G.I. Joe #128 (September 1992) – “Winds of Change” – Larry Hama/Andrew Wildman/Stephen Baskerville
This one continues from a couple of issues ago, when Firefly (supported by a squadron of BATs) gassed all the Joe ninjas (as well as Slice and Dice) so he could subject them to the brainwave device and turn them into his own mindless ninja army. He’s finished brainwashing everyone except Snake Eyes, whose mind proves resistant to the technique. Firefly realizes someone has used the Arashikage mind-set on Snake Eyes, locking away part of his consciousness where even the brainwave scanner cant affect it. (We saw Storm Shadow use the mind-set on Snake Eyes in
issue 104.) Firefly tries to bury whatever’s left of Snake Eyes’s memory by flooding his mind with images of Firefly himself ordering Snake Eyes to submit to him, so any thought Snake Eyes has will include that image. Over in Borovia, the Joes who were in Trans-Carpathia are trying to sneak out without causing diplomatic waves. Hawk and Lady Jaye are attempting to get out through Borovia, but that country is in chaos because of the recent fall of the government. They almost get caught in a riot and when they run into some pro-democracy rebels, they’re mistaken for government police and knocked out (with Hawk being shot in the shoulder), then get captured by the actual secret police. In New York, Cobra Commander is reviewing Cobra’s holdings (with Zarana, Cesspool, and Road Pig) and finds 
them wanting. He’d like to open up new markets for weapons and conquest now that the USSR has broken up, but Cesspool points out that any aggressive moves will bring the Joes after them again … unless they find Joe headquarters and destroy it. In Borovia, the rest of the Joes (Roadblock, Rock n’Roll, Ambush, and Big Ben) are hiding in a quarry outside the capital. They find out what happened to Hawk and Lady Jaye and decide to go in and rescue them. In Trans-Carpathia, Storm Shadow has managed to partially resist Firefly’s brainwashing, so Firefly gives him another dose and finds something interesting in his memories … a map. In Borovia, Lady Jaye takes out some guards but most of the prisoners are too scared to help her. White Clown and Magda (who was president of Borovia until the latest coup) do help and they get her and Hawk (who’s barely alive) behind cover. Not far
away, the other Joes roll into town and take over a security checkpoint. Meanwhile, Cobra Commander gets a call from Firefly to tell him he’s found a complete plan of the Pit inside Storm Shadow’s head and wants to make a deal. This is a pretty good issue, highlighting some snags in getting home after helping Destro for the last few issues, although I wish there was more explanation of how the Joes got from Trans-Carpathia into Borovia. It’s nice to see Lady Jaye kicking ass for once. Firefly finding the map of the Pit doesn’t bode well for the Joes, but I assume the ninjas (or Snake Eyes at least) will break the mind-control and save the day.
G.I. Joe #129 (October 1992) – “Standoff” – Larry Hama/Andrew Wildman/Stephen Baskerville
This one continues from last issue with events unfolding in Borovia. Hawk, Lady Jaye, Magda, and White Clown take out some security police and head for the soccer stadium. Hawk remembers seeing secret satellite photos of the stadium and knows there’s something buried there that can help them, so they head onto the field. Unfortunately, a Borovian tank decides to follow them. The other Joes see what’s happening (thanks to live CNN coverage), but find the way inside the stadium has collapsed. Wild Bill is on his way for a Medevac run, but he’s still going to be a while. Hawk and the
others uncover a bunker near one of the soccer goals and Hawk tells Magda to let the Borovia secret police know they can make a deal for what’s inside. That turns out to be a pile of gold bullion, which the police are ready to take when the other Joes bust into the stadium with their Battle Wagon to establish fire superiority. Hawk goes out on the chopper after telling Magda the gold was looted from the Borovian treasury. Magda promises it will be restored to the people and figures she can get the other Joes out, since she’s technically still the legal president (although they’ll still have to avoid the security police, who aren’t 
recognizing anyone’s authority). Meanwhile, Firefly lands on Cobra Island (in a hijacked 747) to make a deal for the information about the Pit. Naturally, neither of them trusts the other, so Firefly is tested by polygraph and his data analyzed by experts. Everything checks out but of course Cobra Commander double-crosses him, tossing him back in the abandoned freighter and welding it shut. With the knowledge of the Pit’s true location, Cobra Commander prepares an all-out assault on it which he’ll lead himself. As his forces take off, we see Storm Shadow and the other brainwashed ninjas emerge from hiding on the 747 (where they were using ninjas techniques to avoid detection) and
get ready to rescue Firefly. This is a pretty good issue that seems to settle the Borovian question, at least for now (although I’m not sure why Magda thinks she has any power left since she was about to be executed last issue). Cobra Commander knowing the Pit’s location is interesting, especially since Cobra almost had it once before, only to be fooled by the Joes.