[DarthBrett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by THEDARKONE508

wild weasel was the only one i would have thought wasnt a trooper.

And Copperhead

[CapBritain]

When I was a kid, I thought everyone was a troop builder bar Wild Weasel, the Dreadnoks, Destro, Firefly, Scrap Iron, CC, Baroness, Storm Shadow and Major Bludd. Including Copperhead because I didn't have the Moccasin, the ads for it in the UK didn't make it clear he was a unique character and when he appeared in AF Weekly it wasn't clear there, then (as I mentioned before) we had two guys in the same uniform as him in an AFM issue and so I thought they were, like, a lower-rank of Lampreys or something.

[Toffeeman]

Ever since reading those issues on BFTB,I've used my 25th as Copperhead,then the old ones as troop builders.

[THEDARKONE508]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarthBrett

And Copperhead

and copperhead.

[firmpulse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by THEDARKONE508

Unique just like the aero viper that piloted the condor. Not everyone has a black goatee.

But, all Rock Vipers had to grow a Selleck 'Stache. Part of the uniform.

[IzzyTipsy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by firmpulse

But, all Rock Vipers had to grow a Selleck 'Stache. Part of the uniform.

Are they wearing short shorts underneath?

[DarthBrett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IzzyTipsy

Are they wearing short shorts underneath?

Eff yeah they are! And Detroit Tigers caps to boot, the lot of them!

[Josh Z]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarthBrett

I never did, but a big part of that was also because there were no Vipers until 1985's Tele-Viper.

Speaking of which, how odd is it that the Tele-Viper came out a year before the regular basic Viper?

Hasbro must have been planning the whole "Viper" roster as early as 1985. Did the basic infantry Viper get pushed back for some reason?

[Yeet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh Z

Speaking of which, how odd is it that the Tele-Viper came out a year before the regular basic Viper?

Hasbro must have been planning the whole "Viper" roster as early as 1985. Did the basic infantry Viper get pushed back for some reason?

Pretty sure they saved the viper for 86 as that year was in many ways a refresh/soft reboot of the brand. A new roster of characters that replace the old crew (Hawk’s return to replace Duke, Serpentor replacing CC, Leatherneck replacing Gung Ho, Dialtone and Breaker, Wetsuit and Torpedo, Mindbender and Destro, new Dreadnoks, the list goes on and on). Even the card art explosion, the file cards, and the GI Joe logo changed. The viper replacing the trooper as well as the cobra soldiers having the viper suffix is probably the most distinct representation of this change.

[J James]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toffeeman

Some kinda stupid statist thing.

What does that mean?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yeet

Pretty sure they saved the viper for 86 as that year was in many ways a refresh/soft reboot of the brand. A new roster of characters that replace the old crew (Hawk?s return to replace Duke, Serpentor replacing CC, Leatherneck replacing Gung Ho, Dialtone and Breaker, Wetsuit and Torpedo, Mindbender and Destro, new Dreadnoks, the list goes on and on). Even the card art explosion, the file cards, and the GI Joe logo changed. The viper replacing the trooper as well as the cobra soldiers having the viper suffix is probably the most distinct representation of this change.

Super interesting. I've never viewed it that way before.