Snake-Eyes
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This article is about the character from the G.I. Joe series. For other uses, see Snake eyes (disambiguation).
Snake-Eyes is one of the original members and a key character of the G.I. Joe comic book series, and to this day is a fan favorite.
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[edit] A Real American Hero series
Snake-Eyes's real name, place of birth, and most other information about him has remained classified throughout all depictions of his origins; all that is known for certain about his military standing is that he holds the rank of U.S. Army Sergeant First Class (E-7) and has undergone Drill Instructor training. He is also the team's resident hand-to-hand combat instructor. Very little else about his past has been revealed. (According to the character's creator, Larry Hama, no actual, 'unclassified' name was ever given to him.) He was originally billed by Hasbro Toys in 1982 as a "Commando," but by 1984, in the pages of Marvel Comics, it became clear that he was also a full-fledged ninja master. Snake-Eyes is quiet in his movements and is a swift and deadly master of multiple martial arts. He is an expert in the use of the ninjato, which he usually carries in a pair of sheaths strapped to his back (but often uses only one); although he's equally qualified with and willing to use standard weapons like firearms and explosives. Making him even more dangerous is that he has never relied on one set of weapons to the exclusion of others. In keeping with his personality, Snake-Eyes usually wears what could perhaps best be described as a black "military ninja" bodysuit, along with a balaclava and visor to cover his face, which was disfigured in a combat-related accident. Since then, Snake-Eyes has had extensive plastic surgery to repair the damage, but he still has one or two scars left. Although he has always been implied to have been somewhat taciturn by nature, the accident damaged his vocal cords and left him unable to speak. An interesting note is that he seldom is shown using any form of sign language to communicate. It is implied people know what he is thinking or wants to do.
When shown out of his uniform, Snake-Eyes is around six feet tall and athletic in build, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He has a pet wolf named Timber that has appeared several times in toys, comics, and animation.
He is sometimes referred to as the Silent Master, which may be his title from the Clan.
In the comic book series, Snake-Eyes is romantically involved with fellow G.I. Joe member Master Sergeant Shana M. O'Hara a.k.a. Scarlett. He is also a Master Ninja, and has an apprentice, Kamakura.
[edit] Toy history
As of September 2006, he has had 28.5 (27 as Snake-Eyes, 1 as Classified as his real name is still classified, and a 1.5 version of the original with swivel arms) different 3 3/4" figures and 3 12" figures
[edit] Vintage/Modern
Snake-Eyes was one of the original figures created for the 3 3/4" G.I. Joe toy line in 1982. The "Version 2" (or V2) version released in 1985 remains one of the most popular figures among collectors. He has been released in a few play sets, or with movies in the past. A common element in almost all Snake-Eyes figures is that his face is covered (except for the 2005 'Classified' series action figure, depicting him before he was disfigured), and he is both a ninja and a commando (fighting with ninja weapons as well as guns). He has been packaged three times with his wolf, Timber, and is most frequently paired with Storm Shadow when released in multi-packs. Snake-Eyes has been a member of many sub-lines of the G.I. Joe line, such as Ninja Force and Shadow Ninjas. He has also been released in several Hasbro multi-packs such as the Heavy Assault Squad, Winter Operations, and the Desert Patrol Squad Toys 'R' Us exclusive. Snake Eyes' custom Kawasaki Ninja Lightning motorcycle has been sold five times at four different scales: once each at the 3 3/4" Real American Hero scale and the 12", with the remainder in the Sigma Six line (see below).
[edit] 25th Anniversary
Snake-Eyes will be featured in the G.I. Joe team 5 pack for the 25th Anniversary. He will be featured as a Commando, using a completely new mold based heavily on his first design.
[edit] Comics - Original Continuity
[edit] Origin
According to the Marvel comic book mythology, Snake-Eyes comes from the same ninja clan as his adversary Storm Shadow, who was at one time Snake-Eyes' closest friend and sword-brother. The two, along with Stalker, served together in the Vietnam War in a LRRP (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol) unit. While Snake-Eyes served in combat, he always carried a picture of his twin sister with him in his hat. Upon returning home from the war, Snake-Eyes met with General Hawk, who informed Snake-Eyes that his family had been killed in a car accident (which coincidentally involved the brother of the man who would eventually become G.I. Joe's arch-foe, Cobra Commander). After some soul-searching, Snake-Eyes went to study the ninja arts with Storm Shadow's family.
Snake-Eyes’s ability to quickly learn skills especially impressed Storm Shadow’s uncle, the Hard Master. Despite Snake-Eyes deliberately throwing matches, the Hard Master knew who the true victor was. Even Storm Shadow knew this and this fact served to slowly drive a wedge between him and Snake-Eyes.
[edit] Updated Origin by Devils Due
It was stated to make the G.I. Joe team younger, Snake-Eyes and company did not serve in the Vietnam War, but instead in an unnamed conflict in Southeast Asia. This change was put in so that the team now appears timeless, and allows for the characters to exist for 20 plus years of comics.
[edit] G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero - Marvel Comics
(Note: Many of these early stories are retold in the Devil's Due Snake-Eyes: Declassified Mini Series with some updates to the original stories.)
Eventually, Snake-Eyes rejoined his other wartime buddies when he was recruited into G.I. Joe. Once on the team, Snake-Eyes became very close to Scarlett. On a mission in the Middle East, Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Rock 'n Roll and Grunt were sent to save George Strawhacker from COBRA. On the way, the helicopter they were in started to have trouble and was soon going to crash. It forced the Joes to bail out, but Scarlett was stuck in the burning helicopter and Snake-Eyes stayed behind to save his lover. Snake-Eyes saved Scarlett, but a window exploded right in his face, scarring him and damaging his vocal cords (carrying Scarlett out of the wreck of the crashed helicopter, his head is actually on fire). Despite his injuries and the warning from Doc that unless he gets medical help immediately he may never speak again, Snake-Eyes convinced Hawk to let him continue on with the mission. He did so "without even saying a word." His reason for going forward was that George Strawhacker was once engaged to his sister--indeed, no one other than Snake-Eyes might have been able to rescue him from the mission. Strawhacker never learned who the "scarred, masked soldier" who saved his life was.
After many battles with Cobra, Scarlett was captured by Storm Shadow before the famous silent issue, #21. Snake-Eyes rescued Scarlett and battled Storm Shadow for the first time since they had last seen each other. At first, Snake-Eyes was angered by his sword brother's actions, but he was eventually told the truth by Storm Shadow himself. After the Hard Master was killed and Storm Shadow was blamed by the Arashikage, he joined Cobra to find out who was truly behind the murder. After discovering it was Zartan who killed his uncle, Storm Shadow left Cobra and joined G.I. Joe.
Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow would soon team together for some of G.I. Joe's toughest missions, and the bond between them would be both strengthened and tested. In one of the series' most memorable story arcs (entitled the Snake-Eyes Trilogy), The Baroness sought revenge upon Snake-Eyes under the mistaken belief that he had killed her brother in Southeast Asia. She captured Snake-Eyes while he was sedated (recovering from the surgery to repair his face) and shot Scarlett at extreme close range in the process (many feel that Scarlett could not have survived such a wound). Storm Shadow, Stalker and Wade Collins lead a rescue operation coming to the aid of Snake-Eyes while he had already escaped his torture (assembling a new uniform and weapons from those who had been torturing him in the process) and was conducting demolition operations against the COBRA consulate building where he had been imprisoned. After a second rescue mission for George Strawhacker and a run in with the Night Creepers, he is reunited with Scarlett. For the first and only time in many years, Snake-Eyes spoke Scarlett's name. Scarlett was able to recover from her injuries and coma.
As the comic was coming to an end, the final battle that many wanted to see had finally came to a head, Snake-Eyes vs. Cobra Commander. For this battle, which took place in issue 150, Snake-Eyes removed his mask and fought with all his might against an armored Cobra Commander.
Snake-Eyes and Scarlett would continue to serve G.I. Joe until its disbandment, and were present for that ceremony. They were engaged to be married, but events forced Snake-Eyes to desert her.
[edit] The Years In Between
These stories take place after the events of issue 155 of the original Marvel Comics Series, and before the issue 1 of the Reinstatement storyline by Image/Devil's Due Publishing.
[edit] G.I. Joe: Frontline
The first four issues featured Larry Hama's story of one last mission for the original G.I. Joe Team after the official disbandment. This series attempts to clear up a few loose ends from the original series, most specifically that Billy, Storm-Shadow and the Baroness were left under the influence of Cobra as a result of the Brain Wave Scanner. Snake-Eyes is on this mission to save Storm Shadow, and at the end of this series, it is revealed that Storm Shadow is returning to his ways as a Ninja, and will deal with Snake-Eyes when he is ready.
It is also revealed that Timber has passed away during this time period, but Snake-Eyes has a new wolf pup to look after in his place.
[edit] Master & Apprentice
It was revealed in this 4 issue mini-series "Master & Apprentice" that Snake-Eyes and Scarlett were to be married after G.I. Joe disbanded (after the events in Frontline 1-4). Before getting married, Snake-Eyes, Nunchuk and T'Jbang are training Ophelia to be the last of the Arashikage ninja clan. Snake-Eyes receives intel that Firefly will be at a warehouse, so he with Ophelia go to stop him. During this mission, which would serve as her final test, Ophelia is killed by Firefly.
Upon returning home on the day that should have been his wedding, Snake-Eyes hands his ring back to Scarlett and walks away. Lonzo Wilkinson, aka Stalker, was to serve as Snake-Eyes' best man as he knows him best from the time before in the Vietnam War.
After this event, Snake-Eyes again goes into the wilderness where he is approached by Sean Collins, the son of Wade Collins, another Vietnam War buddy. Sean asks Snake-Eyes to train him as a new apprentice as a way to help put himself together after watching his crew also get slaughtered by Firefly on the night Ophelia was killed. Nunchuk and T'Jbang were again present, as well as this time Jinx serving to assist in Sean's education of the history of the clan. Some time later, Jinx and Budo call Snake-Eyes and crew in to investigate new intel on the location of Firefly. He is working for the "Nowhere Man." Of note, while preparing for battle, Snake-Eyes refuses to take any military weapons (guns) and instead only takes Ninja weapons. It is discussed at this time Snake-Eyes has given up his military training to some degree because of all of the loss it has brought him.
Snake-Eyes confronts Firefly who is meeting with another masked ninja. It is then revealed that this ninja is Storm Shadow, who has just taken out Sean.
Sean eventually given the name Kamakura and would later join G.I. Joe. He would be the first character created by Devils Due Comics that would be made into a figure.
[edit] Reinstatement - Devils Due
Snake-Eyes and Scarlett would be reunited again upon G.I. Joe's reinstatement. While initially angry with him, she eventually forgave his actions. The two are again engaged.
Later, after many skirmishes with Cobra, including the return of Serpentor (in which Snake-Eyes was injured in a grenade blast, from which he quickly recovered) and altercations with Storm Shadow, his triumph over the Red Ninja leader Sei Tin which gave Snake-Eyes control of the Red Ninja clan, and a close-call defeat at the hands of the heavily armored Wraith, the team was reduced to a smaller unit, with Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, and Duke in serious trouble. The shadowy cabal of generals in charge, the Jugglers, had Snake-Eyes arrested, and when Duke attempted to blackmail them into giving up their attempts to wrest control of G.I. Joe from the Joes themselves, he joined Snake-Eyes in prison. Secretly however, Scarlett met with Storm Shadow (who had broken free of his mind control) and rescued them from a convoy, escaping to Iceland as vigilantes and hiding out with Scanner until they could figure out just what was going on.
Secretly, they were tailed by former Coil agent Overlord, who was working as a freelance mercenary for the Jugglers. Overlord fatally injured Scanner, and locked the Joes in a bomb shelter until Federal Agents would arrive, but Scanner, in his last moments activated the Icelandic station's self-destruct, killing Overlord in the blast (and saving the Joes, who were in the safe shelter). Days later they were rescued, and came back to assist Flint, Lady Jaye and General Philip Rey in dealing with a new menace, the Red Shadows, while the rest of the short-staffed team cleaned up the Monolith Base victory in Badhikstan (where Barrel Roll recovered in a nearby hospital). When the Red Shadows attempted to assassinate Hawk while he recovered at a mountain camp, Snake-Eyes sent his apprentice, Kamakura to save him, then joining him and getting Hawk to safety. Snake-Eyes was later put his skills to good use in fighting and defeating the Shadows before their plot could go into motion (he even stabbed Wilder Vaughn, although if it hurt the bio-enhanced Vaughn is unknown).
Amidst all this, Snake-Eyes and Kamakura travelled to Asia, to assist sword-brother Storm Shadow in finding his apprentice who had been kidnapped by the Red Ninjas. Snake-Eyes helped him defeat the Red Ninja leader, Sei Tin, but the mission was a failed one. Snake-Eyes relinquished control of the Red Ninjas (which he had won before) to Storm Shadow, bidding him to start the Arashikage anew. Storm Shadow left his clan in T'Jbang's care.
[edit] America’s Elite - Devils Due
Snake-Eyes was an obvious choice to continue the Joe team in its new, sleek covert status of only a handful of members, and when the team was supposed to be "gone", he along with Stalker, Scarlett, Shipwreck, Roadblock, Flint and Duke (and Storm Shadow who also joined them) continued to track down Cobra cells and eliminate them in G.I. Joe: America's Elite.
When Vance Wingfield seemingly returned from the grave and, supplied by Destro, dropped deadly satellites onto major metropolitan areas with MARS equipment, the team scrambled to find answers. Snake-Eyes went his own way, not informing the team where he was going. Suspecting the explosives expert Firefly, he tracked his mortal enemy to the Ground Zero in Chicago, and interrupted Firefly doing an assassination on a gang lord. A fight occurred, but more gangsters arrived and Firefly managed to escape.
Upon returning to The Rock, the newly commissioned Joe base, Snake-Eyes learned that Scarlett had gone missing. Snake-Eyes revealed that both he and Scarlett had implanted tracking devices in on another and only they knew the frequencies. He input the code and was able to track her location and verify her vital signs, but found her to be in the middle of the ocean. The President wouldn't give their new commander, General G.I. Joe Colton permission to launch a side mission with Destro still out there. The rest of the Joes (with the exception of Duke, also missing) agreed to accompany him on an "unofficial" rescue mission which they termed "shore leave", and Shipwreck lead them to Destro's titanic submarine, the Cataclysm. Together, Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes rematched against Wraith, but Wraith still managed to keep ahead of them, then disappearing into the shadows. Elsewhere on the ship, Destro assessed the situation, realized the Joes would win against his Iron Grenadiers, and escaped, but not before he ordered his own giant sub to be scuttled and flooded.
Snake-Eyes was killed saving the lives of his comrades in an attempt to rescue Scarlett (who a cold-hearted Destro had planned to use as bait for the Joes). However, the rescue was successful. Later, his body was stolen from the Joe headquarters moments after the team's return, and it has been revealed that the Red Ninjas were the culprits. While Scarlett and the rest of the Joes went searching for clues as to who stole the ninja master's body, the Red Ninjas used mystical arts to revive Snake-Eyes, who has now become one of them.
The Joe team faced a ninja in Red armor that looked like Snake-Eyes and were quickly beaten. Kamukura comments that he cannot be Snake-Eyes, but he fights identically to him. Storm Shadow, Stalker and Kamukura were dropped into a sewer and are chased the red Ninja. Snake-Eyes defeated them all, then engaged in a one-on-one battle with Storm Shadow. Meanwhile, it was discovered that T'JBang has had his mind "exchanged" with Sei Tin, thus explaining T'Jbang's evil mechanations.
As Storm Shadow fought Snake-Eyes throughout the complex, Storm Shadow tried reasoning with his friend. Eventually, Storm Shadow held an escaped Scarlett at his swords edge, commanding Snake-Eyes to choose between killing him, saving Scarlett or remaining a part of the Red Ninja clan. Snake-Eyes responded by wounding Storm Shadow, but not killing him. This act has caused Snake-Eyes to return to his normal self, and he subsequently re-joined the Joes, though Storm Shadow is now healing.
Shortly after, Scarlett observed as Snake-Eyes (In a Commando Oriented Uniform) tested himself in a training session, seemingly abandoning all of his Ninja training and focusing sole on his military training instead. Following the session, Scarlett unmasked Snake-Eyes and was shocked at the sight, exclaiming, "Oh my god...what did they do to you?!" It has not yet been revealed what the Red Ninja clan did to Snake-Eyes' face.
Later, Snake-Eyes reveals a secret that he learned from Storm Shadow to Scarlett, who then tells him to reveal it to Stalker as well; the Baroness is still alive, and being held captive within the Rock.
After this, Scarlett, Stalker and Snake-Eyes confront General Colton on the validity of everything, and accuse him of lying. The argument comes to a close quickly as the team is then attacked by the new Phoenix Guard team lead by General Philip Rey (Former G.I. Joe Leader). Colton mentions he has a place to go and hide, which Scarlett again accuses him of having more secrets. Snake-Eyes calms her by simply placing his hand on her shoulder. They then lie in wait where Kamukura meets them to tell them of what has happened.
The Joe team fights the Phoneix Guard and learn that they are in fact Cobra Agents using Zartan's Disguise techniques provided by Zarana. The next day, Joseph Colton orders everyone to a mandatory 4 day break. Snake-Eyes and Kamukura go on a retreat, while Scarlett goes to Atlanta. While on retreat, Kamukura talks with Snake-Eyes about the recent events, and tries to rationalize that Snake-Eyes could not have died, but must have put himself into a trance. He then argues that Snake-Eyes should not have give up his Ninja skills, and that he wishes to work with him to restore his faith. Snake-Eyes remains unresponsive throughout this conversation.
Snake-Eyes returns to active duty (still as a commando) and investigates a medial facility with Stalker and Scarlett, where they find a fatally injured Scalpel, who informs them that the Baroness is on the loose and will stop at nothing to have revenge on both G.I. Joe and Cobra.
[edit] Side Missions
These are missions that occur at some point during the Main America's Elite Missions, but not necessarily are they tied directly into the current storyline.
[edit] Arashikage Showdown
Published by Devils Due, this story involves Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow.
[edit] Special Missions: Antarctica
Snake-Eyes is part of the core G.I. Joe team, along with Duke, Stalker, and Scarlett that are called in to investigate an Extensive Enterprises venture in Antarctica after a ship off of the coast of Australia is found carrying Oil with their Logo. Upon arrival and meeting reservists Frost-Bite, Snow-Job and Iceburg, Scarlett complains of the cold and it is noted that similar to when he was in Norway (Frontlines #5) Snake-Eyes is not bothered by the cold. As the mission progresses, the Joe team eventually finds themselves at the Base of the Corsican Twins (Tomax and Xamot) the team splits up. Snake-Eyes goes with Snow Job and infiltrates the base. Snow-Job is an extensive talker, and he is very uncomfortable, to go so far as to mention Snake-Eyes creeps him out, when paired with a non-talker. Snake-Eyes and Snow-Job infiltrate the main board room and fight a Hologram of the twins before chasing Tomax outside to a drilling machine. The Joes finally best the Cobra Operatives and then head off to Hawaii for a second mission (Backup Story) where the fate of Xamot is revealed.
[edit] Animated series appearances
[edit] A Real American Hero
[edit] Sunbow Series
Unlike his comic book counterpart, Snake-Eyes did not play any major role in the TV series save for the mini-series specials and a couple of episodes. During the first mini series, some of his origins were explored, but only how he came to have Timber. He was always portrayed as a trusted and loyal teammate, and even proved to have a sense of humor, as seen when he dressed up like Boy George in the Pyramid of Darkness mini-series.
Fans attribute the small role he played in this series to the idea that the show's writers did not have a "feel" for Snake-Eyes, and may have felt too limited by a non-speaking character. Also, his relationship with Scarlett was never explored beyond the initial mini-series. Additionally, his rivalry with Storm Shadow was nonexistent, the ninja instead picking fights with such characters as Spirit and Quick Kick.
[edit] G.I. Joe: The Movie
[edit] Intro
This movie opened with a 3 Minute animated feature set to an extended version of the Sunbow theme song that, for the first time stated by introducing Cobra, and later showing G.I. Joe as they force that can save the day. It begins with Cobra forces, lead by Cobra Commander (not Serpentor), attacking the Statue of Liberty at night. The G.I. Joe team is made up of everyone from Season 2 of the series. Snake-Eyes is shown in a few scenes. He knocks a Cobra Trooper out of a trouble bubble that he then uses against Cobra, and later is in place for Alpine to hook on for a ride. Snake-Eyes inexplicably ends up on the base of the Statue of Liberty attacking other Cobras near the end of this introduction, and at the end is shown on the crown with the rest of the team.
[edit] Movie
Snake-Eyes is shown in the G.I. Joe: The Movie, but like all Sunbow animated shows, he is only a backup character. He did not have a prominent role. One of the few times he is shown during the invasion of Cobra-La, where he was trapped by the living plant defenses.
[edit] DiC series
Snake-Eyes was a character shown during the later parts of the series. He did have a few key episodes, and at this time was shown to be working with his blood brother Storm Shadow who now was a member of the G.I.Joe Ninja Force. Snake-Eyes was honored more in this series as a master ninja, but little more of his origins or his relationships were explored before this series ended.
[edit] Comics - Alternate Realities/Continuities
Snake-Eyes is a very popular member of the G.I. Joe team, and as such has been featured in many of the alternate reality/continuity based stories of G.I. Joe.
[edit] G.I. Joe Reloaded
This was a regular series published by Devils Due that was in a new continuity, not touching on anything that happened before. This series explored G.I. Joe being created today to fight Cobra, and explored many differences from established continuity. The biggest aspect was that Duke was a Cobra agent. Snake-Eyes was (possibly, it was implied but never stated) a former member of Cobra who defected and decided to assist G.I. Joe instead. It is possible that Cobra merely tried to recruit him, claiming him as their own. On the Joe team, he was a wild card, and did not completely work with the team, and was suspected of being a traitor.
[edit] G.I. Joe vs. The Transformers
This series, as of 2007, is published by Devils Due and made up of 4 mini series that involve the Transformers meeting G.I. Joe for the first time in an alternate Continuity. These series do not take into account any crossovers between G.I. Joe and the Transformers in previous Marvel Continuity.
[edit] G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
This series explores the Cobra finding the Autobots and Decepticons onboard the Ark and using them as their ultimate weapons in their plan to conquer the world. It is actually because of the Cobra invasion that G.I. Joe is organized. Snake-Eyes, along with Hawk and Stalker, were assigned to a group of soldiers protecting a peace conference in Washington, D.C, when it was attacked by Cobra.
Snake-Eyes is terribly scarred, and loses his voice, when a Cobra Commander controlled Starscream shoots Cover Girl's missile tank out from under him. His family is also killed during the attack. During the assault on Cobra Island, Snake-Eyes gets a measure of revenge when he slices open one of Starscream's optics and shoves a grenade into the socket.
During the final part of the first mini Snake-Eyes is given a Cybertronian-based Mech that allows him to fight the much larger Decepticons, as well as Cobra agents in Decepticon suits.
Ironically, the Snake-Eyes in this continuity was mentioned as being extremely talkative, to the point that Hawk sometimes called him chatterbox. However, in keeping with Snake-Eyes' character as being silent, it turns out that before Cobra's initial attack, Hawk makes a bet with his soldiers that Snake-Eyes can keep silent for the whole mission. The only sound Snake-Eyes ever makes is a stifled laugh.
[edit] G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II
The second mini focused on Several Transformers being sent back in time to various time periods, which forced Joes and Cobras to team up to retrieve them.
[edit] G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: The Art of War (Vol 3)
During the third miniseries it is shown that Snake-Eyes has a love interest with Scarlett. Scarlett returned those feelings to Snake-Eyes with a passionate kiss after he rescues her from a Decepticon Prison. In the final issue of the this miniseries, it is seemingly confirmed that they are in a relationship.
[edit] G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: Black Horizon (vol 4)
[edit] Issue 1
During this forth miniseries, Snake-Eyes is only shown in one scene as still being an active member of the Joe team along with Flint, Lady Jaye and leader Duke. At the end , the Joe team has been called in as reinforcements to face the threat of Cobra-La, Dr. Mindbender, the Decepticon Pretenders (lead by Bludgeon) and the Chaos Bringer (Unicron).
[edit] Issue 2
Snake-Eyes appears briefly as a side character in this issue (similar to his appearance in the movie featuring Cobra-La). He is shown fighting several of the Royal Guards, but does not have a prominent role in stopping the threat.
[edit] Transformers/G.I. Joe
This series was originally planned to print at the same time as the G.I. Joe vs. The Transformers Minis. This series was being published by Dreamwave Productions until they went bankrupt. As of 2006 only the first mini-series was completed. The second series, Divided Front, was planned and in progress, but only the first issue was released before Dreamwave closed. At this time, it is not known if the remainder of the series will be released by IDW Publishing, the new license holder of Transformers, because all titles run by Dreamwave are currently held up in bankruptcy court, and as such none can be further developed by anyone. The story features the Transformers meeting the Joe team in 1939, where he was prominent in defeating the Decepticons by opening the Matrix, and then again in the 1980s for the second mini. Snake-Eyes was a member of the team in 1939, but is somehow still in fighting shape for the second mini-series. It would seem likely that the Snake-Eyes in Vol. 2 is a descendant, but due to Dreamwave going under, the true answer may never be known as this was not revealed in the first issue. It can be speculated that this series may have continued into more volumes if DreamWave had not closed down, but that is only a speculation based on the trend with the Devil's Due Comics.
[edit] G.I. Joe vs. Cobra direct-to-video movies
Snake-Eyes is one of the G.I. Joe members in all of the direct to video CG movies. The continuity of these movies are not believed to tie to the previous history, and more directly lead into the events of Sigma Six. The main difference between these movies and previous continuity from DiC, Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow are again on opposite sides fighting each other. Storm Shadow is again working for Cobra, where he was last on G.I. Joe. This is primarily due to the reboot when action figures were re-released with the toning down on the number of ninjas on both teams.
[edit] Spy Troops
Snake-Eyes is shown throughout this movie. He has some relationship with Scarlet as he is a part of the team the goes to rescue her after she is taken hostage by Zartan, but it is not fully explored. He is also shown fighting his rival Storm Shadow to save the team. This marks Snake-Eyes first appearance as a major character in an animated movie.
[edit] Valor vs. Venom
Snake-Eyes is seen as the master to both of his apprentices Jinx and Kamukura for the first time in animated continuity. He again battles Storm Shadow, and several of the new Ninjas that work for Cobra. Again, he is seen as a major character in this movie. Again, Snake-Eye's relationship with Scarlett is hinted at in this movie, but not overly developed as it is more action oriented.
[edit] Ninja Battles
A new Ninja Apprentice (who later takes the code name Tiger Claw) is joining the G.I.Joe team and learns of Snake-Eyes' and Storm Shadows's past in the Arashikage Clan. This movie serves to explain the rivalry between the two ninjas to some degree, and shows how they deal with each other to this day. Most of the movie is narration over original artwork and some scenes from the previous two movies, as well as some new footage at the end. This movie is not in the same continuity as the comics, and events here do not seem to progress into Sigma Six.
[edit] Sigma 6
[edit] Toy History
Snake-Eyes again makes his appearance as part of this toy series. As of September 2006, he has had 7 8" Sigma Six Commando Scale Figures and been packaged with 6 different 2.5" Sigma Six Mission Sets (Most are Posed and do not have additional accessories, made at this scale for large vehicles of the Sigma Six Line). Snake Eyes' custom motorcycle has been sold at the 8" scale, with the ability to transform into a hover cycle and equipped with many hidden weapons, and twice at the 2.5" scale. He has been sold with Timber once, at the 8" scale, and this is the first incarnation of Timber which was fully poseable, rather than being a solid molded piece.
[edit] Animated series
Snake-Eyes is part of the Sigma 6 team. His background history has been substantially changed from the A Real American Hero series but still shares a connection with Storm Shadow, who referred to him as "brother". It is unclear if this is a blood connection or if they are sword brothers, like in the original series. Although Storm Shadow is a brainwashed COBRA agent, he blames Snake-Eyes for the ruin of the Arashikage ninja clan. As is in the original series, Snake-Eyes is mute, however the reason for this, like in the original series, is not explored.
During a battle in the fourth episode of the first season, Storm Shadow said, "What's the matter, Snake-Eyes? Getting tired? Face it, you're past your prime." This may indicate that Snake-Eyes is older than Storm Shadow or that he was simply experiencing fatigue from battling the COBRA B.A.T.s for quite a considerable amount of time. While the A Real American Hero cartoon series never showed Snake-Eyes's true face, the Sigma 6 continuity took some visual cues from the ARAH comics. In one episode when Snake-Eyes was fighting Storm Shadow, Snake-Eyes's visor partially broke and it appears that this Snake-Eyes has blond hair, blue eyes, and his face is not burned. However, he does have a scar near his eye as a result of a training accident.
In the season finale of Season One, it is hinted to some degree that Snake-Eyes has some interest in Scarlett as he goes out of his way to save her and put her out of harms way before moving on to complete his mission.
In the opening of Season Two, he meets Firefly for the first time. Snake-Eyes does not seem to trust Firefly, which is a good thing since Firefly is later revealed to be a spy.
In the sixth episode of Season Two, Snake-Eyes faces off against a pack of wolves. After saving one, it begins to work with him, helping him throughout the episode. Although it is not named, it is possible that this wolf is Timber as it shares a physical resemblance to previous incarnations. This is supported when, shortly afterward, a new Arctic Sigma Six figure of Snake-Eyes was released with Timber, the figure's bio card describing the plot from this episode. At the end of the episode, the wolf is seen howling atop a hill near Sigma Six headquarters.
In this series, both Jinx and Kamakura serve as Snake-Eyes's apprentices, and G.I. Joe reserve members, which can be seen as a continuation from the Direct to DVDs Movie Continuity.
[edit] Comics mini-series
This comic series was a 6 issue mini-series released by Devils Due with direct connection to the new Animated TV Series. Like the Animated TV Series, this comic line does not tie into the continuity of the original G.I. Joe universe. Each issue focused on 1 or 2 Joes fighting 1 or more Cobra Agents.
Snake-Eyes appeared in the first issues as a cameo, but took center stage in issue 6, where he was paired against Storm Shadow. The main plot of this issue, Storm Shadow has been wining a very elite contest for a few years now, and during the most recent, he steals a new Artificial Intelligence Tracking Device that can learn someone's behavior, and later predict it, making attacks on people of power very easy. Snake-Eyes is sent in to stop Storm Shadow, but is too late. Storm Shadow decides to put honor first, and agrees if Snake-Eyes beats him in combat, he will hand over the chip and leave. After an action packed fight, in which several times Snake-Eyes is taken down, Snake-Eyes is eventually the victor, and receives the chip, as Storm Shadow agreed.
A few items of note in this issue. Again, Storm Shadow refers to Snake-Eyes as Brother, but nothing mores made of this. Storm Shadow breaks Snake-Eyes' Helmet/Headgear partially exposing Snake-Eyes' face, which again is shown to be of a Blond American. No scaring is seen at this time.
[edit] Trivia
- Snake-Eyes has appeared in the most issues of the G.I. Joe Comic, which is a big difference from his animated appearances.
- Snake-Eyes was so popular in the 1990s that the G.I. Joe Comic by Marvel was actually listed as starring him from issue 135 to issue 145. For these issues, he was placed in the top left hand corner of the comic by the issue number
- Snake-eyes spoke one word in the Marvel series.
- Snake-Eyes real name has never been revealed. His face has been shown on a small number of occasions.
- He has appeared in each and every other world continuity for at least a cameo.
- He has appeared in each animated series for at least a cameo.
- An unknown actor played Snake-Eyes in the live action commercials that aired as promotions during the early 1990s.
