Question on Cobra Commander's origin

[Peyton Westlake]

I was around in the 80's when the comic & TV series were out, and now of course the movie. But Im confused betweeen them all what is the true origin of CC? In the movie he was a former US soldier who kind of turns on his country. In the 80's cartoon , he was from some ancient civilization of mutants. In the comic book, I think he was some disenfranchised American. So which do we go by & why? The movie simply because its the most recent?

 

[Crockett]

I really hate the 80's movie when it turns out that he was a reptilian humanoids that belongs in this highly advanced ancient race. We don't really have a canon origin for Commander but for me it's like Joker it works when not knowing how he was before the transformation into a villain.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

I really hate the 80's movie when it turns out that he was a reptilian humanoids that belongs in this highly advanced ancient race. We don't really have a canon origin for Commander but for me it's like Joker it works when not knowing how he was before the transformation into a villain.

I agree with you there, the movie went away from the cartoon origin [which was good IMO] i would have rathered the comic book version, seemed more down to earth, but the movie one wasnt terrible. But i guess that will be accepted belief now.

 

[Mace Dolex]

The cartoon and comic book were two seperate universes at least that's the way I look at it and both are good but the movie just simply mishmashed both into a third continuity which pissed me off.

I know when translating a toy property into a feature film certain liberties have to be taken but not so drastic as making Duke and Baroness lovers and Snake Eyes not talking because of a vow of silence he took.

Just as Star Trek, Star Wars, Transformers have split off into different continuity with neither being official (in the case of SW the films are canon according to Lucas), I just think of the G.I.Joe Rise Of Cobra as another universe that hopefully gets forgotten.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

The cartoon and comic book were two seperate universes at least that's the way I look at it and both are good but the movie just simply mishmashed both into a third continuity which pissed me off.

I know when translating a toy property into a feature film certain liberties have to be taken but not so drastic as making Duke and Baroness lovers and Snake Eyes not talking because of a vow of silence he took.

Just as Star Trek, Star Wars, Transformers have split off into different continuity with neither being official (in the case of SW the films are canon according to Lucas), I just think of the G.I.Joe Rise Of Cobra as another universe that hopefully gets forgotten.

Well they are at work on sequel I hear so...we have more possibly they will tinker with.

 

[mr. peasant]

I agree with you there, the movie went away from the cartoon origin [which was good IMO] i would have rathered the comic book version, seemed more down to earth, but the movie one wasnt terrible. But i guess that will be accepted belief now.

Except it seems highly implausible (bordering impossible) for a used car salesman to accumulate the billions of dollars needed to run a globally-spanning, high-tech terrorist group (with functioning army, air force and navy, I might add) within such a short span of time.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

Except it seems highly implausible (bordering impossible) for a used car salesman to accumulate the billions of dollars needed to run a globally-spanning, high-tech terrorist group (with functioning army, air force and navy, I might add) within such a short span of time.

Well it does have its flaws as you pointed out.

 

[Mace Dolex]

Except it seems highly implausible (bordering impossible) for a used car salesman to accumulate the billions of dollars needed to run a globally-spanning, high-tech terrorist group (with functioning army, air force and navy, I might add) within such a short span of time.

I think I read that the Marvel comic version of Cobra Commander had him doing some type of pyramid sales scheme to amass his fortune to fund Cobra.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

Anything is possible........did Bill Gates have any serious $ when he was an unkown? It can happen. Extremely hard but possible.

 

[mr. peasant]

Yes. He accomplished it by revolutionising the world of computers. Also, I reckon most of his net worth is tied up in the form of properties, ownership of companies, etc (meaning, things that help him generate even more money) rather than stashed away in a bank account. Lastly, and most importantly, he is a prominent public figure. It is nigh impossible in this day and age to achieve such success without someone knowing who you are.

Therefore, it would be hard to believe someone who managed to go from rags to riches and doubling as the central leader (i.e. not just a financial backer or someone with ties to the group) of a major terrorist organisation whose identity remains unknown to the world, while still having the motivation to do so.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

Yes. He accomplished it by revolutionising the world of computers. Also, I reckon most of his net worth is tied up in the form of properties, ownership of companies, etc (meaning, things that help him generate even more money) rather than stashed away in a bank account. Lastly, and most importantly, he is a prominent public figure. It is nigh impossible in this day and age to achieve such success without someone knowing who you are.

Therefore, it would be hard to believe someone who managed to go from rags to riches and doubling as the central leader (i.e. not just a financial backer or someone with ties to the group) of a major terrorist organisation whose identity remains unknown to the world, while still having the motivation to do so.

Like Bruce Wayne? Noone can ever figure out he is Batman you mean?

Or Clark Kent?

Or that a man is zapped by radiation to become the Hulk?

Look where we are....everything here is not capable of haapening in real. You have to suspend your belief to have a lil fun.

So if an alien can crash to earth and give a human a power ring to be a galactic policeman.....I dont see why we cant beleive Cobra Commander can be such a genius to get his hands on money.

 

[mr. peasant]

Bruce Wayne already started off rich.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

Bruce Wayne already started off rich.

But its easy to believe that a highly visible & public person like Wayne, would train to to be a deadly killer, dress as a bat & never be detected? That was your point in a previous post. You have to suspend belief a little or alot in comics to have some fun.

 

[mr. peasant]

Okay... here's the thing: Yes, I can believe that an idle rich such as Bruce Wayne to lead a double life as a vigilante without anybody noticing and the expenses incurred concealed under the rest of his expenses.

It's quite another for a person who had to work for his riches to lead a double life as the leader of a globally-spanning terrorist group who is also able to hide the expenses incurred from equipping and running the multi-billion-dollar army of said terrorist group. Nobody is that rich that they could conceal that kind of expenses or bribe enough people to look the other way.

Yes, we need to suspend belief to a degree in order to enjoy comics, or any fiction for that matter. However, trying to believe the scenario described above is stretching it past the breaking point.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

It's quite another for a person who had to work for his riches to lead a double life as the leader of a globally-spanning terrorist group who is also able to hide the expenses incurred from equipping and running the multi-billion-dollar army of said terrorist group. Nobody is that rich that they could conceal that kind of expenses or bribe enough people to look the other way.

Actually that happens in real life everyday. I have a friend serving in Iraq & he says the modern day terrorist's biggest tool is bribery & getting funded from so many sources its unimaginable. They bribe customs agents in other countries to let something slip through........countries like Pakistan are bribed to look the other way in northern parts of the country where know terrorists hide & train. And the money the terrorists get funded comes from all over the globe.

 

[mr. peasant]

Actually that happens in real life everyday. I have a friend serving in Iraq & he says the modern day terrorist's biggest tool is bribery & getting funded from so many sources its unimaginable. They bribe customs agents in other countries to let something slip through........countries like Pakistan are bribed to look the other way in northern parts of the country where know terrorists hide & train. And the money the terrorists get funded comes from all over the globe.

Multiple sources being the key phrase. More people mean they have a larger pool of resources; in which the total sum of the expenditure can be more easily hidden amongst them. Also, most modern terrorists are mainly armed with handheld weapons or explosives and don't have fleets of tanks, an air force or a Terrordrome as part of their arsenal.

Ultimately, people's mileage vary as far as their ability to suspend disbelief. Some can accept just about everything a story throws at them and others are completely inflexible to any deviation from real life. Personally, I feel I have a decent willingness to suspend disbelief. It's just that the comic Cobra Commander's origins lie beyond it for me (for reasons already stated). Maybe it doesn't for you and that's fine. But that's why comic Cobra Commander's origin wouldn't be my ideal route.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

Multiple sources being the key phrase. More people mean they have a larger pool of resources; in which the total sum of the expenditure can be more easily hidden amongst them. Also, most modern terrorists are mainly armed with handheld weapons or explosives and don't have fleets of tanks, an air force or a Terrordrome as part of their arsenal.

Ultimately, people's mileage vary as far as their ability to suspend disbelief. Some can accept just about everything a story throws at them and others are completely inflexible to any deviation from real life. Personally, I feel I have a decent willingness to suspend disbelief. It's just that the comic Cobra Commander's origins lie beyond it for me (for reasons already stated). Maybe it doesn't for you and that's fine. But that's why comic Cobra Commander's origin wouldn't be my ideal route.

Not sure if the comic origin says how long it took him to attain it all either. Im assuming its not over nite. Im sure, like bin Laden he recruited others to help him fund or finance his organization & he didnt solely do it alone. As far as fleets of tanks........i suppose that is alot depending on who is giving him money but possible if its billionaires who beleieve in his ridiculous cause and they are anti-America. But since you dont like that origin, what would you have his been that would be believable?

 

[mr. peasant]

It would all depend on the plot and setting. Given the plot in Rise of Cobra, what they did worked really well. It makes sense that Cobra has all the resources it has since it effectively grew out of a hostile takeover of MARS Industries, which was, in essence, an international, high-tech weapons developer and private military contractor all-in-one. Plus, the nanomite's ability to mind control people also provides a ready source of warm bodies to wage its battles.

Moreover, movies such as The Dark Knight show that you don't need to an origin for your villain in order to create a complex and/or engaging character. In fact, not telling his origin would make a villain more threatening since we are less able to understand him.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

I agree with you on knowing less is actually a good thing. Worked out well for Nolan with the Joker. I honestly thought that was 1 of the better ideas of the movie.

I guess my question would be....so movies & the comics of GI Joe or any comic character should be left seperate? You can tinker with origins?

 

[mr. peasant]

Should comic and movie characters be deemed separate? Absolutely. What may work for one medium may not necessarily for another. Movie-based games (and video game movies) are proof of that.

As for tinkering with the origins, as I said before, it depends on what the makers' aims are. If they are trying to stick as close to canon as possible in terms of setting and plot, then they should go with making as few changes as possible (taking into account issues such as limitation of time, suspension of disbelief, etc). If they are creating a separate continuity by making a loose adaptation, then the origin can be reworked accordingly.

In essence, it's the plot that is far more important. After all, the comic character's origin was developed in order to fit/develop the plot(s) within the comic. If the movie's plot has changed, the origin will probably need to as well.

A good example out there (though not a movie) would actually be G.I. Joe: Renegades, which seems to be completely rebuilding its mythos from scratch; keeping what works and reworking those that don't, all while keeping the central premise/theme/spirit of what it is adapting from.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

Its easier with GI Joe I agree to fit the origin & adapt it to the plot. It does make sense for that but a more established character,ala Batman or Superman, not sure you should change it so drastic.

 

[mr. peasant]

True, the same not all plotlines work for all franchises. That said, you'd be surprised how much you can change. Compare the comic book Superman to Smallville or if you prefer Batman, compare The Dark Knight, The Batman and the old Adam West series. They're all very different from one another and have very different takes on the characters (don't remember if the Adam West one even had his parents death catalyse his vigilantism; or if it was ever brought up). Yet, they're all good in their own right.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

Youre right there also, they all were slightly different from each other in some respects.
I wonder now how part II of Cobra commander will go in the movies.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

I wonder since Mr. Sommers isnt returning how that will alter,if at all, his role & history in the movie sequence

 

[Duke]

Youre right there also, they all were slightly different from each other in some respects.
I wonder now how part II of Cobra commander will go in the movies.

With all due respect to everybody here who "liked" the live action Joe movie.....all I can say is meh. I grew up with G.I.Joe in the 80s with the cartoons, comics, and especially the toys. This movie had virtually nothing in common to cartoon/comic series.