February 2009

GI Joe Origins #1
Cover A
Short Summary Scarlett & Duke are given a test/real mission by Hawk & Stalker. Then Stalker is given a follow up mission of his own by Hawk. Eventually, they discover there mission is to recruit a Ranger who is recovering from an explosion at a plastic surgery clinic and his head is bandaged and can't talk. A highly trained genius ex-Green Beret Billionaire deserter in Texas kills several cops and escapes from an Army C.I.D. agent. He flies to Nevada to try and kill Snake Eyes.
Major Players Joe: Chuckles, Duke, Hawk, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Stalker (Wild Bill) Additional Characters: Billionaire/Chimera, Connie, Army C.I.D.(Chuckles), MP (Flint)
Notes of Interest This is the beginning of a new continuity. Introduction of the Billionaire/Chimera. First Appearance in GI Joe Origins of Hawk, Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Stalker. Major Continuity Differences How Snake Eyes' face & vocal cords are damaged. How Snake Eyes is recruited. And the connection of the Billionaire/Chimera to the Joe team & Snake Eyes.
Creative Team "GI Joe Origins #1" Writer: Larry Hama Artists: Mike Hawthorne & Tom Feister Colorists: Mike Hawthorne & Tom Feister Color Assists: Erik Swanson Letter: Robbie Robbins Editor: Andy Schmidt Publisher: IDW Publishing Cover Credits Cover Artist: Andrea Divito Cover Company: IDW
Long Summary In a C-130 over a desert, Hawk is giving Scarlett & Duke their first exercise/test/real mission. Hawk gives them each a code word that is a clue to completing their mission. Duke's is "N.L.V.C.H." and Scarlett's is "Buick". Then Stalker ,who has been standing by, throws their parachutes out the back of the plane and Scarlett & Duke just jump out after them. They both catch there chutes in mid air, successfully put them on and land safely. Moments after they have jumped, as Stalker jumps with his own orders from Hawk. An additional parachute is tossed out and Hawk says "and by the way, the chute you strapped on doesn't work either. The testing part of this exercise includes you as well". On the ground, Duke & Scarlett determine that they are in a desert mountain range north of Las Vegas. In Texas, the Police, FBI & ATF have a Billionaire's house surrounded because he murdered his family in Florida two days earlier. The Billionaire has a high powered sniper rifle and is picking off the cops with head shots. An Army C.I.D. (Criminal Investigation Division) agent and an M.P. (Military Police) show up on the scene. It turns out that the Billionaire is a genius, a doctor of Psychology, ex-Green Beret, an Army deserter, murderer and recently has started having breaks with reality. The Army C.I.D. informs the FBI agents that the Billionaire has just recently lost most of his money when his energy company's pyramid scheme crashed and burned last week. Apparently, this Billionaire is the deserter that they have been hunting for seven years. This is the second time he has killed his family and when he deserted he stole a whole lot of nasty stuff from the Army that they are trying to get back. In Nevada, Scarlett hitches a ride and tries to get Duke a ride also but the female driver doesn't like the idea and speeds away with Scarlett in the passenger seat. Duke is left at the side of the road. The lady, who has two prosthetic legs, pulls a gun on her. Scarlett pleads her case that she is Army and the lady says she was also former Army. In one quick move Scarlett disarms her, which causes her to drive off the road crashing her van into a sign. The lady gets out of the car just as Duke has caught up on foot. She immediately recognizes that they are operators and the good guys . So she offers to help them complete their mission and has an answer for both of Duke & Scarlett's code words. Back in Texas, the FBI have stormed the house losing many officers to the Billionaire's bullets. The Army C.I.D. continues to inform the FBI about the Billionaire in the middle of a gun fight. Evidently, after his pyramid scheme fell apart, he went and had plastic surgery at a small specialized clinic. Their was a guy in the bed next to the Billionaire who was a detached Airborne Ranger, who got his face mangled in a black-bag operation. The Ranger actually knew the Billionaire from a very ultra hush-hush operation in Central America years ago. After the surgery was complete at the Las Vegas Center for Reconstructive Surgery, a mysterious explosion destroyed all of the records and killed the doctor who did the surgery. There are currently no known photos of the Billionaires' new look. A very disturbing moment happens when the FBI agent notices that a painting on the wall has been mutilated. The painting is Goya's "Saturn Devouring his Child", basically it is a very bloody painting of a large man holding a body and biting off the head. The face of Saturn biting off the head of his child has been cut out of the painting and most likely this is an original, a very expensive original. Meantime, the Billionaire has just killed another officer and screams "This is payback time. That's right, I have remade myself. I'm ever-changing, elusive, unknowable. I'm a damned Chimera." He appears for the first time wearing the cut out face of Saturn as a face mask, he then blows up the entire house as the Army C.I.D. & MP are just able to clear. But the FBI agent is trapped and the Billionaire walks up to him just before killing him saying that he needs to clean up some loose ends in Las Vegas. At the North Las Vegas Community Hospital (N.L.V.C.H.) in the burn unit intensive care near bed K (BUICK) Scarlett, Duke and the lady, who is named Connie, are talking with the only survivor of an explosion at a plastic surgery clinic, his face and hands are completely bandaged and he is now mute because of the explosion's damage. Duke & Scarlett are there to recruit this Airborne Ranger. On the TV in the room, a news alert interrupts informing the public that hours ago the Billionaire lunatic had escaped on his own personal corporate jet and could be anywhere. The Ranger writes a note to Duke and it says "Get me out of here". Five minutes later, Duke is pushing the Ranger out of the front door of the hospital in a wheelchair and Connie is now switched up the heart monitor with her gun. A male doctor approaches. Outside as they are loading the Ranger into a van. An explosion comes from the room. At the same time, the male doctor rushes around the corner, but the Ranger spots him and throws his saline bag hitting the male doctor in the face. The male doctor who is actually the Billionaire says "Nice move Snake Eyes, but it takes more then a bag of saline to take me down." Still sitting in his wheel chair Snake Eyes knocks the gun out his hand with the saline pole. Duke starts punching the Billionaire as Scarlett loads Snake Eyes into the van. She calls for him so they can clear out before the cops arrive. Duke leaves the Billionaire saying "I'm not finished with you" and his response is "Nor I with you, Duke. Inside the van, Snake Eyes is lying on the floor as Scarlett drives, Duke is shotgun when he acknowledges that the Ranger was called Snake Eyes by the Billionaire. And he wonders how much butt he can kick when he is not sitting in a wheel chair and totally bandaged up. Then he asks the question "Do you want in?". Snake Eyes raises his hand in an affirmative. "Welcome aboard, Snake Eyes!" Several hours later, Stalker is talking with the Las Vegas Fire Department at the N.L.V.C.H., he is there to claim the body in the intensive care unit bed K, who is a now deceased hero and will be getting a special burial in Arlington without an autopsy. Summary by Josh Eggebeen