G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2 (Marvel Comics, 1982)
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G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2 (August 1982), published by Marvel Comics, titled "Panic at the North Pole!" The G.I. Joe team is sent to the North Pole to investigate an attack on a U.S. research station. Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Breaker, and Stalker brave the cold to uncover a Soviet plot and meet fan-favorite mercenary Kwinn in the process.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2 Video Review
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2 Story Summary
After saving the world in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1, the Joes are called up to do it again, this time at the North Pole! Someone destroyed an American research station in a commando-style raid and murdered the personnel. The military suspects the Russians, but General Flagg thinks that Moscow is also in the dark and prefers a covert operation to discover who committed the attack.
The G.I. Joe team is on leave after their previous mission, but General Flagg calls four of them back into service anyway, including Stalker, Breaker, Scarlett, and Snake-Eyes.
Stalker, who was taking pictures of animals in the woods, hops on a helicopter. Breaker, who was playing with computers at M.I.T. while ignoring the advances of pretty ladies in lab coats, leaves for the mission. Scarlett was busy competing in a karate tournament, and Snake-Eyes was pulled away from his favorite pastime, floating in an isolation chamber.
The Joe team is flown to the North Pole and dropped near the Russian research station to investigate. Using binoculars and a telephoto camera, they watch from a distance and spot a strange Eskimo enter and exit the facility. After he leaves, they investigate and discover that the Russians have also been attacked and that their scientists are dead too. The Russians' records and a "frequency modulator" have been stolen from the safe, and Snake-Eyes discovers the place is rigged to blow. The Joes escape before it explodes.
Breaker sends pictures back to General Flagg using his sophisticated 1980s backpack-sixed fax machine. They discover that the Eskimo is a mercenary named Kwinn. They track him to a campsite and find Kwinn waiting for them with a machine gun and explosives. Kwinn tells them his plans and leaves them to die in the frozen wasteland, then rides a dog sled to reach the Russians' drop-off point.
The Joes quickly build an ice boat and make their way to stop Kwinn before he can reach the Russians. They catch up to him, and a short battle takes place, but Kwinn seems to respect the Joes and doesn't machine gun them outright. He regrets taking the Russians' assignment to spread fear and distrust around the world with the frequency modulator, but must fulfill his contract
Kwinn leaves the Joes once again and meets the Russians at their camp, and hands them the frequency modulator while accepting payment. Then, he informs them that the Joes are on their way to kill them all.
The Eskimo mercenary leaves the Russians in the wild as the G.I. Joe team approaches...
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2 Creative Team
- Writer: Larry Hama
- Penciler: Don Perlin
- Inker: Jack Abel
- Letterer: Jim Novak
- Colorist: Bob Sharen
- Editor: Tom DeFalco
- Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter
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G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2 FAQ
Q. Is G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2 the first appearance of Kwinn the mercenary?
A. Yes. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2 is the first appearance of Kwinn, a mercenary.
Q. Who is the enemy in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2?
A. The enemy in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2 is not Cobra, but the Russians who hired Kwinn to steal the American records and retrieve the Russian frequency modulator.
Q. Did Kwinn kill the Russians in the research station?
A. No. The Russians went mad after suffering from paranoia because of the frequency modulator and froze to death.
Q. Is G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2 a good issue of G.I. Joe?
A. Yes. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2 is a good and exciting issue of G.I. Joe with a slightly different pacing than many of the other issues. The lack of Cobra, the sense of isolation, and a real-world problem make for a dramatic and memorable issue of G.I. Joe.
Q. What Joes are in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2?
A. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2 stars Salker, Scarlett, Breaker, and Snake-Eyes. General Flagg makes an appearance.
