqua-capable scuba vest with an impressive amount of intricate detailing throughout. Lamprey also now has a backpack for the first time with a pair of two hoses that lead from the pack to the back of his helmet. This seems to approximate an air supply for those unfortunate times when he finds himself in the drink without a full blown dive suit.

I think I almost prefer it when the Anniversary figures make attempts to improve on the originals rather than just replicate them, and Lamprey does that pretty darn well. The base figure is quality, the accessories are all really nice, and the figure works on a lot of different levels. I really like this one. It's not the showcase of the COBRA set, but it's a worthy addition, to be sure.

Buy this set at Big Bad Toy Store!

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