G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #35

“Dreadnoks on the Loose”

Writer: Larry Hama
Penciler: Rod Whigham, Mark Bright, Bob Camp, Larry Hama

Summary

The Dreadnoks steal Zartan’s new bike and explain how his “magic disguise powers” work: he uses holographic units in his bike and costume to change his appearance (in other words, Zartan is frickin’ Jem. Truly outrageous). Meanwhile, Rock n’ Roll, Clutch and Breaker are driving across country in R n R’s vintage ’56 Bel Air Nomad. The Dreadnoks cruise by on Zartan’s cycle, wreaking cars and creating havoc. They use the holograhic projector to appear as a monstrous semi truck and run the Joes off the road. But Rock n’ Roll got the license plate.

The Dreadnoks break into a random miltary base and begin smashing stuff, almost identical to issue 30. The disguised Dreadnoks sneak out using holograms again, but they pass by the ambulance carrying the Joes. Rock n’ Roll notices the license plate again, takes over the ambulance and pursues the Dreadnoks. They manage to capture Buzzer. Meanwhile, Zartan had been pursuing the Dreadnoks in a holographically disguised transport chopper. While driving down the road, he was disguised as a bus driver and picked up a seemingly “innocent old lady”. When they get back to Springfield, Ripper discovers that she’s disappeared. Zartan surmises that only a ninja master could escape from a locked helicopter. Hmmm…

Notes:

• The license plates on Zartan’s bike and helicopter are a big part of the plot and always a trivia question. They are ZTN-123 and ZTN-456, respectively.

• Another super heavy duty trivia item: I checked all the panels and in this entire issue, Breaker does NOT blow chewing gum bubbles! Something he was always doing in every other big appearance he had. That was always his distinguishing characteristic in the comics.
• This issue was accompanied with another TV commercial. (“Dreadnoks are the most dangerous foes…dum-dum..of GI Joooooeee!”) The commercial seemed to cover issue 30, though. So this issue felt like a filler or re-do. But Buzzer’s capture and the vanishing ninja were continued on as subplots.
• Cover was done by John Byrne. Byrne-a-mania was starting to die down a bit by this time (early 1985), but it sometimes commanded a premium for this issue, like issue 20 did.
• First time Mark Bright has worked on the book. He’d return to become the fulltime penciller sometime around issue 90. I think he was working on “Power Man & Iron Fist” at this time.
• In an interlude at Springfield, we see Cobra Commander is locked away in his office after the events of issue 33. Baroness makes a cameo…with the RETURN of her beauty mark. We hadn’t seen it since her accident in issue 16
• It’s a little stupid WHY the “little old lady” would want to board an evil looking bus, covered with skulls, on the side of the New Jersey turnpike. But it’s a fun little way to bring this character to Springfield. We won’t find out who he/she is for a few months, though.
• Buzzer is clearly shown as the “leader” of the Dreadnoks. As long as Zartan’s not around.
• Rock n’ Roll encounters a confused kid at a gas station. The kid wants to enlist, but R n R knows that he’s just running away from himself. Some pretty heavy dialogue for what would’ve been a throwaway scene.
• Two big coincidences in this issue: that the Dreadnoks would bump into the Joes on the highway and that the “little old lady” would bump into Zartan. But as we’ve seen throughout the series, coincidences seem to be a favorite device of Hama’s and they usually move the story along.

Appearances:

Characters (figures):Clutch, Breaker, Rock n’ Roll, Buzzer, Ripper, Torch, Zartan, Baroness, Major Bludd

Characters (“comic-only”):“The Little Old Lady /Ninja Master”

Vehicles and stuff (toys): none
Vehicles and stuff (not toys): Dreadnok cycles, Zartan’s transport helicopter, Rock n’ Roll’s Nomad

Firsties:
Characters:none
Vehicles: none

Rating: Rating: 3 Flag Points