Card number 4 in the series is the Sludge Viper.
Producing methane gas is the final step in the decomposition of biomass. So does this mean that the Sludge Vipers are decomposing inside their suit or are they just farting a lot in there? To have an unlimited ammo supply, Cobra chefs must have created the ultimate union soup with beans and Cobra Cola especially for these Vipers.
Next up is Clean Sweep.
Originally Clean Sweep was designated to be Anti-Tox. The action figure comes with a water shooting robot and has parts of color-changing paint that – uh – changes color whet it gets wet. The figure also came with one of the most impressive mustaches ever to be found on an action figure. Who said Nigel Mansell? Also, can anyone tell me how you move like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs?
Card numer 6 is up, the Cobra Septic Tank.
The anti-ECO equivalent of the HISS tank has an unlimited supply of sludge to fire at the Joes. I guess there are a lot of Sludge Vipers in the back enjoying their Cobra Soup… I could make some jokes on the Pit and a the Septic Tank, but let’s not get into that. Fact is that although this Eco-Warriors series is very colorful and is sometimes frowned upon by the collectors, I like the design of the tank and think it works great in the setting.
Okay, time for card 7. Here is Ozone.
I’m kinda missing the ninja of the team. But hey, at least Ozone got to be an astronaut on the next sub-team of the Joes, the Star Brigade. As they did with Cesspool, and with a few other characters, Ozone was named after David Kunitz, a member of the G.I. Joe design team working for Hasbro at the time of this figure’s release.
All in all, the Eco Warriors are a colorful bunch that heralded the nineties G.I.Joe line and defined the rest of the line. The wacky colors, strange accessories and just plain weird stuff. But hey, if you’re a fan, you stick by. For better or worse, through Sludge and Monstro-Vipers, till the DEF and Ninja Force comes and beyond. Oh and the Mega Marines.
Anyway, feel free to link this page to friends and family, heck even to people you don’t really like. If you have suggestions or remarks, leave a comment below or tweet me @EuropeanJoes.
DISCLAIMER All these cards are in my private collection and were scanned by myself. I don’t hold the rights on the card art or any text displayed on the cards.
