Cobra Organization

The Cobra Organization is an organization that features in G.I. Joe.

History

Marvel Comics

Cobra was a ruthless terrorist organization that operated on Earth by the modern age. Cobra had its beginnings when the financially ruined man who would become Cobra Commander settled in an American town called Springfield. Blaming the federal government and big business for his misfortunes, he conceived a plan to form a secret organization to acquire wealth and power and thereby take his revenge on the world. Springfield was a perfect place to start the organization, as the town itself had fallen on hard times and the population was disillusioned. Soon, the organization was growing with the entry of like-minded individuals from all over the country. Much of Cobra’s early funding came from pyramid schemes and other semi-legitimate business plans, and that financial success allowed a gradual and intense takeover.

In a very short time, Cobra evolved from a business into a paramilitary movement. Motivated by greed and power, the group soon expanded all over the country, operating in secret, engaging in terrorism to achieve their objectives. By the time the U.S. government recognized Cobra as a threat, the organization had already gained footholds as a powerful private army and terrorist organization around the world. Many of its members led seemingly normal lives, supporting Cobra covertly. Cobra attracted members with the promise of fast financial rewards and power for those willing to be ruthless enough. It also offered a world of order and strength, with its "model community" of Springfield being one example of the Cobra ideal.

Cobra would eventually achieve a temporary legitimacy by the artificial creation of Cobra Island, which was recognized as an independent nation by the international community. This allowed Cobra to have diplomatic facilities in the United States via a Cobra Consulate building acquired in New York City. During Serpentor's tenure, Cobra's primary source of income came from arms sales to Third World nations. This led to a clash with Destro's M.A.R.S. Organization, which provided Cobra with much of its arms.

IDW

Cobra's standard method is to destabilize an already unstable nation, using both terrorism and shell companies to hit the economy. They then openly hire out their Crimson Guard soldiers to that country and slowly make the population trust them more than their government. One operation involved manipulating a small war in Africa, forcing the attacked nation to sell off its national assets.

It has its own secret communications network, the Cobranet, unconnected to the regular Internet. Terrorist groups across the planet are somewhat aware of Cobra and scared of it. An international aid company serves as a Cobra front, and they use a psychological test to identify potential, loyal recruits.

Mainframe first stumbles across the global Cobra conspiracy by accident, and was believed by General Hawk to be crazy. Determined to reveal the organization, he went AWOL. Later, Snake Eyes also goes AWOL looking for Cobra. The Joes later hear the word "Cobra" mentioned after busting one of Destro's arm shipments.

Overview

In appearance, Cobra was a ruthless terrorist organisation that was determined to rule the world.

Divisions within the organization included:

• Cobra Troopers :
• Cobra Vipers :
  • Alley Viper :
  • Ranger Viper :
  • Strato-Viper :
  • Terra-Viper : experts in combat engineering and specialised in undermining as well as damaging large fortified structures. They tended to analyse a buildings construction in order to target its stress points in order to bring about maximum destruction or ensure a swift infiltration.
  • Para-Viper : a unit of highly trained aerial commandos that had undergone a procedure which made them utterly fearless. They made use of the next generation low-profile heli-packs that provided extended flight as well as gear that made them undetectable by radar.
  • Cyber-Vipers :
  • Ninja Vipers :
• Lab-Rats : Cobra Troopers that showed an aptitude for chemical and other scientific research gained status by transferring to the ranks of the Lab-Rats where they served as skilled technicians who used laboratory equipment to create and reproduce a host of chemical agents as well as munitions. They were responsible for developing and testing new classes of chemical weapons as well as producing delivery method options. Lab-Rats were known to be authorised to experiment on all prisoners and even their fellow soldiers.
• Tele-Vipers :
• Headhunters :
• Incinerators :
• Air Devils : front line stealth assault air commandos of the Cobra legions who were highly trained in unorthodox combat styles and dirty fighting tactics. They were tasked with penetrating deep behind enemy lines and spread havoc amongst enemy support and supply lines. These soldiers were only lightly armed to increase their gliding range but were expected to procure heavier weapons in the field for use against the enemy. The Air Devils only received a cursory three days training course on gliding that was enough for them to get onto the battlefield.
• Night Vultures : airborne covert insert and recon specialists among the Cobra legions who received no formal training with candidates instead dropped over shark-infested waters that were five miles from land. Only those that managed to make it back were awarded the position of Night Vulture where they kept the possessions of those that failed to return.
• A.V.A.C. : Air-Viper Aeronautical Corps
• T.A.R.G.A.T. :
• Blackstars : a secret legion of elite space pilots of unknown origins with Cobra Commander forming an alliance with them to aid the Cobra Organization. They had incredible ability in zero-gravity zones, climbing planetary craters and instinctively avoid asteroid belts whilst being engaged in stellar dogfights.
• Cobra C.L.A.W.S. : Combat Light Armored Weapon Specialists (C.L.A.W.S.) were a new kind of elite troops deployed by Cobra that could both take and deal heavy damage. These soldiers wore a new ionised light fiber armor that was developed from stolen plans from the U.S. army. Only the best and nastiest were chosen to join their ranks where they targeted enemy vehicles.
• B.A.T.s :
• Python Patrol :
• Plague Troopers :
• Night Creepers :
• Crimson Guard :
• Imperial Guard : these trained guards were hand-picked by the Cobra Commander himself and tasked with protecting him no matter the cost. They were chosen for their strength, fearlessness and loyalty though these recruits were also bio-mechanically adjusted so that the Commander protection was foremost on their thoughts. The Imperial Guard were said to be capable of detecting betrayal even before the perpetrator enacting their scheme and responded to it swiftly as well as efficiently. They considered themselves a highly elite force and did not fraternise with anyone outside of their unit.
• The Coil :

A unit of mercenaries that operated on Cobra's behalf were the Skull Squad who were a professionally trained group under the leadership of Major Bludd. An ally of Cobra was the Black Dragon spy organization that had existed since the time of the Cold War until its seeming destruction at the hands of the original G.I. Joe thirty years ago. A sole survivor reformed the reformed the organization as the new Supreme Leader where they became the foremost espionage agents in the world. They came to ally with Cobra though ultimately they wanted revenge against G.I. Joe. Among these saboteurs included the Black Dragon Troopers and the Black Dragon Ninjas. Cobra also had ties to a bad of ruthless mercenary assassins known as the Red Ninjas who worked primarily for the Cobra Commander. They were among the most feared ninja warrior clans of all time and earnt much from their assignments.

Vehicles used by Cobra included:

• C.L.A.W. :
• S.N.A.K.E. : was a battle armour that could be worn by soldiers with some variations able to actually brainwash the user.
• Flight Pod : these small jet-propelled craft could be used by pilots or equipped with an unmanned reconnaissance drone with them having a clear dome canopy. They were armed with two-laser seeking anti-tank missiles and a mini-cannon for air-to-ground assaults.
• Stinger :
• A.S.P. : the Assault System Pod (A.S.P.) was a manoeuvrable armed with eliminator electric cannons. These pods were towed onto the scene where they served as turrets for Cobra.
• H.I.S.S. Tanks : the High Speed Sentry (H.I.S.S.) Tank was a common model of tank used by the organisation.
• F.A.N.G. :
• Mole Pod :
• Rattler : a ground attack jet with 90 degree rotating wings that were armed with rockets, cluster bombs and 20mm and 'Kerry' cannons.
• Firebat : a light assault jet noted for being fast and manoeuvrable with it having folding wings allowing them to launch from vertical silos.
• Night Raven :

Creations of the Organization included:

• Compound Z : a dangerous new chemical substance that turned humans into mindless drones and was responsible for creating the Zombie-Vipers.
• B.A.T.s : a series of automated humanoid androids that were deployed as autonomous weapon systems sent into the field.

Genetic engineering was also used by Cobra that they used to transform people into Mega Monsters. Such individuals were designated as Bio-Vipers that was a gene-transformative process to turn them into monstrous beings. Another variation were the Monstro-Vipers who were former Range-Vipers whose DNA was altered and bio-genetically crossed with rabid werewolves, giant 'bigfoot' creatures and the most gruesome of grizzly bears. The fusion process made them 1/4 man and 3/4 monster with them being the most brutal of battle-beasts. To manage them, computer controlled processors were used to control their minds and their bodies. They had a keen sense of smell allowing them to stalk their quarry and their inner body chambers were able to produce exploding gut-bombs.

Notable bases of operations used by Cobra included:

• Broca Beach :
• Castle Destro :
• Silent Castle :
• Cobra Consulate :
• Cobra Island :
• Cobra Air Ship :
• Millville :
• Monolith Base :
• Springfield :
• Extensive Enterprises :
• M.A.R.S. :

Notable structures developed by Cobra were the Terror Dromes that were to serve as strongholds to control territory. These were heavily armed and fortified structures that were assigned their own VTOL fighter jet. The sensors and firepower of these fortresses allowed them to engage most sophisticated fighters and bombers. The Terror Drome had a modular design and was pre-fabricated allowing them to be assembled within a week. In addition to their own use, Cobra was known to offer the strongholds for sale on the arms market for anyone that could afford their price.

Members

• Cobra Commander :
• Serpentor :
• Destro :
• Baroness :
• Doctor Mindbender :
• Tomax :
• Xamot :
• Zartan :
• Storm Shadow :
• Major Bludd :
• Firefly :
• Cesspool :
• Doctor Venom :
• Kwinn : -
• Fred VII :
• Black Out :
• Krake :
• Hotwire : an eccentric but brilliant scientist from a long line of such people among his ancestors. He actually wanted to break this trend and travelled to America to legitimately studied at M.I.T. where made great strides at the Robotics & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. However, he was thrown out when his research began involving the adverse effects of mechanical appendages on human victims.
• Wild Weasel : a mysterious pilot who learnt his trade whilst working for Cobra.
• Tombstone : a mysterious black male who was a high ranking member of the Cobra Organization where he struck fear through his combination of strong tactical leadership and cunning psychological manipulation. It was his battlefield brilliance that led to a deep sense of loyalty among the Cobra troops. He was noted to had found an equal in G.I. Joe in the form of Conrad 'Duke' Hasuer who did not succumb easily to Tombstone's mind trick and phantom terror tactics.
• Black Vulture : Hans Hollerith was a descendant of war criminals that were adept at using data for nefarious purposes. Growing up, he tried denying his heritage and even tried to live a normal life as a football referee. However, he was driven to the allure of crime and power where he eventually came to join the ranks of the Cobra Organization. He used his talents to pilot a tactical glider in order to conduct espionage missions where he stole valuable data for his employers. This led to him being assigned as the leader of the Cobra Night Vultures.
• Raptor : a former tax consultant who took up falconry as a past time where he became obsessed with avian blood sport. This saw him starting to breed larger and stronger birds that were equipped with steel-tipped talons in order for him to see a more profitable game. He was caught poaching on a Cobra mink ranch where Destro force him to work for Cobra with Raptor developing large birds of prey to attack G.I. Joe.
• Big Boa : a brutal, unfeeling taskmaster who served as a trainer in Cobra that whip the unruly Cobra troopers into a fighting force.
• Shadow Strike : a male ninja serving the Cobra Commander who was sent to infiltrate the Arashikage clan in order to corrupt and weaken it from within where he was partly responsible for Storm Shadow allying with Cobra.
• Grimskull : a former Sand Viper who after a successful mission in retrieving live mutation samples from a remote research facility in the Central African desert was assigned to the ranks of the Plague Troopers where he legendary reputation among Cobra's ranks.
• Copperhead : a male who was believed to had been native to the Florida Everglades where intelligence indicated that he participated in high stakes speedboat races in Monaco and Japan where his gambling debts led to him working for Cobra to pay off his bookies.
• Vypra : Ann. A. Conda was a female human born in New Olreans where she was raised in the backwoods as well as swamps of Louisiana where she grew up to be mean, nasty as well as uncontrollable. She enlisted in the military but came to see soldiers as 'wimps' and later joined Cobra after being impressed at them. Vypra came to rise rapidly in the ranks where she came to be a driver and pilot within the organisation who was not to be underestimated.
• Skull Buster : a male Range Viper named Albert F. Packer who grew up neglected where he was forced to fend for himself in despicable conditions. Skull Buster had a reputation for being the ultimate survivor and predator with him reaching the position of operations commander.
• Black Out : Thomas C. Stall was originally a candidate for G.I. Joe until he was washed out of the program after failing the psychological exam. To add insult to injury, his younger brother Barrel Roll was chosen to join the team leading to Black Out joining the ranks of Cobra. He had an obsession with accuracy and became an expert in the use of a long-range sniper rifle. This was not a natural talent but one that grew out of persistence and practice that led to his proficiency in the weapon.
• Munitia : a mysterious female mercenary whose true name was not known with her instead operating under a string of aliases. She was noted for her cold nature where she showed no emotion with her presence seemingly sucking the life out of her surroundings. Her ability to guess the actions of others made her a skilled bounty hunter with her being akin to a predator watching her prey. Munitia was often found in the company of Firefly and Black Out whose appetite for destruction matched her own where the three of hem were part of the Hierarchy for Infiltration, Stealth and Sabotage (H.I.S.S.) within Cobra.
• Shadow Tracker : a male wilderness hunter and guide who scorned conventional weapons in favour of more traditional ones. He hunted his targets through primal instinct where it was said that he tasted his victims fear in the wind.
• Night Adder : a security officer for the Cobra Organization who had a trained attack dog and used the highest level of protection that was achieved through his ruthless approach that drew fear in his fellow officers.
• Razorclaw : a male human who went through a transformation process to make him into a genetically engineered warrior that was splice with DNA from a wild tiger who was prone to falling into a feral berserker state. He had no memories of his past life where he instead responded to instinctive combat skills wired directly into his nervous system whilst having his pain tolerance put at the highest of levels. Razorclaw saw everything in a red haze and he often spoke in a low menacing growl that escaped his lips. He was trained by renegade ninja in vicious fighting techniques that had been outlawed by clans for hundreds of years. Cobra tended to not deploy him on the battlefield but rather unleashed him where he was capable of unsheathing razor sharp arm blades that could retract at a simple command.
• Crimson Asp : Siobhan A. Nathair was a red-haired woman from Ireland was an elusive saboteur and mercenary for hire who years ago lost her eye during a disastrous mission in her homeland. Since then, she gained extensive tactical combat experience and established countless connections in the criminal underworld. This saw her fighting in guerrilla campaigns around the world and offered her services to anyone willing to pay for them. Siobhan was noted for being as cold-hearted as her reptilian namesake where her terrorist activities were an profitable venture for her.
• Ghost Bear : Jesse Kwinn, Jr. was the son of Kwinn and was born in a remote Inuit village on the Russian side of the Bering Strait. From a young age, he learnt to hunt and track in the most unforgiving of environments with him becoming an expert long-range rifle-man as well as being skilled in small-arms and knives. His father was in the employ of Cobra until he was killed in an attack on G.I. Joe Headquarters. Ghost Bear held a grudge against G.I. Joe and Snake-Eyes in particular who he blamed for his fathers death but was unaware that Kwinn had switched sides before his death and had in fact teamed up with the silent ninja.
• Cobra Mortal :
• Mercenary Wraith : a skilled spy and fighter who operated as a mercenary that was long sought for recruitment by both G.I. Joe and Cobra. Destro ultimately determined that Wraith lived for chaos and destruction with him not caring about causes. Mercenary Wraith had acquired a stealth assault suit that made him virtually invisible with it including impenetrable ceramic plate armour to protect him whilst also equipping him with built-in forearm cannons.
• Venomous Maximus :
• Hannibal : a dark haired clone of Hannibal Braca created by Dr. Mindbender to serve as a general in Cobra's armies. Though a brilliant tactician and daring general, he was capable of ruthlessly sacrificing his own troops if he deemed it necessary in order to achieve a victory.
• Sidney Biggles-Jones : a dark haired female who earned her PhD in PHysics from MiT after her second PhD in electrical engineering at CalTech. She was sought by the government for employment but instead accepted corporate funding to work on an undisclosed project at a research facility in New Jersey. During this time, she published a number of breakthrough articles in hypervelocity propulsion technology with this drawing the attention of the Cobra Commander. He saw the potential of this research being modified to produce an electromagnetic rail gun and sent Night Creepers to retrieve her to join Cobra.
• Interrogator :
• Agent X-99 :

Notes

• Cobra was created by Larry Hama where they made their first appearance in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.
• In an interview with Jim Shooter, Archie Goodwin was responsible for creating Cobra Command and Cobra Commander. Hasbro was said to had been reluctant in creating villain toys as they did not sell but then "Later, by the way, villains became 40% of their volume."

In other media

Television

• In G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Cobra featured as antagonists in the 1985 Sunbow animated television series.
• In G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Cobra featured as antagonists in the 1989 DiC animated television series.
• In G.I. Joe: Sigma 6, Cobra featured as antagonists in the setting of the animated television series.
• In G.I. Joe: Resolute, Cobra featured in the setting of the animated web series.
• In G.I. Joe: Renegades, the Cobra Organization appeared in the setting of the animated television series. It was presented as a company called Cobra Industries that was involved in a variety of fields that included communications, pharmaceuticals and military technologies. The U.S. government had long suspected the corporation to be involved in criminal activity but they were lacking in evidence to prove their illegal acts.

Films

• In G.I. Joe: The Movie, Cobra appeared as antagonists in the animated film set in the Sunbow animated television series universe. It was revealed that the organization was actually created by an inhabitant of the 40,000 year old Cobra-la civilization who dispatched one of their own to become Cobra Commander to reshape the world back to the era of his own people.
• In G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, the Cobra Organization were the hidden antagonists in the setting of the live-action film. Cobra as an organization does not appear as such. Instead, M.A.R.S. Industries, owned by James McCullen, are presented as the main antagonists along with Baroness, Storm Shadow, Zartan and the Doctor. While McCullen builds up his company and convinces NATO to fund his research and development projects to build more advanced weapons, he also conceives an elaborate plan to take over the world by creating an enemy that would inspire fear on a global scale and make everyone turn to the most powerful individual on Earth: the President of the United States. To this end, McCullen turns M.A.R.S.'s unlimited resources towards espionage and terrorism.
• In G.I. Joe: Retaliation, the Cobra Organization appeared as the primary antagonists in the setting of the live-action film sequel. Firefly was hired to help free the Cobra Commander who then proceeded to take full charge of the organisation.
• In Snake Eyes, the Cobra Organization made a brief appearance in the setting of the 2021 live-action film.

Comics

• In Street Fighter × G.I. Joe v1 (2016), M. Bison appeared in the setting of the IDW crossover series with G.I. Joe. The Shadaloo crime syndicate was led by the dictator Bison who ruled it from the island of Mgriganka and had formed an alliance with the Cobra Organization.

Appearances

• G.I. Joe:

External Link

• G.I. Joe Wiki Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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