G.I. JOE #3
The Trojan
Gambit
Cover Date: September, 1982
Script: Larry Hama
Pencils: Herb Trimpe
Inks: Jack Abel and
Jon D'Agostino
Letters: Diana Albers
Colors: George Roussos
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Chief: Jim Shooter

"The robot will succeed! And we shall destroy their command center!"
— Cobra Commander

Summary:  After a battle at a secret Cobra stronghold, the Joes take several Cobras prisoner and capture a Cobra battle-robot. The Joes take three separate trucks desguised as mail trucks; one carries the prisoners, one carries the wounded Joes and Clutch, Steeler and Breaker return to headquarters with the robot in the last truck. Elsewhere, a Cobra soldier reports to Cobra Commander that the "Phase One of our plan has been completed." Clutch, Steeler and Breaker arrive at Fort Wadsworth and descend into the Pit. After scanning the robot, the three Joes make themselves breakfast in the canteen.

Meanwhile, above the Pit in the motor pool, Hawk and Scarlett attend the Chaplain's Assistant Social Tea ("Must maintain our cover, you know!"). One of the guests smells bacon and eggs coming from the grate that leads to the Pit. At the same time, Stalker, Flash and Snake-Eyes are cleaning and putting away weapons in the armory. At Cobra headquarters, Cobra Commander sends a signal that reactivates the battle robot. It reassembles itself and programs the central computer to close and lock all doors in the Pit, trapping the Joes in the canteen and the armory. To get out of the canteen, Steeler lifts the mechanical door's counter-weight.

In the armory, Flash sets up his laser at low power to burn through the door, telling Stalker and Snake-Eyes to sleep to conserve the air in the sealed room. Clutch, Breaker and Steeler return to the computer room only to be attacked by the reassembled robot. While the Joes battle the robot through the Pit's levels, stairwells and elevator shaft, those attending the Social Tea above ground keep hearing strange sounds. Hawk and Scarlett stall them with "questionable" explanations.

With a squad of Cobra helicopters, Cobra Commander reveals that once the robot gets out in the open, it will transmit the Pit's location. The Joes in the armory escape just as the others destroy the robot. But the head sprouts "tentacles" and begins climbing the elevator shaft. Once stopped, the head opens up and several walking transmitter-bugs spread out, moving towards the surface. All the bugs are found except one, which emerges in the grate in the motor pool. A chaplain sees it, thinking it's a real insect. Scarlett tells him not to worry and smashes the bug with her foot. Cobra Commander's squad turns back when the bug is destroyed. As the people at the social tea swear they can hear cheering beneath the grate, Hawk and Scarlett wonder if the other Joes need a vacation.

Commentary: "The Trojan Gambit" is an entertaining story with a fairly compressed plot. The Joes' battle with the robot showcases the Joes' ingenuity, not just their fighting skill, especially since they have no weapons to use. An interesting part of the story is how the Joes keep their existance secret. Army vehicles disguised as mail trucks allow the Joes to go about their business right under civilian noses. Haven't you ever wondered what was under that tarp when you pass a covered truck on the highway? The social tea reminds everyone that the Joes are supposed to be running the chaplain's assistant's motor pool. This idea gets more far-fetched as dozens of members will join the team, but for now it just might work.

In the characterization end of the issue: After the unseen battle, Breaker tells Flagg that half a dozen Cobra troopers were hurt when they thought they disarmed Snake-Eyes; "Shoot General, He shouldn't be allowed to carry that thing around in his boot -- it's gotta be against the Geneva Convention!" Then Flagg tells Breaker to "stop chewing that gum!" These references along with Zap's strange sense of humor and Flash's logical reasoning when trying to burn open the armory door all point out that Larry Hama could've easily kept the these characters going if Hasbro hadn't created dozens of new characters. Again Cobra Commander is much more rational here than he is in later issues. When the operation fails, he doesn't mind since he has many other plans to destroy the Joes. Later in the series, he wouldv'e thrown a tantrum.

Now for the technical nitpicks: During Clutch and Steeler's descent into the Pit we get another cutaway view of the Pit and Steeler explains that the Joes' quarters are on the lowest levels in case of a nuclear attack. The cutaway shows the Pit has five levels, just as the diagram in issue #1 shows. The strange thing is, later on in the issue "level 6" is mentioned. Also, it seems a little strange that Cobra Commander's squadron of helicopters was in the air while waiting for the robot's signal. Were the helicopter just wandering around aimlessly, waiting for the signal? One other nitpick. When we see the cutaway of the Pit, there are two many Joes working on different levels. To be anal about it, there are the same amount of Joes seen there as there are on the team. Add Clutch, Steeler and Breaker in the truck, and that's too many Joes!

The worst part of the issue is the very last line; a horrible pun. After the Joes cheer the robot-insect's destruction, Scarlett says "Sounds like they're going buggy down there." But, as usual, none of these nits ruin the story or even make it much less enjoyable.
Reprinted in:
  • G.I. JOE: The Trojan Gambit (1983). A large-sized reprint from Marvel Books. This book reprints this story along with a heavily edited "combined" version of #6 and #7. It features a new painted cover loosely based on the cover of issue #3.
  • G.I. JOE Comics Magazine #2 (February 1987). Digest format from Marvel Comics. Includes issues #4 and #5.
  • Tales of G.I. Joe #3 (March 1988). Reprint series from Marvel.
  • G.I. JOE: Volume 1 (May 2002). A trade paperback collection from Marvel. Includes issues #1-10.
  • A version of the issue was released by Hasbro in 2004, packaged with comic-based action figures of Clutch, Hawk and Stalker. It included no ads and all references to Marvel were removed.
  • Classic G.I. JOE: Volume 1 (January 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 #1-10.


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