Comics#23

Snake Eyes is having dinner with his family, where he reveals to them that he is being shipped out to Southeast Asia (Vietnam). Snake Eyes and his dad have a conversation about keeping his faith; Snake Eyes questions his faith and prefers to believe in luck. His father switches gears "If you're heading into that jungle armed with nothing but luck... then I wish you all the luck in the world. Luck runs out quick, though. You step up to gamble one more time, and the next thing you know... "Snake-Eyes""
Snake Eyes says his last goodbyes to his mother and father, his twin sister, Terri. Terri gives him what will become his good luck charm, a picture of herself, and she makes him promise to come back home.
In the jungle of Southeast Asia (Vietnam), Wade Collins is talking to Snake Eyes, as Snake Eyes goes to sleep; Collins joins the rest of the LRRP (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol) where they are having a meeting about Snake Eyes. Ramon Escobedo, Dickie Saperstien & Wade Collins are very uncomfortable with how quiet Snake Eyes is and that he is always sneaking up on them. Lonzo Wilkinson (Stalker), the Sergeant and leader of the patrol, says Snake Eyes is on the level, with high marks in his military training and brings up their first meeting. The first time Lonzo met Snake Eyes was at one of Uncle Sugar's "Spook Houses". Where they were attacked by some unknown locals and who then ran away. Snake Eyes went after the attackers faster then anyone else could. And when Lonzo caught up to Snake Eyes there were two dead locals and a Eurocrat.
Tommy Arashikage (Storm Shadow), who is also part of the LRRP, defends Snake Eyes as a stand up guy. Tommy also reveals to the group that this is his second tour with Snake-Eyes. As the meeting is coming to a close Snake Eyes interrupts. He and Lonzo have a private conversation about trust.
The LRRP unit then makes an attack on a village, Snake Eyes busts into one of the shacks and discovers that the locals had stolen medical goods to help there sick. He refuses to kill them, and walks away leaving the rest of the patrol to deal out the punishment.
Back in the barracks, Snake Eyes and Tommy are talking about their previous tour together. On that tour their entire squad was killed in a very bloody battle except for the two of them. Snake Eyes has been even more distant, and he talks about how he fells he can keep his family safe, by facing the bad things himself. He also refuses to allow himself to get close to his current squad because he feels they will just get killed. And everybody that gets close to him, dies. Tommy reminds him that he is not alone in his fight. Tommy also tries to reassure Snake Eyes that he can't allow the past to haunt his future. And Snake Eyes admits that he has a problem preventing that.
Back out in the field, Collins is leading the LRRP, and pissed off at some noise discipline problems. This causes him to walk the patrol straight into an enemy camp. A fire fight erupts. Collins is shot in the chest, as is Escobedo. Tommy retrieves Escobedo's radio and verifies he is dead. Dickie Saperstien, in a move to flank the camp, steps on a landmine and is also killed. They assume Collins is dead. As Lonzo, Tommy & Snake Eyes retreat across an open field to a chopper. Snake Eyes is covering the retreat and is hit ! by a few bullets. Tommy in a dramatic rescue returns to get Snake Eyes against Lonzo's orders, saving Snake Eyes's life. In the middle of this rescue is the first time the Arashikage Clan tattoo is shown. And to help Snake Eyes with his injuries Tommy puts him in the Arashikage mindset. The Arashikage Clan is Tommy's family business.
When Snake Eyes wakes up in the hospital, Tommy returns his lucky picture of Terri to him. Tommy had made a special effort to retrieve it during the fire fight. He also asks about the effects of the mindset, where Tommy just dismisses it. Now Snake Eyes is gets to return to the world and his family.
As Snake Eyes arrives at the airport in the US, still wrapped in bandages, he waits and waits. When a Colonel Clay Abernathy (Hawk) arrives to inform him that his entire family was killed in a car accident, they were hit by a drunk driver who also died. Snake Eyes is left completely alone.

After a bar fight, Snake-Eyes is about to be kicked out, when Tommy Arashikage (Storm Shadow) enters to buy him a drink. Tommy points out to Snake-Eyes that he is better then this lost wandering soul that he has become since his return from Southeast Asia. Tommy offers Snake-Eyes an opportunity to come live with him in Japan, and be part of his family business, the Arashikage Ninja Clan.
Snake-Eyes turns down the offer, but as Tommy leaves, he reassure Snake-Eyes, his friend, that the offer is still open, and always will be.
When Snake-Eyes leaves the bar, he stands in the middle of the road as a semi-truck is barrelling down on him. He isn't going to get out of the way. A guy tackles Snake-Eyes to prevent him from being hit by the semi-truck.
The guy, who is actually the man who will become Cobra Commander, then offers Snake-Eyes a ride and begins to tell him his story. Cobra Commander has just come from an interview for a job that he didn't get. He explains how he is ready to get out of the grind of working society. As they arrive in Snake-Eyes' home town, a couple of drug dealers approach them, this really angers Snake-Eyes, and he and Cobra Commander beat up the drug dealers, stealing their money. This leads them on a path of vigilantly crime. They attack an Arizona landscaper hiring illegal immigrants, a Denver slum lord, they collect money for these jobs, also they regularly steal money from thieves, all as the part of the beginning of a revolution to take back freedom and safety for the people. Cobra Commander loses sight of his goals whenever money is involved, and Snake-Eyes begins to see a transformation happening to him. This transformation bothers him but he doesn't know what to do.
Cobra Commander leads Snake-Eyes into a home invasion. This home is owned by Judge Mitchell Tate. This judge is the judge who convicted Cobra Commander's brother. They confront him at gun point.
Cobra Commander's brother was a war veteran who had opened a halfway house. This house was burned down by a stoned out vet. The bank came after his brother, and in the trial the jury found him innocent of starting the fire. But the judge overruled the jury's decision and the bank took everything from his brother, this drove him to drink, and was the cause of his brother dying in a drunk driving accident. Cobra Commander explains all of this to the Judge and Snake-Eyes at the same time. Snake-Eyes makes the connection that Cobra Commander's brother was the man driving the car that killed his mother, father and twin sister.
Cobra Commander pulls out another gun, and hands it to Snake-Eyes encouraging him to rid the world of the sickness in which this judge is a part of. Cobra Commander has set up this entire situation, having tracked down Snake-Eyes, tracked down the judge, going on the vigilantly spree and now placing Snake-Eyes in the situation of executing a man who played a part in causing both of them so much pain. Cobra Commander wants revenge and he wants Snake-Eyes to take revenge, also.
Snake-Eyes holds the gun to the judge, Cobra Commander encourages him, again, to kill the judge but he turns the gun on Cobra Commander. So they stand there each holding a gun toward each other with the judge in between them.
Snake-Eyes pulls the trigger, click, it is empty. Snake-Eyes has failed Cobra Commander, the Commander then just executes the judge. Now holding the gun on Snake-Eyes, he tells him to "Get out my sight. And know this; no matter where you go, someday we will meet again and on that day we'll see if you finally understand what needs to be done. Won't we, brother." Snake-Eyes runs off.
Later, Snake-Eyes visits his family's grave, where he promises to follow the right path and then heads to Japan to join Tommy.
Upon his arrival, he receives a very warm welcome by the man who will become Storm Shadow.

Snake Eyes is sitting before the Hard Master, the Soft Master & Storm Shadow (the Young Master) when from all around him ninjas with swords appear. This is Snake Eyes' introduction to Storm Shadow's family business, the Arashikage Ninja Clan. The Hard & Soft Masters are Storm Shadow's uncles.
Directly after this meeting, Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes talk about their friendship and why it took Snake Eyes a while to finally accept Storm Shadow's offer to join the business. Storm Shadow points out that Snake Eyes is "accepting a lifetime of discipline and responsibility, the kind that you never turn your back on." Storm Shadow tells Snake Eyes that he is now part of a family, again.
Storm Shadow is also embarking on the training right along with Snake Eyes. They are entrusted with the future of Arashikage Clan. The teaching is divided: the Soft Master will teach the balance between warfare and discipline, Master Sato will teach the way of the warrior, Professor Onihashi will create implements of the art, Faceless Master will assist Onihashi and the Hard Master will oversee all of their training.
In an exercise lead by Master Sato, Snake Eyes defeats Storm Shadow for the first time. Master Sato reprimands Storm Shadow. In another exercise lead by the Soft Master with the Faceless Master watching, Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow are practicing the Arashikage Mindset. Snake Eyes fails to reach the peace that the mindset requires, Storm Shadow is successful. The Faceless Master says some very critical things about Snake Eyes failure.
Snake Eyes talks to the Hard Master about his unsettling feelings toward the Faceless Master. Storm Shadow fires an arrow at Snake Eyes during the conversation, Snake Eyes catches the arrow in flight, and proves that his training is working. The Hard Master points out to Storm Shadow that when he fired the arrow his bow made to much noise, another failure of Storm Shadow in front of his uncle.
In a corner of the Arashikage compound, Master Sato and the Faceless Master are talking about how Snake Eyes' inclusion in the Clan is troubling. Master Sato has gathered with a few of the other ninja to challenge the leadership of the Arashikage Clan and expel the westerner. So Master Sato confronts the Hard Master asking him to send the westerner away, and restore the respected status of the Clan. Master Sato believes if Snake Eyes stays it will bring about the destruction of the Arashikage Clan. The Hard Master's response "we will be sending someone away, Sato, but it will not be our most promising student." And the fight begins.
Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes step into the fight, the Soft Master tells them that the treachery doesn't deserve death. So the fight becomes about disabling the attackers. After the Hard Master has disabled Sato, and Storm Shadow now holds his sword to him, Sato accuses him of bringing Snake Eyes into the Clan and causing the ruin. Master Sato gets the upper hand on Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes steps in to knock him out. The Hard Master compliments Snake Eyes in front of Storm Shadow.
Master Sato and the other members that were part of the revolt are banished and disgraced from the Arashikage Ninja Clan. After the dismissal of Sato, the Hard Master gives Snake Eyes another compliment this time in front of the whole clan, including the Faceless Master. Storm Shadow walks away from Snake Eyes. The Faceless Master talks to Snake Eyes about the dissent that is happening. Snake Eyes threatens him back with "know this, the Arashikage are my family and if even for a moment, you pose a threat to them there will be nowhere you can hide from me."

As the Hard Master, Soft Master and Faceless Master watch, Snake Eyes sits with a small candle burning on his head. The test is can Storm Shadow put out the candle with his sword before Snake Eyes stops him. After Storm Shadow's swing, Snake Eyes catches the sword. The candle is still burning, but after the Hard Master hits the floor the candle goes out and falls off Snake Eyes head. Snake Eyes caught the sword on the way up after cutting the candle. The Hard Master questions the Faceless Master as to who wins. He says Storm Shadow wins. The Hard Master's response is that "to love your sword brother enough to help him save face in front of his own family that is way of the true Arashikage ninja."
The Faceless Master, actually Firefly, calls Cobra Commander and tells him that he isn't going to finish what he was paid to do, which was kill Snake Eyes. Firefly gives Cobra Commander a recommendation on a guy who can finish the job, although it will cost him more money. Cobra Commander is going to hold Firefly to a debt he now owes him. In the background, Cobra Commander's wife interrupts him in the middle of the phone conversation, asking him if he wants to feel the baby kicking. She is pregnant.
Professor Onihashi tells Snake Eyes that he is going to make him a sword. They are interrupted because a man is outside the compound and asking to sees the Professor. The man asks if he can be Professor Onihashi's apprentice in his sword making. The Professor tells him wait outside. So he does.
The Hard Master has just finished a finger knitting test with both Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes. He now challenges them to use the Arashikage Mindset. As they both slip into the mindset, Snake Eyes finds that he is able for the first time to find the peace required to focus for the mindset. At the same time, Storm Shadow is unable to reach that peace. Storm Shadow has failed again, as he boils with rage he runs out of the training exercise.
The Hard Master, Soft Master, Professor Onihashi, and the Blind Master talk over how Storm Shadow is fading from his place as the leader of the Arashikage Clan, and how the winds of change have blown outsiders to their gates. After many months, Professor Onihashi accepts his new apprentice who has proved his patience by waited outside the gates. They then proceed to make a sword for Snake Eyes. The apprentice, in the process of helping create the sword, seems to go through a transformation himself. The Faceless Master and Storm Shadow talk about how he is the heir to the leadership of the Clan, but Storm Shadow cuts him off because the Faceless Master isn't an official member of the Clan and it isn't his business. This conversation happens after Storm Shadow has shot his arrow straight through a wall and kills a squirrel on the other side of the wall, the technique he used was the "ear that sees".
Snake Eyes calls Storm Shadow to talk. Just as Snake Eyes is telling Storm Shadow that he will walk away from the Clan and his new family if he is asked to. The Soft Master steps into the conversation. He points out that Storm Shadow's problems are his own, that Snake Eyes doesn't need to leave and that if they don't bridge the gap that has come between them then they risk the chance of becoming enemies.
Cobra Commander is meeting with Professor Onihashi's apprentice. The apprentice is telling the Commander how he has found a new life, and isn't going to finish his contract to kill Snake Eyes. Cobra Commander does a little black mail on the apprentice, telling him that he will talk to Professor Onihashi and tell him the truth of how the apprentice came to be on the door steps of the Arashikage compound and that his true name is Zartan.

Snake-Eyes has just finished receiving his first ninja sword and is now an official tattooed member of the Arashikage Clan. The famous group photo of the Arashikage Clan is taken at this ceremony. The people included in that photo: Hard Master, Soft Master, Blind Master, Professor Onihashi, Kimi (Jinx), Tommy Arashikage (Storm Shadow), Snake-Eyes, and the Faceless Master (Firefly).
Later that night Firefly and Zartan meet to plan the assassination of Snake-Eyes. Firefly gives Zartan a compound bow with heat and breathing recognition capabilities. He locks the breathing pattern of Snake-Eyes into the settings. Firefly, who has retrieved Storm Shadow's arrow, forces Zartan to go through with the mission that Cobra Commander has hired both of them to do, which is kill Snake-Eyes.
The next night, the Hard Master is training Snake-Eyes. The Hard Master mixes in talking about making Snake-Eyes the rightful heir, over Storm Shadow. Snake-Eyes doesn't accept.
The special technique that he is teaching Snake-Eyes is the Chameleon's Mantle. Which is a technique that is about taking on the breathing patterns of a different person, in this case the Hard Master is masking as Snake-Eyes. Outside in the courtyard, Zartan has his bow locked on the breathing patterns of the Hard Master, which he thinks is Snake-Eyes. The arrow flies and kills the Hard Master. In another part of the courtyard, the Soft Master spots a man running off, which appears to be Storm Shadow and then Soft Master goes to see that his brother is dead.
Firefly and Zartan fly away in a Cobra helicopter with Storm Shadow in hot pursuit. With the Hard Master dead and Storm Shadow gone, Snake-Eyes also leaves the Clan with the burden of having brought on a terrible tragedy to his new family.
Professor Onihashi is aware that Zartan has killed the Hard Master then repays the dishonor to the Arashikage Clan by killing himself, in front of Zartan.
In America, Cobra Commander, with his very young son Billy in the backseat, arrives in Springfield.
Over the next year or so, Snake-Eyes lives in a cabin up in the High Sierras. He saves Timber from a bear trap, and Timber becomes his only friend.
Then one day, Stalker and Hawk come looking for Snake-Eyes. They find the cabin, Timber and a completely different Snake-Eyes then the one Stalker used to know. As the conversation continues Stalker offers Snake-Eyes the opportunity to be one of the first to join a new team of soldiers that is going to fight the worst of the worst the world has to offer. At first, Snake-Eyes refuses but Stalker eventually wins him over. Snake-Eyes now leaves his solitary life behind to become a member of America's elite team of soldiers called G.I. Joe.

At Ford Wadsworth in New Jersey, Colonel Hawk is giving General's Austin and Flagg a tour of the brand new Pit, the official home of the newly created Special Counter-Terrorism Group Delta, GI Joe. He then introduces him to the entire 13 member team. Breaker, Clutch, Flash, Grand Slam, Grunt, Rock 'n' Roll, Scarlett, Short Fuse, Snake-Eyes, Stalker, Steeler, Zap are given the mission of protecting America.
The Baroness and Cobra Commander have join forces. The Baroness' agents have joined with the Commander's militia, they have established business fronts, training has begun and its all based out of Springfield, Vermont. They then head into one of the first official Cobra meetings, in attendance are Dr. Venom, Vance Wingfield, Brian Hassell, and Derek Sutherland.
Scarlett is leading a hand to hand combat training session. She has demonstrated her abilities by tossing Snake-Eyes. She also recognizes that he actually let her win. A little later, they officially are introduced and she asks him out for dinner. As they take the ferry to New York City, Snake-Eyes talks about the loss of his sister, Scarlett understanding the loss Snake-Eyes has suffered in his life and she gives him a hug, and says "Look if you ever need to talk or whatever, just know that I'll be here."
Later the Joes are on a mission to rescue a hostage somewhere in the desert. Grunt, Rock 'n' Roll, Scarlett and Snake-Eyes are being flown by helicopter to support Stalker who is already in place.
Scarlett and Snake-Eyes are holding hands.
The escort chopper has engine troubles, due to the desert sand, and begins to spin in the direction of their chopper. Rock 'n' Roll and Grunt jump free, but Scarlett is caught in the door. Snake-Eyes returns to cut her free. Just as she is cut free the escort chopper blows up blasting flame through the window of the door directly into Snake-Eyes face. This completely destroys his face and his vocal cords.
After the chopper crashes, Snake-Eyes, with his head completely in flames, carries the knocked out Scarlett from the wreckage. Rock 'n' Roll and Grunt witness Snake-Eyes' amazing action. Even more amazing is that Hawk is going to scrub the mission, leaving Stalker completely unsupported. Snake-Eyes breaks away from them and writes "CM" in the sand, "Charlie Mike" or "Continue the Mission".
A little bit later, with his head banged, Snake-Eyes and Stalker assault a building filled with Cobra's. The mission is a success the hostage is rescued and a Cobra operation stopped. Scarlett wakes up on chopper headed home with a pre-Joe Doc attending to her.
Cobra Commander and the Baroness are about to promote the fastest rising recruit from their standard ranks. This recruit is Tommy Arashikage and he is being promoted to be the Commander&s personal loyal protector. Cobra Commander congratulates him on his promotion and welcomes him to be one of the chosen few who will follow him. Tommy is now officially Storm Shadow. And Cobra Commander as he is putting on the famous blue hood says, "The names and faces of the past are behind us now and we are reborn as Cobra."
At an Army surgical facility, Snake-Eyes has just finished going through a final surgery that will still leave his face very disfigured. As the rest of the Joes try to comfort him, Stalker and Scarlett deliver a box that he requested. Inside the box, Snake-Eyes pulls out a uniform and mask. He hands Scarlett a note with the letters "CM". As he puts on the famous black uniform and black mask, Stalker interrupts. He is now a man on mission.