G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #15
"Red-Eye to Miami!" is the capstone of Larry Hama's first multi-issue, character-driven story arc in the Marvel G.I. Joe series, sustaining across issues #13–15 the unlikely trio of Snake-Eyes, the ruthless Doctor Venom, and the mercenary Kwinn trapped together in South America — a morally complicated dynamic that was rare in action-toy tie-in comics of the era. The issue also contains the cameo debut of Major Bludd, who would grow into a recurring Cobra antagonist, and plants the seed of Destro's affection for the Baroness, a relationship that shaped the Cobra power-struggle storylines for years. Its position in the early run of a series that would become, per Marvel's own editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, the publisher's number-one subscription title demonstrates how seriously Hama was developing serialized, consequence-driven storytelling before the book reached its commercial peak.
In "Red-Eye to Miami!", Snake-Eyes, Kwinn, and Venom escape Cobra's clutches in Sierra Gordo only to hijack a plane, leading to a dangerous flight and a crash landing in Miami Beach. As tensions rise mid-air, Venom attempts to eliminate Snake-Eyes, but the plan backfires—leaving the trio in police custody while Cobra's influence works behind the scenes to free one of them. Written by Larry Hama and illustrated by Mike Vosburg, with inks by Jon D'Agostino, colors by Andy Yanchus, and letters by Rick Parker, this 1983 Marvel classic features a cover by Mike Vosburg and Jon D'Agostino.
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The issue was written by Larry Hama, whose entire approach to the series — treating a toy-promotion comic as a genuine ongoing military thriller — was already evident this early in the run. Hama had originally developed a concept called "Fury Force" before being approached by editor-in-chief Jim Shooter to adapt it for Hasbro's G.I. Joe license; that military background and instinct for character-over-spectacle carried directly into issues like this one. Pencils were by Mike Vosburg, inked by Jon D'Agostino, colored by Andy Yanchus, lettered by Rick Parker, and edited by Denny O'Neil, with Shooter serving as editor-in-chief. The issue went on sale June 7, 1983 and carried a September 1983 cover date.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Title: 'Red-Eye to Miami!' — written by Larry Hama, penciled by Mike Vosburg, inked by Jon D'Agostino, with Denny O'Neil as editor and Jim Shooter as editor-in-chief.
- On-sale date: June 7, 1983; cover-dated September 1983 (Marvel direct and newsstand editions, plus a Canadian variant).
- First appearance (cameo) of Major Bludd: Cobra Commander meets the mercenary and hires him to eliminate Destro — a plot thread that drives the next arc.
- Continues the Sierra Gordo escape story begun in #13–14: Snake-Eyes, Kwinn, and Doctor Venom (Dr. Archibald Monev) steal a WWII-era Lancaster bomber and battle each other across the Gulf of Mexico before crash-landing in Miami Beach, where a Cobra lawyer immediately frees Venom while Snake-Eyes and Kwinn are jailed.
- Destro openly expresses his love for the Baroness within Cobra headquarters — an early, explicit acknowledgment of their relationship that would define much of the series' villain dynamic.
- The large character index for this issue includes dozens of mainstream Marvel heroes and teams (Avengers, X-Men, Alpha Flight, Spider-Man, Daredevil, etc.) consistent with a bound-in promotional supplement or house-ad insert included in select copies, not the main G.I. Joe story.
- The issue was reprinted in G.I. Joe Comics Magazine #6 (October 1987, with lettering and color removed), Tales of G.I. Joe #15 (March 1989), and collected in IDW's G.I. Joe: The Complete Collection Vol. 2 (April 2013).
- A song titled 'Red Eye to Miami' referencing this specific comic was recorded by the Christian punk band Roper — one of the more unusual pieces of pop-culture afterlife for a single issue of a Bronze Age tie-in series.
Cast · 40 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Snake-Eyes, Kwinn and Venom steal a plane after escaping from Cobra forces in disguise in Sierra Gordo. During the flight, Venom tries to kill Snake-Eyes by dropping him out of the aircraft, but fails, and they crash land in Miami Beach. The police arrest them but Cobra Commander sends a lawyer to free Venom, leaving Snake-Eyes and Kwinn behind bars.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).