Storm Shadow

This article is about the original holder of the name. For his successor also known as "Storm Shadow II", see Tempest (G.I. Joe). For a list of other meanings, see Thomas (disambiguation).

Storm Shadow is a human from the G.I. Joe portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

"Of course I switch sides, look what the Joes make me wear!"

Storm Shadow (Thomas S. Arashikage) is a ninja. You know he's not Snake-Eyes because he's the one in white. He usually works for Cobra, but sometimes he switches sides to keep things interesting.

In some continuities he has a protege who took up his name while he was believed to be dead.

Fiction

Marvel Generation 2 comic

Storm Shadow once died, but was resurrected by Doctor Mindbender's cloning vat. Realignments At one point in the 1990s, he was in Ninja Force. One of their missions was to extract a semi-reformed Destro and the Baroness from the Silent Castle, where Snake-Eyes had to stab Scarlett to protect her cover as a G.I. Joe traitor within Cobra. Unfoldings! When Destro later tried to empathize with Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow told him not to bother as it was his fault the incident happened at all. Realignments

When a Cobra task force (which included Megatron) was spotted heading into Milleville, Storm Shadow led Ninja Force on an infiltration mission. He helped Snake-Eyes find Scarlett's hospital room. Goin' South When the team was spotted by Night Creepers, Storm Shadow led them into battle, and left Snake-Eyes to deal with the Night Creeper Leader while the rest of Ninja Force went to assist a recon team against Cobra Eels and B.A.T.s. When they managed to escape the town, Storm Shadow and Spirit were tasked with bringing back Snake-Eyes, as another agency in the United States government was running a sting operation that G.I. Joe couldn't get involved with. Sucker Punch The two ran into an Autobot strike team sent to deal with Megatron and transport Skydive aboard the captured Ark while disguised as Alley-Vipers. On their way out, they ran into Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, and Doctor Biggles-Jones, who were under attack from Megatron. They tried to make a run for it, but Megatron's unrelenting pursuit forced Biggles-Jones to give herself up to the Decepticon. The remaining four could only watch as the Ark flew away with Biggles-Jones, Skydive, and Megatron in it. Final Transformations

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

Using a S.N.A.K.E. he had branded with the Arashikage logo to designate it as his own, Storm Shadow loyally defended Cobra Commander when things on Cobra Island became hot (due to Wheeljack freeing the enslaved Autobots and Decepticons). He single-handedly defeated Gears and Brawn, telling the Autobots that not everyone in Cobra was "dishonorable" like Brawn had claimed. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4 When a larger group of Autobots hunted down Cobra Commander and his S.N.A.K.E. guards, Storm Shadow fought back and managed to decapitate Trailbreaker. While this enraged the rest of the Autobots, the ninja somehow got away, albeit with his mech heavily damaged. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5 Along with Firefly, Storm Shadow later led an attack on the Autobots and G.I. Joes inside Cobra's SPS control facility, disrupting their attempts to stop the island from being destroyed by nukes. Eventually Bumblebee manages to subdue the ninja, but a stray shot from his unit caused the computers to go haywire. This resulted in the SPS Satellite raining hot laser death over the island. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6

Storm Shadow avoided capture, and two years later, he was present at Cobra's Boston facility as Cobra tried to remote-access Teletran 3. He defended the main computer when G.I. Joe attacked, but it was hit by a stray shot and malfunctioned, teleporting everyone in the room to Cybertron. On the alien planet, Cobra and G.I. Joe called a temporary truce, as their mucking-about with Teletran 3 had put Earth in severe danger. Along with Zartan, Lady Jaye and fellow ninja Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow was transported to mid-70's San Francisco to find and retrieve a number of Cybertronians that had ended up there when Teletran 3 malfunctioned. As a white-clad ninja in broad daylight would probably arise some suspicion, he switched to a snazzy white suit, and helped out by sneaking onto a jet and placing a disruption unit, revealing it to be Blitzwing. He also asked Zartan who Steve McQueen was. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1

After returning to present-day Cybertron with Blitzwing, Jazz, Bumblebee, and Hot Rod, Storm Shadow waited for the other teams to come back. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2 Unfortunately, Shockwave attacked and took control of Teletran 3, forcing the humans to scatter. Storm Shadow stayed behind for a few seconds as everyone else scrambled into hiding, and observed that Shockwave used Teletran 3 to block the last team from returning. However, staying behind had cost him; his back was severely scarred from Decepticon weaponsfire. After Storm Shadow reporting his discovery to the others, his wound was tended to by Cover Girl. Before returning to Earth, Storm Shadow and Cover Girl exchanged some loving glances. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4

Hanging out with G.I. Joe apparently had some effect on the ninja, as Storm Shadow later switched sides and joined them. The Art of War #3 When the Autobots had trouble with Serpent O.R.'s new Decepticon army, Storm Shadow and the rest of the Joes prepared to help them out. The Art of War #4 They traveled to Cybertron through a warpgate, where Storm Shadow joined forces with Snarl to beat up Ransack and Venom. The Art of War #5

Transformers/G.I. Joe

Stormshadow [sic] and Snake-Eyes were both members of the Arashikage clan when they were young, until an unspecified incident where Snake-Eyes brought shame on Stormshadow before the clan. Out of revenge, Stormshadow somehow rendered Snake-Eyes mute, then left the clan behind to live a life without honor. This lifestyle eventually led him to join Cobra. Transformed

They ate me! A F***ING SHARK ATE ME!

Many years later, in 1939, Stormshadow was stationed at Cobra's Fera Islands headquarters when it came under attack by a G.I. Joe strike force. Learning that Snake-Eyes was among the Joes, Stormshadow decided to pay him back for what he did. The Line Stormshadow blinded his rival and cut his face, but failed to kill him as Stalker interrupted the duel. Escaping across the island, Stormshadow tried to lure Snake-Eyes onto a bridge, where a team of Cobra machine gunners would gun him down. Unfortunately, Snake-Eyes saw through this plot and killed the soldiers, so Stormshadow fetched another ally: Ravage. Transformed

After Snake-Eyes took out Ravage, Stormshadow attacked him again, but lost their bout of wrestling. In spite of this, he called his rival weak and ran off elsewhere, only for Snake-Eyes to lob a grenade at him. Trial by Fire He survived, and soon attacked Snake-Eyes again using an old halberd. The two combatants ended up falling into the sea, where Stormshadow was fatally bitten by a shark. Wolves As Snake-Eyes carried him out of the water, Stormshadow realized that his old enemy had become a true warrior, and regretted his own actions. Before passing away, he asked Snake-Eyes to understand his feelings, even if his actions could never be forgiven. Trenches

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

Storm Shadow attempted to snipe Hawk while he was greeting the newly arrived Decepticons, but his aim was spoiled by Snake-Eyes and he merely succeeding in wounding the Joe. The War Never Ends He later attacked Hawk in his home to finish the job and steal his tomahawk heirloom, an object of great interest to the Decepticobra alliance. Despite catching him off guard while he shaved, Storm Shadow failed in both assassinating Hawk and retrieving the tomahawk. Everybody Hates Metroplex During the apparent destruction of Earth, Storm Shadow made his way to Koh-Buru-Lah to free his pupil, Billy, from Cobra's clutches. Using a winged jetpack, he fought his way past Snake-Eyes and succeeded in rescuing Billy, to the confusion of Cobra Commander who thought he'd come to join the rest of them. Earth: R.I.P. He dueled with Snake-Eyes again during the final battle between Cobra and G.I. Joe on Cybertron, but lost and received a fatal sword wound. As he passed away, he praised the killing blow and expressed pleasure in his relationship with his ninja brother, believing they had both lived to strengthen one another. The War Never Ends

2005 IDW continuity

The original Storm Shadow was a high-ranking member of the Cobra conspiracy, leader of the Arashikage ninja clan and the archnemesis of his sword-brother, Snake-Eyes. Ultimately, Snake-Eyes would seemingly kill his rival; Storm Shadow Profile when G.I. Joe operatives successfully brought down Cobra, the Arashikage clan collapsed with it. Secret Raiders

Some time after his seeming death, the name "Storm Shadow" was taken on by another ninja Mr Love and Justice who formed the Red Shadows clan from the remnants of the now fallen Arashikage. Enter the Shadow However, the original Storm Shadow was not as dead as he seemed. When the Baroness rebuilt the defunct Cobra with herself as Commander, the mysteriously still living Storm Shadow was brought back into the the organization's coils.

Storm Shadow and his ninja accompanied Firefly on his mission to retrieve an antediluvian dagger from the New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art M.A.S.K.: First Strike. Though his followers descended upon Quick Kick when he arrived to stop the saboteur, G.I. Joe: First Strike Storm Shadow stayed back, wanting to see the martial artist who supposedly bested Snake Eyes in action. As Quick Kick prepared to knock Firefly out, Storm Shadow finally interjected, knocking the Joe out with his own meteor hammer. Though Firefly wanted to kill him, Storm Shadow insisted that he stay his hand, wanting to one day truly do battle against Quick Kick. M.A.S.K.: First Strike

At some point, Storm Shadow fought and defeated his successor to take back his name and offered her a choice between death or his tutelage. She chose the latter and began training with Storm Shadow under the name "Tempest". Storm Shadow and Tempest would later offer Quick Kick this same choice when he and the other Joes staged an attack on Cobra's arctic temple base. Scarlett's Strike Force #3

Aw Yeah Revolution!

Storm Shadow was meditating on a mountaintop outside of a Cobra fortress when Optimus Prime came through a portal from Microspace. Sometime later, Snake Eyes, Acroyear, and Rom the Space Knight arrived. Storm Shadow revealed to them that, due to the different physical properties between universes, they arrived much later than Optimus did. He then engaged Snake Eyes in combat, wishing to continue their rivalry. Though the ninja's weapons proved less effective against his rival's allies, their battle was ultimately interrupted by Cobra’s newest weapon—a mind controlled Optimus Prime! Aw Yeah Revolution! #2 The two ninjas continued their battle as the forces of Cobra battled the other heroes. Aw Yeah Revolution! #3

Games

Transformers: Earth Wars

Skywarp Nightraven

Storm Shadow is the Cobra partner of Skywarp.

• Class: Aerial
• Lowest Star Rating: 2 stars
• Ability: Ninja Strike - Fire 4 powerful rockets at a target building dealing damage. You also fire 16 missiles dealing damage in an area. In flight mode, the Night Raven is invisible to the enemies.
  • Cost: 5 ability points, +2 for reuses.

Merchandise

First 4 Figures

• Optimus Prime vs Storm Shadow (2007)

• Known designers: Siamak Roshani, Joel Chen (sculptors)

The third reveal in First 4 Figures' G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers comic tie-in subline, this statue is 7.5 inches tall and depicts Storm Shadow in a victorious stance on Optimus Prime's damaged, disembodied head, based on the cover of G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5 (originally drawn by Mike S. Miller). Storm Shadow is only a mite bigger than your standard 3.75" G.I. Joe figure, making this statue roughly in scale with the rest of your collection!

After being revealed at San Diego Comic-Con in 2006, "Optimus Prime vs Storm Shadow" was released in January 2007, holding the dubious honour of being the only one of First 4 Figures' G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers range to see release. The statue was limited to 250 pieces in the U.S., and 250 pieces in the UK.

• More information on Optimus Prime vs Storm Shadow at YoJoe.com

Notes

• Storm Shadow has been voiced by a few Transformers alumni including Eric Bauza, Andrew Kishino, Scott McNeil and Ty Olsson.

External links

• Storm Shadow at Yojoe.com