GI Joe Classified Series Cobra CLAW and Cobra Pilot review No. 152 (2025)

The Cobra CLAW, or Covert Light Aerial Weapon, was one of the signature Cobra vehicles. Back in the Real American Hero days, it was one of the cheaper vehicles, so a lot of kids had at least one. It was showcased in the final act of the iconic GI Joe #21 as Scarlett used it to aid in her and Snake Eyes’ escape from Destro’s castle. Then in issue #24, Storm Shadow flew it to rescue Cobra Commander from GI Joe custody.

And of course, in the cartoon, Cobra Commander used the Cobra CLAW to lead the ambush against the Joes in Revenge of Cobra. The highlight for it was during the greatest movie opening act ever as Cobra Commander piloted the Cobra CLAW in the second phase of the attack at the Statue of Liberty in GI Joe: The Movie.

There are a ton of iconic moments for the Cobra CLAW, so this was a must-have vehicle for me. Let’s see if it delivers and flies high or needs to get dropped back down to the bottom of a vending machine.

Packaging: Hasbro used a slim large box like the ones used for the RAM Cycle and the Trubble Bubble. That’s long enough to show the Cobra CLAW in close detail while checking out an elaborate Easter Egg-filled background. The Cobra CLAWs are flying away from what looks like the original GI Joe Headquarters.

A second CLAW is flying off towards the window while a third is flying off with what looks to be a stowaway — Snake Eyes. In the distance is a C-130, which was what Snake Eyes used to hitch a ride when he dropped in on Destro’s castle.

To the right in the open window is the Cobra Pilot. I love that the retail Classified Series vehicles retain that classic look from the RAH line. The wider left side has the QR Code that continues to just go to the generic Shop.Hasbro link along with a portrait of the Cobra Pilot strapped into the Cobra CLAW and her skill stats.  The right side has the full color version of the artwork showing the Cobra Pilot aiming her UZI. This is No. 152 in the line.

Over on the back we get a wide portrait of everything included in the package along with some close-ups of a few parts of the Cobra CLAW that needs to be attached.  There’s a clearer look at the Cobra Pilot’s stats.

She rated a one star in light weapons, fixed wing pilot, stealth and aerial combat.

Likeness: The Cobra Pilot doesn’t have a lot of reuse. She does utilize the Cobra Valkyrie/Scout’s head and torso, but she has newly sculpted arms and legs that establish she’s wearing a flight suit with paneled sections on the inside and outside.

In a cool additional touch, she’s got a small, flared collar. These are those little details that take the Classified Series line to the next level. Additionally, she’s wearing a new harness with tall pouches and what looks to be a communication rig on the left side.

On her right wrist, she has a navigation readout with a tampo of the terrain on the horizon.

This is a terrific extra aided by the accent blue and red to sell that it’s functional.

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Scale: The Cobra Pilot is the same height as the Cobra Scout. I’m probably going to keep her on my shelf’s “Cobra airfield” with the Cobra Rattler and Rattler Gunner.

Paint: The Cobra Pilot has a traditional Cobra color palette with the midnight blue and black combination with some red accents. Again, the CS team offers your choice of having the pilot as a black or white woman.

Both head sculpts are nicely detailed with the silver accents framing the red mask with a little bit of runoff from the mask spilling onto the skin section.

Her Cobra logo is clean. The wiring of her comm device coils along the left shoulder strap. There is some minor issues with the grey paint spilling off the thin wiring sculpt.

Articulation: Similar to the Cobra Scout, the Cobra Pilot has smooth articulation. Hers is somewhat restricted thanks to the harness, but the idea is for her to mainly be situated in prone positions piloting the Cobra CLAW not so much going toe to toe with any of the Joes.

Cobra Pilot 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: Just in case you have other Cobras in mind for the Cobra CLAW, the Cobra Pilot has plenty of gear. First is her helmet.

To help differentiate her from some of the other Cobras, her helmet is painted red with a silver V in the center.

In addition to the swappable portrait there’s a third option — one with a rebreather and opaque googles.

That’s the vague option in case you don’t want to commit to the pilot being any specific race.

Next is her weapons. She’s got a small pistol with a silencer attachment for stealth missions. Additionally. she has an UZI for a more chaotic scene. Finally, she’s got a submachine gun with silver and red accent colors.

Now it’s time for the main attraction — the Cobra CLAW.

The original design still holds up, so the Classified Series team didn’t have to do a complete overhaul. The CLAW aesthetic is set up like a king cobra. Note how when it’s in an upright position the head area fins curve out like the crown section, the harness strep looks like a snake’s out mouth and the bottom resemble a snake’s fangs? Maybe it’s just me?

Most of the Cobra CLAW is already assembled. You just have to attack the flaps/ailerons and last segment of the tips on the wings. It’s got two jets for its propulsion and four retractable wheels so you can lay it flat.

The CLAW isn’t a lightweight piece, but it’s properly balanced so if you want to position it upright, you can have a figure standing with it so long as you use the included stand. That’s very smart design. Additionally, it’s got two venom missiles to drop down when a bigger target is in sights.

For strafing runs, the CLAW has a roof mounted 2000 RPM 7.6 mm machine gun that rotates in a realistic manner. You can also attach the two exhaust bursts to the nozzles.

Since it’s a smaller vehicle, there’s no sticker sheets to place. All of the stenciled lettering is already painted on. The engine exhaust nozzles are painted in silver while the rear brake lights are red.

Worth It? The Cobra CLAW and Pilot were $54.99, which is an excellent deal considering a standard Joe figure is $24.99.

Rating: 10 out of 10

The Cobra CLAW and Pilot set are a great deal providing a terrific spotlight on an essential Cobra vehicle with a fun new troop builder added to the Cobra army.

Where to Get It? The Cobra CLAW was a Hasbro Pulse exclusive, but is currently listed as sold out.

You can get the GI Joe 50th Anniversary Cobra CLAW set with Duke vs Cobra Commander from GI Joe The Movie at Amazon.

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