Comics#24

In Sierra Gordo: Stalker, Rock 'n' Roll, Grunt & Zap have been observing the Sierra Gordo Liberation Front (S.G.I.F.) Army and its prisoners for the last week. They have specific orders not to interfere. Several HIND helicopters arrive, unexpectedly and release napalm onto the prisoners killing them all. In the process one helicopter, piloted by The Baroness, spots the Joes and orders an attack on them by the other HIND's. As the Joe team makes its escape they leave behind a few traps that kill several of the SGIF. The Joes come up to a crashed HIND helicopter that has a partially burned & blind pilot. After some discussion, Stalker elects to take the injured pilot to the extraction point by carrying the pilot himself. Later that night, they contact Grand Slam in The Pit and get their extraction orders. Stalker is falling behind as he carries the injured pilot but he refuses to share the burden and pulls rank by pushing the team on. As they rest, the HIND helicopters return to searching for the Joe team. Rock 'n' Roll implores Stalker to leave the injured pilot behind so they can make a fast escape.
Staten Island, New York: Steeler and Flash are driving a truck filled with supplies to the Motor Pool of Fort Wadsworth. Two Chaplain Assistants, Damon & Phythias, become inquisitive about all the supplies that seem to go into the Motor Pool. After the truck drives into an empty Motor Pool that should be staked full with supplies, the Assistants are then giving an order to return to their barracks by female Sergeant First Class Craig. Short-Fuse joins them just has Sergeant Craig is leaving. He points out that Craig has an interesting row of ribbons for someone working at the Chaplain Assistants' post. She is wearing a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Air Medal, CIF (Combat Infantryman's Badge) and an expert rifleman's badge. They then ride the elevator lift down into the lower levels of the super secret GI Joe headquarters, The Pit. Grand Slam, monitoring the radio communications with the Sierra Gordo team, has just received an update from that the mission. The recon team is now just fighting to make it to the extraction point and that Stalker is carrying an injured man out of the jungle.
In a Pre- Joe Flashback: Steeler is driving his tank as part of a convoy going across the country of Trucail Abysmia, when his convoy is attacked and mostly destroyed. But Steeler using his "Ma Deuce" (a .50 caliber machine gun) has taken out all of the remaining attackers. He then pulls his gunner from his burning, destroyed tank, his gunner is too weak and injured to walk so Steeler throws him up on his shoulders and walks out of the desert.
A little later Steeler and Flash make a scene at the Chaplain Assistants' lunch room but Sergeant Craig, interfering again, ends the confrontation.
On the ferry between Manhattan & Station Island, Scarlett and Snake-Eyes, who is wearing a rubber mask, are rudely interrupted by a man (possibly Fred Broca), who is frustrated that the soldiers get so much of the tax payer's money. Scarlett's return comment is "You have a right to your opinions, sir. Soldiers died for those rights" The man is scared away by a powerful stare directly from Snake-Eyes. Scarlett then holds Snake-Eyes hand.
In Battery Park, Manhattan Island: Hawk, escorted by Breaker and Clutch are meeting up with Special Agent Provost, who will later become Joe team member Chuckles. Agent Provost wants Hawk to look at a top secret very blurred photo of a head wear goggles or glasses in a helicopter cockpit. When, all of a sudden, Agent Provost recognizes where he last saw Hawk.
In a Pre-Joe Flashback: A few years back when Hawk was a Light Colonel working at UN refugee camp in Borovia. A bomb was discovered in a children's medical compound. After defusing it and making everything safe. Hawk learns that a terrorist had been caught sneaking out of the compound, A sergeant had beaten out of him the location of the bomb, so that it could be defused and save the children. A two star general arrives on site concerned about the political fallout of beating a prisoner. As the general attempts to punish the sergeant, Colonel Hawk steps up and takes the blame, refusing to allow the sergeant to be punished by the general, as a consequence he is court marshaled. Agent Provost was their as a guard for the general. Later, when Hawk is actually on trial for the court marshal, he defends his sergeant's actions as wrong but a decision that he himself would have made. There for he turns a situation to his benefit. In the back of the court General Flagg and Sparks watch Hawk spin this situation so that all of his superiors will be inferior to his position.
At the Pentagon: General Flagg & General Austin get a situation report on the recon team in Sierra Gordo. The recon team hasn't been able to discover any intel on a blue suited para-military group that has been operating in Sierra Gordo. And General Austin makes a reference to a secret cabal of generals that even General Flagg doesn't know anything about. Later General Flagg criticizes Sparks for nominating Steeler for the Joe team just based on his carrying a dead man out of a blown mission. Sparks response is "If I may be so bold, sir-you were very hesitant about adding Colonel Abernathy to the roster". Flagg's response is "you were there. You observed the court martial" and "you certainly did come up with a satisfying solution to the problem." Then they move onto the extraction of Joe members in Sierra Gordo, and the answer is to active Shooter.
At McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey: A Capt. Brad J. Armbruster (future Joe member Ace) accepts the unresponsive Shooter into his jet and flies off to Sierra Gordo.
In Staten Island: Fred Broca is concerned about his family's life and welfare because of his mounting debt. His wife gives him some support by saying "Things will get better". Fred's response is "yes, they will and I know how to make it happen. All I have to change is my face."

In Sierra Gordo:Stalker, Rock 'n' Roll, Zap and Grunt are taking an injured prisoner to their extraction point and the Sierra Gordo Liberation Army is chasing after them. The fight is totally intense but the Joe team is able to gain some space and set up a rest spot for the night. Where they start telling each other how they were recruited to the Joe team.
In a Pre-Joe Flashback:An early teenage Rock 'n' Roll is surfing in Southern California with a friend named Manny. When Manny is swept into the pier, a local named Shotgun Don dives into the water to rescue Manny. As Don pulls out the bleeding Manny, he begins to give him first aid. As Rock 'n' Roll arrives, he sees a Ranger tattoo on Don's shoulder. Manny's life is saved and Rock 'n' Roll for the first time learns about the Army, which eventually leads him to the Joe team.
Grunt is standing in front of Hawk at attention. Hawk is quizzing him on his Advance Infantry Training school's essay. The essay, which contains this quote from Amelia Earhart "Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace", is about how Grunt spent his latest leave. The following is the story of the essay. Grunt went to visit the mother of a squad mate, Shelby, who had died during their training. He expresses to the mother his sympathy, explains how Shelby actually died in an ordinary accident and that Grunt hardly knew him at all but was in charge of the squad. He felt it his duty to tell her personally about her son's death. Hawk quizzes him on why he would spend his leave doing such a thing, Grunt's response "I thought we were supposed to take care of our own, sir"
In New York City:Clutch is driving Hawk and Breaker back from a meeting with Special Agent Provst (future GI Joe team member, Chuckles). Hawk is uncertain how his court martial didn't turn into a career killer. Clutch interjects into the conversation with "I know part of it, sir. I was there."
In a Pre-Joe Flashback:Clutch is given a verbal order from General "Iron-butt" Austin to drive a vehicle from McGuire Air Force Base to Fort Holabird. Hawk handcuffed and blindfolded is in the back seat. As Clutch drives Hawk, he discovers that he is being followed by a van. That van pulls in front of him and the backdoor opens with .50 cal gun pointed at the car. Clutch goes into evasive maneuvers in order to keep out of gun range. A car chase starts as the two vehicles are crashing into each other. Eventually, the van is destroyed in a crash, which allows Clutch to get Hawk to Fort Holabird safe and secure.
In the brand new PIT:Hawk, Clutch and Breaker enter The Pit, where Grand Slam, Steeler, Short Fuse and Flash have been monitoring Stalker's team's progress towards the extraction point in Sierra Gordo. Snake-Eyes and Scarlett also arrive from the Staten Island fairy. (See Scarlett Declassified) The group starts talking about how they came to be GI Joe members.
In a Pre-Joe Flashback:Breaker had been interested in ham radios since he was a kid, and learned seven languages just so he could talk on the radio with anybody. His interest in communications leads him to the Army. After a few years in the Army, Breaker was caught decrypting top secret codes and was being interrogated by Agent Provost of the CID (Criminal Investigation Division). Hawk interrupts the interrogation of Breaker, carrying two full packs and asks Breaker if he wants to go on a run. As they both run up a mountain with full packs, Breaker proves to Hawk, by besting him in the run, that he belongs on the Joe team.
Grand Slam is at an artillery training exercise with Hawk observing. The mission is to destroy with artillery an enemy that is advancing on a ground force. The drill instructor takes away all computers and technology and forces the trainees to use nothing but maps. Grand Slam proceeds to calculate his target, coordinate and fire a mortar that hits the enemy exactly were it should. Hawk signs him up on the spot.
Flash's story starts at the Aberdeen Proving grounds in a covert electronics shop. General Austin and Sparks show up to ask Flash about the improvements he has made in a laser range finder. After a verbal test, Austin walks away saying "get him squared away, Sparks. He's going to Staten Island."
Just as Short Fuse was about to wash out of Ranger School, he was captured during the escape and evasion part of the program. After seven days of capture he was still holding out, a considerable achievement seeing that most last less then 3 days. Hawk hears about this trainee and goes to investigate. Future Joes Roadblock and Duke have been running the trainee program and notified Hawk about Short Fuse. All Short Fuse gives Hawk is his name, rank and serial number. Realizing, that Short Fuse is a very strong candidate for the Joe team, Hawk enlists him. Later when Hawk asks him why he held out so long, Short Fuse's answer is "I didn't want to give them the satisfaction".
On the way to Sierra Gordo:Shooter, one of the original Joes selected for the team, has been sent to Sierra Gordo as support for Stalker's team. After exiting a future Joe's, Ace, airplane, Shooter gets aboard another future Joe's, Wild Bill, helicopter. When Shooter takes off the airplane helmet it is revealed that she is a dark haired female. She removes her dog tags, wallet and nametag, which displays her name, Sgt. Craig (Sergeant Craig was seen at the Chaplain's School defending Steeler & Flash in Declassified #1) and puts them in a Pentagon utility bag. Then she prepares for her mission. Appling face camouflage, a camouflage vest and unpacks her sniper rifle. Wild Bill drops her off and she just walks out into the jungle of Sierra Gordo, alone.

In Sierra Gordo:Stalker, Zap, Rock 'n' Roll and Grunt are making their way to the extraction point. Stalker is still carrying an injured prisoner, Diego. Zap, who is Latino and American, is being accosted by this prisoner for fighting against his Latino brothers. He evens says to Zap "Did the gringo's recruit you from some squalid barrio?"
In a Pre-Joe Flashback:Zap is sitting at his families very middle class table eating dinner. His family is talking about giving back to his community, his sister has joined Doctors without Borders and his older brother does lots of pro bono work. And since Zap has just graduated from M.I.T. they are pressuring him to do something meaningful with his life. So he joined the military as a way to make a difference. Eventually, Zap is lead to the GI Joe team.
As the Joe's stop for a rest, the Sierra Gordo Liberation Front (S.G.I.F.) Army which has been chasing them catches up to them. A huge gun, grenade, knife fight takes place and the four Joes are able to fight off the Army and start making their way to the extraction point. Protecting them from above on a hill, Shooter has keep her presence unknown to the Joe team. But she does break radio silence by giving a squelch to acknowledge her presence to everyone back in the States that she has made contact with the team.
In the PIT:The rest of Joe team is watching what is happening with the extraction. Grand Slam monitors Shooter's squelch. The Joes are very concerned and gear up to organize a support mission. Shooter is an unknown element to the team members with Hawk being the only one aware of the support Shooter is giving the team.
At the Pentagon:General Flagg and Sparks at the same time monitor Shooter's squelch. When Hawk calls Flagg, he tells him that nothing official is being done to support the Joe's in Sierra Gordo. But off the record is completely different. Sparks and General Flagg then talk about their concerns regarding Shooter's ability to kill when it is necessary to kill.
Back in Sierra Gordo:Stalker's team has almost reached the extraction point, which is the top of a small plateau with no cover and climbing required. Stalker has a problem with getting the prisoner up to the extraction spot but it is his responsibility. Zap still doesn't understand why Stalker has carried this prisoner the whole way. Stalker explains.
In a Pre-Joe Flashback:In a Borovia refugee camp during a UN peace keeping mission, Stalker is in charge of a security detail. A local comes up and shoots one of his guards. Stalker is able to chase down the gunman and capture him. They discover that this guy had just planted a bomb somewhere inside the refugee camp. And Stalker needs to extract the information from the gunman quickly. So using his fists and a knife he gains the information that allows Hawk, who is in charge of the refugee camp, to defuse the bomb (see Declassified #1). Stalker's actions saved the day but put Hawk in a spot were he had to take the blame for the beating Stalker gave the gunman. Which leads to Hawk being court marshaled and brings Hawk to General's Flagg and Austin attention.
Watching the Joes, Shooter spots a two man sniper team. Instead of killing them she shoots the gun and radio, effectively neutralizing them and protecting the team. The extraction chopper finally shows up as Stalker is loading the prisoner into the chopper Diego grabs a knife and is about stab Rock 'n' Roll in the back. Shooter snipes Diego and he falls from the chopper all as Stalker, Zap, Grunt and Rock 'n' Roll are extracted.
Shooter puts down her rifle and dresses as local to make her own extraction.
In a Pre-Joe Flashback:General Flagg and Sparks make a visit to the General that tried to court martial Hawk. General Flagg presents to this General evidence that will exonerate Hawk from the court martial. The General, who is actually part of the secret cabal of generals known as the Jugglers, has gone rogue against the Jugglers, so Flagg blackmails him with the intention of getting Hawk's court martial dismissed. Sparks shows the General the blackmail information, which is a picture of Major Sebastian Bludd and the General together along with proof of his connection to Cobra. Hawk is then cleared and recruited to be the leader of the GI Joe team.
On the original Cobra Island:Cobra Commander is sitting in his big chair with the Baroness right behind him. Major Bludd is reporting into Cobra Commander about his deal with the General of the Juggler's and how it has been part of a plan to keep Hawk from become the leader of the new anti-terrorist task force. And General Flagg has just blown the plan. Cobra Commander is aware of the broken plan. Being as nasty as Cobra Commander can be, he sends Major Bludd away saying "you shall make it your business to put a bullet in this General Flagg at the next opportunity." (See Marvel #19)
Six Weeks later:Sparks and General Flagg are on there way to a church to inform Shooter's mother of her death.
On the original Cobra Island: (These events take place directly at the end of Marvel #1)Shooter is supporting the Joe team on their mission to rescue Dr. Adele Burkhart from Cobra Commander and the Baroness. She is positioned on top of the castle as the main Joe team loads Burkhart into the extraction chopper. She shoots a couple of Cobra troopers that are targeting the helicopter and spots local prisoners that tied to the guns. She moves into rescue these locals. Now forced to fight hand to hand against several Cobra's, she is shot several times in the back just moments before the explosives left behind by the main team explodes. Although, her last report in was five minutes before the explosion.
At Shooter's Memorial Service: The entire Joe team is assembled in full dress. General Flagg gives a speech quoting Amelia Earhart "Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace, the soul that know it not, knows no release from little things; knows not the livid loneliness of fear, nor the mountain heights where bitter joy can hear the sound of wings". None of the Joes understand why they are at the memorial service for Sgt. Craig of the Chaplain's Assistant School at Ford Wadsworth.