Transformers Combiner Wars Viper Review

There’s a new Legends Class Combiner Wars figure flying onto shelves right now and he’s more than just another Decepticon…

 

Decepticon Viper is packaged in your normal Combiner Wars Legends Class blister card

 

Included with the figure is a card sporting the same artwork that’s on the front of the package

 

The back of the package has a very brief bio. I almost think this may be a nod to the GI Joe comic #34 where Ace and Wild Weasel have a dogfight until both planes are out of ammo and limping home

 

I usually show of the robot mode first, but since the big draw of this figure is that it transforms into a Cobra Rattler from the GI Joe series, I figure we should start there. The resemblance is very close, but not 100% since the body is a repainted Powerglide (Which turns into an A-10 Warthog. The Rattler is a modified A-10 Warthog) but the colors and details really scream Cobra Rattler. I wouldn’t have objected to the lower arms becoming turbines though since they’re already under the wings

 

The wings have tampos of the same iconic stickers that are seen on the Cobra Rattler with one slight addition, The winged Cobra symbol now includes a tiny Decepticon symbol in the middle!

 

This same symbol is seen on Viper’s chest in robot mode

 

Now that we’re looking at the robot mode, you can see that the face is made to look like Wild Weasel’s face mask.

 

Just like Powerglide, the robot mode is very poseable.

 

Viper also has the same Weapon mode that can be held by other Transformers (The instructions have him as Galvatronus’ gun)

 

Comparing him to Powerglide, you see that the head is all new, but the rest of the body is the same figure. However, it doesn’t feel like just a repainted body to me, the paint job really makes it look like there’s more differences than there really are between the two.

 

 

This is not the first time Transformers and GI Joe have crossed over. During the Energon line, we had a Decepticon named Snow Cat who turned into a vehicle resembling a GI Joe Snow Cat. This time, however, the result was even closer in appearance with emphasis on form and coloring.

 

 

Really, I love this little guy and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that it does transform into a Cobra Rattler. If this guy was green, had none of the Cobra logos and was called something like Acid Rain, I’d probably leave him on the shelf, but as it stands, I like Viper WAY more than I like Powerglide (Even though it’s basically the same toy) I would love to see more like this (Especially a few of the larger Leader Class figures that could possibly work with actual GI Joe figures)