GI Joe (ARAH): Silent Option #2

Writer: Larry Hama
Pencils: Neitho Diaz

Summary

On the trail of Helix and Ilsa Bachman, the Joes sneak aboard the oil platform in the North Sea. As they inspect the place, they find a trail of dead bodies and conflict. They replay the platform’s surveillance cameras, witnessing Helix blowing her way through several unfriendlies… until she runs into Red Ninjas and Firefly!

A young girl appears to be hiding in a locker, and she offers to lead the Joes to Helix. It turns out to be a Red Ninja trap, however. The Joes fight their way through the Ninjas and to a helipad, where Ilsa Bachman is holding Helix at gunpoint (and also wired with dynamite). The Joes are forced to let the helicopter leave…but as soon as it’s high enough, Bachman kicks the wired Helix out the cargo door! Helix is falling towards the rig and the Joes can either shoot her in mid-air, or be blown up when he hits the oil platform.

Back-up Story: “Codename: Helix” (Part 2)
Writer: Ryan Ferrier
Artist: Kenneth Loi

Snake-Eyes frees Helix from her cell in Trucial Abysmia. She’s incredibly violent, attacking everyone in sight, including Snake-Eyes. When she realizes Snake-Eyes is on her side and fighting her captors, Helix begins watching and mimicking him.

Notes

• Well THAT’S a pretty intense cliffhanger in the main story.
   

• Aside from a “RAHHH” in the flashback, Helix has not spoken a word. Having not read any of her previous “non-Hama” appearances, I’m wondering if she’s mute and ties into being a “Silent Option”.
   
• Bombstrike states some pertinent info on Throwdown: “Sean’s operational code-name is Throwdown. In the presence of Cobras, we call him Snake-Eyes”.
   
• Fun little scene as Alpine actually uses his mountaineering gear to climb up the oil platform’s pillar.
   
• As the Joes search the platform’s living quarters, they find a My Little Pony and surmise: “the kids were here”. Err…or it could’ve been that a Brony was there.
   
• Torpedo throws out a few Hawaii’an exclamations (“Kahaha”! and Oia ho’i”). Has he done this, before? I’m always thankful for little educational tidbits like that thrown our way. It’s because of comic books and Colossus that I know what “bozhe moi” means.
   
• Along those lines, Ilsa Bachman does the same thing, as she calls the Joes “leichtgläubig” (German for gullible).
   
• The Jeos use some “willie pete” (white phosphorous) to fend off the Red Ninjas. Been awhile since we’ve mentioned that in a GI Joe book. Alpine even gives us a little science lesson on how; if it gets on you; you can’t smother it or douse it with water…you have to scrape it off your skin with a knife!

Appearances

Characters (figures): Bombstrike, Alpine, Torpedo, Firefly (cameo)

Characters (comic-only): Dawn Moreno, Throwdown, Ilsa Bachman

Vehicles and stuff (toys): Killer Whale (cameo)

Vehicles and stuff (not toys): Russian MI-26 Heavy-lift Helicopter

Firsties:
Characters: none (although, technically this is the first LIVE appearance of Ilsa Bachman)

Vehicles and stuff: Russian MI-26 Heavy-lift Helicopter

Rating: 4 Flag Points