G.I. Joe Classified Series Cobra Officer review

I’ve managed to build up a pretty decent size Cobra trooper army in the Classified Series collection. Short of being able to stockpile more for $10, I think I’ve hit my max. Of course, Hasbro decided any worthwhile Cobra trooper army needed a Cobra Officer to echo Cobra Commander’s demands was necessary so naturally I needed to get him. But I’m pretty sure that’s going to be it…barring a Scar Face figure.

The trick with getting the Cobra Officer is the internal debate of if I have enough to have a squad leader of sorts and if so, shouldn’t I probably get two? These are the tough decisions of crazed Joe collectors like myself. Let’s see if the Officer meets the Cobra standard and is ready to lead the team into battle against the Joes.

Package: The packaging remains the same with this wave that also includes Spirit Iron-Knife and Storm Shadow. While the artwork has been kind of up and down, this one is more consistent with the presentation of the Cobra Infantry and Cobra Troopers with the Officer directing the troopers into battle.

The side panel features him on the ground as Night Ravens fly overhead. That’d probably make more sense for Vipers while Rattlers flew above the Officer, but I won’t quibble.

Despite their higher status, the Cobra Officers rank at the 1-star level in Leader, Light Weapons, Hand to Hand Combat and Sabotage. There’s no bio for the Cobra Officer on the Cobra character profiles page, but most of the bio for the Cobra Trooper could likely be applied to the Officers.

Cobra Troopers form the core of the Cobra forces. Their ranks are made up of criminals from around the world who have been drawn to their sinister hiss and dark message that is the Cobra call. Typically wearing masks to hide their identity, they carry out chaos-causing missions handed down from Cobra Commander, who they faithfully serve without question.  

Likeness: Interestingly, Hasbro switched up the part formula for the Cobra Officer, so he looks different from the Cobra Infantry and Cobra Trooper figures. The torso appears to have an overlay on the ribbed chest plate to give it more of an angular lightweight armor appearance.

The Cobra logo is perfectly centered like the previous ones, which creates the illusion that there’s no changes.

This overlay also allows for a strip to show off the rank insignia and the Officer has a new harness that’s more in line with the classic style for Cobra troopers.

The head, arms and legs are the same as the previous figures, but there’s enough differences that clearly shows the Officer is unique among the Cobra Troopers.

Paint: The Officer has the same shade of blue as the previous releases and the biggest change of course is the red being swapped out for silver in the Cobra logo, collar piece and rank insignia.

I can’t see how Hasbro could have gotten the detail of the silver Cobra logo any sharper given the very small space to work.

My figure didn’t have any paint issues. The main area that could be problematic is probably the eye area, but I haven’t seen that to be an issue with the Officers that I’ve seen on the pegs.

Back in the original Real American Hero figure line, the Cobra officers had silver harnesses. Hasbro decided to tone that down slightly and went with grey for the top portion of the harness and some of the pouches. The helmet does have a prominent silver V at the front so there’s no mistaking he’s the leader.

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Scale: The Cobra Troopers come in just a little shorter than your average…Joe without the helmet, which is ideal.

Articulation: No surprises here as you can get a ton of fun poses out of the Cobra Officer and as is frequently the case with the line, you might need to work the joints out a little as they are a bit stiff out of the package.

Cobra Trooper has:

• head
• neck
• shoulders (butterfly)
• elbow (double-jointed)
• wrist
• wrist hinge
• mid-torso
• torso
• waist
• hips (ball-jointed)
• drop down hips
• knees (double-jointed)
• ankles

Accessories: With each release we’re seeing Hasbro depart from the more futuristic weapons of the earlier waves in exchange for more realistic weapons.

That’s certainly the case with the Cobra Officer.

His main weapon is an AK-47 style machine gun with removable clips. You can also attach a laser pointer on the gun adding to its functionality and versatility.

 

Speaking of function, the Officer also comes with a Cobra backpack to fit the AK-47 in, which was a nice touch. The magazine and laser pointer can also be stored on the harness, so you don’t have to worry about losing the parts.

For short range combat, the Officer has a longer knife, which has a really nicely sculpted grip and a blade that looks like it would cause some serious damage.

He also has a submachine gun, which can also use either of the removable clips. I love that Hasbro includes so many weapons with the army builders as it allows for easy visual distinction and adds to the whole army sense of these figures.

Finally, he’s got what looks to be a modernized version of a broomhandle Mauser, a weapon that stopped being used in the 1960s. Cobra Commander likes niche nostalgia weapons.

The Cobra Trooper red armband gets reused and painted black and grey so there’s no question this is the Officer of the higher rank troops.

I kinda like that there’s a red armband for some and then the Officer has the top designation. It gives the troopers something to work for as they try to survive firefights with the Joes.

Worth It? The Cobra Trooper was part of the very short-lived $22.99 price point for these figures before they jumped up to $24.99. Ideally this line would have stayed at $22.99 a lot longer as that seems like a fair price for excellent figures with plenty of accessories, articulation and stellar sculpting.

Rating: 10 out of 10

I really like everything Hasbro packed into this army builder. Assuming we get some variations on this Cobra Trooper, Hasbro won’t need to make many changes to keep this one in heavy rotation for collectors.

Where to Get It? You don’t have to jump through any hoops to track down the Cobra Officer. He’s been available at Target and Walmart. You can also still get him from online retailers like Amazon and Entertainment Earth.

As an Amazon Associate and Entertainment Earth affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.