Review & pics by: Fred Meyer
 

 

2015 SDCC G.I. Joe Crimson Strike set
AVAC Alley Viper Officer Cobra Scythe

 

SDCC 2015 Crimson Strike G.I. Joe Chimera HISS tank

It was Snake Plissken in Escape from L.A. who sardonically commented: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” While that remark doesn’t entire describe the G.I. Joe Chimera, it’s indicative of the central theme of the Crimson Strike set which involves taking some familiar conventions and flipping them on their ear. Case in point: the 2008 Cobra HISS Tank is now a G.I. Joe vehicle. As was the case with the Cobra Scythe, a signature vehicle from one faction has now been traded to another—and the results are more fun than you might imagine.

SDCC 2015 Crimson Strike G.I. Joe Chimera HISS tank

Most fans are familiar with the 2008 Target Exclusive 25 th Anniversary HISS Tank. Bargain priced at the insane price of $9.99, these vehicles marked the first adaptation of the classic HISS tank to the taller 25th Anniversary figures. It was a brilliant idea at the time as the Cobra HISS was THE signature vehicle of the serpent-themed forces. The HISS has aged well in the intervening seven years since its initial release and the bright olive color scheme does wonders to breathe new but practical life into the design. In fact, were it not for the included G.I. Joe-themed decals, I could see a great many fans repurposing this tank for their Cobra Jungle Forces.

SDCC 2015 Crimson Strike G.I. Joe Chimera HISS tankSDCC 2015 Crimson Strike G.I. Joe Chimera HISS tank

While the tank body remains the same it’s the newly-tooled rail gun turret that brings a fresh game to the court. Sporting some nice albeit simple tooling, this cannon takes the old stream-lined twin barrels and replaces them with a powerful-looking dual aspect weapons system. The tops of the barrels are sculpted with a jagged edge that implies some sort of cooling mechanism. The end of each cannon is significantly larger than what was found on the classic HISS design, giving the implication of a much more destructive weapons system. In fact, had the box not describes these as rail gun turrets I might have envisioned this as some sort of plasma energy weapon. While not as detailed as some of the more recent HISS turrets, the new unit blends in seamless with the classic-inspired chassis to breathe some new life into the old HISS design.

SDCC 2015 Crimson Strike G.I. Joe Chimera HISS tank

It’s that time again—to ask “Is the Chimera worth purchasing?” I’m going to say it—yes, I think it is. Disregard what the file cards and the packaging tell you and instead look at this vehicle in the context of the other offerings for this year. The forthcoming Silent Strike set will present fans with a brand new orange version of this same HISS tank with a two-man crew. What if the Chimera represents a captured unit of that same new HISS. The Joes, intent to see the full capabilities of this new weapons system, sent it out to the proving ground to be assessed by two of their most veteran members. Suddenly, the Chimera gets a lot more interesting—not as a standard Joe vehicle but as a one-off unit. Either that or fans can snag these to repurpose as Cobra tanks! Either way, the Chimera is one fun little variation on the classic HISS theme.

SDCC 2015 Crimson Strike G.I. Joe Chimera HISS tank

SDCC 2015 Crimson Strike G.I. Joe Chimera HISS tank

SDCC 2015 Crimson Strike G.I. Joe Chimera HISS tank

SDCC 2015 Crimson Strike G.I. Joe Chimera HISS tank

SDCC 2015 Crimson Strike G.I. Joe Chimera HISS tank

SDCC 2015 Crimson Strike G.I. Joe Chimera HISS tank

SDCC 2015 Crimson Strike G.I. Joe Chimera HISS tank

SDCC 2015 Crimson Strike G.I. Joe Chimera HISS tank

 

 

 
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