Spy Troops Wave 4 (Wave 7.75) - COBRA Commander
Back in Wave 1, this COBRA Commander was the best darn thing since sliced bread, even without an O-ring. Sure the shoulders and arms were huge…the hands were oddly positioned…but still, he was a cool figure, nicely detailed with an aura of badness about him that just rang true. Of course, this greatness was all when compared to the rest of the Wave 1 figures, which, well, let’s face it…after seeing Waves 2-9, Wave 1 looks pretty sad.
Unfortunately, this figure did not really stand the test of time, though, even though only a year or so has passed. Even when retrofitted to the O-ring in Wave 3, the figure looked kind of odd. Large, overly sized shoulders and very skinny legs just do not mix. Hasbro still had a hard time combining detailing with slim, proportional molds when this figure was made, and it kind of shows.
With smaller arms, the figure almost works…Tim uses a pseudo-custom with smaller arms in his Terror Dio-story and it works pretty well, but still the figure falls somewhat short. And you know why this figure does fall so short? Because with the Wave 8 COBRA Commander just hitting within the last month or so, this figure simply cannot compete.
The Battle Helmet CC has always meant to be an “action version” of COBRA Commander. He wears the helmet in battle (hence, the nickname “Battle Helmet”… ;) ) and saves the hood for milling around COBRA HQ. Well this new COBRA Commander easily fills both of those voids. He has the helmet, but is regal enough for regular functions as well, and pretty much makes this version completely obsolete. If the figure was slimmer and more in proportion, I’d probably really try hard to find a place for him in COBRA’s ranks, but as it is, even with the new darker paint scheme, I’m not sure I can do it.
I do have to say, the new paint apps are appreciated, though. CC has always looked cool and striking in black, ever since 1993, and it seems that Hasbro has gone out of their way to do blue and black versions of every CC to date. This keeps up with that tradition, and the blue/black paint apps look great…unfortunately, they’re on a somewhat substandard (by today’s standards) figure.
As it is, the figure isn’t bad, really…just mixed in with Wave 5, 6, and 7 figures he looks somewhat out of place. If you need some extra B.A.T. troops, pick this one up if you need to, although the B.A.T. isn’t different enough from Wave 7 to deserve a special purchase.
