We checked out G.I. Joe #46 a couple months ago, and mentioned the exciting death that would come in #47. So of course, the next issue I find to blog is G.I. Joe #48, the ominous yet misleadingly titled "Slaughter" Written by Larry Hama, pencils by Rod Whigham, inks by Andy Mushynsky.
On Cobra Island, Dr. Mindbender, Destro, and the Baroness are examining the corpse of Storm Shadow, whom the Baroness gunned down the previous issue. Destro seems somewhat accusatory: he acknowledges the need to be careful dealing with ninjas, but points out that Shadow was exhausted and unarmed. (Although SS's sword was right there, perhaps the arms dealer Destro doesn't consider a sword a weapon. Also, the Baroness may have switched guns since the previous issue; I thought she killed him with a Mauser.) Mindbender has the corpse put on ice, saying "such good genetic material shouldn't go to waste."
Most of the rest of the issue is still the Zartan/Ripcord storyline: the Drednoks had taken Ripcord, thinking he was their leader Zartan. Ripcord has been looking for the missing Candy Appel, who escaped from the Drednoks some time ago. Although Ripcord attacks them, the Drednoks still don't suspect they have the wrong guy: in fact, they figure Zartan has just taken a lump on the head, and cover for him so they don't jeopardize their jobs with Cobra. Meanwhile, Zartan is nearly discovered multiple times, but changes his face numerous times in a chase through the Joes' base, the Pit. Zartan also explains his strength is "quite...inhuman," explaining how he's able to take several punches from Gung Ho; but is finally stopped by new arrival Sgt. Slaughter. (Hence the title: no one dies this issue!)
I don't have a huge G.I. Joe collection, but we'll keep checking issues here and there. Hopefully #47 sometime...
2 comments:
I usually only collected TN issues that had Tomas or Xamot in them.
Well Destro had a point about Ninjas, and he was later proven right when Storm Shadow was revealed not to be dead, but merely sleeping. As in the "Sleeping Phoenix" ninja trick to save a dying person. Neat trick, even though it was big cheat. but eh, comics.
Did they ever explain why Zartan could shape-shift? He wasn't a mutant was he? It never really dawned on me to really question his abilities as a kid, but now, I'm curious how he got that.
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