G.I. JoeG.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (ARAH)

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #271

Writer: Larry Hama
Pencils: Robert Atkins

Summary

The contingents of the full G.I. Joe team; Clutch, Wade Collins, Rock and Roll & Stalker; The Arashikages; Zartan & the Dreadnoks; Destro & the Baroness; and even Revanche begin to mobilize and/or vocalize their intents. Basically, everyone’s going to Springfield.

In Utah, Joe Colton arrives with a replacement satellite, which is soon loaded aboard the Defiant and launched into space.

Laura 343 is still “guarding” Throwdown/Snake-Eyes II/Sean Collins…and doing a poor job of it. As Sean undoes his bonds, Laura keeps threatening to shoot him… but keeps delaying, even allowing him to start a (presumably) Arashikage Mindset with finger weaves.

Notes

  • I’m guessing this “big” arc will end with everybody arriving at Springfield, few (if any) shots fired, and everyone then walking/driving away because some sort of deal or arrangement has happened. Again.
  • Honestly, they should just make every issue a buncha’ pictures of as many figures and toys as they can. Similar to the annual catalogs from the 80’s that we all got a kick out of. It would spare us the dialogue and haphazard plots.
  • Zartan and his crew are traveling in a trailer marked “Trazan Bros Moving”…then in the next panel it’s “Trazan Bro’s Moving” (incorrect use of an apostrophe). Sure, I can get away with typos on This Crappy Website, but I’m not getting paid for my efforts. Nor do I have an “editor”.
  • With no introduction or identification, “new” Dreadnoks Burn-out and ZANYA appear. Yeah, Zanya… Zartan’s daughter from the Devil’s Due series.
  • Two medium-large crowd shots occur, in another attempt to include all Joes (living and maybe even dead). There’s a guy between Recondo and Alpine, wearing yellow who I’ve scored as Lightfoot. The bus shot (seen below) includes one guy I can’t identify– he has a white tank-top, head-wrap and sun-glasses. He’s circled/high-lighted. Please let me know via “Comments” on who you think he is.

Appearances

Characters (figures): Hawk, Duke, Stalker, Rock and Roll, Clutch, Grand Slam, Zap, Airborne, Tripwire, Blowtorch, Recondo, Alpine, Spirit Iron-Knife, Gung-Ho, Roadblock, Bazooka, Lightfoot (?), Barbeque, Airtight, Mutt, Junkyard, Steeler, Back-stop, Long Range, Cross Country, Mainframe, Shipwreck, Footloose, Flint, Lady Jaye, Leatherneck, Chuckles, Falcon, Law & Order, Sci-fi, Psyche-Out, Frostbite, Low-light, Torpedo, Muskrat, Payload, Hardtop, Lift-ticket, Budo, Jinx, Helix, Hot Sauce

Cobra Commander, Dr. Mindbender, Destro, Baroness, Zartan, Zandar, Zarana, Torch, Ripper, Buzzer, Road Pig, Zanzibar, Thrasher, Gnawgahyde, Monkeywrench, Burn-out (!), Zanya (!)

Characters (comic-only): Throwdown (“Snake-Eyes”), Demon Granny, Dawn Moreno, Milo, Joe Colton, Laura 343, Zanya

Vehicles (toys): HAVOC, Tomahawk, Defiant, Iron Grenadiers AGP, Destro’s Despoiler, Dreadnok Thunder Machine,

Vehicles (not toys): Transport trucks, Trazan Bros. Truck, Bongo the Balloon Bear’s Van

Firsties: Hot Sauce, Burn-out, Zanya

Rating: 2 Flag Points

15 thoughts on “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #271

  • Netho Diaz said there’s some insane action sequences coming up, (and he posted a few panels), so expect things to pick up, (not like it could get any slower), very soon.

    Reply
  • Oh and your mystery Joe on the bus is Hot Sauce. This is courtesy of Robert Atkins. He said he’s a Puerto Rican demolitions expert he created during his initial IDW run. He’s been in the background a few times and even a cover or two.

    Reply
    • Wow. Hot Sauce. First time I’ve heard of him. From the multiple “non-Hama” IDW Gi Joe books, I’m guessing?

      I thought he looked like the mid-2000’s “Ripper” figure, but knew that was wrong.

      Reply
  • Yeah he sent me some pics but I don’t recall seeing him much in ARAH. He was quick to say he’s “not official”. Just a fun little easter egg for the artist I guess.

    Reply
    • My other (incorrect) thought was that he looked like “Lefty”, aka “Bar Sinister”, from the 1993-1996 Hawkman series!

      Reply
  • I had to look up Lefty but yeah he could totally be that guy, lol. I’ve always wanted to read that series – any good?

    Reply
    • Not good. The series that preceded it, “Hawkworld” was okay, but the 1993-1996 “Hawkman” series is terrible. Starts out kinda’ okay (for the time)… but takes a nose-dive around issue 8, and then again when Zero Hour comes along and they try to make Hawkman a Wolverine-type of hero.

      The FIRST ISSUE is covered in our FIRST ISSUE section (plug! plug!), right here:
      https://www.option38.com/hawkman-1-1993/

      One good thing about this series, though: they eventually revealed that Katar Hol’s mom is a Native American (Cherokee, I think). This is cool, because Hawkman just happens to have Native American roots. I think I mentioned in the Marvel Spotlight/Red Wolf review that it would’ve been nice if someone like Iron Man or Spidey just happened to be Native American… but DC did it with Hawkman! I gIve ’em credit for that.

      Reply
      • Thank you for saving me some time, lol. And yes, more Native American characters would be very welcome.

        Reply
    • I’ll get to it, eventually. No offense, but I’ve never made going to a comic shop on “New Release Day” a priority. At the earliest I go on a Saturday.

      Reply
  • Mark "Funky Bunch"

    “Recondo and Alpine, wearing yellow who I’ve scored as Lightfoot.”
    Based on the dialogue box with the roll call, i make this Ripcord, coloured as airtight. Airtight, is on the bus to the right, but miscoloured as tripwire.

    Reply
    • I’d say the techie looking guy on the bus is not Airtight, nor Tripwire, but Sci-Fi (v1). His helmet is (floating?) next to him and you can see the straight across, black, visor running behind Order’s ear.

      Reply

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