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A rapidly deteriorating situation in Sierra Gordo heralds Destro's return to the fold.


Detailed summary

In Sierra Gordo, the Joes reach the American Embassy to withdraw the ambassador, which is full of rioters and looters. Roadblock stops a guy with a lighter who tries to burn the US flag, which causes criticism from the ambassador Winthrop, claiming that such cowboy behavior is what made the locals hate the USA, to which Hawk answers that it actually is because of generations of exploitation by American monopolies and supporting a right-wing dictator. Psyche-Out must sanitize the document room before evacuating.

In another part of Sierra Gordo, General Villavaca is destroying the Terror Dromes in his country with help of armament bought to Destro. Inside the Terrordrome, Zarana orders to launch a Firebat to create a diversion for the Dreadnoks to get away in the Thunder Machine. Destro's helicopter faces the Firebat while the Dreadnoks leave, shooting Villavaca's troops. After Destro's Sergeant Major shoots the Firebat down, Destro suggests to Villavaca to return to the capital, as his sources tell him that ambassador Winthrop is leaving for Washington with documents that might prove embarrassing to the North American banana monopoly. Villavaca claims there isn't evidence against him, but Mr Goodfellow, representative of the banana monopoly, convinces him that it's better to go back, just in case.

Later, at the embassy, the ambassador is almost done packing up some documents while Roadblock puts explosives to blow the rest up. General Villavaca and his troops surround the embassy in search for the investigative report about his links with the North American Banana Monopoly, which Goodfellow notices is in the ambassador's briefcase, right before the embassy blows up, creating a diversion for the Joes to escape.

At the airport, Crazylegs, Maverick and Wild Bill are awaiting for Hawk and the others, but the Dreadnoks hijack the plane to escape, with local refugees as hostages to force Wild Bill and the others to take them, and the plane takes off right before the AWE Striker with Hawk, Psyche-Out, Roadblock and Winthrop can have a chance to reach them. One of the plane's engines is shot by Villavaca's troops, while Hawk's group is saved by local counter-revolutionaries who force Villavaca to retreat, wondering how did they know they would be in the airport, and where did they get their weaponry. The counter-revolutionaries offer to escort the Joes to the border and mention a radio message that tipped them out about his problem, which confuses Hawk, as he couldn't send any message as they didn't have the counter-revolutionaries' frequency.

Goodfellow tells Villavaca that they still can mobilize a force to stop the Joes from reaching the border, and both talk about needing more sophisticated weapons to buy from Destro. Meanwhile, Destro tries on his new battle armor while the Sergeant Major tries on the first Iron Grenadier uniform, which Destro considers a way to symbolize their new beginnings. It turns out that Sergeany Major was the one to radio the counter-revolutionaries, and so he and Destro have created a situation and a market to sell weapons to both sides.

Over the mountains, Wild Bill's plane is about to crash.

Appearances

Featured Characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

G.I. Joe Cobra Sierra Gordo Iron Grenadiers
  • Ambassador Winthrop (5)
  • Counter-revolutionaries (6)
  • General Villavaca (7)
  • Mr. Goodfellow (8)
  • Political Refugees (16)
  • Rioters (2)


Featured Vehicles & Equipment

G.I. Joe Cobra




Memorable quotes

Roadblock: Sir, you are wilfully attempting to destroy United States property. If you persist in doing so, I shall reduce your head to a fine red mist.
Lighter guy: You're crazy! There are looters walking out of this embassy with IBM typewriters! Why don't you shoot some of them?
Roadblock: Nobody ever died for a typewriter.

Other Notes

Errors

  • On the splash page, Sierra Gordo's capital is called "Rio Vista" rather than Rio Lindo. (Later in the story, it's called by the right name.)
  • Whoever is piloting the Firebat, it's not an A.V.A.C.. It almost looks like a mis-colored Gyro-Viper.

Items of note

  • First Appearances: Crazylegs, Iron Grenadier uniforms
  • First mention of the North American Banana Monopoly Company.

Real-world references

  • The title comes from the first line of a famous speech from Shakespeare's Henry V - or rather, a common misquote thereof (the correct line is "Once more unto the breach, dear friends").
  • Some of the looters are stealing IBM typewriters.
  • On his way out of the embassy, one of the looters, wearing Nikes, steps on a picture of then-president Reagan.
  • In the United Kingdom the story was reprinted in Transformers #282, #283, #284 & #285.

Footnotes and References




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