Sins of the Mother Part 3 of 4
	Short Summary The Baroness on the hunt for Cobra Commander finds Wilder Vaughn of the Red Shadows to find his current location. Flint, who has been observing Vaughn, follows the Baroness. The Joe team after stopping an attack in Saudi Arabia captures Major Bludd. Snake-Eyes and Spirit visit Castle Destro and are given the Destro's location by Mistress Armada.
	Notes of Interest The return of Flint & Wilder Vaughn of the Red Shadows. The Baroness' full name is Anatasia Cisarovnia.
Major Players The Joe Team: Gen. Colton, Duke, Flint, Roadblock, Scarlett, Shipwreck, Snake-Eyes, Stalker, Spirit, Sparks Additional Joe Appearance: Ghost Rider Cobra: Cobra Commander Former Cobras: Baroness, Destro, Alexander Destro, Major Bludd, Mistress Armada Additional Characters: Wilder Vaughn of the Red Shadows, Colonel Sharif, Unknown bald military official
Creative Team Script: Mark Powers, Pencils: Mike Bear, Colors: Jean-Francois Beaulieu, Letters: Brian Crowley, Military Advisor: Phil Kost, Commandant: Mike O'Sullivan, Cover: Mike Bear, Clayton Brown and Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Long Summary In the basement of The Rock five months earlier, Duke is interrogating the Baroness and getting nowhere. She refuses to give any information and Duke refuses to allow the Baroness to see her child. Watching from a video monitor are Gen. Colton and an unknown military official who talks about more persuasive ways of gaining information. Gen. Colton refuses to do anything that is outside of the Geneva Convention's approved methods. The official concedes but refuses to allow the Baroness to even see her child. Currently in Saudi Arabia, the Joe team lead by Duke are mopping up what remains of an attack on an oil refinery lead by Colonel Sharif and supported by Major Bludd. Duke chases Major Bludd where he then corners him. Bludd throws down his gun and Duke is forced to capture him, when he very much wants to kill Major Bludd to revenge the death of Recondo (see DD Special Missions Tokyo). At the same time, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Flint, who is currently no longer on the active Joe roster, is observing Wilder Vaughn of the Red Shadows (Last seen in DD's Real American Hero #43). Flint has apparently been following him. The Red Shadows organization was responsible for the death of Flint's wife, Lade Jaye. When Wraith appears out of nowhere right next Vaughn. Wraith takes off his helmet to reveal that it is actually the Baroness. Baroness strikes a deal with Vaughn, she gives him the one and only wraith suit and he gives her the current location of Cobra Commander, her next victim on her revenge list and the man holding her baby captive. As they split up, Flint still observing has a choice to make, which one does he follow? He chooses the Baroness and notifies Sparks at The Rock of his discovery of the meeting. Later, he confronts the Baroness inside a private jet airplane. The Baroness very easily defeats Flint in hand to hand combat. Snake-Eyes and Spirit are dispatched directly from Saudi Arabia to support Flint in Vietnam. But they arrive to late to find that he has flown off in a private plane to a destination unknown. General Colton then dispatches Snake-Eyes and Spirit to Scotland to pay a visit to Castle Destro. Inside Castle Destro, Alexander Destro and Mistress Armada are talking when Snake-Eyes and Spirit appear out of nowhere holding knives to both their throats. They want to know where Destro is. Armada immediately gives up his exact location. After the Joes leave, Alexander demands an answer to way she would betray his father. Her response is "Your father can take care of himself. He trusts you to know that. Let us lay in wait, ready to strike at his command." In Honduras, the Baroness enters an underground facility that is guarded by Cobra soldiers. She just walks in uncontested. Cobra Commander is sitting waiting for her as she arrives. Before she can get a word out, her husband Destro steps between them saying, "If you mean to shoot him...you will have to kill me first." And he points his wrist rockets directly into her face as she holds a gun to his head. Summary by Josh Eggebeen
Number 23, May 2007