Yeah... because I believe Hasbro when they say they don't plan to release hooded Cobra Commander I just went ahead and ordered the Fresh Monkey Fiction... err... I'm sorry... the Big Bad Workshop figure that comes with that blue hooded head.   

I figure I can swap it on to Cobra Commander when I'm feeling frisky.    The head comes with a blue business suit body so can also be that very thing aceofknaves is talking about.

Yeah, I ordered the Soldiers of Fortune guy and I have a hooded head from eBay on the original Classified CC, but I want an official Hasbro one.

What I *really* want is a comic book style/Talking Battle Commanders/Battle Corps CC in the fancy dress uniform with the boots and braids and such, in blue and also in black. That’s my absolute favorite look, and it goes back to the first issues of the comic book.

OH! And SAW-Viper just showed up on my doorstep from entertainment earth! Guess I’ll take a break from stressing about whether or not everything is going to burn down around me by having ol’ Sawsy go GTA on some Joes.

Posted by: @docsilence

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@ru1977 ROARED laughing. Yep. Right there. Time is a flat circle.

Haw!!!! Nice. And thank you! I was proud it came to me.

Posted by: @docsilence

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But the rank and file? I bet they get a lot of disaffected folks. Real world mercenary work pays WAY better than legit military work. I bet their rank and file are mixture of "I like to make money and play with guns" and guys who would shoot up a pizza place to break up a... well, we know that story. I bet a lot of the Cobra rank and file don't even like each other. 

These ideas are definitely very similar to concepts I've been using in my file cards. I really try to explore some of the dynamics, loyalties, and collaborations that might occur within the organization.

@aceofknaves I don't know if hooded CC is my most wanted figure right now, but if they had him out when I first started collecting, I wouldn't have bought the helmet version at all. Yes, the boots, the braids, all that please. I would take blue, but black actually is kinda cooler.

@docsilence Yeah, Buzzer is easily my favorite of the Dreadnoks as well.

@panthercult, Hasbro actually said they wouldn't produce a hooded Commander? I didn't know they'd ever actually commented on it. 

Though Hasbro seems to have moved on from it, I'm a Wavec1 CC loyalist. And this remains the best version of the hooded head for that design and color scheme. 

I'd like to make some effort to duplicate that if I find out the BigBad SoF hooded head fits on him.

I mean -  Hasbro is still a corporation out to make money,  so odds are if they determine that sales numbers for a hooded Cobra Commander will be good enough to offset any potential bad publicity from their hooded villain figure on retail toy shelves then they'll change their minds and make it.    I'm just not patient enough to wait for that potential outcome.

Honestly the reticence seems a little silly to me anyway -  since the hooded figure is clearly the evil bad guy is it really problematic?    Are kids playing with Cobra Commander and wanting to emulate him?   It's silliness employed simply to avoid a bad sound bite on the evening news (or whatever new media moms consume these days... TMZ?)

Thanks for the heads up on the third party alternative. I ordered that Soldiers of Fortune guy too. Even in a suit, he works as CC, maybe just needs a cape or cloak of some sort. If they ever make a new one, I'll just retire him into the same storage box that Valaverse Sgt Slaughter and Articulated Icons Storm Shadow reside in.

Posted by: @panthercult

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Honestly the reticence seems a little silly to me anyway -  since the hooded figure is clearly the evil bad guy is it really problematic?    Are kids playing with Cobra Commander and wanting to emulate him?   It's silliness employed simply to avoid a bad sound bite on the evening news (or whatever new media moms consume these days... TMZ?)

Absolutely agree it is silly. And YES I actually do think the reticence is about folks “emulating” CC: like I believe the literal fear is that some redhat will get on TikTok or something and go “thanks Hasbro for giving this rad fascist strong-man toy which clearly shows you love and support our agenda of ‘anything not like us is bad’! The South will rise again!! Like and subscribe!” 
Which . . . I get, but shit man you could do that with an Emperor Palpatine toy. I really do think this is a case of Lorenzo de Bonaventura making an offhand comment about CC’s hood looking like a KKK hood (it doesn’t, but sure) and everyone kinda overcorrecting to the perception. And, again, I get it: confusing actual bad guys for “good guys” is like the American Way these days. But, ultimately, I think hedging around “bad guy” tropes and/or “sanitizing” bad guys doesn’t do much good, and in fact tends to lead to that “hey bad guys aren’t so bad” ethos that has some folks saying “the Joker is literally me”. I’d prefer to stare evil in the face than sweep it under a rug.

That said: I think none of this is quite that serious, ultimately. The hood controversy is a nothing burger, and I hope Hasbro clears that hurdle soon. 

The problem with any kid who emulates this guy:

is not rooted in action figures.

It's clearly the satanic messages in 80s hair band music.

But yeah, I struggle to see the issue with a bad guy resembling (to some) actual bad guys. Unless you assume some Cobra members are 'good people'.

I'm surprised they haven't done this one as a figure:

I'd actually get that figure and just have him be another character.

With the hood... I don't want this figure, but I always remember this one panel from the comics showing when CC was first starting Cobra, so I always equate it with first-stage Cobra Commander.

Posted by: @panthercult

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...Are kids playing...

We could just boil down the whole discussion to this...are kids even playing with toys any more?  Are kids playing with $25 G I Joes in 2025?  Like it seems very rare that any kid would be playing with Classified other than kids of collectors.  

Anyways, they should just make it a Pulse exclusive if they're so worried and call it a day.  I really, really want that puppy-kicking Cobra Commander.  He looks so cool!  (not kicking puppies just in general)  (I swear I don't kick puppies I have a spoiled boxer boy)

@vicious7171 Good point. I imagine there are some who do, but it's gotta be a serious minority for Classified buyers. it's gotta be mostly pale, pudgy dudes in their 40s-50s. Like me.

Also, I agree about that puppy-kicking CC being ideal, and have never kicked a puppy either. Or a dog of any age really. I have a spoiled mostly-Aussie Shepherd myself. The worst thing I do to her is probably over-snug.

If they ever do a new character that comes with a mostly-Aussie Shepherd, you will see me going utterly apeshits on this thread.

I REMEMBER that panel! He really is a POS of a human, isn't he. They've never fumbled on that with CC. 

I remember Hasbro being hesitant to make Red Skull for similar reasons for a long time and they ended up making a couple of pretty decent ones not long ago (the green jumpsuit/yellow glove Skull was very comic book-y) and they SUPER avoided making the atrociously named Holocaust figure for ages and the renamed Nemesis version of him is going up for preorder in like, 20 minutes. So they do change their minds. 

Puppy Kicking Cobra Commander as a Pulsecon exclusive would make them some money. Give the puppy full articulation, a little flight stand to send him sprawling, then set that figure up with Mutt, Junkyard, Law, and Order all closing in to absolutely kick CC's *** six ways to Sunday on the display shelf. 

I wonder if they can just put a label on the package of any controversial action figure, ages 18+ or 21+. Then just release Cobra Commander or German soldiers for Indiana Jones to punch, or Red Skull or Savage Land Rogue or whatever. Sure, make them Pulse exclusive or something, but then you don't have to worry about marketing to children if they're meant for adults.

Include a Mutt with one bare foot, completely unable to find that shoe for some reason.

While I don’t think a general release of hooded CC is that big a deal, the only thing I can think of that may give Hasbro bad press is where he will be available in the toy aisle which is still silly to me. Classifieds and retro are still in the kids/boys section. It probably wouldn’t be a problem if they stick him on the collector’s section or just be online store exclusives. 

Oh and btw, not all people who kick dogs are evil. Just know there are some actual nasty dogs out there that will attack you for doing nothing and you gotta defend yourself one way or another. And now you know, and knowing is half the battle. Lol. 

I just got this head and a toy inspired gun/backpack set in from an Etsy seller (Mark2Design) yesterday.

Currently sold out, but worth keeping an eye on if it's of interest.