G.I. Joe Declassified #3 [Cover B]

(October 2006)

[Origin Declassified- Part 3] (Table of Contents: 1)

G.I. Joe / comic story / 40 pages (report information)

Script

Larry Hama

Pencils

Pat Quinn; Joe Dodd

Inks

Valentine De Landro

Colors

Rob Ruffolo

Letters

Brian J. Crowley

Genre

adventure; military

Characters

G.I Joe [Snake Eyes; Scarlett; Hawk; Flash; Grand Slam; Zap; Rock N Roll; Short-Fuze; Clutch; Grunt; Stalker; Breaker; Shooter]; Generals Austin & Flagg III; Sparks; Agent Provost [Chuckles]; Cobra [Cobra Commander; Baroness; Major Bludd] (all cameos); Dr. Adele Burkhart

Synopsis

The story continues the Joes' adventure in Sierra Gordo as they are rescued by Shooter unbeknownst to them- both parties then escape via different routes (the Joes via a Blackhawk chopper, Shooter on foot and later on a truck in native disguise). We also see how Stalker was the one responsible for Hawk's earlier court martial (which is how Stalker got recruited to the Joe team), since it was his rescue actions (in torturing the captured terrorist forcing him to reveal the bomb's whereabouts inside the children refugee camp) that caused Hawk to act like he did. We also see briefly how Flagg tells the general involved in both Hawk's earlier court-martial and assassination attempt to back off, or else he'll reveal that those actions were rogue. We also get a brief glimpse of Cobra Commander and the Baroness as the Commander berates Major Bludd for giving him information that he knew about pertaining to Hawk's assassination attempt at the general's hands (which Bludd has a hand in), and tells him in return for not shooting him for wasting his time that at the next available opportunity he's to kill Flagg (later shown in G.I. Joe issue 19 [Marvel series, 1982]). There is also a brief retelling by Zap as to how he got chosen to be on the Joes. By the end of the issue, we see the Joes as they are escaping from the island that Dr. Burkhart is being held on by Cobra (explained in G.I. Joe issue 1 (Marvel series, 1982)). They are about to be ambushed by a group of Cobra troopers using the island's inhabitants as hostages/slave labor to carry weapons to reinforce their antiaircraft batteries as the Joes are escaping in a helicopter with Dr. Burkhart, when in a last minute rescue, Shooter saves the Joes from the Cobra ambush but at the cost of her own life. The story then ends with the Joes at her funeral, not really knowing of her as a true Joe, or her involvement in their first mission versus Cobra.

Indexer Notes

First true Joe casualty before the events of G.I Joe issues 111-115 (Marvel series, 1982). Part 3 of the untold origin of how the new Joe team was formed. Also of note, Snake-Eyes and Scarlett's origins in joining up with the Joes are recounted in their respective titles: Snake-Eyes: Declassified issues 1-6 [Devil's Due, 2005 series], and Scarlett: Declassified one-shot [Devil's Due, 2006 series], hence why their stories aren't included in the miniseries.