G.I. Joe #4
G.I. Joe #4 (Image/Devil's Due, March 2002) concludes the four-part 'Reinstated!' arc — the story that successfully revived the G.I. Joe comic franchise after a seven-year dormancy following Marvel's run. The issue delivers the payoff of the arc's central twist: that the 'Destro' who had been running Cobra was actually Alexander McCullen, the original arms-dealer's never-before-revealed son in disguise. Because the miniseries sold so well it was retroactively converted to an ongoing title, this finale is part of a publishing event that signaled the broader comeback of 1980s nostalgia properties to comic shops — a cultural shift that rippled well beyond G.I. Joe itself. It also contains the first comic-book appearances of Daemon and Firewall, two new-generation Joe tech specialists created for the early-2000s reboot.
In "Reinstated! Part 4," the G.I. Joe team races to neutralize the deadly nano-mites while facing off against Cobra’s latest scheme—just as Destro makes a surprising move, locking his son away. Amid the tension, Snake-Eyes surprises Scarlett with a meaningful gift, adding a quiet moment of connection to the chaos. Written and illustrated by Josh Blaylock, with art by Steve Kurth, inks by John Larter, and colors by Hi-Fi Colour Design, this 2002 Image Comics issue delivers high-stakes action and emotional depth, all capped by a striking cover by J. Scott Campbell.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Devil's Due Studios, an indie outfit run by Josh Blaylock, acquired the G.I. Joe rights from Hasbro in July 2001 and launched the series through Image Comics, originally planned as a four-issue limited series. The debut issue shipped on September 12, 2001 — the day after the 9/11 attacks — under circumstances no one on the creative team could have anticipated. Orders were strong enough that Devil's Due immediately announced the series would continue as an ongoing monthly, so issue #4 became a de facto series conclusion that was also a springboard rather than a true finale. Blaylock wrote all four parts; penciler Steve Kurth and inker John Larter handled interior art throughout the arc, with J. Scott Campbell providing the covers.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Story: 'Reinstated! Part 4 (of 4)' — written by Josh Blaylock, pencils by Steve Kurth, inks by John Larter, cover by J. Scott Campbell; published March 2002 by Image Comics (Devil's Due imprint).
- First comic-book appearances of Daemon and Firewall, two new Joe tech-specialist recruits created for this continuity, per the CBSI first-appearance master list.
- The issue resolves the arc's central villain twist: the 'Destro' commanding Cobra is unmasked as Alexander McCullen (James McCullen Destro XXIV's illegitimate son), a new character unique to this continuity.
- Plot climax: Destro's nano-mites are deployed against Washington D.C., cutting off all communications; Lifeline, Mainframe, Daemon, and Firewall work to reprogram the nano-mites while Duke leads a team defending the capital all the way to the White House lawn.
- New villain Mistress Armada (Lilian Osborne), introduced in issue #1 as Alexander McCullen's confidant and field general, is captured by the real Destro in the aftermath of this issue's events.
- The original Destro (James McCullen Destro XXIV / Laird Destro) reasserts himself at the close of the arc, separating the two 'Destro' characters that had been conflated throughout the opening story.
- The entire 'Reinstated!' arc (issues #1–5) was collected in G.I. Joe Vol. 1: Reinstated! trade paperback, published in 2002 by Devil's Due, with a J. Scott Campbell cover.
- This issue was part of the series that ran for 25 issues under the Image imprint before Devil's Due broke away and continued publishing independently through issue #43.
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↩ Reprints G.I. Joe #5 (2002), G.I. Joe: Battle Files #1 (2002)
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