G.I. Joe #16
"Night Attack!"
Attribution
Writer(s)	Larry Hama
Penciller(s)	Mike Vosburg
Inker(s)	Jon D'Agostino
Letterer	Joe Rosen
Colorist	Andy Yanchus
Cover artist	Mike Vosburg
Editor	Dennis O'Neil
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Publication date	October 1983
Pages	22
General information
Continuity	A Real American Hero comics continuity
Series	G.I. Joe
Preceded by	Red-Eye to Miami!
Followed by	Loose Ends

The Joes must foil Cobra's plan to poison the US treasury.

Detailed summary

During a practice session, Hawk orders to use the new Joe vehicle, the Wolverine, and presents its driver, Cover Girl, to Clutch, Rock 'n Roll and Scarlett. Rock 'n Roll realizes that she only fired eight missiles, but there were 10 tanks. The other two were neutralized by magnetic charges put by Tripwire, the new explosive ordnance operative, who shows his clumsiness when he trips with his own mine detector.

Elsewhere, inside an Arbco eighteen-wheeler truck, Cobra Commander introduces the newest member of Cobra, Major Bludd, while each Cobra member thinks about his/her own agenda: Cobra Commander plans Bludd to kill Destro, Bludd would rather kill Scar-Face, Scar-Face thinks about siding with Destro, Destro doesn't know if Baroness will side with him or the Commander, Dr. Venom has plans of his own and Baroness plans to use all those plots to her own advantage. Ironically, Cobra Commander proposes a toast to victory through unity.

In G.I. Joe headquarters, Hawk tells General Flagg that the ink found in Vermont indicates that Cobra intends to poison America's money at the source, the Bureau of Printing and engraving. Flagg dismisses Hawk's request to throw a cordon around the treasury buildings since Cobra has threatened to blow up the Capitol building.

Cobra aircraft attack the Capitol building while the Arbco trucks arrive to the Treasury building. Dr Venom, accompanied by Scar-Face and two troopers, get into the building, but three Joes (Gung-Ho, Torpedo and Tripwire) are awaiting them. Dr. Venom decides to explode the toxin over the presses and, to ensure the troopers don't retrieve the toxin, kills them and knocks out Scarface.

At the capitol, the Cobra planes are revealed to be radio-controlled scale models, so Hawk realizes that the real target is the treasury, and goes there in the V.A.M.P. with a bunch of Joes.

At the treasury, Dr. Venom tells Cobra Commander about the Joes' trap, so Cobra Commander deploys H.I.S.S. tanks from the trucks. Cobra Commander drives one with Destro as his gunner, while Baroness drives the other with Major Bludd as her gunner. In the two tanks, they capture the three Joes inside the Treasury and take back the toxin, which has been disarmed by the Joes. Cover Girl arrives with her Wolverine disguised as a dump truck and saves the three Joes. The other Joes arrive and a firefight begins.

Cobra Commander decides that, while Destro is concentrating on the fight, it's time to Major Bludd terminate him. Baroness, who notes this, turns her H.I.S.S. and crashes. Bludd escapes before the H.I.S.S. explodes, but Baroness can't because she is trapped and her leg is broken. Doctor Venom gets on the Commander's H.I.S.S., while Destro is stricken with grief as he watches the Baroness' tank burn. Since Destro isn't in condition to man the turret, Cobra Commander takes his place while Venom drives. Hawk jumps from the V.A.M.P. to the H.I.S.S. and begins to hit the Commander, but Destro pulls himself together and fights Hawk. Cobra Commander has a clear shot on both men and must decide between killing Destro or Hawk. He finally decides Hawk, who falls from the H.I.S.S. Clutch and Scarlett are afraid their leader could die.

Meanwhile, at the bus terminal, Scar-Face escapes into a bus, swearing revenge on Dr. Venom...

Appearances

Featured Characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Featured Vehicles & Equipment

Featured Locations

Memorable quotes

"Raise your glasses/
And sing the praises/
Of our leader/
Who nothing fazes.

"Cobra Commander/
He's my chum/
I trust him like/
I trust my gun!"

--Major Bludd, poet laureate

"Shouldn't we wait for reinforcements?"
"No. General Flagg was right in a way... we're the G.I. Joes. We don't need anybody else's help. We take care of our own."

--Clutch discovers what Hawk thinks about being a Joe.

"Cover Girl! You never looked so good!"
"Or smelled this bad! P.U.!"

--Gung-Ho compliments Cover Girl, who has been in a dump truck for longer than she liked.

Other notes

Errors

• The tease at the end of last issue promised someone would die this issue. No one did.
• Why is Torpedo wearing his full diving suit inside the Treasury building?

Items of note

• First Appearances: Tripwire, Cover Girl, Wolverine, Dragonfly XH-1
• This issue was reprinted in G.I. Joe Digest #6 and in the G.I. Joe vol. 2, G.I. Joe: The Best of Hawk and G.I. Joe: The Best of Cobra Commander trade paperbacks.
• The events in this story serve as the backdrop for the origin of Chameleon.
• This will not be the last time Cobra Commander shoots Hawk in the back.

Real-world references

• All the forces at the Capitol are from real bases.

Footnotes and References