1992, same as the year before: still some solid figures apart from the springloaded weapons and some colours.
Figures from Ninja Force are not in.
Let everyone know what figure you like best (and please explain why)!

http://www.yojoe.com/action/92/

Tim 121RVC

This is the year where great molds really suffer from bad coloring. The Firefly and Flak Viper are great molds, but suffer from less than great colors. Headhunter is a close second for me, but the figure still isn't perfect. The one figure from '92 that is pretty much spot on is the Air Devil. The figure is distinctive and has colors that harken back to Wild Weasel. So, he gets my vote.

_________________

Has to be the Flak Viper. Just an interesting figure to me.

Air Devil and Ninja Viper are cool as well

I went with the FLAK-VIPER. Only really completely new Cobra Trooper on the year (other than Air Devil), and an interesting design. I've always liked the helmet.

HELI-VIPER is also cool, even if cobbled together from Snow-Serpent, Night-Viper, and Techno-Viper parts. The end result and the color scheme is still different enough from any of his "originals" to be distinctive enough.

I didn't feel I could vote for the HEADHUNTERS in good conscience since technically, they weren't Cobras at the time. However, this was an extremely cool figure and further proof, along with the Iron Grenadier and the Cobra Viper, that the "basic infantry" bad guys always seemed to get cool designs.

Although based on the original Storm Shadow mold, I really liked the NINJA-VIPER. For one thing, he had a more Cobra-sounding name than "Night Creeper". I wish I had more of these guys around.

My biggest gripe on the year -- DESTRO. Ye gods what was up with that thing? Too short, horrible headsculpt, and was he hiding a parachute in his collar? This figure was like a parody of the 1983 Destro, and I hate parodies.

Tough choice. There were a lot of great concepts for Cobra that year.

Destro-collar too big.

Flak-Viper-fairly decent idea.

Firefly-used for a different character.

Eel-used a Cobra BUGG crewmen instead of an Eel.

Headman-meh

Headhunters-awesome design. thought they were refugees from some obscure 80s band.

Toxozombie-great follow-up to the Toxo-Viper. Bonus points for that.

Air Devil-nice design. gets my vote.

Heli-Viper

Ninja-Viper

_________________

Ugh, the Flakie is the absolute worst design of any COBRA troop ever. WTF is with the Tarzan one-shoulder leotard and low-water pants? Seriously, I took the head out and threw the rest of it away. Complete "LASER BLAST" figure.

I went with the HeadHunters, altho the Air Devil is a close second. The FF sculpt is pretty dang cool, it just needs a better darker paintjob and a new character's name.

_________________

My vote went to Air Devil. In a time where figures were being molded in bright neon, his color scheme managed to look good and his sculpt wasn’t over the top sci-fi like other figures from this era.

Toxozombie! Hell,even if you didn't use him AS a zombie,he was a great HasMat casualty.

_________________

This was the year I got into Joes HARD, because I went independedt right before graduation and spent my own money on joes.

I griped about cobras this year....though.


Headman would have been a great Criminal figure, if it wasnt for the stupid Lone Ranger mask he was wearing....OOOH! Criminal with a mask.

Same problem with headhunters,... Just not convincing as Drug dealers. The Dreadnoks seemed more convincing...

Flack Viper was a GREAT idea,.. with bad colors. would have been PERFECT in black. I keep a few for perimeter defence.

Toxo Viper was a cool... yet wierd figure..... reminded me of my hatred of Zombies...

Aid devil looked cool, but I never got my hands on one... Same deal with Heli-viper


just couldnt get past the EEL's colors. only picked up one.

and this was the firefly modl I just hated. It was almost like someone stole his name... and what was with the "Evil Top" he came with?

lastly, I loved the ninja viper, ordered 2 from the mail away,.. but by the time It came in the mail, I had left Boston to go to Pittsburgh for college,.. and never saw them,...

_________________

For me it was the ninja viper.
I had never had a SS V1, though I later got a V2 in 88 or so.
There was just some sort of mystique about the V1 mold that I had to have, plus double blades looked really Bad A$$.
1992 was a perido where I was "growing up" I had joined the army, turned 21 the year before, and I was putting toys behind me. Who would have thought that nearing 40, I wish I had gotten all of them and kept them, and actively searched for the ones I missed, or had left behind now.

_________________

a zombie, hello,

_________________

1. Headhunters. Great figures, one of the first figures I started to army-build. A bit mysterious, but "serious business" look. And that shotgun that fits in the backpack is certainly a winner! But I don't use the Headhunter-theme as a druggang, just as a professional crime organisation that works / has business with Cobra. No drugs involved!

2. Ninja Viper. A figure I still have to add to my collection, looking for it for a couple of years now (for a fair price ofcourse!)
3. Air Devil. Decent colours for this year. He gives me the idea of night ops. Cool look.

Tim 121RVC

...two words... TOXO ZOMBIE!

He's a zombie...made from toxic waste..... Nothing tops that!

_________________

I still like the 1992 Firefly. Mot people can't get over the idea that he looks different, as evidenced in this thread. As if these guys are going around in one outfit their entire lives?

In better colors, subdued as opposed to replaced, he looks great:


His storyline in the tail-end of the Marvel run was part of it's infamous ninja-fied downfall, but his intro was truly awe-inspiring. It gave Firefly a backstory, a motivation, made him a villain to be reckoned, *and* made him a "ninja" without putting him in a gi and giving him a sword.




And it was funny!

Sadly, that well-meaning "next-gen" ninja malarky got thrown out the window the very next issue, but if you take that template, and apply it to the 1984 Firefly, it makes perfect sense why he's never been seen entering or leaving a target zone. He's got training in stealth and misdirection. He employs smoke bombs and hallucinogins to conceal his movements, but he embraces new technology to get the job done.

Sounds like a perfectly logical evolution of the character.