G.I. Joe Comic Book Archive

G.I. Joe Comic Book Archive

Swampfire!

Short Summary
The Joes go after Cobra Commander in Zartan's swamp, and get into a fight with robotic Cobras.

Notes of Interest
First appearance of the W.H.A.L.E.

Major Players
The Joes: Duke, Roadblock, Steeler, Breaker, Clutch, Deep-Six, Cutter, Torpedo, Mutt & Junkyard, Trip-Wire, Wild Bill, Doc
Cobra: Cobra Commander, Destro, Baroness, Firefly, Wild Weasel, Zartan, Buzzer, Ripper, Torch

Creative Team
Script: Larry Hama, Pencils: Marie Severin, Inks: Andy Mushynsky, Lettering: Rick Parker, Colors: George Roussos, Editor: Denny O'Neil, Editor in Chief: Jim Shooter

Long Summary
In the Gulf of Mexico, the Joe team of Torpedo, Trip-Wire, Mutt and Junkyard return to the Joe freighter, G.I. Jane. Duke and Roadblock are flown in by Dragonfly to lead the attack on the Cobra base in the Everglades. At that base, Zartan and his Dreadnoks decide to abandon Cobra Commander and head north. Destro and the Baroness ride a Water Moccasin out to where the Baroness has had Cobra supplies delivered. These supplies include a squadron of Rattlers. In their car at a railroad crossing, two policemen sit and wait for a train to pass. (These authorities look disturbingly like Laurel and Hardy.) They notice an army man riding atop a train car. He asks them if they know where route 56 is. They say that they're sitting on it, causing the soldier, Breaker of the Joe team, to call out to Steeler and bang on the roof. This alerts the MOBAT tank secretly riding in that cart to come crashing out onto the road, scraping the police cruiser's side. The infuriated police chief orders a pursuit of the Joe tank. Back on the Jane, a group of Joes hop onto the WHALE and roar out onto the ocean, heading for the Everglades.
The Cobra Rattlers have since taken off, but the Baroness decides to not join the conflict and instead heads north to Springfield to prepare a triumphant return for the Commander. In truth, she will go directly to Major Bludd's cell, and ask him how badly he wants his freedom. At Zartan's lair, Firefly discovers that a section of Zartan's radar control board includes remote controls for a robot army of Cobra troopers and HISS tanks. Cobra Commander takes the controls and sends the android army against the approaching MOBAT. The police chief even joins the fight. Rattlers flown by Destro and Wild Weasel also enter the fray. The Joes realize that the Rattlers use infa-red detectors to target with, and that by hiding in the trees and cooling down the tank's engine, they won't be seen. The Rattlers lose track of the Joes, but destroy the police cruiser. The policemen run off like crazy. The WHALE then arrives at the scene, and gets strafed by a rattler, wounding Deep-Six. The Joes manage to shoot down Destro's Rattler, and the battle ends.
Cobra Commander gets picked up by Wild Weasel, and Firefly and Destro are left to get out on their own. Neither one of them is happy.
By Jeff Edburg

Number 28, October 1984

Swampfire!
	Short Summary The Joes go after Cobra Commander in Zartan's swamp, and get into a fight with robotic Cobras.
Notes of Interest First appearance of the W.H.A.L.E.
Major Players The Joes: Duke, Roadblock, Steeler, Breaker, Clutch, Deep-Six, Cutter, Torpedo, Mutt & Junkyard, Trip-Wire, Wild Bill, Doc Cobra: Cobra Commander, Destro, Baroness, Firefly, Wild Weasel, Zartan, Buzzer, Ripper, Torch
Creative Team Script: Larry Hama, Pencils: Marie Severin, Inks: Andy Mushynsky, Lettering: Rick Parker, Colors: George Roussos, Editor: Denny O'Neil, Editor in Chief: Jim Shooter
Long Summary In the Gulf of Mexico, the Joe team of Torpedo, Trip-Wire, Mutt and Junkyard return to the Joe freighter, G.I. Jane. Duke and Roadblock are flown in by Dragonfly to lead the attack on the Cobra base in the Everglades. At that base, Zartan and his Dreadnoks decide to abandon Cobra Commander and head north. Destro and the Baroness ride a Water Moccasin out to where the Baroness has had Cobra supplies delivered. These supplies include a squadron of Rattlers. In their car at a railroad crossing, two policemen sit and wait for a train to pass. (These authorities look disturbingly like Laurel and Hardy.) They notice an army man riding atop a train car. He asks them if they know where route 56 is. They say that they're sitting on it, causing the soldier, Breaker of the Joe team, to call out to Steeler and bang on the roof. This alerts the MOBAT tank secretly riding in that cart to come crashing out onto the road, scraping the police cruiser's side. The infuriated police chief orders a pursuit of the Joe tank. Back on the Jane, a group of Joes hop onto the WHALE and roar out onto the ocean, heading for the Everglades. The Cobra Rattlers have since taken off, but the Baroness decides to not join the conflict and instead heads north to Springfield to prepare a triumphant return for the Commander. In truth, she will go directly to Major Bludd's cell, and ask him how badly he wants his freedom. At Zartan's lair, Firefly discovers that a section of Zartan's radar control board includes remote controls for a robot army of Cobra troopers and HISS tanks. Cobra Commander takes the controls and sends the android army against the approaching MOBAT. The police chief even joins the fight. Rattlers flown by Destro and Wild Weasel also enter the fray. The Joes realize that the Rattlers use infa-red detectors to target with, and that by hiding in the trees and cooling down the tank's engine, they won't be seen. The Rattlers lose track of the Joes, but destroy the police cruiser. The policemen run off like crazy. The WHALE then arrives at the scene, and gets strafed by a rattler, wounding Deep-Six. The Joes manage to shoot down Destro's Rattler, and the battle ends. Cobra Commander gets picked up by Wild Weasel, and Firefly and Destro are left to get out on their own. Neither one of them is happy. By Jeff Edburg
Number 28, October 1984

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