Red Ninja Viper (2005)

What 80s or 90s kid doesn’t love a little ninja in their lives? There’s got to be some reason for the appeal of them, beyond the pop cultural soup from which their popularity sprang in the 1980s. Is it the mystery of their origins, or some interest in their abilities to blend in and silently move about? Are any of their vaunted capabilities even based in truth? I can’t be bothered to do the research, since I’m just a toy blogger, but maybe one of our illustrious readers can do the legwork.

Ninjas broke into the GI Joe mythos in the pages of Marvel Comics issue 21, and since then, the various incarnations of Joe media have embraced these pajamaed purveyors of clandestine chicanery wholeheartedly. Even the red ninja themselves have been part of the figure line over the years, even appearing as recently as the Retaliation line.

Back in 1984, I pined for red ninja figures. I didn’t get my wish until the comic packs hit during Valor vs. Venom. The pack included (of course) a reprint of issue 21. The Red Ninja Viper, being a straight repaint of the second Storm Shadow mold, doesn’t really resemble the characters from the printed page. The distinctive mask is the most disappointing missing element. I’m surprised Hasbro didn’t create a new mold, since many of the comic packs featured retooled heads.

I applaud the effort, and even though the red ninja doesn’t hold up to the comic book illustrations, I like getting the 1988 Storm Shadow mold in different fun flavors.