Cobra Troopers

Cobra Troopers
G.I. Joe character
Cobra Viper figure released in 2008.
First appearance	1982
Voiced by	Various actors
Affiliation	Cobra
Specialty	Mainly as infantry, but depends on the specific Viper class
File name	Various
Birth place	Various
SN	Various
Rank	Various
Primary MOS	Various
Secondary MOS	Various
Series	All series, including cartoons and comics

The Cobra Troopers serve as the basic foot soldiers of the Cobra Organization, as part of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. They are generally depicted as legions of uniformed soldiers, nearly all of them masked to appear anonymous, and widely diversified according to specialties and functions. "Viper" is the code-name given to a large majority of the Cobra Troopers. With the exception of the Viper infantry trooper, the code name "Viper" is usually preceded by their area of expertise.

The Cobra Troopers were introduced in 1982, with the code name "The Enemy". These are the original "blueshirt" infantry soldiers equipped with conventional military gear (as opposed to the more hi-tech accouterments of the later Vipers). They were prominently featured on both the cartoon and comic series, and depicted as unintelligent and slightly cowardly.

Introduced in 1986 as a replacement for the Cobra Soldiers, the Cobra Viper infantry soldiers complement the Cobra Soldiers in both the cartoon and comic series. The concept, originally introduced in 1985 with the introduction of "Tele-Vipers" (communication experts) quickly evolved into a catch-all suffix for all future Cobra troops (such as Air-Viper, Ice-Vipers, Desert-Vipers, Techno-Vipers, etc.). Hasbro has often alternated between establishing the Vipers as the entry-level position into Cobra's legion, or for them to be the elite of Cobra's ground troops, as far as them being equal to or above the regular blue shirt troops.

Cobra infantry troopers are issued a combination assault rifle and grenade launcher, with advanced night vision, telescopic sight and range finder. Multi-layered body armor and composite helmets with built-in communications gear are standard issue. Vipers are superbly trained, formidably equipped and highly motivated.

Vipers can opt for additional training that enables them to transfer to specialized units, focusing on specific military specialties. These units are considered elite and are constantly examined for effectiveness. Some are renamed and reorganized, absorbed into other units, or sometimes completely phased out. Some units customize their chain of command, allowing for unique Viper designations with distinct leaders.

Later, Cobra troopers consisted of communications troops, computer specialists, security, and soldiers. Some of the more prominent include:

The Cobra Eels are the underwater demolition specialists of the Cobra legions. They undergo a rigorous two-part training program, first in the shark and pirate infested waters of the Caribbean, and then in the frigid depths of the North Atlantic. Their training regimen includes marine engineering, explosive ordnance, underwater fighting techniques, and marine geology. Eels are responsible for manning and operating Cobra marine outposts disguised as off-shore drilling rigs, and for augmenting the crews of large Cobra naval vessels.