G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #159

Writer: Larry Hama
Penciler: Augustin Padilla

Summary

Duke’s teams blasts their way into the Silent Castle, mostly blowing away BATs. Mainframe is able to tap into the Castle’s system and downloads documents exposing Cobra’s less-than-honest plans for the USA. Mainframe transmits the documents to Hawk in the Pentagon where; with the help of the President on the phone; Hawk is able to get Cobra’s deal with the US government cancelled.

Snake-Eyes and Scarlett make it into Cobra Commander’s throne room. During the melee, Snake-Eyes is grazed in the head and knocked out. The Cobras all dogpile on him and strap him into the Brainwave Scanner, which immediately descends via a secret elevator. Storm Shadow grabs Scarlett and hops out of the Castle’s top window with her.

Notes:

• Even though Zartan’s on the cover, he’s worthless in this issue. He tries to sneak up on Duke’s team, disguised as Snake-Eyes. Duke sees through the ruse and takes him out with a rifle butt.
  
   

• Cobra Commander is back to his old “alliterative vocabularic nightmare” days. Sample dialouge (to Scarlett): “you titian-tressed termagant”.
  
   

• In the fight with Snake-Eyes and Scarlett, Destro actually uses his wrist-rockets!. I can’t remember the last time he used those….maybe issue 18?
   
• With the deus ex machina of a “computer download” and the phonecall from the Pres, this is another cop-out ending to a battle/plotline. How many times have the Joes and Cobra had a battle, only to have the fighting rendered moot by a shady deal, government order or some other lame ending? In the words of GOB Bluth: “Come On!”
   
• Lest I forget: this issue has another 5-page preview at the end– another “Transformers” comic.

Appearances:

Characters (figures): Hawk, Rock & Roll, Roadblock, Duke, Mainframe, Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Stalker, Cobra Commander, Baroness, Dr. Mindbender, Zartan

Characters (“comic-only”): Billy, Dr. Venom (virtual)

Vehicles and stuff (toys): none

Vehicles and stuff (not toys): none

Firsties:
Characters: none

Vehicles and stuff: none

Rating: 2 Flag Points