Like, how can you be so totally uncool, Low-Light?
  -- Satin (to Low-Light after receiving an invitation to a party)
Home Comic Book Commercials G.I.Joe #11

Issue #11: The Pipeline Ploy
Publication Date: May 1983
Writer: Larry Hama
Penciler: Mike Vosburg
Inker: Jon D'Agostino
Lettering: Rick Parker
Colorist: Christie Scheele

SUMMARY

"They may be evil, but they're not stupid."
- Doc (talking about the Cobra agents who traded stolen plutonium for an antidote)

The Joes intercept a group of Cobra agents traveling beside the Alaskan pipeline and reach a stand-off position until Wild Bill lands a helicopter with reinforcements. As the wounded are evacuated back to a field base, Cobra retreats and the Joes follow them using a Cobra HISS tank and their Polar Battle Bear skimobile. Meanwhile, Cobra Commander sends Destro to take over the Alaskan battle, where the Joes catch up with the remaining Cobra agents at a pumping station and prevent them from pouring a toxin into the oil. But during the battle, the canisters are hit by the Joes and everyone is infected. After a Cobra agent confesses that the antidote was taken by a specialist who just left, Hawk orders Snake Eyes, Snow Job and Doc to retrieve it. Doc and the others follow the HISS tank tracks to a nuclear power plan where a battered worker explains that Cobra stole enough plutonium to start another war. The Joes continue their pursuit of the Cobra specialist again, but they are attacked by two Cobra Viper gliders. Wild Bill passes over the battle and evens the odds by letting Airborne drop out of the helicopter and attack the Cobras while flying a Falcon glider. Snake Eyes destroys the Cobra agents with a shot from a stolen Cobra RPG. As Wild Bill flies over the first pumping station, Cobra aims a second surface-to-air missile launcher at him, but Gung Ho rushes out of the station and clobbers three Cobras. As Wild Bill and Zap arrive at the second pumping station, Hawk and the others capture the remaining Cobras at the first station. Doc, Snake Eyes, Snow Job and Airborne discover that the HISS tank tracks end at a shed near the second pumping station so they radio Zap, who is sitting inside the helicopter while Wild Bill watches the pumping station techs lower a probe into the pipeline. Zap bursts into the station and the Joes kill the Cobra agents, but Destro, who remains in the shadows, explains to the Joes that the probe is traveling to Cobra gents and contains enough plutonium for Cobra to build nuclear weapons. He also adds that he is the only one who has the antidote for the toxin that was released into the oil. Doc enters the room, tackles Destro and recovers the antidote, but Destro escapes. The Joes then fly to the third pumping station and Doc trades the antidote for the plutonium after explaining that the oil is contaminated and they have six hours to live.

THE  PERSONNEL
G.I.Joe: Wild Bill, Doc, Snow Job, Hawk, Breaker, Rock 'n' Roll, Snake Eyes, Short-Fuze, Grand-Slam, Steeler, Gung Ho, Scarlett, General Flagg, Airborne, Zap Cobra: Cobra Commander, the Baroness, Destro, Cobra agents
THE  GEAR
G.I.Joe: MOBAT, Polar Battle Bear, Falcon Glider Cobra: HISS, Viper glider


THE  COMMERCIAL
[ issue11.zip - 1.24 mb - 30 seconds ]

Description
While helicopters and airplanes fly over the glass dome of Cobra's base, Cobra Commander angrily shouts that G.I.Joe is beating him, and then both he and his aide watch Snow Job and Doc race across a snow-covered plain in a Polar Battle Bear. The two Joes then drive into a group of Cobra agents and cause them to scatter, but Gung Ho, Flash, Scarlett and Breaker continue the chase on foot. In the air, Grunt flies the Falcon glider and tries to knock a Viper Glider out of the sky, however, the Cobra agent skillfully avoids the Joe's shots. After Cobra Commander concludes that only one man can help Cobra's cause, the aide turns to point at a figure who is obscured due to an intensely bright background light.

THE  PERSONNEL
G.I.Joe: Doc, Snow Job, Gung Ho, Flash, Scarlett, Breaker, Grunt (tan version) Cobra: Cobra Commander, Destro, Cobra agents
THE  GEAR
G.I.Joe: Polar Battle Bear, Falcon glider Cobra: Viper glider

Lyrics
G.I.Joe is fighting Cobra, the enemy,
on land, sea and air
G.I.Joe a real American hero
He's chasing Cobra in a desperate race
Soaring and diving in a great sky chase
G.I.Joe a real American hero

Tagline
What's in store for G.I.Joe? Find out in Marvel Comics!

Notes
During the production of the commercial, a short cut can be seen when comparing two shots. In the first shot, Cobra Commander stands next to a lackey and points to a wall with several screens, which contains views of Snow Job, Doc and a Cobra trooper. After showing Doc and Snow Job riding the Polar Battle Bear and Gung Ho rushing several of his foes, Cobra Commander again points to the screens on the wall, which are reused and display shots of Gung Ho's feet, a Cobra Viper glider and the G.I.Joe Polar Battle Bear.

Scenes from the commercial were reused in the animation segments for following toy advertisements:
· G.I.Joe Polar Battle Bear and figures from 1983

Screen Captures

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