G.I. Joe #146 (March 1994) – “Immovable Objects” – Larry Hama/Phil Gosier/Chip Wallace, Stave Alexandrov
This one starts with a team of Joes (including Duke and Roadblock) in space aboard the Defiant shuttle. They’re approaching a Russian shuttle in orbit and things sound a bit tense, but the Cold War was over by this time, so I’m assuming they’re just on some kind of diplomatic mission. In Trans-Carpathia, Cobra Commander has activated the control implants in Destro and Zartan’s heads (by showing them his unmasked face), but
Billy and Baroness are there to oppose him. Unfortunately, Cobra Commander has dozens of Vipers to use against them. In orbit, the two shuttles couple successfully and we find out it’s really a top secret cooperative mission to deflect an asteroid heading for Earth. The Joes meet their Russian counterpart (Red Star, who looks exactly like the late Colonel Brekhov), who tells them the asteroid isn’t natural; someone is using it as a guided missile to strike Earth. In Destro’s castle, Billy and Baroness retreat from the red ninjas into the secret passages, but Dr. Mindbender uses a code word to override Destro and Zartan’s moral compunctions. Destro transfigures the castle, bringing 
Baroness and Billy out of hiding and straight to Cobra Commander, where they’re captured. Destro is now ready to join Cobra Commander in taking over half of Europe, using missiles and chemical weapons he’d been planning on getting rid of. In space, we see that Dragonsky, Mischa, and Gorky (from the Oktober Guard) are also on the mission. Red Star tells everyone the guided asteroid was developed by a crazy Soviet scientist and deployed before anyone could stop him. Daina, the last of the original Oktober Guard, is also on the shuttle and she manages to impress Sci-Fi quite a bit. In Europe, Hawk and Stalker are visiting Wolkekuckuckland to talk to General Liederkranz, who’s worried about his volatile neighbours. His fears are justified, as the newly-evil Destro has decided to invade Wolkekuckuckland and starts by eliminating Darklon (whose country lies between the two nations) with a missile. In
space, the Joes and Russians land on the asteroid and encounter a bunch of robot troopers (which were used to convert the asteroid into a weapon in the fist place), but luckily they’ve got their own robotic battle suits to use against the android hordes. This issue was fine, although I still think all the space/SF stuff is beyond the scope of the Joes. It was nice to see Daina and Dragonsky again and I’m wondering why Red Star looks just like Brekhov. The European stuff is interesting, mirroring the real-life situation after the fall of the USSR and the break-up of the Balkans. Some of the names are a bit much, especially Wolkekuckuckland, which is obviously meant to be Switzerland so why not just use the real country?
G.I. Joe #147 (April 1994) – “Oblivion Express” – Larry Hama/Phil Gosier/Chip Wallace, Steve Alexandrov, Jim Amash, Don Hudson
This one continues from last issue, with the Joes and Russians wasting androids on the asteroid. They have their first disagreement about the mission, with Red Star wanting to eliminate all the robots before they try diverting the asteroid. Duke reluctantly goes along with him. In Darkonia, Cobra forces (led by the newly-villainized Destro and Zartan) roll across the border on their way to invade Wolkekuckuckland. Hawk and Stalker figure out what’s going on and warn Liederkranz that he’s about to have a tough fight on his hands. On the asteroid, the androids divert the chase team and circle back to attack the shuttles, compromising the
Defiant. But the Joes have a smaller spacecraft hidden aboard, which Payload gets into to attack the drones. But his ship is totalled and he’s only saved when the rest of the Joes and Russians come back to help. In Wolkekuckuckland, Destro comes up with a plan to overrun the light defenses and sends Cobra Commander out on one flank (at the Commander’s insistence). But Hawk has suckered them by using decoy tanks in the middle and has the main force waiting on the flank to overwhelm Cobra Commander’s force. Destro realizes it a little too late and Cobra Commander’s contingent is eliminated (although he escapes). In space, the Joes and Russians decide to 
attack the android command center to get rid of all the robots and hopefully divert the asteroid, although they do leave Payload and Dragonsky behind to repair the Russian shuttle (which is now their only possible way home). Again, the space stuff doesn’t do much for me, but the European maneuvering is more interesting. It was cool to see Destro get suckered by Hawk’s plan. I’m wondering if getting rid of Destro and Zartan’s morality was a good choice, as they both seem to be scheming up plans of their own that don’t include Cobra Commander.