Pulp Arcana Studios: Dire Portents

Dire Portents: GI JOE Classified Ghost Viper and D.I.R.E Beasts

My very first article for Fanboy Planet was covering some of the reveals at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con. At the con, there was a ton of amazing reveals, but one particular figure from the Hasbro panel absolutely caught my eye: The GI JOE Classified Ghost Viper.

As I have mentioned in my review of the Classified Crystal Ball figure, there’s a special place in my nostalgia-loving heart for peak GI JOE weirdness. I loved what the Classified line did with Crystal Ball, and so when I saw that they were building on that theme and giving our boy Richard “Dick” King some troops to go with him, I thought that was fantastic. But it was the photos that got me really excited. The Ghost Viper looked like a perfect blend of near-future tactical coolness and spooky horror-themed accessories. The idea is that this trooper uses the same D.I.R.E energy to cause horrifying hallucinations in those around them, and allows a great spooky feeling to the figure. The combination was absolutely irresistible to me, and I came out of my Comic-Con coverage eagerly awaiting the arrival of this figure.

Now, I’ve got the Ghost Viper in hand. Let’s see if he can live up to the hype I have built up since the summer.

A PULP ARCANA FIGURE FIELD REPORT Mission Brief:

Artifact Identified:

Ghost Viper and D.I.R.E Beasts

GI JOE Classified

Hasbro

OUT OF THE CRATE:

The box for the ghost viper is larger than a typical G.I. Joe classified box. On full display through the clear window is the figure and most of the accessories which goes a long way to show just how packed this figure is. As I’ve mentioned before, I like when I can see the figure on display so that I know exactly what I’m getting and, more importantly, I can look for any defects or quality control issues. For a while, G.I. Joe classified was doing close boxes with just a render on the front and I am glad to see that they have settled on the more traditional figure displayed packaging.

The back of the box has a great photo of the ghost viper and the ghost wolf on full display in a nice diorama. As a toy photographer myself I love a good toy photo on the packaging and this really helps sell just how cool and interesting this figure actually is.

THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILS:

With the figure out of the box, the first thing that drew my attention is the color scheme. While the mold is a re-use of a number of pieces from the retro classified Viper, the particular color combination of bluish-grey with brown, broken up by the vibrant green of the D.I.R.E tech accents really appeals to me. It is not necessarily going to catch the eye on the shelf the way that brighter colors might, but the combination absolutely works.

One of the things that I love about this figure is the variety of heads that come with it. There are four in total, and each is distinct and quite frankly, very cool. The head on the figure in the package is a full, futuristic-looking helmet. The smooth, featureless visored face has a high-tech vibe that reminds me of a pilot of some powered armor or mecha. This gives the figure a degree of versatility beyond just accompanying the rest of your GI JOE Classified collection, and I love that. The second head is a riff on the classic Cobra Viper helmet and goggles combination. This one though has the matching color scheme of the Ghost Viper and stylized skull on the visor. For any of you Call of Duty fans, this gives serious Ghost vibes, married with the classic Cobra aesthetic. This is a great look if you want this figure as a team leader in a group of other figures.

The other two heads fall fully into the special-effect accessories category. One is a monstrous cobra head with the hood spread, ready to strike. It is in a translucent green plastic that we will see across all of the D.I.R.E tech accessories. It is suitably horrifying and leans into that peak GI JOE weirdness that always speaks to me. The final head is perhaps my favorite. It is a snarling monstrous werewolf head, in that translucent green. It sits perfectly on the neck peg and gives the Ghost Viper a posture that towers over other figures.

In addition to the heads, we also get two spectral claws that can replace the hands on the figure for that extra horror look. Two small energy effects plug into slots on the tech gauntlets on the Viper’s arms. To round things out, Ghost Viper gets a backpack with hose and nozzle to spray out the D.I.R.E fog, a futuristic assault rifle, a sniper rifle, and a pistol.

But that’s not all. Also included are two D.I.R.E beasts. One is a coiled cobra and the other is a wolf, both in the translucent green plastic. The snake is a little simple, but a nice addition. The wolf on the other hand, is absolutely fantastic. This is the same wolf mold that comes with a number of the Classified Snake-Eyes figures (I have the white one and it is great as well). The Classified line has been absolutely killing it with their animal companions; I would argue that they are low-key one of the best aspects of the line. This spectral wolf looks absolutely fantastic, with red eyes and two swappable heads. One is a neutral expression and the other is a snarling, attack face. This wolf mold is so good that if Hasbro would release it as its own figure in different color ways I would absolutely get enough to make a full pack. I cannot wait to get more pictures with this wolf, and again, this is a figure that would work in a number of different lines. I can see this spectral wolf accompanying Savage Crucible barbarians or Mythic Legions knights.

MOBILITY AND MANEUVERS:

Getting the Ghost Viper out and moving shows off what I consider Hasbro’s strongest standard of articulation. Among their main figure lines of Star Wars: Black Series, Marvel Legends, and GI JOE Classified, it is Classified that consistently has the best standard articulation suite. The occasional Marvel Legend can definitely surpass this, but figure for figure, Classified moves better than the rest.

The Ghost Viper has pinless arms and legs, allowing the sculpt to show off nicely. The double jointed elbow gives a perfect full bend, and butterfly joints at the shoulders provide a nice bit of movement forward and back. It is a bit hampered by the vest however, as is the ab crunch. This limitation is understandable, but does affect posing a bit more than I would like.

At the legs, we get drop down hips that allow a greater forward kick, and double jointed knees. This, combined with a thigh swivel and decent ankles give great poseability in the legs and allow the figure to easily stand as well.

As I mentioned above, all the heads sit well on the neck peg, and even the larger monster heads work. When on, both the wolf and the cobra head give the Ghost Viper a towering stature that shockingly doesn’t affect the figure’s ability to balance. And the spectral claws attach easily in place of the standard hands and can rotate at the attachment point.

Regardless of how you choose to kit out your Ghost Viper, you will be able to get the poses you want.

RECOVERED EVIDENCE:

FINAL RECKONING:

The Ghost Viper looks great, poses well, and gives you a ton of different options for how you want to make your Viper look. The accessories are fantastic, especially the wolf, a full second figure that comes along with Viper. It is objectively an amazing figure that I have been waiting for since its reveal at San Diego Comic-Con.

So why don’t I love it?

Some figures I review just have that little touch of magic to them. Something that, when you get them in hand, you just don’t want to put them down. You grow to like them more and more as you handle them. With the Ghost Viper, despite how good it is, it never pushed into that territory.

Perhaps it is that I’m currently more enamored with some of the more boutique lines like Valaverse’s Action Force or Operation Monster Force when it comes to modern military figures. Maybe it’s a degree of analysis paralysis when it comes to how I want to set the figure up. Whatever it might be, it doesn’t change the fact that this is objectively one of the best figures in the Classified line and gives you something truly unique for your shelf. I definitely recommend it, even if it doesn’t inspire the deep love in me.

And Hasbro, if you’re listening, give us dedicated packs of some of your amazing animal figures that come with Classified. I have a mighty need for more of those wolves!