G.I. Joe #92 (November 1989) – “Thunderclap” – Larry Hama/Mark Bright/Randy Emberlin
This one starts with Cross-Country, Rumbler, and Long Range on a train with the president of the (fictional) republic of Punta Del Mucosa. The Joes are there to demonstrate the Thunderclap artillery piece for El Presidente. Of course, Punta Del Mucosa just happens to be right beside Sierra Gordo, where all hell just broke lose with the treacherous El Jefe just sold out to the North American Banana Monopoly. An Iron Grenadier spots the artillery and warns Voltar (who’s trying to figure out a way to take Sierra Gordo back), but he’s not worried since the
Thunderclap has a range of twenty miles and the railway the Joes are on doesn’t come any closer to the border than twenty-five miles. In Rio Lindo (capital of Sierra Gordo), Voltar’s forces are already shelling El Jefe’s headquarters where he’s holding the three Joes and two Oktober Guard who were captured last issue. El Jefe hears about the Thunderclap from a spy and gets worried, but the North American Banana representative (Delbert Swinson) assures him that there’s no covert military op underway. Swinson has bribed various government officials and figures money can solve any 
problem, even a paramilitary attack. He’s so confident that hiring more mercenaries will give them a win that he refuses to cancel the Miss Sierra Gordo beauty pageant (mostly because the favourite is the daughter of the richest banana plantation owner). Some more Joes are hiding inside one of the parade floats and decide to use the chaos from Voltar’s attack to cover their rescue attempt of their teammates. In Punta Del Mucosa, the train stops twenty-five miles from the border and unloads the Thunderclap, which travels overland through what used to be thick rain forest until recent heavy deforestation took place (something the latest maps don’t show). In Rio
Lindo, the Joes make their move when Voltar’s forces are close to the North American Banana headquarters, crashing the parade float (which is really a Warthog tank) into the building and rescuing the prisoners. Swinson and El Jefe jump out the window into the river, where they’re menaced by crocodiles. The Iron Grenadiers chase the Joes into the jungle, where the Joes lure the spotter plane into artillery range so they can take it out. Meanwhile, the Joes in Punta Del Mucosa are setting up the Thunderclap only five miles from the border and they put a huge shell right in front of the pursuing Iron Grenadiers that makes them rethink their pursuit. El Presidente is pissed off 
that the Joes fired a shell into Sierra Gordo, but the other Joes show up and claim they were participating in the beauty pageant when they discovered a plot by Voltar’s men to invade Punta Del Mucosa. El Presidente isn’t convinced until Daina pretends to be the pageant winner. This is a pretty good story that puts an end to the Sierra Gordo storyline (for the moment, at least). It looks like Voltar’s forces took back the country, although I’m not sure what happened to El Jefe and Swinson. If they weren’t eaten by crocodiles, Voltar must’ve captured them. He might keep El Jefe alive, but I think Swinson could get a bullet in the head.
G.I. Joe Special Missions #27 (November 1989) – “Mexican Holiday” – Michael Fleisher/Javier Saltares/Jose Marzan
This one starts with Hawk telling everyone they have to get everything shipshape for an upcoming inspection, except for Stalker, Quick Kick, and Outback. They’re heading to Mexico to drop off some info to a DEA liaison, but they have to pass as tourists so they can’t take any weapons and get to hang around In Merida for a week after the drop. They pass over the info without a hitch and Outback and Quick Kick decide to go check out he Mayan ruins at Uxmal, while Stalker stays at the hotel to check out the local sights. Stalker meets a woman at the pool, but the other two Joes don’t have such a relaxing time of it. Their tour bus is attacked on the way back by the
People’s Revolutionary Brigade, some kind of rebel group (a fictional one, as far as I can tell). The bandits shoot up the bus but don’t get too close, probably because they’ve mistaken a kid wearing fatigues and carrying an Uzi water gun as a soldier. Outback and Quick Kick use gasoline to make Molotovs and the kid has some firecrackers that they use to make the attackers think they’re shooting back. They hold out until dark, when they sneak out with another passenger (a champion javelin thrower) to toss the Molotovs. The javelin thrower gets shot and Outback is wounded, but they do take out a few bandits with the Molotovs before retreating. Meanwhile, Stalker is worried that his teammates haven’t returned, so he forces a 
chopper pilot to fire up the hotel helicopter, which Stalker commandeers to fly out and search for his friends. The bandits are ready to execute the passengers when Quick Kick pounds a few of them, but he’s knocked down and lined up with the rest. Stalker arrives and crashes the chopper into the bus, taking out the bandits and saving the passengers. When the Joes get back to base, everyone is giving them shit for having such an easy time of it in Mexico. This is a pretty good issue that gives us a look at how the Joes handle themselves with no weapons and in a different setting.