Cobra Organization
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The Cobra Organization (officially called Cobra Command) is the fictional nemesis of the G.I. Joe Team, and part of the line of action figures sold by Hasbro with G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and G.I. Joe: Sigma 6.
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[edit] A Real American Hero
Though the G.I. Joe toys had been produced since the 1960s, Cobra was introduced when the G.I. Joe line was relaunched in the early 1980s. This relaunch was accompanied by a Marvel comic, written by Larry Hama, and an animated television series for children. It must be stressed that the comic's portrayal of Cobra and its personnel is quite different in tone and realism than in the animated series. In the cartoon, Cobra is often portrayed as an ineffectual bunch of buffoons, later retconned with a rather odd fantasy background (see Cobra-La, below). The comic series took a much more serious tone, and portrayed them as a fairly efficient 'real world' political and military machine.
[edit] Prominent Members
- See more characters and information at G.I. Joe villains. For a full list of characters, see List of G.I. Joe ARAH characters.
Though the members of the Cobra Organization are all fighting against G.I. Joe, there are many internal power struggles.
- Cobra Commander - The leader and founder of Cobra. His disfigured face is always obscured either by a hood with only his eyes visible or by a high tech battle helmet with various security features integrated into it. He is regarded as the most dangerous man on Earth, because he can draw followers to him. He is hatred personified, a madman with the drive of a fanatic. Only Baroness and Destro have seen his face. He was temporarily deposed by Serpentor.
- Serpentor - The Cobra Emperor, created through a breakthrough in cloning research by Dr. Mindbender from the DNA extracted from the remains of the most ruthless and effective military leaders in history, including Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Attila the Hun, Alexander the Great, Hannibal, and Genghis Khan, as well as Sgt. Slaughter. (In the comics, Storm Shadow is the 10th and only live source of DNA, instead of Sgt. Slaughter.) In addition to his genetic disposition to greatness, an early experiment also gave him access to the brain patterns of G.I. Joe HALO jumper Ripcord, allowing him to use their strategies against them. He was seemingly killed by Zartan, only to be revived later by a secret cabal of scientists known as "The Coil".
- Destro or James McCullen Destro XXIV - A Scotsman who always wears a metal mask (in the cartoon the mouth of his mask moves, explained by a form of nanotech/liquid metal in later comics). He has often tried to take over leadership of Cobra. Destro is an arms dealer and his number one client is Cobra. He is the hereditary leader of M.A.R.S. (Military Armaments Research Syndicate) and uses his personal army, the Iron Grenadiers, to start conflicts in order to sell weapons to all of the combatants' parties. Destro has a warped sense of honor and a grudging respect for his G.I. Joe foes.
- The Baroness or Baroness Anastasia DeCobray - The daughter of European aristocrats, she serves as Cobra's Director of Intelligence, and is romantically involved with Destro.
- Dr. Mindbender - A mad scientist of startling intellect. He has several mind-control devices. He is also quite accomplished with genetic manipulation. He is responsible for the creation of Serpentor, the Cobra B.A.T. as well as responsible for perfecting the Brainwave Scanner. Though he is quite muscular, Mindbender is somewhat cowardly, preferring to avoid physical confrontations. Dr. Mindbender has a long history of circus performances. He started his career in the late 1800s making a living creating crazy new contraptions for the Wild West Circus. Upon Sitting Bull's death, Mindbender vowed revenge and left the circus for Barnum and Bailey. Here, he honed his mind-control skills and met one of Cobra's Viper Scouts. Interested in what they had to say, Mindbender passed a series of trials to join Cobras forces. Among these were fighting them all at once and stealing the Holy Grail.
- Tomax - Along with his mirror twin brother Xamot, he is the leader of the Crimson Guard and the respectable corporate face of Cobra. When not engaged in dangerous field missions, he and Xamot are in shirt and tie, managing Cobra's business affairs. Tomax and his twin brother share an empathic connection. While this is often useful, as it allows them to communicate wordlessly and finish each others sentences, it is also a liability, as they feel each other's pain during fights.
- Xamot - Mirror twin brother of Tomax and leader of the Crimson Guard. Xamot looks identical to Tomax except for the fact Xamot has a scar on the right side of his face. Also, one twin has the Cobra insignia on the right side of his body, and the other has it on the left. The twins run a corporation called Extensive Enterprises and are known more for their skills in the boardroom than on the battlefield.
- Storm Shadow or Thomas "Tommy" Arashikage - A ninja who trained in martial arts and military service alongside G.I. Joe operatives Snake-Eyes and Stalker. He brought Snake-Eyes into his clan; the two are sword brothers. He joined Cobra with the intention of finding the man who killed his uncle, the leader of his clan. It was later revealed that Zartan and Firefly were in fact responsible, but Storm Shadow was never able to avenge his master's death. He eventually was brainwashed and began working for Cobra in earnest.
- Zartan - The leader of the Dreadnoks, as well as a master spy and assassin. He is a master of disguise, able to be anyone anytime he wishes. Thanks to genetic experimentation, Zartan is also capable of changing his skin color to blend in with his background. This special ability is disrupted by sunlight.
- Dreadnoks - Led by Zartan, his siblings and daughter, the Dreadnoks are gang of bikers who pull jobs for Cobra when finesse is not required and brute force is needed. Zartan used them for backup and brought them with him when he joined Cobra.
[edit] Origin and history
Each medium to feature G.I. Joe has had its own continuity and as such, the origin and portrayal of Cobra has differed in each of them.
[edit] Marvel Comics
The Cobra organization had its beginnings when the man who would become Cobra Commander settled in a town called Springfield. Bringing his hate of the government whom he blames as among the causes of his misfortunes, he recruited other people who were in the same situation as he was. Springfield was a perfect place to start the organization as the town itself had fallen on hard times and the population was disillusioned. Soon, the organization was growing with the entry of like-minded individuals from all over the country. Much of Cobra’s early funding came from pyramid schemes initiated by Cobra Commander.
As explained in G.I. Joe #10, the precursor to COBRA was a Amway-like company called Arbco. When the government courts rule that Arbco is an illegal pyramid scheme, its founder, who later becomes Cobra Commander, swears revenge on the government by forming a terrorist organization called Cobra, an anagram of Arbco. This brief quote from the comic gives an insight into the motivation for the creation of Cobra:
"I'm not going to be ground under the wheels of big government!... I'm going to create an underground organization that will bypass government restrictions, and garner power through terrorism and extortion!... I won't stop until my organization coils around the whole world like a giant cobra!"-- Cobra Commander, circa. 1978
In a very short time, it became more like a military organization. Motivated by greed and power, the group soon expanded all over the country, operating in secret. Soon, they were engaging in terrorism to achieve their objectives. By the time the US government recognized Cobra as a threat, the evil organization had already gained footholds around the world.
Cobra soon developed into a highly powerful and wealthy private army and terrorist organization. Many of its members (especially those in the elite Crimson Guard units) lead normal lives to outside eyes, supporting Cobra covertly. Cobra seemed to attract members on the promise of fast financial rewards and power for those willing to be ruthless enough. It also seems to have an ideological basis of creating a world of order and strength (its 'model community' of Springfield was one example of the Cobra ideal).
Cobra would eventually achieve a temporary legitimacy by the artificial creation of Cobra Island - which was recognized (to the dismay of the Joe Team) as an independent nation by the international community. This allowed Cobra to have diplomatic facilities in the United States via the Cobra consulate.
Cobra made a lot of their money by selling arms to third world nations, this started during Serpentor's tenure. This led to a clash with Destro's MARS organization (who provided Cobra with much of its arms). Terrordromes are a particularly popular product amongst Cobra clients who are often local dictators in poor nations. Cobra precipitate conflicts in such nations in order to sell arms to opposing sides.
For a comic series predominantly aimed at children, Cobra was a relatively realistic depiction of a highly successful terrorist organization. With its strong symbolic imagery, charismatic and ruthless leader and fanatical hierarchy, it is obvious the fictional group was based on terrorist and fascist organizations (as well as SPECTRE of James Bond fame and the similar Marvel Universe organization, HYDRA).
Larry Hama depicted Cobra troops as being motivated by money, power and a sense of brotherhood. However, they are not fanatical to the point where they would fight to the last man and to the last breath. If all is lost, they would willingly surrender or run away had they the chance, something their leaders rarely let them do. The brutal training depicted in the file cards of the troopers are very much characteristic of ritualistic fraternity hazing.
The only instance that has shown Cobra as a suicidal fanatical organization was in issue #8 where the troopers willingly let themselves blow up on a boat after their loss. Whether that story is canon is up in the air as it was Herb Trimpe who guest wrote that issue.
[edit] Animated Series
The Sunbow produced animated series did not explore how Cobra began. It was only in G.I. Joe: The Movie that it is revealed that the organization was a frontrunner for a 40,000 year-old underground civilization called Cobra-La, whose snake-like inhabitants were driven underground by the advent of humankind. Cobra Commander was, in actuality, a member of this underground race. He was tasked with creating an organization that would overrun the world at large. This revelation, though, contradicts what was established in the first season of the series. Also revealed is that the creation of Serpentor was an initiative by Cobra-La; through the use of a biological mind controlling device, they implanted the idea into Dr. Mindbender's mind as an act of discipline against Cobra Commander.
The movie was not well received, and the Cobra-La story arc was all but abandoned in future plotlines. The writers despised the name "Cobra-La" and had only originally intended to use it as a working name to be replaced by a "real" name in the finished product, but were overruled by Hasbro. In an interview with the series’ story editor and writer Buzz Dixon, it is revealed that he had a much different idea for the origin of Cobra. Originally, it would be a sort of extremist organization founded by a Karl Marx/Friedrich Nietzsche-type figure but with a strong set of ideals. Cobra Commander usurped his position and locked him away in a secret prison. [1]
[edit] Action Force
In the United Kingdom, G.I. Joe was marketed under a different name: Action Force. The original antagonists in the Action Force series were the Red Shadows. The Red Shadows were a terrorist organization led by Baron Ironblood and his lieutenant the Black Major with prominent members including artillery expert Red Laser and tank commander Red Jackal who disguised his scarred visage with a steel mask. The Action Force series was eventually written to more closely match the American G.I. Joe universe; a storyline 'World Enemy No. 1' in the Battle Action Force comic had Ironblood betraying the Red Shadows, abandoning them to die pointlessly, and going into hiding. When he emerged once more, he had organized a new group and renamed himself as the Cobra Commander. The Red Jackal tracked down Cobra Commander after an arduous journey with the intention of killing him to avenge the treachery Cobra Commander performed. On the brink of throttling the Commander Jackal succumbed to stun gas and passed out, not quite completing his sentence declaring his intention to destroy the former Baron Ironblood. Admiring his tenacity and resourcefulness, Cobra Commander elected not to kill the man, instead allowing him to continue to serve. To remind Jackal that, in the end, he failed to eliminate Cobra Commander, the leader renamed him 'Destro' the last word he spoke as his former self. [2]
[edit] Bases
Cobra maintains a number of bases around the world. In several media incarnations, Cobra’s primary base is Cobra Island. The Marvel comics series, however, provided several specific locations with names:
- Broca Beach - After the destruction of Springfield, Cobra created another town as their secret base of operations in America. This one was transformed from an abandoned seaside town. Former residents of the destroyed Springfield town were relocated here.
- Castle Destro - Destro's fortress in Scotland. Training ground for the Iron Grenadiers.
- Cobra Citadel also known as the Silent Castle - Cobra's base of operations in Eastern Europe. It is located in Trans-Carpathia. Destro was one of its designers and for a brief period, it became the second Castle Destro.
- Cobra Consulate - A high-rise in New York City used by Cobra as an embassy and base of operations after Cobra Island was declared a sovereign nation.
- Cobra Island - The primary base of Cobra operations. It was created after a massive earthquake caused by G.I. Joe and Cobra and declared a sovereign nation. It was the battlefield for the Cobra civil war, and the battle against The Coil. After Cobra was beaten, the island was seized by the U.N. It then came under the control of The Coil, then Cobra, and was finally destroyed by a nuclear warhead, which also killed every member of The Coil.
- Millville - A steel-making town captured by Cobra. Its residents are controlled via Cobra's brainwashing device.
- Monolith Base- A massive mountain complex located in Badhikistan. It served as Cobra's main base but was taken over by an all out assault from GiJoe
- Springfield - A small anonymous town in middle America, which Cobra secretly operated as a base. The town was poor and desperate when the man who would become Cobra Commander arrived. He became the town's savior and it was there he started Cobra. Many covert operations were held there, including the creation of Serpentor.
[edit] Other Recurring Characters
- Major Bludd - Major Sebastian Bludd is an Australian mercenary with extensive combat experience who worked for Cobra from time to time. He is a master tactician, expert in all known weapons, and writes very bad poetry. He is usually portrayed as Cobra's infantry commander. Major Bludd's is best known for the assassination of General Flagg, the original leader of the G.I. Joe team.
- Firefly - The world's greatest saboteur, Firefly's background is a mystery. A mercenary and assassin, Firefly offers no guarantees or refunds. He is an expert in all types of explosive ordnance and demolition materials. He is the Faceless Master of the Arashikage ninja clan.
- Dr. Venom - A Cobra scientist who played an important role in the first two years of the comic book. He was killed in action, and eventually replaced by Dr. Mindbender.
- Kwinn - An Inuit mercenary who only appeared in the first year of the comic book. A mercenary with a strong code of honor, he had previously worked for the CIA, Mossad, MI-6, and the KGB, and worked with Cobra in Sierra Gordo. He would later renounce his life as a mercenary, only to be betrayed and killed by Dr. Venom, on whom who the Inuit posthumously took revenge.
- Fred VII - A soldier in the Crimson Guard who temporarily impersonated Cobra Commander after fatally shooting him (or so he believed). He was killed when the real Cobra Commander made his triumphant return.
- Wraith - Charles Halifax is a French mercenary who specializes in eliminations, espionage and covert ops. He wears a high tech suit with hidden weapons and a cloaking device that he stole from the Chinese. He is hired by M.A.R.S. to free Major Bludd and Scrap-Iron from jail and serve as Destro's enforcer. He is one of the few to defeat Snake-Eyes in single combat.
- BlackOut - Sniper Thomas J. Stall was rejected by G.I. Joe for failing his psychological exam and was suspected of being involved with the disappearance of his sister. After being imprisoned, Thomas broke out of a brig at Fort Huachuca during an attack by Cobra, to whom he surrendered willingly and subsequently joined.
[edit] Rank and File
The vast majority of the Cobra organization is made up of faceless legions of soldiers, widely diversified according to specialties and functions. Some of the more prominent include:
- Cobra Soldiers/Officers - Also known as "Blueshirts", these were the original soldiers introduced in 1982, and were prominently featured on both the cartoon and comic series.
- Crimson Guard - Led by Tomax and Xamot, these elite soldiers were introduced in 1985. Their filecard indicates that in addition to intense military training, they are required to have a degree in either accounting or law (later filecards say they are required to have a non-specific college degree), and are often used in deep cover operations, posing as civilians and politicians. Later toys expanded on the Crimson Guard concept with the release of figures such as the Crimson Guard Immortal, as well as vehicles.
- Cobra Vipers - Introduced in 1986, these infantry soldiers complemented the Blueshirts in both the cartoon and comic series. Their filecard indicates that they are "the backbone of Cobra Legions" and "if you want to get anywhere in Cobra, you have to start out as a Viper." Viper also became the nickname for other rank-and-file Cobra divisions (including their Cobra Trooper and Officer predecessors) due to the fact that most Cobra units, regardless of skill level, wore the suffix "-Viper" as their unit name (Tele-Viper, for example).
- B.A.T.s - Cobra Battle Android Troopers were introduced in 1986 and were used extensively in the cartoon series. Intended as a cheap alternative to using living soldiers, they could be hazardous to both friend and foe according to their filecard.
- Night Creepers - The Night Creepers are a group of ninjas-for-hire with a particular savvy for technology and business, whose leader is named Aleph. There was also a Night Creeper Leader introduced in the DiC animated series and toy line, but whether they are one and the same is unlikely as differences in their personalities suggest otherwise.
[edit] Sigma 6
It is yet to be revealed whether the G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 incarnation of Cobra would make use of any of the aforementioned origins or a totally new one. However, several of the prominent members stated above, such as Cobra Commander, Destro, the Baroness and Zartan are featured prominently in the series. Many of these members are given some form of cybernetic enhancements.
The Sigma 6 version of Cobra maintains BATs as the primary bulk of their army with human personnel acting mostly as technicians.
[edit] Background/Other Appearances
- An international terrorist organization called "Cobra" guest-starred in the Hanna-Barbera "Godzilla" animated series from the early 1980s. It featured a remote island headquarters, blue uniformed troopers, and a few characters who were somewhat similar to ones in Cobra Command. The Filmation "Cobra" predates Hasbro's by some time.
- In the Transformers cartoon, a character known as 'Snake' who looks like and sounds like Cobra Commander begins working with Galvatron as well as for himself in several third season episodes. At the end of one episode he says "they simply don't make terrorists like they used to" and shouts "COBRA!" in the manner of Cobra Commander. He appears to be a much older, semi-retired version of himself, as his shout of "CO-BRAAA!" is followed by harsh coughing and wheezing.
- In the Danger Girl series of comics, the Hammer organization uses quite a few of Cobra's vehicles.
- The Cobra Organization appears in a episode of Robot Chicken (Episode name: Joint Point) where it is made into a documentary where each certain member explains their job in the Terrordrome.
