Vehicle Review: Pursuit of Cobra HISS
By far the most iconic Cobra vehicle of the original 3 ¾ inch GI Joe line was the original Cobra HISS tank. The HISS (short for HIgh Speed Sentry) was just that…a small, lightly armored, agile tank that made up for in speed and maneuverability what it lacked in armor and firepower. The HISS was such a vital piece of equipment to Cobra that they came out with several variations on it. The HISS II was much larger, much more heavily armed, and carried more troops. The HISS III was a simple repaint of the original, while the HISS IV was a step back for many, as it didn’t have all that much armament and took the “snake” theme a tad too far…though I thought the way the “head” of the tank snapped up into attack mode like a snake preparing to strike was pretty cool. Next up came the DTC HISS, which many people considered the best HISS successor yet…it was fairly heavily armed, carried a decent number of Cobra troops, and was bad in black just like the original. We got several repaints of the original HISS in the 25th Anniversary line, first as a Target exclusive in blue, then in general release in black, and finally as a Target exclusive again, in red, included with the Ultimate Battle Pack. We also got the first variant of the original HISS, with the Arctic HISS being one of the last releases of the 25th Anniversary line.
Well for the Pursuit of Cobra line, we get yet another HISS tank, and this one seems like an amalgamation and culmination of the almost 30 years of HISS tank design before it. It’s fairly large, and it’s got most of the classic HISS design cues: triangular tread design, angled front end, and weaponry mounted high and behind the cockpit. Despite the classic cues, this HISS is definitely designed for combat in the 21st century. First, the glass canopy is gone, and the color is changed from black to dark brown (and these changes have been the subject of some derisive commentary from fans). While many may not like these changes, I always thought that a big glass canopy on a military vehicle wasn’t exactly the safest design for operator survivability…and this is supposed to be a “desert battle” vehicle so dark brown makes more sense as a color. Besides, I have the feeling we’ll get a black repaint before all is said and done. As for the canopy, the new HISS has a solid, armored canopy, and the driver controls the vehicle with a big yoke and several heads-up displays. Also, the treads may be triangular, but they’re far from the classic molded, immobile treads with hidden wheels under them so the vehicle can roll. THESE treads are like those found on the Mauler and the MOBAT, with a large rubber tread that can be spun around wheels.
For weaponry, the new HISS has a double-barreled chin turret (similar to the DTC HISS) that can rotate past 90 degrees to either side. There’s also a Gatling gun that attaches to the right rear part of the body. The Gatling gun’s long barrel can be spun with a thumbwheel on its right side, and it has an ammo belt that plugs into the left side and into an ammo drum molded into the HISS’s body. A large cannon with a big red missile is attached to the right side, and the cannon is spring loaded so the missile can fire. There’s a small red button on the top rear of the body that can be moved from side to side. Doing so turns the weapons from side to side in tandem. I really like this, and I think it’s a cool little touch. There’re also spaces on either side of the body for the weapons to plug into. According to some other reviews I’ve read, including one over at GeneralsJoes.com, the holes are just barely the wrong size for the weapons included with the DTC vehicles to fit. This is disappointing, as it would have been neat to load up the HISS with some captured RHINO and ROCC weaponry, though I have the feeling we’ll get more weapons that WILL fit in the near future. As a final included accessory, the HISS has a staff similar to the one included with the new/upcoming PoC Cobra Commander, only without the paint apps. This looks like a Cobra regimental crest, it’s supremely detailed, and I really like it. There’s just one thing…it plugs into spots on either side of the HISS’s body, and looks ok…but if the weapons on the rear fire, they’ll blow it right off. So unless the HISS’s weapons are mounted on the sides, I don’t see much of a use for it other than maybe for parade duty.
The HISS has a few other tricks up its sleeves…first, there’s a second cockpit hidden in the rear underside of the body. I’m not quite sure what this is for, other than perhaps as a weapons control so the driver can concentrate on well, driving. The cockpit opens kind of in a funny way…it lowers so the driver is laying on his back, and there is a flip-down harness to hold him in place. I just hope he gets in and out quickly, because that blood rushing to his head would be unpleasant. The other trick is right out of the HISS IV’s playbook. Pressing a big gray button on top, just behind the cockpit, raises the HISS’s body on four spring-loaded legs. This gives the HISS a commanding presence on the battlefield, as well as allowing the entire body to rotate, meaning it can bring all its firepower to bear in any direction. While some fans may find any connection to the HISS IV dubious, I like it!
The PoC HISS comes with a TON of stickers, and Hasbro saw fit to allow for some customization. Besides the standard stickers, including a pair of classic “788s,” there’s two of each number and letter included as well (along with some dashes and slashes), which allows for a pretty fair amount of sticker customization. I thought that the extra numbers included with the Arctic HISS was a nice touch, but Hasbro went above and beyond here.
As with every vehicle, the new HISS isn’t perfect. As I mentioned, a lot of fans are grumbling about the lack of a transparent canopy and the color change, though they don’t really bother me. Also, that regimental staff or whatever it is is a cool accessory, but it doesn’t have much use on the HISS. Further, it’s easy to knock the rear weapons off center from the slider switch, and I can see the chin turret getting broken off pretty easily the first time the HISS is dropped or accidentally kicked. When the body is in the lowered position and you’re pushing the vehicle across the floor, the treads will often catch on the fenders. Speaking of raising and lowering it, the up/down mechanism on the HISS is far from perfect. Pushing the button doesn’t always release the body immediately, yet the body will often pop up simply from handling it. The system could definitely use a little more work. I also don’t like the fact that the stickers still use the RoC Cobra sticker fonts…more of a personal preference issue here, but still a complaint. Even the original HISS could carry some troops on the back bumper, but the PoC HISS has no room for any Cobras other than the 2 in the cockpits. Finally, there’s various screw holes and the like that are exposed, and I wish Hasbro would find a way to hide them better.
The HISS comes with a new HISS driver. He’s a darker red than the 25th Anniversary version, and features a few changes of his own to make him more futuristic. He uses Battle Armor Cobra Commander’s body with the 25th HISS driver’s head, and Resolute Comic Pack Destro’s webgear, body armor, and backpack molded in blue with a large red Cobra sigil on the chest. He also includes a black .357. The back of the box shows him with the same pistol/backpack/hose setup as the comic pack Destro, but the hose isn’t included in the actual box…though it doesn’t bother me too much, I’m just happy to get a gun with my figure…unlike the Wolf Hound! I find the new HISS driver simply ok. Battle Armor CC’s body is not my first choice, though I know Hasbro was going for a futuristic look. I think they could have simply used the 25th HISS driver’s body and slapped on Resolute CP Destro’s gear and called it good.
All in all, I really like the new HISS, and I think it’s a step in the right direction for the future of the HISS tank. I like the design, I like the weaponry, and I like the spring-up attack mode. Now, if I could get another one in black this time (I admit I want one too!), and they’d fix the treads so they wouldn’t hang, fix the problems with the snap-up mode, and change the sticker font…we’d truly have the greatest HISS yet!
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