G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero #77

“Aftershocks”

Writer: Larry Hama
Penciler: Marshall Rogers

Summary:

As the Joes are peacefully departing Cobra Island, Lady Jaye and Zarana get into a catfight. Proving that guys dig chickfights, all the men (Joes and Cobras) gather around to watch ’em fight, until they run out of gas and everything dissipates.

Hawk, Roadblock and Gen. Hollingsworth make a trip to the Pentagon to appear before the Jugglers. The Jugs are pissed about the Cobra Island debacle and want the Joes to take the blame. The entire team is placed under lockdown, with Hawk, Hollingsworth and Roadblock suddenly becoming “mental patients” and sent to a hospital.

En route to the hospital, Roadblock uses his SuperHuman Machine Gunner Powers, breaks out of his cuffs and escapes into Washington DC. He eventually arrives at a safehouse: the home of Dr. Adele Burkhart.

On Cobra Island, Fred VII is attacked by Captain Minh. Minh wants a boat, so Fred gives him his own hydrofoil, in exchange for keeping quiet about Fred’s true identity. Dr. Mindbender tells Fred that he knows about the little ruse…but agrees to help him, essentially taking the “helper role” that the Baroness had.

Notes:

• Hawk’s back to wearing his baseball hat, again. Obvious that the switch in artists contributed to this.
• Hollngsworth is BLACK, again. He had appeared as a caucasian in the last few issues (73-76). Apparently someone confused him with the retired General Austin.
• While being shuttled away, Hawk references the location of all the Joes, mentioning that Scarlett, Snake-Eyes and the others are in the Himalayas (see Special Missions #14)
• Serpentor’s body is discreetly preserved in ice by Dr. Mindbender. His smokescreen is that Serpie was an organ donor and that all of his pieces were cut up and given to wounded Cobra troops.
• Hawk’s appearance in DC is covered by the media. The news knows all about the “GI Joe Team” and a public warning is sent out for “Marvin Hinton, aka Roadblock”. So now the Joes have been officially exposed to the public. But just because the public knows the team’s NAME, they still don’t know who they are or where they hang out. Kinda’ like how we know about all the commando units and black ops that the US gov’t has…but we don’t know all the details.
• Destro and the Baroness are shown, lounging on their cruise ship. She lets him in on Fred VII’s secret.
• Seven Jugglers are shown, but only one, General Malthus, is named. The exact nature of their name, Jugglers, has been modified a bit since their last appearance in #48. They’re all about balancing and assigning blame.

Appearances:

Characters (figures):Hawk, Roadblock, Flint, Lady Jaye, Keel Haul, Lift-ticket, Breaker, Leatherneck, Beachhead, Lowlight, Airborne, Doc, Sci-Fi, Crazylegs, Lifeline, Dodger, Cutter, Shipwreck, Falcon, Gung Ho, Dial-Tone, Tunnel Rat, Spirit Iron-Knife

Cobras (figures): Baroness, Serpentor (corpse), Dr. Mindbender, Destro, Zartan, Zandar, Zarana, Torch, Ripper, Buzzer, Thrasher, Monkeywrench

Characters (“comic-only”): Fred VII, Captain Minh, Gen. Hollingsworth, General Malthus & the Jugglers, Dr. Adele Burkhart

Vehicles and stuff (toys): AWE Striker, Tomahawk, USS Flagg, Cobra HISS, Cobra ASP

Vehicles and stuff (not toys): none

Firsties:
Characters: Gen. Malthus (named this issue, but may have appeared in issue 48)

Vehicles and stuff: none

Rating: 3 Flag Points