SAW Viper (2003)

The SAW Viper troop has a nasty reputation among fans of the Marvel GI Joe comic, as one of its members murdered several members of the Joe team. The original figure’s uniform was certainly unique among Cobra troop builders, in terms of design and color. With a slender build and futuristic helmet, the SAW Viper’s look belied his specialty. Looking at heavily armed Joes like Backblast and even the second Rock N’ Roll, one would expect a Cobra wielding a six-foot machine gun to be a bruiser type.

Released as part of the Toys R Us exclusive Python Patrol six pack, this second version of the Cobra super ultra mega heavy machine gunner sports a bold new deco. By far the reddest and goldest of the set, the Python Patrol SAW Viper is not going to be missed on the battlefield. Maybe that’s a conscious decision, as it’s unlikely any enemy troops are going to be able to get close enough to his blingosity without being torn in half by his gargantuan weaponry.

Of course, the big story for me are the fabulouso legwear happening here. Sure, the first version of the figure sported the same mold, and a 2000s o-ring Zartan wore it as well, but neither come close to the gold on red combo in evidence this time around. Oh, and there’s a bit of a chaps thing going on here too, but I don’t want to venture too far down that particular runway.

Fashion forward means futuristic for this season’s SAWs, and every Joe east of Milan will be cowering at the Barbarella meets Stella Starr power of these pantaloons. Nice pants, fellas!

7 comments

  • Good lord that is gaudy! But, now I want the black ammo belt and backpack!

  • Ok, it really, really bothers me that they didn’t paint the chin strap.

  • I can’t believe we never got a decent repaint of this guy. He’s have been perfect in the Urban Strike set in lieu of Stormshadow, Firefly or Scrap Iron. Alas, it wasn’t to be. If you give him one of the smaller SAW’s that came with the ’06 Viper Pit, he looks much better. The smaller scale of the weapon tones down the absurd proportions of his real gear.

    • The Python Patrol set started a trend on ebay where army builder fans would sell off the undesired figures from 6 packs, SAW-Viper and extra Major Bludds from the Python Patrol set.

      SAW-Viper would’ve been better if they pants were black and the chin strap were painted. I’m not a fan of the figure, but really, all the Python 6-pack figures were from any realism standpoint, absurd. Saw-Viper just has the misfortune to be the tackiest of them all.

      I recall hearing that the giant machine gun was a mistake back in 1990, it wasn’t scaled down correctly. And Hasbro likes to never correct mistakes, like the 1997 Viper and 1997 Snake-Eyes with roadblock waist.

  • He looks like both something from Flash Gordon AND a corps roller force figure

  • That Saw Viper, couldn’t believe that crazy issue!

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