G.I. Joe (2024) issue 1

Publisher	Image Comics; Skybound Entertainment
First published	November 13, 2024
Cover date	November 2024
Written by	Joshua Williamson
Art by	Tom Reilly
Colors by	Jordie Bellaire
Letters by	Rus Wooton
Editors	Ben Abernathy
Continuity	Energon Universe

A daring, highly trained special mission force dedicated to defending human freedom. A ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world. This is how their war begins.

Synopsis

Following his grueling ordeals with M.A.R.S. Industries and that giant robot that turned into a plane, First Sergeant Conrad "Duke" Hauser has been placed in command of the newly formed special mission force codenamed G.I. Joe. During a training exercise with his new team, the JUMP jet pack used by Anastasia "Baroness" Cisarovna - Duke’s most controversial recruit with both his fellow Joes and Colonel Hawk - ends up malfunctioning. Duke dives down to rescue her, much to the Baroness’ annoyance. In a meeting with Hawk afterwards, Duke reflects that for as skilled as his team is, they’re not yet ready to face the enemy.

Meanwhile, in Springfield, USA - headquarters of the clandestine Cobra organization - Destro meets with Cobra Commander to discuss the next phase of their plans for world domination using the mysterious substance energon. Destro presents the Commander with his next innovation: a rifle using energon not just as a power source, but as ammunition. Cobra Commander hisses with satisfaction at this new laser weapon.

At a nightclub in Abu Dhabi, an operative codenamed Risk confronts a local boss, who has previously refused to talk to him. After taking out his bodyguards singlehandedly, Risk delivers one simple message to the boss: don’t sell to M.A.R.S. Industries. At that moment, he gets a message on a wrist communicator, ordering him to “return home.”

Duke watches the sun rise above the Pit. Hawk joins him, and Duke confides that he isn’t sure how to turn the Joes into a proper team, feeling they should all be doing what he would do, but Hawk counters that what will make G.I. Joe work is each member’s distinct differences. He then tells Duke to get some rest: G.I. Joe has their first mission tomorrow.

The next morning, Duke briefs the Joes on their mission: a piece of recovered technology from the wreckage of the alien world that recently fell into the Pacific Ocean is currently being studied at a facility in Colorado. However, a series of break-ins at various advanced technology facilities across the world makes this a potential target. The Joes’ mission is to protect the facility and make sure the alien technology doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. At that same time, Destro briefs the Cobra Troopers on the target of their next mission to acquire more energon... a lab in Colorado! Destro orders the Troopers to support Mercer and his Cobra Vipers so they can get in, acquire the technology, and get out as quickly as possible. However, Cobra Commander has other ideas, believing this to be the moment that Cobra should step out of the shadows.

At the Colorado facility, Baroness is indignant that their first mission has them acting as glorified babysitter, leading to an exchange of snipes between her and Stalker. However, their bickering is interrupted by the facility’s power going out. The screens on the lab computers goes static, then turns red with the Cobra insignia. Outside, a F.A.N.G. fires on the top floor of the facility, forcing the Joes to take cover as a squad of Cobra Troopers siege the building. Duke orders Rock 'n Roll, Clutch, and Cover Girl to get the asset away from the facility while Stalker and Baroness cover them, opting to take out the F.A.N.G. himself by diving out the window. Though he is able to take out the helicopter’s pilot, the Cobra forces quickly overwhelm the Joes, bolstered by the arrival of Mercer and his Vipers wielding Destro’s new energon blasters. The Vipers corner Clutch and Cover Girl, but Rock 'n Roll does his best to take them on and allow the others to escape. However, as he charges confidently at the Vipers, he is blasted through multiple times by their energon-powered fire!

Featured characters

Characters in italic text appear only in flashbacks.
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

G.I. Joe	Cobra	Others
Duke (1) Hawk (4) Clutch (5) Cover Girl (6) Stalker (7) Rock 'n Roll (8) Baroness (9) Risk (20)	Battle Android Trooper (3) Destro (10) Cobra Troopers (11) Laszlo Vandermeer (12) Scrap-Iron (13) Cobra Commander (14) Mercer (15) Cobra Officer (22) Cobra Vipers (23)	Starscream (2) Bouncer (16) “Boss” (17) Bodyguard (18) Boss’s entourage (19) Optimus Prime (21)

Quotes

"We already got you. We don't need more. We need them to be the best version of themselves. And that is what is going to make G.I. Joe different than any other command you've ever had and any team in the world."

—Hawk giving Duke reassurance.

"Kill everyone there but one. Leave a witness to spread the word of our glory. Let them fear the name... Cobra."

—Cobra Commander

Clutch: "If we break this, does that mean we have to buy it?"
Cover Girl: "Hardly the time for jokes, Clutch."
Mercer: "If you want to gift wrap that for us, that would be just fine."

Notes

Continuity notes

The opening page recaps the events that led to Duke leading the G.I. Joe team in four panels:
- Panel one: Duke’s encounter with Starscream in Transformers #2
- Panel two: Duke and Clutch fleeing from Rock 'n Roll’s drones in Duke #2.
- Panel three: Duke destroying the B.A.T. from Duke #5.
- Panel four: Duke agreeing to join Hawk’s new team at the end of Duke #5.
The drones the Joes fight in their training exercise are the same ones Rock 'n Roll controlled in Duke #2.
Springfield previously appeared as Cobra’s base of operations in Cobra Commander #5, though it went unnamed in that issue.
Dr. Laszlo Vandermeer is seen working on Cobra’s energon projects, as he was established to be doing in Cobra Commander #5.
Until now, Cobra has mostly kept to the shadows, though it is mentioned that the world has "seen what [Cobra] can do," referencing the use of the B.A.T.s in the revolution of Darklonia seen in Destro #1.
When we first see Cobra Commander, he is tinkering with the mechanical claw weapon that he used to dispatch Nemesis Enforcer during their battle in Cobra Commander #4.
Though his face is kept in shadow, this issue marks the first time we see the Commander without his helmet or the bandages that covered the wounds he got from the spores in Cobra-La back in Cobra Commander #1.
Clutch previously built a prototype of the VAMP in Duke #2.
Clutch references Cover Girl’s hair changing from the auburn we saw her with in the pages of Duke.
In his mission brief, Duke references the existence of the Transformers, showing the Joes the same photo of Optimus Prime that was seen at the end of Duke #5. He also mentions the events of the second arc of Transformers, with the Autobots and Decepticons spotted in the Pacific Ocean and a piece of Cybertron falling into the ocean.
- He also references a series of break-ins at weapon and tech facilities, including M.A.R.S., referring to Cobra’s attack on M.A.R.S. facilities in Cobra Commander #5. This pattern also fits with Cobra’s attack on the Sato building looking for the Sword of Life in Scarlett.
Destro says he was told Duke died in an explosion, referring to how the government publicized his "death" in Duke #5.
While we’ve seen Cobra Troopers and Officers appear in the pages of Scarlett and Destro, this issue gives us our first appearance of the Cobra Vipers, led by Mercer.

G.I. Joe references

The Joes are wearing JUMP jet packs during their training exercise.
In keeping with tradition, Springfield is only identified as "Springfield, USA," with no specific state given.
Destro using Energon to give Cobra laser-based weapons as opposed to traditional firearms provides an in-universe reason to mirror the use of laser weapons for both Cobra and the Joes in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero cartoon.
Though her toy was designed with auburn hair, Cover Girl appeared with blonde hair in the original G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero animated miniseries "The M.A.S.S. Device," likely in a bid to visually distinguish her from Scarlett. She was later redesigned to better resemble her toy, and subsequent iterations of the character have oscillated between the auburn and blonde look. This series splits the difference by having it be an in-universe dye job.
Mercer has traditionally been depicted as an ex-Cobra Viper, and here is portrayed as the de-facto leader of the Vipers. His new design is therefore a hybridization of the standard Viper uniform and his usual sleeveless outfit.

Transformers references

The A cover for this issue depicts G.I. Joe and Cobra standing over the bodies/pieces of several Transformers, including Optimus Prime, Hound, and Soundwave.

Other notes

Continuing the trend started by Transformers and Duke, Skybound released a promotional ashcan for this issue at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, containing an uncolored, unlettered preview of the first 12 pages and several pages of character designs. A second version was released at New York Comic Con a few months later, this time with the preview pages in color and a different set of character designs.
The Baroness and Stalker’s conversation in Russian roughly translates as follows:

Baroness: "Shut up, you stupid old pig. Or I'll slit your throat in your sleep."

Stalker: "Try that and I'll not only kick your ass, I'll drag you right back to your mommy and daddy and tell them how their little princess got into this messed up life. They brought you into this world, so maybe they'll do me a favor and take you out."

Covers

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What's needed: 19/58 covers documented

Cover A: A wraparound cover featuring G.I. Joe on the front side and Cobra on the back, by Tom Reilly and Jordie Bellaire.
Cover B: The Joe team, by Jerome Opeña and Dave Stewart.
Cover C: Cover Girl facing off against Tomax and Xamot, by Brett Booth, John Livesay & Andrew Dalhouse
Cover D: Cobra, by David Finch
Cover E: Duke attacking Cobra Commander, reflected in the Commander’s mask, by Lee Bermejo.
Cover F: Baroness, by Sozomaika.
Cover G: Chameleon, by Jenny Frison.
Cover H (1:10 Copy Incentive): Baroness, one of a series of connecting variants featuring the female characters of G.I. Joe, by David Nakayama.
Cover I (1:25 Copy Incentive): Cover Girl on an explosion background, by Jeff Spokes.
Cover J (1:50 Copy Incentive): H.I.S.S. tank schematics, by E. J. Su.
Cover K (1:100 Copy Incentive): Risk and Baroness, by Jonboy Meyers.
Cover L (1:250 Copy Incentive): Risk design and info, by Tom Reilly.
Cover M (1:500 Copy Incentive): Sketch version of Cover D, by David Finch.
Cover N: Blank sketch cover with the Joe star insignia.
Cover O: Blank sketch cover with the Cobra insignia.
Cover P: Foil version of Cover A, by Tom Reilly and Jordie Bellaire.
Cover Q: Foil version of Cover G, by Jenny Frison.
Cover R: Die cut foil cover of Cobra Commander’s mask, by Andrea Milana.