G.I. JOE #18
Destro Returns!

Cover Date: December, 1983
Scripter: Larry Hama
Penciler: Mike Vosburg
Inker: Jon D'Agostino
Letterer: Edward Norton
Colorist: George Roussos
Editor: Denny O'Neil
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Summary: Just off the coast of Brooklyn, an Amphibious Personnel Carrier (APC) carrying Hawk, Clutch, Scarlett, Stalker, Rock 'n' Roll and Torpedo approaches Coney Island. Stalker spots a Cobra jet heading for the island as well. Hawk spots the Cobra courier, Scar-Face, arrive at the shack nearby the "Cyclone" roller-coaster. Hawk tells the Joes that he got a post card saying that Scar-Face would arrive at Coney Island. Hawk says he had to be sure it wasn't a trap, and Scar-Face's presence confirms the truth. "So I guess this post card really is from Snake-Eyes!!" The Joes thought Snake-Eyes was dead, but after Scarlett reads the post-script for her eyes only, she's certain it's from Snake-Eyes. Rock 'n' Roll and Torpedo get onboard the Manta windsurfer, planning to land on the other side of the island and flank the enemy. Meanwhile, Snake-Eyes and Kwinn arrive, loking for Scar-Face, hoping he can tell them where Dr. Venom is. Weeks ago, Venom betrayed both of them to save his own life.

The Joes spot Destro getting out of the plane onto the top of the roller coaster. Scar-Face is hiding from Cobra because of the virus they gave him to deliver to the Joes. The Joes land on the island as Scar-Face sees Destro coming for him. He sends the roller-coaster's car to run Destro down, but Destro destroys it with a wrist-rocket. Kwinn and Snake-Eyes find Scar-Face and Kwinn gets the information he wants. He then gives Scar-Face the keys to his car, letting him escape. The Joes don't see him escape. They attack Destro while trying to get to Scar-Face's shack, only to find it empty.

Outside, Destro steals a nearby Ice Cream truck to chase Scar-Face's car. The Joes pile into the APC to chase Scar-Face and Destro. After a firefight on the highway, Scar-Face's Cadillac explodes, knocking over the APC.. Destro pulls the courier into the Ice Cream truck and speeds off towards Kennedy International Airport. The Joes soon arrive at Kennedy to find out Destro and Scar-Face highjacked a jet heading for Libya. Later, the Joes board the C-130 transport plane and head for Libya with Ace in the Skystriker as an escort. Destro and Scar-Face arrive in Tripoli where Venom gives Scar-Face an "innoculation." They meet up with Cobra Commander at an airport where a eavesdropping Scar-Face hears Cobra's plan is to let the Joes capture him since he is now infected with their virus.

The Joes arrive in Tripoli. Their plan is to sneak into Cobra's armored column that is riding through the desert. The dust and sand kicked up by the HISS tanks help the Joes to sneak their RAM motorcycle and VAMP jeep into Cobra's lines. Hawk leaps from the VAMP and onto one of the HISS tanks, knocking out Scar-Face and taking him on the VAMP. The Dragonfly helicopter fires upon the HISS column to confuse them while the Joes take Scar-Face. The Joes on the RAM fire upon the lead HISS carrying Destro, Cobra Commander and Dr. Venom. Scarlett and Grunt leap from the damaged RAM and onto the VAMP. Stalker catches them both. Soon, the Dragonfly lowers a sky-hook to the VAMP. The Joes fly away, carrying the unconscious Scar-Face. As Destro watches the Joes fly away, he muses that Scar-Face is his Trojan Horse. The Joes will be infected by the virus Scar-Face is carrying. Later, the Joes leave Libya by submarine. Hawk explains that they won't turn the prisoner over to the government, they'll bring him to the Pit for interrogation. "We found him, we keep him.

Commentary: Continuing from the previous issue, "Destro Returns!" is the penultimate chapter of the long-running storyline that began in issue #12 and will end in #19. Destro comes to Coney Island, looking for Scar-Face while the Joes arrive thanks to Snake-Eyes' postcard. Snake-Eyes and Kwinn arrive as well, looking for information on Dr. Venom's whereabouts. The character of Scar-Face is an interesting one. He is one of Cobra's higher ranking agents, but nowhere near as important as the other Cobras. Larry Hama makes us see Scar-Face as someone to pity. He may be in Cobra voluntarily, but he is constantly abused and taken advantage of by the Cobra "high command." He's actually used by everyone. When he tries to escape to his run-down hideout, it seems like he's way in over his head and is trying to get out of what he's gotten himself into. The Cobras are using him as nothing more than a virus-carrier who can be killed easily if the plan fails. The Joes want Scar-Face for any information he might have, and Kwinn threatens his life just to find out where Venom is. As Cobra characters go, he has nothing to distinguish him from other Cobra soldiers other than his scars.

As far as other characters go, Kwinn remains respectable even when he's out for vengeance. Once he learns what he wants from Scar-Face, he lets him take the car he and Snake-Eyes won earlier so that he can escape from the Joes and Destro. Snake-Eyes is an interesting person to pair with Kwinn. One talks about everything while the other is mute. Snake-Eyes is a soldier, Kwinn is a mercenary. The story begins to show us that Snake-Eyes isn't staying with Kwinn to get revenge, but to keep an eye on Kwinn. Kwinn suspects Snake-Eyes is just trying to stop Kwinn from killling Venom, and he's probably right. Snake-Eyes probably does this out of some respect he gained for Kwinn when they first met (#2). If there was any question about Snake-Eyes and Scarlett's relationship before, it ends when he includes a special message for Scarlett in his postcard. Stalker's "no-nonsense soldier" act continues a funny scene when Scarlett jumps from the RAM motorcycle onto the VAMP. After Stalker offers to catch her, she asks: "Would you stop for me if I fell?"
Stalker: "No."
Scarlett: "Thanks, Stalker! You really know how to make a girl feel secure."
Stalker: "Hey! I didn't say I wouldn't feel bad..."

Once again, Cobra is allied with areas belligerant to the United States. They have a hidden base in Libya, where they see Cobra as "fellow fighters in the cause." During the Joes' attack on Cobra in the desert, it's interesting that the Joes think they're fooling Cobra, but it's apparent that they are expected to take Scar-Face. He's Cobra's "Trojan horse." It's unsettling at the end of the issue to see the Joes thinking they've got the upper hand when they're actually falling into Cobra's trap. Despite all this, the Joes' plan is an interesting one. Hiding in the dust of the armor column may actually work in a desert setting.

There are a few oddities in the issue, though. One is the fact that during the chase on the highway, the Joes are engaging in a firefight with Destro in the middle of a crowded highway. That seems like a very irresponsible thing to do. Later, when the Joes capture Scar-Face, Hawk knocks out Scar-Face with the butt of his pistol. Hawk seems to have a little too much fun. He says he needs find out what key his head is in. "C-flat," he says after the "BONK!" Scar-Face's helmet makes. I also wonder if you could knock out someone through a helmet. One minor glitch comes when Hawk goes through a "roll call" of the Joes that are going on the mission to Libya. He names Ace, but Torpedo is the one shown. The strange thing is that they specifically say that Torpedo isn't going on the mission.

The issue had its moments of humor and the Cobras' disregard for Scar-Face's life gives the story some suspense, especially now that Scar-Face has found out he's been given Dr. Venom's virus. His obvious fearfulness sets up Scar-Face's betrayal in the next issue. But, perhaps I've said too much...

First Appearances:

  • G.I. Joe vehicles: MANTA windsurfer
Reprinted in:
  • G.I. JOE Comics Magazine #7 (December 1987). Digest format from Marvel Comics. Includes issues #19 and #20.
  • G.I. JOE: Volume 2 (June 2002). A trade paperback collection from Marvel. Includes issues #11-20.
  • Classic G.I. JOE: Volume 2 (March 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 #11-20.