After relaunching as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero in 1982, the popular older toy line became a verifiable cultural phenomenon. These highly specialized soldiers faced off against any manner of evil forces over the years, many of which were thrown at them by Cobra.

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While some of their enemies were nothing more than canon fodder, there were others who had a lot more skills and power at their disposal. They have been arms dealers, assassins, demagogue-like leaders and so much more. As it turned out, those specialized skills that the Joes had were actually incredibly useful when facing off against snake-obsessed lunatics.

Dr. Mindbender Was A Machiavellian Genius

Dr. Mindbender looking menacing

G.I. Joe existed to fight a myriad of threats that faced the United States and the world at large. That included Cobra's resident mad scientist and head shaving enthusiast, Dr. Mindbender.

In the wake of Dr. Venom's death, Mindbender became the terrorist organization's top scientific mind. He created some of their most devastating technological advancements, as well as taking credit for other people's work.

Cobra Commander Had A Dangerous Vision

Cobra Commander in his battle armor

The founder and leader of Cobra was a masked man named Cobra Commander. A former scam artist who lost everything when the American authorities shut down his pyramid scheme, he turned that rage into Cobra and set his sights on bigger goals.

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Cobra Commander was neither the smartest person around nor does he have a keen tactical mind. But he was incredibly charming and could seemingly convince anyone to do anything. He used those abilities to start one of the most dangerous organizations in the world.

Zartan Was A Master Of Disguise

Zartan on the attack

Every once in a while, Cobra Commander had to go outside of his normal channels to get someone to complete a specific task. On many occasions, that outside hire was Zartan, a borderline shapeshifter.

Zartan used makeup, special effects and holograms to make it look like he could transform into other people. Plus, he had his own backup in the form of a brutal biker gang called the Dreadnoks.

Serpentor Was A Charismatic Cult Leader

Serpentor talking to the masses

One of Dr. Mindbender's big projects was creating the perfect leader. He accumulated DNA samples from several of history's greatest military minds, accidentally combined them with Storm Shadow's DNA and created Serpentor.

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The problem for Cobra Commander was that Serpentor was a more charismatic leader, not to mention having a much better mind for military and strategy. If it wasn't for a well-placed arrow from Zartan, the Cobra Civil War would have gone Serpentor's way.

Destro Crossed The Line As Required

Destro attacking his enemies

Some villains in G.I. Joe have their own code of honor with Destro being a big one. The current generation of a family of weapons dealers, Destro was associated with Cobra because he sold to them, not because he agreed with them.

As such, he wasn't always a bad guy. He worked with both sides, not to mention pretty much anyone who would give him money. But Destro was often at odds with the G.I. Joe team, which was a problem as he always had access to the best military technology.

Few Villains Were As Vicious As The Baroness

The Baroness shooting her guns

Raised as a wealthy European aristocrat, The Baroness should have had a charmed life. Instead, she fell in with some fringe extremist groups and ended up going through a lot of specialized training in intelligence gathering and spy tactics.

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The Baroness would go on to become Cobra's chief intelligence officer, not to mention one of the most vicious and dangerous people on their roster. Very few things can keep her in check, with Destro's love being the main one.

Firefly Was A Ninja Master And A Saboteur

Firefly setting off a bomb

Being a mercenary can be a dangerous game, and Firefly was the best player in it. Fans were first introduced to this secretive masked man as a saboteur for hire on the payroll of Cobra. He certainly loved to blow things up.

Over time, it was revealed the Firefly was also a member of the Arashikage ninja clan that trained Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow. He was actually a high ranking member known as the Faceless Master. Bombs and elite ninja skills are a deadly combination.

Storm Shadow's Skills Should Never Be Underestimated

Storm Shadow standing on a rooftop

There is a constant argument among G.I. Joe fans as to who is the top ninja, with the number one contenders being Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow. While Snake-Eyes mixes in the skills the US military taught him, Storm Shadow is more focused on ninjutsu.

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Regardless of which side of the line he's on, Storm Shadow should never, ever been underestimated. The only reason his enemies should have any sense of security is because they have Snake-Eyes on their side, and even that does not guarantee victory.

Dr. Venom Was An Early Threat That Faded Away

Dr. Venom stomping on Snake-Eyes

Early in the genesis of the G.I. Joe franchise, Cobra's main scientist was a brilliant madman named Dr. Venom. He committed many horrible acts, a big one being the creation of the Brainwave Scanner which Dr. Mindbender would eventually refine.

Dr. Venom delighted in torturing people, specifically Snake-Eyes and a mercenary named Quinn. He died on the battlefield at the hands of Quinn. Venom would eventually reappear as part a failsafe plan that uploaded his mind to a computer.

BN-001 Has Proven To Be A Real Threat

BN-001 fighting Cobra and GI Joe

A much more recent addition to the G.I. Joe mythos are the Blue Ninjas. They gave their lives over to technology which they have used to modify and upgrade their own bodies. The Blue Ninjas have become incredibly deadly.

The worst of them all is BN-001, the leader of the Blue Ninjas. The enhancements he has put himself through has all but completely sacrificed his humanity. He's also not someone anyone should try to fight on their own.

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