Back in Black
	Short Summary The Joes rescue Spirit, Cobra Commander is posing as White House Chief of Staff Garret Freedlowe, General Rey is installed as the leader of the new Phoenix Guard by Freedlowe and Hawk returns to the Joe team.
	Notes of Interest Hawk returns to the Joe team. General Rey & Spirit's first appearance in America's Elite. Introduction of the Phoenix Guard (Friday, Halo, Hghe-Tide, Mech, Snake-Eater) with General Phillip Rey as their leader. Data Desk files on General Rey, Friday & Mech
Major Players The Joe Team: Gen. Colton, Duke, Hawk, Kamakura, Roadblock, Scarlett, Shipwreck, Stalker, Storm Shadow, Snake-Eyes, Spirit Red Ninja Clan: Sei Tin & T'JBang Cobra: Cobra Commander (Garrett Freedlowe, Chief of Staff to the President) Additional Characters: President of the United States Phoenix Guard: General Rey, Friday, Halo, High-Tide, Mech, Snake-Eater
Creative Team Script: Joe Casey, Pencils: Josh Medors, Inks: Richard Zajac & Le Beau Underwood, Colors: Jason Jensen Letters: Brian J. Crowley, Military Advisory: Phil Kost, Edited by: Mike O'Sullivan, Cover by: Stefano Caselli, Daniele Rudoni & Sean Dove, Special Thanks: Tim Seeley & Robert Q. Atkins
Long Summary Cobra Commander, posing as Garrett Freedlowe, Chief of Staff to the President of the United States, reveals his identity to several Washington bureaucrats just he executes them. These dead bureaucrats will then be replaced by Cobra agents wearing the life-like masks that will help in playing a part in Cobra Commander's plan to use the U.S.'s government resources and secrets. A little later Garrett Freedlowe (Cobra Commander covered by his imposter mask) is answering the President of the United States questions about the GI Joe team's worthiness. The President asks his Chief of Staff, "How soon can your special project be up and running?" At The Rock, GI Joe's headquarters, General Colton is talking to Storm Shadow about the recent exploits of Snake-Eyes with the Red Ninja Clan. Colton is concerned about Snake-Eyes' re-admittance to the team. T'JBang and Sei Tin are in intensive care along with Storm Shadow in the Rock's hospital ward. In the training section of The Rock, Scarlett is leading Snake-Eyes through a series of tests. Snake-Eyes has switched to his commando mode, the swords are gone and the Uzi is back. After they are over, Scarlett enters the room expressing her sorrows about when she though he was dead. Snake-Eyes removes his mask to reveal his face. Scarlett's response is "Oh my God!! What did they do to you?!" In Bethesda, MD, Gen. Colton, Stalker and Roadblock are visiting Hawk, who is still paralyzed and wheelchair bound, Colton asks him to return to the team. In the Amazon jungle, an extremely beat up Duke walks out of the jungle to be discovered by some locals. In Peru, Stalker, Roadblock, Shipwreck and recently reactivated Kamakura are following a lead. During the attack many Cobra's are killed as they make there way to the prison cell area. Expecting to rescue Duke from the cell, they discover a very malnourished and tortured Spirit, who has been a Cobra captive for some time (see The Hunt for Cobra Commander). In his depleted state Spirit informs the team that people in power can't be trusted. In Washington DC, Garrett Freedlowe is introducing General Phillip Rey, former leader of the Joe team, to the President. The general is about to be put in charge of a new Pentagon-based strike force that will handle anti terrorist ops called Phoenix Guard. This new force of five team members, Mech, High-Tide, Friday, Halo and Snake-Eater, is intended as an option to the Joe team. General Rey accepts the job, and Freedlowe (Cobra Commander) is the point person for all of Phoenix Guard's actions. Summary by Josh Eggebeen
Number 13, July 2006