PROFESSOR APPEL. A Cobra scientist and Crimson Guardsman, Appel's official Crimson Guard code name was Jones, but was rarely used. Appel's house in Staten Island was raided by a group from the G.I. Joe team because of his suspected involvement in Cobra. He escaped with the help of the Crimson Guard commanders, Tomax and Xamot. It was discovered that his daughter, Candy, had had some involvement with the G.I. Joe team. She was taken into custody, but knew nothing of her father's involvement in Cobra. Professor Appel was the mastermind behind the creation of Cobra Island. Information had been planted in Appel's house pointing to a possible Cobra operation in the Gulf of Mexico. The information tricked the Joes into destroying an underwater bunker that was killing off local marine life. The destruction of the bunker aggravated a fault line under the water. The  bunker had been set up there specifically, and the aggravation of  the fault line caused massive amounts of the ocean floor to be thrust up out of the water to form an island. The island became Cobra Island. Appel and other important Cobra leaders were nearly captured when the G.I. Joe team assaulted the island. Before they were defeated, Cobra had sent lawyers to major countries and had Cobra Island given all priviledges of a sovereign state. The success of the mission was vital to the spread of Cobra's power and influence and the island became the group's main headquarters. When Appel's daughter, Candy, was reported missing from the army's custody (she had been kidnapped by the Dreadnok known as Buzzer), Cobra Commander kept the truth from Appel. When the Joe known as Ripcord was captured on the island, he told Appel that Candy was missing. Appel sent him to Springfield in a Cobra Firebat jet. As the plane was about to launch, the former Cobra ninja Storm Shadow arrived and tried to kill Ripcord, who he believed to be Zartan. He injured Appel with his sword, but did not kill Ripcord when Snake-Eyes knocked him out of the way of the blast caused by the Firebat's launch. Appel did not survive the blast.

(GI 38, 40, 41, 45, 46)