G.I. Joe #98 (March 1990) – “He’s Back” – Larry Hama/M.D. Bright/Randy Emberlin
This one starts in Northern Quebec, where Clutch and Rock n’Roll are still attached to the special RCMP task force looking for Cobra activity in Canada, as we saw last issue. They check out the remote cabin of a known felon, who just happens to have three petty dictators as house guests. They quickly realize there’s a Terror Drome hidden under the frozen lake and wonder why Cobra would be selling stuff so far from their home base. Clutch finds paperwork showing that these particular Terror Drome components were shipped from Denver, not Cobra Island. Speaking of Denver, Raptor, Dr. Mindbender and some Vipers are digging up the site where Fred VII and Raptor buried the real Cobra Commander. Dr.
Mindbender figures he can revive the Commander from his DNA (kinda like he did with Serpentor), but the body is missing. They soon figure out why when the real Cobra Commander appears to tell them how he survived being shot and buried alive. It’s all a bit contrived, but basically he wasn’t really dead when Fred VII shot him and was revived by Fred VIII, who brought him to some other Crimson Guardsmen (who were always loyal to him). He’s been secretly building up capital and regaining power for the last couple of years, but now he’s ready to take back leadership of Cobra. On Cobra Island, Billy’s group (which includes Zartan, Tyrone, and Captain Minh) have been 
taken by Croc Master to see Voltar and Firefly and told them about Fred VII masquerading as Cobra Commander. They’re not inclined to believe him until the real Commander shows up and threatens to kill all of them (including Mindbender and Raptor) for betraying him. He’s already got things set up and puts his plan in motion. He blasts a channel from the sea to the extinct volcano on the island and since the “traitors” were meeting on the old derelict ship near the mountain, they’re swept into the volcano by the water channel. Cobra Commander then collapses the volcano on top of them. In Washington,
Clutch and Rock n’Roll arrive to testify against Zarana and the Dreadnoks, but they’ve already been released thanks to the Cobra lawyers. Zarana triggers the deep hypnosis in the two Joes by mentioning Broca Beach, but she and the Dreadnoks get a surprise when the Crimson Guard pulls guns on them and says they’re going to be executed for treason. Elsewhere in Washington, Hawk and General Hollingsworth meet with the secret cabal that oversees the Joe team (referred to as the Jugglers), who tell them that the recent high profile attack on the Cobra Consulate and the fact that Cobra seems to be 
moving into legal business practice means the Joe team isn’t really needed anymore. This is a pretty good issue, although some of the scene transitions are a bit abrupt, and I might’ve preferred a longer build-up to Cobra Commander’s return. A few things get glossed over, like Cobra Commander’s decision to go straight right before he was “killed” (which he says was a momentary lapse of judgment), or the fact that Zartan has been pretending to be the Blind Master (which Billy finally realizes after they’re dumped into the volcano). But things are getting interesting, so I’m eager to see where these storylines go next.
G.I. Joe #99 (April 1990) – “Calm Before the Storm” – Larry Hama/Herb Trimpe
This one starts with the group trapped under the volcano taking stock of the situation and devising a plan to dig their way out. The derelict ship they’re on is stocked with plenty of water and C-Rations (although it’s mostly ham and lima beans), so Zartan figures they can dig through the rock before the supplies run out … if they don’t kill each other first. In Broca Beach, Cobra Commander checks out the jail where the Dreadnoks are being held and they immediately recognize him as the real deal. Zarana suggests she might have a special weapon to use against the Joes if the Commander releases her. Meanwhile, Mutt and
Spirit (and Junkyard) go to some small town Called Millville to visit Mutt’s uncle, Jeff. Millville looks a bit run down since the mills closed (it may as well just be called Allentown) and there’s a bunch of punks calling themselves Fast Trackers who seem to think they rule the streets. In Broca Beach, Zarana tells Cobra Commander how she brainwashed Clutch and Rock n’Roll to think they’re Cobra deep cover agents and shows him a disc that can transmit a signal to activate the brainwashing. The two Joes are at the Pentagon, testifying about their capture by Cobra. But things don’t go well, 
especially since Senator Hegel (who you’ll remember from issue 78) is suggesting the Joes are no longer needed and only cause property damage and bad publicity. Cobra Commander and Zarana are listening in and figure another scandal might sink the Joes for good. In Utah, a couple of teenage girls (Tiffany and Roxy) are sneaking around outside Joe headquarters because they think there might be a UFO hidden there. (The girls seem to be rabid sci-fi fans, making references to Alien, E.T., Close Encounters, and Star Wars.) Clutch and Rock n’Roll return to the Pit just as the girls are taken inside by Lady Jaye, who knows they aren’t spies but can’t let them wander around out side Joe HQ at night. Zarana is in a stealth jet not far away, preparing to activate Clutch and Rock n’Roll’s brainwashing and order them
to destroy everything they can in their own HQ, which will be the scandal Cobra needs to have the team disbanded. Meanwhile, Cobra Commander is gearing up to invade Millville. This is a pretty good issue, with the brainwashing plotline about to pay off. I assume the two girls will somehow be the key to foiling that part of Cobra’s plans. We find out that General Malthus took all the blame for the dirty dealings in issue 78, which is why Hegel is back as a Senator. That prompts some more of Larry Hama’s contempt for politicians, a sentiment I heartily agree with. The whole Millville thing is interesting; maybe Cobra Commander wants another version of Springfield?