G.I. Joe Special Missions #6

Special Missions #6- “Evasion”

Writer: Larry Hama
Penciler: Herb Trimpe

Summary

Picking up immediately at the end of #61, Outback escapes Krogdnz through the sewers, while Stalker, Quick Kick and Snow Job are hauled away as prisoners. Col. Ratnikov proves surprisingly adept in locating and following Outback through the entire country. Outback finally turns the tables on his pursuers and is able to hold them hostage as they fly him out of the country in a helicopter. Outback smashes the copter’s gauges and navigates from the backseat with his own compass. After reaching a certain point, Outback parachutes out. Ratnikov orders the pilot to take the copter below the clouds and pursue Outback. They drop below the clouds and find themselves in a restricted no-fly zone in Germany. German anti-aircraft guns destroy the helicopter. Outback has successfully escaped and is welcomed by the Germans.

Notes:

• Outback’s primary military specialty was “Survivalist”. Aside from having a fairly cool figure, he seemed worthless. This issue makes him seem like a bad-ass.
• Outback uses a Michelin Travel Guide to get out of Krogdnz. Funny.
• Ratnikov begins tracing serial numbers of the counterfeit money the Joes had made. He arrives at a market and orders all rubles to be confiscated. A citizen jokingly protests: “Rubles? Why not confiscate something of value?”
• Ratnikov is an absolutely ugly villain. Literally and figuratively. He has a metal tooth, coke-bottle glasses, a ratty beard and takes pleasure in beating the crap out of helpless prisoners. Despicable villain who you want to see killed.
• Borovian rubles have a hammer and sickle insignia on them, so they’re definitely a communist controlled, Eastern bloc country.
• Ratnikov also gives readers a geography lesson of Borovia’s borders. Austria and the Alps are to the north, Russia and Siberia are to the east, and to the south is a “desert peopled by religious fanatics”.
• Outback confuses his pursuers by making a dummy and a trail of chicken blood. He had obtained a truck from a chicken farmer, earlier.
• As the three captured Joes are beaten, we see that their usual uniforms where underneath their “night commando gear”. Fine for Stalker’s fatigues and Quick Kick’s Boy Scout Merit Badge sash….but Snow Job soon appears in his full parka!
• Stalker stands by his decision to order Outback to escape. Unless ONE guy makes it back, nobody will ever know what really happened, or that the other 3 are prisoners.
• The Joes are quickly labeled as “capitalist terrorists” by the Borovians.
• Another town of Borovia is included: Prnvsk. It’s a rural, farming town.
• One of the few issues with no mention of Cobra what so ever.

Appearances:

Characters (figures): Outback, Stalker, Quick Kick, Snow Job

Characters (“comic-only”): Col. Ratnikov (croaks), Sgt. Gruvich

Vehicles and stuff (toys): none!

Vehicles and stuff (not toys): none to speak of

Firsties:
Characters: Sgt. Gruvich (official)

Vehicles: none

Rating: Rating: 3 Flag Points