G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #153

G.I. Joe #153
"Shadow of the B.A.T."
Attribution
Writer(s)	Eric Fein; Peter Quinones
Penciller(s)	William Rosado
Inker(s)	Jack Snider
Letterer(s)	Vickie Williams
Colorist(s)	Chi
Editor(s)	Mike Lackey
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Publication date	October 1994
Pages	22
General information
Continuity	A Real American Hero comics continuity
Series	G.I. Joe
Preceded by	G.I. Joe RAH #152
Followed by	G.I. Joe RAH #154

Scarlett is pursued by a new type of B.A.T.

Detailed summary

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Dr. Knox is creating a new, deadlier type of B.A.T., but when she asks an opinion about it from a Cyber-Viper and a Tele-Viper, the Tele-Viper just makes a subtle comment about Knox's looks, which she ignores. After the Cyber-Viper announces that the B.A.T.'s brain is already functioning, Dr. Knox charges it with hunting Scarlett, whose encoded brainwaves will allow it to find her.

In Salt Lake City, Scarlett is thinking about how she and Snake-Eyes need vacations, when she trips with another woman. While Scarlett tries to apologize, the woman behaves rudely to her. A Cobra agent sees them from a balcony, and informs Dr. Knox.

Dr. Knox releases the B.A.T. from a Cobra transport helicopter, with orders to terminate Scarlett with extreme prejudice. The B.A.T. attacks Scarlett, but the ever-ready Scarlett takes her weapon and strikes back. The B.A.T. crushes Scarlett's weapon, but she escapes to a nearby construction site, where she manages to throw the B.A.T. to a cement mixer. The cement causes Dr. Knox to lose the B.A.T.'s monitoring signal, so the copter begins to fly lower, trying to recover the signal. Scarlett attacks the copter with a rivet gun, so the copter begins to shoot her. Scarlett escapes the copter only to find the B.A.T. still functioning.

Scarlett makes some beams fall on the B.A.T., which render the B.A.T.'s brainwave tracking system inoperative and its optic sensors partially functioning. Brenda, the woman Scarlett tripped before (who is very similar to Scarlett herself) arrives at the construction site, since she's the wife of one of the workers. The B.A.T.'s damaged optics make Brenda look identical to Scarlett, so she becomes the B.A.T.'s new target!

At that same moment, Scarlett takes control of a garbage truck, which she runs against the B.A.T., saving Brenda. The B.A.T. falls into the garbage truck, so Scarlett uses this chance to activate the truck and crush the B.A.T.. The B.A.T.'s demise is confirmed by the short-circuit of Dr. Knox's control panel. Even though the furious Knox wants to kill Scarlett with her bare hands, the arrival of a squad of G.I. Joe Razor-Blade helicopters dissuade her from doing it, so she escapes. Brenda, rather than being thankful to Scarlett fir saving her, behaves as rudely as before and threatens to sue Scarlett. Since the B.A.T.'s head looks still intact, Scarlett takes it to be analyzed by G.I. Joe technicians.

After this experience, Scarlett feels proud of having single-handedly taken down a virtually unstoppable war toy. However, the experience also strengthens her need for vacation.

Appearances

Featured Characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

G.I. Joe	Cobra	Civilians
Scarlett (5)	B.A.T. (1) Cobra agent (7) Cobra pilot (8) Cyber-Viper (3) Dr. Knox (2) Tele-Viper (4)	Brenda (6)

Featured Vehicles & Equipment

G.I. Joe	Cobra	Civilian
Razor-Blade	Cobra transport copter	Garbage truck

Memorable quotes

"You think, my dear Scarlett. Therefore you are... the target."

--Dr Knox paraphrases René Descartes

Other Notes

Errors

• The brainwave chip the B.A.T. uses to follow Scarlett is said to have been recorded while Scarlett was a Cobra prisoner during issues #140 and #141. However, those issues showed her as infiltrated in Cobra, receiving medical care. She escaped before her cover was blown, so she never was officially a prisoner.
• If Scarlett is on vacation, why is she wearing her battle uniform beneath a trenchcoat and carrying an Uzi?

Items of note

• First appearance: Dr. Knox; Razor-Blade.
• One of the few issues not written by Larry Hama.
  • Eric Fein was a writer and editor for Marvel Comics, working mostly on Web of Spider-Man.
• This story was written more than year before the issue saw print. As the book began to wind down, Marvel began burning through its backlog of purchased-but-unpublished "filler" stories.
• The title of the issue is a pun on the DC Comics series Shadow of the Bat.
• The B.A.T. looks very similar to a T-800 from the Terminator films.
• This issue features a pin-up of Dusty.
• This model of B.A.T. has never been released as a figure.

Real-world references

• When Scarlett uses the sledgehammer on the B.A.T., she says it's "hammer time."
• Not only does the B.A.T. look like a T-800, he's defeated in a similar manner.