G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #166

Writer: Larry Hama
Penciler: Ron Wagner

Summary:

Cutter leads a team of Joes on a surveillance mission off the coast of Broca Beach. In the actual town, Destro and the Baroness; both seemingly freed of the Brainwave Scanner; have another disagreement with Cobra Commander and leave the organization in a sub filled with Iron Grenadiers.

When Cobra Commander hears that the Brainwave Scanner has been destroyed, he blames it on Destro and dispatches a squad of Cobra Hyrdofoils (Morays) to attack the sub. The Joes (with the WHALE and SHARC) end up in an intense skirmish with the Morays, while Cobra Eels try to blow up Destro’s sub. Outnumbered by three Morays, the Joes even result ot using hand-tohand tactics to win the fight. In the end, the burning wreckage of the Morays allows Destro’s sub to escape.

Notes:

• This is first appearance of Topside. He never appeared in the original Marvel series, while his figure hit shelves in 1990. At 21 years, this has to be the longest “overdue first appearance” in the comic’s lifespan. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if more of these pop-up.
   
• These might be a little tough to score, since a good deal of these “forgotten Joes” made their first appearances in the Devil’s Due series. For the sake of continuity (and sanity), I’m only scoring “firsties” in the Marvel/IDW series.
   
• This is also the first appearance of the Undetow frogmen. They were originally supposed to be “Destro’s Frogmen”, but we can fill-in-the-blanks and guess that Cobra took over the Undertow designs when MARS and Cobra were merged together for a short time (circa issue 90-99).
   
• Return of Ron Wagner to the title. His style’s a little more cleaned-up since his last stint on the book, circa 1989.
   
• I think this is the first time we had a full-on WHALE vs Moray duel. In issue 36, they brushed against each other, and again in issue 40. I can’t recall a straight-up fight between the two.
   
• Sure, it’s a little silly that Cobra dispatches Hydrofoils to catch a SUBMARINE. This would’ve been a perfect time to debut the never-before-seen 1988 “Cobra Sea Ray”, their answer to the SHARC.
   
• I was under the impression that the Iron Grenadiers had all been killed and Destro had “retired” from MARS in the “Destro: Search and Destroy” arc from 1991. After that, the IG’s were never seen again (until this issue). No Prize Explanation: Destro had some more flunkies and has been “getting the band back together” over the past few issues.
   
• Baroness mentions that her own “personal calibrations have been maladjusted for the past year”. Which, if you read between the lines, means that approximately 12 months have passed in “Joe Time” since issue 144 or so (when Baroness was brainwashed by the Brainwave Scanner).
   
• The Joes on the WHALE all observe a Cobra helicopter and its concealed landing pad. So we can now safely assume that the Joes know Broca Beach is Cobra’s current HQ.
   
• The ruined Brainwave Scanner has six slices over it– alternating between solid lines and two dashes; the Arashikage hexagram or calling card of Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes.
   
• Important to note that only the Brainwave Scanner in Broca Beach was mucked up. While they seem to be moving away from awful Brainwave stuff, it’s entirely possible that it (and Dr. Virtual Venom) could be dusted off somewhere down the line.
   
• Long-awaited Return of Shipwreck’s Polly. He appeared in the original “Special Missions“, but this is the first time he’s popped up in the “regular” title. He has several lines of dialogue, too (*groan*).
  

  Appearances:

  Characters (figures): Cutter, Shipwreck (w/Polly), Topside, Deep Six, Cobra Commander, Baroness, Destro, Dr. Mindbender

  Characters (“comic-only”): none

  Vehicles and stuff (toys): WHALE, SHARC, Cobra Morays
  
  Vehicles and stuff (not toys):Cobra sub, Cobra transport/gunship helicopter

  Firsties:
  Characters:Topside
  
  Vehicles and stuff: none

  Rating: 3 Flag Points