G.I.Joe vs Cobra (Video game)

G.I.Joe vs Cobra is a 2012 video game based on the G.I.Joe property. As the title suggests, it focuses on the G.I.Joe organization's famous battles with Cobra, but the game deals with the Joes' first encounter with the Cobra as well, and fills in many characters' backstories. Throughout the game, one or several G.I.Joe members is sent on each mission and players can chose which they play as, but special downloadable content allows players to play as Cobra members. The game takes place in a completely separate continuity than any other version of G.I.Joe and completely reboots the continuity.

Plot
The game starts off as the G.I.Joe team (the world's secret peacekeeping organization) escorts one of the world's greatest scientists, Dr. Adele Burkhart, a representative of M.A.R.S Industries, to the Joes' underground HQ, The Pit, to discuss M.A.R.S Industries' extremely advanced M.A.S.S technology for military purposes. Then, all hell breaks loose. The Pit is assulted by a small army of soldiers in blue uniforms with weapons that rival that of the Joes, and manage to hold their own against the hundreds of Joes in the base. At the center of the action is Conrad Hauser aka Duke, a field leader of a squad of Joes. Duke recognizes that the atrackers are trying to kidnap Dr. Burkhart and assults them head on. After a relatively long battle and killing many of the attackers, Duke finds the leader of the assault, the beautiful assassin who calls herself the Baroness. She takes Dr. Burkhart hostage and escapes with her before Duke can even fight her, and as the battle is over, and the dust settles, G.I.Joe commander General Flagg orders his men to research the attackers' organization: Cobra. Later, at the secluded Cobra HQ, Dr. Burkhart is brought before the leader of the mysterious organization, Cobra Commander (who's face is hidden by a blue cloth mask). When he interrogates Dr. Burkhart about the M.A.S.S technology, she tells him that the only person who truly knows how to build it is Dr. Laszlo Vandermeer, who is dead. This prompts Cobra Commander to kill his own top scientist, codename: Dr. Venom, to threaten Dr. Burkhart to build the M.A.S.S device.

The next day, G.I.Joe commander General Flagg and General Austin are in the Pentagon discussing the situation with Cobra. Nobody has any information on Cobra, and therefore, they can't launch a counterattack. Suddenly, General Austin pulls out a gun and shoots General Flagg several times in the chest and runs. While medics tend to the wounded man, a Colonel Clayton Abernathy, called Hawk, goes after Austin. While Hawk pursues the General, he realizes that he is in fact an imposter when other military officers, guards, and Pentagon staff start attacking him, the same elusive imposter in disguise. Eventually, Hawk pursues the imposter outside, where he meets him face to face, him still in his Gen. Austin disguise, and a helicopter full of the same Cobra soldiers who attacked The Pit. Hawk eventually kills them with the help of soldiers stationed at the Pentagon, but the imposter escapes in the helicopter, as he changes back to his true form, with a tattoo of the black Cobra symbal over his face, although he is still wearing layers of disguise clothes he just employed because he can't physically alter his clothing. But, his ability to alter his own facial features and body structure are the likes of which never seen before in modern science. As Hawk reenters the Pentagon, his mentor, General Flagg, secretly uses his dying breath to make Hawk the new commander of G.I.Joe.

Hawk's first act as the commander of G.I.Joe is to kill the man who killed General Flagg, who obviously has ties to Cobra. Due to G.I.Joe's high ranking intelligence operatives, Hawk obtains information that Flagg's killer is a man called Zartan, the leader of a biker gang called the Dreadnoks. The masked ninja operative Snake-Eyes (who is mute) volunteers to kill Zartan, because he believes that the man who killed his ninja master (of the Arashikage clan) years ago (and burned his own face and throat) is now a part of Cobra: the one called Storm Shadow. Snake-Eyes and his ninja student Jinx to Florida, where the Dreadnoks are based, and finds them riding their motorcycles on a busy highway. Snake-Eyes and Jinx ride their own motorcycles (upgraded with cutting edge technology) and chases the Dreadnoks. They realize who he is and fight back, causing a long and deadly chase, which ends with many Dreadnoks dieing. Snake-Eyes eventually rams his motorcycle into Zartan's causing him to crash, and Snake-Eyes engages him in hand to hand combat. Snake-Eyes uses his ninja sword to fight, but Zartan also fights with ninja-like skills, although Snake-Eyes defeats him. A defeated Zartan reveals that Storm Shadow is in fact a part of Cobra, and he manages to escape by jumping over the side of the highway. Their mission only partially complete, Snake-Eyes and Jinx return to The Pit. While the U.S. Government comes up with a coverup story to tell the press, the man who gave Zartan his powers of disguise through genetic tampering, alias: Dr. Mindbender, uses his "greatest creation"s recent successful missions to gain him the place of Cobra Commander's top scientist, forcefully helping Dr. Burkhart construct the M.A.S.S device.

G.I.Joe Intelligence operatives Breaker and Tunnel Rat think they had discovered a Cobra base in the company HQ of Arbco Industries in the small town of Springfield, Vermont, and it doesn't help that "Arbco" is an amagram of "Cobra". On orders from General Hawk, Breaker and Tunnel Rat take a team of G.I.Joe soldiers (called Greenshirts) to Springfield to investigate Arbco. Breaker realizes his suspicion was correct when, upon entering Arbco Industries HQ, Breaker's team is attacked by Cobra troops disguised as security guards. Breaker and Tunnel Rat fight the Cobra troops, and travels deeper into the Arbco Industries building. While fighting Cobra troops, Tunnel Rat realizes that Cobra is developing robotic soldiers that can't be killed, BATs (Battle Android Troopers). The Cobra scientists working on the project activate the prototype BATs, programming them to kill Breaker and his team, and Dr. Mindbender himself also fights them. The Greenshirts don't survive and Breaker and Tunnel Rat nearly escapes after desperately destroying some of the BATs. Cobra is more powerful than G.I.Joe expected.

At the main Cobra base, Cobra Commander gets frustrated with Dr. Burkhart's lack of progress with the M.A.S.S device and kills her. Dr. Mindbender suggests that they capture the owner of M.A.R.S Industries himself: James McCullen. Cobra Commander agrees and exchanges his blue cloth mask for a prototype battle helmet with a faceless silver faceplate on the front. At the M.A.R.S Industries building in Manhattan, New York, James McCullen is speaking at a presentation for the M.A.S.S technology, oblivious to the fact that Cobra is trying to build it. He reveals to the world that M.A.S.S is in fact teleportation technology, able to teleport any matter to anywhere on Earth, once the device is built. After the presentation, G.I.Joe operative Scarlett is assigned to act as McCullen's bodyguard until the threat of Cobra is detained, but the press is told she is simply a military escort. Scarlett must follow McCullen wherever he goes, but says he doesn't want to be guarded by a "mere woman". Just then, McCullen is attacked by a group of Cobra soldiers led by the Baroness and the white-garbed ninja Storm Shadow (Snake-Eyes' enemy). Scarlett fends the Cobra troops off with the help of McCullen's own security force, the 'Iron Grandiers'. Eventually, the 'Iron Grandiers' are revealed to be Cobra imposters, much to McCullen's surprise. Storm Shadow escapes with McCullen as his hostage while Scarlett fights Baroness. Scarlett defeats her, but she also escapes in a Cobra helicopter.

At the Cobra base, Cobra Commander interrogates James McCullen, who refuses to tell them anything about the M.A.S.S technology, but Baroness takes a 'likeing' to him. But, Dr. Mindbender suggests using his genetic manipulation to get the information out of him, but he says he "doesn't have some kind of brainwave scanner, but I do have the next best thing." Dr. Mindbender injects McCullen's neck with a special serum, causing his face to start mutating when it gets obstructed from view. Later, Dr. Mindbender announces that McCullen revealed the three elements needed to make the M.A.S.S device, the first of which is a Red Crystal that can be excavated from the Arctic. The G.I.Joes Frostbite and Iceberg lead a team of Arctic operatives to the Arctic and drive their snowmobiles to a small mountain where the Red Crystals are said to be found. But, they realize that Cobra has already found the mountain, and have a Moblie Command Center base outfitted with excavation equipment stationed on it. Frostbite, Iceberg and their team fight the Mobile Command Center and the Cobra troops inside it, and eventually storm the Mobile Command Center and detonate it from the inside, nearly escaping the explosion. But, the elite Cobra pilot called Wild Weasel also escapes the explosion in his high tech fighter plane. Frostbite reports this to The Pit, and General Hawk sends Joe pilot Wild Bill to follow Wild Weasel to the secret Cobra HQ.

Wild Bill, who is soon followed by other G.I.Joe pilots Ace, Airborne, and Ripcord, follows Wild Weasel to the Cobra HQ, which they realize is a small island near South America. Wild Weasel realizes he is being followed and shoots at the G.I.Joe pilots. A relatively long dogfight ensues, which ends with Wild Bill shooting Wild Weasel down, despite the latter surviving, shooting the other Joe pilots down, and parachuting to the Cobra Island below. Ripcord rescues his fellow Joes in midair and parachutes them down to the Cobra Island as well, but they are taken captive by Cobra. Cobra Commander realizes that the G.I.Joes would figure out where their HQ is if the Joe pilots escape. He sends two of his best agents, Firefly and Major Bludd to retrieve the other two elements needed to make the M.A.S.S device. Cobra Commander also reveals his new lieutenant, James McCullen himself, who's face has been turned into pure metal, and he has been named Destro after his ancestor who's face was forcefully encased in a metal mask. Destro now serves Cobra in exchange for a cure for his metal face and head, and Cobra has absorbed M.A.R.S Industries, and Destro wears a black, yellow, and red suit to prove his allegiance to Cobra. Zartan disguises himself as McCullen so the general public won't get suspicious about his disappearance.

The next element needed for Cobra's M.A.S.S device is Heavy Water from the deepest underwater trench in the world. A G.I.Joe aircraft carrier is dispatched to the ocean above it. Among the Joes on the aircraft carrier (named U.S.S Flagg after the fallen General) are Shipwreck and Wetsuit, two of the Joes' deep sea divers. Shipwreck's pet parrot Polly warns him that the Ship's sonars have detected Cobra Submarines in the area, but Shipwreck and Wetsuit proceed on their mission. They quickly put on underwater gear and dive into the ocean, but are attacked underwater by Cobra E.E.L troops and Submarines, one piloted by Cobra espionage agent Firefly. The Joes manage to defeat the legion of underwater Cobra operatives with assistance from the U.S.S Flagg, and Wetsuit takes a team of G.I.Joe divers deeper into the ocean to retrieve the Heavy Water, while Shipwreck breaks into Firefly's Submarine all while both underwater. As water quickly rushes into Firefly's Submarine, Firefly sends more E.E.Ls to go after Wetsuit, not wanting to abandon his mission. Shipwreck and Firefly fight, which ends with the latter escaping in an underwater escape pod. The short battle over, Shipwreck and Wetsuit return to the U.S.S Flagg.

The last element for the M.A.S.S device is an alloy from a meteor in a volcano near the Amazon Jungle. G.I.Joes Stalker, Gung-Ho, and Beach Head are sent to retrieve it. They parachute into the Jungle and begin walking towards the volcano. They soon encounter Cobra troops, and they must fight their way to the volcano. They make their way to the volcano and find a Cobra Terror Drome has already landen near the volcano, led by ruthless Cobra operative Major Bludd. The three Joes fight Major Bludd and his legion of Cobra troops, and eventually call in an airstrike, which destroys the Terror Drome and the Cobra troops, but Major Bludd survives (despite major injuries). Not knowing that Bludd survived, Stalker, Gung-Ho, and Beach Head return to The Pit.

Before the Joes can launch an assault on Cobra, they must first deal with Cobra's invasion of Springfield. Heavy artillery specialists Roadblock and his younger cousin Heavy Duty are sent to Springfield to free the town. They fight their way through the town with brute force, freeing the residents as well. They eventually fight a legion of robotic BATs (Battle Android Troopers) led by (human) Cobra operatives, the brothers Tomax and Xamot. Roadblock and Heavy Duty destroy the BATs and split up to fight Tomax and Xamot, with Roadblock fighting Tomax and Heavy Duty fighting Xamot. Roadblock eventually rescues his younger cousin and scars Xamot's face, despite Tomax and Xamot escaping on ATVs.

Next, is the assault on Cobra's HQ, which Joe intelligence thinks is James McCullen's family castle in Scotland. Since this is going to be a covert mission at night, Snake-Eyes, Jinx, and Scarlett are sent, but heavy artillery specialist Rock 'N Roll also goes because he wants to impress Scarlett. When they arrive at the castle, James McCullen finds them and orders his Cobra guards to take them captive. After McCullen reveals that he is now Destro, Jinx breaks her fellow Joes out of their cell. After fighting many Cobra guards, the four Joes fight Destro himself, who uses many hi-tech weapons, but the Joes eventually defeat him and Rock 'N Roll saves Scarlett's life. But, the Joes fail to prevent Destro from escaping in his private jet, and the Joes return to The Pit after their disastrous mission.

Because Wild Weasel brought the Red Crystals to Cobra (despite the radiation ruining his vocal cords), Firefly brought the Heavy Water, and Major Bludd (now wearing an eye patch and cybernetic implants on his injuries) managed to excavate the meteor alloy, Cobra has completed the M.A.S.S device and now have the ability to teleport anything anywhere in the world. To show the world his might, Cobra Commander teleports the Eiffel Tower off the face of the Earth, and teleports legions of Cobra Troopers and H.I.S.S tanks to all the major nation's capitals. But, G.I.Joe is able to trace the teleportation signal to Cobra HQ, and send all of the G.I.Joe operatives to attack the base and also free Wild Bill, Ace, Airborne, and Ripcord, as well as sending Greenshirts to stop Cobra troops across the world. Apon arriving at the Cobra Island, the G.I.Joe operatives storm the base and a long, brutal battle ensues, which almost destroys the base itself.

Eventually, Snake-Eyes goes after Storm Shadow, seeking revenge for the death of the Arashikage master years ago. A long and brutal sword fight ensues between them, and despite Storm Shadow having two swords, Snake -Eyes defeats him. But, Storm Shadow reveals that the actual killer of the Arashikage master (who was also Storm Shadow's uncle) was Zartan. At first Snake-Eyes doesn't believe him, but Storm Shadow has strong evidence to support this. Snake-Eyes realizes that he had a chance to kill Zartan in Florida but failed. Storm Shadow says that he joined Cobra to find his uncle's killer, and offers to help Snake-Eyes and G.I.Joe win the battle.

Meanwhile, Duke confronts Cobra Commander, who has ultimate control over the M.A.S.S device. Duke tries to kill the Commander, but the latter starts teleporting around his throne room, and a final battle ensues. Despite Cobra Commander's teleportation, Duke eventually wins and takes the Commander captive. Duke has won, but the battle still wages outside the throne room. But, Storm Shadow tells Snake-Eyes that he knows how to use the M.A.S.S device. But, knowing is half the battle. Storm Shadow uses the M.A.S.S device to teleport all the G.I.Joe troops back to The Pit, including Duke and Snake-Eyes, and he sets the M.A.S.S device on fire. But, Snake-Eyes realizes that Storm Shadow won't have enough time to teleport himself away before the M.A.S.S device explodes, destroying the base as well. Snake-Eyes doesn't want to leave Storm Shadow, but he teleports away along with the other G.I.Joes. As the Cobra officers, such as Destro and the Baroness escape, Storm Shadow sacrifices himself as the M.A.S.S device explodes, destroying the base and all the Cobra troops inside. Then, the entire G.I.Joe team Duke is teleported back to The Pit, much to their surprise. Hawk informs them that the Cobra forces around the world have been defeated, and they have just saved the world. Scarlett understands Snake-Eyes that Storm Shadow sacrificed himself to win the battle. The Joes also discover that Cobra Commander was also teleported to The Pit, but he was teleported into a high security cell. The game ends with a scene the next day at the wreckage of the Cobra base on Cobra Island. It shows one of Cobra Commander's guards (Crimson Guardsmen) called simply 'Fred' talking to a man in yellow and green Cobra-La cult robes. The man says that "A war has started." And they find an undestroyed bunker under the wreckage. Fred opens the bunker to reveal a young living baby boy. The man smiles and slams his his golden snake septer on the ground. He identifies the boy as the son of Cobra Commander, who he names Billy. The man is revealed to be the Serpentor, and they start their mission to rebuild Cobra.

Playable characters
In each mission, either one or several G.I.Joe operatives is sent on each mission and the player can choose which to play as, the other characters becoming in-game allies.

Mission 1: The Pit
Duke

The Pentagon
Hawk

Florida
Snake-Eyes, Jinx

Arbco Industries
Breaker, Tunnel Rat

M.A.R.S Industries
Scarlett

Arctic
Frostbite, Iceberg

air mission
Wild Bill, Ace, Airborne, Ripcord

U.S.S Flagg
Shipwreck, Wetsuit

Amazon Jungle
Stalker, Gung-Ho, Beach Head

Springfield
Roadblock, Heavy Duty

McCullen Castle
Scarlett, Snake-Eyes, Rock 'N Roll

Cobra Island
For this mission, the player can choose to play as any of the G.I.Joes available in any other mission except for Wild Bill, Ace, Airborne and Ripcord because the purpose of the level is to free those Four.

Cobra Island part 2 === Snake-Eyes

Cobra Island part 3
Duke

Characters
Certain characters can be downloaded, but only for certain missions and the Cobra Island mission.

Downloadable characters:

Grunt (The Pit)

Lt. Falcon (The Pit)

Sgt. Slaughter (The Pit)

Barbecue (The Pit)

"G.I. Joe" Colton (the Pentagon)

Chuckles (Florida)

Spirit (Florida)

Tripwire (Arbco Industries)

Lady Jaye (M.A.R.S Industries)

Snow Job (Arctic)

Recondo (Amazon Jungle)

Flint (McCullen Castle)