Cobra II Part 3: Fangs
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"Cobra II Part 3: Fangs" | |||||||||||||
Publisher | IDW Publishing | ||||||||||||
First published | March 31, 2010 | ||||||||||||
Cover date | March 2010 | ||||||||||||
Written by | Mike Costa & Christos Gage | ||||||||||||
Line-art by | Antonio Fuso | ||||||||||||
Colors by | Lovern Kindzierski | ||||||||||||
Letters by | Neil Uyetake | ||||||||||||
Editor | Andy Schmidt | ||||||||||||
Assistant editor | Carlos Guzman |
Chuckles prepares to make his move on Cobra High Command while Erika fears that her superiors have noticed her wavering loyalties.
Synopsis[edit | edit source]
As he hikes through the woods, Max loudly gripes to himself about how Chuckles has underestimated him. For whatever reason, he can be trusted to formulate escape plans, acquire untraceable getaway vehicles, cover his trail, and explain three day disappearances among many other things, but he can't be trusted to be discreet about helping him more directly make a move on Cobra. Just then, a sword suddenly appears in front of his throat. Grabbing him from behind, Chameleon asks Max if he'll talk with her as much as he talks to himself...
It's been three days since she met with Crystal Ball and Erika Le Tene feels like she's losing her mind. Ever since that meeting, she's spent every waking moment of her life wondering if the next moment is going to be her last. In an organization that rules by terror and fear, she now finds herself wondering how her fellow Cobras can stand living like this. While not all of them show it, Max certainly does, and seeing that piece of herself reflected back at her is almost more than Erika can bear. As he stammers through the financial information he's trying to relay to her, Erika snaps at Max and questions why she, the long-time adjunct to two high ranking officers of Cobra, is having her time wasted by some unimportant kid who barely understands the briefing he's supposed to be giving her. Max meekly apologizes to Erika, which causes her to apologize for her behavior. She then asks to follow up on the conversation they had a few days ago, wanting to know if her financial assets could be transferred to some sort of nonprofit or charity rather than back into Cobra in the event of her death. When Max raises an eyebrow at this, Erika immediately drops the subject and asks that he continue with the briefing. Later, Erika spots Max in the hall speaking with Crystal Ball and immediately becomes worried that he's telling Crystal Ball all about how she seems to be cracking under pressure. As she watches them speak, Xamot approaches Erika from behind and assures her that they're not talking about her. Though she denies thinking that, Xamot knows she's been on edge ever since the inquisition but wants her to know that she has nothing to worry about. Crystal Ball and Max are just father and son, after all, why would they be talking about her?
At his camp out in the Russian wilderness, Chuckles readies himself for his coming attack on Cobra's mansion. As he does push-ups, he's approached by Chameleon. Asked about whether or not she hurt Max, Chameleon informs Chuckles that she didn't. He folded pretty easy and answered all the questions she had about Cobra and Chuckles, making her wonder what he was thinking recruiting someone so soft. Denying that he actually "recruited" him, Chuckles suggests Chameleon go pull Max out, lest he actually get hurt when he makes his move on the mansion. Asking if he realizes she's not going to let him go through with this insane stunt to take out all of Cobra's High Command, Chameleon assures Chuckles this a mission that the whole of G.I. Joe can handle. Chuckles, however, invites her to stop him, as the resulting struggle between them will almost assuredly set off the claymores he's set up around his camp and thus let Cobra know something is up, resulting in High Command slipping right through the Joes' fingers. Chameleon continues trying to get it through to Chuckles that her mission is to get him out of there so he can share his irreplaceable intel with the Joes, but taking down Cobra once and for all is the only mission Chuckles cares about. Since she's not getting through to him, Chameleon resignedly tells Chuckles she's going to go save Max.
Shortly after receiving her new dress for that night's ceremony, Erika is summoned to Tomax's office. There, he informs Erika that, despite her being scheduled to receive a promotion during the event, she will not be attending the ceremony. He and Xamot have received word that Chuckles has set up a camp nearby the manor and are dispatching a Viper team to deal with him, a Viper team that they want Erika to accompany so she can redeem herself. Though she tries to raise an objection, Tomax cuts her off and reminds her that second chances are a rarity in Cobra. As she heads down to the motor pool and meets with the Vipers, Xamot appears as well and calls her over to him. Xamot then leans in close and whispers something into Erika's ear, which causes her to then turn around and order the Vipers to go on without her. While the lead Viper claims he'd been given explicit instructions by Tomax, Erika says Xamot just gave her new orders and asks what business a lowly foot soldier like him has questioning one of the Paolis.
Whatever Xamot said to Erika, it's got her scared. Scared enough to make a mad dash through the halls of the mansion, taking advantage of everyone being at the ceremony with only a skeleton crew watching security. And with everyone at the ceremony, she can safely escape the mansion through the sewers without having to worry about Croc Master... or so she thought. Informing her that no one is allowed through the sewers, Croc Master likes Erika enough to give her a chance to turn around and walk away. When she refuses, Croc Master fires his harpoon gun at Erika and prepares to feed her to his pets. However, the body armor she had on under her clothes blocked the harpoon, meaning she recovered quickly enough to return fire and score several hits on Croc Master. However, she wasted all her bullets on him, meaning she's out of ammo when one of his pets lunges at her. Before it can eat her though, a sword suddenly cleaves the croc's head in two. And over the crocodile stands Chameleon, who gives Erika five seconds to explain why she shouldn't kill her too...
Featured characters[edit | edit source]
Characters in italic text only appear in flashback. (Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
G.I. Joe | Cobra |
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Quotes[edit | edit source]
"I know he doesn't look it, but don't be so shocked. Just because people are family doesn't mean they have to be exactly the same. We know that better than anyone, don't we?"
- -Xamot Paoli informs Erika about Max's parentage.
Notes[edit | edit source]
Continuity notes[edit | edit source]
- In the fourth issue of the original Cobra miniseries, Max's father is referred to as a "Eurotrash moneyman". It's not much, but that may provide some insight into who Crystal Ball is underneath his creepy persona. At least, assuming Costa and Gage had decided Max was Crystal Ball's son when they wrote that line...
- What Xamot whispers to Erika wouldn't be revealed until sometime later, in the final issue of G.I. Joe: The Cobra Files in 2013.
Covers (3)[edit | edit source]
- Cover A: Chuckles ready to fight, by Howard Chaykin and Edgar Delgado
- Cover B: Chuckles, Chameleon, and Erika, by Antonio Fuso
- Retailer incentive cover: "Virgin" version of Cover A
- CobraIIissue3-CvrRI.jpg