There have been lots of environment-specific Joe vehicles over the years. Some are environment-specific by their very nature (boats and planes, duh). Some could go just about anywhere but would probably be better in one environment than in others. And some just flat wouldn’t work anywhere but where they were meant to be.
The Cobra Wolf is one of the latter. From its skis to its color, the Wolf is clearly meant for the colder climes. It’s also a very unique vehicle, unlike pretty much anything you’ve seen before. I guess it could best be described as a tank on skis, but even that’s not 100% accurate.
The Wolf is shaped like a big wedge. At the very bottom front of the wedge are the front skis, which can be moved up and down. Progressing upwards on the left side is a panel with four tubes molded into it. Pushing down on the rear of the panel reveals four small missiles. Continuing up the left side are some vents. After the vents, the Wolf’s angle levels off and there are two spots for the ski torpedoes (skipedoes)? The skipedoes are exactly what you would imagine, large torpedoes mounted on a single ski with rear spoilers for stability while rocketing across the ice. On the right hand side, there are two cockpits…one at the lower right front of the Wolf, and the other stacked on top where the vehicle’s angle starts to level out. The cockpits are covered with clear light blue canopies. Behind the top cockpit sits a dual cannon. The cannon can elevate as well as rotate a full 360 degrees. Extensions on either side of the rear serve both as intakes for the Wolf’s powerplant and as mounting places for both the vehicle’s rear treads and its rear skis. The treads sit to the inside, under the body, while the skis sit on the outer edge. Both the tops of the skis and the steps above them have pegs for placing figures.
I mentioned that the Wolf has both treads and skis at the rear. This makes the Wolf more versatile. When needed, it can ski down mountainsides etc probably much faster than it would be able to drive. And the power and traction of the treads would give it the ability to climb those same mountains and traverse other difficult terrain.
There are lots of little details to like about this vehicle. Ya just have to love hidden, pop-up weapons, and the four missiles would be a nasty little surprise. The skipedoes and double cannon would provide some good punch, as well. Everything is very well detailed, from the skipedoes themselves to the molded-in hatches and panels all over the vehicle, to the “shocks” on the front and side skis. The cockpits are nicely detailed, as well. The front cockpit has a nice little control screen sticker, and dual joysticks. The rear cockpit has a small console that extends from the center with another small screen sticker and a single joystick. Both cockpits look comfy, as the seats have nice contours and look nice and padded. There are two other things about this vehicle that I really like. The first is, I love it when Joe vehicles reference other Joe vehicles, especially if they would be natural rivals. Here, the Wolf has four “kill” stickers on the left side, just behind the second cockpit. In this case, the “kill” stickers represent a vehicle from two years earlier in the line, one that probably wasn’t still even available when the Wolf was released. The “kill” stickers are logos of the Snow Cat, & the Snow Cat WOULD be the natural enemy of the Wolf. Besides being the most comparably sized and armed Joe cold-weather vehicle, there’s the natural animosity between cats and dogs to consider! The other detail is that the skis on either side detach easily. With the footpegs on top, Cobra (or Joe) figures could use the Wolf’s skis as small snowboards to either attack or escape with.
I don’t have very many complaints about the Wolf. Like most white/light gray Joe vehicles, the Wolf can yellow…though it seems more resistant to it than a lot of the other white Joe vehicles I’ve seen. The pop-up missiles are very small, and they’re red. It doesn’t really detract from the vehicle, but a bright red missile in the Arctic would really stick out like a sore thumb. And you have to be careful when storing the Wolf, as it’s easy to get the front skis all bent up. But that’s it in the complaint department.
If you want a Wolf, expect to pay anywhere from $25-$40 for a good complete example. I really like the Wolf, and I consider it the best Cobra Arctic vehicle there is. I say it’s definitely worth picking up, especially if your Snow Serpent army needs some transportation and backup.
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