GI Joe: A Real American Hero #155.5 (Free Comic Book Day, 2010 Edition)

 

Well it took over a decade and a half, but IDW Publishing and Larry Hama joined forces to finally tie up the loose ends left over from the sudden cancellation of the original Marvel version of GI Joe. In the final issue (#155) we saw what was going on with the Joes, mostly Snake Eyes, as the Pit was being mothballed. Well, this issue shows what is happening with Cobra during the exact same time those prior events were taking place.

 

Cobra Commander is awakened to discover that his plan to create a counter revolutionary movement operating “independently” from Cobra has gotten underway. The Capital, Mount Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, and several important US landmarks have been held “hostage.” Though these terrorists are apprehended quickly, it signals the next phase in a plan to take over the US government jointly conducted by Cobra and the Jugglers.

 

You read that right, the Jugglers, who have been giving the Joes fits since the first issue in 1982, are revealed to have been working with Cobra. They don’t want Cobra to take over the nation. But, in order for these Pentagon yahoos to be able to overthrow the President and Congress, they’ve relied on Cobra to undermine the work of the Joes. Thus, that is why the Joes were shut down in issue #155. Now with the Joes out of commission, the Jugglers hope to take over the government to a more McCarthy-era friendly police state, while giving Cobra the scraps of the rest of the civilized world.

 

Meanwhile, another plot thread is addressed while Cobra Commander and the Jugglers are plotting global conquest. When we last saw Storm Shadow, Destro, Zartan, Baroness, and Billy, they were under the mental controller of Doctor Venom’s brainwashing machine. Well, the machine is starting to show some ghosts in the machine meaning that the brainwashing procedure might not be as strong as originally thought. Thus, the wheels begin turning with Destro, Zartan, and Baroness questioning their loyalty to Cobra and their ultimate fate may mean overthrowing the Hooded One.

 

I was excited to research that Hama was finally given a chance to tie up some loose ends. That was my biggest beef with how the Marvel series ended. Thankfully, I had this issue. Man, was it awesome! Sadly, I do not have any further issues. So, you know what that means- I’ve added this series to my wish list.

 

The search begins…

 

Worth Consuming.

 

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.