G.I. Joe (2024) issue 1

Publisher	Image Comics; Skybound Entertainment
First published	November 13, 2024
Cover date	November 2024
Written by	Joshua Williamson
Art by	Tom Reilly
Colors by	Jordie Bellaire
Letters by	Rus Wooton
Editors	Ben Abernathy
Continuity	Energon Universe

Oh, he's doin' somethin'...

Another editor is doing extensive changes to this article right now, and is requesting that all other editors hold off on any edits until their work is finished, in order to make sure nothing important gets lost.

A daring, highly trained special mission force dedicated to defending human freedom. A ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world. This is how their war begins.

Synopsis

Featured characters

Characters in italic text appear only in flashbacks.
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

G.I. Joe	Cobra	Others
Duke (1) Hawk (4) Clutch (5) Cover Girl (6) Stalker (7) Rock 'n Roll (8) Baroness (9) Risk (20)	Battle Android Trooper (3) Destro (10) Cobra Troopers (11) Laszlo Vandermeer (12) Scrap-Iron (13) Cobra Commander (14) Mercer (15) Cobra Officer (22) Cobra Vipers (23)	Starscream (2) Bouncer (16) “Boss” (17) Bodyguard (18) Boss’s entourage (19) Optimus Prime (21)

Quotes

Notes

Continuity notes

The opening page recaps the events that led to Duke leading the G.I. Joe team in four panels:
- Panel one: Duke’s encounter with Starscream in Transformers #2
- Panel two: Duke and Clutch fleeing from Rock 'n Roll’s drones in Duke #2.
- Panel three: Duke destroying the B.A.T. from Duke #5.
- Panel four: Duke agreeing to join Hawk’s new team at the end of Duke #5.
The drones the Joes fight in their training exercise are the same ones Rock 'n Roll controlled in Duke #2.
Springfield previously appeared as Cobra’s base of operations in Cobra Commander #5, though it went unnamed in that issue.
Dr. Laszlo Vandermeer is seen working on Cobra’s energon projects, as he was established to be doing in Cobra Commander #5.
When we first see Cobra Commander, he is tinkering with the mechanical claw weapon that he used to dispatch Nemesis Enforcer during their battle in Cobra Commander #4.
Though his face is kept in shadow, this issue marks the first time we see the Commander without his helmet or the bandages that covered the wounds he got from the spores in Cobra-La back in Cobra Commander #1.
Clutch previously built a prototype of the VAMP in Duke #2.
Clutch references Cover Girl’s hair changing from the auburn we saw her with in the pages of Duke.
In his mission brief, Duke references the existence of the Transformers, showing the Joes the same photo of Optimus Prime that was seen at the end of Duke #5. He also mentions the events of the second arc of Transformers, with the Autobots and Decepticons spotted in the Pacific Ocean and a piece of Cybertron falling into the ocean.
- He also references a series of break-ins at weapon and tech facilities, including M.A.R.S., referring to Cobra’s attack on M.A.R.S. facilities in Cobra Commander #5. This pattern also fits with Cobra’s attack on the Sato building looking for the Sword of Life in Scarlett.
While we’ve seen Cobra Troopers and Officers appear in the pages of Scarlett and Destro, this issue gives us our first appearance of the Cobra Vipers, led by Mercer.

G.I. Joe references

The Joes are wearing JUMP jet packs during their training exercise.
In keeping with tradition, Springfield is only identified as "Springfield, USA," with no specific state given.
Destro using Energon to give Cobra laser-based weapons as opposed to traditional firearms provides an in-universe reason to mirror the use of laser weapons for both Cobra and the Joes in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero cartoon.
Though her toy was designed with auburn hair, Cover Girl appeared with blonde hair in the original G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero animated miniseries "The M.A.S.S. Device," likely in a bid to visually distinguish her from Scarlett. She was later redesigned to better resemble her toy, and subsequent iterations of the character would oscillate between the auburn and blonde look. This series splits the difference by having it be an in-universe dye job.

Errors

Other notes

The Baroness and Stalker’s conversation in Russian roughly translates as follows:

"Shut up, you stupid old pig. Or I'll slit your throat in your sleep." "Try that and I'll not only kick your ass, I'll drag you right back to your mommy and daddy and tell them how their little princess got into this messed up life. They brought you into this world, so maybe they'll do me a favor and take you out."

Covers

Cover A: A wraparound cover featuring G.I. Joe on the front side and Cobra on the back, by Tom Reilly and Jordie Bellaire.
Cover B: The Joe team, by Jerome Opeña and Dave Stewart.
Cover C: Cover Girl facing off against Tomax and Xamot, by Brett Booth,
Cover D: Cobra, by David Finch
Cover E: Duke attacking Cobra Commander, reflected in the Commander’s mask, by Lee Bermejo.
Cover F: Baroness, by Sozomaika.
Cover G: Chameleon, by Jenny Frison.
Cover H (1:10 Copy Incentive): Baroness, one of a series of connecting variants featuring the female characters of G.I. Joe, by David Nakayama.
Cover I (1:25 Copy Incentive): Cover Girl on an explosion background, by Jeff Spokes.
Cover J (1:50 Copy Incentive): H.I.S.S. tank schematics, by E. J. Su.
Cover K (1:100 Copy Incentive): Risk and Baroness, by Jonboy Meyers.
Cover L (1:250 Copy Incentive): Risk design and info, by Tom Reilly.
Cover M (1:500 Copy Incentive): Sketch version of Cover D, by David Finch.
Cover N: Blank sketch cover with the Joe star insignia.
Cover O: Blank sketch cover with the Cobra insignia.
Cover P: Foil version of Cover A, by Tom Reilly and Jordie Bellaire.
Cover Q: Foil version of Cover G, by Jenny Frison.
Cover R: Die cut foil cover of Cobra Commander’s mask, by Andrea Milana.