G.I. JOE #42
Ties That Bind

Cover Date: December, 1985
Script: Larry Hama
Pencils: Rod Whigham
Inks: Andy Mushynsky
Lettering: Joe Rosen
Colors: George Roussos
Editor: Denny O'Neil
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Summary:  At McGuire Air Force Base, the G.I. Joe team returns from the Battle of Cobra Island (last issue). As the Joes pile out of a C-130 transport plane, Scarlett tells Hawk that he should talk to Ripcord before he hears about "it" from the rest of the Joes. "Certain Joes who will remain un-named, like Clutch -- have all the sensitivity of a rabid hyena." Hawk meets Ripcord in the back of an ambulance where the wounded Joe was loaded. Hawk tells Ripcord that his girlfriend, Candy, went with Buzzer when the Dreadnok escaped from the Joes. Ripcord is upset and thinks Hawk's already decided Candy's a traitor. They are interrupted by an alarm from the ambulance's comm-gear. It's a transmission from General Austin. He's been catching "heavy flack" over the Cobra Island debacle. The Joes failed to push Cobra off of the island and it's now become a sovereign country. Austin angrily goes on but suddenly cries out in pain. A junior officer appears on the screen and tells Hawk that the paramedics are working on Austin. He's had a heart attack.

On a highway somewhere between the Pit and Springfield, Buzzer has stolen the Army prison bus he and Candy where being carried on. Candy is furious with Buzzer because she knows that the Joes will think she was in on the the escape. Buzzer continues to flirt with Candy even as she starts punching him. Buzzer stops at a roadside diner to "trade in" the bus for a less conspicuous model.

In New York City, Storm Shadow is continuing Billy's ninja training in his secret dojo hidden inside what looks like a water tower. Billy is hanging upside down, blindfolded. As Storm Shadow attacks with his sword, Billy uses only his hearing to sense Storm Shadow's approach and catches the sword, flinging it back at the ninja, who catches the sword in its sheath.

In the home of the Brocas, on Staten Island, Fred II has been sick with a fever ever since he fell off the Staten Island ferry after his fight with Snake-Eyes (issue #36). Fred is angry at even the thought that he should stay in bed when he has so much work to do for Cobra. He gets out of bed and gets dressed as he argues with his "wife." He angrily asks why she even cares what happens to him. He's not even her real husband, just a replacement for Fred I. She tells him she still thought he may have cared about their family a little. "Don't make me laugh," Fred answers.

Back at the Pit, Hawk places Duke in charge. General Austin is in the intensive care unit in a Washington hospital. Hawk's got to be there in case anything happens. He also wants to slip into D.C. unnoticed, so he asks Stalker and Snake-Eyes to drive him down in the Vamp. In the Pit's infirmary, Gung-Ho and Roadblock are trying to cheer up Ripcord, who's still recovering from his wounds and is upset about what's happened to Candy. Ripcord thanks them, but tells him he's got to deal with by himself.

Somewhere on a road in Springfield, the Soft Master is hitchhiking and gets picked up by a passing driver. Making sure the old Japanese man understands English, the driver promises to tell him some "primo" jokes he's heard. It's not long before the Soft Master discovers the man's special brew of coffee is laced with brandy. On the other side of Springfield, Buzzer is stealing someone's pick-up truck outside the roadside diner. The truck's owner runs outside and threatens Buzzer as Candy jumps out of the truck yelling that she's been kidnapped. The man doesn't expect Buzzer to drive right at him, sending him crashing through the diner's window. Buzzer then turns around and grabs Candy as she tries to run.

On a New York rooftop outside Storm Shadow's hideout, Billy's training continues. In a very mystical discussion, Storm Shadow tells Billy that the great masters will see a glimpse of their own mortality when their death is near. Billy says that he'll be an old man before he becomes a great master. Storm Shadow swings his sword, stopping just short of fatally wounding Billy. Billy says he never even saw the faintest glimmer of death as the sword approached, but Storm Shadow says that's because he knows he'd never harm him. Billy wonders if he will know his own doom when he sees it. Storm Shadow tells him that the Hard Master was surprised by death when his assassin struck. Billy promises that one day he'll confront his father and learn who killed the Hard Master.

At the gates of Fort Wadsworth, Stalker is driving the Vamp, carrying Snake-Eyes and Hawk, all in their dress uniforms. Snake-Eyes is wearing his rubber mask. Just outside the gate, Fred II is getting out of his car when he sees the Joes drive by. Recognizing the Vamp as a Joe vehicle, he takes off after them in his car. He fires a small tracking device from his car, which attaches itself to the Vamp's bumper. The Joes spot the car and think it's following them until Fred pulls off onto a side street, using the tracking device to find out where they're going. The tracking device has a microphone that filters out the engine noises. As Fred listens in on the conversation in the Vamp, Stalker suggests he and Snake-Eyes visit the Vietnam Memorial while Hawk stays with General Austin. "That's a good idea, Stalker," Hawk agrees, "Why don't you and Snake-Eyes do just that?" Fred seems to be surprised at hearing those names.

In Springfield, the Soft Master asks the car's driver to drop him off at the police station. The driver wonders why he'd want to get off there. "Springfield is more than just unfriendly. Something not quite right about the whole town." Soft Master tells him he's here to take care of some family business. He doesn't realize that he left his suitcase in the car. Less than a hundred miles up the road, Candy is trying to get away from Buzzer, nearly jumping out of the moving truck. Buzzer pulls her back inside and slaps her, telling her she's going nowhere unless he says so. The truck has a gun rack, but Buzzer tells Candy he's already checked the guns -- both unloaded. She's stuck with him, Buzzer tells her.

In Washington, D.C., Stalker and Snake-Eyes drop Hawk off at the hospital and head for the Vietnam Memorial. Fred continues to tail them. His fever is getting worse, and he's trying to "clear his head" and remember where he knows Stalker from. At the Springfield Police Department, Soft Master asks to get access to the police records. The sergeant tells him he can't let anyone go poking through the strictlt confidential files. Soft Master persists, pushing past the sergeant. The rest of the cops in the station don't like that one bit, and they're all ready to teach him some manners. "I must warn you gentlemen," the Soft Master says with a bit of a grin, "that if you persist in this foolishness...it will hurt!"

As Buzzer and Candy approach Springfield, they reach some road construction and Candy tells Buzzer to slow down. He refuses, and the bumpy road knocks open the glove compartment, sending shotgun shells flying out. Candy grabs the shells and the shotgun from the rack. They struggle and Candy punches Buzzer and smashes his glasses. Suddenly, the gun goes off and breaks one of the car's windows...

At the Vietnam Memorial, Stalker and Snake-Eyes arrive. "Lord. I didn't expect it to be this big..." There are too many names to look for anyone, but a nearby veteran tells Stalker there's an alphabetical directory at the other end of the Memorial. Stalker seems a bit overwhelmed and Snake-Eyes notices. "I'm alright, Snake-Eyes. Really." They head off to find the directory.

At Springfield PD, Soft Master and the sergeant are the only people left standing. "Tsk tsk tsk...violence only brings violence back on itself. I've broken a fingernail." The sergeant can't believe what he just saw Soft Master do to the other cops. He points his gun at the old ninja, but the Soft Master points out that he already missed with his first five shots. Just as the sergeant fires, Soft Master jumps out of the way and grabs the gun from the sergeant's hand. Now that he doesn't need his weapon anymore, he asks the sergeant to print out everything in the computer pertaining to the Hard Master.

Back in the pickup truck, we see that Candy fired the shotgun as a warning, just barely missing Buzzer. She kicks him out of the truck and points the gun right at Buzzer's head. "Pleaaaaaaase! Don't shoot me!" Buzzer shouts, "I can't help it! I had a bad environment in childhood! Society did this to me!" As Buzzer pleads and babbles on, he barely notices Candy's already driven away.

Back at the Vietnam Memorial, Snake-Eyes looks through the directory while Stalker remembers their time in Vietnam. He mentions that their were six members of their Long Range Recon Patrol team. Besides Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow and Stalker, there was Ramon Escobedo, Dick Saperstein and Wade Collins. Snake-Eyes interrupts Stalker, pointing out that in the place where Wade Collins' name should be alphabetically, it's missing. "Does this mean Wade Collins isn't dead?" Right on cue, Fred II steps out of the rain with a gun in his hand. "Yes...Wade Collins isn't dead at all! Cobra gave him a new face, a new name and a new life!"

In New York, Storm Shadow returns to his hideout, but doesn't hear Billy practicing inside. He goes in and only finds a note from Billy. Storm Shadow reads the note. In it, Billy thanks Storm Shadow and tells him he has to confront his past and part of Storm Shadow's, and he asks his forgiveness. "If I could have chosen my own father...well...   your faithful pupil, Billy." Storm Shadow puts down the note, and says aloud, "There's nothing to forgive, Billy..."

Commentary: "Ties That Bind" was a very "full" issue. A lot happens, but it remains a kind of in between story that focuses strangely on the secondary, supporting characters. The story is more about Billy, Candy, the Soft Master and Fred II / Wade Collins. Even General Austin is important, giving the Joes a reason to run into Fred II. The Cobras and Joes are really minor characters.

The start of the issue is quite a surprise when we see Austin struck down by a heart attack. The rest of the story cuts back and forth to scenes of: 1) Candy and Buzzer on the run, 2) Billy trained by Storm Shadow, 3) Fred II fighting off a fever and dealing with his Cobra family and 4)the Soft Master's search for information from Cobra on the Hard Master. Quite a lot going on!

The scenes with Buzzer and Candy take away some of the fun aspects of the Dreadnoks. We see that despite he humorous side of the Dreadnoks, they really are scum. Buzzer slaps Candy, runs people down in the truck and generally cares about nothin but himself. His sudden turn into a coward with a gun in his face proves how pathetic some of the villains are. His pleading for his life while babbling on about his being sick is reminiscent of Dr. Venom. The scenes between Billy and Storm Shadow are sometimes profound, but they're often hurt by the awkward dialogue and ninja mysticism. People tend not to really discuss whether they'll see their own "doom" when it approaches. The scene at the end where Storm Shadow reads Billy's note is much more effective than the earlier scenes. The ninja storyline is picked up again as the Soft Master arrives in Springfield to find out who killed the Hard Master. His off-panel fight with the Cobra cops is fun to watch, if only to see an old man beat up a bunch of Cobras single-handedly.

The most moving scene of the issue is Snake-Eyes' and Stalker's visit to the Vietnam Memorial. I've never been there myself, but people tend to react like Stalker, overwhelmed by the size of the wall. I'm sure it's even more moving for veterans. You know it means something when a character like Stalker reacts like he does. Stalker can be all business, but once in a while, he gets emotional about something important. Rainy weather is probably the most overused device to make a scene feel more dramatic, but it almost always works, and does in this story. It's either coincidence or by design, but in one panel, you can't quite tell if Stalker is crying or if it's the rain on his face. One scene ends with a "zoom-in" on the Memorial's statue of unnamed soldiers who fought in Vietnam. I've always thought that Larry Hama based Snake-Eyes Vietnam era look on one of the figures in the statue. What we don't see coming is the inclusion of Cobra in this scene. It turns out that Fred II is really an old LRRP buddy of Stalker and Snake-Eyes' who they thought had died years before.

There are a few problems / mistakes with the issue. In the Soft Master storyline, it's strange that such a seemingly smart man would stay in a car driven by a man who is soon to be or already drunk. Also, it seems odd that Cobra would have computer records explaining the murder of the Hard Master. Why would they have such evidence lying around, even under tight security?

This issue will lead into another issue dominated by secondary characters. Unfortunately, Larry Hama may be cleaning out his crowded closet of characters again, as he did in issue #19.
Reprinted in:
  • Action Force #39 & 40 (November 28th & December 5th, 1987). A Marvel UK series featuring the UK's version of G.I. Joe reprints this story in two parts, alongside an original prose story. All references to "G.I. Joe" were changed to "Action Force".
  • G.I. JOE: Volume 5 (2002). A trade paperback collection from Marvel. Includes issues #42-50.
  • Classic G.I. JOE: Volume 5 (November 2009). A trade paperback collection from IDW Publishing. Aside from some slight changes made to the cover, this is a reprint of the earlier Marvel collection. Includes issues #42-50.