Cobra Commander


 * Cobra Commander is a (more or less) human character in the Generation 1 continuity family.



Whether he's the scion of a bizarre ancient civilization, a former used car salesman driven to the brink of insanity, or a renegade European scientist, Cobra Commander really hates G.I. Joe. As the leader of the ruthless terrorist organization Cobra, he frequently tries (and fails) to take over the world. No matter what maniacal scheme he comes up with, be it raising an island from the sea to form his own independent nation, editing elementary school text books to read pro-Cobra or etching his face onto the moon with a laser, G.I. Joe is there to try and stop him.

Animated continuity

 * Voice actor: Chris Latta (USA), Ryōichi Tanaka (Japan)



By the year 2006, the once mighty Cobra organization had apparently been defeated. Cobra Commander, now going by the alias "Old Snake", was left with little to do to pass the time but hire out his services. He was an independent contractor - of terror!

A mob boss named Victor Drath had hired Old Snake once in the past, and decided to hire him again to learn the secret of synthoid technology so that he might use it against the Autobots. Snake took the job and used the synthoid technology to craft "human" bodies for Rodimus Prime, Arcee, Springer, and Ultra Magnus, then somehow transferred their minds inside them. Drath planned to then destroy the Autobots' now mindless robot bodies, but Old Snake dissauded him, noting what excellent weapons they would make.

Eventually, the Autobots managed to return to their original Cybertronian bodies and Victor Drath and his gang were arrested. However, Snake managed to escape capture.



After watching Drath and his gang get hauled away, Old Snake walked into the sunset. He mused to himself that "they just don't make terrorists like they used to", and began shouting the old Cobra battlecry to the heavens, perhaps for old times' sake.

He was, unfortunately, cut short by a coughing fit.

(Note: synthoid technology was never used in the above manner in the original G.I. Joe cartoon. Perhaps this form of utilization was a later development.)

G.I. Joe and the Transformers
Cobra Commander just appeared briefly, since he disappeared in a G.I. Joe comic whose story happened between issues #1 and #2 of the mini-series (poor guy. He appeared in a Transformers crossover and didn't know any Transformer).

G.I. Joe featuring Snake-Eyes
After Megatron appeared in Destro's castle (believing it was a Transformer, since it was a shape-shifting building), Cobra Commander offered him a deal: a new body (G2 Megatron tank body) in exchange for Cybertronian technology. Megatron agreed, but Cobra Commander betrayed him, infecting Megatron's rail gun (the new version of his fusion cannon) with a computer virus to disable it. Megatron discovered the virus, removed it and transferred it to the Cybertronian technology he gave to Cobra. Better luck next time, Cobra Commander.