Trial by Fire
	Short Summary Snake-Eyes confronts his nemesis Storm Shadow along with Cobra Vipers and Ravage. The Joes and Autobots fight against an air & ground attack from Starscream and Rumble. Cobra Commander and Megatron have their power challenged by Destro and Starscream. Zartan kills Breaker and takes his place on the team.
	Notes of Interest 6 Issue Mini-Series This series takes place in 1938-1939. The Transformers character designs are all appropriate to the World War II era.
Major Players The Joes: Beach Head, Breaker, Flint, Duke, Grunt, Lade Jaye, Leatherneck, Lifeline, Roadblock, Scarlett, Stalker, Snake-Eyes Autobots: Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Hound, Grimlock, Aerialbots: Airraid, Fireflight, Silverbolt, Slingshot, Skydive Cobra: Baroness, Cobra Commander, Destro, Storm Shadow, Zartan, Wild Weasel Decepticons: Megatron, Ravage, Rumble, Soundwave, Starscream
Creative Team Writer: John Ney Reiber, Art: Jae Lee, Colors: June Chung, Letters: Benjamin Lee, V/P Editor in Chief: Roger Lee, President: Pat Lee, Cover: Jae Lee
Long Summary The second G.I. Joe strike team, consisting of Flint, Lady Jaye, Beach Head, Breaker, Grunt and Lifeline, waits patiently for the signal from the first team that Cobra's communications systems have been knocked out. When the Cobra/Decepticon seeker jets fly by overhead, Breaker suggests they call in the fleet now: but Flints reminds him of their orders. Once the comm systems are down, team two has to take out the enemy airfield: and then the fleet can be called in. Elsewhere, Stalker, having been separated from team one, searches for his comrades. After taking out a wandering Cobra, he's almost stepped on by an Aerialbot! The Aerialbot leads him to his teammates, who he informs of his bad news: he lost Snake-Eyes. Duke won't believe it until he sees a body, but Scarlett is visibly upset. Bumblebee tries to help by reminding them that Stalker was lost as well, but he was found. Before they can look for him, however, Cobra paratroopers begin to descend from the skies, and the Joes and Autobots begin to take heavy fire. Meanwhile, at the Terror Drome several miles away, Megatron orders Cobra soldiers to move his energon cubes aboard a submarine. Cobra Commander reminds him that he is in charge, and when Megatron objects, the Baroness points her gun: filled with explosive, armor-piercing bullets: at the Decepticon leader's eye. Megatron laughs, but the Commander reveals that he has the Matrix: and he knows how to use it. With it he can inflict pain on, and therefore control, the Decepticons. Megatron relents... for now. Not far away, Storm Shadow watches as his blood brother Snake-Eyes fights the Decepticon panther, Ravage. Snake-Eyes demonstrates just how capable a warrior he his by quickly dispatching of the beast with a grenade. He then fights his way through another trio of Cobra soldiers before once again facing off with Storm Shadow. They fight, and Snake-Eyes gains the upper hand: but will not kill Storm Shadow. Storm Shadow mistakes this for weakness, and leaps down to a gun emplacement. Before he can turn the weapon on Snake-Eyes however, he learns that Snake-Eyes is not necessarily so merciful: a grenade falls on the ground beside him. Storm Shadow is finished. The explosions are the signal Flint is looking for. He decides it's time to make the call, and goes to find Breaker. Unfortunately, Zartan has emerged from the water nearby and killed Breaker, taking his place. Flint approaches, and having no idea that Breaker is Zartan in disguise, begins detailing the next steps of the plan... Elsewhere, Roadblock and Grimlock continue to plow through Cobra gun emplacements, not realizing one of the soldiers is actually not a Cobra at all: it's Rumble in disguise. He transforms his arms to piledriver mode and opens a chasm right in front of the oncoming Autobot tank... Summary by: Josh Kern Originally posted at: SgtSavage.com Reprinted with permission
Number 3, November 2003