Comic Book Origins: Cobra Commander

He's the supreme leader of Cobra, and a sworn enemy of democracy. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we will explore the comic book origins of the global terrorist known as Cobra Commander. As with most comic book characters, there are often reimaginings and different versions of a character's past. We've chosen to follow the storylines which unfolded in 1982's "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" #1, which was later expanded upon in1987's "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" #55 as well as in 2012's "Cobra Annual #1" The origins of Cobra Commander are shrouded in mystery, and often contradicted by the villain himself, perhaps in an attempt to perpetually keep his enemies in the dark when it comes to their eternal nemesis. Cobra Commander's first comic book appearance was right alongside the Joes in a story called "Operation: Lady Doomsday from "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1, during which the Commander and his Cobra comrade the Baroness kidnap a renowned nuclear physicist by the name of Dr. Adele Burkhart. G.I. Joe members Scarlett and Snake Eyes embark upon a daring rescue mission to save Dr. Burkhart, however, and soon find themselves face to face with the Commander himself, who threatens to kill the doctor, should the Joes not drop their weapons. A skirmish soon follows between the two teams, with both Burkhart and Cobra Commander suffering non-lethal gunshot wounds during the struggle. Cobra Commander escapes arrest, setting up what would be the first of many stand offs the Joe team would have with the terrorist leader. Cobra Commander would be given a slightly more detailed back story in issue #55 of "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero," when it's revealed that a young Cobra Commander actually worked as a used car salesman, prior to his career of crime. This revelation is spoken in rather casual conversation to theCommander's right hand man Destro, as the two are driving around in disguise, before being stopped by a State Trooper. The mood turns quite serious, however, when the trooper seems to recognize the Commander from a wallet photo found at the scene of a horrific, fiery car crash a year prior, the victim of which was a young man by the name of Billy. The trooper reveals that Billy, a.k.a. Cobra Commander's tortured and estranged son, lay comatose in a local hospital, after suffering severe eye and leg trauma. It's here where a surprisingly human side to the Commander is shown, as the Cobra leader takes a detour with Destro to the hospital, where he shares an apologetic and emotional moment with his unresponsive son. Destro reminds the Commander of his confrontations with Billy in the past, yet Cobra's chief-in-command remains penitent and regretful of his actions, remarking about how he wishes things could've been different between father and son. Turns out Cobra Commander has a heart after all, who knew? A more modern take on the Cobra Commander mythos is offered in a 2012 annual publication. In this series, the title of "Commander" isn't limited to just one man, but bestowed upon different leaders of the far-reaching criminal sect, all with varying methods of command. In "Cobra Annual #1, the origins of a man who would eventually succeed Cobra Commander is detailed in the young life of Krake, an young man born into the violent and tumultuous drug gangs of Southeast Asia. Krake's ruthless yet efficient life as a drug soldier quickly brought the man some due attention from the Cobra Council, the shadowy upper echelon ofCobra who place in power the various "Commanders" who head the organization. Cobra's Major Blood sets off Krake's violent streak by informing him of a traitor within his gang, after which the young man proceeds to eliminate each of them, without mercy. Krake is later captured by The Baroness and invited to join Cobra's ranks. His response isn't...exactly positive at first, but the soldier eventually joins forces with Cobra, undergoes facial reconstructive surgery and dons the battle armor which would carry Krake down the road which would eventually culminate with his taking on the mantle of "Commander" from every other contender. Are you a fan of the brilliant, yet sinister Cobra Commander? For more action-packed top tens and exciting comic book origins, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com!