TBT -1987 Cobra Commander v3 Spotlight

For this edition of #throwbackthursday here on the ‘Port, I’m taking a look at one of my favorite figures from the ARAH era, Cobra Commander v3. Although later versions of this figure were available (1997 3 Pack, 2000s Comic Pack, Modern Era), this write-up focused on the first o-ring version and was originally posted early last year.

This version of Cobra Commander saw significant time represented in Marvel’s G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero comics and in DiC’s 30-minute cartoon, G.I.Joe International Heroes.

On the comics front, the Battle Armor suit was presented to Cobra Commander by a Crimson Guard, Fred VII. Fred would later steal the identity of and steal the role of Cobra Commander himself.

In Cartoons, Cobra Commander made his triumphant return Operation: Dragonfire, bringing G.I.Joe to the next generation of fans. From his mutated form in the G.I.Joe movie to the Commander we know and love, it was a lot of fun to see this version on the big screen, albeit as part of the rather-cringy DiC series.

1987 was such a fun year for G.I.Joe, with so many unique offerings; Cobra Commander v3 was most certainly one of them.

The Commander included a pistol (in black, I’m using a silver one here from the modern era release here), a back pack and a hose that connected to his helmet. What’s interesting to note is the fact that helmets-with-hoses were all the rage in those days, from Cobra Commander to Croc Master, Big Boa to Fast Draw. You can most certainly see why.

CCv3’s armor was silver, with a blue suit underneath, giving off that classic Cobra Vibe. His helmet had a raised Cobra Logo, which was all sorts of cool then as it is now.

All things said and done, the sample you see pictured above is literally the 5th time I’ve added this figure to my collection. I think it’s safe to say that I enjoy it just a bit.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little spotlight on a Series 6 offering. What’s your take on Cobra Commander in Battle Armor? Are you a fan or do you prefer a different look for CC? Share your thoughts in the comments, I’d love to hear’em!