One of the few Nightcrawler figures not in my current display is the Marvel Universe three-and-three-quarters inch figure, who is currently piloting a Blackbird; a G.I. Joe Cobra Night Raven, based on the undeniably cool Lockheed SR-71. Which was never, ever, ever going to have room for thirteen X-Men.
But putting that aside, how Cobra got it, I couldn't say; even they seem to think they don't deserve it, in today's book: from 1987, G.I. Joe Special Missions #5, "Showdown!" Written by Larry Hama, art by Herb Trimpe.
On Cobra Island, all the pilots want to check out the new toy, the Night Raven; but its pilot Strato-Viper doesn't have time for the "slow-movers," "duds who don't qualify to fly the primo stuff." One of them is caught gawking at the "breakout tool" in the cockpit: if damaged, the canopy could jam, leaving the pilot trapped. Even through his mask, you can feel the Strato-Viper sneer as he steps on the gawker's hand; and the other pilots discuss how that cold-fish had been surgically altered to resist altitude sickness and g-forces. S-V's mission today was to take surveillance photos of an air force base in Florida: as Hawk briefs the Joe pilots, the Night Raven never quite violated American airspace, but could still get close enough for pics, and they were going up to keep him in line.
Unlike the Strato-Viper, the Joe pilots have a cheerful comradery with the ground crew and the rescue pilots. Slipstream had a present for the son of one of his crew; a Jetfire action figure...that looks like Megatron, but it's a nice thought. Ace and Slipstream get all up in the Strato-Viper's face: they were under orders not to shoot first, but it doesn't take much to irritate S-V into firing a missile and a flare. Ace is hit and forced to eject, while the flare leaves Slipstream momentarily blinded. While the rescue copters scramble to get Ace, Slipstream is clipped by a missile and goes into a stall, then a spin: the Strato-Viper assumes he's done for, and doesn't even bother to "ride his kill." (I'm 90% sure I learned that expression from one of the Han Solo novels from Brian Daley.) He thinks he's free and clear, even if some of his onboard systems are out, either due to catching a flare, or shoddy maintenance, but whatever.
Slipstream recovers, and catches S-V napping, chewing up the Night Raven's tail with his machine guns before launching the sidewinders. With both engines out, the Strato-Viper tries to glide close enough to Cobra Island for his rescue copters to get him, even if they seem completely unenthusiastic about the chore. Meanwhile, Slipstream finds Ace on his rescue raft, and holds position until the copters arrive; while the Night Raven's canopy does fail to open as foreshadowed, and his rescue team isn't going to risk their safety going balls-out to get him. They arrive just as the Night Raven sinks, with no raft visible; probably because one of them had swiped the breakout tool. The lesson, take care of your support staff and team, and they'll take care of you; might be a bit heavy, but just means it lands hard.
(X-Men panel from Giant-Size X-Men #1, story by Len Wein, art by Dave Cockrum. It's from the last page and I thought I'd have an easy time finding it online, but no dice.)
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