The series had a lead-in story from issue #50 of the main series. In that issue the story was presented with the following tagline:

There are some missions so secret, so sensitive that even the Joes who go on them are told only the bare minimum, on a strictly need-to-know basis. As far as the other Joes are concerned, these missions never existed. These are the G.I. Joe Special Missions.

First Issue	Last Issue

To take a look at any of the 28 issues, pick your issue below or go to the Special Missions Cover Gallery:

Special Missions was published from October 1986 until November 1989. In 1988, Special Missions stories were reprinted in a Special Missions trade paperback. It contained the story from issue #50 as well as the stories from the first four Special Missions.