Way back in Wave 2 we got our first glimpse of Hasbro’s repaint action at work. In Wave 1 we saw the Neo-Viper, and then one wave later, we were introduced to the Neo Viper Commander, a repainted N-V with a new head sculpt and red paint job. The new head was pseudo-Crimson Guard in appearance, but the rest of the figure was all Neo Viper, which when he didn’t have an O-ring, wasn’t necessarily a good thing. While definitely the best scaled early figure that I can think of, he was still lacking the crucial component that separates G.I. Joe from pretty much any toyline out there.
So what’s the big deal with Neo Viper Commander? Honestly, I’m not really sure. The figure is essentially the same, only in red, with the exception of the head. But the head really makes it stand apart from his pack-in partner. Using the Crimson Guard head as an obvious basis was a wise move, because it really makes this sculpt stand out as a leader. We’re used to seeing the CG’s in positions of authority, so having a Neo-Viper with this head really makes sense. It makes him appear more powerful than his blue-colored underlings. Add that distinctive head sculpt with the color of his uniform, and it seems obvious these figures are meant as some sort of intermediate step between the Neo-Viper corps and something higher in rank. Being as these guys appear to be genetically engineered troopers, though, I’m not really sure where they could be expected to go from here.
There is also a big discrepancy as to whether or not the N-V Commander is a trooper or a single character. The filecard seems to indicate singularity, and the CLAWS Commander is obviously a character. But the fact that this figure is packaged with another troop figure with “Troop Builders” proudly proclaimed on the package seems to strongly indicate he’s meant to be a squad leader of a sort, perhaps falling under another person of higher authority. Actually, I’ve been considering taking my Wild Weasel head and putting it on one of these Neo-Viper Commander bodies and making him the supreme Neo-Viper Commander who leads all those underneath…but that’s just a small thought in my head right now.
The mold is sleek, but modern…it looks very nice. His arms, like the regular Neo-Viper, still retain that strange positioning, which is great for weapons firing, but lousy for anything else, which is a downside. But overall, the figure’s look, and his cool red coloring really make him stand out nicely. Sure, these days EVERYone is coming out in red colors, but the NVC did it before it was fashionable. ;) Plus, unlike the Wild Weasel, the red of these guys is very dark and muted, and it looks very, very nice.
Partnering this figure with the regular Neo Viper was a great idea, and I must say that this is probably my near-favorite pack of the wave, probably only barely outshined by the Alley-Viper/Viper pack. These figures are really neat, and wear their O-rings well and I think they’ll find good places in anyone’s Joeverse.
Way back in Wave 2 we got our first glimpse of Hasbro’s repaint action at work. In Wave 1 we saw the Neo-Viper, and then one wave later, we were introduced to the Neo Viper Commander, a repainted N-V with a new head sculpt and red paint job. The new head was pseudo-Crimson Guard in appearance, but the rest of the figure was all Neo Viper, which when he didn’t have an O-ring, wasn’t necessarily a good thing. While definitely the best scaled early figure that I can think of, he was still lacking the crucial component that separates G.I. Joe from pretty much any toyline out there.
