Home Episode Summaries Season 2 The Rotten Egg
"You better pack for a long stay in intensive care because when I’m done with your cub scouts - I’m coming after you!"
- Leatherneck (to Buck McCann before the Cobra cadets hunt the Joe in a forest)
Three G.I.Joe Conquest X-30s fly over a Cobra weapons lab and hit the building with their missiles. Wild Bill flies a Tomahawk near a group of the Vipers pouring out of the building and forces them to dive into a lake. The remaining Vipers then turn to face Leatherneck, Roadblock, Low-Light and Dial-Tone, and they are quickly defeated. Several Vipers board a Cobra Hydrofoil, however, it blows up thanks to explosives placed by several Joe divers and Wet-Suit.
The Cobra Vipers are lead to an APC and Wet-Suit teases Leatherneck that the marine may need help counting the prisoners since there are more Cobras than fingers and toes on Leatherneck’s hands and feet. Making a fist with his hand, Leatherneck threatens to use Wet-Suit’s teeth to help him count, however, he is interrupted by Lifeline, who drops a letter from a Tomahawk.
Leatherneck opens the envelope and learns that he has been invited to the CEC Military Academy as the guest of honor during the graduation ceremony, an idea that amuses Wet-Suit to no end since he sees the job as one suitable for a babysitter. But Leatherneck views the invitation as an honor since the cadets may have the glory of becoming marines. And as a bonus for Leatherneck, he will be able to stop at Paris Island and watch the graduation ceremonies.
After driving a Silver Mirage motorcycle to the CEC Military Academy, Leatherneck shows his invitation to the guard at the gate and introduces himself as Sgt. Metzger. The guard lets Leatherneck inside and the Joe stops at the visitor’s center, where he is greeted by cadets Mike P. Randall and Sheila McDermitt. Then the academy’s commanding officer steps out of a building and Leatherneck. And the Joe quickly recognizes him as Buck McCann, a wanted criminal.
After McCann asks Leatherneck if he is happy to see him, the Joe marches up the steps and attacks him and tells the cadets to call the authorities. However, McCann picks himself
off the ground and asks Leatherneck if he noticed the uniforms. Turning the sleeve of a cadet’s uniform, Leatherneck learns that he is surrounded by members of the Cobra Elite Corps. The Joe is quickly subdued and McCann orders Leatherneck to be placed in a cell.
After Beach Head orders a group of soldiers to turn right and march, General Hawk learns that the men are ready. And although the men are ready to act as an honor guard, Hawk sourly points out that they would be training to fight Cobra if it wasn’t for the request of the commandant at Paris Island since his grandson is graduating.
Leatherneck looks at a poster for the CEC Academy and remembers McCann's time during basic training, a time when he broke Leatherneck's records and excelled at nearly every task.
However, he also recalls yelling at McCann to run fifty laps around the parade ground after breaking a soldier’s arm and tripping the injured man and his friend while they were walking to the infirmary.
Inside Leatherneck’s office, Private McCann is chewed out by Leatherneck, who lost his recommendation to OCS. Late one night, Leatherneck discovers McCann and two thugs stealing a missile launcher and attempts to stop them, however, the Joe is knocked out by McCann.
Back in the present, McCann offers Leatherneck a penny for his thoughts, and Leatherneck counteroffers by tackling McCann to the ground. Four of McCann’s cadets haul Leatherneck away and the Cobra Commandant explains that Leatherneck is the target of honor.
On the grounds of Cobra’s Academy, McCann orders Cadet Randall to remove the handcuffs and then explains to the Joe that he has a five minute lead before Cobra’s cadets hunt him down. Ever defiant, Leatherneck raises his fist and growls lowly to McCann: “You better pack for a long stay in intensive care because when I’m done with your cub scouts - I’m coming after you!”
Unimpressed, McCann calmly replies, “Five seconds wasted, Sarge.”
As soon as Leatherneck runs into the woods, McCann orders the cadets to hunt the Joe down, and Cadet Randall asks about the five minutes. McCann laughs and then tells him, “I lied.” While Leatherneck stands in the branches of a tree, Randall tells McDermitt that the old marine deserves some respect and should not be hunted down like an animal, however, McDermitt coldly reminds Randall that Leatherneck is the enemy.
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