G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #252

Writer: Larry Hama
Pencils: David Messina

Summary:

The Baroness; accompanied by a SAW Viper and a Frag-Viper; is in Darklonia, acting as an adviser. Darklonian forces have been trying to flush out the resistance fighters, including Katya (Sneak Peek’s ex). An orphaned little girl with a doll is about to be attacked by a Darklonian, when the Baroness steps in and stops him. This causes the Baroness to flash back to her own childhood, when her father ripped away her favorite doll, Genevieve. The father says: “why can’t you ever be anything but a disappointment?”

Continuing along in Darklonia, Baroness remembers her first meeting with James “Cully” McCullen at a fencing academy in Edinburgh. She’s the daughter of a Baron and he’s the son of a laird. After formalities and match, the future Destro says he only goes by “Cully”, but he’s content with simply calling her “my dear Baroness”.

Subsequent flashbacks show the Baroness as a “dissident student” and still with Cully. He asks her to marry him and return to Scotland. She declines, more focused on her “silly activism”. They have one final fencing matching before he leaves– without masks. Baroness gets a little heated as they discuss their future and (somewhat) accidentally slashes Cully’s face. Cully then leaves for Scotland, saying: “I’m sorry I couldn’t love you enough to steal you away from your passions”.

Back in the present and Darklonia, Baroness has the little girl still in tow and has tracked Katya to a bell tower. As they each wait each other out, a Darklonian soldier tries to kill the little girl, so she doesn’t give their position away. The solider is then shot by Baroness, saving the girl. Baroness fires back at Katya’s position. When she goes to verify her shot, she finds that Kayta has disappeared. She apparently had a clean shot on the Baroness, but didn’t take it so Baroness could save the girl.

Baroness is then picked up by Destro…and playfully calls him “Cully” for the first time in years.

Notes

• The little girl is with Baroness in the final scene and appears to be boarding the Cobra helicopter with her.
   
• The “Cully” nickname actually answers a long-running question I’ve had about issue 13 (from the Marvel days). He had always been “Cully” to her, so yes, calling him “Destro” was a “new name”.
   
• When we last saw Destro’s face, circa issue 100, he looked fine. So whatever scar he received from the fencing accident probably healed over the years.
   
• While it’s definitely Europe, no exact location is given for Baroness’s childhood. Later on, she mentions being in “Bern”, so Switzerland works, I suppose.
   
• It’s also verified that her last name is “DeCobray”. Before she can offer her first name, Destro cuts her off and gives her the “my dear Baroness” moniker.
   
• There’s no clear definition on what sort of “activism” Baroness is engaged in, at college. It really doesn’t matter, though. This is her history of “student radicalism” as spelled out in her file card from 1984. “Down with Corporate Oligarchies” is a banner she’s working on. Obviously a form of rebellion against her father.
   
• I stopped scoring all the various Vipers, but is the first time we’ve seen a Frag-Viper in the Hama-verse? I feel like there was one in the background, since the relaunch.
   
• One of the few issues that has absolutely ZERO Joes in it. Is this a first?
   
• Second straight 5-Flag Point issue and a worthy addition to any Joe-fan’s collection. Pretty much the closest thing we’ve ever gotten to a “Baroness Origin Issue”. Hama’s really in his prime form with this “Special Missions” series.
   
• My only nitpick is the final two-shot sequence. At first, to me, it seemed like Katya had shot the soldier. We were shown that Baroness had her rifle trained on Katya’s position, so it seemed a little odd that she’d turn around to shoot the solider, then immediately spin back around and fire upon Katya. I thought maybe the first shot had been Katya’s and given away her position. So it works out that: the soldier got up; Baroness shot him; Katya saw this and left her position; Baroness fired upon Katya’s position.

Appearances

Characters (with figures): Baroness, Destro

Characters (no action figures, or “comic-only” characters): Katya, “Little Orphan Girl”

Vehicles and stuff (toys): none
Vehicles and stuff (not toys): Cobra Transport Copter/Gunship

Firsties:
Characters: “Little Orphan Girl”

Rating: 5 Flag Points