1989!
Figures from Python Patrol are not in.
Let everyone know what figure you like best (and please explain why)!

http://www.yojoe.com/action/89/

Tim 121RVC

T.A.R.G.A.T., just ahead of Night -Viper. T.A.R.G.A.T. was futuristic then, and is closer to realistic now with his wing.

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This is a tough one for me. Alley Viper and Night Viper both came out that year, but Alley Viper's superlative version was still 3 years away, so i'll go with Night Viper. Just so useful in so many roles.

Alley Viper over Gnawgahyde

Alley Viper is the only army builder from this year that works for me

Man, really hard to choose between the Alley and the Night; but I hadda go with the Night. I really do dig the orange-n-blue 'I double-dog dare ya to shoot me, I can take whatever you can dish out' attitude inherent in it; but the 'Yellowjacket' version to come shortly after is the better fig. So, NightViper it is.

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i'm going out on a limb and predicting that this race will boil down to the Alley Viper and Night Viper

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Absolutely no contest here whatsoever for me -- NIGHT-VIPER. He became and has remained one of my top personal favorite Cobra troopers of all time.

Alley-Viper is cool, but there were other color schemes for this one I liked better.

I think Night Viper blows the rest away by so much that there really isnt much to discuss about this one.

Night Viper for me as well.Great concept,great sculpt,great accessories.

In second place would be Alley Viper,and in third would be the Frag Viper. An excellent year for Cobra.

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I was this close to picking the Night Viper but went with the Alley Viper.

Both are among the best figures ever. I came to appreciate the Night Viper many years later. Went with the Alley Viper because I liked him longer. He was one impressive figure. A cobra Viper who was intimidating to behold. His file card added to his toughness. Before I got him most of my nameless Cobra never injuried a Joe. The Alley Viper was shoving his shield breaking people's faces ever since.

I went with Annihilator. I couldn't help it. I absolutely love that figure. Night Viper is an okay figure, I really don't get the huge draw to that figure, same for this year's Alley Viper (everyone hates neon colors? coulda fooled me ). The 93 AV was still the best of this character. I think the majority of these are great toys, so it was tough, but I just love the Annihilator's backpack copter thing.

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I'm a big fan of most of the '89 army builders. Back when Joes were cheap, it was easy to get lots that had almost the entire '89 run for about $1 a piece: complete with filecards, too. As such, '89 is my largest vintage army building year. But, like everyone else, I had to go with Night Viper, too. As a mold, I think the Alley Viper is superior. But, the colors could be improved. I think the first Night Viper was perfect and not a figure that could be substantially improved upon. So, he gets the nod.

Plus, the only Joe figure I bought between 1988 and 1994 or so was a Night Viper that I picked up at a Kohl's store in 1990. I looked over the full range of '88's and '89's (Kohl's discontinued their toy section in that store in '89 so they had no new figures.) and settled on the Night Viper. So, that nostalgic slant works in his favor, too.

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I was the weirdo who picked the Frag-Viper. Sure he wears a tight, orange jumpsuit with a baby blue sash but his helmet is so evil looking. Its insect look coupled with the hard steel form make it one of my favorite head sculpts of all time. I also really like the Frag-Viper’s main weapon, that strange grenade lobbing toy. It’s so unconventional yet practical. Not only could I see something like this being used but it also can actually deal out death in three ways, the most obvious being what it was designed for: hitting people in the head with ‘splosions. Then there’s that automatic weapon that’s built into it. I don’t even know why the frag-viper needed a machine gun to go along with his primary weapon when he already has that little attachment. Lastly, that thing is hooked. He could probably slash a Joe up pretty badly with that. Despite their strange looks and unconventional weaponry, I’d say that Frag-Vipers are one of the most dangerous and lethal units of the Cobra organization and sheer awesomeness of the helmet negates the really bad colors.

Alley Viper.
Fantastic mold, gun, backpack and shield. His colours are bright, OK, but I always see them walking around places that are on fire, due to their brutal actions.

Second place is shared by Night-, Frag-, Heat-Viper and Gnawgahyde. All cool figures with a bit extraordinary look or weapons, but which I think awesome. And I also like their specialties.
Actually, the only figures I didn't like from this year are Wild Boar and Track Viper. And Darklon's pants.

Tim 121RVC

I expect a few more votes, but for now Alley Viper is one vote ahead of Night Viper!


Tim 121RVC