G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #40
G.I. Joe #40, titled 'Hydrofoil,' is the issue that permanently changed the geographic and political landscape of Larry Hama's Joe universe: Cobra Island rises from the Gulf of Mexico as a direct result of the battle, giving Cobra an internationally recognized sovereign territory that would drive storylines for years. Two fan-favorite Joes — Shipwreck and Barbecue — make their comic-book debut here, expanding the roster at a moment when the series was Marvel's top subscription title. The issue also continues the slow-burn subplot of Buzzer's escape from the Pit with Candy Appel, threading ongoing character drama through an action-heavy naval showdown. As the pivot point from sea battle to geopolitical chess match, it marks a notable maturation in Hama's long-form storytelling ambitions.
In "Hydrofoil," the G.I. Joe team is lured into a deadly trap when Cobra manipulates them into attacking a deep-sea base—unbeknownst to them, the site is tied to Prof. Appel, Candy's father, a Crimson Guardsman and scientist. As the mission unfolds, a chain reaction of explosions triggers an underground quake, while Candy, unaware of her father's secrets, and Buzzer attempt to escape en route to a military prison. Written by Larry Hama and illustrated by Rod Whigham, with inks by Andy Mushynsky and colors by Geo. Roussos, this 1985 issue delivers tense action and layered intrigue, all capped by a striking cover by Mike Zeck and John Beatty.
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Written by Larry Hama with pencils by Rod Whigham and inks by Andy Mushynsky, the issue was edited by Dennis O'Neil and Don Daley under editor-in-chief Jim Shooter — the same editorial infrastructure that oversaw the Secret Wars II crossover running through Marvel's entire 1985 line. The cover was produced by Mike Zeck and John Beatty, two of the most prolific cover artists of mid-1980s Marvel. The issue shipped in July 1985 with an October 1985 cover date, part of a run that had grown from roughly 158,000 copies per month in 1983 to over 331,000 by 1985, making it one of Marvel's strongest performing titles at the time.
Trivia · 7 facts
- Title: 'Hydrofoil' — the main story pits Cobra's Moray hydrofoils against the Joes' new transportable Air-Sea Battle Platform in the Gulf of Mexico.
- First comic-book appearance of Shipwreck (Hector X. Delgado) and Barbecue (Gabriel A. Kelly), both of whom became long-running fan favorites in the series.
- First use in the comic continuity of the transportable Air-Sea Base (the Tactical Battle Platform), a key piece of Joe hardware.
- Cobra Island is created: Professor Appel manipulates the Joes into detonating the equivalent of a conventional nuclear strike on a Gulf seabed fault line, causing the ocean floor to rise and form a new landmass that Cobra immediately claims as sovereign territory.
- The Dreadnok Buzzer escapes from the Pit (G.I. Joe headquarters) and abducts Candy Appel, advancing the ongoing Professor Appel/Candy subplot.
- Cover art by Mike Zeck and John Beatty; interior art by Rod Whigham (pencils) and Andy Mushynsky (inks); written by Larry Hama; edited by Dennis O'Neil and Don Daley.
- The large number of Marvel Universe characters (Avengers, Fantastic Four, Beyonder, Spider-Man, etc.) indexed for this issue most likely reflects a Secret Wars II promotional insert or house advertisement bound into the issue during Marvel's 1985 line-wide crossover push — these characters do not appear in the 'Hydrofoil' story itself.
Cast · 40 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Cobra tricks the Joes into attacking an underwater base (masterminded by Prof. Appel, Candy's father, a Crimson Guardsman and scientist), which due to its depth, is attacked by high explosives. The explosives cause an underground quake to begin, the results to be seen later on. Meanwhile, after Candy is questioned about her father's activities (of which she has no knowledge of), she and Buzzer are on their way to a military prison, but they both escape en route.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).