Alternate versions

In early 1990's, a different version of Cobra was broadcast on TV. Here is the list of differences between normal version and TV edit: 1.Opening hostage scene: Alternate shot when gang member shoots with his shotgun. He shoots 2 times on fruits, but in TV cut one of these is close up shot of fruits exploding. Alternate dialogue. TV Cut - "You lookin at the brave hunter!" DVD Uncut - "You lookin at the fuckin hunter!" Close up of knife in gang members belly is cut. Line: "Don't listen to this asshole" from Gonzalez is cut. 2.Cobra arrives home: Extra few seconds dialogue scene during the Cobra's argument with low rider. Cobra turns around and says something like: "Don't dirty America, keep it clean." Cobra talks briefly with old janitor: "How you doin'? You're doing really good job here," then crosses woman coming down the stairs with her dog, checks his mailbox and goes to his apartment. Song "Suave" is playing longer in this extended scene. 3. Aftermath of first murder: Extra scene after the first Nightslasher murder in which young Asian kid brings box in police station. Cop tells the kid to stay inside and go pick himself one of the toys from the box on the other side of the room. While kid is checking the toys, cop takes the box and sees blood dripping from bottom. He then receives a phone call in which Nightslasher says something like: "Her hands are with you, but her soul is in the new world." Cop tells some other cop to trace the call and scene cuts to the regular autopsy scene. 4. Gang during the day: After Cobra shoots paper target, an extra scene is shown. Nightslasher is at his day job cutting fish in some factory, sniper guy is working in some garage and there is a shot of him looking at electric wires. In the police precinct where Cobra shoots the target, a side view of some police officers' hands and forearms is shown while they are shooting paper targets. One of them is shown with the gang's tattoo, a skull with axes, on his forearm. Couple shots of gang performing their "axes and hammers" ritual are also shown. Music during these scenes is the same one that was used for opening credits. 5. Ingrid in the studio/parking lot attack: In the photo studio, Ingrid is asked to go to a party, but she refuses. Rashe, the photographer, talks with her a bit, and Ingrid requires a security guard to go with her to her car because she feels nervous. Death scene of guy with the glasses is cut. Death scene of security guard is cut. He is not shown getting hit by the van. 6. Slasher's place/Hospital: Shot of Nightslasher cutting his finger is cut. Alternate dialogue: TV Cut - "Friggin' liar." DVD uncut - "Fucking liar" 7. Attack on Cobra: Extended version of apartment attack. Sniper arrives in the car, guy on the street looks at Cobra's place and puts his mask on. Two shots of two guys climbing up the stairs armed with axes are shown. They continue to climb and then cut the light while sniper is looking from his car. Later when he sees one of the guys shot by Cobra falling down, sniper starts the car and escapes. Some violence and blood are cut during the fight between Cobra and gang members. 8. Hospital attack: Shot of Nightslasher walking across the hallway with blood on his glove holding the knife is cut. Alternate shot of Cobra's arrival. Close up of Slasher's bloody glove is cut. 9.After the attacks: Alternate dialogue: TV cut - "Damn." DVD Uncut - "Goddamn." Line "Enough of this bullshit" from one of the cops is cut, instead he talks longer with Cobra. 10. After the chase: Extended scene where Cobra says that there is leak in the police, bald cop asks him a question. 11. "Feel The Heat": Extended dialogue between Cobra and Ingrid during the drive where he says that he never left California, and after some more dialogue, Cobra says some joke about football that ends with line "Have you seen my legs?" In restaurant, Gonzalez asks Stalk will she sexually assault him afterwards. After Cobra and Ingrid start to kiss, there is extra shot showing some old guy watching the motel from his house across the street and pulling the curtain. 12. Town attack: Extra scene where old guy is watching "DIAL M FOR MURDER" on TV. Some wires are shown being cut. Woman is washing dishes in a kitchen. Sniper is shown behind the window. Somebody catches women's hair from behind. Shots of old man watching TV and smoking pipe are shown, woman's shadow is shown while she is killed and the killer's shadow, considering the haircut, implies that killer is Nightslasher. Sniper breaks window with axe, old guy is strangled quickly, his pipe falls down to the ground, close up shot of a parrot getting nervous is shown, and then zoom on sniper face. 13. Final showdown: Death scene of sniper is cut. Shots of him burning alive are cut. Nightslasher's death scene is cut. He is only shown impaled for a few seconds, but the parts of him hanging on hook, screaming, going into fire and getting burned are cut. Extra scene after the shootout. Cobra and Ingrid are walking out of the factory when three cops show up and point shotguns at them. Cobra then says: "You guys missed the hell of a party." He also tells them that he is a cop, and when one of the other cops says that he wants answers now, Cobra says something else and then leaves.

There is an uncut, about 2 hour long work print of Cobra. This work print contains many scenes not shown in any other versions. Almost all deaths scenes are longer and much more gory. Some characters have more dialogue or character development scenes (Ingrid's photographer friend; Cobra's partner, Gonzalez; detective Monte; and some others), action scenes are much longer with more violence and deaths (hospital attack and attack on Cobra's place, car chase, pickup truck chase, and final shootout), and some parts of the movie have different music than the one heard in DVD versions.

German theatrical version was edited for violence (the final confrontation between the Night Slasher and Cobretti) to secure a "Not under 18" rating.

The Censor Board of India cut 2 minutes of violence to achieve an 'A' (adults) rating.

A brief 4 sec shot of Stallone saying "You have the right to remain silent" as the petrol-soaked man rubs his eyes was cut from the UK video version by the BBFC (cinema prints were uncut). The print shown on subscription TV (Sky) is intact.