The G.I. Joe franchise holds a special place in the hearts of all of us who grew up in the 1980s and early 1990s. It was the captivating carton story that managed to sell a generation of children on wartime heroism and toys.
The storey begins in the 1970s, when the Hasbro toyline was facing massive losses due to public opposition to the Vietnam War. Producing the 12-inch action figurines was no longer practical due to increased energy prices and negative mood. Meanwhile, they watched as Star Wars toys flew off the shelves, fueled by fans’ emotional affinity to the films and characters.
The toymakers first had the idea to give the Joes a backstory that would distinguish the bad guys from the good guys about this time. The plot would be rather straightforward, with the heroes battling the malevolent Cobra forces in order to save the planet from all forms of evil.
Ron Friedman, a veteran TV writer, was invited to develop a series, a decision that would permanently revolutionise the toy industry. Aside from boosting business, the series improved the US military’s image, and the positive messages of sacrifice for the greater good and heroism were warmly appreciated.
There was also a film series and some comic strips, in addition to the popular animated series. In this video, we’ll take a look at some of the franchise’s most feared villains who proven to be worthy foes for the heroes.
FIREFLY
This man worked for Cobra Organization as a master saboteur, a feared mercenary whose true identity was secret even to his boss. Nobody knows what he looks like in real life, and his concealment is one of his most valuable advantages. He possesses all of the characteristics of a consummate mercenary.
He attacks targets on the spur of the moment, employing stealth to his advantage, and depositing his earnings into a hidden Swiss bank account. He’s a shadow assassin, a skilled ninja with excellent fighting skills who can attack without raising the slightest suspicion.
Firefly specializes in working with all kinds of explosives and detonators, and he always know the best place to plant the devices, ensuring maximum damage. He always charges his fee in advance, and there is no guarantee of success, or of a refunds if he fails.
Black Out, who joined the Cobra organization after his brother was selected for G.I Joe forces and he wasn’t, and Munitia, a female mercenary, often accompany Firefly. Together, they are referred to as H.I.S.S, which stands for Hierarchy of Infiltration, Stealth, and Sabotage.
Firefly also went undercover inthe Phoenix Guard, receiving training in his fabricated identity. While he can be an unpleasant character, his effectiveness cannot be denied. The comics featured an interesting back-story for this character, in which Firefly’s father was indebted to the Koga Ninja Clan.
Firefly was taken in by the clan after his father died, and trainedto become a master assassin. He was a crucial character in the franchise, and there have been eleven action figures of him, mostly dressed in BDU fatigues and a ski mask. If you must have villains, they ought to be as badass as Firefly!
Tomax And Xamot
These two were also known as the Crimson Guard Commanders or the Crimson Twins. Tomax and Xamot Paoli are the co-leaders of the Crimson Guard, which is one of the Cobra Organization’s elite soldiers.
The brothers are from Corsica, as evidenced by their accents, and were once members of the Corsican mafia organisation Unione Corse. Following that, they served as mercenaries in South America and Africa, as well as with the French Foreign Legion’s 1st REP in Algeria. They later changed jobs and worked as bankers in Switzerland.
Tomax and Xamot were disappointed with the world of corporate finance, and they felt that their skills were better suited to international terrorism. They joined the Cobra organization and became valuable members of the team, adept as they were in espionage, infiltration, sabotage, and the spreading of their evil propaganda.
Their knowledge of corporate finances came in handy as they managed the business affairs of Cobra when not directly engaged in acts of terrorism. The twins are known for the brains, and they cleverly masked any traces of their connection to the Cobra organization.
Although they appear to be twins and have a similar appearance, there is one distinction that can help you distinguish them: Tomax’s hair is parted to the right, whereas Xamot’s is parted to the left. On Xamot’s right cheek, there is also a visible scar. The twins are physically connected in some way, which allows them to converse nonverbally.
This, however, is a difficulty for them because they can sense one other’s pain! The action figures were pretty unique, equipped with a zip-line and skyhook, and even laser pistols. The brothers troubled the G.I. Joe forces with their smart moves and cunning tactics time and time again.
Destro
James McCullen, the villain’s full name, sounds like a Medieval Lord. Destro XXIV has proven to be a significant component in the Cobra forces’ evil intentions on numerous occasions. He is the Laird of Castle Destro in the Scottish Highlands, where he was born. He commands the Iron Grenadiers, a private army, and is the founder of M.A.R.S. Industries, which manufactures and sells weaponry to the Cobra organisation.
Destro is a member of a clan that has been designing and trading weapons for hundreds of years. Destro manages to remain the faceless force behind it all, despite being one of the largest global organisations to participate in such serious criminality.
Destro loves to indulge in a lavish lifestyle,comparable to that of oil tycoons! He owns apartments and offices in almost all the major cities of the world, and his fierce, cutthroat attitude makes him a shrewd businessman. Destro profits from war and thus, war-mongering is his passion.
The wealth of M.A.R.S. continues to grow as Destro’s hired mercenaries create trouble across the globe. Once he has successfully created a conflict, Destro provides his high-tech weapons to whichever side can pay more. In fact, at times, he even sells his weapons to both sides! One of Destro’s ancestors was punished and made to wear a steel mask, and since then, his clan has made it a symbol of their pride.
Although he serves the Cobra forces, he doesn’t like the Cobra Commander and maintains the alliance simply for convenience. He actually admires the G.I. Joe Team, although their peacekeeping attitude does not resonate with his warmongering nature.
However, there have been instances where he has helped the G.I. Joe team, when it has benefited his business to do so. As surprising as it may seem for such a cunning businessman, Destro actually thinks of himself as an honorable man, following his own moral code!
Cobra-La
Cobra-La is a whole ancient civilisation that once governed the planet, not just one guy. Later, the gang escaped to a cave system in the Himalayan Mountains as a safe haven. Golobulus is the organization’s current head, and his clan has perfected the skill of immortality, allowing him to live indefinitely.
Only his central nervous system and brain have remained intact after all of his body parts were replaced throughout time. Cobra-La as a civilisation aspires to reclaim its position as the world’s dominating species. They loathe human life and are just looking to reclaim their former greatness.
The animated shows haveoffered various origin stories for Cobra-La. According to the Sunbow animated series, the Cobra-La were once forced to retreat into the Himalayan caves due to the onset of the Ice Age.
They tried to wait it out, waiting for an opportunity to retake the Earth. Golobulus selected a young man to go out amidst the humans in disguise, and raise an army that would help them conquer the planet. This nobleman later became the Cobra commander, but his numerous attempts to seize power failed, because of the protective forces of the Earth.
The Cobra-La toys came in a three-pack combo containing Golobulus, Nemesis Enforcer, and a Royal Guard. This wasn’t the most popular set, but the Cobra-La story-arc is crucial in order to support the rest of the narrative in the series.
Despite this, Cobra-La never featured in the G.I. Joe A Real American Hero Marvel series, as the writer was not too fond of the bizarre plotline. After some persuasion by Hasbro, he did concede a little,including some of the characters he disliked, thoughthe full story of Cobra-La was too much for him!
Nemesis Enforcer
Nemesis Enforcer is one of the Cobra-La characters in the series A Real American Hero. Golobulus is said to have raised Nemesis Enforcer from a mound of dead things, and his only objective was emptiness.
Before the Ice Age, he worked ceaselessly to fulfil his master’s demands, and some of his momentary glances gave origin to vampire and other such creature legends.
In some ways, Nemesis Enforcer serves as a bodyguard to Golobulus, tasked with the protection of his creator. In the animated movie spin-off, we saw this character as the elite guard who doesn’t speak, instead responding in grunts and growls.
The Nemesis Enforcer is shown as a humanoid with large wings that help him fly through the skies. The animated movie showed a sorry end to his character after his wing was broken by Sgt.
Slaughter and he was thrown into a spike walled pit. In the initial toyline the Nemesis Enforcer figure came with accessories like a bright green tentacle backpack and a grey wing backpack. He was feared as the dark force that could strike in silence, and various versions of GI Joe have shown him engaged in some intense fights.
Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow, the Cobra Commander’s ninja bodyguard, is easily one of the most popular characters in the GI Joe franchise. He’s a one-of-a-kind character for another reason: his shifting allegiances.
He’s been a conflicted character, stuck in the middle of the Cobra and GI Joe forces. His friendship with Snake Eyes has also been a topic of discussion, as the two have evolved from best friends who would die for each other to bitter foes.
Storm Shadow comes from a family of assassins, and he was initially in the US Army special ops group alongside Snake Eyes. He trained as a ninja and had an 8th-degree black belt in various forms of martial arts. His agility and endurance qualities are second to none, and he moves at a breathtaking speed.
It is believed that while he trained with Snake Eyes, the master was more impressed with his friend than with Storm Shadow, causing him to be jealous. When the master was murdered, Snake Eyes thought that Storm Shadow was behind the killing, even though he wasn’t.
Over the course of various story arcs surrounding him, Storm Shadow has been seen working for M.A.R.S. Industries, and he holds a grudge against Snake Eyes for the history that they share. He is a vicious killer who will not hesitate to kill innocent people if required. Storm Shadow, even as a feared villain, adhered to certain beliefs. He never killed women, for example, and he was a firm believer in his responsibilities.
For the GI Joe forces, he was a formidable foe, and only Snake Eyes could match his ruthless combat style. The mascot has worn a variety of outfits over the years, but the one with the white coat, white slacks, and white face mask has remained the most popular. In the initial toyline, this was the look chosen for the character’s figure.
BARONESS
Baroness is a rare female enemy in the GI Joe series, serving as the Cobra Forces’ intelligence officer. She is a police lieutenant who reports to the Cobra Commander. For the opponents, Baroness was like a femme fatale, whose beauty would be seductive and deceiving. Her flowing black hair, seductive leather dress, and black-rimmed glasses made her a lovely lady, but she was also ruthless and clever.
Baroness is the spoiled daughter of European aristocrats, and she started her career when radicalized as a student through her involvement with fringe groups. She made it to the big leagues of international terrorism from there, and is a spy and saboteur of the highest order.
She leads the intelligence operations of her organization, and her expertise in psychological warfare and bio-chemical weaponry are second to none. She has extensive knowledge of firearms and could even pilot helicopters and planes.
She has been shown as loyal to Destro, and there were a great many hints of a relationship between the two. She is, in reality, the only person who knows Destro’s true identity. She suffered significant burns during a night operation and had to undergo extensive plastic surgery as a result.
Baroness was a fascinating character, mixing cynicism with romantic tendencies and behaving calculatingly while yet being naive. Her character’s self-contradictory characteristics did not prevent her from occasionally causing problems for the GI Joe soldiers. Baroness was one of the first female figures to be converted into a toy, which came dressed in the character’s signature black leather ensemble.
SERPENTOR
Serpenter was one of the series’ most powerful antagonists, a one-of-a-kind creation by Destro and Doctor Mindbender. Serpenter was created by scouting the tombs of some of the greatest leaders in human history and using their DNA traces.
The villain possessed the attributes of several greats, including Napoleon’s intelligence, Julius Caesar’s nasty disposition, Attila the Hun’s clever mind, and Hannibal’s brave attitude. They also added Sergeant Slaughter’s aggressive fighting character, resulting in the versatile Serpenter, who was powerful enough to oust the Cobra Commander and assume command of the group.
We saw a lot of this invincible antagonist in the second season of the original animated series. Once he was created, he challenged the Cobra Commander and was way more effective as a leader. However, the humanity in him was dead – he was more of a monster with some crazy sociopathic views.
He viewed everything and everyone in the world as his inferior, and he often had some very mean things to say to his henchmen. Even his creators were not spared his harsh words. The worst part about Serpentor as a leader was that he viewed his subordinates as dispensable in the fight against GI Joe forces, and his arrogance was pretty irritating.
Eventually, the Cobra Commander did regain control of his forces and Serpentor was transformed into an iguana! But we must point out that there are very different stories featuring this character in other versions of GI Joe!
When the first action figure for Serpentor was released, it came with an Air Chariot with reinforced battle shield, attack guns, and a hover engine. It was quite a popular toy, and this character was regarded as one of the toughest antagonists that GI Joe had to deal with.
ZARTAN
Zartan and his siblings were the commanders of the Dreadnocks, a militarised biker gang that aided the Cobra organisation whenever it was needed. Zartan was a Cobra Commander’s direct subordinate. His specific ability was to blend into the backdrop utilising his make-up and disguise skills. He had the ability to change his skin colour at will, which made disguise a breeze for him.
His background is shrouded in mystery, but it is believed that he received some military training at some European military academy. He was an expert in mystic martial arts, and his deception techniques were brilliant. He was a ventriloquist, and someone who could speak over twenty languages in various dialects.
In fact, he and his biker gang could also use holographic technology to disguise themselves. Zartan was particularly skilled at tasks involving infiltration and espionage. His siblings Zarana and Zander also worked for Cobra, and Zarana was a top ranking agent of the notorious organization.
Zartan and the Dreadnocks were important villains in the Marvel comic seriesand they also featured in the 1985 TV series. When the original toy-line was released, Zartan’s file card said that he suffered from schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder.
Hasbro later removed this file card after there were complaints from a mental health organization. Even without the psychopath angle to his character, Zartan was an intriguing addition to the series, a villain to be feared and respected.
COBRA COMMANDER
The Cobra Commander, as his name suggests, is in charge of the Cobra organisation and is the mastermind behind every terrible plan devised against the Joes. He is a crazed commander obsessed with his own supremacy, demanding full obedience from his followers and desiring control of the world’s governments.
The name Cobra Commander is associated with anarchy, upheaval, and uprisings that destabilise peace and order. It’s been suggested that he orchestrated the upheavals in the Middle East and Southeast Asia on his own, only for the purpose of his objective.
So what is his modus operandi? Cobra Commander is known to kidnap military leaders, businessmen and scientists, and force them to reveal their top secrets in order to give him an advantage. He does not shy away from extreme measures to complete his tasks, and time and again, he has been attacked by the Joes.
However, he has a strong personality and keeps coming back even after getting bruised and battered. The assassination attempts do not disturb him, and no matter how bad the situation, he keeps coming up with new plans. The Cobra Commander is an expert in manipulating people, and his rhetoric can influence even the smartest minds.
He has a complex personality, often charismatic and psychopathic at the same time. One of the things that we liked about this character is that he never pretended to serve a greater cause like many other ruthless dictators.
He simply wanted to take control of the world order and cause large-scale destruction, using his weapons of terrorism and economic slavery to do so. His cool appearance was utilized by the toy company, who have been able to create some amazing action figures over the years.
MINDBENDER
What good is an evil organisation if it doesn’t have a great scientist on board to come up with some amazing inventions? Dr. Mindbender is exactly that character, using his technologies to protect the Cobra organisation.
His character has been variously portrayed, ranging from a funny villain to a murderous fascist commander. However, we mostly remember him as a backup for the Cobra Commander and Destroyer.
Despite his evil affiliations, Dr. Mindbender did not start off as a bad guy. He was a peace-loving orthodontist who used to mind his own business! He even designed a machine that would help people suffering from dental pain, which used some kind of electric brainwave stimulation to cause relief.
He tested the machine on himself, and it went haywire, leaving a terrible impact on his brain. The brain damage made him opt for a life of evil, but he did retain his scientific brilliance despite the injury.
Dr Mindbender then joined the Cobra forces and became a master of interrogation and mind control. He was also skilled in genetics and cloning, demonstrated when he helped create Serpentor. The action figure was bare-chested with purple pants, and was sold with leathery metal-studded suspenders.
MAJOR BLUDD
Major Bludd became a mercenary after serving in the security forces for a time. He was a member of the Australian Special Air Service and saw action in Southeast Asia. Before becoming a mercenary, he also saw some action in Algeria.
Major Bludd served as a military advisor in a number of unfriendly countries and was involved in a number of terrorist attacks. He is on the most-wanted list on three continents and played a crucial role in destabilising stable regimes across Europe.
Major Bludd was a vicious villain known for various war crimes he had committed across the world. His greatest asset is his sharp tactical mind, but he is skilled with the use of all kinds of weapons.
Major is a sharpshooter, who can use long-range sniper rifles effectively, though he also knows his way around plastic explosives. His affiliations with the Cobra group are well-known, but he is also linked with the Super Sonic Fighters and Python Patrol groups too.
The Marvel comic book series has an interesting storyline surrounding this character, in which he is hired by the Cobra Commander to kill Destro. The Cobra Commander saw Destro as a threat to his authority and wanted Major Bludd to get rid of any competition.
However, his attempt to do so was foiled by the Baroness, who was in love with Destro. The cold-hearted mercenary was a threat to everyone, and his antics made for some interesting chapters in the series.
CESSPOOL
Even the most heinous of supervillains can have fascinating backstories! Cesspool, for example, is a GI Joe enemy who only became wicked after a horrific tragedy. Vincent D’Alleva was the CEO of a corporation that worked with oil refineries and chemical facilities when he died.
When environmentalists continued to question the company’s actions, he personally accompanied them on a tour of the facilities to demonstrate the company’s innocence. He did, however, fall into a vat of chemical sludge, severely injuring his face. He healed, but he developed a profound dislike for the environment as well as a resentment against humanity.
Initially, the idea was that Cesspool would fight the Eco-Warriors of GI Joe. He joined the Cobra organization and helped them run their legitimate businesses. His work for the Cobra group saw him collaborate with Zarana on Cobra Island.
When they were captured and used to seek ransom from the Cobra Commander, he refused by saying that they were worthless to their leader. This was a nice way for the series to shed some light on the evils of pollution and the need for recycling and conservation.
The toyline was released in the Eco-Warriors subset, and Cesspool looked pretty cool in his blue-green outfit, with gold armor on the shoulders and a ghastly scar across his face. He even came with a helmet as an accessory, and kids loved this toy even though he was a villainous character.
HEADMAN
When both the bad guys and the heroes are after a villain, you know they’re bad! In the GI Joe series, The Headman is one such character, and we’ve seen both the GI Joe forces and the Cobra organisation band up to put an end to his threat.
He was a drug lord who led the Head Hunters in their fight against the Drug Enforcement Administration. He made a fortune in the drug trade and had ties to the Cobra group, which benefited from all of his profits. However, he soon proved to be too much for them to manage.
Headman’s drug peddling forces often came into conflict with the Joes, and violent battles ensued. He even brought drugs into a Cobra-controlled town and antagonized both parties. We remember the famous two-part episode where the two enemy teams come together simply to stop Headman.
His headquarters were invaded, and he barely managed to escape with his hostages. When the groups cornered him finally, he tried to expose them to his drugs. His efforts failed, and eventually, he succumbed to drug poisoning himself.
Headman got blown up, and the whole storyline became strong statement against the evils of drug abuse! As a toy, he was almost an educational warning, and parents would willingly buy his figure for their kids!