 Following this year's theme of sub-teams, we're looking at Python Patrol, which we haven't done in a long time. That means I can wear my Pythonized shirt, which will render me invisible for the entire duration of this video. Oh, forgot to turn it on. Meow. Invisible! Hello everybody, Python Cobra Commander 788 here. This is the show where we review every vintage GI Joe toy from 1982 to 1994. This week we are continuing with the theme for the year, sub-teams, and we are looking at Python Patrol. Python Patrol was a special team within Cobra that was equipped with stealth suits and vehicles. This week we are looking at the Python Trooper. I always get this mixed up with another action figure. It's a reissue of an older figure, the Cobra Officer, but for Python Patrol, they used the Cobra Officer for the Python Trooper and the Cobra Trooper for the Python Officer. They switched them. Pythonized HCC 788 presents the Python Trooper. This is the Python Trooper, the Python Patrol infantry from 1989. This figure was introduced in 1989 and was also available in 1990. It was discontinued for 1991. This is the only version of the Python Trooper in the vintage era, but it is not the only version of the Cobra Trooper. Python Patrol was a sub-team of Cobra. They featured special Pythonized uniforms and vehicles that made them invisible to radar and infrared detection. All Python Patrol figures were reissued figures with updated colors. The new colors usually included a lattice pattern that was meant to signify the Pythonized uniform. The pre-production name for Python Patrol was Wraiths. The Pythonized uniforms were referred to as Wraith suits. I like the name Wraiths, but Hasbro probably wanted a name that was snake-themed for Cobra. Most Python Patrol figures were just renamed as the Python version of the original release. Not so with the Python Trooper. The original Cobra Trooper was introduced in 1982 with an update in 1983 to add articulation. The Python Trooper did not reuse the Cobra Trooper mold. Instead, it reused the mold from the 1983 release of the Cobra Officer. The Python Officer reused the mold of the Cobra Trooper. So they swapped molds. The officer became the trooper and the trooper became the officer. This is confusing, at least to me, because I keep calling the Python Trooper the officer and the Python Officer the trooper. That's not the only problem with the Python Trooper. He is also redundant. The Python Trooper is the infantry for Python Patrol, but Python Patrol had another infantry trooper, the Python Viper. The Python Viper was a recolored version of the 1986 Viper, which was an infantry trooper. This mold was used one other time before in the vintage era for the 1984 Cobra Stinger Driver. Let's take a look at the accessory. As with the Cobra Officer, the Python Trooper included only one accessory, the AK-47. The accessory is based on the real-world AK-47, a Russian assault rifle. It's a good likeness of that weapon. I assume the AK-47 was chosen because it was a famous weapon used by an enemy of the United States at the time. The original Cobra Officer accessory was dark gray. The Python Trooper's AK-47 is straight black. At least this one is. There is a variation on this accessory. Some Python Troopers had AK-47s colored white. I don't have that variation. There is an off-white version of the rifle that came with the 1986 Battle Gear accessory pack, and the variation for the Python Trooper looks similar to that. There's a controversy about this rifle. Because it's a general assault rifle, some collectors believe it's better suited for a trooper than an officer. Yet it was originally issued with the Cobra Officer. The Cobra Troopers were given sniper rifles. That may have been better for officers. In the pre-production artwork, Ron Rudat clearly gave the AK-47 to the officer. There was no mix-up. If you would prefer the trooper rather than the officer to have the assault rifle, the Python Patrol version fixes that. Let's take a look at the articulation for the Python Trooper. He had the articulation that was standard for GI Joe figures by 1983. The year this mold was issued. So he could turn his head from left to right. He could swing his arm up at the shoulder and swivel at the shoulder all the way around. He had a hinge at the elbow that allowed him to bend his arm at the elbow about 90 degrees. He had a swivel at the bicep that allowed him to swivel his arm all the way around. The figure was held together with a rubber O-ring that looped around the inside. That allowed him to move at the torso a bit. He could move his legs apart about so far. He could bend his leg at the hip about 90 degrees and bend at the knee about 90 degrees. Let's look at the sculpt design and color of the Python Trooper. And as mentioned before, he entirely reuses the mold of the 1983 release Cobra Officer. On his head, he has a black helmet with a chevron on the front. He has a black mask that covers nose to neck. I always thought the chevron on the helmet was the designation of an officer in the Cobra ranks. But here the Trooper has the chevron. His chest features a dark red collar, a green shirt with yellow lattice pattern, light gray web gear with straps on the front and the back. There's no Cobra emblem on the chest. They replaced that detail with the Python Patrol lattice pattern. His arms feature green long sleeves with that yellow lattice pattern, unpainted rings around his wrists and light gray gloves. His waist piece is a base black plastic color with a light gray belt, a circular belt buckle and some small pouches. His legs feature black trousers with a light gray dagger on the left leg and light gray straps around the left thigh and tall light gray boots. Let's take a look at Python Trooper's file card. His file card has his faction as Cobra and a portrait of Python Trooper here. I noticed the chevron is missing in the artwork on the helmet. His codename is Python Trooper and he's the Python Patrol infantry. Although the artwork is updated from the Cobra Officer's file card, the text is taken neither from the Cobra Officer's card nor the Cobra Trooper's card. This is all new text. This paragraph says, The Python Trooper is the basic infantryman of the Python Patrol and is cross-trained in at least two support skills such as computer operator, cook and ordinance supply specialist. Unlike most armies where specialization is the norm, Python Patrol expects his computer operator to be as proficient with assault rifles as he is with word processors. This paragraph has a quote. It says, When this guy takes up his position on the battlefield, you know you're in for one heck of a fight. He's so well disciplined, trained and mentally prepared for battle that only total victories will satisfy him. The Python Trooper swears absolute loyalty and allegiance to Cobra Commander, his supreme ruler. Looking at how the Python Trooper was used in GI Joe Media, the standard Cobra Trooper appeared in many episodes of the animated series. The Python Trooper appeared only very briefly in the DEC era miniseries Operation Dragonfire. The animated series pitted Python Patrol against Slaughter's Marauders. That seems to be the intended rivalry for Python Patrol. That's how they were used in TV commercials. The commercial for Slaughter's Marauders showed the team going up against Python Patrol. Python Patrol appeared in the Marvel Comics series in issue number 88. Cobra applied the Pythonizing process to some old vehicles and uniforms. The uniforms were still referred to as Wraith suits. That issue used Python Vipers, not Python Troopers. The Python Trooper makes a very brief appearance in issue number 100. Zerana used Python Patrol vehicles to approach GI Joe headquarters without being detected. A Python Trooper is seen driving the Python Patrol stun. He gets beaten up by Flint. In the artwork, he has a Cobra emblem on his shirt, so it would be easy to mistake him for an officer. Looking at the Python Trooper overall, this is an underwhelming figure for me. I much prefer the original Cobra officer. The color change does not help this figure. The colors are garish. The yellow on top of the green is pretty hideous. I think the lattice pattern is intended to mimic snake skin, but the color choices work against its intended purpose. These suits are supposed to make the wearer invisible to radar and infrared detection, but the colors make them more visible to the naked eye. I like the black on the helmet and the legs. If they had gone with a darker color scheme, it would have worked better. Python Patrol could have been Cobra's version of Night Force. The best part of this figure is the accessory, a realistic looking AK-47 in black. There is a white variant of that accessory, but I much prefer the black one. That was my review of the Python Trooper. If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up on YouTube, subscribe to the YouTube channel, hit the notification bell, and share this video with your friends. That's what helps this channel grow. I have a website, HCC788.com, and I have a Patreon, if you'd like to support the channel in that way. Special thanks to all the names you see scrolling on the screen right now. They have helped keep this channel going. I'll be back soon with another G.I. Joe toy review, and until then remember, only Python Patrol is Python Patrol. Invisible!