Alternate Covers

Cover A

Cover B (Subscription)

Notes of Interest

Zartan is bald under that hood.
Transformers toys are seen in a store, even referenced as toys by Demon Granny.

Inside Cover Sit Rep:
Razor-sharp shrapnel and twisted armor litter the desert floor as Alpine, Torpedo and Tunnel Rat unexpectedly join forces with Leila to rescue Bombstrike from the nefarious clutches of Black Major! Meanwhile, Stalker, Storm Shadow, and Zap take down Red Laser and his secret Blue Ninja Hive Mind weapon with some airborne ballistic subterfuge of their own — courtesy of Ace— in the Land of a Million Elephants! All this while Zartan continues his search for the mysterious ninja girl called Dawn.

Major Players

GI Joe: Storm Shadow, Throwdown In Flashback: Stalker

Others: Obake Obaasan (Demon Granny), Dawn Moreno In Flashback: Hard Master

Cobra: Zartan

Creative Team

"GI Joe #237"

Writer: Larry Hama
Artist: S.L. Gallant
Inker: Brian Shearer
Colors: J. Brown
Letters: Neil Uyetake
Editor: Tom Waltz
Publisher: Ted Adams



Cover Credits
Cover A: Art by SL Gallant, Colors by J. Brown
Cover Company: IDW

Cover B (Subscription) : Artist: John Royle & Jagdish Kumar, Colors by James Offredi
Cover Company: IDW

Full Details

A man carrying a long tube enters Granny’s store. He says he has an object that she wants and Granny replies it is not a pawn shop. The man says he has the sword Morning Light and Granny, recognizes the sword as its copy, Evening Shade. She attacks as he must be Zartan.

Zartan sheds his disguise and they fight. The brick in Granny’s purse is destroyed and she heads for the Sword of Judgement. Zartan, thinking it is a plastic sword, laughs until Granny strikes his blade. Dawn cheers Granny on from the sidelines but Zartan is younger, and he defeats Granny by using the blunt edge of Evening Shade to strike her in the head. Zartan wants to talk to Dawn but instead Dawn goes on the defensive. She grabs a cleaver and pries up a floor board. Hidden under the floor is Morning Light.

Dawn says the sword is hers and her legacy. Zartan shifts into the form of Storm Shadow. This action brings about the memory of Vietnam where Storm Shadow rescued the wounded Snake Eyes.

Dawn begins to talk about the murder of the Hard Master, she speaks in first person. Zartan is puzzled, Who is speaking to him? Dawn or Snake Eyes? Who is in charge in there? She asks Zartan if he believes in transmigration of souls, reincarnation, ghosts. Zartan pleads, he says he had an epiphany after killing the Hard Master and that he came to an understanding with Storm Shadow.

Dawn says the dead only have grievances and an all encompassing sense of justice. Zartan says Cobra is after her now and there is no escape, she must work something out with him to survive. Dawn, her eyes glowing red, stabs Zartan in the chest.

Granny, suffering from a concussion thanks to Zartan, tends to him and dresses the wound. She tells him to change into something that won’t shock the EMTs. She also says that the dead have nothing to gain or lose and that bringing back Snake Eyes was a dire mistake.

As Zartan is loaded into the ambulance Demon Granny tells him that Dawn now has both Morning Shade and Evening Light. Granny refers to Zartan as Father O'Halloran.

Later at the hospital the police are interviewing Zartan, he tells the police that Zartan was not the one who stabbed him, that Granny was wrong in her report. It was some non describe guy.

When the officers leave Zartan looks at the shadows at his window and says they can come in.

Zartan tells Storm Shadow and Throwdown (aka Sean Collins disguised as the new Snake Eyes) that he meant no harm to Dawn that he was trying to diffuse a situation. Storm Shadow tells him he just made it worse. Before it was just dormant memories inside Dawn, but Zartan has now awakened a remorseless reverent and there is no stopping it.

Summary by Ted Jacobson