Hasbro G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra Storm Shadow Hasbro, 2010
Day #129: April 12, 2011
Storm Shadow Whirlwind Kick
G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 24732 No. 25744 Manufacturer:Hasbro Includes:3 swords, 2 swords, rope, pole, backpack, three clawed wrist weapons, stand Action Feature: Whirlwind Kick Retail:$6.99-$8.49 Availability: December 2010 Other: Looks like Ryu from Ninja Gaiden a bit
It's more or less a given that we're going to get more Storm Shadow figures as this is one of the top sellers for Hasbro, and sometimes we get amazing releases and other times we get some weird ones. This one... well, this one is a little of each of those. On one hand, the figure draws inspiration from the recent Ninja Gaiden games, while maintaining elements of the classic Cobra character. Specifically, an oddly-placed Cobra insignia on his lower torso and a giant Arashikage logo on his armor. It's less-than-subtle, and while a cool design it seems weird to have a secret society of ninjas' logo emblazoned on your chest before you go into battle. Or maybe the secret is out at this point, I don't know how this stuff works.
Standing just over 4-inches tall, like most of these guys, Storm Shadow is just the right size to fit in with your other modern Joes even if the design may not quite fit in with your ideal vision of the Cobra ninja. Like the whirlwind kick Snake Eyes, this figure has a waist that twists and ratchets into place, and when you click a button under his arm the lower torso will spin and the leg flies forward. In short, it really is a "whirlwind kick" as advertised. It won't help you better display the figure, but the gimmick seems to be well-designed enough to not get in the way of most poses that I've tried as of yet.
Most of the detail can be found on the figure's head, with a decent facial expression and the gold element on his forehead. The rest of the sculpt is fairly simple, without too many creases or folds. In some respects, it's an aesthetic step back from other Pursuit of Cobra releases, although the references in the sculpt to modern popular culture cements it as a piece of the line.
While not as loaded with gear as Snake Eyes, Hasbro made sure to give Storm Shadow more weapons than he can carry. With two swords, a pole, and three different clawed hand attachments, it's pure overkill-- and there's a grappling hook of sorts, too! Granted, it's too short a string to really act as a grappling hook, but he can swing it around and hit someone in the face with it. I admire that. Everything basically fits with the outfit, literally. There's a robe which fits over the figure's back, the swords fit right into the sheaths, and the clawed stuff fits right on his hands. I particularly like the smaller triple-clawed weapon, and not just because it reminds me of the Hasbro flip-out Wolverine claws from a few years ago. (OK, mostly that.)
It's bizarre to think this figure came out in the same wave as the new Cobra Shock Trooper, which was a surprisingly subtle uniform for the generally over-the-top Cobra organization. Big goofy ninja warriors have been at home in this line for years, so it's nice to see a figure that pays tribute to the old Ninja Force figures and modern Ninja sensibilities as well, being both goofy and delightful all at once. If you're short on funds odds are you're going to skip this one, but give him a look if you see him in the stores-- I had enough fun playing around with this one to say it's worth picking up at regular price.
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