Crimson, Not Red Enough
	Short Summary The Joes begin a hunt for Snake-Eyes' body. Storm Shadow fights Major Bludd, the rest of Joes attack a Cobra cell and Scarlett can't find Snake-Eyes by his micro homing device. Duke is tortured by a former Fred Series Crimson Guardsman in the Amazon. The Red Ninja Clan, having stolen Snake-Eyes' body, has begun a secret ceremony.
	Notes of Interest Data Desk Dossier File: Sei Tin. Introduction of Calvin, a former Fred Series Crimson Guardsman.
	Major Players The Joe Team: Gen. Colton, Duke, Flint, Kamakura, Roadblock, Scarlett, Shipwreck, Stalker, Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow, T'JBang Red Ninja Clan: Masaaki Cobra: Major Bludd, Sei Tin
Creative Team Written by: Joe Casey, Artist: Nelson Blake II, Inker: John Lowe, Colors by: Imaginary Friends Studio, Lettering by: Brian J. Crowley, Edited by: Mike O'Sullivan
Long Summary General Colton and Stalker are trying to figure out how Snake-Eyes' body could have disappeared; they are worried about the stability of the team, Stalker's leadership and Scarlett's state of mind. In Sydney, Australia, inside the Opera House, Major Bludd has the Vice President of the United States targeted in his scope. As he is about to fire, a throwing star flies into the gun, making it useless. Storm Shadow has stopped the assassination attempt. They then begin to fight on top of the Opera House. Storm Shadow is asking Bludd about where Snake-Eyes' body has gone. Major Bludd says he doesn't know anything about the body, but that he is going to kill Storm Shadow, which will give him a second Joe killed within the year. Storm Shadow puts a small explosive device on Bludd's mechanical hand, which blows up causing him to fall off the Opera House into the water below. In an office building in Los Angeles, Flint has just blown open the side of the building with his helicopter. Stalker, Kamakura and Roadblock rush in taking out several Cobra operatives and they then begin to access their computers looking for any evidence involving Snake-Eyes' body. Stalker is unable to find any leads. Scarlett's search for Snake-Eyes using the micro transmitter devices that they had implanted in each other, which allows them to track one another any where in the world, shows her the response "Negative Location. No Signal Found. Vitals: 0.000%" In the Amazon, Duke has been tortured and brought by some old BATS to Calvin. Calvin is a former Fred Series Crimson Guardsman, who was sent down to this now very old BAT manufacturing plant, to be its manager by Cobra Commander himself. The supplies and the communication have stopped but Calvin keeps the factory running. The factory is now well past its prime, and he has gone a bit crazy with all of the isolation. Calvin has given up on Cobra and his training as a Crimson Guardsman, taken back his birth name and has formed a plan to make himself known to the world and Cobra Commander. Outside of the base, he shows Duke, what appears to be, four ICBM missiles that are very close to launching. In the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, T'JBang is taunting the bed confined Sei Tin. Sei Tin had his back broken by Snake-Eyes when he lost his leadership role of the Red Ninja Clan (See Devil's Due GI Joe #26). After getting a new mechanical spine from Cobra, he regained control of the Clan. He was again defeated by Snake-Eyes, although this time with help from Red Ninjas loyal to Snake-Eyes (see Master and Apprentice II #4). Sei Tin is being keep alive on a respirator, is trapped by his paralysis, missing his mechanical spine and unable to talk or move. One of the Red Ninja's Masaaki asks why Sei Tin is being kept alive. T'JBang response is "we are merciful. The Red Ninja Clan must represent life not death." They then walk to a secret ceremonial chamber where they are planning to use very secret and ancient techniques. Inside the room, Snake-Eyes' body is being prepared for this ceremony. T'JBang also talks about his plans to make the Red Ninja Clan better then the Arashikage Ninja Clan ever was, and he plans on using its greatest warrior to attain that goal. Summary by Josh Eggebeen
Number 9, March 2006