As requested in the 2014 Convention Set Reveal thread, let's hear ideas for how any of our talented customizers might have improved on this year's boxed set offerings.

Here are mine:

Lab Rats: A different torso and an alternate head would have elevated this figure substantially. I'm thinking the collared shirt from the first 25th Cobra Trooper or even the new commando sweater from so many of the recent figures would've looked great. The alternate heads should've been the 30th Cobra Trooper.

Steel Brigade Commander: Didn't belong in this set. Instead we should've gotten Stretcher, using iwbeta's awesome recipe as seen here. Go ahead and tell me an anti-zombie team shouldn't have a medic on it. You're wrong.

Flint: No changes here. This figure rules.

T'Jbang: Great figure...with no logical reason to be in this set. Swap him out for Short Fuze, the Joes' resident math whiz (who'd be modeling contagion scenarios), built on the Cobra Island Zap buck in gray-green and, just for yucks, give him alternate Zombie head and hands.

Ozone and Clean Sweep: No changes.

Outback: A new head, forearms from Kwinn or Joe Colton and the legs from the latest commando Snake Eyes or Retaliation Beach Head could've made this the Outback a lot of folks have wanted. But I think it might've been cooler to make one inspired by his Borovia look. Repainting a Dollar General Shipwreck might've gotten us there. And then load him up with survival gear and improvised weapons.

Toxo-Vipers: selfishly, I'd have preferred these to be version 1 tributes. the forthcoming Dragonsky figure seems to be about the right color, so repaint his boots and gloves and slip a chest rig from TRU exclusive Wet Suit or comic pack Ace onto him (in green, of course). All you'd need is a new helmet and head underneath, plus some recolored Airtight backpacks and sniffer guns.

Toxo-Zombies: I would've just taken the 30th Zombie Viper and recolored his jump suit to match the Toxo-Vipers. You could give him the same chest rig and a battle-damaged version of the helmet, too. And I'd throw in some extra zombie heads that you could swap onto the Lab Rats or Toxo-Vipers to simulate the spread of the condition.

Repulsor: I know the Club likes original characters and I know we haven't even seen this guy yet, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say we don't need him. Wouldn't we rather have a VvV inspired Doctor Mindbender capping off this set? Sculpt a new head for the RoC Stormshadow torso and skirt in pristine white. Give him some comic-pack Ace arms to match with nice shiny black gloves. Slap on some Resolute Cobra Commander legs in gray with shiny black boots. Load him up with test tubes and beakers and some Compound Z and this whole theme has a logical prime mover.

I know I wouldn't have hesitated to buy a set like this.

Different chest on the labrats, different head, forearms and weapons on Outback.
(or maybe redoing Outback entirely based on his Eco-Warriors/Battle Corps look)

No changes otherwise.
(but hey if you don't want that T'Jbang I'll take it off your hands!)

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I'd have done the set based on the Zombie Invasion figures done show at the 2012 Con:

Zombie Cobra Commander
Zombie Viper 2x
Zombie Soldier 2x
Zombie Ninja 2x
Dr. Mindbender in some sort of hazmat suit
Cobra Lab Rats 2x (from this set, because they do have a cool factor)

Flint (from this set)
Ozone (from this set)
Clean Sweep (from this set)
Airtight (how about neon orange or green, just to be different)
Cover Girl in Hazmat Suit (token female, in non-revealing gear)

I'd be thrilled to get a set like this:

-Lab Rats x2: I wouldn't change these guys, except possibly to use a darker blue closer to the 82/83 Cobra troopers.
-Toxo-Vipers x3: Based on the v.1 design and using a Shock Trooper body in purple with Ultimate CC forearms, Zombie-Viper's knees and a helmet and chest piece adapted from the original like Raginspoon's.
-Toxo-Zombies x3: It would be even more awesome to lose the zombies entirely, but since that's the theme and all, I guess it would defeat the purpose. Zombie-Viper body (so it matches the Toxo-Vipers, more or less), with the same helmet and chest piece featuring battle damage and a hole in the helmet to see the zombie head underneath.
-Repulsor: I'm picturing a scientist here, but to differentiate him from his underlings, I'd go in a way different direction: a new, glasses-wearing head (preferably something skinny and non-threatening, but with a smug look), suited Destro chest in a light grey, 25th Flint upper arms (or an equivalent set that look like the arms of a dress shirt), Retaliation Mouse forearms and hands, Storm Rider/Shipwreck legs in black, and a red tie. Give him some scientific equipment (test tubes, laptop, canisters of Compound Z, Lifeline's injector-thingy) and a briefcase.

-Flint: yeah, this one actually came out pretty nicely if you're going for an Eco-Warrior theme.
-Ozone: I'd do something kind of consumer-unfriendly but cool and use the same basic uniform design for the Eco-Warrior figures. Ozone would have the same basic body as Flint, but in the blue-and-yellow color scheme. Maybe leave the arms as-is to change it up. I love the webgear and the head, though.
-Clean-Sweep: leave him as-is, too. A figure I loved as a kid, and one that I'll like as an adult, as well. If the head ended up being more bald and weird-looking, I wouldn't object, but it's still a nice piece.
-Steel Brigade Commander: ugh. If I really had my way, I'd just replace this character with someone who's actually interesting and...well, actually a character. But if it has to be a Steel Brigade-type figure, I'd replace him with my favorite figure from the concept case stuff: the Echo Faction Trooper. Just give that guy a Steel Brigade helmet and it's done.
-Outback: now we're getting somewhere. I don't hate the figure from the set, but if I was in charge of making an Outback for this concept, I'd divert whatever resources necessary to sculpting a new head with longer, shaggy hair and beard; then, the RoC shirtless Storm Shadow body with Ultimate Storm Shadow's upper arms and Kwinn's forearms and hands. Keep the PoC Duke legs and add a tactical vest (similar to PoC Spirit's) and the belt from PoC Zartan with a couple of survival knives in the sheaths. Then give him a bunch of survival gear and weapons (camp stove and pot, chainsaw, axe, machete, etc.), a radio, and maybe a gas mask.
-T'JBang: yeah, just what the line needs: more ninjas. We haven't gotten enough of those in the last few years. If he's a must, I'd just disregard whatever characterization he's had in the past and go with something a little more practical for fighting zombies: maybe a pair of regular blue pants (Renegades Duke's, perhaps) with yellow shoes to suggest the original's uniform; a yellow tank top (the chest from the Aqua-Viper Officer and PoC Temple Guard Snake-Eyes, maybe) with Resolute Duke's vest in green; Ultimate Storm Shadow's arms; and a variety of ninja-y weapons with a few guns mixed in for good measure. If he isn't a must, I'd replace him with a figure that would be the highlight of the set for me...

-Pathfinder: one of my favorite figures as a kid brought to modern-era life. 30th Lifeline's head with the PIT Trooper hat; RoC Desert Duke's chest in black; Kwinn arms; PoC Quick-Kick's legs; PIT Trooper boots. A vest of some sort and either the original's weedwhacker or an updated version. If the budget allowed for an updated rig for his hip-mounted machine guns, I wouldn't turn it down, either.

And instead of a zombie dog...a regular, happy, friendly, awesome dog. Maybe he could hang out with Outback or the Steel Brigade Commander.

I actually would have dropped the Eco-Force figs from the boxed set.


Lab Rats: If it was supposed to be an homage to the cartoon--those guys were just normal Cobra soldiers in lab coats and no helmets. 25th Cobra soldier with white lab coat and arms painted matching white. Unhelmeted cobra soldier head and alternate zombie version

Toxo-Zombie Same but more dirtied up.

Toxo-Vipers: I really like this one and wouldn't change anything except adding an alternate zombie head--different from the Toxo-zombie though(right side zombie damage!).

Zombie control team-
Smashes
Outback: 25th anniversary head (or a new one based on the DTC long-hair version) and using the Duke Renegades torso and some bulkier arms with Mouse/Joe trooper legs. Shemagh from ROC Storm shadow. Webgear from Retaliation Kamakura (can't remember where it first appeared.) I'd do the shirt like the Tiger Force shirt just for fun.

Patches
Stretcher Not sure of the recipe but definitely built on the ROC Roadblock body--people tend to forget that Stretcher is supposed to be big--he was a weight-lifter who literally carries the wounded off the battlefield.

Crashes
Clutch Retaliation head on Ultiamte flint body w/ 25th anniversary Clutch vest

Dispatches
Firewall - new head, Renegade Scarlet torso, ROC Scarlett longsleeve arms, Lady Jaye legs, leather jacket borrowed from IJ Mutt figure.



2-figure convention exlcusive-
Ozone and Clean Sweep: More realistic/subdued colors would be my only change.

Convention vehicle-
Silver Mirage re-do- repainted to look busted up and damaged.

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Too bad that these sets would not come to be, though its fun to think about what others or yourself would do.

First thing that would make this set much better would have been to offer all the figures with interchangeable zombie parts, as this is a zombie set after all. Maybe not all parts as the Zombie-Viper got, but a fair amount to round out at least half of all the figures in the set into zombies.

My Changes though:

Flint, Ozone, and Clean Sweep would be the only Joes I would have in the set. I don't think I would change them any, as they are done well. Might have changed Flint's torso to a more hazmat type suit. as the open collar doesn't look right to me, but other than that, not much else would be needed. Clean Sweep needed his backpack/controller & drone though. Just not sure on what I would have used for it, as the bomb drone we already have wouldn't have worked well here. Though could have seen it used again, if they did something like this. Would include zombie heads for each one of these guys to change it up some with interchangeable zombie limbs also, at least turning one into complete zombie.

T'JBang was just an odd choice for the set. Great figure, just doesn't fit in with the set. Would not even include him anywhere in this theme.

Steel Brigade Commander was okay (colors were not), but don't think he should have been included in this set. If a Joe trooper is a must, would have just added extra gear to the Cobra trooper/zombie Offerings to change them into Steel Brigade troopers/zombies, as the uniforms are close to pass off as one another in my opinion.

Outback is just plagued with the wrong parts. I would offer him with different parts much as what is said above just in a that 2-pack convention exclusive they normally have with someone like Airtight or perhaps Stretcher as everyone else pointed out there needed to be a medic. Zombie parts would rock here too, at least for whomever you pair up with Outback.

2x Lab-Rats, but would do as many have suggested already in part choices. Different head would go a long way, as it doesn't make sense to have the hood up and your lab coat open, just my opinion. Though the gas mask is a must for an accessory. Also include zombie head & alternate zombie limbs for a complete transformation of at least one.

3x Toxo-Vipers, which I like, but would have liked a figure based on V1 more. Though what would have really taken the cake would have been to have a total of six (or four) Toxo-Vipers, just have three (or two) of each based on V1 and V2. Again including interchangeable zombie parts to make over half zombies and a few damaged helmets and gear to mix everything up.

3x Cobra Vipers/Troopers, now these guys would be very customizable with gear offered (non-damaged & damaged) and interchangeable zombie parts. Also as I said above, would be cool to include some Steel Brigade gear, giving them the option for universal use, though they would be in Cobra blue uniforms. Though if the right parts were to be offered, could give the Steel Brigade a night-ops look to them. Zombie parts would allow for two of the three to be full zombie or perhaps one & a half complete zombie.

Now this is where it gets tricky, as if stuck with the six Toxo-Vipers, then it would only leave room for one more figure. Sludge-Viper/Repulsor is cool, but I don't really see him as a new character. I think if I had my way I would go with the four Toxo-Vipers, which would leave three spots left to fill in this set. With that said, Repulsor would now be Sludge-Viper in my set and I would include two of them. Not sure of the head they are using, but would use a generic masked Trooper head. Add interchangeable zombie parts to make one of them complete zombie. Like the idea of the zombie dog, but the execution was bad. I would have went for a more realist look than theirs and keeping their MO similar as Repulsor's (enforcer, zombie handler, of sort). Round them out with non-damaged & damaged gear.

Then that leaves the last spot for a new figure. This one would be the doctor type mad scientist and I would make this one my female figure of the set. For parts I have no clue what to use, but just the idea sounds really cool to me. I think of her being like how Mindbender was in Renegades, but with that classic hair up female scientist look. Add in interchangeable zombie parts and cool scientific type gear and call it a done deal.

Though I don't know how budge would have allowed all these changes I have, but sure would rock for a set. I might even go one step further, if they don't offer it somewhere else that is, would be to swap out one of the Cobra Viper/Troopers for Zombie Cobra Commander. Though I can image that they will offer him in some other fashion during the con as that is my guess.

Vehicles/Playset:
Toxo-Lab a must, just not sure on how to go about it or if anything still existing would translate into this. Though would be cool if the original mold was available or could be improved on.

I would like to see something other than the Septic-Tank (though I would guess we will see this anyway), as I was thinking perhaps the Parasite. It would be a great vehicle to herd the zombies as that was what I would think Cobra would try and do. Though the Rage would work just as well, but we have just seen a Rage released in the POC line. I also was thinking the Badger, as it has that big bumper on the front that would work in pushing the zombies where they are needed. The Desert Fox with some mods would be cool also, as it had that computer station in the back, maybe tool up some enclosure for the crew and it would work and add something to the front. If none of those were usable, I guess the Septic-Tank using the Retaliation HISS as base, add different cockpit cover like the original and different weapons for turret and sides would fit the bill

Don't like the Eco-Striker, and I think we have enough AWE Striker variation already. If I had my way I would want something we haven't seen in a very long time, plus it would fit the bill very well for a Evac vehicle. It would be the Killer WHALE. Though I have no clue if molds are still around. Second choice would be the Tomahawk. Though if none of though could be worked in, Silver Mirage/RAM could be something just to round out the offerings.

momaw nadon

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Operation: Zombie Initiative -

Flint's ongoing investigations have led him to discover COBRA is alarmingly near perfecting a process which turns ABRCO industrial waste into a serum that not only kills but reanimates it's victims.. Knowing G.I. Joe Command would think he's crazy, he secretly activates his old team, the Eco Warriors, to make sure COBRA doesn't succeed. unfortunately for Flint, Repulsor. commander of the sinister Sludge Viper Corps and former aide to Cesspool is out to make a name for himself and generally promote chaos! Little does he know that the undead are notoriously hard to command. Repulsor and his combined Sludge and Toxo-Viper forces are slated to begin field testing any day and no one is safe. Can Flint and the Eco Warriors stand against COBRA and potentially the undead?

Repulsor's Forces:
Repulsor: Only modification is switching the purple and yellow on the vest and adding a unique head under the helmet.

Sludge Viper x 3 - Same figure as repulsor

Toxo-Zombie x 3 - Same

Zombie Dog x1 - Same

Vehicle: DTC Hiss in bright orange and neon yellow/green - dry brushing effect to simulate rust, chemical stains,and dirt - swap the missile racks on top for a sprayer.
Driver: Toxo-Viper driver and gunner (Same figure)

The ECO Warriors
Flint - Same

Ozone - Same - adding an Agent Helix Pistol

Clean Sweep - Same - Drone from Jungle Strike Ripcord with a water tank added to each side of the cannon

Barbecue - Flint figure with only the green replaced with Hot Pepper Red- new head (no removable helmet needed)
- w/backpack tanks, hose and Airtights rifle, Fire Axe, small shotgun from ultimate duke

Deep Six - Snake Eyes v67 in indigo with safety green webgear like Flint's and Barbecue's head molded in green
- w/ spear gun, pistol, knife, and POC Lifeline's silenced AR

Outback - new head with hard hat - Ultimate duke body in teal blue with orange knee pads, gloves, holster and soles of boots.
- w/ same accessories as con figure web gear from jungle strike Duke in muted orange and black

Vehicle:
ECO -VAMP - Armored Vamp in royal blue with yellow highlights, paint rub effects to make it look like it was hastily painted blue. Liquid tanks mounted to the rear connected to a spray cannon to replace the missile rack

Driver: Biosfera - South American Eco Specialist - CC v49 (Blue suit, green chest armor, knee pads and holster, yellow gloves and boots with a ultimate duke's alternate head - mask green, goggles lens yellow, helmet blue
w/ Joe Trooper pistol set and Airtight's Geiger counter


Para Drop Figure - Flint's Reinforcements
Snowstorm - Duke V50 body with Joe Trooper head in darker grey, with burnt orange gloves, boots and straps and a blue for the armor plate and visor color
- w/ parachute backpack and the GI Joe Trooper Bull pup rifle in cream

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double post

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