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The Brainwave Scanner is a Cobra device from the A Real American Hero comics continuity.
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When Cobra Commander needed to ensure the loyalty of his underlings, he turned to Dr. Venom's Brainwave Scanner.

Features[]

General Characteristics[]

Performance[]

The Brainwave Scanner worked by flashing images in front of a captured individual, recording the corresponding brain-wave signature the target associated with that picture. Once a personalised vocabulary had been recorded and digitised, Dr. Venom planned to be able to reverse the process to read the subject's thoughts and project that information as a visual image.[1]

Fiction[]

Comics Continuity[]

Marvel Comics[]

After Snake Eyes, Scarlett, and Zap were captured by Cobra and taken to Springfield, Dr. Venom used the Brainwave Scanner on Snake Eyes. Venom hoped to learn the location of The Pit, the G.I. Joe Team's headquarters. Venom learned of some of Snake Eyes' past, but the commando fought hard to obscure the location of The Pit from his captors. Using a technique known as the "Way of the Inner Anvil," Snake Eyes stilled his breath and heartbeat to the point where Dr. Venom and the guards believed he was dead. As he was freed from the machine, Snake Eyes overpowered his captors and escaped, linking up with Scarlett and Zap before leaving Springfield in a Cobra aircraft.[1]

Venom uses technology from the Scanner in the creation of the SNAKE robots. This enables Venom to control anyone who wears the armor. He is able to control Snake-Eyes and Kwinn and use them in battle with the Joes. However, Snake-Eyes uses his prior experience with the Scanner to break free.[2]

After Venom's death, the Scanner is not seen again until Cobra Commander uses it to probe his son Billy's mind to find out who aided him in a foiled attempt to kill the Commander. Like Snake-Eyes, Billy is able to resist the Scanner and Cobra Commander is forced to call off the interrogation when Billy starts remembering watching the Commander start Cobra.[3] When Dr. Mindbender joined Cobra, he borrowed the Brainwave Scanner to use in the creation of Serpentor. Mindbender had his own brain scanned so that Serpentor would be familiar with modern tactics and politics. He was not aware of the pain associated with being scanned and passed out. No sooner was he unstrapped then the Joe Ripcord was placed in the Scanner so they could find out if he warned the Joes where Cobra headquarters is. They confirmed Ripcord had alerted the Joes just as the attack on Springfield began.[4]

Mindbender later redesigned the Scanner, debuting the new design in a Terror Drome in Sierra Gordo. Ironically, Snake-Eyes is subjected to the Scanner when he infiltrates the Terror Drome disguised as Flint. A team of Joes led by Stalker try to rescue Snake-Eyes but fail when Stalker is injured.[5] Scarlett teams with a reformed Storm Shadow to rescue Snake-eyes when he is transferred to the Cobra Consulate Building in New York. While there, Snake-Eyes once again uses his ninja techniques on the Scanner, this time overloading it.[6]

In the Cobra town of Broca Beach, Baroness and Zarana use the Brainwave Scanner to brainwash Clutch and Rock & Roll.[7] Cobra Commander uses multiple copies of the Brainwave Scanner to brainwash the residents of the town of Millville.[citation needed] The Baroness herself is subjected to the Scanner when Cobra Commander captures her during an attempt to kill Destro.[8] Firefly uses another Scanner to brainwash both Joe and Cobra ninjas in an attempt to overthrow Cobra Commander.[9]

After Dr. Mindbender returns, he and Cobra Commander use the Scanner to brainwash Storm Shadow, Baroness, and Billy into rejoining Cobra.[10]

Devil's Due[]

The Joes sabotage the Scanner and as a result, Billy, Destro, Baroness, and Zartan all break free from Cobra Commander's control.[11] Storm Shadow is not so lucky and Cobra Commander is able to keep him control through repeated sessions in the Scanner. Storm Shadow is able to resist for small periods of time and is able to warn Snake-Eyes when cobra Commander orders an assassination attempt on Hawk.[12] Storm Shadow finally breaks free long enough to flee to Los Angeles, but despite the efforts of Snake-Eyes, Billy, and Kamakura, Cobra Commander uses a handheld version of the Scanner to re-brainwash Storm Shadow.[13]

Animated Continuity[]

Valor vs. Venom[]

One of the action figure versions of Overkill comes with a small stretcher like version of the Brainwave Scanner. This version of the Scanner is featured in the Valor vs. Venom animated movie. Overkill and Cobra Commander use the Scanner to interrogate the captive Hawk.

See Also[]

Footnotes[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 A Nice Little Town Like Ours
  2. G.I. Joe: a Real American Hero (vol.1)#19
  3. G.I. Joe: a Real American Hero (vol.1)#35
  4. G.I. Joe: a Real American Hero (vol.1)#49
  5. G.I. Joe: a Real American Hero (vol.1)#54-55
  6. G.I. Joe: a Real American Hero Annual#3
  7. G.I. Joe: a Real American Hero (vol.1)#90
  8. G.I. Joe: a Real American Hero (vol.1)#115
  9. G.I. Joe: a Real American Hero (vol.1)#127
  10. G.I. Joe: a Real American Hero (vol.1)#150
  11. G.I. Joe: Frontline#4
  12. G.I. Joe: a Real American Hero (vol.2)#6-8
  13. G.I. Joe: a Real American Hero (vol.2)#20-21


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