G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #24
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #24 (June 1984) is one of the most character-dense single issues in the entire Marvel run, delivering the first comic appearances of Firefly and Wild Weasel while also presenting the cameo that marks Zartan's debut in the series — a shadowy final-page reveal that set up one of the franchise's most compelling villains. The issue also represents the first time Storm Shadow is explicitly identified as a ninja in the text, a narrative beat that writer Larry Hama would expand into the Snake Eyes/Arashikage Clan mythology across subsequent issues, making this a structural keystone in one of the era's most ambitious long-form action-adventure stories. Beyond its character debuts, it was one of only a handful of issues in the series that received a dedicated animated television commercial, reflecting Hasbro and Marvel's unusually tight promotional partnership at the height of the toy line's popularity.
In "The Commander Escapes!", the G.I. Joe team holds the captured Commander in a remote mountain stronghold, only to face a daring rescue mission led by Storm Shadow. As the Commander breaks free, Storm Shadow is taken prisoner—leaving Cobra’s ranks to regroup with new operatives Firefly and Wild Weasel, who make contact with their mysterious ally Zartan in the Florida swamps. Written by Larry Hama and illustrated by Russ Heath, with colors by George Roussos and letters by Rick Parker, this 1984 Marvel classic features a cover by Mike Zeck and John Beatty.
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was scripted by Larry Hama — who wrote nearly every issue of the 155-issue Marvel run — and illustrated by Russ Heath, a noted military comics artist who also contributed character designs for the G.I. Joe animated series. The cover was produced by Mike Zeck and inker John R. Beatty, with coloring by George Roussos; Denny O'Neil served as editor and Jim Shooter as editor-in-chief. Hama developed the series in close collaboration with Hasbro, receiving character sketches and translating them into the detailed file-card dossiers that became a selling point for the action figures themselves, with the comic functioning as the connective tissue tying together the toy line's expanding roster of new 1984 characters.
Trivia · 7 facts
- First comic appearance of Firefly, Cobra's saboteur, and Wild Weasel, described in the issue as 'Cobra's best pilot' — both characters debuted as part of Hasbro's 1984 toy wave.
- First appearance (cameo) of Zartan, shown only on the final page as a hooded, armed figure in a Florida Everglades shack; his full introduction came one issue later in G.I. Joe #25 (July 1984).
- First issue in which Storm Shadow is explicitly identified as a ninja in the comic's text, establishing the foundation for the Snake Eyes/Arashikage Clan backstory that would be fully explored in issues #26–27.
- Also marks the in-story debut of the G.I. Joe Sky Hawk vehicle, revealed from a sealed crate by Duke during the Rocky Mountain action sequence.
- Script by Larry Hama; interior art by Russ Heath (who also did character designs for the animated series); cover by Mike Zeck and John R. Beatty; edited by Denny O'Neil.
- The issue was one of a select few in the Marvel run to receive a dedicated animated television commercial, part of the Hasbro/Marvel promotional strategy that blurred the lines between the comic and the toy line.
- Reprinted in the G.I. Joe vol. 3 trade paperback, G.I. Joe: The Best of Larry Hama, and G.I. Joe: The Best of Storm Shadow collected editions.
Cast · 36 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
The Joes secure the Commander atop a desolate mountain location, but Cobra arrives to rescue him led by Storm Shadow. The Commander escapes, but Storm shadow's captured, as we see the other Cobra hierarchy with new members Firefly and Wild Weasel contacting their new ally Zartan in Florida's swampland.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).