Hello. I hope you’ve all enjoyed your Spooky Season. This is one of my favorite times of the year. I’m not really into super gory horror movies, but I do love costumes, candy, kitsch, mischief, and Fall weather.

I’ve never really done much of a Halloween review before, and I suppose this isn’t much of one either. But, as far as vintage GI Joe figures go, the 1990 Range Viper is pretty spooky. He’s wearing a mask that consists of a stylized skull and some brains, after all. Plus, he probably eats  bugs every day.

So it’s very thematically appropriate.

So Happy Halloween! And, as always, thanks for joining me.

My Brief Childhood Time with 1990 GI Joe Range Viper

I first encountered the Range Viper in 1991. I remember exactly where I saw the figure and why I took it home that day. I also remember the very distinct impression it left on me.

My mom and I were out shopping for a few things at the Fred Meyer across town (my small Idaho city only had a few large stores in the early 90s). She left me alone to look at the toys and insinuated that I could probably have a cheap one if I behaved. That was always enough to coax me into behaving.

At the time, the marketing campaign for the cartoon series James Bond Jr. was running wild all over TV. So while I’d never seen the show, I was looking at the toys. They seemed neat. But I was still very much into GI Joe at the time, and that passion overcame even my lust for novelty.

As my eyes drifted over to the GI Joe section, a blue and yellow figure caught my eye. As I looked closer, the figure had a skull face. And exposed brains. And was some kind of Cobra trooper. At that moment, my seven year old mind really didn’t know if this figure was an actual demonic skull monster within the Cobra ranks or a guy wearing a mask. But I knew exactly which toy I was going to choose when my mom came back to find me in the toy section.

Range Viper came home with me that day. And while I determined he was a guy wearing a skull mask before the end of my first night with him, he also gave me a lingering uneasy feeling. But it was a giddy sort of haunting, and Range Viper instantly became my new favorite Cobra troop.

But then I lost him at the park a month or two later. I guess it was a cheap sort of exorcism.

I did, however, retain a few of his accessories. Because I cherished the pieces and missed the figure dearly, they were only available to other figures I held  in the highest regard.

Nine years later in 2000, I was very excited when I saw the repaint known as ‘Rock Viper’ on the shelves at Toys R Us. Even though I was in high school at the time, I bought it immediately. I still have that figure.

I’ve been rebuilding my ARAH GI Joe collection since a little bit before I started this website several years ago. For some reason I probably didn’t own a single Range Viper again until 2019. But it’s a figure I’m very glad to own now, and I think it’s high time it got its due on The Dragon Fortress.

1990 GI Joe Range Viper Review

Range Viper was released in 1990 and was made from all-new parts. 1990 was a pretty interesting year for GI Joe, as it consisted almost entirely of brand new characters and new ideas. None of our old favorites returned, but we gained some new favorites along the way.

It was also the first year I consider being part of my Golden Years with the brand. I had some figures from 87-89, but I was likely too young to appreciate them the way I did figures from 1990-94. And while my childhood time with Range Viper was brief, he’s a figure I’ve appreciated for over 30 years now.

Here’s the figure:

Range Viper has a very interesting, layered appearance. He’s got a teal t-shirt worn over a long sleeve blue shirt, a blue neckerchief, black pants, grey gloves, a grey belt, and grey boot covers. And then you notice the skull mask with its menacing deep red eyes and exposed grey brain detailing. And then your eyes are drawn to the gold ammunition belt. And then you see the yellow straps and belt. It’s got a lot going on.

But somehow, 1990 GI Joe Range Viper makes it all work. The torso and head sections of the figure have a lot going on while the legs are relatively plain. But somehow it still seems balanced. Even from the side, the detail and paint on the mask are exquisite. This is peak ARAH-era GI Joe quality.

The colors are nowhere what you’d consider “realistic military,” but they look great together and really make the figure stand out, especially compared to figured from 82-89. Nothing else really looked like the Range Viper, but its shades of blue, black, and grey means it still fits in pretty well with many other Cobra troop types.

From the side, you’ll also notice the peg sticking out of the back of its head. We’ll get there soon.

The details are all continued onto the back of the figure, which is great. You’ll notice that one exposed grey shoulder strap (I assume the other is hidden beneath the ammo belt) is meant to represent the backpack straps. I’m not sure what the yellow straps are for, but it’s a pop of color that I love and I’m very glad that they’re there.

In 1990 and 1991, Hasbro really kicked up the amount of cool accessories their GI Joe figures came with and Range Viper’s got a ton going on.

Range Viper came with a black 2-piece grenade launcher, a grey rocket launcher, a grey “rocket” (the one pictured here is from a 2000 Rock Viper, as I have no idea where my Range Viper rockets are right now), a black knife, a grey backpack, and a short length of standard GI Joe hose.

He can hold all of it at once, too. I don’t mind figures coming with more stuff than they can hold (because I don’t hate fun like some other people seem to) but it’s kind of surprising that the figure can hold it all. Of course, in order to equip everything at once you have to do something a little bit unorthodox, but we’ll get to that soon.

First, let’s check out the grenade launcher. The drum magazine is removeable, which is a cool touch but means some kids probably lost one half or the other. The figure can hold the weapon with both hands if you desire, and just looks fantastic all around. It’s an iconic GI Joe weapon if there ever was one.

As a kid, this was one of my favorite GI Joe weapons. When I was seven, I barely knew what a grenade launcher was and I certainly didn’t know that such a weapon could have a drum magazine. The only weapon I knew of with a drum magazine was the venerable Tommy Gun, so that’s how I usually used this weapon. By the time the 2000 Rock Viper came around, though, I started using it as a grenade launcher again.

Next, let’s check out the rocket launcher. To me, this is a very odd weapon, but that’s only because of the included rocket that looks like a piece of factory stamping equipment. It’s supposed to have a “flick fire” feature (not mentioned on the packaging), but that only works if you have the weapon oriented so the handle is facing the back.

If a Range Viper held this thing in that configuration, the rocket exhaust would burn the hell out of him. It also just sort of looks unnatural. The card art shows the launcher in this orientation, but fired from the hip so the rocket exhaust isn’t a problem. The card also calls it a “mortar,” which seems weird, too. Regardless, I just ignore the rocket/shell and have the figure hold it like a normal bazooka-type weapon, as pictured above. That just makes more sense to me.

It’s also worth noting that the handle is very thin and the figure doesn’t hold it very securely. You can make it work, though.

Next we come to the knife. This is a bit of an unusual knife– certainly not a survival knife or anything you’d associate with a wilderness trooper. It almost looks more like a ceremonial dagger. But still, it looks absolutely nasty and is a very fun accessory. I’m glad it’s here, as someone with a specialty like Range Viper’s really needs a knife. Cobra was never much for practicality, anyway.

Finally, we come to the backpack. it’s a very large piece that’s absolutely full of detail. It contains a large tank on the top, some technological doodads on the bottom, extra grenade rounds in the middle, and some pointy bits on the sides. I have no idea what any of those are, but they look cool.

There’s a hose that’s supposed to connect the top of the backpack to the back of the figure’s head. I don’t have the original hose and I couldn’t find my spool of replacement GI Joe hose, so this one is from a Funskool Hydro Viper. I generally don’t use GI Joe hoses unless they’re absolutely necessary (Sci-Fi v2, Techno Viper, Airtight, and Mainframe to name a few), but I did this just for you.

Some people think the tank is an oxygen tank in case the Range Viper has to hide underwater. I don’t think that’s a bad idea, but it seems like hiding underwater would ruin all of his exposed ammo.

Instead, I think it’s a tank for potable water so a Range Viper can stay hydrated on the go. The hose feeds into his mask and into the mouthpiece, where they can drink water as needed. I like to imagine it also has a purification/filtration system built in so Range Vipers can drink lake or river water. Or they just drop some of those little water purification tablets in there and deal with the nasty taste.

Even though it probably wasn’t intended by the designers, the figure’s knife can also fit in the groove towards the bottom of the backpack, allowing you to equip every accessory at once. I certainly did this as a kid and I’m sure a lot of others did, too.

The Range Viper mold was used several other times. It was first released in 2000 as Rock Viper (center), and then released as Skull Buster (right) in 2002. Skull Buster is the Range Viper commander and I just see Rock Vipers as Range Vipers wearing different colors. The mold was also released in desert colors for the Club Exclusive Flaming MOTH series in 2006. I don’t own that figure, but maybe someday I will.

Here’s my little Range Viper squadron.

The Range Viper is popular enough that it’s appeared in some other GI Joe lines, as well. in 2005, an all-new Range Viper was made for Hasbro’s online exclusive Direct to Consumer line, done in the “new sculpt” style. That was a great figure with a removable mask and some fun weapons.

The Range Viper also made an appearance in both the 25th Anniversary line and in Rise of Cobra. Both of those figures look decent, but I’ve never owned them. Then, finally, this year the Range Viper came out in the current 6″ GI Joe Classified line. That one also looks reasonably good.

I personally see Range Vipers pretty much how they’re depicted on their file cards. They’re wilderness troops who stay out in the field for a long, long time. They’re responsible for their own food, shelter, and overall survival. The scavenge equipment and ammo whenever they can.

They ambush enemy patrols and strike at enemy ammo depots and outposts. They’re tough, capable, and cheap for Cobra Command to maintain. But they’re also fairly unhinged individuals that don’t work very well in large teams. They’re also nowhere near as good at their jobs as GI Joe team members like Outback, Stalker, Beach-Head, Alpine, or Spirit.

So while they’re sneaky, cunning, hardy, and dangerous, a single Range Viper isn’t going to bring down your average GI Joe wilderness expert.

But if Range Vipers have to scavenge their own ammo, why do they have so much sculpted on their backpacks? Why are they so loaded with weapons? And if they don’t come with any conventional bullet-firing firearms, why do they carry those big ammo belts?

I have a few ideas on this. I think that when a Range Viper is first sent out into the field, they are granted their grenade launcher with one magazine and two refills (contained on the backpack). They’re also given a single-use rocket launcher and a knife. Then, they carry one belt of either 7.62mm or 5.56mm ammo, as those are very commonly used bullet types for weapons they might find or steal in the field.

Beyond those little gifts from Cobra Command, they’re sent out to do a job and left alone for several months. Their success and their survival is completely in their hands. Range Vipers are typically people who are too mean, stubborn, or just plain psychotic to get along with a conventional squad or fireteam. They relish their time alone in the woods and they relish the destruction they get to create.

Having to scare up their own food and ammo is a small price to pay.

In the end, I think 1990 GI Joe Range Viper is one of the coolest Cobra troops in the entire line. The colors maybe aren’t exactly what you’d expect and some of the figure’s sculpting doesn’t match its weapons exactly, but those are very small nitpicks. In fact, I’m glad the figure has the exact colors that it does.

It’s a fantastic, unique look that stands apart from anything else in the vintage ARAH GI Joe line. Plus, it’s got a spooky skull mask and tons of accessories. What more could you ask for?

Overall: 1990 Range Viper is a standout figure for me. It’s one I’ve loved since I was a little kid and I still love it now. I like its little eccentricities, like the Halloween mask and the strange colors. It’s also absolutely loaded with fun accessories. On top of that, the actual detail and paint quality represent Hasbro’s best work of the era. This figure is, of course, Highly Recommended.

Additional Resources:

• Range Viper at Forgotten Figures
• Range Viper at The Viper Pit
• Range Viper at Joe A Day
• Range Viper by HoodedCobraCommander788
• Range Viper at 3DJoes
• Range Viper at YoJoe

Closing Thoughts on 1990 GI Joe Range Viper

Thanks for joining me! I’ve had an extremely busy October, so I’m glad I was able to get 4 posts done by the end of the month. Even though this is the only traditional Dragon Fortress-style GI Joe review for this October, I hope you enjoyed the little bit of variety we had.

Things are slowing down a bit next month for me. I don’t want to overpromise and underdeliver, but let’s hope I can squeeze a few more fun reviews out for you.

Anyway, what do you think of Range Vipers? Why do you think they wear those ammo belts? What is the tank on their backpack for? How do you use the 2000 Rock Viper? Let me know in the comments!