G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #46

“Who’s who on Cobra Island”

Writer: Larry Hama
Penciler: Rod Whigham

Summary

Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow rip through Cobra Island, looking for Zartan. Zartan has successfully switched places with Rip-cord, but the only one who figures it out is Professor Appel. Appel finds a picture of Candy on Rip-cord and they both figure out what’s going on. Appel wasn’t aware that Candy was missing and/or kidnapped by a Dreadnok. Cobra Commander never told him that she was missing. Appel does a face turn and launches the weakened Rip-cord in a Firebat, headed for Springfield, to find Candy. Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes bust into the launch room, just as the Firebat launches. Storm Shadow believes it’s Zartan in the Firebat. Appel tries to stop him, but Storm Shadow slices him (presumably killing Appel). The small Joe rescue team takes the other “Rip-cord” back with them, not knowing that it’s really Zartan.

Notes:

• Storm Shadow is officially a good guy now, as he opposes Cobra in this issue.
• Stormie and Snake-Eyes move through Cobra Island way too easily, even for them. They do a two-man full frontal assault in broad daylight. A little tough to justify. Snake-Eye does nothing but shoot his uzi the whole time. Since the series began, guns overheating or jamming had been a common occurence in every battle scene (even in this story, as Alpine’s gun overheats). Miraculously, Snake-Eyes’s uzi has no such issues as it can shoot for hours and he never needs to reload it.
• The Terror Drome is called “The Launch Base” in this arc. That was the original or working name of the Terror Drome toy. Early commercials even sang about “Cobra Launch base…the most dangerous foe…duh-duh..of GI Joooooe”
• Stormie and Snakes corner Cobra Commander, but he sells out Zartan. Stormie asks if he (CC) ordered the Hard Master’s death, Cobra Commander, ever the liar and manipulator denies it and hollers” No! He did it to prove he COULD”. So we’re led to believe that Zartan did the hit for his initiation into Cobra. We’ll find out that CC was lying, circa issue 84 or so.
• Spirit Iron-Knife begins to suspect something about “Rip-cord”, since the wounds on his body don’t match the bullet holes on his clothes.
• Hawk returns to the Pit with a new promotion. He apparently also got a new bomber jacket from General Austin to celebrate the occasion. Clutch drvies him into the Pit on the VAMP, reminiscent of an identical scene from issue #1. This is the first appearance of “Hawk v. 2.0”..or his first real action figure (the one that came with the MSS was kind of flimsy and was never cited as the “leader” for the toys).
• Just realized it: but Stalker and Snake-Eyes ditched Hawk and left him stranded in DC a few issues back!
• The letters column addresses the meaning of the Arashikage’s I-Ching symbol (Stormie and Snakes’ tatoos). It’s a riddle that they never solved and that was probably the point, as some questions don’t have answers. However, years later they’ll tell us
  that it signifies “fire over water” and how the sensible man knows to prepare for conflict even in times of peace.

• Slight modification to the cover dressing, as the “Marvel 25th Anniversary” logo is added. Celebrating Marvel from 1961 to 1986. It’ll last for…well, a year.

Appearances:

Characters (figures):Alpine, Flint, Spirit Iron-Knife, Rip-cord, Quick Kick, Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow, Hawk, Clutch (cameo), Gung-Ho (cameo), Recondo (cameo), Snow Job (cameo), Scarlett (cameo), Shipwreck (cameo), Bazooka (cameo), Cobra Commander, Zartan, Tomax, Xamot

Characters (“comic-only”):Professor Appel (dies), Candy (cameo, in a picture)

Vehicles and stuff (toys): VAMP Mark 2, Cobra Firebat, Cobra Terror Drome, Cobra Rattler, Cobra HISS, Cobra Stinger, Cobra Night Raven (cameo)

Vehicles and stuff (not toys): none to speak of. Cobra construction cranes, etc

Firsties:
Characters:none
Vehicles: Cobra Night Raven (seen under a tarp)

Rating: Rating: 3 Flag Points