GI Joe Chimera (2015)

Am I a bad GI Joe fan for saying that I’ve been tired of the old HISS tank? Don’t get me wrong; I love its classic stylings, and it always brings up good memories of Christmas 1983. However, it’s been released so many times, I’ve been wanting to see something different done with it. Hearing that another re-paint was in the works, I was hoping that Hasbro would do a little creative refitting a la the Arctic HISS or the more recent FOE Striker. While they didn’t go quite as far in making something new out of an old mold, I do find it an intriguing take on the well-worn Cobra tank.

GI Joe Chimera (2015)

First off, it’s green. Vibrant green. I like that. At this point, which primary color hasn’t the HISS been painted? Yellow? Maybe someday we’ll get a Contructicon crossover with a front end loader attachment. I’d buy that. This is a fun concept: the Joe team repurposing Cobra vehicles. It’s not new, of course, as it happened in the 80s with Tiger Force, when the Joes added Cobra vehicles like the Rattler and Water Moccasin to their own arsenal.

The new rail guns are an interesting addition, and at least break up some of the familiar silhouette. One could have hoped for an updated cockpit canopy, like the custom 3D printed versions seen here, but I’m not too broken up about it. After all, I can buy or mod my own if needed.

I was so jazzed about Steeler and Grunt being part of this set that I used the custom call numbers to read 082 rather than the 086 seen on the box.

The Joes aren’t the only ones appropriating vehicles, as we’ll find out later this week. Tomorrow, the Cobra drivers start to get their spotlight. Will they be cool, or just weird? Well, a little of both. Stay tuned.

6 comments

  • Can it be used to carry Imperial guard troops around?

  • If there’s one vehicle that symbolizes Cobra for me, it’s the HISS. I feel the same with the MOBAT for the Joes. If they’d dressed this HISS up with a new canopy, the arctic HISS “luggage” rack, and some other creative bits, I might’ve been persuaded to accept that it was stolen & augmented by GIJoe. But I’m still getting a green HISS, perfect for getting Cobra through the jungle, and no Krylon necessary. The rail gun is a subtle upgrade that sortof works, but makes the rest of the ’83 mold look under-detailed. And I wish they’d chosen the “new” font from the orange HISS for this one, and visa versa. Even with the GIJoe logo, the old stencil numbers & same decals really scream “COBRA”!

  • If the Joes are stealing Cobra vehicles and repainting them, shouldn’t this have tiger stripes?

  • In honor of Steeler, the number on the Chimera should be 412

  • A well used mold, now used to crank out vehicles for the opposite team? Pass. This kind of crap is why Joe fans are a dying breed. No more ideas at Hasbro, and a shrinking number of fools willing to pay $50 or more for a vehicle they already own.

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