Sideshow Collectibles 12" Cobra Throne - Guest Review by Mysterious Stranger
Regular readers of my reviews know that I think Sideshow Collectibles is really hitting it out of the park with their G.I. Joe line of 1/6 scale figures. They have all ranged from great to outstanding with not a single dud in the line so far. What I haven’t touched on though is their forays into 1/6 scale environments. The first release was the Recon at Waypoint 12 diorama, a corner of a bombed out building that came with a 1/6 scale Timber. While it would have been very nice to have a Timber to go with Snake-eyes the price point and nature of the environment kept me away. It’s a great looking piece but I just don’t have the room for 1/6 scale dio pieces. However I have made an exception for the piece I’m reviewing today… the Cobra Throne Environment.
The Cobra Throne is a large, dynamic piece that has all the design elements you’d expect in a chair made for Cobra Commander. From the stone steps base to the large gold hooded head of the cobra this piece is one I couldn’t pass up. It is a truly magnificent piece that really adds a lot of depth to my display.
Let’s start our look at the Cobra Throne with the packaging. The first thing you’ll notice is that the box is huge. Measuring 20 inches tall and over a foot wide, the box gives you a good idea how big this piece is. The graphics are similar in design to what we’ve seen on the figure packaging with nice photos of the Throne shown from a few different angles. As this is just a simple box the story and details of the Throne are printed on the back and take the form of a brief sent by General Hawk. As a diorama piece I really wasn’t expecting any kind of write-up but Sideshow continued their attention to details like this and presented a nice story behind the Throne.
The Throne comes packed inside a 2 piece styrofoam box that holds the Throne securely. It’s just as collector friendly as the plastic trays the figures come in and makes for a nice way to store the Throne.
The Throne comes in two separate pieces, the base and the Throne itself. Made of a polystone or resin of some kind the pieces are quite heavy. The base is sculpted to resemble a stone pedestal resembling the castles where Cobra Commander frequently set up shop. There is a simulated red carpet sculpted on the front that runs up the steps and stops under the Throne. The carpet is “held” in place on the steps by two gold bars mounted to the steps. These are made of plastic and appear to have been added to the base at some time during production. The base is painted a nice deep gray with black wash that brings out the sculpted stone detail and the red carpet is a nice contrast to the gray stone.
The bottom of the base has the G.I. Joe logo, the Cobra Throne logo, hand written edition number and “fine print” as well as the felt pads that keep it from scratching or getting scratched.
The Throne sits on the base and is held in place by strong magnets. You can slightly adjust the angle of how it sits on the base but the magnets don’t give you much wiggle room for the positioning. I really like this feature as it allows both pieces to be displayed separately as well as together. The overall size is about 16 inches high with the Throne on the base and the base is about a foot square.
The sculpting detail on the throne is amazing. The snake head motif is exactly what you’d expect someone like Cobra Commander to have made. There are scales sculpted all over this piece, from the snake head at the top, down through the inside and back of the hood and along the outsides of the armrests. While not realistically accurate to real snake scales, the shape and texture is what you’d likely see in a snake themed throne.
The paint work isn’t incredibly detailed but it’s all very well done. The primary color is gold and it is all evenly applied and has the right amount of metallic shine to give it that regal look. The few details that are painted accentuate the sculpt and add to the look of the piece. There is some royal blue outlining the different textured areas of the snake hood that breaks up the gold without detracting from it. The eyes snake heads are painted red and the fangs are done in silver adding depth to the piece and really make it pop visually. The seat cushion is painted in the same red as the carpet runner on the base and ties the two pieces together.
Overall the Cobra Throne is a great piece and looks incredible with the figures. The level of detail and quality of the sculpting and paint make this piece worth the price, which isn’t cheap. If you’re a casual fan of this line then the Throne isn’t a must have. But if you have a Cobra Commander, the space to display it and the funds to afford one then I highly recommend getting the Cobra Throne. Four and a half stars.
GRADE: 
