G.I. Joe A Real American Hero #323 (Image Comics, 2025)

After the events culminating in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #322, Destro successfully occupied Springfield and destroyed Cobra's ground forces, and Revanche took over Cobra Island and staffed the casino with androids, but Cobra Commander will not give up! Everyone's favorite 1980s bad guy, who isn't Gargamel, gives a pep talk to his demoralized troops, including the Crimson Guard, Red Ninjas, Copperhead, Firefly, Scrap-Iron, Overkill, Crystal Ball, and Major Bludd.

Tomax and Xamot have that look on their face that says, "Gargamel would've been a better leader."

Destro is using Iron Grenadiers to control Springfield and monitor its remaining population. Loyal Techno Vipers and Tele-Vipers have bugged the Grenadiers' command center, and Cobra Commander is optimistic that victory is still at hand. Secret stashes of Cobra Rattlers, Mambas, Liquidators, F.A.N.G. IIIs, Stellar Stillettos, Condors, and A.S.P.I.D.S. have gone undiscovered.

Meanwhile, in Daytona Beach, Zarton and his goons, Road Pig, Zanzibar, Zarana, Zandar, Torch, Buzzer, Thrasher, and Ripper are in attendance at his command headquarters in a dive bar. The Dreadnocks re-evaluate their loyalties.

However, a group of biker thugs wants to drink in their crappy dive bar and starts a ruckus. Zartan finishes the ruckus by transforming into a clown and killing all of them. The Dreadnocks, who were only half paying attention, are all ears.

Meanwhile (meanwhile) in the village of Creag Mohr in the glen below Castle Destroy in Scotland, a battalion of Laird Destro's D.E.M.O.N. Tanks and Razorbacks rolls past with Destro's personal Household Guard. A fleet of Despoilers commanded by The Baroness and Destroy flies by overhead. The local kids are impressed (as are readers!)

On Cobra Island, Alpha-001 disengages from the hive mind and dons the holographic cloaking disguise of a smarmy casino manager. Tourist and casino patrons roll in by the truckload, and some of them even get free drink tickets! Unbeknownst to the casino-goers, though, is that they all walk through surgical units that turn them into chipped cyborgs on their way to the slot machines.

Alpha-001 even has an expanded airbase on the island and a fleet of cruise ships that are troop transports in disguise. Once the cyborg tourists return home, they pay 20% of their income to Revanche.

Soon, they will be activated as combat units with muscle enhancement and no pain receptors. They will be auxiliary troops when Alpha-001's enhanced mutant troops rise and bring about Revanche's global domination.

Now you know. And knowing is half the battle!