G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero #219

Cobra World Order: Part One

Writer: Larry Hama
Penciler: SL Gallant

Summary:

In Mexico City, Hawk and Carlos Espinosa enter a Revanche office and quickly come face-to-face with a cadre of Blue Ninjas. In New Jersey, several “c-level” Cobra specialists (including the debuting Big Boa) meet up with Zartan and the Dreadnoks. Zartan is concerned that Cobra may be trying to eliminate their “competition”.

“New” Snake-Eyes reports to Storm Shadow’s old hollow water tower in NYC, where he meets the Arashikages. Finally, at the Silent Castle, Destro and the Baroness barge in on Cobra Commander and threaten their way back into Cobra.

Notes:

• If the last “prelude” issue was a recap, this is everything ramping up and getting ready for “Cobra World Order”.
   
• Along with Big Boa, Zartan’s little league of losers also includes Crystal Ball, Cesspool, Slice and Dice.
   
• It’s clarified that Windy Ling-Torres is head of the congressional overwatch commmittee that oversees G.I. Joe.
   
• The Freds (one in Seattle, the other on Ling-Torres’s staff) have a phone conversation about paranoia and what might be happening.
   
• Destro and the Baroness use the threat of dropping an electric toaster into Cobra Commander’s bathtub. CC is wearing his mask, which is kinda’ consistent with what we’ve seen in the past.
   
• Destro was able to sneak into the Silent Castle through yet another “hidden entrance” that he built into it.
   
• Yup, it took Big Boa over 28 years to finally debut in the comics.
   
• If I read it right, it appears that Storm Shadow’s full name is “Arashikage Tomisaburo”. He’d only been called by his shortened named of “Tommy”, before.
   
• The water tower is shown to be on top of the “Murray Halls” apartment building. Snake-Eyes has to climb up to it through an elevator shaft.
   
• Random newspaper headline has an in-joke: “Congress asks: why don’t inkers get credit on comic resources? Fans outraged”.
   
• A somewhat egregious oversight, as the cover does NOT have an issue number visible. The only thing visible is a big “Part One”. Would not have been so hard to slip it in below the price and credits.
   
• It’s still probably one of my favorite covers, layout and art-wise (even though that dork DUKE is at the center of it).
   
• In Something That Pisses Me Off: in the letters page, a fan asks if the Collins family member we last saw in issue 215 is Sean Collins’s biological or adopted sister. Hama foolishly replies: “I don’t believe he has a sister in my continuity”.

Appearances:

Characters (figures): Hawk, Mainframe, Scarlett, Storm Shadow, Cobra Commander, Destro, Baroness, Zartan, Zarana, Crystal Ball, Big Boa, Cesspool, Slice, Dice, Torch (cameo), Ripper (cameo), Buzzer (cameo)

Characters (“comic-only”): Throwdown (Snake-Eyes II), Obake Obasasan, Carlos Espinosa

Vehicles and stuff (toys): VAMP

Vehicles and stuff (not toys): none

Firsties:
Characters: Big Boa

Vehicles and stuff: none

Rating: 3 Flag Points