G.I. Joe #148 (May 1994) – “Irresistible Forces” – Larry Hama/Phil Gosier/Chip Wallace, Scott Koblish
This one starts with Flint and Lady Jaye parachuting into Wolkekuckuckland to help Stalker and Duke advise General Liederkranz about the Cobra invasion. (Their recognition signals are in the language of Mordor, although Stalker refers to it as Orcish.) They soon find out that defending the country from Cobra will be difficult because there’s no fuel left for the tanks, Cobra having intercepted the new
delivery at the border. On top of that, Liederkranz’s corrupt aide Wolfgang has taken off with the petty cash fund. Meanwhile on the asteroid headed towards Earth (there’s a phrase I never thought I’d type), the Joes and Russians are still trying to defeat the deadly robots so they can divert the asteroid, while Payload and Dragonsky cannibalize the Defiant for parts so they can repair the Russian shuttle and hopefully get off the asteroid. Some drones show up and target Payload and Dragonsky, who are forced to become immobile to keep the robots’ motion sensors from homing in on them. The rest of the team is doing a bit better, using teamwork to blow away a big construction droid. But they get pushed back into an alcove and can’t make it through to the 
command centre. In Europe, things are looking bleak for the Joes but it turns out Wolfgang didn’t steal the petty cash, he took it to Darklonia to buy some black market fuel for the tanks (although he kept the money that was left over, so he’s still kinda crooked). Their forces are still vastly outnumbered, but at least now they can plan a fighting retreat. On the asteroid, Payload and Dragonsky figure out that the drones are programmed to respond to armed humans, so they tell the others to drop their weapons and pick up tools. That makes the drones think they’re a repair crew and they let them enter the command centre. They find a button they think is for a self-destruct, but can’t be sure if it has a delay timer or not. They figure it’s their duty to push the button and save Earth, even if it kills them all instantaneously. The button turns
out to have a five minute delay, so they run like hell even though they don’t think there’s enough time to get back to the shuttle. In Wolkekuckuckland, the retreat turns into a rout after Liederkranz’s tank is hit, but Wolfgang actually turns out to be a hero, carrying the wounded General to safety (though he did also steal his wallet). On the asteroid, Payload and Dragonsky pick up the others and they get off the asteroid just in time, hoping their hull will hold on re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. No mention whether debris will be raining down on Earth or not. This was a fairly good issue, but I’m glad the space stuff is finally over. The other storyline fits better, but that one seems far from over yet.
G.I. Joe #149 (June 1994) – “Heroes and Medals and Things” – Larry Hama/Phil Gosier/Jack Snyder, Scott Koblish
This one continues from last issue, with Cobra forces pounding the shit out of the Wolkekuckuckland defenses. (From here on I’ll be referring to the country as W-Land, like they do in the comic.) Flint and Lady Jaye are gathering intel behind Cobra’s lines and have to take out a listening post. Cobra Commander heads back to the castle in Trans-Carpathia with Dr. Mindbender, leaving Destro and Zartan to mop up. Flint and Lady Jaye overhear them discussing some kind of offer made to them by Wolfgang, General Liederkranz’s heroic yet duplicitous aide. At the castle, Billy is in the brainwave scanner for reprogramming but he resists the
process, which causes him excruciating pain. He seems to break and informs Cobra Commander that Baroness has a hidden paper clip she was going to use to pick her cuffs. She’s taken to the scanner while Cobra Commander asks the newly-cooperative Billy to spill everything he knows about the Joes … and Destro. In W-Land, Liederkranz gives Wolfgang a medal for his heroics, which Wolfgang describes in loving detail. But Flint and Lady Jaye return and report the conversation they overheard, which throws a new light onto Wolfgang’s actions. He did buy black market fuel in Darklonia, but was 
planning on selling it in Borovia and missed the proper road in the dark. His rescue of Liederkranz was bullshit too, as he actually tried to sell the unconscious General to Destro, who refused because he figured Cobra would have a better chance of winning with Liederkranz in command of the other side. In Trans-Carpathia, Billy leads Cobra Commander to one of Destro’s secret rooms, where Billy launches an ICBM missile. Yeah, he was faking it. The missile is shot down by Cobra, but it gets the attention of the Joes in the Pit, including Storm Shadow. Billy is taken to the scanner to be tortured and Cobra Commander takes out his frustrations on Baroness. In W-Land, Wolfgang weasels his way back into Liederkranz’s good graces with a self-serving
speech, which astounds the Joes. Meanwhile, Storm Shadow has figured out that Billy is in trouble and goes to the mountains to say goodbye to Snake Eyes and Scarlett before heading for Europe. He tells them he didn’t come to ask for help, but I think we all know what Snake Eyes is going to do, don’t we? He’ll have a hell of a fight on his hands though, because Mindbender has designed new battle armour for Cobra Commander. This was a pretty good issue, although I wouldn’t mind seeing Wolfgang get what’s coming to him. Some of what he said is true, like the stuff about the American interest in other countries being more strategic than altruistic. Cobra Commander made a similar point when he told Mindbener that they wouldn’t be in business if the “good guys” weren’t always covering something up.