Snake-Eyes helps Storm Shadow into a healing trance, then heads to the Cobra Consulate building to drive Cobra Commander out. A battle between the Joes and Cobra in the Middle East begins.
Apparent Conclusions
Lt. Falcon leads a successful attack on Cobra Terrordromes in Trucial Abysmia but faces a Cobra rage during their escape. In New York, Snake-Eyes arrives at the hospital to see Scarlett, who is missing. He later finds her with Stalker and Hawk, who explain recent events. Meanwhile, in Trucial Abysmia, the Joes are surrounded by HISS II tanks and Maggots, and Breaker's radio is destroyed.
Snake-Eyes takes Stalker to his hideout at Columbia University, where he uses an Arashikage mind set to stabilize Storm Shadow, who is injured. In Trucial Abysmia, the Joes are forced to surrender to Tomax and Xamot, who beat up Duke. Snake-Eyes confronts Cobra Commander with a knife at his throat and asks him to leave NY and never return. Hawk meets General Crowther at the National Archives and tells him to forget about Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow, and Stalker.
In the end, Snake-Eyes, Stalker, Scarlett, Storm Shadow, and Marina bring her to live with the family of Wade Collins, a Vietnam vet who was in the long-range recon patrol with them. The family welcomes Marina, and she is disappointed that Scarlett and Snake-Eyes won't be adopting her but soon accepts them as her Aunt and Uncle.
The young Collins boy introduces himself as "Shaun" rather than "Sean."
Items of note
Snake-Eyes' sensory deprivation tank was last seen in G.I. Joe #2.
We finally see Snake-Eyes' collection of spike-knuckled trench knives, last mentioned in issue 18.
His retreat also houses Kwinn's machine gun, and the famous "bullethole" photo of Terri.
When Duke spits in Tomax's eye, Xamot reacts as well by closing the same eye. The twins’ psychic connection is show via the movement marks next to Xamot’s head
Tomax and Xamot say if they have their way, Duke will never leave Trucial Abysmia. While Duke will, they'll be getting their wish in the case of many of the other Joes present... to their horror.
Magda and The White Clown are above the fold on the cover of a newspaper in Washington DC? Must have been a slow news day.
Stalker mentions "those guys who battle supernatural slime" when the Joes reach Columbia University. Columbia's campus was used (unnamed) in the early scenes of Ghostbusters.
Footnotes and References
↑This issue begins the G.I. Joe Dossiers, profiles of Joes and Cobra, as a regular feature. Thus, the standard 22-page pagecount is reduced.
