Home  Episode Summaries Season 1 Synthoid Conspiracy: Part II - Notes
Credits: written by Christy Marx
Production Number: 600-17
Original Airdate: October 8, 1985
Cobra kidnaps politicians, statesmen, military leaders, and opinion makers from all over the world - and replaces them with “synthoid” duplicates, artificial humanoids created by Cobra, to serve Cobra.
| THE PERSONNEL |
| G.I.Joe: Mutt,
Junkyard, Rock 'n' Roll, Quick Kick, Wild Bill, Airborne, Ace, Duke, Scarlett,
Gung Ho, Roadblock*, Cover girl, General Franks, General Howe, Admiral
Ledger, Col. Sharpe, Breaker, Flash*, Flint, Clutch, Stalker, Ripcord*,
Recondo, Doc*, Steeler*, Snake Eyes, Spirit*, Tripwire*, Short-Fuze*, Thunder*,
Lady Jaye*, Grunt*, Dusty*, Zap*, Joe grunts, Bazooka, Barbecue, Snow Job,
Heavy Metal*, Alpine*, Deep Six*, Blowtorch*, Wild Bill*, Zap*, Shipwreck*,
Frostbite* |
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Cobra: Cobra agents, Destro, Cobra Commander, Zartan, Crimson Guards, Copperhead, Tele-Vipers |
| THE GEAR |
| G.I.Joe: Silver Mirage motorcycle, APC, Skystriker |
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Cobra: Water Moccasin, Firebat (grey version) |
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* indicates the character was silent during the episode
The name of Destro's ship, the Valkyrie, originated from Norse mythology.
According to Edith's Hamiliton's Mythology: "Maidens were his [Odin's]
attendants, the Valkyries. They waited on the table in Asgard and kept
the drinking horns full, but their chief task was to go to the battlefield
and decide at Odin's bidding who should win and who should die, and carry
the brave dead to Odin. Val means 'slain,' and the Valkyries were
the Choosers of the Slain; and the place to which they brought the heroes
was the Hall of the Slain, Valhalla" (page 309). The term "Valkyrie" was
also used in the Japanese series Macross, however, the American
translators change the term to "Veritech," which is a name for transforming
planes in the American series Robotech. Images of the plane
are below.
  
The special effects sound for Destro's planes that created forcefield
was sampled from the 1960s series Star Trek, which used the sound
whenever the USS Enterprise fired its phasers. Another sample in special
effects sounds is heard when the lasers at Cobra's base, which soud like
lightsabers clashing from the film Star Wars, tried to destroy the
Skystrikers.
There is an unknown Joe behind Footloose and he could be either Footloose,
Steeler, Torpedo or Tripwire. Since Footloose always seems like the guy
who always wants to "kiss the sky," my vote for the Joe's identity is for
Footloose.
 
Because Cobra's "launch base" in the episode has guns around the edges,
a Firebat launchpad as well as a command center in the center of the circular
base, the design is very similar to the Cobra Terrordrome toy, which was
released a year later. Since the name of the toy was changed from "Cobra
Launch Base" (as heard in the first version of the commercial for issue
#54) to "Cobra Terrordrome," I wonder if Sunbow and Hasbro bumped into
a legal problem with the name of the toy.
In the Batman Beyond episode "Terry's Friend Dates a Robot,"
an homage was paid to G.I.Joe. The first instance occurs with the
mentioning of the term "synthoid," which was used to describe a sophisticated
robot that mimics a human being. Also, since the original version of G.I.Joe
was a twelve inch figure introduced in the 1960s and marketed under the
term "action figure" in order to convince boys to play with Hasbro's military
toy, the phrase "antique doll collection" mentioned at the end of the show
by the irate father is another nod to the toy line. But were these merely
coincidences? Quite unlikely since Paul Dini, who wrote the first season
episode "Jungle Trap,"
created the Batman Beyond story.
 
Cover Girl's trenchcoat disappears briefly before reappearing in the next
shot while she is helping Recondo and Stalker knock out two soldiers.
I
Dialogue:
Mutt: Where...where are we? Looks like Destro dumped us in a
nest of vipers. Down, boy!
Time: 18 seconds
II
Dialogue:
Wild Bill: Get those jets ready to fly!
Ace: Listen to her guzzle the fuel. Been thirst a long time.
Time: 25 seconds
III
Dialogue:
Scarlett: Duke! Get in! They’ve broken through!
Duke: Yeah! Wuh-uh, right! Okay!
Time: 13 seconds
IV
Dialogue:
Airborne: Reckon they confirm sightin’ us!
Scarlett: Ace, we’re trapped! stay out! They’ve got remote control
cannons!
Time: 18 seconds
Blowtorch
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Original:
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Blowtorch informs two kids that if a fire breaks out in a home, your
first job is to escape to safety and then call for help. |
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USA:
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Same as above. |
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