G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #118

“Deceptions & Diversions” (Destro: Search & Destroy: Part 3 of 3)

Writer: Larry Hama
Penciler: Rod Whigham

Summary:

In Beirut, Destro and his crew outwit the Night Creepers’ surveillance gear by hiding in a steamer ship’s refrigerator. They crash the steamer in the Beirut waterfront, then meet up with Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow and the Ninja Force.

Everyone meets up with Wild Bill and they all fly to Zurich, the HQ of the Night Creepers. Destro brings along his ace-in-the-hole, a young kid named Rashid– the kid who doubted Mainframe in issue #58. He’s now a computer whiz. Everyone crashes into the Night Creepers’ HQ, and with the help of a computer virus from Rashid, succeed in wiping out a good chunk of Cobra’s Swiss bank account fortunes.

Destro brings Cobra Commander in on a direct video link. He’ll stop eating Cobra’s money, if CC drops the bounty and returns the Baroness. CC agrees and Destro is safe.

Notes:

• As the Ninja Force is fighting in Beirut, Dojo asks Storm Shadow if they have a battlecry, like “It’s Clobberin’ Time” or “Kowabunga, Dude”.
• Cobra Commander strapped the Baroness into a Brainwave Scanner and messed with her mind a bit. Nothing revealing in the Brainwave scenes, save for a photo of Baroness’ older brother, Eugen.
• Destro’s secet password to Rashid is “Frozen Haggis”.
• Rashid is wearing a Texas Instruments t-shirt. Wow… what a dork.
• The new Air Commando Gliders are used. Wild Bill mentions Skymate and Cloudburst — the Gliders’ regular users— but they aren’t seen. I’m not sure if those two Joes will ever be seen.
• The Ninjas and Destro’s exploits are sort of like a standard Marvel superhero romp.
• Funny scene, where a Night Creeper fires his crossbow while perched on top of an amusement park ride, in the Beirut waterfront.
   
• Destro threatens to reveal to Cobra Commander that the Night Creepers were snooping on Cobra’s accounts. This is why they let him walk out of their HQ, peacefully.
• Very cool cover, with Cobra Commander (in his old hood), wrestling with Destro.
• This “Destro saga” was sort of “ehhh”. Nothing amazing, but nothing special. Went back to the old grudge between Cobra Commander and Destro, but many fans were led into believing this was the long-awaited “Destro origin”. A story which never came.
• GI Joe Dossier is of Spirit.

Appearances:

Characters (figures): Chuckles, Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow, Nunchuk, Tjbang, Dojo, Wild Bill, Mainframe (flashback cameo), Destro, Zartan, Baroness, Cobra Commander

Characters (“comic-only”): Billy, Rashid

Vehicles and stuff (toys): none

Vehicles and stuff (not toys): GI Joe C-130

Firsties:
Characters: none

Vehicles and stuff: Air Commando Gliders

Rating: 3 Flag Points