Commentary:  An exciting story, "The Battle of Springfield" has a lot going on: the Joes in a full-scale battle, Storm Shadow seemingly rising from the dead and Serpentor's first battle against the Joes. As Larry Hama's battle stories tend to do, the fight for Springfield makes tactical sense and the two groups' strategies are more than just "stop Cobra" or "get the Joes". There's also a fairly low level of humor, lending the story a more serious tone.

Serpentor's origin continues and the story once again illustrates that while Serpentor is one of the most controversial (aka "hated") characters in G.I. Joe, Larry Hama does a good job of at least making Serpentor a compelling character. He leads the Cobra troops as if he is fighting a war for god and country, not just power and glory. The Cobras adore him after seeing him stop at nothing to win and risk his life to save an injured man. Cobra Commander never stuck his neck out like Serpentor does and that's why the Commander should worry about losing his control of Cobra. Again, this Serpentor is a much more appealing character than the angry, spoiled monarch we see in the cartoon series. In the end, we do see that he's more than an over-the-top leader. When the Baroness lies and says they never had the thought of leaving him behind, Serpentor answers "Oh, I'm certain it didn't!" This seems to be a sign that he is far from gullible, and probably doesn't believe her for a minute.

The Baroness and Destro are completely in character here, as Destro wants to control Cobra, but won't do it through murder and he won't betray Cobra Commander. He also seems to rescue Serpentor's forces simply because it's the honorable thing to do. On the other hand, the Baroness remains a more self-centered and even evil character than Destro. She is perfectly willing to overthrow the Commander or even leave Serpentor to fend for himself. As usual, she's only interested in power and not honor. That's what makes her and Destro so interesting together.

An aspect of this issue that I find even more troubling than Serpentor is the return of Storm Shadow. The moment his body appeared as a part of Mindbender's experiment in the last issue, it was obvous he was never intended to stay dead. Actually, he nevr was really dead according to the next issue will reveal he entered some ninja trance before being shot. The real problem with this is the fact that he still sustained 3 or 4 gunshot wounds to the chest. Ninja trance or not, that'd kill anybody. Still, it is knid of cool to see him rise out of the water. His "memories" of the dead men that make up Serpentor again seem like more than the factual data that Mindbender put into Serpentor's brain, and they seem to be actual memories.

Maybe the most interesting part of the story is that for all their efforts, the Joes lose. They've discovered Springfield, but it's too late. The Cobras have been warned that they're coming. Who would've expected them to abandon the entire town at the first sign of trouble? When Shipwreck's flare lights up the transport choppers, it's obvious that the Joes have lost. The strange thing here is a trend in the comics. The Joes never win the biggest battles. Still, those battles they lose make for more compelling stories, but that's always been the case in fiction.

First Appearances:

• Cobra: Zarana
  

At the San Francisco International Airport, Hawk, Stalker, Flint, Lady Jaye and Beach Head are examining a crime scene: a camera crew meant to be on the Russian airline flight were killed by the terrorists, who took their places. Flint tells Hawk that they probably smuggled their guns on in pieces inside their cameras. Lady Jaye monitored the terrorists' first broadcast. They called themselves the Leon Trotsky Brigade of the Fourth International. They said they would "exact revenge on the heirs of the murderer Stalin". Trotsky was killed by Stalin after he was exiled. Hawk and Stalker ae going to track down leads in San Francisco, while the other Joes will catch a SST flight to Anchorage, Alaska where they hope the airliner will set down to refuel. On the plane, Wesson tells the pilot to plot a course to restricted Soviet airspace. In the main cabin, Carlisle Anderson tells Meryl that he's played out every scenario for the hijacking in his head, like a chess game. Every time, the terrorists lose. She tells hm he's too smart for his own and sticks her gun in his face. Roger is on edge as he reminds everyone what will happen i he lets go of the button.

In San Francisco's mission district, Hawk and Stalker have found the Fourth International has an office, which just happens to be surrounded by the SWAT team. The SWAT captain tells Hawk they're waiting for an armored car to arrive and that he can't go inside -- "I have orders from the chief!" Hawk isn't impressed: "I'm a general. I can go anywhere I please, and my orders come from the president..." He and Stalker kick down the door, with guns blazing and Stalker is readying a taser.

The plane has landed in Anchorage and Wesson is holding a stewardess at gunpoint in the door so they won't try anything during the refueling.

Back in S.F., Hawk and Stalker are in a firefight with the Fourth International. Finally, Hawk takes out most of them and Stalker uses a taser on the woman with a heavy machine gun. The taser's electric shock contracts her muscles -- her finger fires off the whole ammo belt -- before she passes out.

In Anchorage, Flint, Lady Jaye and Beach Head have hitched a ride on the refueling truck. While the crews refuel the plane, the Joes climb up into the landing gear wells. Roger tells Wesson to shoot the stewardess since they're going to kill everyone anyway. The angry stewardess spits in Wesson's face and he shoots her, dropping her body from the opened door. Wesson orders the pilot to fly them to the Aleutian islands and put them in a holding pattern. In the three landing gear wells, the Joes cut their way into the cabin with small blowtorches. One of the passengers -- a little girl -- notices her seat is getting hot. In the cockpit, Wesson and the pilot argue. The pilot says that they'll be shot down once they reach Soviet airspace. Wesson disagrees. "Are you forgetting our American fighter escort?"

In S.F., the arrested woman refuses to answer any questions and is sent to a holding cell with some very unpleasant people.

Over the Aleutians, the Joes have cut their way out of the landing gear wells. Flint and Beach Head are in crawlspaces just below the passenger compartment, while Lady Jaye finds herself in the luggage compartment. There, she changes into a stewardess uniform, with little room to move without bumping the ceiling. The little girl above notices: "Mommy, there's mice moving around under my seat!" Meanwhile, the plane is approaching the restricted Soviet space and a pair of Russian fighters has taken notice. They order the airliner and fighters to alter course, but the terrorists won't allow it. They were hoping for this, knowing the Russians don't want to get into a dogfight with the Americans by shooting down the plane. In the cabin, Carlisle Anderson asks if he can pick up the chess pieces that have fallen beneath his seat. When he crouches down to get them, he finds Beach Head poking out of a hole beneath his seat, with a finger to his lips. Anderson makes certain he doesn't say a thing.

Back in S.F., Hawk radios Lady Jaye. The terrorist woman finally talked and told them that the hi-jackers are on a suicide run. They plan to crash the plane into a top secret Soviet chemical warfare factory. The resultant gas could kill millions of Russians.

While the Russian fighter jocks wait for their firing authorization before the plane reaches the factory, the Joes are making their move. Flint has cut his way into the plane's lavatory, while Beach Head is actually crouched down between the seats near Anderson. Roger is getting excited that they're almost at the factory. Meryl tells him to calm down. In the lavatory, Flint drills a small hole in the door and puts a small lense in the hole to see when the cockpit hi-jacker walks by. He loads his shotgun. Lady Jaye crawls up into the cabin and starts walking around like she's a regular stewardess. She distracts Meryl long enough for Beach Head to grab her gun and knock her down. Lady Jaye fires a taser at Roger, making certain his finger stays clenched on the button. Wesson runs out from the cockpit past the lavatory and Flint fires his shot gun, shooting Wesson through the door. Lady Jaye quickly sets a satchel charge on the plane's hatch and takes cover in the lavatory. The explosion blows the hatch and sucks Roger out into the air. In the cockpit, the pilot hears a loud noise outside the plane and asks Flint what it was. "That was the sound of Roger dispersing across the sky." He has the pilot turn the plane around, waggling the wings to let the fighter pilots know things are under control. The Russian jets are called off.

Commentary:  "Best Defense" is meant as a preview to the soon-to-be-released G.I. Joe: Special Missions comic series. The series itself is a sure sign of G.I. Joe's huge popularity in the mid-1980s. The story itself is a good choice to represent the Special Missions series as a whole: Cobra is nowhere to be found, there is only a small group of Joes, and the threat is a more realistic terrorist threat that a real-life Joe team might be involved in. Also, there's a bit more violence here, as one terrorist is killed by Flint's shotgun and a stewardess is killed by the terrorists. The violence isn't particularly graphic, but it is there.

The story also features Herb Trimpe's art, which really hasn't been seen since the early days of the series. In fact, Trimpe pencilled the first issue. Trimpe's art is not to the liking of some because of it's "sketchiness", but his technical drawing is very good and he portrays action good, as well. Trimpe will handle the art for just about every issue of Special Missions.

• The Transformers (UK) #162-165 (April 23rd - May 14th, 1988). A Marvel UK series that began reprinting Action Force stories after the end of that series. These issues reprint "The Battle of Springfield" in four parts, alongside original stories. All references to "G.I. Joe" were changed to "Action Force".
• Action Force #1 & 2 (March 7th - 14th, 1987). A Marvel UK series that began reprinting Action Force stories after the end of that series. These issues reprint "Best Defense" in two parts, alongside original stories. All references to "G.I. Joe" were changed to "Action Force".
• G.I. JOE: Volume 5 (2002). A trade paperback collection from Marvel. Includes issues #42-50.
• Classic G.I. JOE: Volume 5 (November 2009). A trade paperback collection from IDW Publishing. Aside from some slight changes made to the cover, this is a reprint of the earlier Marvel collection. Includes issues #42-50.
  
  
  
  
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