Head: 1982 Cobra Soldier cast
Torso: 25A Hawk
Arms, Legs: NS Kamakura
Goggles: ROC Para-Viper
Backpacks: ARAH Lady Jaye cast
Rifle: 1984 Spirit (Accessories Pack)
Push molds from various NS and ROC figures


Design:

In Marvel Comics' GI Joe #1 there were two Cobra Soldiers providing security within the command area. They wore upgraded uniforms compared to standard soldiers. The uniforms were a bit bulkier and had eye protection and shin guards (and possibly forearm guards depending on how one interprets the artwork).

The 1982 Cobra Soldier head is huge and isn't the best choice for a straight modern era figure. However, using it with these hybrid ARAH/Modern Era/NS figures allows them to display next to standard ARAH Cobra soldier figures. Using the same head helps the security detail figures appear as large-framed athletic types, the most likely to get an assignment as important as protecting Cobra's Commander-in-Chief. The HISS Driver head would have been even closer to the design, but it shows no indication that a human is in the costume instead of a robot or an alien.

This is the first time I've used parts from all three eras of figures at the same time, at least on a large scale. The Kamakura legs work perfectly for the design, and the matching arms keep continuity with the armor. If only the hands were slightly larger. The Para-Viper goggles fit perfectly over the ARAH heads. They're worn perched on the helmets to show the eyes and face of the great ARAH design.

The Snake-Eyes web gear used for the push molds is a bit more complex than what was drawn, which helps showcase these two as being a few notches up from the standard Cobra soldier. The first choice for the rifles would have been The Baroness '84 rifle, but I only had one. To stay with a similar bulky/early 80's feel, I used two of the '84 Spirt rifle despite the impractical dart round design. The completed figure is based on the Marvel artwork, but also looks close to the Devil's Due uniforms worn by Cobra soldiers.

Colors & Paint:

Based on the comic book. Most of the Cobra soldiers and officers were shown wearing red masks under their helmets. These were shown as blue, though that might be because they were simply background art. I went with one blue padding and one black padding, staying away from red masks on both.

Because the Kamakura legs don't have clearly delineated boots, only the soles are painted black. This has a bonus of making the security detail uniforms look even more specialized. The color scheme for the padding was thrown open to a vote, which black won. But the blue had a much stronger showing than I would have anticipated, so I made one of each.

Without the ability to print a waterslide Cobra decal, the figures simply lack the logo.

Sculpting & Modifying:

The head cast was made. The arm sockets were widened to accept the NS arms. The useless mid-torso articulation gap was filled. The web gear is largely scratch built, using multiple push molds from different figures and webgear. The arm pouches (and the huge Lady Jaye backpack) were added to balance out against the huge ARAH heads.

Thanks for looking.

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