G.I. Joe (2024) issue 7

Publisher	Image Comics; Skybound Entertainment
First published	May, 28, 2025
Cover date	May 2025
Written by	Joshua Williamson
Art by	Andrea Milana
Colors by	Lee Loughridge
Letters by	Rus Wooton
Editors	Ben Abernathy
Continuity	Energon Universe

Beach Head wants to prove himself on one last mission. But an encounter with the Bloodhounds is just the beginning for this aging Ranger.

Synopsis

As Colonel Hawk continues to move into the new G.I. Joe base at the Pit, Cover Girl discovers a file full of redactions discussing something called "Night Force." When asked about it, Hawk tells her that it was an old project of his from before they worked together. He takes the file and shreds it, telling her that he'll handle any more extra files.

Meanwhile, at the private beachfront property of Victor Foley, Army Ranger Beach Head has camped out for three days waiting for a shipment to arrive. Foley is a collector of antique weaponry, and for what may be his last assignment, Beach Head has been tasked with retrieving his latest acquisition. Beach Head takes out Foley's guards and sneaks into the house, locating his target – a 7-foot-tall crate labeled "47" – in Foley's study. With it too large to sneak out, a frustrated Beach Head is forced to wheel it out through the house, accidentally crossing paths with Foley himself in the process as he grabs three glasses of wine for himself and his two "companions."

However, as the old man leaves, Beach Head realizes that he's not alone: a Bloodhound leaps down from the darkness above and attacks him. He fends off his attacker with a pair of swords from Foley's collection, only to draw the attention of even more Hounds. Their fight tears through the house and into Foley's bedroom while two of the Hounds chain the box to a truck for transport.

With some quick thinking, Beach Head leaps onto the box as it is pulled along. He manages to shoot the chain to disconnect the box... only to find the remaining Blood Hounds approaching on motorcycles! Thankfully, a light shines down from a Sky Hawk above, which airlifts him and the box to safety. The Blood Hounds report back to Major Bludd that they failed, prompting him to execute them all in a fit of frustration. Bludd sighs and admits that this was only supposed to draw out “her team.”

The Sky Hawk lands and rather than thanking his rescuers, an irritated Beach Head tells Flint and Lady Jaye that he didn't want their help and that he has no interest in being part of their team or Conrad's. Flint tells him that the world is changing and will need someone with his skills. They're going to do things that Duke wouldn't approve of. Flint grabs a crowbar and opens the box, much to Beach Head's shock, as he was ordered not to open it. But Night Force doesn't play by the rules, as they open the crate to reveal the mangled remains of a Battle Android Trooper.

Featured characters

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

G.I. Joe	Others
Cover Girl (1) Hawk (2) Flint (8) Lady Jaye (9)	Top Dollar Badasses (3) Beach Head (4) Victor Foley (5) Bloodhounds (6) Major Bludd (7) Battle Android Trooper (9)

Quotes

"My orders were not to open the box!!”
"That’s the thing, Beach Head. Our team... We don't play by the rules."

—Beach Head and Lady Jaye

Notes

Continuity notes

Night Force was teased over a year before this issue's release in the G.I. Joe portion of the Energon Universe 2024 Special, where we first met Flint and Lady Jaye and learned of Hawk's plans for a second team of Joes.
Hawk mentions that Duke is still recovering from his battle with Cobra Commander last issue.
Beach Head mentions that the crate containing the B.A.T. was coming from Darklonia, which we were introduced to back in Destro #1. This B.A.T. likely was one of the B.A.T.s we saw aiding the revolution in that issue.
Major Bludd and his Bloodhounds make their return after debuting in the pages of Duke. Bludd himself has now gotten his trademark eyepatch, having had his eye shot out by the Baroness in Duke #4.
Beach Head is aware of the main G.I. Joe team and their “fighting robots.”

G.I. Joe references

Night Force is the name of a sub-team/redeco theme from the latter years of the original G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline. Originally presented as the Joes' covert nighttime surveillance team, here they are reimagined as a secret black ops group of Joes. Funnily enough, while neither Beach Head, nor Flint, nor Lady Jaye were part of the original group of Night Force figures (though they did receive Night Force-based decos in later lines), they each fit with the original group's black-and-green color palette.
Much of Beach Head's inner monologue references traits first outlined in his original toy's filecard, including his preference for jungle warfare and his willingness to camp out for enemies three days ahead of time. The idea of him becoming a trainer is a reference to his role in G.I. Joe: The Movie.
The vehicle Flint and Lady Jaye use to rescue Beach Head is a Sky Hawk, one of the original vehicles from the 1984 range of the original ARAH line.

Other notes

While the name "Blood Hounds" was originally rendered as two words, this issue has it written as one.

Covers

Cover A: Beach Head and Flint emerge from the ocean, by Tom Reilly.
Cover B: A Bloodhound attacks Beach Head, by Kael Ngu.
Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive): , by Alan Quah.
Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive): Beach Head on an explosion background, by Jeff Spokes.
Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive): Night Force, by Homare.
Cover F (1:100 Copy Incentive): Lady Jaye, by Derrick Chew.
Cover G: Blank sketch cover
Cover H: Die cut foil cover of Cobra Commander's mask, by Andrea Milana and Andres Juarez.