SCC FIGURE SPOTLIGHT - SNAKE EYES (part 1)

    "The man is a total mystery, but he's real good at his job, heck, he's the best."  -- from the original file card, 1982.

COMMANDO - SNAKE EYES  (Version 1)

    A man shrouded in mystery, Snake Eyes is one of the original 13 members of the G.I. Joe Team.  Even to those closest to him, very little is known about his history.  One thing that IS clear about him, is that he is a deadly force to be reckoned with whether he is armed or not.

    Snake Eyes file card reveals that he is an expert in up to 12 different forms of unarmed fighting and serves as a hand-to-hand combat instructor for the Joes.  He is also well-skilled in the use of edged weapons and various types of small arms.  If that wasn't enough, he has also been trained to function in various environments (jungle, arctic, desert) in addition to mountaineering.

    The first figure for Snake Eyes borrowed heavily from the same body mold as most of the 1982 Joe figures.  There was, however, 2 significant differences.  The first was that he was the first masked Joe.  You couldn't remove his mask or see his face like the others.  Second was that the figure was molded in all-black plastic.  He doesn't have one single paint app of him.

    Snake Eyes came with 2 accessories.  The first was his uzi sub-machine gun.  This weapon became quite iconic for him to carry.  The other accessory was an ammo case that could be slung over his shoulder.

    When I first started getting into Joes, Snake Eyes didn't impress me.  I wasn't aware of the comics to see his adventures, and furthermore he seemed kind of dull.  There was no name or birthplace, you couldn't see his face, he was just an all-black figure... he just fell flat for me.  So I passed on the figure back then.

    However, come 1984 I DID get the figure.  Between the "silent" issue (#21) and the "origin" story (#26 and #27) in the comics - the light finally got turned on for how cool this character was!  Funny story:  I was suffering from a bad allergic breakout one day, and I was sitting at the dinner table reading my new G.I. Joe comic.  My Mom came home from the store and said she got me two figures to cheer me up and she tossed out Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow!!!

    I looked at her curiously and said "why did you pick these two?"  To which she replied "I just thought they looked cool.  Why?"  I lifted up the comic I was reading which was issue #27 featuring those two right on the cover.  Ha!  That timing could not have been more perfect!  That was awesome!

    So I wasn't a big fan of Snake Eyes at first, but I eventually came around.  I'm going to give Snake Eyes V1 a rating of 4 out of 5 Spike-Knuckled Trench Knives!  While I do like this figure quite a bit, there are other versions I preferred.  

COMMANDO - SNAKE EYES  (Version 2)

    Snake Eyes returned in 1985 with an updated look.  By this point the comic had really delved into our "mystery man's" rich history involving connections with several characters including Storm Shadow and Stalker.  This is touched on in this figure's file card explaining that he served in a Long Range Recon Patrol in Vietnam and that he studied "mystic martial arts" with Storm Shadow's family. 

    This second figure draws parallels with the original figure, but carves it's own path as well.  Once again, he is predominantly black, but this time he also has a charcoal grey highlights, like the bandolier with some grenades on it and the grey visor on his face.  He also has a small silver dart launching device on his right wrist.  

    Snake Eyes stepped it up in the accessories department.  He was given his standard uzi, which looked very similar to his original one.  He also was outfitted with a backpack and a sword.  The sword could be stored on the backpack.  Last but not least, he came with his pet wolf - Timber!

    I remember talking on the phone with my friend Greg, we each had found a Wave 4 figure.  As we combed the cross-cell of new figures on the cardback, we were studying the new Snake Eyes.  "Does he have a wolf???"  So it goes without saying, that Snake Eyes V2 was one of the most coveted figures of that Wave... and that's amazing as there were several great figures in that Wave!

    Snake Eyes V2 is a perfect example of taking a great figure, and improving it!  You could look at it and instantly identify who it was.  It was the same, but different.  It had new colors, but not too much.  It had great, proper accessories.  Then top it off with him having a vicious-looking wolf!  This figure is a winner!  So Snake Eyes V2 is going to catch a rating of 5 out of 5 Spike-Knuckled Trench Knives!!!  Are you surprised?

COMMANDO - SNAKE EYES  (Version 3)

    The year 1989 saw a handful of updated figures from the original 13 Joes.  Among them were Rock n Roll, Stalker, and now our third version of Snake Eyes!!  By this time, the comics had focused a LOT of spotlight on the character and the look with becoming a little tiring to me.  It felt like something new was needed to freshen his look.   

    While still wearing his signature black uniform, this Snake Eyes stood out from the rest as he had multiple silver highlights now.  Most notably, he had a pair of silver googles on his mask and a pair of silver butterfly knives crossed on his chest.

    Snake Eyes V3 had quite the eclectic set of accessories by far.  He had a black backpack, a long silver blowgun, a silver sword, a silver three piece nunchaku, and a grey uzi with silencer.  The sword or blowgun could be stored on the backpack.

    So, way back in 1989, obviously Snake Eyes V3 was hard to find!!!  But we were all looking for him!  As it turned out, I was sick one weekend and was crashed on my family's couch.  I was feeling miserable!  To make matters worse, that same weekend I was supposed to go hanging out with Bobby (aka Deathwish) and our friend Sky at the Mall.  Unfortunately, I had to stay home because I was in such sorry shape.  So I was seriously bummed and a little jealous I couldn't go hang out with them. 

    I had fallen asleep and when I woke up, my Mom told me Bobby stopped by and had dropped off something for me...  SNAKE EYES 3!!!  What?  How awesome is that?  I'll tell you, for a minute I really did feel better!  Such a thoughtful gesture because after buying it, he had to tromp through the cold and the snow to my house, and then back to the Mall.

    So this Snake Eyes instantly became my favorite!  Now he had a nice, cool update to go with the Storm Shadow V2 that was released the year prior!  I think it's probably clear that Snake Eyes V3 will snag a sweet rating of 5 out of 5 Spike-Knuckled Trench Knives!!!  

    So this concludes Part 1 of the Snake Eyes figures from the 1982-1994 line.  Soon we will look at Versions 4, 5, and 6.  Which is your favorite?

More whisperings about SNAKE EYES 1-3...

--- You could fit some of the other Joes' helmets on Version 1.  So sometimes I used Mutt's black helmet with the goggles for a cool look!

--- Yep, I no longer have Snake Eyes V1 or access to one, so the pic of the figure comes from the original 1982 catalog I have in my collection.

--- V3 had the most unique accessories among the different Snake Eyes figures.  However, I never risked putting the triple nunchakus in his hand though.  That handle surely would have broke his fingers off.

--- Special thanks to Deathwish for letting me photograph some of his Snake Eyes figures!! 

--- I don't understand why a new version of Timber was not released with Snake Eyes 3???

--- Snake Eyes has a very rich history in the comics, I avoided delving into all that.  This write-up could be a mile long!?!?!

--- There are a total of 6 Snake Eyes figures in the original 1982-1994 line!  I'll be covering 4 - 6 soon!