I liken the Valor vs. Venom line of GI Joe to Cybertron of Transformers as it was the 3rd line in a connected series. Starting with GI Joe vs. Cobra and then Spy Troops, Valor vs. Venom continues the story of Joe versus Cobra, however this time Dr. Mindbender and his experimental V-Troops take center stage. That's not the say that mainstays from the Cobra ranks don't also make an appearance, such as this pair of Vipers.
By the time Valor vs. Venom rolled onto store pegs/shelves, figure two packs weren't necessarily new. However troop builder packs weren't something Hasbro did very often, much to the chagrin of the fans. Blazoned in bold black/yellow letters on the package, you knew this set was meant for those who like to build their armies of faceless characters. The blister bubble showcases both figures white some partial artwork for each character inserted in the middle. The back side of the package showcases larger artwork for one of the characters, this time the Alley Viper II, along with a story blurb. Below that is a cross sell of other characters offered in the line.
The bottom of the package contains Battle Points, which were meant to be clipped and saved for future mail order redemptions. Long time Joe fans will remember Flag Points from the original A Real American Hero series and these Battle Points are basically the same thing. I can only remember two mail away figures offered by Hasbro during this time, these points would help you be able to add these exclusive figures to your collection.
You may have noticed the back of the packaging lacked file cards, that's because they were printed on the cardboard insert inside. This was a nice move by Hasbro, but I would have preferred the cards already be clipped as I don't always have the steadiest of hands with it comes to cutting things out. I like the layout of these file cards as it gives them plenty of room to dive into the character. The included barcode and faux magnetic strip across the bottom of the cards give it a nice finishing touch.
Also included in each figure package was a small mini comic. It's been a very long time since I've read one of these, but I found the comic to contain quite a bit of story than I remember. The artwork is also well done, though I didn't recognize the artist...probably a Hasbro in house artist.
I never was the biggest fan of Cobra's urban trooper, the Alley Viper. For whatever reason this trooper just didn't click with me. This is the 2nd version and features a toned down color/deco from the original first found in the ARAH series. His accessories include two silver SMG guns and a black knife. The figure stand you see is not included, but used as the figure was hard to stand without some sort of support. This version of the Alley Viper sports a blue suit with gray armor bits on the shoulders, forearms and legs. The yellow parts on his shoulders and mid-section help add some extra color, but was it really needed? I like the head sculpt, but I feel as if a removable visor would've really help this figure that much more. The SMG guns work well with this figure, but sadly the included knife does not fit in the gray sheath on the chest of the figure.
Down the side of his right leg is a silver snake emblem. If this looks familiar to you it should as it's been used in the past, most notably on the ARAH Moray Hydrofoil. I find this a little out of place as the Alley Viper is more of a urban or city trooper.
The figure that favored in this two pack, and I'm sure others as well is a new take on the classic Cobra Viper. Now sporting a maroon look with purple highlights and black gauntlets and boots, this was one of the best looking army builders in the whole series. His accessories include an odd weapons storage pod, machine gun and a small knife.
This is a great two pack to kick off anyone's troop building with, though I believe the Viper to be the superior of the two for many reasons. Thankfully this set is fairly easy to find today on the secondary market and isn't too pricey.
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