Lampreys are the elite of the COBRA sea-arm. To qualify for Lamprey training, a candidate must be a COBRA Trooper in top physical condition who has completed his EEL training (EEL's are the Frogmen underwater demolition specialists of the COBRA legion) and has been operational as an EEL for more than a year. The training is highly selective and more than 50% of the applicants wash out before completing the course.
Lamprey is a Cobra operative in the original G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line. First released as a Hasbro carded action figure in 1985, with 1 distinct figure version produced across the 1982 to 1994 ARAH run.
Lamprey did not appear by name in the Sunbow or DiC cartoon series synopses. Original Hasbro file-card lore and Marvel ARAH comics appearances are the primary characterization sources.