G.I. Joe #122 (March 1992) – “Transformer” – Larry Hama/Andrew Wildman/Randy Emberlin
This one continues from last issue, with Cobra’s forces trying to get into Destro’s newly-acquired castle in Trans-Carpathia so they can capture and brainwash him for Cobra Commander’s amusement. The Joes have a team outside but are forced to withdraw by a contingent of Cobras who are dug in pretty well. Hawk brings in the heavy artillery (the Battle Wagon driven by Ambush) and prepares to go on the offensive. Inside the castle, the Joe Ninja Force is fighting Slice and Dice, who command the renegade Red Ninjas. The bad guys retreat and a Tele-Viper
calls Cobra Commander to let him know they haven’t secured the routes to the castle for the main assault. But the choppers are almost there, so Cobra Commander orders his troops to secure the landing points. In the sub-basement, Destro has willingly submitted himself to the brainwave scanner so Baroness (who was already brainwashed by Cobra Commander to betray Destro) can program him to serve Cobra again. But when she sees some romantic memories of her and Destro together, she hesitates and Destro says they can rebuild what they once had if she frees him. Slice and Dice try to stop Destro and Baroness, but the Joe ninjas show up to challenge them. Outside, 
the Battle Wagon almost slides off a cliff but gets towed back up to continue the assault, as the Cobras try to get their outside team to safety inside the castle. Cobra drops some tanks that catch the Joes in a crossfire, so they radio Ninja Force for help. The red ninjas chase Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow to the main door, while Slice and Dice go after Destro and Baroness, who are climbing up into the clock tower. The other Joe ninjas head up to the battlements to use the anti-aircraft guns on the Cobra choppers. Destro makes it to the clock tower and pulls a lever that transforms the entire castle into a replica of Castle Destro in Scotland. The Cobras are repulsed from the castle assault, so Cobra Commander decides to kill as many Joes as possible,
chasing them down into the ravine. The Joe ninjas regroup outside and we see that Slice and Dice are still lurking in the castle. This issue was all right, but I’m starting to get ninja overload, especially since the new ones are so goofy. Andrew Wildman’s art seems more “superheroish” than the it used to be, which takes away some of the realism … and having Destro’s castle turn out to be a giant Transformers playset doesn’t help.
G.I. Joe #123 (April 1992) – “Shots in the Dark” – Larry Hama/Andrew Wildman/Randy Emberlin
This one continues from last issue, with the Joes retreating into the ravine, followed closely by Cobra Commander and some Paralyzer tanks. The Joes find a stream and a forest at the ravine bottom and head into the forest to lose themselves. Cobra Commander figures the forest will be too dangerous, so he decides to follow the stream and hit the Joes when they emerge from the trees. He gets a call from Zarana, who tells him that a weirdo he made a deal with (Cesspool) is putting up sludge tanks all over Cobra Island. Cobra Commander tells her to take care of it, since he’s a bit
busy at the moment. Inside the castle, Slice, Dice, and the red ninjas figure they should get out through the tunnels and head for the forest, not realizing the Joe ninjas aren’t far behind. At the bottom of the ravine, the Cobras set an ambush for the Joes outside the forest, but Hawk spots it in time and starts planning how to fight back. On Cobra Island, Zarana tries to get to Cesspool but he uses his toxic sludge to dissolve her tank. In Trans-Carpathia, the Joes turn the ambush back on Cobra and destroy all their artillery, giving the Joes a free run to the border. Duke is there with a plane, but instead of 
exfiltrating them he commandeers Flint for a new assignment, joining a couple of Eco-Warriors (Clean Sweep and Ozone) who fight polluters and toxic waste dumpers. I think I can see where this is going. Meanwhile, the Cobra ninjas lead the Joe ninjas into the forest where more red ninjas are waiting to ambush them, but Snake Eyes grabs the leader and he tells his men to stand down. Cobra Commander is picked up by chopper and learns about Cesspool’s crazy bullshit on Cobra Island, as well as a rampant drug problem in Broca Beach. We see the drug problem ourselves as one of the Fred Crimson Guardsmen (Fred LXV if you’re keeping track) finds out his so is getting drugs from some scumbags in town. Fred heads over with a rifle to waste
the dealers, but he gets wasted instead as the imaginatively-named Head-Man gloats that Broca Beach is the perfect place to run dope, since the whole place is illegal and can’t call the Feds for help. This is another okay story, but I wish they’d stop introducing new characters every issue. I realize Larry Hama probably didn’t have a choice, but the new characters just get goofier all the time and now that they’re bringing in Eco-Warriors and costumed drug kingpins, this is starting to sound like an after-school special.