Take Down
	Short Summary Duke returns to the GI Joe base as Colton, Scarlett, Snake-Eyes escape out of The Rock. General Rey, who has just lead the Phoenix Guard team on a successful raid of the Joe base, has discovered that the Phoenix Guard is actually a group of Cobra agents in disguise. The Baroness escapes.
	Notes of Interest The Phoenix Guard is revealed (Friday=Zarana, Snake-Eater=Firefly, High Tide=Copperhead, Halo=Wild Weasel, Mech=Scrap Iron). Copperhead Data Desk Profile. Stalker, Sparks, Roadblock, Shipwreck and Kamakura all injured by the Phoenix Guard. Originally solicited with an Adam Hughes cover, Hasbro would not approve the image so Devil's Due changed it to a Tim Seeley cover. A separate Tim Seeley image was used to advertise the issue. The final cover for America's Elite #18 was revealed at the end of the book.
Major Players Joes: General Joe Colton, Roadblock, Kamakura, Hawk, Scarlett, Snake-Eyes, Spirit, Shipwreck, Stalker Phoenix Guard: General Rey, High-Tide (Copperhead), Friday (Zarana), Snake-Eater (Firefly), Halo (Wild Weasel), Mech (Scrap Iron) Cobra Commander: Cobra Commander (Garrett Freedlowe) Other: Miguel, Elizabeth Parker
Creative Team Script: Joe Casey, Pencils: Josh Medors, Inks: Richard Zajac, Colors: Jason Jenson, Letters: Brian. J. Crowley, Military Advisor: Phil Kost, Editor: Mike O'Sullivan, Cover: Tim Seeley , Robert Q. Atkins & Stephanie Peru
Long Summary The Phoenix Guard lead by General Rey has taken complete control of The Rock, killed most of the support staff, captured the injured Shipwreck, Stalker, Roadblock and Hawk and placed them in a security area. General Colton, Scarlett and an injured Kamakura are making their own way out of the The Rock. Snake-Eyes and Spirit are both sneaky around inside and Duke is arriving by airplane. In the command center, General Rey is briefing his team. He is very concerned with the high kill count and now that they have complete control of The Rock, he wants the computer system back on line, wants access to the Data Desk, so Mech starts getting it up right away. Rey then sends the rest of the team out to continue the hunt for the missing Joes. Above the Rock, Duke is arguing with Elizabeth Parker about his health and how jumping out of the plane is going to injury him more. Duke reminds her that this is his job, they have tender moment before he jumps out of the plane. In the command center General Rey is completely alone. He is talking with Garret Freedlowe, the Chief of Staff to the President of the United States, the man who authorized and created the Phoenix Guard and gives Rey his orders. Freedlowe is actually Cobra Commander in disguise, but General Rey doesn’t know that. Freedlowe congratulates Rey and reminds him that this is his second chance and that he better have all of the Joes rounded up soon. The transmission ends. The Data Desk files are now available so Rey starts digging. He does some cross referencing and discovers the true identity of his Phoenix Guard members. They are all Cobra agents that he has been leading. Snake-Eater is Firefly, Friday is Zarana, Mech is Scrap Iron, High Tide is Copperhead, and Halo is Wild Weasel. And now these Cobra agents control The Rock. And General Rey is really pissed. In the infirmary High Tide/Copperhead is medicating himself, when Duke arrives, a fist fight immediately starts. After many exchanged blows, Duke is finally able to knock out Copperhead. Mech/Scrap Iron returns to General Rey after the communication with Freedlowe ends. Scrap Iron is talking about tracking down the rest of the Joes when Rey confronts him. Rey declares the mission over and is amazed that Cobra could have infiltrated US covert forces. Scrap Iron pulls out his gun and points it at Rey. Above them in an air vents Snake-Eyes has been watching the Scrap Iron - General Rey argument, when all of a sudden Spirit arrives. Colton, Scarlett and Kamakura exits to the surface and using a two way radio contact Washington. Back in The Rock, Friday/Zarana, Snake-Eater/Firefly and Halo/Wild Weasel are in the very much destroyed hanger bay. When the Baroness sneaks up behind them and says "Always a pleasure to see you Zarana, how about we make this little visit a memorable one." Summary by Josh Eggebeen
Number 17, November 2006