Loose
Ends
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Cover Date:
November, 1983
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| Scripter: Larry Hama |
Penciler: Mike Vosburg
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Inker: Jon
D'Agostino
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| Letterer: Joe Rosen |
Colorist: G.
Roussos
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Editor: Denny O'Neil
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Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter
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"The
dangerous character they were referring to was me. It always seems to
make the doctors uptight when the patient refuses to remove his
shoulder holster or give up his .45!"
— Hawk
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Summary (by
John E. Padilla):
After sustaining three gunshot wounds, at the hands of Cobra Commander,
Hawk lies unconscious on a Washington, D.C. street. Breaker's call for
a medevac, is quickly answered by Wild Bill and Doc. Doc takes control
of the situation, clearing the area of Joes, in order to administer
first aid. Angry citizens begin to complain of the traffic tie-up
caused by the shooting. Further complaining drives Gung-Ho to wreck a
Shelby GT Cobra with his bare hands. The owner was not pleased. Doc
reassures the Joes that Hawk will survive. He notes that the
bulletproof vest worn by Hawk was what saved his life.
All the while, Zap and a team of Joes, riding in the
APC, pursue Cobra
Commander's HISS. Ace provides aerial support in the Skystriker. In the
fleeing HISS, Cobra Commander begins to worry about Destro, who has
been
in a trance-like state after witnessing the apparent death of the
Baroness.
Dr. Venom explains to Cobra Commander that Destro's only aim in life
was
to win over the affection of the Baroness. During the discussion,
Destro
voices his suspicion of Cobra Commander. However with some persuasion,
Cobra Commander convinces Destro that Bludd's aim was to kill Destro in
order to have the Baroness for himself. Of course if was Cobra
Commander
who gave Bludd the order to assassinate Destro. The Joes catch up to
the
HISS only to be met by Cobra reinforcements. In the ensuing battle, Ace
splashes two Cobra jets. During the chaos, the HISS is airlifted to
safety
by a transport chopper. Ace is unable to pursue the chopper having
sustained
damage during the dogfight.
In Miami, Snake-Eyes and Kwinn are in jail, after crash
landing a stolen bomber on the beach. Kwinn pulls out a saw blade from
the heel of his boot. Both escape. Walking through Miami, the two come
across a group of men shooting dice. Kwinn approaches the men with a
$100 bill which Snake-Eyes had hidden in his uniform. Eventually, the
two drive away in a car, having hustled it from the men. They head
north.
Meanwhile, Major Bludd attempts to escape by hijacking a bus. Stalker
and Grand Slam happen to see the bus run a tollbooth. They follow the
bus
on the RAM. Grand Slam manages to cling onto the the back of the bus.
He
climbs onto the roof, only to crash through the windshield, knocking
down
Bludd in the process. Bludd is then shocked to see that Scar-Face is a
passenger. His hesitation allows Grand Slam to subdue him.
The Baroness, Hawk, and Major Bludd are sent to Bethesda Naval
Hospital.
A Cobra agent informs Cobra Commander that all three are still alive.
Now
revived, Hawk stops a second escape attempt by Major Bludd. Destro
still
wants to pursue the plan to use Scar-Face to find the location of Joe
HQ.
He makes arrangements to fly to Coney Island. Snake-Eyes and Kwinn
reach
New York. Kwinn also aspires to find Scar-Face in hopes of finding Dr.
Venom. Both head to Coney Island. Scar-Face manages to avoid attention.
He catches a cab back to his hide-out at . . . Coney Island.
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Commentary:
During the medical evacuation, Doc is
portrayed with
a high level of intensity. Doc seems to be so focused on providing aid
that he is unmoved by Scarlett's concern, telling her to "Take a Walk."
His intensity level was probably shown to express the seriousness of
Hawk's
injury.
At first one could argue that Gung-ho's temper tantrum
was also used
for this purpose. Gung-ho was venting his frustration of not being able
to help an injured comrade. However, it's comical overtones suggest
that
this sequence was used as an easing of tensions. It shifted the focus
from
Hawk's injury to the pursuit of Cobra Commander.
This issue also displays a villain as having emotions
other than hate
or fear. You learn that Destro was actually in love with the Baroness.
World domination wasn't his ultimate goal, rather it was to capture the
heart of the Baroness. Since such emotions are rarely displayed by
villains,
Destro stands out from the rest. He continues to have a unique
personality
amongst the nameless, faceless legions of Cobra.
One oddity stands out. As Snake-Eyes is about to shoot the dice, a man
mentions that the point is to shoot "snake-eyes." After a pause the man
says "What's so funny?" Since Kwinn was not in the scene, it's unclear
whether Snake-Eyes actually laughed or body language showed his
amusement. |
