The Battle of
Springfield
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Cover Date: August, 1986
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| Scripter: Larry Hama |
Penciler: Rod Whigham
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Inker: Andy Mushynsky
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Letterer: Joe Rosen
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Colorist: George Roussos
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Editor: Bob Harras
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Editor-in-Chief:
Jim Shooter
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Summary:
"The G.I. Joe team has invaded Springfield, but Cobra forces have been
rallied by the mysterious Serpentor, who has the Joe assault team on
the run down Main Street." As the assault team (Stalker, Snake-Eyes,
Scarlett, Spirit, Quick Kick, Recondo, Leatherneck and Beach Head)
retreats down Main Street, Leatherneck tells Stalker they've got to get
to the airport. Recondo and Scarlett need a medevac. Snake-Eyes is
carrying un unconscious Scarlett over his shoulder, while Leatherneck
and Beach Head try to carry Recondo as they run. Stalker says thats not
so easy since Serpentor wants to get there, too, and the Joes are in
the way. The team takes cover behind an overturned van, and Spirit
radios Hawk at the airport, where the rest of the Joe team is
headquartered. Hawk is about to take a strike team to attack the Museum
of Antiquities, Cobra's operational HQ. He can't give them any air
support and needs Stalker's team to stop Serpentor's unit from getting
any further. "Thank you and good luck," Hawk finishes. "He can keep the
luck," Stalker says to Spirit, "I'd rather have air support!"
As the Cobras continue on, Dr. Mindbender tells Serpentor to get down
from the Stinger jeep he's standing on. "You're drawing fire!" Firefly
thinks he'll get them all killed, but Serpentor revels in the battle.
"I have slept long and this fight is like strong drink to me!" A Cobra
trooper gets shot and Serpentor runs out into the battlefield to
retrieve him, and the rest of the troops can't believe it. "What are
you staring at? We are not animals...we don't abandon our brothers on
the field. Enough of this -- I go forth to press the foe! Who follows
me?!!"
On the other side of Springfield, Destro is organizing the town's
evacuation. Riding a HISS tank and speaking through a bullhorn he
reminds the Cobra citizens to destroy all documents and evidence and to
leave nothing behind.
Back on Main Street, Serpentor rallies the troops for another push
against the Joe assault team, and Stalker's worried: "Looks like
snake-head has put us on his list of things to be overrun in 1986!" At
the Springfield Airport, Hawk is reorganizing the Joes. The security
team's vehicles and Joes return after setting up roadblocks around the
town with burning vehicles. Hawk orders the security team to set up a
defensive perimeter to protect the airport as the Joes' base. He then
joins the strike force as they leave for their assault on the Museum,
while Duke sends out a recon team to check on Cobra activity.
At the Museum, only the Dreadnoks remain in Mindbender's laboratory
where Serpentor was created. Ripcord is still strapped into the
Brain-wave Scanner. They start to wonder where the real Zartan is,
since Ripcord had been impersonating him. Buzzer's got it all figured
out. If Ripcord's here, than Zartan must be at the Pit posing as
Ripcord, and if he hasn't contacted them by now, he's probably the
Joes' prisoner. "We'll never get him back," Ripper says. "Yes, we
will," Buzzer grins, "I know where the Pit is!" Ripper notices that the
vat holding Storm Shadow's body also holds the ninja's swords. "We can
sell these for travelin' money," he says, taking the a sword from the
water. But, a hand reaches up from below and grabs Ripper by the wrist.
Storm Shadow rises out of the water. "Stay your hand Dreadnok -- too
much has been taken from me... don't you think?"
Meanwhile, at the Springfield High School gym, Destro has organized the
citizens of Springfield for evacuation and tells them just how to
proceed. The Baroness asks Destro why he hasn't just escaped in a
Rattler hours ago, and is saving the core of Cobra for Cobra Commander.
Destro explains:
"I'm saving it for me."
"Aha! I knew it! You plan to overthrow Cobra Commander! We can do it
together, you and I! You know how I've always felt about you --"
"I don't know, and I doubt I ever will. You also misunderstand my
intentions completely... I have no great love for Cobra Commander, but
I sided with him. I won't discard loyalty like last year's fashions.
Don't try me, Baroness. Some men will put aside love for honor. Do you
really want to know that much about me?"
Back on Main Street, Serpentor leads the charge. A bullet hits him in
the arm, and he falls. The troops are ready to give up when they see
Serpentor wounded, but he stands up. "Bah. A scratch. No more." He
heats his knife in a nearby flame and uses it to cauterize the wound.
"Push the cowards out of my way, I'm going back into the fight!" The
troops are ready to follow him again. Further down the street,
Stalker's team is feeling the effects of Serpentor's charge. They have
to make a run for it. They come upon a garbage truck and all pile in
"Wheels is better than heels!" Snake-Eyes hotwires the truck as the
wounded Joes ride up front. Beach Head and Leatherneck climb in back,
covering their retreat as they speed off towards the airport.
Back at the Museum, the Dreadnoks are understandably frightened.
"St-Storm Shadow! He was deader than a door nail..." IN an eery voice,
Storm Shadow tells them he's not alive, simple 'not dead'. "I have the
memories of a dead man. They are cold and dark, like black
icicles...and they are not alone! I remember! I remember Carthage, Tyre
and Sumer! I remember the splendor of Rome's legions! The Golden Horde
of the great Khan! The smell of death at Ypres, Waterloo, Hastings and
Thermopylae!" The cinfusing jumble of memories is too much for the
ninja. "What have you done to me!!??" he shouts, using his sword to
smash the vat he was held in. At that moment, the Joes blow open the
door to the museum and storm in. Buzzer shouts, "Storm Shadow! Save us!
Cut them down!" The ninja decides to retreat, instead. "Never fight
unless you can win!" They all get into a nearby ambulance and drive
away. Hawk's team arrives a moment too late. "They're getting away in
that ambulance--" Crankcase says. "Let them go," Hawk tells him, "they
weren't the big fish." It's also obvious that Cobra abandoned the
museum as a headquarters. Afraid that he's left the airport vulnerable
he wants to hurry back to defend it. The Joes unstrap Ripcord from the
Brain-wave Scanner. He's in pretty bad shape, but not bad enough that
he can't warn them that the whole place is wired to blow up.
Back at the airport, the Joes are dug in, ready for a fight. The only
thing lighting the night sky is the flames from burning aircraft still
on the runway. As they wait, the recon teams report in. Zap finds an
empty aircraft hangar with a huge elevator system like the hydraulic
lifts in the Pit. He finds two disturbing things: a huge system of
tunnels that Cobra could have used to move their aircraft across town,
and timed explosives, ready to destroy the tunnels in minutes! The
tunnels actually lead to the high school, just below the football
field. The last helicopter leaves the tunnel and Cobra troops detonate
the explosives, setting off a chain of explosions that destroys the
entire tunnel system. The football field has been turned into an
airfield and Destro sees that the town's population all board the Cobra
transport choppers and evacuate. But, the Baroness notices there are
two empty helicopters left. Destro intends to go back for Serpentor and
his troops, though the Baroness can't imagine why they don't just leave
them on their own and escape while they still can.
Stalker's team arrives at the airport with four HISS tanks and tow
Stinger jeeps right behind them.The Cobra vehicles charged at the Joes'
defenses, only to turn off their lights as they charge. The vehicles'
engines roar until lights appear in front of the Joes once again. Only
now, it's Hawk's strike team. The HISS tanks and Stingers must have
taken a 90 degree turn in the dark. Out in the darkness, the engine
sounds can still be heard. Suddenly, the HISS tanks' lights come on
again. The Joes fire on the tanks and destroy them. They discover that
the tanks were empty and the other Cobra vehicles are sitting on the
runway with their engines running loudly. The wind picks up, and
Shipwreck fires a flare into the air above them. It lights up not only
the sky, but two Cobra transport helicopters, after they've picked up
Serpentor's troops. They used the tanks' engines to mask the sound of
their approach. It's too late to stop the 'copters and they join the
evacuation choppers on their way to Cobra Island. In the last 'copter,
Serpentor commends Destro and the Baroness for returning to rescue him.
He charms the Baroness, who says, "The thought of leaving you never
occurred to us." Destro is not amused. If Serpentor notices, he doesn't
show it, "Oh, I'm certain it didn't!"
Back at the airport, Hawk knows he's been beaten. "It looks really bad
for us, Joes! We've just blown up and machine-gunned half a town and we
have nothing to show for it!" Cobra has cleared out and left behind no
traces they were ever there. Even the policemen they captured seem
legitimate. But Hawk tells them he accepts responsiblity -- "I won't be
a party to any cover-up!" -- and that he's proud of how the Joes
performed. He's interrupted by Breaker who's just gotten a transmission
from Washington. "It's that committee of generals at the Pentagon! They
don't sound very happy..."
On Cobra Island, the Commander's Crimson Guard informs him of what has
happened and that the troops adore Serpentor. "I should have realized!
The greatest soldiers of the past were military leaders...I can't let
this Serpentor land on Cobra Island! He means to usurp me!"
The next day in New Jersey, the Dreadnoks and Storm Shadow arrive at
the gas station they first came to after riding up from Florida (back
in issue #30). But they are surprised by a mysterious woman already
inside. She introduces herself as Zartan's sister... Zarana!
NOT THE END.
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Commentary: An exciting story, "The Battle of Springfield"
has a lot going on: the Joes in a full-scale battle, Storm Shadow seemingly
rising from the dead and Serpentor's first battle against the Joes. As
Larry Hama's battle stories tend to do, the fight for Springfield makes
tactical sense and the two groups' strategies are more than just "stop
Cobra" or "get the Joes". There's also a fairly low level of humor, lending
the story a more serious tone.
Serpentor's origin continues and the story once again illustrates that
while Serpentor is one of the most controversial (aka "hated") characters
in G.I. Joe, Larry Hama does a good job of at least making Serpentor a
compelling character. He leads the Cobra troops as if he is fighting a
war for god and country, not just power and glory. The Cobras adore him
after seeing him stop at nothing to win and risk his life to save an injured
man. Cobra Commander never stuck his neck out like Serpentor does and that's
why the Commander should worry about losing his control of Cobra. Again,
this Serpentor is a much more appealing character than the angry, spoiled
monarch we see in the cartoon series. In the end, we do see that he's more
than an over-the-top leader. When the Baroness lies and says they never
had the thought of leaving him behind, Serpentor answers "Oh, I'm certain
it didn't!" This seems to be a sign that he is far from gullible, and probably
doesn't believe her for a minute.
The Baroness and Destro are completely in character here, as Destro
wants to control Cobra, but won't do it through murder and he won't betray
Cobra Commander. He also seems to rescue Serpentor's forces simply because
it's the honorable thing to do. On the other hand, the Baroness remains
a more self-centered and even evil character than Destro. She is perfectly
willing to overthrow the Commander or even leave Serpentor to fend for
himself. As usual, she's only interested in power and not honor. That's
what makes her and Destro so interesting together.
An aspect of this issue that I find even more troubling than Serpentor
is the return of Storm Shadow. The moment his body appeared as a part of
Mindbender's experiment in the last issue, it was obvous he was never intended
to stay dead. Actually, he nevr was really dead according to the next issue
will reveal he entered some ninja trance before being shot. The real problem
with this is the fact that he still sustained 3 or 4 gunshot wounds to
the chest. Ninja trance or not, that'd kill anybody. Still, it is knid
of cool to see him rise out of the water. His "memories" of the dead men
that make up Serpentor again seem like more than the factual data that
Mindbender put into Serpentor's brain, and they seem to be actual memories.
Maybe the most interesting part of the story is that for all their efforts,
the Joes lose. They've discovered Springfield, but it's too late. The Cobras
have been warned that they're coming. Who would've expected them to abandon
the entire town at the first sign of trouble? When Shipwreck's flare lights
up the transport choppers, it's obvious that the Joes have lost. The strange
thing here is a trend in the comics. The Joes never win the biggest battles.
Still, those battles they lose make for more compelling stories, but that's
always been the case in fiction.
"The Battle for Springfield" is one of the best Joe stories of the series.
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First Appearances:
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Best Defense
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| Story: Larry Hama |
Art: Herb Trimpe
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Inker: Jack Abel
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| Letterer: Joe Rosen |
| Colorist: George Roussos |
Editors: Don Daley & Bob Harras
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Editor-in-Chief:
Jim Shooter
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G.I. Joe: Special Missions Preview
Summary: Somewhere over the North Pacific, a Russian airliner
leaving from San Francisco has been hijacked. An air force fighter escort
is following the plane. Inside the cockpit, a terrorist named Wesson sees
the fighters and shouts to another terrorist named Meryl. He tells Meryl
to give the passengers another look at Roger. She does just that. Roger
has C-4 plastic explosives strapped around his waist, and the detonator
is rigged to a "dead-man's" switch. As long as he keeps the button pressed,
everyone is safe, but if he gets killed or lets go for any reason, the
explosives will go off. One of the fighter pilots gets an update telling
him that the American chess team is on the airliner, including the 17-year-ol
prodigy, Carlisle Anderson.
At the San Francisco International Airport, Hawk, Stalker, Flint, Lady
Jaye and Beach Head are examining a crime scene: a camera crew meant to
be on the Russian airline flight were killed by the terrorists, who took
their places. Flint tells Hawk that they probably smuggled their guns on
in pieces inside their cameras. Lady Jaye monitored the terrorists' first
broadcast. They called themselves the Leon Trotsky Brigade of the Fourth
International. They said they would "exact revenge on the heirs of the
murderer Stalin". Trotsky was killed by Stalin after he was exiled. Hawk
and Stalker ae going to track down leads in San Francisco, while the other
Joes will catch a SST flight to Anchorage, Alaska where they hope the airliner
will set down to refuel. On the plane, Wesson tells the pilot to plot a course to restricted
Soviet airspace. In the main cabin, Carlisle Anderson tells Meryl that
he's played out every scenario for the hijacking in his head, like a chess
game. Every time, the terrorists lose. She tells hm he's too smart for
his own and sticks her gun in his face. Roger is on edge as he reminds
everyone what will happen i he lets go of the button.
In San Francisco's mission district, Hawk and Stalker have found the
Fourth International has an office, which just happens to be surrounded
by the SWAT team. The SWAT captain tells Hawk they're waiting for an armored
car to arrive and that he can't go inside -- "I have orders from the chief!"
Hawk isn't impressed: "I'm a general. I can go anywhere I please, and my
orders come from the president..." He and Stalker kick down the door, with
guns blazing and Stalker is readying a taser.
The plane has landed in Anchorage and Wesson is holding a stewardess
at gunpoint in the door so they won't try anything during the refueling.
Back in S.F., Hawk and Stalker are in a firefight with the Fourth International.
Finally, Hawk takes out most of them and Stalker uses a taser on the woman
with a heavy machine gun. The taser's electric shock contracts her muscles
-- her finger fires off the whole ammo belt -- before she passes out.
In Anchorage, Flint, Lady Jaye and Beach Head have hitched a ride on
the refueling truck. While the crews refuel the plane, the Joes climb up
into the landing gear wells. Roger tells Wesson to shoot the stewardess
since they're going to kill everyone anyway. The angry stewardess spits
in Wesson's face and he shoots her, dropping her body from the opened door.
Wesson orders the pilot to fly them to the Aleutian islands and put them
in a holding pattern. In the three landing gear wells, the Joes cut their
way into the cabin with small blowtorches. One of the passengers -- a little
girl -- notices her seat is getting hot. In the cockpit, Wesson and the
pilot argue. The pilot says that they'll be shot down once they reach Soviet
airspace. Wesson disagrees. "Are you forgetting our American fighter escort?"
In S.F., the arrested woman refuses to answer any questions and is sent
to a holding cell with some very unpleasant people.
Over the Aleutians, the Joes have cut their way out of the landing gear
wells. Flint and Beach Head are in crawlspaces just below the passenger
compartment, while Lady Jaye finds herself in the luggage compartment.
There, she changes into a stewardess uniform, with little room to move
without bumping the ceiling. The little girl above notices: "Mommy, there's
mice moving around under my seat!" Meanwhile, the plane is approaching
the restricted Soviet space and a pair of Russian fighters has taken notice.
They order the airliner and fighters to alter course, but the terrorists
won't allow it. They were hoping for this, knowing the Russians don't want
to get into a dogfight with the Americans by shooting down the plane. In
the cabin, Carlisle Anderson asks if he can pick up the chess pieces that
have fallen beneath his seat. When he crouches down to get them, he finds
Beach Head poking out of a hole beneath his seat, with a finger to his
lips. Anderson makes certain he doesn't say a thing.
Back in S.F., Hawk radios Lady Jaye. The terrorist woman finally talked
and told them that the hi-jackers are on a suicide run. They plan to crash
the plane into a top secret Soviet chemical warfare factory. The resultant
gas could kill millions of Russians.
While the Russian fighter jocks wait for their firing authorization
before the plane reaches the factory, the Joes are making their move. Flint
has cut his way into the plane's lavatory, while Beach Head is actually
crouched down between the seats near Anderson. Roger is getting excited
that they're almost at the factory. Meryl tells him to calm down. In the
lavatory, Flint drills a small hole in the door and puts a small lense
in the hole to see when the cockpit hi-jacker walks by. He loads his shotgun.
Lady Jaye crawls up into the cabin and starts walking around like she's
a regular stewardess. She distracts Meryl long enough for Beach Head to
grab her gun and knock her down. Lady Jaye fires a taser at Roger, making
certain his finger stays clenched on the button. Wesson runs out from the
cockpit past the lavatory and Flint fires his shot gun, shooting Wesson
through the door. Lady Jaye quickly sets a satchel charge on the plane's
hatch and takes cover in the lavatory. The explosion blows the hatch and
sucks Roger out into the air. In the cockpit, the pilot hears a loud noise
outside the plane and asks Flint what it was. "That was the sound of Roger
dispersing across the sky." He has the pilot turn the plane around, waggling
the wings to let the fighter pilots know things are under control. The
Russian jets are called off.
The plane gets back to San Francisco and Hawk and Stalker congratulate
the Joes for a job well done. Hawk worries when he doesn't see Lady Jaye,
but they tell him not to worry. "She just managed to get herself locked
in the powder room!" |
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Commentary: "Best Defense" is meant as a preview to the soon-to-be-released
G.I. Joe: Special Missions comic series. The series itself is a sure sign
of G.I. Joe's huge popularity in the mid-1980s. The story itself is a good
choice to represent the Special Missions series as a whole: Cobra is nowhere
to be found, there is only a small group of Joes, and the threat is a more
realistic terrorist threat that a real-life Joe team might be involved
in. Also, there's a bit more violence here, as one terrorist is killed
by Flint's shotgun and a stewardess is killed by the terrorists. The violence
isn't particularly graphic, but it is there.
The story also features Herb Trimpe's art, which really hasn't been
seen since the early days of the series. In fact, Trimpe pencilled the
first issue. Trimpe's art is not to the liking of some because of it's
"sketchiness", but his technical drawing is very good and he portrays action
good, as well. Trimpe will handle the art for just about every issue of
Special Missions.
The story isn't the best of Special Missions, but it's a very tense
story, especially with the most nervous man holding down the dead-man's
trigger. The American chess team onboard the plane is a way of making the
hi-jacking an American problem, but it's seems like a very Cold War kind
of thing to have American chess players flying to Russia. While the way
the Joes get onboard isn't too far-fetched, it stretches the story a bit
to have to believe Beach Head and Lady Jaye climbed up from under the floor
without being seen. Still, it makes a funny visual to see Beach Head poking
up from the floor when the chess player looks under his seat. The story
also has signs of Hama's sense of humor, including Beach Head singing while
cutting through the floor ("I wanna be an airborne ranger... I wanna live
a life of danger...") and the very obscure name and cause of the terrorists.
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