Alley Viper
Encyclopedia
Alley Vipers are part of the G.I. Joe action figure
line produced by Hasbro
. They have appeared in the related comic books produced by Marvel Comics
and Devil's Due. Alley Vipers are fictional soldiers in the Cobra Organization. They specialize in urban combat and SWAT
tactics.
or laser
pistol
.
From 1989 through 2003, the Alley Viper used similar molds for seven figures. The eighth version of the figure, released in 2004, was the first to feature a drastically different mold. Renamed Alley Viper II, the figure was part of the Valor vs. Venom toy line. A total of three Alley Viper figures were produced in 2004, two with the Alley Viper II mold and the other with more familiar look. The Alley Viper II is commonly armed with two Skorpion submachine guns and a knife
.
Alley-Viper was released in the 'Defense of Cobra Island' box set in 2009. This included Air-Viper, Range-Viper
, B.A.T., Doctor Mindbender
, Lamprey
, and Night Creeper.
According to the file card that was included with the original figure, Alley Vipers are equivalent to police SWAT units or British Special Air Service
commandos. They are selected from the most brutal and ruthless among Cobra's ranks. As part of their training regimen, Alley Vipers are "required to survive a full burst of machine gun
fire across their frontal body armor, execute a thirty foot jump onto concrete with full combat load and run down a hundred meter gas-filled corridor without a mask."
The Alley Viper appeared in two distinct versions in 2010. The first was a part of the G.I. Joe: Resolute
Cobra Box Set based on his cartoon appearance. He was also released in the first wave of G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra toy line. This figure is a repainted version of the Defense of Cobra Island figure and features the head form the Resolute Alley Viper.
G.I. Joe series. They fought the G.I. Joe team in the fictional city of Rio Lindo.
Alley Vipers later fought the Joe team in issue #113, in the fictional country of Benzheen. They fought alongside several other Cobra officers, including Frag-Vipers and one Range-Viper
. An Alley-Viper and Frag Viper send out a child into fire, this draws Sneek-Peek, whom the Range-Viper kills. Other Joes raid the Cobra position. The Alley-Viper is killed by Stalker
; the others die as well. The child is taken away by his mother.
Alley Vipers fight Mutt
and Spirit
in Millville, a town Cobra was attempting to conquer. The final appearance of Alley Vipers was in issue #145, where they fought in Borovia.
in battling an out of control Battle Android Trooper.
A single Alley-Viper is a part of the team combing Cobra Island
for the infiltrator 'Barrel Roll'. Several Alley-Viper 2s are part of the Cobra forces infiltrating the town of New Moon, Colorado. Alley-Vipers 2s are also used in a Cobra demonstration at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. Several Alley Vipers are seen during the 'World War 3
' storyline.
take control back from Serpentor
.
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
line produced by Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
. They have appeared in the related comic books produced by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
and Devil's Due. Alley Vipers are fictional soldiers in the Cobra Organization. They specialize in urban combat and SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
tactics.
Action Figure
The Alley Viper action figure was first released in 1989 as part of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toy line. A new version of the Alley-Viper was released in 1993 as part of the Battle Corps line, which was repainted and released again in 1994. The figure has been released in ten different iterations between 1989 and 2004. While the figure has drastically changed in appearance over time, Alley Vipers are generally recognizable by their fanged masks and armored shields. The figure is frequently armed with a submachine gunSubmachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
or laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
.
From 1989 through 2003, the Alley Viper used similar molds for seven figures. The eighth version of the figure, released in 2004, was the first to feature a drastically different mold. Renamed Alley Viper II, the figure was part of the Valor vs. Venom toy line. A total of three Alley Viper figures were produced in 2004, two with the Alley Viper II mold and the other with more familiar look. The Alley Viper II is commonly armed with two Skorpion submachine guns and a knife
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
.
Alley-Viper was released in the 'Defense of Cobra Island' box set in 2009. This included Air-Viper, Range-Viper
Range-Viper
In the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series of action figures, Range Vipers are members of Cobra specializing in wilderness combat and survival tactics. Range Vipers have made appearances in the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe comic book, G.I. Joe Animated DiC series, and are part of the G.I...
, B.A.T., Doctor Mindbender
Doctor Mindbender
Dr. Mindbender is a fictional character from the 1980s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comics, and animated series. He is a scientist who works for the fictional terrorist organization Cobra.-Profile:...
, Lamprey
Lamprey (G.I. Joe)
Lamprey is the name of a set of characters from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a line of military-themed toys. Generally speaking, they are Cobra soldiers specialized in underwater and sea environments...
, and Night Creeper.
According to the file card that was included with the original figure, Alley Vipers are equivalent to police SWAT units or British Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
commandos. They are selected from the most brutal and ruthless among Cobra's ranks. As part of their training regimen, Alley Vipers are "required to survive a full burst of machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
fire across their frontal body armor, execute a thirty foot jump onto concrete with full combat load and run down a hundred meter gas-filled corridor without a mask."
The Alley Viper appeared in two distinct versions in 2010. The first was a part of the G.I. Joe: Resolute
G.I. Joe: Resolute
G.I. Joe: Resolute is an animated television series based on the G.I. Joe franchise. It was written by Warren Ellis, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, and produced by Sam Register. The series debuted on the web at Adult Swim Video April 18, 2009, with a Content Rating of TV-14-V, and premiered in its...
Cobra Box Set based on his cartoon appearance. He was also released in the first wave of G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra toy line. This figure is a repainted version of the Defense of Cobra Island figure and features the head form the Resolute Alley Viper.
Marvel Comics
Alley Vipers made their first appearance in issue #92 of the Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
G.I. Joe series. They fought the G.I. Joe team in the fictional city of Rio Lindo.
Alley Vipers later fought the Joe team in issue #113, in the fictional country of Benzheen. They fought alongside several other Cobra officers, including Frag-Vipers and one Range-Viper
Range-Viper
In the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series of action figures, Range Vipers are members of Cobra specializing in wilderness combat and survival tactics. Range Vipers have made appearances in the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe comic book, G.I. Joe Animated DiC series, and are part of the G.I...
. An Alley-Viper and Frag Viper send out a child into fire, this draws Sneek-Peek, whom the Range-Viper kills. Other Joes raid the Cobra position. The Alley-Viper is killed by Stalker
Stalker (G.I. Joe)
Stalker is the code name of Army Sergeant Lonzo R. Wilkinson, a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series. He is one of very few characters from the first line of the toys to have a distinct appearance from the other action figures, as he is African-American. Stalker was a major...
; the others die as well. The child is taken away by his mother.
Alley Vipers fight Mutt
Mutt (G.I. Joe)
Mutt is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's dog handler , and debuted in 1984.-Profile:...
and Spirit
Spirit (G.I. Joe)
Spirit, sometimes called Spirit Iron-Knife, is a fictional character from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a line of military-themed toys. He appears in the animated series, comic books published by Marvel Comics and Devil's Due Productions, toy line and movie....
in Millville, a town Cobra was attempting to conquer. The final appearance of Alley Vipers was in issue #145, where they fought in Borovia.
Devil's Due
Alley-Vipers continue to appear in the Devil's Due G.I. Joe comic books. Several are slain while assisting the DreadnoksDreadnoks
The Dreadnoks are a fictional biker gang who act as villains in the G.I. Joe saga, which have been represented in several types of media, including toylines , comic books series , and television cartoons .All Dreadnoks are uncouth and violent, and usually engage their enemies with...
in battling an out of control Battle Android Trooper.
A single Alley-Viper is a part of the team combing Cobra Island
Cobra Island
Cobra Island is a fictional country located in the Gulf of Mexico. It is the main base of operations for the fictional Cobra Organization featured in the G.I. Joe toyline from the 1980s. It is featured in the G.I. Joe cartoon and the comic book series created by Marvel Comics and Devil's Due...
for the infiltrator 'Barrel Roll'. Several Alley-Viper 2s are part of the Cobra forces infiltrating the town of New Moon, Colorado. Alley-Vipers 2s are also used in a Cobra demonstration at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. Several Alley Vipers are seen during the 'World War 3
World War III (G.I. Joe)
World War III is the title of a 12-issue comic book story that took place in issues #25-36 of the comic G.I. Joe: America's Elite, published by Devil's Due Publishing. The plot concerns Cobra Command's final attempt to take over the world. It was generally well-received by critics...
' storyline.
DIC
The Alley Vipers played heavy into the plot of the first mini series from the DIC produced G.I. Joe cartoon. G.I. Joe member Scoop was in training as a Crimson Guardsman and his closest friend in Cobra was an Alley Viper. It was Scoop who helped Cobra CommanderCobra Commander
Cobra Commander is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise. He appears in the toyline, animated series , comic books, video games, and movie as the usual principal antagonist. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra, and archnemesis of the Joes...
take control back from Serpentor
Serpentor
Serpentor is a fictional character from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a line of military-themed toys created by Hasbro. The character was introduced in 1986 as a toy with an air chariot and included in the animated series that same year.-Toys:...
.
Resolute
The Alley Vipers were updated for the Resolute Cartoon and were in an all blue uniform and played heavy into the conflict with Cobra. Their first appearance was a conflict with Duke and Scarlett in Siberia.External links
- Cobra Vipers at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page