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Cobra!

Featured here are the forces of Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world. Every significant character featured in the toys and comic series is pictured here, with few exceptions. Two hundred and fourteen characters appear, making this by far the largest drawing accomplished by this author (the verb "accomplished" is not used lightly).

Appearing in this picture are:

Cobra High Command

The Cobra Commander, Storm Shadow (Thomas S. Arashikage, the Young Master), Dr. Mindbender, Dr. Mindbender's clone, the Baroness (Anastasia Destro, née de Cobray), the Crimson Twins (Tomax and Xamot), Cobra Emperor Serpentor

Senior Commanders of the Cobra Legions

Overlord (Mikhail Derenko), Wild Weasel, Copperhead, Cesspool (Vincent A. D'Alleva), Overkill, Over Kill (Robert Skelton), the CLAWS Commander, the Neo-Viper Commander, Armadilha, the Interrogator, Slice, Dice, Neurotoxin (Victor Lehmkuhl), Gristle, Guillotine, Razorclaw, Sky Creeper, Scalpel (Andrew R. Walker, MD), Big Boa, Venomous Maximus

Junior Commanders of the Cobra Legions

Satan, Slice, Slash, Shadow Strike, Rip It (Fredd T. Booth III), Vypra (Ann A. Conda), the Vypra twins (Vypra and Vypra), Coil Crusher, Dr. Cassandra Knox, Dr. Venom, Crimson Guardsman Jones (Professor Appel), Crimson Guardsman Fred II (Wade Collins), Crimson Guardsman Fred VIII (the impostor Cobra Commander from 1987 to 1990), Crimson Guardsman Fred XXIII, Asa Negra, the first Croc Master, the second Croc Master, Raptor, Crystal Ball, the Paine Brothers (DeSade, Torquemada, and Crispo), Scar-Face, Black Out (Thomas G. Stall), Grim Skull, Gallows, Ghost Bear (Jesse Kwinn, Jr.)

The Cobra Legions

Surface Forces: Cobra/Cobra Trooper/Cobra Infantry Trooper, Cobra Night Watch, Python, Stinger Driver, Cobra Officer, Cobra Night Watch Squad Leader, Python Officer, Viper, Python Viper, Combat Light-Armored Weapons Specialist (CLAWS), Battle Android Trooper (BAT), Battle Android Trooper v2/Inferno Battle Android Trooper (BAT v2/Inferno BAT), Battle Android Trooper Mark III/Battle Android Trooper v3/Battle Android Trooper v3.2/Battle Android Trooper II v3.2 (BAT Mk III/BAT v3/BAT v3.2/BAT II v3.2), Battle Android Trooper v.4 (BAT v4), Battle Android Trooper v.5 (BAT v5), Battle Armored Android Troopers (BAAT), Frag-Viper, Flak-Viper, SAW-Viper, Tele-Viper, Incinerator, Shock Viper, Neo-Viper, Night Viper, Shadow Viper, Pit Viper, Laser-Viper, HEAT Viper, Fast Blast Viper, Cobra Imperial Guard, Crimson Guard, Python Crimson Guard, Crimson Shadow Guard, Crimson Guard Immortal, Crimson Guard Commander

Motorized/Mechanized Forces: Motor-Viper, HISS Driver, Track Viper, Weapons Ordnance Rugged Machine Specialist (WORMS), Coils, Nitro Viper

Air Forces: Air Viper, Air Viper Advanced Class (AVAC), Aero-Viper, Heli-Viper, Gyro-Viper, Air Devil, Night Vulture, Vapor, Strato-Viper, Star-Viper, Astro-Viper

Naval Forces: Eel, Lamprey, Moray, Electric Eel, Hydro-Viper (Demon of the Deep), Sea Slug, Snow Serpent, Ice Viper, Decimator, Secto-Viper

Special Forces: Snow Wolf, Desert Scorpion, Sand Viper, Sand Scorpion, Desert Combat Light-Armored Weapons Specialist (Desert CLAWS), Alley-Viper, Razor Trooper, Range-Viper, Rock-Viper, Swamp-Viper, Swamp Rat, Jungle Viper, Toxo-Viper, Toxo-Viper, Sludge-Viper, Heavy Water

Ninja Forces: Arashikage Red Ninja/Red Ninja Viper, Ninja Viper, Ninja Trooper

Other: Hannibal Reborn, Name Your Own "Create a Cobra," Medi-Viper, Medi-Viper, Tele-Viper, Cobra RTO

Military Armament Research Systems (MARS)

Destro (James McCullen Destro XXIV), Voltar, General Mayhem (Vladimir P. Mayhemovski), Darklon, Alexander McCullen (the impostor Destro in 2001), the Mistress Armada (Lilian Osborne), Sergeant-Major, Scrap-Iron, Metal-Head, Wraith (Charles Halifax); Clan Destro Highland soldier, Iron Grenadier, Iron Anvil Trooper, Annihilator, Undertow, Ferret, Wild Boar, Nullifier, Trans-Atmospheric Rapid Global Assault Tropoer (TARGAT)

Dreadnoks

Zartan, Zarana, Zandar, Zanya, Buzzer (Richard Blinken-Smythe), Ripper (Harry Nod), Torch (Tom Winken), Monkeywrench (Bill Winkie), Thrasher, Road Pig (Donald DeLuca), Zanzibar, Gnawgahyde, Demolisher (Sukko Torngark), Crusher (Roberto K. Rivera), Burn Out (Walter O. Jones), Heartwrencher, the Dreadhead cousins (Roscoe [Maximilian Q. Wesson], Cletus [Terrance W. Wesson], Vance [Cornelius E. Smith], Otis [Theodore I. Smith], Joe-Bob [Winston P. Smith], and Billy Bob [Horatio T. Wesson])

Mercenaries

Night Creeper Syndicate: Aleph the Night Creeper, Shin the Night Creeper; Night Creeper

Black Dragon Syndicate: Black Dragon; Black Dragon Trooper, Black Dragon Ninja

Independent Contractors: Major Bludd (Sebastian Bludd), Firefly (the Faceless Master), Cobra Mortal, Kwinn the Eskimo (Jesse Kwinn); Blackstar, Coil Trooper, Skull Squad Trooper

This is in fact every type of Cobra, MARS, Dreadnok, Night Creeper, Black Dragon, and independent mercenary to have appeared in the RAH line (not counting subsequent redesigns), as well as most of the characters to have appeared in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and G.I. Joe: America's Elite, with seven exceptions. Golobulus, Pythona, Nemesis Enforcer, the Cobra-La Royal Guard, Bio-Viper, Monstro-Viper, and Toxo-Zombie are not included (strictly speaking, as Pythona never had an action figure, she is not an exception). The Evil Headhunters, Shadowlaw, Red Shadows, IRON Army, and SKAR are also not included.

It should be noted that the picture is not 'in continuity' -- it cannot have actually happened. It includes some characters who were never active at the same time. Dr. Mindbender, Voltar, Raptor, Fred VII, the first Croc Master all died in the landlocked freighter ArbCo. Star in 1990, but still appear alongside others like Cesspool (joined Cobra in 1991), Dr. Cassandra Knox (joined in 1994), Dr. Venom (died in 1984), Professor Appel (died in 1986), Dr. Mindbender's clone (active from 1993), and the second Croc Master (active from 2005).

A much larger version of the picture is available here. Questions, comments, suggestions, &c. are welcome.

Wow. How long did it take you to draw this? (I'm guessing several hours.)

I could be mistaken, but when I was a kid, I do not recall cobra necessarily being a "terrorist" organization. It seemed to me like this more started after 9-11. Of course I never was that much into GI Joes, so I could be wrong.

EDIT

But that is a cool drawing!

wilfulton wrote:I could be mistaken, but when I was a kid, I do not recall cobra necessarily being a "terrorist" organization.

Think back to the intro of the old cartoon, Cobra is identified as a terrorist organization

Sidewinder wrote:Wow. How long did it take you to draw this? (I'm guessing several hours.)

The first three characters (the Cobra Commander, the Baroness, and Dr. Mindbender) were penciled in January. Most of the individual characters were finished by late February, while it took the past four days to finish the various soldiers (much of the time was actually involved in obtaining the right reference shots for their character designs).

wilfulton wrote:I could be mistaken, but when I was a kid, I do not recall cobra necessarily being a "terrorist" organization. It seemed to me like this more started after 9-11. Of course I never was that much into GI Joes, so I could be wrong.

The description of Cobra as "a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world" originates from the theme song of the original G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero miniseries (now known as The Mass Device) in 1983. Especially noteworthy is the fact that the Cobra Commander himself -- by then known as "Old Snake" -- remarks in 2006 that "they simply don't make terrorists like they used to" in the 1986 Transformers episode "Only Human." Cobra has always been described as a terrorist organization, albeit a strictly professional and non-ideological one (in contrast to their British predecessors, the fascistic Red Shadows).

Who is the guy offset from the middle just down and right a tad? He's above a guy sporting huge glasses with a mustache and goatee. The one with the Darth Vader helmet but Mortal Kombat ninja mask? (like Scorpion or Sub Zero)

Cause that's fucking awesome. It's like when they made Sub Zero a wannabe Shredder knock-off, only this guy has like a military-like General's jacket too.

edit: this guy

That is the Combat Light-Armored Weapons Specialist (CLAWS) Commander, a 2003 release. The shoulderboard (displaying a Cobra version of a British major-general's rank insignia) isn't an authentic part of his uniform, but the rest is taken directly from the figure itself.

I like it! You went to a lot of detail to get this right, and that's a mark of a good artist.

Sweet

SNiff COOL!

Where can I get a poster of this drawing?

I like

VICTORY TO COBRA!

Zor