SCC Figure Spotlight - TELE-VIPER

"Cobra Commander, you have a Collect Call from Destro.  Will you accept the charges?"  - Tele-Viper, 1986

COBRA COMMUNICATIONS - TELE-VIPER  (Ver. 1)

    Cobra may be the "bad guys", but their troops still need to keep in contact with their base.  When things get ugly, they will need someone among their group that can call for reinforcements, an air-strikes, extractions, or whatever.  For Cobra forces, the Tele-Viper is just the man to get the job done.

    The Tele-Vipers fit many roles in the Cobra Organization, in addition to Communications, they were sometimes seen as technicians, computer experts and Flight Pod pilots.  The file card, however, really has nothing to say on the Tele-Viper, himself.  Instead, it only focuses on the gear he carries.

    The Tele-Viper's uniform is a perfect shade of Cobra-blue.  His vest and pockets provide highlights of purple to the figure.  He wears a black belt where he also sports a cool, silver "Cobra" belt buckle.  On his head he wears his communication headset and has silver goggles.    For his accessories he has a scanner, hose and communications backpack.  The scanner looks like a weird rifle, but it is more for jamming equipment.

    The Tele-Viper is a simple figure with a normal job.  He's not scaling walls and infiltrating Joe Headquarters.  He's not engaging in sword fights with ninjas, piloting a supersonic jet or training crocodiles.  Instead he keeps a line of communication open between his unit and their commanders.  He is easily overshadowed by other high-profile characters and troops, but he certainly deserves a spot in your Cobra army with his important job position.

    Furthermore, the Tele-Viper is a great universal figure!  His blue color looks great among other Cobra Troopers or Vipers.  He can man stations in your Terror Drome or the Surveillance Port.  He can pilot your flight pod or ride shotgun in the Stinger.  For me, the Tele-Viper often manned the back gun in the Cobra Stun or sat in the Night Raven behind the pilot.

    I think I've already told the story somewhere on this blog of getting the Tele-Viper.  I wanted to get the Snow Serpent from the same Wave, and I had just found him at K's Merchandise.  My friend, Aaron, talked me out of buying Snow Serpent and talked me into getting Tele-Viper.  He already had Snow Serpent and said he wanted to "see something different".  Reluctantly, I got the Tele-Viper and ended up really liking the figure!

    You need a Tele-Viper in your Cobra army.  He's not flashy, but he's still great.  His versatility carries him a long way!  So I'm going to give Mr. Tele-Viper here a rating of 4 out of 5 Old School 1985 Phone Books!!!  You know, that big ol book that sat under your old corded phone that you got every year?  Yeah... that!

    What do you think of the Tele-Viper?  Was he as valuable to your Cobra army as he was to mine?  Or did you pass on him and get the Snow Serpent first?!?!?  Let me know in the comments below.

Tele-Viper card from the Hasbro Card Series in 1986.

Continued jargon about the Tele-Viper...

--- This is the trooper that is also in charge of calling for pizza late at night when Cobra Commander has been so busy he forgot to eat dinner.  He has to face the danger of getting yelled at by the Pizza Place for calling 20 minutes before closing time.  The Tele-Vipers don't back down though and are ready to face any challenge!

--- In the cartoons, the animators added a weird trait to the Tele-Vipers... the ability to have what they are thinking scroll across their goggles.  Even to the point of scrolling the word "ouch" before getting punched.

--- The Tele-Vipers would get an update down the road in the Python Patrol Tele-Viper.

--- The Tele-Viper's also man the "Cobra Radio" station in Springfield and have the ability to send Cobra Commander's favorite 80's hits right to his helmet.  It is a little known fact the Tele-Viper 342 was reassigned to the "leaky suit brigade" for playing "I ran" by the Flock of Seagulls too many times after fleeing from the G.I. Joe Team!