Cobra Island
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Cobra Island is the main base of operations for the fictional Cobra Organization featured in the G.I. Joe toyline from the 1980s. It is featured in both the cartoon and comics.
[edit] Marvel Comics
In the comics, it is in the Gulf of Mexico. The island was the result of a plan by Crimson Guard scientist Professor Appel. Information in Appel's home led the Joes to attack an underwater bunker with a massive drop of non-nuclear bombs. The attack triggered a faultline which released underground stresses and made an area of the bed of the Gulf of Mexico rise above sea level. Cobra troops and G.I. Joe troops fought on the island; the G.I. Joes had nearly won when they were called off by politicians, and Cobra took the island. Crimson Guard members/lawyers gained it sovereign nation status at the U.N..
The island serves as the central headquarters for Cobra. It is the sight of multiple Cobra-Joe confrontations, many concerning airspace. As an actual nation, it was forbidden for the G.I.Joe team to violate it's airspace, though of course Cobra had no qualms about spying on U.S. soil.
In issue #46, many features are seen, such as a Terrordrome and a dedicated surgical hospital.
One of the main features is a land-locked freighter, which is used as a base of operations. It is also used to host visiting dignitaries. Another is a well-equipped airfield. A civil war breaks out between Cobra forces, which rages across the island for some time. The control of the airfield becomes a major turning point. The Joes move in and help quell the disturbance. Many high-ranking Cobra officers die as a result of the war.
Cobra Commander later abandons the island. Sometime later it was taken over by Firefly, then again deserted.
[edit] Devil's Due
Following Cobra's defeat in 1994, Cobra Island was captured by U.N. forces. It served as the base of operations for Serpentor and The Coil and was purchased by Tomax and Xamot to serve as Cobra's headquarters before the organization moved to the Monolith Base. The island was destroyed when the G.I. Joe team drops a nuclear weapon on it.
[edit] Cartoon
In the cartoon, the island's location and origins were never explained. It debuted in the second season mini-series "Arise Serpentor, Arise" as Cobra's main headquarters.
