Comics#7

Battle Force 2000 has just finished a practice session. Duke sends them on a recon mission to watch the Dreadnoks. Mutt, with patched up Junkyard sitting next him, has been watching the practice session on a hill above and hears that they are going after the Dreadnoks. The Dreadnoks that Mutt captured (see Issue #79) have just been released from custody because the Cobra lawyers got them off on a legal technicality.
So Mutt hitches a ride with Blocker.
On a large cargo ship off the coast of New Jersey, a large contingent of Cobra families are approaching their new homes in Broca Beach after leaving Cobra Island in secrecy. (See Special Missions #16) Elsewhere in New Jersey, the Dreadnoks, along with Zarana, are leaving Cobra's latest real estate seminar/scam. Cobra has brought a town because of these scam's profits; that town is called Broca Beach.
Battle Force 2000 comes up to a highway tollbooth that is surrounded by police cars, Captain Cohoe is in charge. They learn that the Dreadnoks just went through the tollbooth, of course without paying. Mutt, steps on the pedal busting through the tollbooth, causing more damage. The rest of Battle Force 2000 follows pretty much destroying the entire tollbooth and now the local cops are on the Joes tail.
Zanzibar in his flying skiff spots the Joes behind them. Zarana gives the rest of the Dreadnoks a simple mission of delay the Joes from going into Broca Beach, which is just around the corner. Zarana and Zanzibar head off to meet the arriving Cobra families.
Battle Force 2000 has a just lost the cops that were following them, when the Dreadnoks attack. Mutt gets his chance to kick Buzzer in the head, again. But Battle Force 2000 vehicles are just too much firepower for the Dreadnoks. So they cut and run for Broca Beach.
Zarana is now organizing the unloading of the cargo ship, which includes HISS tanks and MAGGOTS. As the Joes draw nearer, Zarana sends all of the people and vehicles into hiding spots. So as the Joes arrive in Broca Beach, they see an abandoned town that is completely empty. Captain Cohoe and a large contingent of police cars surround Battle Force 2000 to arrest them. Blocker shoots down Zanzibar's air skiff that then crashes into Captain Cohoe's police cruiser. Zarana and Zanzibar are also arrested.

At Fort Dix, New Jersey, Duke and Zap come busting into a barracks filled with sleeping possible new Joe recruits. Duke is giving it to them good. One nameless recruit who complains is immediately cut from the roster. Duke started out with 200 recruits in this current training cycle is now down to 50. The Joe team is looking to fill its annual replacement quota of just 20.
Lightfoot (see Special Missions #13) has already gone through the program before but was injured on the final mission and failed, so he is forced to go through the whole training process again. Duke has them do 250 push ups, eating by command, staying awake through boring training films in the dark and finally all the remaining recruits, about 10, are put in a sand pit with pugil sticks to fight for one hour. The last recruits standing after an hour will remain in the program.
After one hour, Lightfoot, Budo and Repeater are the last ones standing. They are given a good meal and some uninterrupted sleep.
Duke and Zap come rushing in again. This time the Picatinny Arsenal is under attack by unknown forces. The Joes in charge of training along with the new recruits are sent over to the attack these unknown forces.
Grand Slam, in charge of Lightfoot, Budo and Repeater, are dropped off to guard an exit road, as the rest of the team goes directly into the assault. Grand Slam is notified that a truck is escaping with high tech weapons and needs to be stopped. And the attacker is Cobra.
Cobra Vipers come rushing ahead of the truck, Grand Slam is hit, Repeater causes the Vipers to take cover, but they are pinned down. They can see the truck coming. Budo sneaks off to flank the Vipers as Lightfoot sets up some explosives.
When the truck comes Budo and Lightfoot's action have clear the Vipers, leaving Repeater to fire on the truck. Lightfoot jumps on the driver's side of the truck, as he is kicked away from the truck he grabs the Cobra uniform which rips away exposing the Iron Grenadier uniform underneath. A Cobra transport helicopter comes down to take the truck away. Thinking they have failed to stop the theft. The helicopter explodes; Lightfoot had put a time delay mine on the truck. They are now official Joes.

Dreadnok Road Pig, who has a dual personality character named Donald, is fighting in a bar when a news report comes over the TV about the arrest of Zarana and Zanzibar in Broca Beach. Road Pig immediately stops fighting to watch the newscast. Seeing Zarana he exclaims "Our long lost love", and tears off to Broca Beach.
Flying over the Gulf of Mexico, Dr. Mindbender and Zartan are going to lead a raid on GI Joe's Pit III in Utah. They fly over Captain Minh who is listening in on the radio traffic between Dr. Mindbender and Cobra Commander, about the coming attack. He then goes to a pay phone and calls the Pentagon.
In New Jersey, Law is trying to talk Captain Cohoe into letting him talk to Zarana and Zanzibar. Road Pig comes busting in the front door, his personalities are talking to each other, looking for Zarana. Road Pig comes to Zanzibar's cell first, who's air skiff is in the cell next to him, and he asks where Zarana is, once Zanzibar tells him he gives him a hard kick. As they are about to escape, the cops corner them in the cells. The only way for them to escape is to release Zanzibar and his air skiff, they then blow a hole in the wall of the prison and fly away to Broca Beach.
General Hollingsworth informs Hawk about the news that Captain Minh has relayed to them about the coming Cobra attack. Hawk has a plan, the plan is to move all 3 of the above ground structures along with the vehicles about a mile away from the actual Pit. Dr. Mindbender and Zartan lead the attack on the structures. After destroying them all, they check to see if the Pit is there, which it isn't. Having been fooled, the Cobra's take off believing that this wasn't the real GI Joe base, despite its infiltration by the Star Viper. (see issue #72) Hawk watches them fly off, the GI Joe base is still a secret.
In San Francisco at the Defense Language Center, a GI Joe front, Jinx is sitting at her desk as a lady walks up to her and asks to see Billy. And she introduces herself by gunpoint as Billy's mother.

Storm Shadow is training Billy. Billy is dressed in Storm Shadow's old uniform and Storm Shadow is in his urban camo uniform. They are in the Arashikage Martial Arts Academy. They pause and then hear footsteps on the stairs, they can tell one person is Jinx the other a familiar woman who Billy can't place. Jinx however is in trouble they can tell by her walk. A woman stands at the door holding a pistol to Jinx's head. She demands to see Billy. Wasting no time Storm Shadow leaps at her. Billy recognizes the voice and stops him and deflects the pistol aimed at Jinx at the same time. Storm Shadow questions him, asking why he stopped him. Billy tells Storm Shadow that this woman is his mother.
The woman points to his missing eye, and Billy tells her he has a fake leg also and in anger says he must be a real dream child. Storm Shadow hits him for disrespecting his mother. Then he and Jinx go grocery shopping leaving the two alone.
The two reunited, now talk about how his father formed Cobra. How Billy thought she was dead. How she tracked him down.
On Cobra Island Fred VII leads Dr. Mindbender and some Crimson Guards to a shack in the woods, which keeps changing from a shack to a gas station to a cobra bunker. He is after Zartan and intends to do him in. Once inside Fred is captured by a pair of red ninjas, and led off. Dr. Mindbender pretends to follow. Fred is taken to Zartan who knows he really isn't Cobra commander.
In San Francisco, Billy's mother talks about the auto accident that sparked it all. Cobra commander's brother Dan died in a car accident. The Commander twisted everything around and blamed the soldier who was waiting at the airport for the occupants of the other car, a family. Cobra Commander swore to avenge his brother's death. This of course is the accident that killed Snake Eyes' mother, father, and twin sister. Storm Shadow knows all about it. He tells Billy's mom he can name the date and interstate that accident took place on.
Zartan reveals to Fred how they met. He was hustling pool and got in a bar fight. Cobra Commander came to the pool hall to hire him to kill Snake Eyes. Zartan wasn't interested at first until he learned of the difficulty of the assignment, he liked the challenge. Zartan traveled to Japan, he wasn't a family member of the Arashikage clan so he had to prove his worth in order to gain access. He sat outside the gates for a long time. Then Professor Onihashi took him in. Zartan could not fool the man of his true intentions, however the Professor accepted him anyway in hopes of changing him. Zartan trained long and hard to become a sword smith. He even was at he ceremony where a sword he made was presented to the Hard Master. A famous photo was taken that day as well. However Cobra Commander threatened to end it all by telling the clan of his true purpose for entering the house. Faced with that problem Zartan made the decision to kill Snake Eyes. He took an arrow of Storm Shadow's and using electronic equipment killed who he thought was Snake eyes but turned out to be the Hard Master pretending to be him. (Issue 26-28) Storm Shadow then joined Cobra to find the killer of the Hard Master. Zartan leaves the Island in a chopper, a paper with the headline DeJong museum to show Artifacts flies in the air.
In San Francisco Storm Shadow tells Billy's mom the story. Billy and his mom decide to make a fresh start; Billy will go to Berkeley and live with his mother. Jinx and Storm Shadow say goodbye as a newspaper with that same headline lands at their doorstep.

Jinx is at a museum, we see her carrying the paper from the previous issue under her arm. The Arashikage tattoo is visible on her other arm. A man in a cap with a beard and smoking a pipe sits reading a newspaper. Jinx sees an Arashikage sword on display. She immediately calls Storm Shadow at the martial arts academy. The man in the cap traces the call. He walks out and gives a signal as he does. Jinx's call is interrupted as she is attacked in the phone booth by what appear to be Samurai mannequins. Unarmed she heads for the sword, she bursts through the case sword in her arms.
A Cobra chopper waits outside. The man in the cap reveals himself to be Zartan. On board the chopper we see he is heading to Storm Shadow's address. Jinx takes out the three Samurai who are actually red ninjas. She flees on a motorcycle, the police on her tail.
Storm Shadow prepares himself donning his ninja gear. The chopper hovers over the roof and several red ninjas get out. They are wearing some sort of device around their necks. Storm Shadow attacks, he shoots an arrow hitting Zartan's pilot. The red ninjas attack. The chopper crash lands and a VW bus drives out of it. Zartan is in the sunroof bow in hand. Storm Shadow fights the ninjas even dispatching one by tossing his sword through a steel door. He moves to a dark room and the ninjas follow. They trip over a body. The body however is Storm Shadow under a red ninja cloak. Using the element of surprise he battles the other ninjas. He tears the device off one of the ninja's neck. In shock the ninja is shot by Zartan's bow and arrow. The sensors were supposed to let him distinguish who his men are.
Jinx pulls up with the police right behind her. Zartan, thinking he has killed Storm Shadow, takes off in the VW. Storm Shadow leaps several stories down to join Jinx on the bike and they pursue. Soon it's bow and arrow vs. bow and arrow through the city of San Francisco. Zartan shoots and hits Storm Shadow's arrows cutting them in two. He fires again and Storm Shadow catches the arrow in midair. Now armed again, Storm Shadow fires the arrow at the VW hitting the red ninja driving it. The bus careens off the Golden Gate Bridge into the Bay below. Storm Shadow and Jinx look on from the hole in the side of the bridge as bubbles rise to the surface; the police pull up behind them.

A Tomahawk chopper dodges a missile above a skyscraper (the Studebaker building) in New York. Stalker, Lightfoot, Repeater, Muskrat, Shockwave, Lift Ticket, Lady Jaye, and Hawk hang on as the chopper dodges the attack. Two more choppers full of Joes are on their way, but these Joes were closer. They rappel from the Tomahawk onto the building a few floors above the Iron Grenadiers. Here Joe meets them; he is in charge of a secret project related to SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative) or Star Wars. He introduces the Joes to the project director, Jane. Jane explains what the pulse cannon is all about.
Meanwhile three floors down the government men are in a firefight with the Iron Grenadiers. The Grenadiers are taking their orders from a pair of shadowy figures in a dark room halfway across town.
In order to assess the situation Joe and Jane give Hawk and his men a tour of the floors below the laser. Jane starts to say something about how tech may have advanced since... but Joe cuts her off, saying, "Watch it that's classified."
Lightfoot checks out the door and finds it would be easy to breach. Just on the other side of the door, the Iron Grenadiers are setting up explosives. Now the NYPD is below the Grenadiers trapping them between the Joes the laser and the ground. The Grenadiers unpack some equipment in boxes marked Arbco office. Light foot hears them setting up the explosives and tells Hawk they have five minutes. The Joes stay behind; Jane leaves the computer room and goes upstairs, the heavy hatch slamming shut behind her. Joe stays with the team pulling out a .45. Muskrat comments on how most government types use the 9 mm Beretta and Joe says, "Old habits die hard."
The Iron Grenadiers blow the door open. They battle with the Joes. "CC Rider" gives them orders from across town to use gas. Flying outside Lady Jaye sees a fast moving object on radar and reports it. The Joes retreat back upstairs with the wounded Repeater and Muskrat. Jane tends to their wounds. Joe realizes that to control the laser the "bad guys" don't have to be with it they can control it with the disks. Which unfortunately are back downstairs in the computer room. As the Iron Grenadiers weld the hatch shut they reveal themselves to be Cobras in disguise, payback for the assault on Picatinny Arsenal (issue 82) they hand Firefly the disks and he puts them on a pole outside the building. Unable to go through the hatch the Joes crash through the windows. A drone flies by and snatches the disks on the pole. Firefly and the Cobras flee on Gyro Copters. The Joes would never be able to track them all down and find the disks. Cobra Commander and Dr. Mindbender are the two across town and they await the arrival of the drone.
Feeling defeated the Joes ponder the situation. Remembering the fast moving object Lady Jaye reported Joe realizes that the drone must be the method they used to get the disks. He rushes upstairs and he and Jane program the weapon. Just as the drone reaches Cobra Commander the laser destroys it inches from his grasp. He blames Mindbender. The rest of the Joes finally show up.
Hawk offers to make Joe an honorary member of the GIJOE team. Jane tells him he is 25 years too late. Joe was the original GIJOE. Joe adds that Jane was their nurse. Stunned Muskrat says: "Golly I always thought you guys were... bigger."

Destro and the Baroness fly with a squad of AGPs over the areas surrounding the castle in Scotland. They see a trailer park, a carnival, and a band of gypsies. Destro has prepared however he senses the impending attack and the Baroness does as well. Voltar has sent out most of the DEMONs just in case.
Outside the castle Flint and Sneak Peek are watching, they note that Destro has been making several flights over the area. They also mention that there has been recent activity involving hay wagons. They decide to check out the wagons when it gets dark and send Shockwave and Outback to check out the carnival. Shockwave and Outback are monitoring the gypsies and already know they are not gypsies. Shockwave shows Outback the proof, a can of cobra cola.
The Baroness is joined by Destro in a darkroom. She is developing a picture of a particular trailer in the park that caught her eye.
A couple of kids are chased away from the carnival and the carnie reports they are ready. In that peculiar trailer we find Cobra commander (Fred VII) and Dr. Mindbender. Cobra Commander plans on teaching Destro, his arms sales competition, a lesson. The Carnival reveals the hidden MAGGOT tanks. They roll into position and right over the Joes outpost. Then the gypsy camp reveals that they are actually FANG copters. The Campers open up to become Stuns and Stingers and other ground vehicles. The MAGGOTs shell the castle the Joes cover their ears and dodge the empty shell casings. Once the drawbridge is down they can enter the castle. Tomax and Xamot place explosives and blow the drawbridge. In response Destro mobilizes his air wing. He flies right past the stunned Cobras. Realizing that his true target must be the trailers they turn to defend Cobra commander only to run into the DEMONs hidden in the haystacks.
The Maggots can't fire on the DEMONs for fear of hitting their own men. The Joes use the confusion to escape.
Back at the caravan park Destro strafes the trailer housing Fred and Dr Mindbender. Cobra Commander grabs Mindbender by the throat saying this is all his fault, Mindbender says it was your idea and Cobra Commander says well you should have told me it wouldn't work. Destro interrupts the squabble Nullifiers at his side. Cobra Commander tries to negotiate, claiming he had no idea this was Destro's castle. Destro lets him know he is aware of the truth. The Baroness informed him he is not the original Cobra Commander. Destro cuts a deal with him to join forces and maximize profits. Dr. Mindbender and the Baroness are dumbfounded. Flint looks on with binoculars and Outback comments on how in order to maintain integrity Destro had to do it, what other choice did he have "get rid of everybody?"

A camaro pulls up to a border station in Wolkekuckuckland. The guard refuses to let them into the country of Darklonia. General Liederkranz watches the camaro turn back in an AWE striker as Hawk, Roadblock and Skidmark are parked next to him in a Desert Fox. The General is testing the vehicles to see if he is interested in buying them.
Darklon is complaining to Destro about the condition of the surplus Cobra equipment he isn't able to sell. Darklon is not convinced about the new alliance between Cobra and Destro. Dr. Mindbender gets his attention by offering a new technology that is invisible to radar and infrared.
The camaro stops at a cafe, the passengers act like rude Americans. They ask the waiters about smuggling and it makes them nervous. They come back guns drawn saying they are going for a ride. Then the four pull out their weapons and agree except they are giving the ride.
At the border the General is showing Hawk their early warning system. A stun whizzes by setting it off and several tanks rush to the border. Hawk mentions it is a good idea to keep some vehicles in reserve. They meet Wolfgang the operator of the system. As they are talking an X 30 Conquest rushes overhead. Skidmark notes that several of them were sold to a country that experienced a coup. Hawk says that the pilot has a really shiny helmet. The pilot is Destro.
Darklon Cobra Commander and the Baroness discuss how the border seems impenetrable except for the smugglers. Dr. Mindbender appears with a large sprayer on his back and is ready to begin "pythonizing".
At the border we find out the Americans in the camaro are actually Flint, Lady Jaye, Scarlett, and Snake eyes. They take the two smugglers out for interrogation and they don't seem too compliant until Snake Eyes removes his mask and shows them his face. They then take them to the trailer. Flint warns them about a double cross as they knock on the door. Wolfgang opens it waiting for his bribe, the smugglers don't beat the system they simply bribe Wolfgang to turn it off.
Just as the warning system is turned off the python stuns cross the border. One stun passes the Joes in the camaro. Darklon thinking it's the smugglers orders them not to shoot. He hypothesizes that maybe it's the shape of the camaro that defeats the radar. The Joes in the camaro realize that in order to attack Darklon must have his own method of defeating the radar, because they didn't know it was turned off. They turn around. Darklon is planning to capture General Liedrkranz. Leidrkranz meanwhile is finding out that the smugglers beat his system by bribing Wolfgang. Hawk turns the system back on. They don't see the Cobras but they do see the camaro. Darklon has already crossed into Wolkekuckuckland however. Under attack by the python patrol the Joes lead them into a waiting column of Maulers. Destro flying overhead in a python conquest blows up the Maulers. He in turn is damaged by a couple of SLAMs. Cobra Commander and the Baroness wind up on foot as their stun is destroyed. Driving with no lights on Darklon crashes into the camaro. This disables both vehicles. Snake Eyes tackles Darklon and captures him. General Leiderkranz however, impressed with these new weapons, offers to purchase them from Darklon and they walk away making a deal.
Afterwards Destro and Darklon raise a toast to the successful sale. Cobra Commander, the Baroness, and Dr. Mindbender find themselves seeking out the aid of the smugglers. Their price? Double the usual and a special request, a camaro.

In Broca Beach, Buzzer is literally swimming in a pool of money. Thrasher and Road Pig are unloading an armored car as Zarana sits on a lounge poolside. Road Pig/Donald doesn't like the way Buzzer is talking to Zarana and they get in a fight. He threatens to hit him on the head with a shovel. Not seeming to care too much Zarana leaves, talking to some kids wearing Cobra t-shirts and inspecting the freshly painted Cobra POGOs, FANGs, Ferrets, and other equipment that is masquerading as boardwalk rides. She seems pleased with the way the operation is going. Clutch and Rock N Roll are cruising the streets of the town commenting on how everything has changed. Seemingly for the better in Rock N Roll's opinion. Disconcerted by all the changes Clutch heads to the boardwalk, which he can't imagine changing too much. As they look around two police officers show up. Damon and Pythias. They question the pair about why they are here and so forth. As they do they irritate Clutch, but Rock N Roll notices a Cobra ring on one of their fingers and tries to get Clutch out of there. On the other side of the fence Road Pig hits Buzzer with a shovel and Buzzer sees through the fence when he lands that there are two Joes here. Road Pig doesn't believe him and prepares to continue beating him when Thrasher sees the Joes too. Road Pig bashes his head through the fence in time to see the Joes speed off. He orders the cops to follow them. Zarana would not be pleased if they let out the secret of Broca Beach. Zarana mounts a full-scale assault; the brightly colored carnival rides take off after the two in the car. Zanzibar leads some BATS in POGOs as Zarana and Buzzer get on a Dreadnok Trike, and Monkeywrench and a Televiper chase after them on a Ferret.
Rock N Roll desperately digs through the garbage in Clutch's car for a radio. The televipers jams the signal but not before part of the message reaches Hawk on the road. Scarlett recognizes the location as a Dreadnok trouble spot. Hawk drops off the Mean Dog with Repeater, Hard Ball, and Wild Card to go help out.
Clutch and Rock N Roll in the 'cuda run right into Zarana. Luckily at that time the Mean Dog shows up and shoots down some FANGs. Clutch drives away as the Mean Dog turns to face Zarana. Wild Cards habit of breaking things continues as a control snaps off in his hands. The vehicle destroys a few HISS tanks and Buzzer wheels the cycle in the opposite direction. Zarana conks him on the head with a lug wrench. Clutch runs into a Cobra police roadblock he throws the 'cuda into a spin and squeezes past them. The Mean Dog catches up to Clutch just as Zanzibar arrives in the POGOs. Wild Card takes out the vehicles but the Mean Dog is damaged badly. In one last effort he drives over Zanzibar's POGO and captures him. Clutch and Rock N Roll seem to have made it. They look back as the police cars fall further and further behind. Then they crash into �someone, Road Pig stands in front of them the front end bashed in. waiting in front of the trashed barracuda in one piece.

Zarana and the Dreadnoks are on the steps of the former Broca Beach lodge facing a bunch of Iron Grenadiers. She pushes her way forward demanding to be let inside. She is met by a kick to the face by an Iron Grenadier. This of course infuriates Road Pig. The Dreadnoks stand behind Road Pig and charge the Iron grenadiers. All this commotion brings out Darklon. Darklon proceeds to shoot Road Pig full of tranquilizer darts. The large Dreadnok quotes Hamlet "perchance to dream" then falls over. The situation now diffused Darklon informs Zarana she alone must attend the meeting inside.
Destro called Zarana, the Baroness, Cobra Commander, Dr Mindbender, Darklon, and Voltar all together to inform them of his new organizational plan. Cobra Commander and Voltar are in charge of operations and manufacturing. The Baroness and Zarana will be in charge of funding covert operations and intelligence, the Dreadnoks report to Zarana and those in intelligence report to the Baroness. Destro will be in charge of sales and marketing and Darklon and Dr. Mindbender report to him. The new arrangements cause several petty arguments and complaining until Destro informs them that this is the way it will be.
In San Francisco a man seems interested in renting the Arashikage Martial Arts Studio. The realtor tries to dodge his questions as they walk past bullet holes and the hole in the door (see issue85). A news bulletin comes on TV with the clients face as being a wanted man. The realtor turns but sees a different face entirely. It must be Zartan in disguise.
Now partners; Zarana shows the Baroness the local bowling alley where Clutch and Rock N Roll and several other people who happen to wander into town are being held. As their cell opens Clutch rushes after Road Pig and tries to escape but they fail. They are then led to the Broca Beach Theater where they are strapped into a familiar piece of machinery, Dr Venom's brainwave scanner. This time however Zarana plans to use it to plant information not extract it.
In Fort Detrick Maryland, the captured Zanzibar is about to be interrogated as to the whereabouts of Clutch and Rock N Roll. Law and Mutt want a piece of him but Hawk reminds them he is entitled to due process. Zanzibar's Cobra lawyer shows up. He says" you are looking at ten to twenty years minimum!" Hawk says" aren't you being a tad pessimistic about your client's chances?" The lawyer responds that he was referring to the Joes not Zanzibar.
In San Francisco General Hollingsworth goes to the Presidio and demands to see Jinx. The guard (Breaker) says no one there by that name and because he didn't give a password he presses a silent alarm. Roadblock Dusty Footloose and Bazooka respond. They know its Zartan in disguise. They stop someone who looks like Breaker as he leaves the building. In another area of the base, one guard questions another about a pass and he gets diverted to the language center some sort of trouble there. Thinking he has now escaped Zartan walks away calmly. He is stopped however by the Blind Master. The large blind man is also after Zartan for the death of the Hard Master. He challenges him and they go into an alley.
Destro informs Dr. MindBender he had contractors working for him that were checking on his activities on Cobra Island. Mainly in the form of constructing BATs. A Cobra copter full of BATs lands nearby. Destro takes Mindbender inside and shows him the intact body of Serpentor. Dr. Mindbender asks Destro what he wants.
In the high Sierras, Jinx, Storm Shadow, Scarlett, and Snake Eyes are around a campfire near the ruins of his log cabin. They are discussing how Zartan showed up at the Presidio looking for Jinx. Timber, Snake Eyes' wolf, senses something. An arrow flies through the air. They quickly douse the fire. Storm shadow has disappeared but the ninjas are now alert and prepared. Timber bolts away only to come back wounded by an arrow, a scrap of red cloth in his jaws. Storm Shadow, now in full gear, knows that it is a red ninja come with a score to settle. He heads up the mountain to meet him.

Zartan looks a little worse for wear. He is in an alley in San Francisco engaged in hand to hand combat with the Blind Master. Tyrone, the student of the Blind Master is searching for his sensei all over.
Zarana, the Dreadnoks and the Baroness are about to use the brainwave scanner to enter Clutch's mind. Once inside the Dreadnoks destroy Clutch's memories. Smashing his Corvair (with a license plate that says Joe?) Beating up Margaret Boberek his high school sweetheart and his Uncle Arnie, and maliciously destroying his favorite toy. Clutch screams as his memories are erased. The devious plan is not to wipe his mind clean but to replace certain key memories. The Dreadnoks watch in disappointment as their �virtual selves� destroy the pieces of Clutch's mind. They wanted to really break something. The memories they implant are ones of a Crimson Guard uniform in his closet (nod to the file card). Margaret is taken out and replaced with Wendy a cheerleader who talks him into going to Arbco meetings. Zarana and the Baroness enjoy themselves as they play with Clutch's past.
Tyrone while searching for his master runs into a group of bullies who take his board. They try to get him to fight. Tyrone knowing he could easily beat them chooses not to fight and walks away. Vladmir, the bully, tells him he saw the Blind Master down by the Presidio.
At the remains of Snake Eyes' cabin, Storm Shadow has gone off to a private battle of honor with a Red Ninja. As Snake Eyes, Scarlett, and Jinx and an injured Timber sit and wait knowing they will not interfere, they find themselves surrounded by several Red Ninjas. Seems the Red Ninja didn't think they would not intervene.
When Storm Shadow and the Red Ninja meet face to face he reveals himself to be the driver of the VW bus that careened off the Golden Gate bridge when Storm Shadow shot him with an arrow (issue 85). He reveals that he too is a member of the Arashikage clan. He found out the location of the hideout and battle (issue 32) from Firefly who was involved in it. Back at the campsite the other Red Ninjas reveal their clan markings. They are here to settle this once and for all, the Red Ninja tells Storm Shadow that although Zartan killed the Hard Master, Storm Shadow was the real cause and that none of it would have happened if he hadn't brought a stranger in (Snake Eyes). The two battle at the falls. Back at the cabin Scarlett and Jinx are injured and taken out of the fight. Leaving Snake Eyes and Timber to face the last three ninjas. At the falls the Red Ninja breaks Storm Shadow's sword. Storm Shadow dives into the falls to find Fred's corpse (issue 32) Fred's AK-47 is still there he grabs the rusty weapon and uses it to block the Red Ninja's blow, and his sword breaks from the impact.
Back in San Francisco, the Blind Master is winning the fight. Zartan asks for a quick death. He can no longer deal with the shame and pain of his Master (Onihashi) killing himself over Zartan's act. Just as the Blind Master raises his knife Tyrone appears. Tyrone stops him saying he can't kill a defenseless man that it would be wrong and against all that he had been taught. The blind man drops his knife and goes after his student. Seeing the opportunity Zartan grabs the knife and stabs him in the back. The Blind Master reveals to Zartan that Onihashi forgave Zartan with his dying breath
In the woods the battle is over. Storm Shadow floats on by the cabin and is soon brought ashore by the trio.
In San Francisco a battered Blind Master catches up to Tyrone, he tells Tyrone he was right to try to stop him and that they should start over from scratch. As they walk away one can see the glowing around the Blind Master's foot revealing that he is indeed Zartan looking for a fresh beginning.

A train chugs along inside Punta Del Mucosa near the Sierra Gordo border. The train and its cargo of a Thunderclap do not go unnoticed as it passes over a "fisherman" on a railway bridge. Riding on the train we find Cross Country, Long Range, and Rumbler playing a card game of old maid with El Presidente. They are traveling to a spot where they can demonstrate the Thunderclap for El Presidente. Cross Country spies a Cobra Condor which he identifies with a guide to Cobra equipment, flying overhead. The Condor reports his sighting to Voltar, who using a similar guide to Joe equipment assess the fact that the Thunderclap doesn't have the range to be any obstacle to his plans. He is more concerned with the NABM (North American Banana Monopoly)
Voltar orders his new allies of Cobra troops on a first wave of attacks on Rio Lindo, to usurp power from El Jefe and Delbert Swinson.
In the town of Rio Lindo FANG II helicopters are attacking the city. El Jefe and Delbert learn of the approaching Thunderclap from Horatio the fisherman on the bridge. The pair is holding Lt. Falcon, Shockwave, Recondo, Daina, and Lt. Dragonsky in a cell surrounded by crocodiles underneath their base of operations. Lt Falcon (hearing about the thunderclap) tells the two to give it up now and release them. Undaunted Swinson refuses and also plans to go ahead with the Miss Sierra Gordo pageant and parade.
Rolling down the street in a parade float is the Joe rescue team, Stalker, Muskrat, Repeater, Scoop and Backblast. They lie in wait as Voltar's troops attack and infiltrate the city.
Back at the train, Rumbler pulls the emergency cord and the train comes to a stop. They take the Thunderclap off the train for a little test drive. They travel over what El Presidente notes are the remains of a recently cleared rain forest.
Cobra's forces have pretty much taken over the town now; they are just passing the pageant parade. The large float speeds up headed straight to the building where the two leaders are at. The float facade tears apart revealing the vehicle underneath to the Cobra troops in the street. The Warthog crashes into the building and Delbert and El Jefe flee. As the Joes rescue everyone Muskrat begins to introduce himself to Daina when she tells him his real name. She knows all the Joes and all about them she has read all their dossiers. The Joes and Guard members head for the border of Punta Del Mucosa; they are closely followed by Voltar's troops.
Delbert and El Jefe fend off some crocodiles by the shoreline as Swinson orders a counterattack.
The Warthog leaves the road, where the Condor overhead cannot see them. The DEMONs are not far behind however.
Back at the Thunderclap, Rumbler, Cross Country, and Long Range are prepping the vehicle for a demonstration for El Presidente who questions the way the weapon is pointed.
The Condor descends as it searches with infrared for the Joes and October Guard members on the Warthog. He spots the group but it is too late Backblast has honed in on his heat signature and fires on the plane hitting it with his antiaircraft missile. Still not home free the Warthog presses on as the DEMONs pursue. As they pass the 15 km marker to Punta Del Mucosa, the Thunderclap fires. Scoop takes video as the DEMONS follow them towards the border. A large crater is formed when the shell from the Thunderclap hits directly in front of the DEMONs. Not willing to mess with that kind of firepower the DEMONs retreat. The damaged Cobra Condor, still in the air jettisons its damaged section. He heads off to finish off the Warthog full of Joes. But is too late they have crossed over the border now.
Back at the Thunderclap Long Range tries to convince El Presidente the DEMONs were attacking Punta Del Mucosa. The Warthog then pulls up as a skeptical general becomes even more suspicious of what is really happening. Stalker explains they were participating in the Miss Sierra Gordo pageant and parade when they discovered the plot to invade his country. He still doesn't believe them, so Scoop offers to show the tape of the pursuing DEMONs. Then Daina, wearing the Miss Sierra Gordo sash, jumps off the Warthog and kisses the leader on the cheek saying "how about a kiss from miss Sierra Gordo?"

High above Manhattan Island, a Cobra transport helicopter is en route to the Cobra Consulate Building. The scene opens with Zarana and the Baroness in a very hostile situation (both struggling to throw each other out of the aircraft) that apparently erupted when the Baroness made some choice comments concerning Zarana's hair. The Dreadnoks merely watch as a Techno-Viper warns that Zarana's actions may endanger the security of the prisoners (Clutch and Rock 'n Roll) and that Destro would not approve. Road Pig tries to restrain Zarana, but ends up booting the Baroness from the helicopter in mid-air. Luckily, the Baroness saves herself by grabbing hold of the landing gear. As soon as the helicopter lands, the two begin fighting again. They roll around on the ground until they find themselves at the feet of Destro. Surprised and embarrassed, Zarana and the Baroness try to make excuses for their behavior, as they were teamed to work together to oversee Cobra's Broca Beach operation. Displeased, Destro demands that they work out their "petty differences and start taking care of business." Destro wants to be assured that the next phase of their brain-washing scheme is going ahead on schedule and that Clutch and Rock 'n Roll will soon be returned to G.I. Joe Headquarters, unwittingly under Cobra's control. Zarana and the Baroness reassure Destro as he departs in a Cobra Mamba, but they still hold their personal grudges.
Later, Zarana oversees the successful implantation of fake "Cobra" memories into Clutch and Rock 'n Roll, but now she needs to ensure that they don't remember any incriminating memories like their stay in Broca Beach. To accomplish this task, she has the Buzzer and Ripper "stroll into the symbolic maze that represents their memories... and institute a bit of urban renewal!" Using various sets, the prisoners are made to believe that they've been held in a Cobra submarine for the whole time. The plan then calls for Clutch and Rock 'n Roll to be taken to a real submarine off the coast of Long Island and be allowed to "escape." With a jolt of ultra-pain, Dr. Venom's brain-wave scanner "cements"in the new memories... as evident by Clutch's screams.
Later, the Dreadnoks (Ripper, Buzzer, and Torch) are in a van following an ice cream truck (driven by Zarana and Road Pig) transporting Clutch and Rock 'n Roll. As the Baroness watches them leave, she makes a phone call to the Chaplin's Assistants School at Fort Wadsworth and asks for Hawk, but is unable to speak with him or the Joe team directly. She informs the operator to tell the Joes that their fellow teammates will be heading East on the Long Island Expressway shortly and will be in an ice cream truck followed by a van full of Dreadnoks. Dialtone and Hawk are seen listening in on the conversation and they confirm that the message is being traced to the Cobra Consulate Building.
Meanwhile, Snake-Eyes and Scarlett (dressed in civilian clothes) arrive at the Bern Institute of Reconstructive Surgery in Switzerland. Scarlett remarks, "This is it, Snake-Eyes. It's finally going to happen... you're going to get a new face." The new technique developed by the institute is said to be "excruciating and dangerous"and that it would "require six separate operations, skin grafts and cartilage implants." With some of the procedures so radical, they could be fatal... Scarlett tells Snake-Eyes that he doesn't have to go through with it if he's just doing it for her... that she loves him just the way that he is. Snake-Eyes takes a moment to respond... drops his suitcase and reaches for Scarlett's hand. He then looks up at the sun and places his other hand on the rubber mask covering his face... he then looks over to another couple embracing each other. Scarlett holds Snake-Eyes close as she replies, "I understand... you want to be able to hold my hand and walk down the street and feel the sun shining down on your own face and not on a rubber mask... it doesn't seem like so much to ask for, does it?" They walk into the Bern Institute and are told by the nurse that Dr. Hundtkinder will see them shortly.
Back on Long Island, the Dreadnoks are following the ice cream truck carrying Clutch and Rock 'n Roll just as planned. As they drive along the expressway, the Dreadnoks notice a Tiger Sting (driven by Repeater and Roadblock) and a Tiger Cat (driven by Lady Jaye and Flint) are following them on a parallel service road. The Dreadnoks immediately open fire on the Joes. The Joes carefully engage the Dreadnoks with the knowledge that their fellow team members are being held in the ice cream truck.
In Switzerland, Dr. Hundtkinder removes Snake-Eyes' rubber mask and examines the extent of his injuries. He observes an old photograph taken of Snake-Eyes before the accident (revealing that his original face was very similar to the blonde-haired rubber mask that he wears). The doctor then asks Snake-Eyes to look into a mirror...and then says, "This is the last time you shall see your face in this condition!" A large headshot of Snake-Eyes' heavily-scarred face, mostly to left side, is revealed (for the very first time to readers). Dr. Hundtkinder schedules the first operation for the next morning.
On the expressway, smoke billows from the burning wreckage of the Tiger Sting; however, the Joe team has managed to stop and apprehend the Dreadnoks with no major injuries incurred. The Dreadnoks assume the position against the wall. Flint and Lady Jaye run to the van to free Clutch and Rock 'n Roll, but find that they will need a hacksaw to cut their handcuffs free. A Tomahawk (set up as a mobile communications center by Hawk and Dialtone) lands at the scene. Hawk yells, "Our informant was right!"Buzzer overhears Hawk and immediately accuses the Baroness as being the only person who could have been the informant. Buzzer also blames Zarana for picking a fight with the Baroness, but is immediately set right by Road Pig's fist ("Road Pig Doctrine of Zaranaic Infallibility"at work). Traffic has been stopped with the overturned van in the middle of the road and some drivers are growing irritable. One yuppie (driving an import convertible with a plate that reads "YUPI-1�) begins calling the Joes "fascist pigs"for holding up traffic. Another driver claims, "We have a constitutional right to freedom of movement on the highway!" This incites other drivers to leave their vehicles and begin threatening the Joe team for being "inconvenienced." The yuppie threatens to contact his "Congressperson"and says, "You're all a bunch of stupid thugs!" Lady Jaye replies, "I guess I must be stupid to be willing to bleed for the likes of you!" The yuppie then shoves Lady Jaye, nearly making her lose her fall. Flint is about punch the yuppie when a female yuppie screams, "Brutality! Kent State! Tiananmen Square!" This results in a small riot, but Hawk orders the Joe team to back off for fear of the media attention they might receive. With the Joes preoccupied, the Dreadnoks make their escape in the slightly damaged ice cream truck. Roadblock shoots off a short burst from his Browning .50 caliber machine gun into the air and exclaims, "That's it! I've about had it! I want all you pathetic self-centered materialistic yahoos to crawl back into your expensive cars that were built by former Axis Powers to the detriment of American auto workers and start twiddling your useless thumbs... BEFORE I LOSE MY TEMPER!" The crowd backs off and the Joes realize that Zarana and the Dreadnoks are getting away with Clutch and Rock 'n Roll still in the back. The Joes pile into the Tomahawk to fly after the ice cream truck.
Further down the road, Zarana tries to contact/confront the Baroness. A Tele-Viper informs her that the Baroness is currently on a transatlantic line to Switzerland and puts her on hold forcing Zarana to listen to the easy listening tape (features "the mellow melodies of the Cobra Chorus, featuring their interpretations of the big hits of John Denver!�)
Back at the Cobra Consulate Building, the Baroness is talking to Dr. Hundtkinder (the same plastic surgeon who restored her face way back in issue 22). Dr. Hundtkinder explains that he thought she'd be interested to know of a prospective G.I. Joe patient that he has. The Baroness is disinterested until she receives a fax of the picture of the individual... the picture taken of Snake-Eyes before his disfigurement. The Baroness drops the phone and screams, "It's HIM! The one from SAIGON! The ASSASIN who MURDERED MY BROTHER!!!" The phone rings again and this time it's Zarana who demands to know why she set them up to get captured by the Joes. The Baroness responds, "I did it because I wanted their release to be credible! You were supposed to put up a fight and lose! Now you've blown our whole plan!" The Baroness reaches for a remote detonator and presses the red button... "Luckily, I had a contingency plan!" The entire front end of the ice cream truck explodes as the Tomahawk flies overhead.

After six operations Dr. Hundtkinder, the surgeon who worked on the Baroness after her accident, has restored Snake Eyes' face. Scarlett waits outside the door. The Doctor observes the intense facial movements of his patient and surmises he is dreaming a not too pleasant dream.
We flashback to Vietnam; Jan 31 1968, the Tet Offensive. Stalker, Storm Shadow (Tommy) and Snake Eyes are in Saigon. A scooter speeds in next to their jeep as they are talking. The passenger pulls out a rifle from a bouquet of flowers and fires. Corky their driver is killed, and Stalker and Storm Shadow are wounded. Snake Eyes takes off in the jeep after their attackers. The scooter goes into an unsecured area a soldier warns Snake Eyes to turn his jeep around, but he is too focused and remains in pursuit. The two on the scooter shoot at Snake eyes and his jeep is destroyed.
Back in the present The Doctor notices the anguish in Snake Eyes. Scarlett meanwhile gets a phone call from Hawk asking about Snake Eyes' condition. She turns away from the window just before a bunch of Cobra choppers fly into view. Scarlett suspects that Hawk is going to give her bad news. Hawk tells her about the events in New Jersey where Zarana and Road Pig were injured and captured and Clutch and Rock N Roll were rescued. It seems when Zarana woke up she revealed the Baroness connection to Hundtkinder and the fact that she had been tipped off. The Baroness and her vipers land on the roof. Scarlett decks the nurse, and breaks in on Dr. Hundtkinder and Snake Eyes.
A toxoviper asks the Baroness about this mission and she flashes back to that same day in Saigon. She was in Cholon with her brother Eugen setting up a humanitarian mission. They were to deliver medical supplies but the supplies are missing. The same two shooters being followed by Snake Eyes enter the room. They are the ones who the Baron Decobray has contacted to get the supplies. Eugen moves the Baroness into a side office for safety. This, the Baroness says is the last time she saw her brother alive.
The Baroness bursts into the operating room to find Hundtkinder strapped to his own operating table. Scarlett pushes the wheelchairbound, unconscious Snake Eyes around the hospital.
Back in Vietnam, Snake Eyes lies in wait outside the window after following the terrorists. The devious pair lies and argues with the Baron. They tell how they sold the supplies to buy weapons which enrages the Baron. He confronts them only to get shot. Snake Eyes hearing the shots breaks in and kills the two shooters. The Baroness leaves the office to see Snake Eyes standing over her brother and the two Vietnamese. Anastasia assumes he is the one responsible for her brother's death.
In the Bern institute, The Baroness orders her Night Vipers to find Scarlett and Snake Eyes. Snake Eyes must be taken alive but Scarlett on the other hand is expendable. They spot Scarlett who opens fire and turns out the lights. She and snake Eyes retreat into a room only to be soon outnumbered and wounded. The Baroness disarms her and then, shoots her in the head. She regrets that decision she laments she wanted Snake eyes to watch and suffer.
In Oakland Billy is riding to school when a car knocks him off the road. Out pops Raptor, Billy is about to fight when Raptor reveals he knows where Billy's father is buried and also who killed him.

Snake Eyes, still recovering from extensive surgery and the ordeal in Switzerland, is being detained by the Baroness in the NY Cobra Consulate building. She is intent on getting revenge on Snake Eyes for killing her brother in Vietnam. (Issue 94). She takes him deep inside the consulate to the Paine brothers, Desade, Crispo, and Torquemada. She intends on handling everything personally however. She threatens to undo what Dr. Hundtkinder has done, and informs him she put a bullet in Scarlett's head. (Issue 94). She is holding a red hot branding iron when a Televiper interrupts her to tell her Destro will be arriving soon. Fearing Destro will find out all her deceptions, letting Zarana be captured and holding Snake Eyes, she heads to personally meet him. She leaves strict orders for the brothers not to touch Snake Eyes.
Destro is curious about the increase in G.I.Joe activity lately the Baroness avoids the question and Destro replies: maybe we should ask Zarana.
Doc, Lifeline, and Hawk are flying Scarlett back to the US. In Switzerland we find Chuckles rummaging through Dr. Hundtkinder's files. Dr. Hundtkinder threatens to report the invasion but Roadblock persuades him otherwise.
Back in the basement of the cobra consulate the trio of torturers is worried. Snake Eyes has stopped breathing. Desade tries to tell his brother it is a ninja trick but is too late and Snake Eyes is soon free. Desade fights him but soon realizes he is no match. Crispo throws an urn full of hot coals in Snake Eyes' face. It only temporarily stops him and soon the three are defeated.
Destro presses further about the capture of Zarana as a Televiper shows the Baroness a live camera feed of Snake Eyes' escape. The Baroness concocts a lie that the Dreadnoks and Zarana were purposefully captured to lend credence to the escape of Clutch and Rock N Roll who had been brainwashed while captured. The Baroness whispers another order to the Televiper. Destro turns and asks her why she keeps whispering.
Snake Eyes, now in his commando gear, makes his way to an armory and gets explosives and weapons. He slowly makes his way past several floors of Cobras.
Destro orders the Baroness to free Zarana, she has one week to do so. He boards his chopper and leaves. Now the Baroness orders the building sealed off she no longer wants Snake Eyes taken alive he is too great a threat.
Across the street in a newsstand, Snake Eyes' comrades from Vietnam, Wade Collins, Stalker, and Storm Shadow, lie in wait. Then J. Jonah Jameson comes up to the stand asking for a copy of the Daily Bugle. When he finds out the owner doesn't carry that "trash", he throws a fit. Then mid fit there is an explosion across the street at the consulate. Storm Shadow and the others jump out of the stand. When they enter the building they find the blast has knocked almost everyone out. A guard is babbling into an open microphone and soon the whole building is in a panic. Not wanting to get crushed Stalker and the other two are pushed outside by the crowd. Yet another explosion above them seals off the building.
Destro seeing the smoke coming from the consulate contacts the Baroness, She lies and says everything is under control as she watches a video feed of Snake Eyes closing the gap to her location.
Cut to the Rockies outside Denver. Raptor and Billy are digging when the Blind Master, actually Zartan, and Tyrone his student pull up. They fight and discuss whether or not it's worth the effort to dig up the grave.

Snake Eyes is in the Cobra Consulate fighting his way up to the Baroness floor by floor. The Cobras think they have him trapped but soon find they are very wrong. The Baroness recalls her other three search teams to come provide protection for her position.
Wade Collins, Stalker, and Storm Shadow decide to call in air cover, and Storm Shadow will scale the outside of the building to provide back up for Snake Eyes.
At JFK Scarlett's transport lands and she is loaded on a Tomahawk for the final journey to the hospital. The Tomahawk receives Stalker's request for air cover but their first priority is to get Scarlett to the hospital. Undaunted Stalker and Wade try another approach. They hail a cab but it doesn't stop. Might be the fact they are carrying machine guns. Destro calls the Baroness asking what is going on. She gives in realizing her precarious situation and asks for an airlift. Destro turns the chopper around and heads back to the consulate. The Baroness meanwhile is doing her best to blockade the door.
Three vipers who bear a striking resemblance to Larry Curly and Moe are attempting to escape the burning building by tying together various cords. They plan to rappel themselves out the window. Unfortunately Storm Shadow, clinging to the side of the building, is right in their way. They open fire to no avail. They miss and Storm Shadow deals with them quickly.
Stalker and Wade still aren't having any luck getting that chopper.
Barricaded in the penthouse the Baroness frantically searches the camera feeds for signs of Snake Eyes only to see Storm Shadow is right outside her door. Soon Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow are together fending off Cobra after Cobra. The Baroness realizes the fire has weakened the buildings steel frame and it is collapsing.
The Tomahawk reaches Stalker and Wade they convince Hawk that if Scarlett woke up and found out they left behind Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow because of her, she would never let it rest. The Chopper is now on its way to the Consulate.
The building collapses, the Baroness falls until an arm reaches out and grabs her, the arm however is Snake Eyes'. Destro flies in and makes a deal with the Joes, they rescue the Baroness and he will rescue them all. Not wanting to be deprived of her revenge the Baroness unholsters her pistol and aims at Snake Eyes. Destro gets on a bullhorn and reveals the truth of how the Baroness' brother was not killed by Snake Eyes and this was proven by none other than his father. You see Destro was in Vietnam that day as well. His father knew Eugen wore a bulletproof vest capable of stopping Snake Eyes .45 but not an AK-47, proving the two Vietnamese terrorists killed Eugen her brother.
This shocking truth makes the Baroness question her whole career, her whole life based on global terrorism. A life based on a lie. The Baroness forces Snake Eyes to release his grip and she falls. Storm Shadow won't let her off that easy he rescues her so she can think about her actions. Destro's chopper hovers nearby and she boards. As Destro reaches for Snake Eyes the part of the building they are clinging to fails and they fall just out of reach. Luckily Lift Ticket and the other Joes arrive in the Tomahawk. Seeing them fall Lift Ticket puts the transport chopper into a barrel roll as the Joes aboard cling to the comatose Scarlett. The chopper twists and turns on its side and the two ninjas fall inside.
As the two choppers pass each other Destro and the Baroness wave. Storm Shadow ponders if it is really possible for people to make a change.

Clutch, Rock n Roll, and Chuckles are under fire in Montreal they are serving as advisors for two Mounties. Unless they are cleared to do so they cannot fire back. Inspector Cates and Sgt. Fournier gladly give them that permission. Rock N Roll retrieves his quad gatlings from the car and opens fire. The Vipers holed up inside duck as the weapons push them back. They try to get their techno-vipers to help them but instead as a chunk is blown out of his helmet the viper commander surrenders. After a quick search the Joes find terrordrome parts in crates marked Broca. The name on the crates is enough to momentarily throw Clutch and Rock N Roll into a daze. They can't figure out why but the name brings up bad memories. This is due to the brainwashing they were given in a previous issue.
In New York Scarlett is out of surgery after being shot by the Baroness. She is still in a coma. Scarlett's surgeon notices the damage Snake Eyes got to his face in the last battle (issue 96) He offers the help of a great surgeon Dr. Hundtkinder. Unbeknownst to him Hundtkinder is the doctor who led the Baroness to him and Scarlett. Flint and Lady Jaye restrain Snake eyes from attacking the clueless doctor.
Flint leads Snake Eyes on a walk and talks to him about not worrying about all the should have dones and should have saids. Snake Eyes grabs Flint and turns him to face Lady Jaye. Flint acts confused and Lady Jaye says maybe Snake Eyes is telling him to practice what he preaches.
Snake Eyes walks off alone. He is all bandaged up and a street gang approaches what they think is easy prey. He neutralizes them with little or no effort. One pulls out a gun only to hear Storm Shadow advise him to think twice. Stalker and Wade Collins are there too and they join up with their fellow Vietnam vet and friend.
On Cobra Island Voltar and Dr. Mindbender are displaying Cobra equipment to potential buyers. Among those buyers are Ngoto, General Liederkranz, El Jefe and Colonel Sharif. After the demonstration Cobra Commander (Fred VII) welcomes them and they adjourn to the land locked freighter for a reception. Billy, Captain Minh, Tyrone, and the Blind Master (Zartan) watch with binoculars on a hillside nearby. Billy explains how Fred VII helped his father the real Cobra Commander, built Billy a prosthetic leg and built the battle armor that Fred VII is now wearing and pretending to be Cobra Commander. Most importantly how Fred VII shot the real Commander in the back and buried him outside Denver. The "Blind Master" leaves the group to do a recon of his own and everyone wonders how a blind man can do so.
Inside the freighter Dr. Mindbender pulls Cobra Commander (Fred VII) into a side compartment to talk. Voltar notices as they do so only to be surprised as he bumps into Dr. Mindbender moments later. He asks Mindbender how he can be in both places and Dr. Mindbender says he didn't go in to talk with Fred VII.
After being talked into removing his helmet, Fred finds himself face to face with Zartan. Fred says something to the effect of aren't you dead? Zartan tells Fred that he wants to remain that way, and that Fred, will be demoted back to a garage owner in Denver.
Dr. Mindbender armed with a gun, sneaks up on the two. He is stopped by Raptor, who he has never met, but Raptor has a plan, he wants to return with Mindbender to Denver, dig up the real Cobra Commander and use his DNA to clone a new one.
Some Cobra night vipers find Billy and Tyrone. Captain Minh, Billy, and Tyrone fight them off and head quickly to Minh's boat (a repainted Moray)
But as they get closer it explodes in front of them. Left with only one option now Minh leads the two into a system of tunnels he used to hide in for over a year he just hopes the occupant of those tunnels isn't home. He isn't that lucky however and they walk right into Croc Master and his three Crocs, Chelsea, Matilda, and Tara.
In Broca Beach New Jersey the Baroness has made the decision to leave Cobra after the recent events (issue 96) and start over. Destro offers to go with her, and she says in order to do so he would have to leave behind his family traditions, give everything up. He throws off his mask revealing his true face, and says "I would give up more than that." and embraces the Baroness and kisses her.

A Tomahawk lands at a cabin in Ontario Canada. Sgt Fournier is heading to the door of it facing a man with a gun Rock N Roll is close behind his gatlings at the ready... Sgt Fournier knows this man and his family however and reluctantly the man is convinced to let them enter. Once inside they find Sheik Faoud Ibn Sirhan, Minister Bakana, and Comrade Lin Wu Zing. All of them weapons buyers. Chuckles searches the cabin and finds some hidden electronics, he pushes a button and a Terrordrome pushes its way up through the frozen lake. The Sheik reaches for his pistol and Rock N Roll lets loose a volley from his massive guns just inches above their heads. The Joes wonder why Cobra would send their clients here when Terrordrome plants are made on Cobra Island in the Gulf of Mexico? Clutch finds the answer; these parts were made in Denver.
Meanwhile outside Denver Dr. Mindbender and Raptor and some vipers are digging up the real Cobra Commander's grave. (Issue 61) The vipers find a shirt with a bullet hole in the back, but no body. A voice comes from behind them in the woods, Cobra Commander is alive! He is flanked by Crimson Guards loyal to him, Fred VIII through LCI. He had the area monitored just in case. He explains how his spies watch other spies and so forth. Fred VIII rescued him shortly after he was shot and took him to the hospital. Since then he has been rebuilding Cobra the same way as he built it up originally. He says that this is the time. This omen has revealed to him that it is time to return to Cobra Island.
El Jefe, General Liederkranz, Sharif, and Ngoto discuss all the activity on the island since Cobra Commander, who is now rumored to be an imposter, disappeared, and the potential for a coup. Inside the landlocked freighter a discussion is taking place. Billy, Zartan, Tyrone, Capt. Minh, Firefly, Fred VII, and some others are all involved in a debate. Billy tries to tell Voltar that Cobra Commander is not the real cobra commander but a Fred who killed him. Tyrone on the other hand wonders about the disappearance of the Blind Master, his sensei, and the appearance of Zartan. Then the lights in the freighter go out. The real Cobra Commander, Billy's father hovers above them all his enemies neatly grouped below him. Raptor and Dr. Mindbender laugh as the Commander reveals his plans. However their laughter is short lived as they soon find themselves kicked into the freighter as well. Cobra Commander slams the hatch trapping all inside. Explosions rock the island alarming the potential buyers. These explosions are designed to cut a channel in front of the freighter. The freighter no longer landlocked floats towards the extinct volcano. Another explosion rips a hole in the side of the volcano. The freighter floats in and falls inside. Then with a final explosion Cobra Commander destroys the volcano bringing it down and trapping the freighter occupants inside. The dictators and leaders look on in shock.
A Tomahawk transport lands at a NY courthouse bringing in Clutch and Rock N Roll to testify against Zarana and the Dreadnoks. Only the group is leaving the building as they have been freed on legal technicalities. Zarana, seeing the two, says the word Broca triggering their brainwashing programming. A Cobra transport chopper lands and the smug Zarana boards and a Crimson Guard almost slams her face in the door. They are told that they aren't returning to Broca Beach, they are being taken to Cobra Island to stand trial for treason.
At the Pentagon the Jugglers brief Hawk and General Hollingsworth that due to the recent attacks in Broca Beach and the Cobra Consulate building and Cobra Island's growing legitimate status and reduced threat that they are considering disbanding GIJOE and splitting up the team.

Inside the Freighter (see issue 98) Zartan and Tyrone manage to pry off a hatch only to find solid rock behind it. Billy figures out that Cobra Commander must have managed to send the freighter inside the volcano and then sealed it. Dr. Mindbender and Raptor meanwhile have taken inventory and assessed the situation some of the occupants are in a panic and state of shock and others are ready for action. They have also found a source of water and food, unfortunately as Capt Minh points out the food is surplus C-ration ham and lima beans. Now that they have a plan to dig themselves out which should happen before food runs out, a power struggle between Fred VII and Zartan ensues.
Cobra Commander goes to Broca Beach where he is welcomed with open arms, it reminds him of Springfield. He is there to deal with Zarana and the other Dreadnoks being held in the jail. Zarana plays her ace in the hole and tells the Commander about the two brainwashed Joes and how they could use them.
Spirit and Mutt arrive in Millville which is a town down on its luck; unemployment, crime and poverty have taken over the town. They arrive at a sullen Uncle Jeff's house.
In Broca Beach Zarana takes Cobra Commander to a safe where she has hidden the computer program to activate the Joes. Cobra has the two under constant surveillance. They are monitoring them right now even as they are in the Pentagon. They as well as the validity of the entire team are on trial. Cobra Commander overhears how they are on probation and that any more disturbances could be the final straw. Cobra Commander plans to then set off the two time bombs in their heads at their base, thinking that the result would be enough to get the team disbanded.
Just outside the Pit, two teenage girls who happen to be science fiction fans are watching the area below them. Roxy and Tiff are investigating what they think is alien activity. They are almost run over by a huge vehicle as it zips by. The two comment that it is even bigger than a sandcrawler it is Steam roller in the MCC. Then Wild Bill flies right over them in a C-130 all blacked out. He then lands on a blacked out runway using infrared lights to land. The back of the transport opens up and three Joes step out. Roxy and Tiff compare the event to the scene in Close Encounters. Then the two girls find themselves at the end of a spotlight beam which they fear could be a paralyzing ray or worse. Lady Jaye heads towards them and they offer the "alien" reeses pieces but Lady Jaye declines saying she is watching her sugar intake.
She calls off the alert and takes the two teenagers away, the pair think she is still an alien or at least from the future, after all her name is only one letter. The gals talk about being brainwashed as they are led into the Pit. This comment makes Clutch cry out in pain.
Zarana is flying over the Pit in a python conquest invisible to radar. She observes just as the hatch to the Pit closes and the light from within lights up the edges. She feeds the coordinates to Broca Beach where Cobra Commander is readying for an assault. The planned attack isn't on the Pit though it is to take over the town of... Millville.

Cobra Commander lands in Millville and floods the town with Cobra troops. Spirit and Mutt are buying groceries when they find Cobra Commander in the street outside the store. They beat a hasty retreat. Televipers take over the phone company. Cobra vipers attack and take over the police station, and Crimson Guardsmen impersonate the local police and set up roadblocks preventing people from entering or leaving. Mutt and Spirit try to use a payphone to contact Joe HQ but no luck all phones are dead. They head to Mutt's Uncle's neighbor who has a ham radio. Meanwhile the town desperate and downtrodden likes the words of prosperity that Cobra Commander offers up. A veteran, Russ, steps up and confronts the people who are trading freedom for security. His words go unheeded. Meanwhile Mutt and Spirit's attempt to use the ham radio fails as a Cobra Condor flies overhead jamming all radio waves. Mutt's Uncle has his own problems; his attempt at resistance and threat to call in his Nephew, a member of the Joe team, gets him put first in line to be brainwashed with the brainwave scanners. Cobra has set up several trailers and is systematically brainwashing the population.
At the Pit, Roxy and Tiff (issue 99) are being held as Flint and Lady Jaye contemplate calling their parents. When they can't get an outside line, they leave the two sci-fi buffs with Clutch and Rock N Roll. Flint and Lady Jaye head to the local gas station on a silver mirage to use his phone to call their parents. Clutch and Rock N Roll are faced with the dilemma that neither knows how to entertain two young girls. Clutch suggests taking them to the motor pool to work on lubing some knuckles. Roxy who apparently is getting a crush on Clutch sheepishly agrees that might be fun. Tiff teases her and tells her he is cute but way too old for her. Rock N Roll gets an idea and the quartet marches off.
Dusty and Muskrat, out on patrol, see Flint and Lady Jaye leave. Then they see something kicking up sand in the desert. They radio Steamroller who does a radar sweep and comes up with nothing. Dusty then wakes up WildCard in the Mean Dog to go investigate. Wildcard breaks the radio which doesn't matter it was jammed anyway.
Zarana is cruising along in a python stun as the python conquest flies overhead. Her plan is to activate the brainwashing of Clutch and Rock N Roll as soon as she is in range, making them go berserk deep inside the Pit. Her python televiper companion spies the Mean Dog in pursuit.
In the Pit Roxy and Tiff are bored as Rock N Roll has decided to take them to the armory. He tries to entertain them by asking "what do you think one of these could do to the brood mother?" (Alien). Clutch says those knuckles still need lubing.
Flint and Lady Jaye reach the gas station to find the owner tied up. When he says a lady with pink hair did it they know Zarana must be around. Lady Jaye tries to use the radio to warn the base only to get an earful of static. Realizing they are being jammed the two head back to the Pit. Dusty and Muskrat are in pursuit of Zarana, they are too late however and she activates the device to turn Clutch and Rock N Roll loose. Her mission now completed she orders a retreat and an air strike by the conquest.
Clutch and Rock N Roll no longer in control of their minds point their weapons at the two frightened kids. Roxy and Tiff fear they have been taken over by pod people. They chant "destroy..." "Kill".
The python conquest joins the fray in the desert and is targeting Muskrats head in the Mean Dog. Just as he approaches, Steamroller in the MCC flies out of the sand and fires disabling the python conquest. The pilot aims his fiery plane at the Mobile Command Center and ejects. The plane crashes into the large vehicle and Steamroller (now on foot) heads out to capture the pilot he mentions something about not stomping him too hard. Zarana continues to flee in the Python stun.
The Mean Dog follows Zarana but is badly damaged and losing speed. Zarana cackles as she knows once they are out of sight with their vehicle invisible to radar they are home free. All of them except her as the Televiper points out she isn't pythonized.
Flint and Lady Jaye show up in the silver mirage and take out the python stun. As they battle the occupants who have scattered, Zarana and the televiper watch from a safe perch. They listen in as their driver reveals the whole plot to activate the brainwashed Joes inside the Pit. The Televiper brags that he can easily get away as his suit is invisible to radar. After interrogating the driver, Lady Jaye heads back to the Pit Roxy and Tiff on her mind.
In Millville Mutt and Spirit commandeer a HISS II tank. They find the veteran Russ tied up in the back; he was beaten by the townspeople for speaking out. He tells Mutt and Spirit how the trailers were being used to brainwash the citizens of Millville and how they were so desperate for change they easily turned on him and complied.
In the Pit Lady Jaye, Sci-Fi, and Repeater head to the armory. Sci-Fi blasts down the door. The girls scream don't shoot. Clutch and Rock N Roll are passed out cold on the floor. Tiff explains how they were so nice until they turned into pod people, they started yelling "kill, destroy" and then their eyes rolled up and they passed out.
Psyche �Out now on the scene explains how their inner morality fought against the programming, and that internal conflict made them pass out.
Dusty and Skidmark take a Desert Fox and look for the remaining Cobras; they see something on radar and close in to find the Televiper in his underwear all tied up. Zarana runs away to fight another day a grin on her face as she watches the Televiper's capture.
In Millville Mutt, Spirit, and Russ drive the HISS to Uncle Jeff's not wanting to leave him behind. Junkyard chases a cat just outside the house. Spirit and Mutt enter the house only to find that Uncle Jeff has been waiting. Unfortunately he has been brainwashed and is waiting for them with a bunch of Cobra Vipers, who surround and capture the two Joes.