both the cartoon and comic series. Crimson Guard - Led by Tomax and Xamot, these elite soldiers were first introduced to the series in 1985. It's said that in addition to intense military training, they are required to have a degree in either accounting or law, and are often used in deep cover operations, posing as civilians or politicians. Later toys expanded on the Crimson Guard concept with the release of figures such as the Crimson Guard Immortals and Commanders, as well as group-specific vehicles. As another part of their deep cover operations, many Crimson Guardsmen undergo plastic surgery in order to adopt identical features in case one Seigie (the phonetic pronunciation of "C.G") is required to replace another in a public cover. The Crimson Guard also maintain Cobra's legal business fronts. Cobra Vipers - Introduced in 1986 as a replacement for the Cobra Troopers, these infantry soldiers complement the Cobra Troopers in both the cartoon and comic series. The concept, originally introduced in 1985 with the introduction of Tele-Vipers (communication experts) quickly evolved into a suffix for all future Cobra troops (such as Air-Viper, Ice-Vipers, Motor-Vipers, Techno-Vipers, etc.). With regards to the original adjective-less Vipers, Hasbro has often alternated between establishing the Vipers as the entry-level position into Cobra, or for them being the elite of Cobra's ground troops as far as them being equal to or above the regular blue shirt troops. B.A.T.s - The Battle Android Troopers were introduced in 1986 and are used extensively in the cartoon series to present an army that the heroes could gun down without killing living beings. Intended as an alternative to living soldiers, the androids are hazardous to both friend and foe because of poor eye sensors. Python Patrol - Although their origin differs in the cartoon and comic series, the Python Patrol is an elite unit of Cobra, hand-selected by Cobra Commander (in the comic, they were hand-selected by his impostor). What makes this group stand out is their use of stealth coating technology, masking their vehicles and uniforms from most forms of electronic detection. Night Creepers - A syndicate of hi-tech ninjas and mercenaries hired by Cobra as spies or assassins. They made an appearance in both the cartoon and the comic series, where they become a recurring enemy of the Ninja Force. Bases Cobra maintains a number of bases around the world. In several media incarnations, Cobra’s