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Snake Eyes

THE ART OF NINJITSU IS TO NEVER EXISIST!

About Me

Snake-EyesSnake-Eyes's real name, place of birth, and most other information about him has remained CLASSIFIED throughout all depictions of his origins; all that is known for certain about his military standing is that he holds the rank of U.S. Army Sergeant First Class (E-7) and has undergone Drill Instructor training. He is also the team's resident hand-to-hand combat instructor. Very little else about his past has been revealed. (According to the character's creator, Larry Hama, no actual, 'unclassified' name was ever given to him.) He was originally billed by Hasbro Toys in 1982 as a "Commando," but by 1984, in the pages of Marvel Comics, it became clear that he was also a full-fledged ninja master. Snake-Eyes is quiet in his movements and is a swift and deadly master of multiple martial arts. He is an expert in the use of the ninjato, which he usually carries in a pair of sheaths strapped to his back (but often uses only one); although he's equally qualified with and willing to use standard weapons like firearms and explosives. Making him even more dangerous is that he has never relied on one set of weapons to the exclusion of others. In keeping with his personality, Snake Eyes usually wears what could perhaps best be described as a black "military ninja" bodysuit, and a face-mask to cover his face, which was disfigured in a combat-related accident. Since then, Snake-Eyes has had extensive plastic surgery to repair the damage, but he still has one or two scars left. Although he has always been implied to have been somewhat taciturn by nature, the accident damaged his vocal cords and left him unable to speak. When shown out of his uniform, Snake Eyes is around six feet tall and athletic in build, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He has a pet wolf named Timber that has appeared several times in toys, comics, and animation.He is sometimes referred to as the Silent Master.Snake-Eyes is romantically involved with fellow G.I. Joe member Sergeant Shana M. O'Hara a.k.a. Scarlett. He is also a Master Ninja, and has an apprentice, Kamakura.
Imitation art of Snake-Eyes' original packagingSnake-Eyes was one of the original figures created for the 3 3/4" G.I. Joe toy line in 1982, and was one of the original figures released in the 1997 return of the 3 and 3/4" line. As of September 2006, he has had 28.5 (27 as Snake Eyes, 1 as Classified as his real name is still classified, and a 1.5 version of the original with swivel arms) different 3 3/4" figures, 5 8" Sigma Six Camando Scale Figures, 3 12" figures and packaged with 4 different 2.5" Sigma Six Mission Sets (Most are Posed and do not have additional accessories, made at this scale for large vehicles of the Sigma Six Line). He has been released in a few playsets, or with movies in the past. A common element in all Snake-Eyes toys is that his face is covered (except for the 2005 'Classified' series action figure, depicting him before he became a ninja), and he is both a Ninja and a Commando (fighting with ninja weapons as well as guns). He has been packaged twice with his wolf, Timber. He is most frequently paired with Storm Shadow when he is released in multi-packs. Snake-Eyes has been a part of Ninja Force and Shadow Ninjas, but most commonly is part of the core series. He has since become a member of the Heavy Assault Squad, Winter Operations, and the Desert Patrol Squad. Snake-Eyes was not a member of the Sgt. Savage or the G.I. Joe Extreme toy lines, nor any of the shows or comics based on them.Comics - Original Reality/ContinuityOriginAccording to the comic book mythology, Snake-Eyes comes from the same ninja clan as his adversary Storm Shadow, who was at one time Snake-Eyes' closest friend, and sword-brother. The two, along with Stalker, served together in the Vietnam War on LRRP (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol). While Snake-Eyes served in combat, he always carried a picture of his twin sister with him in his hat. Upon returning home from the war, Snake-Eyes met with General Hawk, who informed Snake-Eyes that his family had been killed in a car accident (which coincidentally involved the brother of the man who would eventually become G.I. Joe's arch-foe, Cobra Commander). After some soul searching, Snake-Eyes went to study the ninja arts with Storm Shadow's family.Snake-Eyes’s ability to quickly learn skills especially impressed Storm Shadow’s uncle, the Hard Master. Despite Snake-Eyes deliberately throwing matches, the Hard Master knew who the true victor was. Even Storm Shadow knew this and this fact served to slowly drive a wedge between him and Snake-Eyes.
Updated Origin by Devils Due It was stated to make the G.I. Joe team younger, Snake-Eyes and company did not serve in the Vietnam War, but instead in an unnamed conflict in the South Pacific. This change was put in so that the team now appears timeless, and allows for the characters to exist for 20 plus years of comics.
Joining G.I. Joe
Eventually, Snake-Eyes rejoined his other Vietnam buddies, (or in the case of the new Origin, his buddies from the unnamed conflict) when he was recruited into G.I. Joe. Once on the G.I. Joe team, Snake-Eyes became very close to Scarlett. It seemed that for Scarlett, it was love at first sight. On a mission in the Middle East, Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Rock 'n Roll and Grunt were sent to save George Strawhacker from COBRA. On the way, the helicopter they were in started to have trouble and was soon going to crash. It forced the Joes to bail out, but Scarlett was stuck in the burning helicopter and Snake-Eyes stayed behind to save his lover. Snake-Eyes saved Scarlett, but a window exploded right in his face, scarring him and damaging his vocal cords (carrying Scarlett out of the wreck of the crashed helicopter, his head is actually on fire). Despite his injuries and the warning from Doc that unless he gets medical help immediately he may never speak again, Snake-Eyes convinced Hawk to let him continue on with the mission. He did so "without even saying a word." His reason for going forward was that George Strawhacker was once engaged to his sister--indeed, no one other than Snake Eyes might have been able to rescue him from the mission. Strawhacker never learned who the "scarred, masked soldier" who saved his life was.
After many battles with Cobra, Scarlett was captured by Storm Shadow before the infamous silent issue, #21. Snake-Eyes rescued Scarlett and battled Storm Shadow for the first time since they had last seen each other. At first, Snake-Eyes was angered by his sword brother's actions, but he was eventually told the truth by Storm Shadow himself; after the Hard Master was killed and Storm Shadow was blamed by the Arashikage, he joined Cobra to find out who was truly behind the murder. Eventually, after discovering it was Zartan who killed his uncle, Storm Shadow left Cobra and joined G.I. Joe.
Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow would soon team together for some of G.I. Joe's toughest missions, and the bond between them would both be strengthened and tested. In one of the comics' most memorable story arcs, The Baroness sought revenge upon Snake-Eyes under the mistaken belief that he had killed her brother in Southeast Asia. She captured Snake-Eyes while he was sedated (recovering from the surgery to repair his face) and shot Scarlett at extreme close range in the process (many feel that Scarlett could not have survived such a wound). Storm Shadow, Stalker and Wade Collins lead a rescue operation coming to the aid of Snake-Eyes while he had already escaped his torture (assembling a new uniform and weapons from those who had been torturing him in the process) and was conducting demolition operations against the COBRA consulate building where he had been imprisoned. After a second rescue mission for George Strawhacker and a run in with the Night Creepers, he is reunited with Scarlett. For the first and only time in many years, Snake-Eyes spoke Scarlett's name. Scarlett was able to recover from her injuries and coma.
Both he and Scarlett would also serve on the G.I. Joe special team, Ninja Force. While on Ninja Force, Scarlett "turns traitor" and joins COBRA. This is really a ruse, known only to Hawk and a few others. On a mission to extract Destro and the Baroness from COBRA, Snake-Eyes unexpectedly comes face to face with Scarlett (still undercover). With only a fraction of a second to think, he stabs her in the chest to keep up the appearance that she is really a traitor--the cut barely misses her heart. Most of COBRA buys it, but the ninja Slice is not so easily convinced: he notes "it was a clean cut, not hitting any major organs or arteries" and remarking that an expert swordsman like Snake-Eyes should not have missed. Cobra Commander orders her patched up, however, partially because he cannot fully deal with the situation due to the unexpected arrival of the Decepticon leader Megatron. Snake-Eyes harbors a grudge against Destro over the incident, because if it wasn't for him it would never have happened. Despite what happened, Scarlett knows Snake-Eyes did what he had to do.
The final battle that many wanted to see had finally came to a head, Snake-Eyes vs. Cobra Commander. For this battle, Snake Eyes removed his mask and fought with all his might against an armored Cobra Commander.
Snake Eyes and Scarlett would continue to serve G.I. Joe until its disbandment, and were present for that ceremony. They were engaged to be married, but events forced Snake-Eyes to desert Scarlett.
Master & Apprentice
It was revealed in the series "Master & Apprentice" that Snake-Eyes left, grieving the loss of his first student, Ophelia, who was killed by Firefly. During this time, he trained a new student, Kamakura. Kamakura would later join G.I. Joe, and would be the first character created by Devils Due Comics that would be made into a Figure.
Reinstatement - Devils Due Snake-Eyes and Scarlett would be reunited again upon G.I. Joe's reinstatement. While initially angry with him, she eventually forgave his actions. The two are again engaged.
Later, after many skirmishes with Cobra, including the return of Serpentor (in which Snake-Eyes was injured in a grenade blast, from which he quickly recovered) and altercations with Storm Shadow, his triumph over the Red Ninja leader Sei Tin which gave Snake-Eyes control of the Red Ninja clan, and a close-call defeat at the hands of the heavily armored Wraith, the team was reduced to a smaller unit, with Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, and Duke in serious trouble. The shadowy cabal of generals in charge, the Jugglers, had Snake-Eyes arrested, and when Duke attempted to blackmail them into giving up their attempts to wrest control of G.I. Joe from the Joes themselves, he joined Snake-Eyes in prison. Secretly however, Scarlett met with Storm Shadow (who had broken free of his mind control) and rescued them from a convoy, escaping to Iceland as vigilantes and hiding out with Scanner until they could figure out just what was going on.
Secretly, they were tailed by former Coil agent Overlord, who was working as a freelance mercenary for the Jugglers. Overlord fatally injured Scanner, and locked the Joes in a bomb shelter until Federal Agents would arrive, but Scanner, in his last moments activated the Icelandic station's self-destruct, killing Overlord in the blast (and saving the Joes, who were in the safe shelter). Days later they were rescued, and came back to assist Flint, Lady Jaye and General Philip Rey in dealing with a new menace, the Red Shadows, while the rest of the short-staffed team cleaned up the Monolith Base victory in Badhikstan (where Barrel Roll recovered in a nearby hospital). When the Red Shadows attempted to assassinate Hawk while he recovered at a mountain camp, Snake-Eyes sent his apprentice, Kamakura to save him, then joining him and getting Hawk to safety. Snake-Eyes was later put his skills to good use in fighting and defeating the Shadows before their plot could go into motion (he even stabbed Wilder Vaughn, although if it hurt the bio-enhanced Vaughn is unknown).
Amidst all this, Snake-Eyes and Kamakura travelled to Asia, to assist sword-brother Storm Shadow in finding his apprentice who had been kidnapped by the Red Ninjas. Snake-Eyes helped him defeat the Red Ninja leader, Sei Tin, but the mission was a failed one. Snake-Eyes relinquished control of the Red Ninjas (which he had won before) to Storm Shadow, bidding him to start the Arashikage anew. Storm Shadow left his clan in T'Jbang's care.
America’s Elite - Devils Due
Snake Eyes vs. FireflySnake-Eyes was an obvious choice to continue the Joe team in its new, sleek covert status of only a handful of members, and when the team was supposed to be "gone", he along with Stalker, Scarlett, Shipwreck, Roadblock, Flint and Duke (and Storm Shadow who also joined them) continued to track down Cobra cells and eliminate them in G.I. Joe: America's Elite.
When Vance Wingfield seemingly returned from the grave and, supplied by Destro, dropped deadly satellites onto major metropolitan areas with MARS equipment, the team scrambled to find answers. Snake-Eyes went his own way, not informing the team where he was going. Suspecting the explosives expert Firefly, he tracked his mortal enemy to the Ground Zero in Chicago, and interrupted Firefly doing an assassination on a gang lord. A fight occurred, but more gangsters arrived and Firefly managed to escape.
Upon returning to The Rock, the newly commissioned Joe base, Snake-Eyes learned that Scarlett had gone missing. The President wouldn't give their new commander, General G.I. Joe Colton permission to launch a side mission with Destro still out there. The rest of the Joes (with the exception of Duke, also missing) agreed to accompany him on an "unofficial" rescue mission, and Shipwreck lead them to Destro's titanic submarine, the Cataclysm. Together, Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes rematched against Wraith, but Wraith still managed to keep ahead of them, then disappearing into the shadows. Elsewhere on the ship, Destro assessed the situation, realized the Joes would win against his Iron Grenadiers, and escaped, but not before he ordered his own giant sub to be scuttled and flooded.
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow. Snake-Eyes was killed saving the lives of his comrades in an attempt to rescue Scarlett (who a cold-hearted Destro had planned to use as bait for the Joes). However, the rescue was successful. It has been stated by various characters that Snake-Eyes is truly dead, though many fans believe this to be untrue. His body was stolen from the Joe headquarters moments after the team's return, and it has been revealed that the Red Ninjas were the culprits. While Scarlett and the rest of the Joes went searching for clues as to who stole the ninja master's body, the Red Ninjas used mystical arts to revive Snake Eyes, who has now become one of them.
The Joe team faced a ninja in Red armor that looked like Snake-Eyes and were quickly beaten. Kamukura comments that he cannot be Snake-Eyes, but he fights identically to him. Storm Shadow, Stalker and Kamukura were dropped into a sewer and are chased by the red Ninja. Snake-Eyes defeated them all, then engaged in a one-on-one battle with Storm Shadow. Meanwhile, it was discovered that Tj'Bang has had his mind "exchanged" with Sasae Tiin, thus explaining T'jbang's evil mechanations.
As Storm Shadow fought Snake-Eyes throughout the complex, Storm Shadow tried reasoning with his friend. Eventually, Storm Shadow held an escaped Scarlett at his swords edge, commanding Snake-Eyes to choose between killing him, saving Scarlett or remaining a part of the Red Ninja clan. Snake-Eyes responded by wounding Storm Shadow, but not killing him. This act has caused Snake-Eyes to return to his normal self, and he subsequently re-joined the Joes, though Storm Shadow is now healing.
Shortly after, Scarlett observed as Snake-Eyes (In a Commando Oriented Uniform) tested himself in a training session, seemingly abandoning all of his Ninja training and focusing sole on his military training instead. Following the session, Scarlett unmasked Snake-Eyes and was shocked at the site, exclaiming, "Oh my god...what did they do to you?!" It has not yet been revealed what the Red Ninja clan did to Snake-Eyes' face.
Later, Snake-Eyes reveals a secret that he learned from Storm Shadow to Scarlett, who then tells him to reveal it to Stalker as well; the Baroness is still alive, and being held captive within the Rock.
After this, Snake-Eyes is shown in promotions.Spoilers end here.
Comics - Alternate Realities/Continuities Snake Eyes is a very popular member of the G.I. Joe team, and as such has been featured in many of the alternate reality/continuity based stories of G.I. Joe.
G.I. Joe Reloaded This was a regular series published by Devils Due that was in a new continuity, not touching on anything that happened before. This series explored G.I. Joe being created today to fight Cobra, and explored many differences from established continuity. The biggest aspect was that Duke was a Cobra agent. Snake Eyes was a former member of Cobra who defected and decided to assist G.I. Joe instead, but he was a bit of a wild card. He did not completely work with the team, and was suspected of being a traitor.
G.I. Joe - Sigma Six
This comic series was a 6 issue mini series released by Devils Due with direct connection to the new Animated TV Series. Like the Animated TV Series, this comic line does not tie into the continuity of the original G.I. Joe universe.
Sunbow Unlike his comic book counterpart, Snake-Eyes did not play any major role in the TV series save for the mini-series specials and a couple of episodes. During the first mini series, some of his origins were explored, but only how he came to have Timber. He was always portrayed as a trusted and loyal teammate, and even proved to have a sense of humor, as seen when he dressed up like Boy George in the Pyramid of Darkness mini-series.
Fans attribute the small role he played in this series to the idea that the show's writers did not have a "feel" for Snake-Eyes, and may have felt too limited by a non-speaking character. Also, his relationship with Scarlett was never explored beyond the initial mini-series. Additionally, his rivalry with Storm Shadow was nonexistent, the ninja instead picking fights with such characters as Spirit and Quick Kick.
G.I. Joe: The Movie Snake Eyes is shown in the G.I. Joe: The Movie, but like all Sunbow animated shows, he is only a backup character. He did not have a prominent role. One of the few times he was shown was during the invasion of Cobra-La, where he was trapped by the living plant defenses.
DIC Snake Eyes was a character shown during the later parts of the series. He did have a few key episodes, and at this time was shown to be working with his blood brother Storm Shadow who now was a member of the G.I.Joe Ninja Force. Snake Eyes was honored more in this series as a master ninja, but little more of his origins or his relationships were explored before this series ended.
G.I. Joe Direct to Video Movies Snake Eyes is a one of the G.I. Joe members in all of the direct to video CG movies. The continuity of these movies are not believed to tie to the previous history, and more directly lead into the events of Sigma Six. The main difference between these movies and previous continuity from DIC, Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow are again on opposite sides fighting each other. Storm Shadow is again working for Cobra, where he was last on G.I. Joe. This is primarily due to the reboot when action figures were re-released with the toning down on the number of ninjas on both teams.
Spy Troops
Snake Eyes is shown throughout this movie. He has some relationship with Scarlet, but it is not fully explored. He is also shown fighting Storm Shadow to save the team. This marks Snake-Eyes first appearance as a major character in an animated movie.
Valor vs. Venom Snake Eyes is seen as the master to both Jinx and Kamukura for the first time. He again battles Storm Shadow, and several of the new Ninjas that work for Cobra. Again, he is seen as a major character in this series.
Ninja Battles A new Ninja is joing the G.I.Joe and learns of Snake Eyes and Storm Shadows past in the Arashikage Clan. Explains the rivalry between the two ninjas to some degree, and shows how they deal with each other to this day. Most of the movie is narration over original artwork and some scenes from the previous movies, as well as some new footage at the end. This movie may or may not be in the same continuity as events here do not seem to progress into Sigma Six.
Sigma 6 ,p Snake-Eyes (forefront) with Kamakura and Jinx (background) from G.I. Joe: Sigma 6.Snake-Eyes is part of the Sigma 6 team. His background history has been substantially changed from the A Real American Hero series but still shares a connection with Storm Shadow, who referred to him as "brother". It is unclear if this is a blood connection or if they are sword brothers, like in the original series. Although Storm Shadow is a brainwashed COBRA agent, he blames Snake-Eyes for the ruin of the Arashikage ninja clan. As is in the original series, Snake-Eyes is mute.
During a battle in the fourth episode of the first season, Storm Shadow said, "What's the matter, Snake-Eyes? Getting tired? Face it, you're past your prime." This may indicate that Snake-Eyes is older than Storm Shadow or that he was simply experiencing fatigue from battling the COBRA B.A.T.s for quite a considerable amount of time. While the A Real American Hero cartoon series never showed Snake-Eyes's true face, the Sigma 6 continuity took some visual cues from the ARAH comics. In one episode when Snake-Eyes was fighting Storm Shadow, Snake-Eyes's visor partially broke and it appears that this Snake-Eyes has blonde hair, blue eyes, and his face is not burned. However, he does have a scar near his eye as a result of a training accident.
In this series, both Jinx and Kamakura serve as Snake-Eyes's apprentices, which can be seen as a continuation from the Direct to DVDs Movie Continuity.

My Interests

I am a man who chooses to remain a mystery to most people. One of the most secretive operatives in the military, much of my past is unknown. All I'll tell you is that I grew up somewhere in the United States, along with my twin sister, Terri. We were very close throughout out our youth. I have carried her picture with me for good luck during my military career.At age 18, I enlisted in the army and eventually arrived in South East Asia during the Vietnam War. I will only reveal a little of my time in Vietnam to you. 1968 is when I first met Lonzo "Stalker" Wilkinson and Tommy "Storm Shadow" Arashikage. The three of us soldiers reported to Saigon for a top secret mission. At the time, the Tet offensive was underway and the our jeep driver was killed by two young Vietnamese men on a motorcycle. I took off after the men, following them to a warehouse. I arrived just seconds after the men killed Baron Eugen DeCobray, a humanitarian assisting the South Vietnamese. I shot and killed the two men who were later revealed to be North Vietnamese agents. DeCobray's sister, Anastasia, entered the room, believing I had murdered DeCobray. Anastasia kept on believing the military had killed a good man like her brother, and eventually entered into a career of international terrorism under the name, "Baroness." I of course was cleared of all charges when weapons dealer James McCullen Destro XXIII proved he was innocent. Destro was accompanied by his son, James McCullen Destro XXIV.Three years later, I was serving on Long Range Recon Patrol (LRRP) with Stalker and Storm Shadow in the jungles of Vietnam. We were accompanied by three other soldiers: Wade Collins, Ramon Escobedo and Dick Saperstein. We had stumbled upon an encampment of North Vietnamese soldiers and a firefight ensued. At the time Collins, Saperstein and Escobedo were all believed killed in the attack. Stalker, Storm Shadow, and I all retreated to a landing zone for rescue. As we ran across a field toward the extraction chopper, we were fired upon. I was hit badly and Stalker ordered Storm Shadow to leave me. Storm Shadow refused, running back to save me and to Stalker's amazement, he evaded all enemy fire and retrieved me unscathed.My injuries got me sent back to the United States. When I arrived at the local airport, my parents and sister were nowhere to be found. After hours of waiting, I was met by a young army officer named Clayton "Hawk" Abernathy. Hawk told me the tragic news: my parents and sister had been killed in a car wreck just hours before. Devastated, I travelled the world for a short time before reaching Japan. Storm Shadow had offered me a position in the "family business." That "business" was in fact a ninja clan. I trained there for years with Storm Shadow's uncles, the Soft Master and the Hard Master. For a time, I felt that I belonged here with my new family and Storm Shadow was like a brother to me. My ability to quickly learn skills especially impressed Storm Shadows uncle, the Hard Master. Despite me deliberately throwing matches, the Hard Master knew who the true victor was. Even Storm Shadow knew this and this fact served to slowly drive a wedge between him and me. But tragedy would again strike. My family's car had collided with another car whose driver was also killed. The man was an unstable Vietnam veteran and he had caused the accident. But the man's brother turned the story around in his head. He blamed me, the family's remaining son for his brother's death. At the time we didn't know but he hired two mercenaries -- Zartan and Firefly -- to kill me. Zartan infiltrated the clan and stole one of Storm Shadow's arrows. He mistakenly killed the Hard Master, believing him to be me. Storm Shadow fled Japan to find his uncle's killer because he was believed to be the assassin. He would eventually find the warped man who had ordered my death. That man would later be known as Cobra Commander.The death of the Hard Master left the Arashikage clan in disarray and made me an orphan once more. I moved to a cabin in the High Sierras, and lived alone there, with my wolf, Timber. When Hawk and Stalker were organizing the G.I. Joe team, Stalker suggested me as a team member. The two came to my cabin and offered me a spot on the team which I accepted. Once on the team, I became close to Scarlett. On an early mission in the Middle East Scarlett, Rock 'n Roll, Grunt, and I were sent to save George Strawhacker from Cobra. On the way, a helicopter accident forced us to bail out, but Scarlett was stuck in the burning chopper. I stayed behind to save her. I saved Scarlett, but a window exploded in my damn face, scarring me and damaging my vocal cords. Despite my injuries, I convinced Hawk to let me continue on with the mission. You see, George Strawhacker had been my sister's fiancee. When the Cobras tried to pretend they were the prisoner, only I knowing George, recognized who the imposters were.Over the next few years, I had become an important part of the team. I could no longer speak, and now wore a black mask to cover my disfigured face. I participated in the rescue of Dr. Adele Burkhart from Cobra and was part of many other important missions. I was captured by the Cobra scientist, Dr. Venom, who used the Brain-wave Scanner on me, trying to extract information from my mind. Using my ninja training I tricked the machine into believing I was dead by slowing my heart rate. I eventually escaped. I did run into Dr. Venom again in the nation of Sierra Gordo. I was left for dead by Venom in a burning warehouse while Stalker, Breaker and Gung-Ho were captured. I later freed the Joes and tracked down Dr. Venom, the Baroness and the eskimo mercenary, Kwinn to a small river's island. There, the Baroness dropped a bomb on the island and the Cobra bunker there, intending to kill Venom and Kwinn because they knew too much. At the last second, I pushed the others into the bunker. The other Joes had escaped the island as it exploded, but they had no idea that the bunker was intact at the bottom of the river. We eventually escaped, but Kwinn and I were betrayed by Venom and the two of us were arrested. We escaped and tracked down Venom. Kwinn intended to get his revenge on Venom, though I did not want to kill him. During an assault on G.I. Joe headquarters, Kwinn was shot in the back by Venom. I saw Kwinn die, but as he fell a grenade dropped out of his hand, killing Venom. Kwinn had gotten his revenge at the cost of his life.Vengeance returned to my life when I once again met Storm Shadow, now a member of Cobra and Cobra Commander's bodyguard. I confronted Storm Shadow but discovered that he had not killed the Hard Master and had infiltrated Cobra, hoping to discover who killed his uncle. After that, I continued my missions for the Joe team. I was later attacked by Cobra at my mountain retreat. In the ensuing battle my cabin was destroyed. On leave, Scarlett and I were attacked by Cobra Crimson Guardsmen led by Fred II. He was defeated, but not before he pulled off my mask and saw my scarred face.I was one of the many Joes involved in the first battle of Cobra Island, trying to push Cobra off of the island before they became a sovereign nation. That mission failed. Soon afterward, Fred II once again tracked down me along with Stalker at the Vietnam memorial. There, Fred II confronted us. He revealed that he was actually Wade Collins. Collins hadn't died years ago in Vietnam, but he survived as a P.O.W. He returned to the United States and his life fell apart he eventually found Cobra and joined the Crimson Guard where he had plastic surgery to have the same face as all the other identical Guardsmen in the "Fred series." Stalker and I convinced Collins that Cobra had used him, and that he still had a family that Cobra had "assigned him to." We allowed Collins to escape and start a new life, never telling anyone what really happened. Months later, Storm Shadow and I got a message from the Soft Master. It was revealed that the Hard Master's true killer was Zartan. I disappeared with my old friend, and we both tracked Zartan to Cobra Island. While there, the Joe called Ripcord landed on the island and was being rescued by the Joes. We did not find Zartan because he disguised himself as Ripcord. We fought our way to the Cobra marina and attempted to escape when the Baroness shot Storm Shadow for being a traitor to Cobra. He was thought to be dead, but weeks later, he snuck into G.I. Joe headquarters revealing that he had been revived by the same science that created the Cobra Emperor, Serpentor. He told me that he was tired of living his life for revenge. So I gave him the key to what was left of my cabin, letting my friend stay there and sort out his life.When Stalker, Quick Kick and Snow Job were being held in a Borovian gulag after a failed mission, Scarlett and I faked our own death and traveled to Borovia to rescue our comrades, who had been written off by the government. Shortly after our return Scarlett and I went on a special mission into Asia along with two other Joes. Our group's mission went on for months when many possible extraction sites were compromised. During the mission, I saved the life of a poor farmer who was being forced off his land by a local communist government. Eventually, the team returned home.Some time after the Joes returned from Southeast Asia, I finally decided to try and repair my damaged face. While under sedation during his reconstructive surgery, the Baroness attacked the hospital in Europe after learning I was the same soldier who she thought had shot her brother in Vietnam. She captured me and shot Scarlett in the head, the stupid bitch. I escaped Cobra capture and Destro revealed to the Baroness that I hadn't killed her brother. After all this, Scarlett remained in a coma. Storm Shadow performed the "Arashikage Mind Set" on me, allowing me to forget my sorrow over Scarlett's apparent death by going on a mission into Borovia. I eventually came out of the mind set and returned home to find Scarlett had survived. I went on many more missions for the Joe team, including the Battle of Benzheen, a middle eastern country under Cobra's control. During that mission, many Joes lost their lives. I later fought at Destro's castle in Trans-Carpathia, assisting the former Cobra member in breaking his ties with the organization. When Scarlett apparently joined Cobra, I was devastated until I discovered that it was all part of a ploy to allow Scarlett to infiltrate Cobra. I helped rescue her during a battle in Millville.For a time, Scarlett and I lived together in my rebuilt mountain cabin. Unfortunately I was soon forced back into duty. In 1994, on one of my last missions for the Joe team, I attacked Destro's castle in Eastern Europe. Cobra Commander had taken over the castle and brainwashed Storm Shadow and many other former Cobra members. They now swore allegiance to Cobra and fought against the Joes against their will. I attempted to free Storm Shadow, but failed. Soon afterward, the word came from the Pentagon that the Joe team was being shut down. At an emotional ceremony at Joe headquarters in Utah, the Joes "retired the colors" leaving the Pit an abandoned army base. After the Joe team was shut down, I went on one last mission with members of the team, fighting Cobra. I again encountered Storm Shadow who remained under the Commander's control. After that final mission, Scarlette and I were engaged to be married, but three years after the team disbanded, I left Scarlett behind and moved back into seclusion in my cabin in the High Sierras. We did not speak for for four years. During those years, I began teaching a young ninja student named Kamakura, who refers to me as "Silent Master".In 2001, the G.I. Joe Team was reinstated by the government in reponse to Cobra's return to the United States. Duke brought many of the older Joes to help train and lead a batch of new recruits (including Kamakura) and I am now one of the team's highest ranking field commanders. Scarlett is also a member of the new team. At first, Scarlett maintained a necessary working relationship with me, but she had not yet forgiven me and barely acknowledged me when off duty. After we were captured by Cobra during the nano-mite incident, we reconciled with each other while facing our possible deaths. We are again engaged to be married, but continue to work with the Joe team. I once again came face to face with Storm Shadow, who was again working for Cobra, and was sent on a mission to assassinate Hawk. We fought, and Storm Shadow claimed that he still held a grudge against me for my supposed favored status given by the Hard Master years ago. As he made his final escape, the ninja slashed his sword at my face, tearing another scar across it. For a moment, I let my anger get the best of me as I fired wildly into the ceiling into which Storm Shadow escaped. After that encounter, many missions of mine for the new team included battling mutated soldiers in the arctic and rescuing Flint and the Baroness from Russian mobsters. Scarlett and I then returned to our cabin for some time off, but were interrupted by Billy (now going by "William"), who had received word from Storm Shadow that he needed my help to make the final break from Cobra Commander's mind control. By the time Kamakura, Billy, and I reached our fellow ninja, he was again subjected to the Brain-wave Scanner by Cobra Commander himself. A fight followed, but in the end, Storm Shadow chose to return to the Commander's side. I had also helped track down a group of mysterious children who turned out to be clones of the original Serpentor. As a convoy of Joes escorted the children to a safe location, forces led by a revived Serpentor attacked, taking the children with him and capturing me and several other Joes. As we escaped our jail cell on Cobra Island, I was seriously injured and had to be carried the rest of the way. Soon, on one of their biggest operations ever, the Joes led an assault on Cobra Island that led to victory. I have since recovered from my injuries and returned to duty.