Major Bludd
One of the more popular Cobra Command characters is Major Bludd. I’ve always noticed Cobras with exposed faces are generally the least likely to be used, but Major Bludd somehow manages to get past that, and he’s usually one of the more commonly used named Cobras in fandom.
Major Bludd version 1 is one of those figures you can tell Hasbro put more effort into, than the average G.I. Joe figure. He’s got a stupid robot/armored arm, that while useless was a cool idea and had very nice sculpting, he’s also got one of the strongest facial sculpts in the early years of the line. I assume some of that is due to him being a Mail-In figure, though that’s one of those things I don’t really know anything about.
His arm, which is always the biggest gripe about him, has a fairly interesting and oft-overlooked factoid. The shoulder joint is built the way of a Straight-Arm figure, rather than the Swivel-Arm style. I’m not sure if the figure was originally supposed to be a Straight-Arm figure or what, but that’s actually the biggest problem for lack of posing, not the lack of an elbow joint (Which is still a terrible omission)
As a kid, probably too many of my G.I. Joe playtime scenarios revolved around hostage situations. The hostages were just Star Wars figures that could pass as Politicians or dudes at the Bank. I think a lot of it was I liked running figures over with the MOBAT, and so hostages getting thrown in the way was a lot of fun.
For some reason, Major Bludd became the most successful in that role, something I can’t really figure out now, but I’d always use him as the guy demanding money “or the old guy gets it!”. Whatever the reason, it’s lead to Major Bludd being a figure I associate with killing Lando Calrissian and Obi Wan Kenobi. I think due to that I seldom use Major Bludd in photos, he’s a good figure with a strong color scheme that fits well in most environments.
Major Bludd was one of the few well done characters in the Marvel comic. He didn’t have a long run, because he didn’t need one. He was shown to be particularly ruthless and untrustworthy by even early Cobra standards, so after blackmailing CC, and demanding a gucci bag full of cash, he can’t be kept around. When he does show up like 7 years later, to assassinate Snake Eyes, it shows he’s still bad as hell, but had no reason to get bogged down in the Joe vs. Cobra conflict.
Attica Gazette 
I had a lot of hostage scenarios as a kid too! For me it was usually Chun-Li, while Star Wars figures were usually random drug addicts that the DEF was antagonizing.
I didn’t do hostages. But, I did random terrorist attacks. A bunch of non-descript guys in the A-Team van or the Coastal Defender crate would jump out and start shooting at either Joes or Cobras. They’d have an uzi or two. They’d get quickly annihilated by the superior firepower of their attackees.
The Bludd mail-in was one of Hasbro’s lamer offers. You had buy x-number of figures within a date receipt, cut the faces of the card backs and get a written letter from your congressmen to be able to send off for Bludd. Or something. Basically, it wasn’t a flag points plus $1 offer. I remember my brother getting the offer and then not sending off for Bludd because it meant he’d have to rebuy 1982 figures he already had!.
As my third Cobra figure, I like Bludd V1. I found his rocket gun limiting. He gets one shot then has to reload…and there’s a Joe worth his salt who’d let that poor fool try for seconds, a world of hurt is gonna come down on him like a ton of bricks.
Pingback: 2002 Tomax & Xamot (Wave 5) | Attica Gazette