G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #282

Writer: Larry Hama
Pencils: Andrew Lee Griffith

Summary

The Joes are summoned to a closed Senate hearing in Washington, D.C. to answer for their recent violent sojourn into a “perfectly innocent American town”. Senators Wendy Ling-Torres, Thormond Lardner and Letitia Rawley are the questioning committee. The Joes are represented by Hawk, “Snake-Eyes” (Throwdown), Scarlett, Caseload and Bottom Line, all in their dress uni’s. Plus Stalker and Helix as obvious armed guards in their regular fatigues.

The Joes are called out for their usual obvious bullcrap that’s seemingly been ignored over the years (or at least not addressed in the comics by the government). How they’re fighting a secret terrorist organization, everyone took leave at the same time to invade Springfield, the Brainwave Scanner, and even the rubber mask “Snake-Eyes” uses.

A Crimson Guardsman, Fred 501, pretends to be “Wade Collins” to get inside the Senate chamber. Sherlock is outside the chamber, undercover, and spots the ruse. She thwarts “Wade” from getting a secret codeword to Ling-Torres, but a mysterious Cobra figure in a gray trenchcoat then attacks. The Cobra operative manages to kill Senator Lardner, and steal his lapel pin which was transmitting everything to Cobra Commander. Lardner, himself, is revealed to have been a Cobra agent (or at least someone paid-off by them). Caseload then closes his presentation by saying that the recent actions prove what the G.I. Joe Team has been facing.

Notes

• It’s nice to see the Joes called out for their little “wink wink/nudge nudge” shenanigans. We’ve kinda’ been led to believe that the US government in the “Joe-verse” is a buncha’ morons (sure, they’re morons in the real world, too). It’s realistic to see that not every government official has been falling for it, though.
• In what may have been a clue, Senator Lardner’s lapel pin has a US flag with only 38 stars. It’s shown twice, so I assume it’s intentional. This would’ve set the US flag at 1876 or later, when Colorado was admitted as the 38th state. This all may or may not be significant.
• Editorial slacking strikes again. In one panel, the word balloons say “Rawley”. Then in the very next panel, the name plate says: “Rawly”. C’mon now….are they even trying? I know I make typos, but again, I’M NOT GETTING PAID , nobody is employed to proof me, and (most importantly) I’m not charging YOU $3.99 to read my slip-ups.
• Dr. Mindbender mentions that they’ve had Ling-Torres reprogrammed for years. So Cobra has been playing the long game with her. Glad to see that, as her subplot seemed to have evaporated or been forgotten.
• “Snake-Eyes” is forced to remove his mask and, in a call back to old days, readers don’t see it and the comic characters are astonished.
• Sherlock mentions that the voice of the Cobra guy in the gray trench coat “sounds familiar”. I’m guessing it’s intended to be Al Kawbra. Whoever it is, in this issue he comes off fairly cartoonish as he says “do you want to die” and then cackles loudly as he escapes (I almost expected him to crash out of a window, as “Hitler” does in every episode of “Danger 5”). He trench coat disguise is ridiculous and looks like the Cobra operative from the cartoon “Pyramid of Darkness”. What was that guy’s name? Scar or Slash?
• Bottom Line is finally seen, this issue. It’s a “she”, for what that’s worth.
• Despite the cackling villain and the “Rawly” slip-up, I’m giving this a good rating, as it makes me want to read the next issue. As a comic, it’s “meh”… but as a G.I. Joe comic it’s good.

Appearances

Characters (figures): Hawk, Scarlett, Stalker, Duke, Mainframe, Psyche-Out, Helix, Cobra Commander, Dr. Mindbender, Storm Shadow (flashback cameo), Snake-Eyes (flashback cameo)

Characters (comic-only): Sherlock, Throwdown, Caseload, Bottom Line, Wendy Ling-Torres, Thormond Lardner, Letitia Rawley, Wade Collins (flashback cameo), Al Kawbra

Vehicles & Stuff (toys): HISS Tank (flashback cameo)

Vehicles & Stuff (not toys): none to speak of

Firsties: Thormond Lardner (dies), Letitia Rawley,

Rating: 4 Flag Points