H.E.A.T. Viper

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, in many cases in the world of G.I. Joe, accessories can make or break a figure. In the case of Duke ‘00 his lack of them kept him from being my favorite figure in the line. In the case of Downtown they were a main reason I included him in a profile. With this case, they aren’t the only thing I like about this figure, but they help!

1989 was an impressive year for Cobra troops. There were many of them available, and including the Iron Grenadier subset, most of them were quite well done! I’ve already covered Night Viper and Alley Viper, and now I’m going to tackle another one. The often-ridiculed H.E.A.T. Viper.

Why this guy is ridiculed is beyond me! Sure, he’s got bright colors, but that mold is one of the highlights of the late eighties. The insulated uniform with substantial padding, the assorted straps and pouches and holsters, and the spots on the ankles for his spare missiles. This guy just screams “watch out!!”. His helmet is very well sculpted as well, looking quite sleek and modern, but also very functional. But the greatest thing, is H.E.A.T. Viper just gets better from there!

This figure stands out in a crowd, plain and simple. His bright colors, while offsetting to some collectors, fit him perfectly. He’s like a walking warning sign, the perfect way to drive down enemy moral. You see a squad of yellow and purple trudging towards you, you’re going to head for the hills!! Even though Hasbro tried to mute his colors somewhat for the second release (a little more subdued…green and black) it absolutely pales in comparison to this one. He’s a walking tank!

Then, we have the accessories. In my mind, these are just a bonus. The figure is plenty cool on his own, but throw that backpack, all those mini-missiles, and the honking rocket launcher on there, and this figure rules the shelf!! Combine all the elaborate hoses and wires, and he is truly a force. Having a squad of H.E.A.T. Vipers is cool…having a squad of COMPLETE H.E.A.T. Vipers is just downright scary!!

1989 will always stand in my mind as one of the last great years for Cobra…even though there were plenty of good offerings after then, ’89 just plain had the most to offer in the ways of troop builders and nicely detailed figures. I can only hope I’ll see another year like it soon.

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