G.I. Joe Built a Fake Fortress — So Why Did a Real General Die?

The cartoon told us G.I. Joe never lost anyone. The comics told a very different story. G.I. Joe Built a Fake Fortress — So Why Did a Real General Die? In Marvel's G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #17, #18 and #19, Larry Hama did what Saturday morning cartoons never could. To fool Cobra Commander, the Joes built a fake fortress at Fort Wadsworth. Cobra took the bait with HISS tanks and F.A.N.G. helicopters. The Joes won the battle, but the price was real. While Hawk was fighting for his life after being shot in the back and Scar-Face became Cobra Commander's Trojan Horse, a different trap was being set inside the Pit. This is the hidden lore of how G.I. Joe became a real war comic, why the Pit's greatest deception led to the loss of its own commander, and why this moment was erased from every cartoon you watched as a kid. For anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s, G.I. Joe is unforgettable. But hidden in the pages of Marvel's run, there was a much darker version. What do you remember most about G.I. Joe? Tell us in the comments — and share this with someone who grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons. #gijoe #gijoerealamericanhero #80scartoons