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08-20-2020, 12:33 PM | #11 |
US military family
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Fort Campbell, Kentucky
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Quote:
This is usually how I think of it. Though, in addition to the private terrorist cells, Cobra also has its toes in organized crime, as well as comprising multiple large PMCs that fight for the highest bidder when not actively doing the Commander's bidding (which are part of the "standing army"). I'd estimate somewhere north of a million, but many probably aren't aware that they're working for the organization (low-level gangsters, revolutionaries, and the like).
Do you know who else has armed forces which number just a little north of a million? The Russian Federation. COBRA lacks the agricultural lands and resources to sustain that many people within its organizational structure. The entire United States Marine Corps numbers approx. 175,000 and even with our economy it was announced in March of this year that we will reduce the USMC by another 12,000. Perhaps the best way to measure the estimated size of COBRA is to look at the size of the counter force assembled to match that threat (whether that be G.I. Joe or Special Action Force).
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08-20-2020, 02:55 PM | #12 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,404
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In the cartoon Cobra Commander says he has an organization of over 10,000 men. That may seem small, but that is closer to what I always imagined for Cobra. As of the 2017 numbers there were 1.3 million total active service members in the U.S. armed forces and 800,000 reserve members. Cobra would be no where near that.
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08-20-2020, 03:08 PM | #13 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: VA
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The chart that I quoted at the beginning of the thread from IDW's the Cobra Files says there are about 250,000 Cobra Troopers, 7,500 Vipers, and 3,000 Crimson Guards.
That makes sense to me, particularly if you consider the Troopers and Guards aren't always deployed as soldiers. Some are just techs, administrators, supervisors, and other cogs in Cobra's criminal moneymaking machine. The cartoon even shows blueshirts serving as scientists in several episodes.
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08-20-2020, 04:44 PM | #14 |
US military family
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Quote:
The chart that I quoted at the beginning of the thread from IDW's the Cobra Files says there are about 250,000 Cobra Troopers, 7,500 Vipers, and 3,000 Crimson Guards.
That makes sense to me, particularly if you consider the Troopers and Guards aren't always deployed as soldiers. Some are just techs, administrators, supervisors, and other cogs in Cobra's criminal moneymaking machine. The cartoon even shows blueshirts serving as scientists in several episodes. It made me laugh, and I thought it was only a joke for comic fans, but now I'm starting to think that you actually took that chart seriously.
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... freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it and then hand it to them with the well thought lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same... - Ronald Reagan |
08-20-2020, 04:49 PM | #15 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: VA
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Quote:
I don't read IDW comics, but I don't think the chart's numbers are any more out there than people saying Cobra numbers in the low thousands or the millions. The infrastructure needed to deploy the amount of equipment and man the number of bases shown in the cartoon suggests Cobra is many times more numerous than any real world terrorist organization. But your mileage may vary on how "realistic" you want the universe to be. I will note that the Helicarrier deployed by Cobra in several episodes would require several thousand men to crew just on its own.
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08-20-2020, 05:20 PM | #16 |
Bill Cosplay
Join Date: Feb 2014
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Not if it's a Tesla, man. ;)
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08-20-2020, 06:29 PM | #17 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Iowa
Posts: 4,254
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No number answer from me.
In the cartoon they seemed bigger as the series progressed. Temple bases all over the world and such, a rec center in the polar regions, etc. Post GI JOE the movie, they seemed lessened, which is why Operation Dragonfire they face off against a smaller GI JOE team led by Slaughter. In the comic they started small but well funded, like most of Springfield was Cobra, and it looked like a town of at least 10,000. Maybe bigger? Later with Cobra Island, Cobra seemed to grow. Took some lossed in the civil war, but later they had enough men to invade some desert country. Then near the end run of Marvel ARAH it seemed Cobra was just a bunch of oddballs who'd follow CC around the world, with skeleton crews at whatever paltry possessions CC managed to hold. Let's take Destro's silent castle and leave 6 people there! Cobra Island? Abandon it! (Even though its occupancy is required to have that consulate in NYC) The rest jump into copters and follow CC to where ever. In my mind Cobra's size was how ever many figures I had. That's what I prefer. You couldn't do that with other toy villains. No way the Galactic Empire is a dozen guys. But Cobra, could be a dozen guys if you wanted. |
08-21-2020, 01:12 AM | #18 |
Iron Grenadier
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 536
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Quote:
I find some wisdom in all of your words above except your estimation of “somewhere north of a million”, which seems a little too high in my opinion.
Do you know who else has armed forces which number just a little north of a million? The Russian Federation. COBRA lacks the agricultural lands and resources to sustain that many people within its organizational structure. The entire United States Marine Corps numbers approx. 175,000 and even with our economy it was announced in March of this year that we will reduce the USMC by another 12,000. Perhaps the best way to measure the estimated size of COBRA is to look at the size of the counter force assembled to match that threat (whether that be G.I. Joe or Special Action Force). |
08-21-2020, 02:24 AM | #19 |
Commando
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Britain
Posts: 3,825
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