Cobra Island
Encyclopedia
Cobra Island is a fictional country located in the Gulf of Mexico
. It is the main base of operations for the fictional Cobra Organization
featured in the G.I. Joe
toyline from the 1980s. It is featured in the G.I. Joe cartoon and the comic book series created by Marvel Comics
and Devil's Due Publishing.
. The island is artificially created as the result of a plan by Crimson Guard
scientist Professor Appel. False information in Appel's home led the Joes to target an underwater bunker with a massive drop of non-nuclear bombs. The explosion triggered a faultline releasing volcanic stresses forcing an area of the ocean floor containing a sunken freighter Cobra base to rise above sea level.
Realizing the strategic value of the new territory, G.I. Joe attempts to dislodge Cobra from the island via a pitched assault. The G.I. Joe team had nearly won when they were called off by the United States, as lawyers in Cobra's employ had successfully maneuvered to get the island sovereign nation status and recognition by the U.N.
.
, a dedicated surgical hospital, an airfield and luxury hotel for visiting dignitaries (usually third-world dictators looking to buy weapons). One of the main features is the now "land-locked freighter
", a seemingly mundane sunken cargo ship raised up with the island which hides a storehouse of advanced technology (including the Cobra space shuttle and launch facility) and is frequently used as an operations center. After Cobra is forced to retreat from Springfield the island gains a significant civilian population.
Geographically the island is very small, barely 5 square miles (12.9 km²) in area. Its most prominent feature is its central active volcanic peak, created by the same forces which originally raised the island. The G.I. Joe team mountaineering expert Alpine
commented that the volcano is unusually rough, jagged and steep, whereas most volcanic mountains are characterized by smooth regular slopes. Other terrains include tropical jungle (which grew quickly on the new island) and a swamp in which Croc Master
maintained security with his trained crocodiles.
As an actual nation, it was forbidden for the G.I. Joe team to violate its airspace or territory, though of course Cobra had no qualms about spying on U.S. soil.
himself and the mercenary Dreadnoks
. A Cobra transport helicopter, sent from the Consulate in New York City
destroys the weapon.
and the Crimson Guardsman Fred VII
(masquerading as Cobra Commander
) caused by competition for control of Cobra exploded into open combat between the different factions. The fighting would grow to involve G.I. Joe and Destro's Iron Grenadiers
as well, with the Joes ordered to side with Serpentor's constitutional monarchy and Destro remaining neutral to either faction. Control of the airfield became a major turning point in the short war. Serpentor's faction was on the verge of seizing victory when he was assassinated by Zartan
, leaving Fred VII unopposed, while Destro was permitted to leave with his prize, the Baroness
.
The true Cobra Commander
later returns and reclaims his position. He uses the land-locked freighter as a prison for many who opposed him, such as Doctor Mindbender
and Raptor. He causes a mountain-damaging lava flow that buries the freighter. Most of the prisoners perish; the survivors manage to escape.
Cobra Island is abandoned after the collapse of Cobra. Sometime later it is taken over by Firefly
, then again deserted.
.
It later serves as the base of operations for a revived Serpentor
and his personal army called The Coil
. The geography has changed. Before, it had been a relatively flat island with one mountain. Now it had towering cliffs surrounding a fortified harbor.
After the defeat of Serpentor, the U.S. Government sells Cobra Island to what seems to be a research firm called "Gen-Tek". As discovered by a Joe assault force, this company is yet another Cobra front. The purchasing was handled by the Cobra businessmen Tomax and Xamot
. It serves as Cobra's headquarters before the organization moved to the Monolith Base. The island was destroyed when the G.I. Joe team drops a nuclear weapon on it.
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. It is the main base of operations for the fictional Cobra Organization
Cobra Organization
Cobra Command, commonly referred to as Cobra, is the fictional nemesis of the G.I. Joe team in the Hasbro action figure toylines G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and G.I. Joe: Sigma 6, as well as their related media....
featured in the G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
toyline from the 1980s. It is featured in the G.I. Joe cartoon and the comic book series created by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
and Devil's Due Publishing.
Origin
In the comics, Cobra Island is in the Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. The island is artificially created as the result of a plan by Crimson Guard
Crimson Guard
The Crimson Guard is an elite organization within the fictional G.I. Joe universe. They are members of Cobra Command, the nemesis of the G.I. Joe team. They are often referred to by a phonetic spelling of their organization's initials, "Siegies". Tomax and Xamot are the commanders of the Crimson...
scientist Professor Appel. False information in Appel's home led the Joes to target an underwater bunker with a massive drop of non-nuclear bombs. The explosion triggered a faultline releasing volcanic stresses forcing an area of the ocean floor containing a sunken freighter Cobra base to rise above sea level.
Realizing the strategic value of the new territory, G.I. Joe attempts to dislodge Cobra from the island via a pitched assault. The G.I. Joe team had nearly won when they were called off by the United States, as lawyers in Cobra's employ had successfully maneuvered to get the island sovereign nation status and recognition by the U.N.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
Features
Many important facilities are established on the island, such as a TerrordromeTerrordrome
The Cobra Terrordrome is a playset from Hasbro's G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toy line.-Toys:The playset was first released in 1986, and is basically the prefabricated easily set up fortress/headquarters for Cobra. Each playset comes with a vehicle service and refueling bay, munitions depot, a...
, a dedicated surgical hospital, an airfield and luxury hotel for visiting dignitaries (usually third-world dictators looking to buy weapons). One of the main features is the now "land-locked freighter
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
", a seemingly mundane sunken cargo ship raised up with the island which hides a storehouse of advanced technology (including the Cobra space shuttle and launch facility) and is frequently used as an operations center. After Cobra is forced to retreat from Springfield the island gains a significant civilian population.
Geographically the island is very small, barely 5 square miles (12.9 km²) in area. Its most prominent feature is its central active volcanic peak, created by the same forces which originally raised the island. The G.I. Joe team mountaineering expert Alpine
Alpine (G.I. Joe)
Alpine is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's mountain trooper and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
commented that the volcano is unusually rough, jagged and steep, whereas most volcanic mountains are characterized by smooth regular slopes. Other terrains include tropical jungle (which grew quickly on the new island) and a swamp in which Croc Master
Croc Master
Croc Master is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is Cobra's reptile trainer and debuted in 1987.-Profile:...
maintained security with his trained crocodiles.
As an actual nation, it was forbidden for the G.I. Joe team to violate its airspace or territory, though of course Cobra had no qualms about spying on U.S. soil.
Near destruction
Cobra Island is threatened by an advanced missile controlled by a rogue faction in the United States military. The threat results in a battle between unofficial Joe forces, General HawkHawk (G.I. Joe)
Hawk is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line of military-themed toys. He appears in the animated series, comic books, toyline, and movie.-Profile:...
himself and the mercenary Dreadnoks
Dreadnoks
The Dreadnoks are a fictional biker gang who act as villains in the G.I. Joe saga, which have been represented in several types of media, including toylines , comic books series , and television cartoons .All Dreadnoks are uncouth and violent, and usually engage their enemies with...
. A Cobra transport helicopter, sent from the Consulate in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
destroys the weapon.
Cobra Civil War
The largest conflict to occur on the island was the Cobra Civil War. Tensions between SerpentorSerpentor
Serpentor is a fictional character from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a line of military-themed toys created by Hasbro. The character was introduced in 1986 as a toy with an air chariot and included in the animated series that same year.-Toys:...
and the Crimson Guardsman Fred VII
Fred VII
Fred VII is a fictional character in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic book, a member of the Crimson Guard, the elite Cobra combat and covert operations/infiltration force...
(masquerading as Cobra Commander
Cobra Commander
Cobra Commander is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise. He appears in the toyline, animated series , comic books, video games, and movie as the usual principal antagonist. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra, and archnemesis of the Joes...
) caused by competition for control of Cobra exploded into open combat between the different factions. The fighting would grow to involve G.I. Joe and Destro's Iron Grenadiers
Iron Grenadiers
The Iron Grenadiers are a faction from the military-themed line of action figures and toys known as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.-History:They are a private army owned and maintained by the arms dealer Destro. The Grenadiers are composed of Destro's castle guards, personal bodyguards, and...
as well, with the Joes ordered to side with Serpentor's constitutional monarchy and Destro remaining neutral to either faction. Control of the airfield became a major turning point in the short war. Serpentor's faction was on the verge of seizing victory when he was assassinated by Zartan
Zartan
Zartan is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, by Hasbro. He is a mercenary who often worked directly for Cobra Commander, and is one of the main villains in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic and animated series. His character was voiced by Zack Hoffman in the 1985 TV...
, leaving Fred VII unopposed, while Destro was permitted to leave with his prize, the Baroness
Baroness (G.I. Joe)
The Baroness is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline by Hasbro, originally appearing in the first issue of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic series by Marvel Comics in June, 1982. The Baroness is a villain, usually associated with G.I. Joe's enemy, Cobra.Baroness...
.
The true Cobra Commander
Cobra Commander
Cobra Commander is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise. He appears in the toyline, animated series , comic books, video games, and movie as the usual principal antagonist. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra, and archnemesis of the Joes...
later returns and reclaims his position. He uses the land-locked freighter as a prison for many who opposed him, such as Doctor Mindbender
Doctor Mindbender
Dr. Mindbender is a fictional character from the 1980s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comics, and animated series. He is a scientist who works for the fictional terrorist organization Cobra.-Profile:...
and Raptor. He causes a mountain-damaging lava flow that buries the freighter. Most of the prisoners perish; the survivors manage to escape.
Cobra Island is abandoned after the collapse of Cobra. Sometime later it is taken over by Firefly
Firefly (G.I. Joe)
Firefly is a fictional character in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero universe. He is a mercenary who works for the Cobra Organization as a saboteur.-Profile:...
, then again deserted.
Devil's Due
Following Cobra's defeat in 1994, Cobra Island is annexed by the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
It later serves as the base of operations for a revived Serpentor
Serpentor
Serpentor is a fictional character from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a line of military-themed toys created by Hasbro. The character was introduced in 1986 as a toy with an air chariot and included in the animated series that same year.-Toys:...
and his personal army called The Coil
The Coil
The Coil is an offshoot of the terrorist faction Cobra, formed either by Cobra Commander or Serpentor, in the fictional G.I. Joe universe.-Origins:...
. The geography has changed. Before, it had been a relatively flat island with one mountain. Now it had towering cliffs surrounding a fortified harbor.
After the defeat of Serpentor, the U.S. Government sells Cobra Island to what seems to be a research firm called "Gen-Tek". As discovered by a Joe assault force, this company is yet another Cobra front. The purchasing was handled by the Cobra businessmen Tomax and Xamot
Tomax and Xamot
Tomax and Xamot, also called the Crimson Twins or Crimson Guard Commanders, are the code names of identical mirror twin brothers in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero universe...
. It serves as Cobra's headquarters before the organization moved to the Monolith Base. The island was destroyed when the G.I. Joe team drops a nuclear weapon on it.