The news comes from SuperHeroHype, who in turn, got it from LA Times…Â apparently Paramount has elected to go in a different direction with the upcoming sequel to G.I. Joe’s first live action adventure, The Rise of Cobra.
To be honest, I kind of wondered if this was coming. I’d recently read that Sommers had signed on to produce and direct a series of films based on Dean Koontz’s “Odd Thomas” book series, and I kind of wondered how that might impact G.I. Joe plans.
It will be interesting to see what this really means. To some folks, it could be cause for celebration, as many had an adverse reaction to the first film (whether or not that was a direct result of Stephen Sommers’ involvement is a source of debate), however, I also think it could be a cause for some concern. Not concern because Sommers isn’t helming the project, but concern because that sort of leaves things back at square one.
Sure, the script supposedly has gotten some serious work, but without a director even attached, I don’t see how the movie can begin filming this year as was previously hypothosized. Not only that, but Channing Tatum continues to take on roles with other films, and certainly doesn’t seem in a rush to reprise his role as Duke.
Could we be looking at a full blown reboot? Early rumors suggested that the written script was definitely a continuation, not a reboot. If so, who is directing it? Can we expect to see the film in 2012 as was initially rumored? Tough to tell at this point.
All we can say for sure right now is, the waters are murky, and let’s all hope that G.I. Joe’s live action biography isn’t restricted solely to the mixed reactions from The Rise of Cobra. I was never ashamed about proclaiming my enjoyment of the film, but I think everyone would agree, G.I. Joe could be (and deserves) better.
Not sure if it’s too bad or not. I really enjoyed the first movie so I hope that whatever happens it is a direct sequel, otherwise all of that stuff is left floating!
I thought they were supposed to start filming soon too… I heard something about that somewhere else I thought.
The more they do to distance themselves from the first movie, the better. Except for the sweet training montage set to the totally fresh sounding and in no way awful hip hop cover of “Bang a Gong (Get It On)”, that is. The whole sequel should be one long montage set to that again.
Really though, my snide love of the art of montage aside, the issues I had with the first movie stemmed more from an obviously rushed, hack-job script than Sommer’s direction. He did what he was paid by the producers to do with a script that was literally cobbled together in a matter of days in order to beat the writer’s strike.
There’s plenty of blame to go around for whatever failures The Rise of Cobra suffered. From a studio looking to replicate the success of Transformers, a rushed production schedule and a director with his own ambitions, there just wasn’t a single focused vision driving that film. Hopefully whoever takes over the director reigns has a true passion for the property AND the weight to carry out his vision.
Celebration!!! Let this film DIE!
just remember…….
“Better the Devil you know…”
or, you can remember this…
“if you dont like what youre seeing….STAY THE FXXK HOME!”
by the way…thats my quote and its directed at that selfish comment from Heron and those who opine similar.
unless the budget and box office directly affect your wallet, what do you, or anyone, for that matter, even care? let them make it. let it succeed. let it fail. regardless, how will it change your life personally?
stay home, watch those horrific old reruns on HUB, (breakdancing snake eyes–NOW THATS GI JOE!!) and let the ones who want to enjoy, attempt to do so.
Look, i dont like ham…does that mean ham sandwiches should be eliminated…intelligent, logical, non-selfish thinking says “no”. you order ham…i simply wont.
I have a strong feeling that this sequel is going to turn into some kind of reboot and have absolutely no continuity with the original film. Which could be really good or turn out horribly wrong! hopefully we get a new director who has a passion for the brand and understands the property. But its not just up to the director, we also need a more cohesive script as well as for the design department to actually research the deep history of G.I. JOE and work with HASBRO to adapt those designs to work well for film.
I wonder if Michael Bay is available? Maybe Shiah could play Duke? I kid, I kid!
You know, there’s lots of truth in what 788 says. Yeah, I may not of really liked the Rise of Cobra film but going back to square one leaves us open to an even worse film just as likley as something better. It in no way promises a better film.
Plus, it absolutely sucks for all the people who DID like the first film. They’ll then film cheated like I felt cheated by the RoC movie.
A reboot is likely for a number of reasons. It seems to be THE thing to do for super hero movies whenever things don’t work out as they would like (Punisher and Hulk keep getting rebooted). Looking at the success of PoC type of toys and the current videogame crowd that swoons everytime a new Call of Duty hits the market, a more realistic, elite type of GIJoe may market much better.
But who knows. Worse is the current financial situation that much of the studios face and I would worry more that this film will fade into the void. Currently I have a list of a dozen films that were green lit and had scripts and actors and directors and still just faded into nothingness over the last 3 years. At least it had a prominent director….now he’s left the project. It does raise some concern.
I can’t resist. I don’t think the problem is what a lot of people assume it is. Unlike Transformers, G.I. JOE is so political, I THINK THE MOVIE WAS MADE AS A SINGLE FILM ALL ALONG. The cliffhanger was supposed to lead directly into the Pursuit of Cobra toyline. In many ways, it makes sense.
Additionally, consider this: the framework for the original plot was revealed at least five years before the film was released. And when you have a gaping cliffhanger…there should already be a sequel script in place. There was none, and the movie has gone on to gross millions more than expected.
In fact, the movie and the toys have grown in popularity over the year and a half after its release. For all the balking that older, hardcore fans did, others have continuously purchased the toys – which have fulfilled the 2-year cycle the classic G.I. Joe vs. Cobra toys have always had, since the 1980s. If you think I’m stupid, Rise of Cobra toys are still being sold between Hasbro Toy Shop and Toys R Us. While some of the prices have been reduced, a lot of the items are at full price. And I GUARANTEE YOU – if The Rise of Cobra was such a boondoggle, we wouldn’t see those sets released at Ross. Yet, we do. One of the reasons why you see those sets here: the movie has grown in popularity.
Since the 1980s, several films have become far more popular in video distribution, beyond their initial theatrical run. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, is one such film. The movie was highlighted in an article from The Wall Street Journal last year. NO WHERE IN THE ARTICLE WAS THE MOVIE CONSIDERED A FAILURE FOR HASBRO. So back to my initial comment: I firmly believe that the movie has been a bigger success than Hasbro anticipated. And despite what diehard, hardcore fans thought, it has gone on to help generate new fans.
It’s nice that the wounds of ROC have healed and fans can talk about the movie without all the flaming. They can still reboot the franchise without eliminating the history of the first movie. We won’t have to sit through a Destro origin story, we don’t even have to mention the Baroness/Cobra Commander/Duke relationship. In fact, don’t even bring Duke to the movie, make it a Flint, Lady Jaye, Snake Eyes story. With the exception of maybe Dennis Quad, you don’t even have to recast the same actors.
Didn’t a couple of the actors or even the director say something to the like of they were “playing G.I.Joe?” I could be wrong.
I’d go for a new story either way. It would be interesting to see how Rise of Cobra would be followed up on, and added to.
On the other hand, there’s so many ways to play G.I.Joe that something drastically different with almost all previously unseen characters (RoC or other) could be just as interesting. And I would almost expect it as it would compliment the variations on themes over the last ten years throughout the toys, animations, and comics.
Can we really allow Zartan to remain where he is, though?
I always saw Duke as Kurt Russel in Soldier. Absolutely the best soldier, kick-ass and what every other soldier is aspiring to be. That’s how I always saw him. I could never understand why people hated him so.
Then Rise of Cobra came with Channing Tatum playing Duke, and I’m sure I hate him more than most now. And unfortunately I saw most of the characters miscast in RoC so a complete reboot with new actors would be welcome for me. Even Dennis Quaid who is one of my favorite actors let me down big time.
I think the problem was the attitude the director and producers had towards the film. Hey, let’s make a fun kids action film! I hated those movies when I WAS a kid. I wanted to see the cool as can be action films, not crap. I remember an interview with Quaid after the film had released and just the way he talked about the experience it was like he had a fun little vacation. If you know the guy and how he usually LIVES his roles, it’s clear as day he didn’t take it seriously and thought it was fun to goof around a bit.
I wouldn’t even really blame Channing either, he seems fine in other movies. Why not use an actually good action director and action actors?
I did like Sienna Millar as the Baroness, she’s a great actress but I know she was very unhappy with the movie because it was such a ho-hum affair while she is used to serious and mature films. In the case of a total reboot, I would pick Rhona Mitra (sp?). She’s gorgeous, edgy, actually has natural black hair and looks heavenly in black lether.
All in all I’d prefer a more intense film. Doesn’t mean it has to lack the fun, but I’d want to see the movie take itself seriously. Something I doubt we will see from the Zombieland writers.
As far as the actual protrayal of special US forces go, I’ve always seen Predator (original Arnold one) as the closest any movie has gotten to GIJoe. It’s not realistic, but cool as hell and really appeals to the whole guy crowd.
Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, but are the bulk of you guys delusional?!?!?! Seriously, you sound as if G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was a failure. IT WASN’T! People are still buying the toys, and even making reviews and dioramas featured on YouTube. I understand that a lot of you didn’t like the movie. Apparently, most people don’t share your opinions.
Wow… you can really see all the idiotic action-junky hypocrites that have no idea what story, plot and acting is. Anything that makes money is a success???? Oh please
Well 788 why don’t you take your own advice and don’t watch Renegades if your going to do nothing than bitch about it
You can be in denial all you want, Praetorian…but the movie paid off for Hasbro. It’s getting to the point that you and the others aren’t arguing over opinion, you’re arguing over facts. The Rise of Cobra was not made as a comic book property. It was made to promote toys. For all the griping you and others do, G.I. Joe is a toy line, not a comic book property. And indeed, the film succeeded in selling the toys.
You and the rest are entitled to your opinions…but not to your own facts. Have fun with the crazy talk!
Are you out of your mind? If you liked it, that’s fine but this positive spin is ridiculous. Just because Hasbro didn’t issue a press release deeming ROC an abject failure doesn’t mean it wasn’t.
The box office, DVD sales, and reviews for the film were poor across the board.
The tie-in video game was a flop.
The ROC toys sold poorly. Hasbro has admitted disappointment there.
Toy runs these days ship for two quarters not two years. The fact the toys are still available two years later isn’t a sign of popularity, it’s a sign that retailers still can’t give them away despite several blowout sales over a two year period. Target didn’t even bother to have their exclusives shipped over from China instead they just cut their losses and sold them directly to closeout stores.
To say ROC did anything positive for the brand is baffling since Hasbro has done everything to separate itself from the film. The POC line bears little resemblance to the ROC takes on the same characters. Renegades bears no resemblance to ROC yet the new Transformers series has the same look and tone of the film franchise. Hell, Hasbro never even bothered to post the last few episodes of the ROC web series.
RoC the movie didn’t sell the mole pods very well here or the first wave of RoC figures… they’re still here, on clearance, after Christmas.
Is there any reason why the RoC movie was placed “in the near future…”? Would that have any bearing on a sequel?
What would the role of the Baroness be in a direct sequel?
“The Pursuit of Cobra line bears little resemblance to Rise of Cobra.” REALLY, Ben? For god’s sake, the line uses a lot of the same molds, and even design elements from the Rise of Cobra line. You and so many really do live in denial. I follow the business journals, and trends. Fact: Hasbro still incorporated Rise of Cobra figures in the Pursuit of Cobra diorama scenes. Fact: the mission statement of the Joes – for the Pursuit of Cobra packages – is truly similar to the mission statement from Rise of Cobra. The only thing is that Pursuit of Cobra gets the Joes closer to being an “All-American” outfit, as compared to the world force it was in the feature film.
Common sense dictates that if Rise of Cobra was so horrible, you wouldn’t see anything available. And yet, we do. Now the Terminator and Avatar toys…you couldn’t give those away! But whether you go to Toys R Us, Target, Ross, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreen’s, you will see G.I. Joe toys available, because people still buy them.
You didn’t like that Ripcord was black. You didn’t like that there were no H.I.S.S. tanks. You didn’t like that Channing Tatum’s hair wasn’t blond…it’s okay. But to deny the fact that people still buy G.I. Joe toys from The Rise of Cobra…is funny and crazy. And to argue with the success of the film – in spite of yourselves – it sure is psycho to me.
Of course POC uses a lot of the same molds. Mix up some parts and toss on a new coat of paint and it’s a new toy. That’s how toy companies work.
Other than Cobra Commander (which I believe was only released because Hasbro was really gung ho about the Cobra card gimmick) and maybe “Desert Wasteland” Storm Shadow, the POC figures don’t have the same styling as ROC. They even changed the Joe logo for POC. Rebranding the toyline to remove elements of the film doesn’t equal success.
Regarding dioramas, if you’re referring to the packaging, no, they did not include ROC figures on them. If you’re referring to the dioramas set up at shows then, Fact: They included 25th figures too. Fact: They’ve put Stikfas in those things before. Hasbro just sets those things up because they look cool. They don’t have any real bearing on anything.
The reason you see so many ROC toys at various retail locations is because so many retailers thought this was going to mimic Transformers’ success so they over ordered so they didn’t get caught short like they did for the first Bay Transformers film. The figures you continue to see on the shelves are from the first 2-3 series which all shipped at the same time. Those aren’t coming from new refresher cases. Those are the retailers’ initial orders from two years ago that are still sitting on shelves today. I’m sure retailers are thrilled that they are still selling them today at prices as low as $1.98.
I would suggest that you look through the business journals and follow ROC’s trends at the box office and its DVD sales and then look into the budget, marketing and distribution costs for this film and then explain the success of ROC to me because barely breaking even (maybe) after DVD sales doesn’t equal success.
Remember when I said that I was glad that time had healed the gaping wound that was the ROC movie? Apparently, I was talking out of my pooper. Lol.
I’ve argued with Derrick Lyle about the success of the movie line about a year ago, and neither of our opinions were changed. There really is no point in arguing. To him, ROC was HUGE, and to me, it was considerably less than. It’s history. I can only say this about gauging the success of ROC. Wait until the second movie comes out. I can guarantee the launch is going to be much smaller in scale than it’s predecessor. Not only will stores order much less, but Hasbro won’t produce as much. I imagine that the line will only feature the 4 in. line (with vehicles no larger than bravo class), and cosplay.
They didn’t use ROC figures in the packaging for POC? In Arctic Threat, Snake Eyes is right beside the Wolfhound/Snow Cat. The Snow Serpents are the same for the Rise of Cobra TRU exclusives. Night Adder is in the back of the City Strike diorama for the packaging. Firefly looks suspiciously like a version of the Neo-Vipers. And Storm Shadow’s sword-connecting coolness – like in the movie – is just like in the film.
When it comes to toys, G.I. JOE is just as ubiquitous as Batman. They still sell Batman figures between the pharmacy chains and TRU. EVEN BATMAN TOYS FROM THE DARK KNIGHT FILM. Terminator, Star Trek, you can’t find the toys. Even Avatar, those toys tanked, or ran their course. You guys are obsessed with the 1980s style comic books. And even the cartoons…you guys are obsessed with that era…and times change!! I am a fan. I see a bunch of folks getting G.I. Joe stuff. Hasbro knows that. So you guys that are obsessed with the notion that ROC was a failure, you are kidding yourselves…really.
And for all the supposed differences, Pursuit of Cobra still compliments The Rise of Cobra. All the figures and vehicles go hand-in-hand. But just because you hate G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra so much, don’t pan and fool the entire fanbase.
That’s not really fair statement, Derrick. I think a majority of the fan base is more than happy with getting away from the 80’s, as long as the property is handled respectfully, and intellectually. We all love G.I. Joe, that’s why we get on these websites and argue so vehemently on a near daily basis. We’ve been wanting a G.I. Joe live action movie since we were kids, and we wanted it to be HUGE. STAR WARS HUGE. We can argue all day about if we consider ROC to be successful, but we can all agree it was not ‘Star Wars huge’. I do want you to consider this…was ROC everything you (as a fan) wanted to see in a movie featuring your favorite property? If it was, can you list ROC in your top 5 favorite movies of all time? If not, as a hardcore Joe fan, can you still (personally) consider it a success? I can’t. For me, G.I. Joe is a ‘no-brainer’ for being in my top 5, and it’s not even close. The animated movie is, but ROC isn’t even in my top teens. That being said, when the ROC toyline launched, it was extremely successful. But after the initial hype for the movie was over we were stuck with the initial first 3 waves of ROC figs as peg warmers. Even now I can go to my Target and pick up a Night Raven for about $14.00. That excess peg warming hurt the line. My stores have gone from end-caps and at least a dozen pegs of Joe figures, to about 4 pegs, and a case of Alpha vehicles. I’ve never even seen Wave 2 of Bravo class vehicles. If ROC was a total success from a business standpoint, that stagnation would not have happened. G.I. Joe would still be using the actors’ likenesses, the vehicles would still be sporting the ‘postal employee’ Joe emblem, and the G.I. Joe would still account for the same amount of floor space. If you still don’t understand what I’m trying to get at, look at Joe’s sister-line ‘The Transformers’. Not only do they still produce movie inspired toys, but they’re running 3 different lines and account for roughly 20% of total boys shelving space. Transformers has not experienced the ‘cooling’ period that G.I. Joe has continued to endure. It’s a shame, POC is some of the best Joe stuff I’ve seen and it’s being completely overshadowed by the fact that stores are scared to over-order and be stuck with instant clearance items. I don’t want to sound bleak, but I wonder if the brand could survive another round of what you would consider success.
Andrew,
G.I. Joe, on Hasbro’s wildest dreams, would never truly catch The Transformers. Why? The Transformers are intergalactic androids. The sociopolitical nuances that have plagued G.I. Joe, are never present with Transformers. That’s getting to first base. Secondly, As distinctive Takara/Hasbro properties, it is easier to do a film series with Transformers, because the models are held in the computers. And the films are fantastic enough to rake in the bucks. Going to third base, with G.I. Joe, you have to worry about cinematic royalties given to the actors. And despite all the “conttroversy” all Hasbro had to do, was get rid of Marlon Wayans’ likeness, and we still get the figure, as Skydive. And yet…if Rise of Cobra was so horrendous, wouldn’t Cobra Commander look a bit more like the classic characterization, as compared to an update of sorts, of his movie look? And as I enter into home plate and score, your argument rings hollow, Andrew…because Hasbro is still selling the stuff! Whether it’s at Big Lots, Target, Ross, Toys R Us…a sale is a sale!
The G.I. Joe brand will survive, Andrew, and it wasn’t in danger to begin with. You and others may not have liked the movie…but SO MANY OTHERS LIKED Rise of Cobra! I live in Metro Atlanta…I see people purchasing G.I. Joe toys everytime I go to the stores. Now…everyone knew this was an origin tale. It explained so many of the relationships, and in a way, it was a prequel to The M.A.S.S. Device miniseries. I don’t know about you, but I always got the idea that Baroness and Cobra Commander were related; and I loved how they had CC build Cobra on the backbone of MARS Industries. It goes a long way in explaining Destro’s clout within Cobra.
G.I. Joe is a toy property. It’s an action figure line. That means the film is AN ACTION FILM!!! I grew up loving G.I. Joe. But I have to admit, Larry Hama’s comics – while entertaining – were too slow!! The movie is just like an update of the cartoons, where Cobra was an international threat. It grossed twice as much as it cost. So the movie was a success. And guess what Andrew? I went to Ross around Christmastime – looking for the old Target exclusives…and found several Pursuit of Cobra vehicles!!! All of this stuff is made in China. The figures probably cost about $3.00 in plastic and design. Hasbro makes money, whether they’re sold at Ross for $3.99, or at CVS for $9.99. And even if TRU is selling the Neo-Vipers for $1.98…they can afford to. Folks are still buying the Viper Commandos and Elite Vipers.
Hey man, before the film came out, I was a huge skeptic. I saw the Joes wore black, and Cobra’s Vipers wore all black…I was like, “Man, will this be a colorful film?”. The movie turned out to be fun. Just as the 1980s G.I. Joe was futuristic, so was this feature…for the 21st Century. And you know…YOU KNOW…Hasbro sells G.I. Joe around the world, so the movie was going to be about an international fighting force!
Ok Derrick, you keep saying something that makes absolutely no sense and that is that you see it as a good thing that RoC toys are still on shelves and a bad thing that other lines toys came and went. The exact opposite is actually true.
Hasbro hasn’t produced RoC figures since early last year. Stores are still selling them, Hasbro itself is still selling them. What that means is they produced all these toys and sold way less than what they expected to sell, that they STILL have them sitting in warehouses. A company actually WANTS to sell all its product, and the faster the better. Better to sell everything and think, hmmm, maybe we could of made more and sold some more, then producing fives times what actually sells. The movie has come and gone and is out of the minds of casual buyers, but the toys still linger, and like most point out, it’s the first two waves that are everywhere, the ones everyone alreday owns.
And it’s not that RoC sold badly, just no where near what Hasbro apparently expected to sell, otherwise the toys wouldn’t still be available everywhere. Again, be aware they haven’t made any more RoC since early last year, when they switched to the production of PoC.
Also, regarding Cobra Commander, that was Hasbro being good to their fans who were looking forward to the mail away CC that they had hyped so much. So instead of cancelling him, they incorporated him into wave 1 of PoC(Hence the funky packaging).
For the bigger picture though, why is it so important for you that others also believe as you do that RoC was a big success? Things have gone on well since then. They made some changes that made the RoC haters happy and RoC lovers still feel PoC is part of that continuity so everyone wins. We have a new animated show, a possible second movie coming and many more toys, with plans for a 2012 30th anniversary line as well.
Is this not a good thing? We all love GIJoe and want to get stuff we like, but a little consideration should be given to differing opinions as well. If they go and make a direct sequel to RoC now they will again fracture the Joe community that they have just spent a year uniting again through the awesome toys that is Pursuit of Cobra.
I don’t want a repeat of that. I know I’ve complained a lot about RoC and mainly that’s because I really hated the first few waves of toys, but I don’t want to go back to those times. I’m much happier posting messages about how thrilled I am with the toys we are getting right now. It’s way more fun.
Hawkwinter,
I post because I know there is a dichotomy here I’ve never seen before. I see people buying G.I. Joe stuff. The movie – you claim – has come and gone. Yet historically, a lot of successful movies spawn long lasting two lines. The Toy Biz figures and vehicles based on BATMAN sold, but Kenner recaptured the license, and continued the line – The Dark Knight Collection – two years after the 1989 blockbuster debuted. Star Wars – the figures sold and outlasted the film’s release. Different era, for sure, but I see the same thing with the G.I. Joe toys. G.I. Joe, like Batman, Spider-Man, and Hot Wheels, has been a successful staple. And at the end of the day, the toys are still on the shelves, and command higher prices online. There’s no massive fire sale…but steady sales.
And yet, I see a vocal handful of critics, just arguing with reality. Was the lineup perfect? Heck no!! But the toys still sold. If there were any mistakes, they were the responsibility of Hasbro…not the fans. They should have:
* Released the S.H.A.R.C. in wave two.
* Not released the Red Fang Ninjas and Nano Vipers.
* Released a lot of characters from the game: Iron Grenadiers, B.A.T.s, Red Ninjas, and Backblast.
* Some characters that were released as store exclusives should have been general releases, like Tunnel Rat, Gung Ho, and the Night Creepers.
The Rise of Cobra was not a perfect release. But for such a vocal few…it is hilarious. It’s just shocking, how you guys are out of the loop. After the debacle that was Sigma Six; and the muted hoopla of the 25th Anniversary line, circa 2007/2008; Rise of Cobra was the most invigorating thing to come to G.I. Joe. And it worked. So…it is fascinating to me, that a few critics are so vocal in arguing against reality.
I’m not stupid. I’m in business. I’m a toy fan. And I see people buying G.I. Joe figures, yet a vocal set gets on line, and berates Rise of Cobra as if it were the worst thing; and it was the best thing to happen to G.I. Joe in decades. So…the people on YouTube, doing their reviews – generating a lot of viewers – and the ones making the dioramas and stop motion minifilms with the Rise of Cobra figures…are these people crazy? So, that is what compels me to challenge you guys.
I would like to see a total reboot for the second movie. An almost totally new take would jive with the toy/comic/cartoon patterns of the last 10 years.
How would a straight RoC-2 play out?
Jumping into a film where the Baroness is free from mind control and “good” now, along with trying to figure out how Zartan is exposed and removed from power might be interesting.
I would think Destro would be doing everything to get rid of the Cobra Commander (after Storm Shadow frees them both, of course) and get his company back. Who’s running that company while he’s in the standing-room only cell? What happened to all the (completely?) mind-controlled vipers and the massive amount of M.A.R.S. products? After the world saw the tower fall, how could M.A.R.S. still be in business?
Or would the RoC-2 simply open with Zartan pardoning everyone in the first few seconds of the film? Of course, this would cause a huge political film scene across the RoC world. Zartan would give them an island for the sovereignty of Cobra-kind and pull American forces out of G.I.Joe.
But, you know that the doctor already had his secret nano-controlled political leaders in other countries, so perhaps the real threat would be that of the G.I.Joe team as viewed by those in the RoC world. The whole G.I.Joe army would be shut down and all the dangerous operatives jailed. But a few Joes escaped and they are now renegades wanted the world over and they have to prove their innocence.
Admiral Keel-Haul knows what’s going on really and secretly helps the Joes with his AWOL Flagg and crew. All of it leading into a massive air and sea battle with the forces of the world closing in on the remaining free G.I.Joe team.
Everything looking hopeless until Rip-cord makes it to the space station that’s controlling the nano-mites and shuts it down. All the world leaders know they were being controlled and immediately cease all military action against the Joes. But not in time to save the Flagg as it slowly sinks to the bottom….