G.I. Joe Special Missions #6 (August 1987) – “Evasion” – Larry Hama/Herb Trimpe
This one continues from G.I. Joe 61, showing us how Outback escaped into the sewers in Borovia’s capital city, while his teammates (Stalker, Snow Job, and Quick Kick) were caught by the Borovian Army. The Joes were in Borovia to rescue a political prisoner, but he was already exchanged for a Borovian spy and since their mission is top secret (and utterly deniable), they weren’t told about the exchange. So they ended up trying to rescue someone who was already gone and now that they’re captured, there won’t be any rescue (or even formal acknowledgement) for them unless Outback can get away and let the rest of
the world know about their fate. In the previous issue, Outback’s escape was glossed over, but here we see that it was a bit more complicated, thanks to a Borovian Colonel named Ratnikov. He realizes one of the prisoners is missing and must’ve gone into the sewers, so he has gasoline pumped down into the system and lit on fire. Thanks to a mass exodus of rats, Outback figures out what’s happening and exits the sewers just in time to hitch a ride on a passing streetcar. Ratnikov figures Outback will head for the western border and orders checkpoints set up, but Outback (after stealing 
some clothes and buying a truck from a chicken farmer) heads for the northern border, through the Alps. Ratnikov’s men find fake Brorovian currency in the other Joes’ possessions and since the bills have sequential serial numbers, Ratnikov figures they can find Outback if any other bills from that series show up in any of the marketplaces. Outback picks up a hitchhiker as cover, but the guy pulls a gun on him. Outback is willing to give him the truck, but the guy is in a killing mood so Outback takes him down. Ratnikov’s men have found the chicken farmer who sold the truck to Outback and force him to come along as they try to track him through the mountains. They find the wrecked truck but the driver’s face is so mangled that the farmer can’t say
whether or not it’s Outback. A blood trail leads into the mountains, leading to what looks like Outback’s unconscious body. But it’s actually a dummy he made (using blood from a chicken the farmer threw into the deal when he sold the truck) and Outback gets the drop on Ratnikov. He forces Ratnikov and the helicopter pilot to fly north above the cloud cover and bails out, telling them to turn around and go home. Naturally, Ratnikov disobeys and they’re immediately shot down by an Austrian anti-aircraft battery. Outback is captured by the Austrians and asks to go to the American consulate right away. This is a pretty good issue, highlighting Outback and his escape and 
evasion skills. He’s called a Survival Trooper and he does seem to have a knack for improvising and thinking on his feet. Borovia is said to be west of Russia, south of Austria, east of NATO countries, and north of a desert country full of religious fanatics. Except for the desert reference, it sounds like Borovia is in the Balkans, probably in the territory covered by the former Yugoslavia. The reference to a desert on Borovia’s southern border makes no sense, since there are no deserts in Europe. It might be an attempt to link Borovia to the fictional desert country ruled by Colonel Sharif that we’ve seen in previous issues, but the geography still makes no sense.
G.I. Joe #62 (August 1987) – “Transit” – Larry Hama/William Johnson, Arvell Jones/Andy Mushynsky
This one continues from the above issue, starting with the kangaroo court in Borovia that sentences Stalker, Snow Job, and Quick Kick to five consecutive life terms at hard labour. The whole thing is obviously rigged, but a Western reporter is on the scene and the trial result is broadcast back in the States, where some of the Joes are watching. Leatherneck is pissed off that Outback apparently took off and left his teammates for dead, but he gets a surprise when a Tomahawk helicopter shows up with Outback on board. Leatherneck wants to know what happened, but since the mission was top secret Outback can’t talk about it.
He and Leatherneck get into it a bit and Roadblock gets a call from Grunt volunteering to be part of the rescue mission to Borovia (since Grunt is officially discharged it would give him plausible deniability). Roadblock tells him the mission was unofficial, so there won’t be a rescue attempt, not even a covert one. In Borovia, Stalker and the others are put on a train to the GULAG, but their fellow prisoners have already given up hope and are starting to lose their humanity. They try to get Snow Job and Quick Kick’s shoes (since they’re wounded and in bad shape), but Stalker fights them off. In Denver, Billy trains with Jinx but wants answers about her connection to the Joes 
and Storm Shadow. The Blind Master arrives and shows Billy an old photo of the Arashikage clan, telling him that Jinx is Storm Shadow’s second cousin but no giving him any more details. The photo is interesting, as it shows not only characters we’ve seen before (Blind Master, Jinx, Soft Master, Hard Master, Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes), but a couple of new ones: Professor Onihashi, a mystic swordsmith, and Onihashi’s assistant (the Faceless Master), who was a member of the extinct Koga ninja clan and whose face is blurred in every known photo of him. Blind Master tells Billy he and Jinx need to go to San Francisco and gives them the keys to his car. (Yeah, Blind Master apparently drives.) Next door, Raptor and Fred return from dumping
Cobra Commander’s body and Raptor sees Billy leaving with Jinx, so he decides to follow (because Billy could incriminate him and Fred if Cobra Commander’s body is ever found). In Borovia, the prisoners on the train are still mired in inhumanity, fighting over the few scraps of food they’re given. Stalker calms them down and makes sure the food is divided equally, giving them a speech about self-respect for dessert. Outside Denver, Jinx notices Raptor following and loses him, but he sends his birds to track them. In Borovia, the prisoners arrive at the work camp where they’re to spend the rest of their lives and things look pretty bleak. Stalker is the only one who hasn’t lost hope yet. In San Francisco, Jinx takes Billy to the Presidio (specifically to the Defense Language Center), unaware that Raptor is watching them. This is a 
pretty good issue, although technically not much happens. Stalker’s refusal to give up either his hope or his humanity is cool (and definitely in character) and the argument between the Joes back home is logical, since they don’t know the details of the Borovia mission (and Outback is a relative newcomer). We get our first look at what will be the new Pit in Utah, although we just see the ground level for now. It’s cool to see the Arashikage clan photo too, especially the unknown characters who we’ll learn more about in future issues. I guess we’re supposed to assume the Faceless Master is Zartan, but I think it actually turns out to be Firefly (although Zartan was definitely involved with the Arashikages). We also learn that Jinx is twenty-three years old, since she was eight in the photo and it was taken fifteen years ago.