G.I. Joe Special Missions #18 (February 1989) – “Extraction” – Larry Hama/Herb Trimpe/Andy Mushynsky
This one starts with Chuckles, Scarlett,Snake Eyes, and Iceberg returning from their mission in Tibet (uh, I mean Chomo Lungma) travelling down the Mekong River to find an extraction site. They’ve already missed a couple due to Snake Eyes spotting some ambushes, so they’re coming up on their last site somewhere in Southeast Asia. Before they reach the site, they see a farmer getting beat up by some bandits
who work for the local warlord, Big Tep (who apparently aspires to go into politics where being a murderous asshole will be an asset). Chuckles warns the others to ignore the situation, since they can’t afford to get involved, but Snake Eyes has already gone to rescue the farmer. The Joes waste the bandits, but one of them escapes to head back to Big Tep and tell him what happened. Luckily, the farm turns out to be right beside the extraction site, so the Joes accept when the farmer (Dr. Krim, who used to teach philosophy at the local university) offers them shelter for the night. The escaped bandit 
reaches Big Tep, who is hosting Voltar and another Iron Grenadier. Apparently Destro is providing weapons to Big Tep in the hopes that he’ll be generous if and when he takes over the government from the current strongman, General Lom. Krim tells the Joes how the government was so paranoid they were killing anyone they considered an “intellectual” (which could just mean anyone who wore glasses) and how most of his family was wiped out, even though Krim himself was originally a Communist. Not far away, we see that the Oktober Guard has been sent to help General Lom against Big Tep, since Lom is good at spouting party doctrine and gives trade concessions to the Soviets. But when the Communists (and Oktober Guard) start moving towards Big Tep’s forces and vice versa, guess who’s
caught right in the middle? The Joes are ready to fight, but Krim tells them to hide in his secret attic where he stashes extra crops he doesn’t want the tax collector to find. Chuckles isn’t sure he trusts Krim not to turn them in if he’s threatened by Big Tep or General Lom. The Communist forces arrive first and wreck Krim’s irrigation ditches and water wheels (which took him ten years to build by hand). A tropical down pour starts and Big Tep’s forces use the weather as cover to get close enough to attack. A fight breaks out between the two factions and Lom is killed, so the Communists pull back, pursued by Voltar and some of Big Tep’s men. But Big Tep figures Krim is hiding some renegade Americans and threatens to kill him if he doesn’t give 
them up. Krim refuses and the Joes kill Big Tep and his men. The Tomahawk comes in to get the Joes out and Chuckles offers to take Krim with them, but he prefers to stay in his own land, even with all its flaws. This is a pretty good issue that touches on some real-world politics in Southeast Asia. The Communists in Cambodia were so crazy that they actually did start shooting anyone with glasses because they thought they might be subversive (since reading breeds dissent … or something like that). Krim stays honourable even after losing everything he has and being threatened with death, which makes him a better person than either Big Tep or General Lom.
G.I. Joe #83 (February 1989) – “Roadpig” – Larry Hama/Ron Wagner/Fred Fredericks
This one starts at a roadside bar in New Jersey, where a biker named Roadpig is hanging out. He seems to have a dual personality: one side is Donald, a soft-spoken intellectual who abhors violence, while the other is Roadpig, a dimwitted bully who enjoys destruction and general mayhem. Roadpig is pounding some of the bar patrons when he hears a news report about Zarana and Zanzibar being arrested. Apparently, he’s in love with Zarana so he heads off to rescue her immediately. At the jail, Law and Order (who have already sprung the Joes who were arrested) want to interrogate Zarana and Zanzibar, but the local
sheriff reminds Law that they don’t have to answer any questions without a lawyer. Zarana’s not in a cooperative mood anyway. Meanwhile, Cobra are heading to Utah for a surprise strike at the new Pit, but Captain Minh (who has a stolen Cobra radio) overhears their plans and when he docks in Galveston, he calls the Pentagon to warn them. In New Jersey, Roadpig shows up at the jail and smashes his way in to rescue Zarana. She’s glad to get out, although I don’t think she reciprocates Roadpig’s feelings (but she seems to prefer that personality to the more refined Donald). Law helps the cops fight back and surround the jail, forcing Roadpig to spring Zanzibar too 
(who he was originally going to leave behind). In Utah, the Joes get Captain Minh’s warning and immediately put a plan into action. Cobra shows up and blasts the Quonset huts above ground, but are stunned to find there’s nothing underneath them but solid ground. Cobra have no choice but to leave and we see later that the Joes did the obvious … they just moved the Quonsets a few miles across the desert, keeping the location of the actual Pit a secret. In New Jersey, the Dreadnoks find Zanzibar’s air skiff and escape on it, with Roadpig still professing his love for Zarana. We get an epilogue with a woman coming into the Language Center in San Francisco looking for Billy and pulling a gun on Jinx, telling her that she’s Billy’s mother. This is a
pretty good issue that introduces Roadpig and his double personality. I guess he’s meant to be a Dreadnok, and there’s obviously history between him and Zarana, but I’m sure this is the first time he’s actually been mentioned. The Joes’ solution to Cobra’s attack was ingenious, allowing them to avoid fighting altogether and protecting the Pit in the future. I’m curious to see if this mystery woman really is Billy’s mom, since I thought she’d died years ago.