Editing Cobra Commander (section)

==Animated series==
===Sunbow===
In the first season of the original 1980s ''[[G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1985 TV series)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' animated series, Cobra Commander is the leader of Cobra, described in the show's opening [[theme song|theme]] as "A ruthless, terrorist organization determined to rule the world". His face is always covered, either by a featureless chrome mask concealing his entire face or by a [[hood (headgear)|hood]] with eye-hole cutouts. He wears a blue military uniform, occasionally sporting a cape and carrying a [[scepter]], depending on the occasion. His distinctively shrill, raspy voice was provided by [[Christopher Collins|Chris Latta]].<ref name="Joe Roll Call">{{cite web | url = http://www.joeheadquarters.com/rollcall_cobra.shtml | title = Roll Call | work = G.I. Joe Roll Call | publisher = Joe Headquarters | access-date = 2008-06-13 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080606084015/http://www.joeheadquarters.com/rollcall_cobra.shtml | archive-date = 2008-06-06 | url-status = dead}}</ref> He had a knack for concocting creative schemes for world domination – including cloned [[dinosaur]]s, giant [[amoeba]]s, miniaturized troops stowed away inside [[Christmas]] presents, and using a super-laser to gleefully carve a picture of his face on the moon – plans which his immediate subordinates, particularly Destro, often blasted as ridiculous. The writers later commented that they only found Cobra Commander's personality when they stopped writing him as an [[Adolf Hitler]]-type and started writing him more in the vein of [[Yosemite Sam]].{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

Season 2 opened with the 5-episode mini-series ''Arise, Serpentor, Arise!'' in which Doctor Mindbender, disillusioned with Cobra Commander, decides to literally create a new leader to replace him. Acting as an operation to create a super-soldier, Cobra agents are sent around the world to collect [[DNA]] samples retrieved from the tombs of history's most notorious conquerors and military leaders to genetically craft Cobra Commander's successor. Fortunately for the Commander, G.I. Joe interferes with the gene collection to deny the critical inclusion of [[Sun Tzu]]'s DNA, and it is instead replaced with [[Sgt. Slaughter (G.I. Joe)|Sgt. Slaughter]]'s. During the first attempt to create the ruler, Cobra Commander contaminates the DNA mixture with a mutated virus, causing a rampaging monster. The second attempt is successful due to Scrap-Iron stopping Cobra Commander from sabotaging the experiment again, thus giving birth to [[Serpentor]], who immediately assumes charge of Cobra and deposes the erstwhile Commander to the status of "lackey". Serpentor soon orders an attack on Washington, D.C., with the Commander in handcuffs. Cobra Commander convinces Dr. Mindbender to free him, as he knows how to use a weapon, and rescues the high command from certain disaster. He saves himself by convincing Serpentor that he truly needs him as a scapegoat.

Thereafter, Cobra Commander seems to be employed as Cobra's primary field commander, while Serpentor leads mostly from the Terrordrome. Serpentor even allows Cobra Commander to be the organization's second-in-command, a decision tolerated by the rest of the Cobra High Command. Cobra Commander spends much of Season 2 trying to reclaim his former glory from under Serpentor's domineering shadow, assembling his own secret society called The Coil to that end.

''[[G.I. Joe: The Movie]]'' explains Cobra Commander's origin in full, while yet contradicting background information previously established in the animated series. Cobra Commander was a [[scientist]] and nobleman from the ancient, pre-human society of [[Cobra-La]], now hidden in the [[Himalayas]]. Although humanoid in appearance, he has pale blue skin, no hair, and eyes with snake-like pupils. He was disfigured by volatile spores in a laboratory accident, mutating an array of eight additional eyes upon his visage, thus explaining why he wears a mask. Despite this deformity, his ambition was recognized by Cobra-La's ruler, Golobulus, and he was chosen to venture from their isolated Himalayan kingdom to establish an army for the razing of human civilization and reemergence of Cobra-La: that army is Cobra.<ref name="Hidalgo 2009 75"/><ref name="The Movie">{{cite video |date=April 20, 1987 |title=G.I. Joe: The Movie |medium=Motion picture |publisher=De Laurentiis Entertainment Group}}</ref> This origin stands in contrast to the episode "Twenty Questions", where the Commander told an interviewing journalist that he was responsible for spearheading a mutiny at his military academy in his youth. In other episodes, aforementioned reactions to off-screen unmaskings or glimpses of the Commander's features are not in keeping with the inhumanly blue-skinned, reptile-man portrayed in the film.

In light of Cobra's constant failures, Golobulus decides to put the Commander on trial, via a [[kangaroo court]],<ref>{{Citation |title=Cobra Commander gets turned into a snake then gets changed back |url=https://www.bitchute.com/video/H5NqXyrWlK1g/ |language=en |access-date=2022-04-01}}</ref> and punishes him by forcing his further exposure to the spores; their effect begins to devolve him into a snake.<ref>{{Citation|title=Trial of Cobra Commander| date=18 April 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT_KSx3hRCc| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/nT_KSx3hRCc| archive-date=2021-10-28|language=en|access-date=2021-02-21}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He escapes with Joe member [[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]], but Cobra Commander's "humanity" slips away as his body transforms.<ref>{{Citation|title=GI Joe The Movie 1987 clip 5| date=25 December 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA657NRFcpg| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/PA657NRFcpg| archive-date=2021-10-28|language=en|access-date=2021-02-23}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He literally loses his human form, ultimately becoming mentally unresponsive and transforming into an oversized snake, as he repeatedly hisses "I was once a man!"<ref>{{Citation |title=Cobra Commander every "I was once a man!" |url=https://www.bitchute.com/video/U2vmp6ZPhLOB/ |language=en |access-date=2022-03-10}}</ref> During the Joe assault on Cobra-La, he is last seen coming to [[Lt. Falcon]]'s rescue during the final battle and foils Serpentor's attack, allowing G.I. Joe to defeat Cobra-La and save the world.<ref name="The Movie"/>

A third season following the events of the movie was planned. In the storyline of Season 3, the Coil would become a criminal organization led by Tomax and Xamot and serve as the Joes' new enemy. For the first half of the season, Cobra Commander would be a secret character shifting alliances between G.I. Joe and the Coil, in order to destroy them both and rebuild Cobra, and in the second half, reveal himself in mutated form. The season was never produced, as the [[Sunbow Entertainment|Sunbow]] series was abruptly canceled by Hasbro.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joeheadquarters.com/interviews_dixon.shtml|title=Interview with story editor/ writer Buzz Dixon|website=The Ultimate G.I. Joe Cartoon Website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404092712/http://www.joeheadquarters.com/interviews_dixon.shtml|archive-date=2016-04-04}}</ref>

===DiC series===
After the movie, as seen in the sequel ''[[G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1989 TV series)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' series, Cobra Commander is still in his snake form and kept as a pet by Serpentor. However, Baroness restores him partly to a semi-human form—through exposure to an ancient primordial energy called Dragonfire,<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIC GI Joe Cobra Commander Returns – YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upqUCvOZCYw| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/upqUCvOZCYw| archive-date=2021-10-28|access-date=2021-02-21|website=www.youtube.com| date=15 October 2006 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> which is the focal point of the first five episodes of the new series. The basic shape of his body is [[humanoid]], his skin and features are [[reptilian humanoid|reptilian]] and he retains a taste for [[flies]] that he catches with his prehensile [[tongue]]. His intellect is fully restored, and upon being outfitted with his battle armor, Cobra Commander once again appears to be a [[humanoid]] male. He regains control of Cobra, and even dispatches Serpentor, using the new found Dragonfire energy to temporarily turn him into an oversized [[iguana]].<ref>{{Citation|title=DIC GI Joe Serpentor is trapped| date=18 October 2006 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-yuzrd5Ypg| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/3-yuzrd5Ypg| archive-date=2021-10-28|language=en|access-date=2021-02-21}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Cobra Commander's inhuman origins are never mentioned again, and he is never shown to have reptilian features again. In Season 2, he resumes wearing his original cloth mask, and his eyes and skin appear to be completely human.

Chris Latta returned to voice Cobra Commander for the duration of the [[DiC]] series, credited in both seasons as Christopher Collins.<ref name="VOICE CREDITS">{{cite web |url=http://voicechasers.com/database/showprod.php?prodid=4404 |title=The Voices of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1989, Animated Series) – Voice Cast Listing at Voice Chasers |publisher=Voicechasers.com |date=1989-09-02 |access-date=2014-03-30 |archive-date=2019-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329225210/http://voicechasers.com/database/showprod.php?prodid=4404 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===''Transformers''===
[[Image:TF-G2 OldSnake.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Cobra Commander as "Old Snake"]]
Cobra Commander appeared in the third season of the ''[[The Transformers (TV series)|Transformers]]'' episode "Only Human".<ref>{{Citation |title=Transformers episode Only Human |url=https://www.bitchute.com/video/0YyLP07q6B1u/ |language=en |access-date=2022-05-01}}</ref> Set in the then-future year 2006, a trench-coated underground weapons dealer going by the name "Old Snake" is approached by crime lord Victor Drath, who wishes to purchase [[synthoid]] technology (as seen in a few episodes of the ''G.I. Joe'' animated series). Old Snake transfers the minds of [[Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus]], [[Arcee]] and [[Springer (Transformers)|Springer]] into synthoid bodies, leaving their robotic shells for Drath's use in criminal activities.

Although it is never explicitly stated that "Old Snake" is actually an aged Cobra Commander, his raspy voice is again provided by Chris Latta, he wears the character's distinctive silver mask, and has visible traces of his blue uniform underneath his trench coat. He is identified in dialogue as the former leader of a terrorist organization that developed synthoid technology. At the end of the episode, Drath and his men are arrested, and Old Snake, being able to evade the authorities, laments about terrorists not being what they once were. He raises his fists skyward and starts to give the rally cry of Cobra, but breaks prematurely into a hacking cough.

This version of Cobra Commander was commemorated with the unlicensed "Snake" toy produced by Headrobots, limited to 300 pieces,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/other-news-20/headrobots-snake-exclusive-recolor-169616/ |title=Headrobots Snake Exclusive Recolor – Transformers News |date=3 May 2010 |publisher=TFW2005 |access-date=2011-07-19}}</ref> and officially in 2015 as part of the G.I. Joe and the Transformers line released by Hasbro through the Transformers Collectors' Club.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.hisstank.com/2015/04/11/joecon-2015-g-i-joe-collectors-club-round-table-53416/ |title=JoeCon 2015 G.I.Joe Collectors Club Round Table |publisher=HissTank |date=2015-04-11}}</ref> According to the profile included with the latter figure, Old Snake further experimented with Transformer technology, and after a failed experiment dubbed [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]], he revived the [[B.A.T. (G.I. Joe)|Battle Android Trooper]] program, creating the Advanced Stealth B.A.T., capable of transforming into an [[unmanned aerial vehicle]].

===''Sgt. Savage and the Screaming Eagles''===
Cobra Commander appears briefly in the pilot episode of ''[[Sgt. Savage and his Screaming Eagles]]'', having a [[video conference]] with General Blitz concerning the relationship between Cobra and Blitz's I.R.O.N. Army. He wears the uniform of his 1992 action figure, and is voiced by [[Scott McNeil]] in this appearance. General Blitz refers to ties between the two groups, and states that he had helped create Cobra. He then threatens to destroy Cobra if Cobra Commander interferes with Blitz's mission, but the Commander does not seem intimidated.

===''Spy Troops and Valor vs. Venom''===
Cobra Commander appeared in the direct-to-video CGI animated movies ''[[G.I. Joe: Spy Troops]]'' and ''[[G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom]]'', voiced by [[Michael Dobson (actor)|Michael Dobson]]. Much like his [[Sunbow]] counterpart, Cobra Commander has a squeaky, raspy voice and often has comical moments of snapping at his minions.

He attempts to bolster Cobra's forces via androids and mutating civilians; though each attempt backfired due to his impatience and ignoring obvious flaws. By the second film, he is ditched by Cobra while lamenting his loss; allowing the Joes to detain him.

===''G.I. Joe: Resolute''===
In the [[G.I. Joe: Resolute|miniseries]], Cobra Commander is portrayed in a darker incarnation than the one in Sigma 6, revealing the attributes of cowardice and hysterics to have been only a mask for weeding out traitors and such among his organization, as well as to motivate his followers to think for themselves. He executes a plan to achieve world dominion through the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program with a prototype particle beam weapon to hold the world hostage. He is portrayed as utterly ruthless, casually destroying all of [[Moscow]] just to demonstrate the beam's power to the United Nations and killing anyone in his organization who shows incompetence or threatens his command, such as [[Major Bludd|Sebastian Bludd]]. Over the course of the story, Cobra Commander becomes more unhinged as his scheme unravels and his underlings are killed/captured, choosing to strike cities randomly instead of waiting for the United Nations to respond to his demands. Ordering his troops to defend the Springfield base where he has hidden himself, Cobra Commander slaughters his control team for the particle superweapon and takes shelter in a bunker as Duke arrives to disable the weapon, now aimed at the U.S. capital. As he gloats about his victory, Duke recalibrates the weapon to fire at Springfield instead, and Cobra Commander desperately tries to escape the nigh-indestructible bunker that Duke had forced shut as Springfield is destroyed. Despite this, Cobra Commander was found to be missing from the bunker when Duke made a return to the site. Cobra Commander was voiced by [[Charlie Adler]].

===''G.I. Joe: Renegades''===
In the series ''[[G.I. Joe: Renegades]]'', Cobra Commander is reinterpreted as a corporate businessman known as '''Adam DeCobray''', [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] of the legitimate Cobra Industries, a [[Multinational corporation|multinational]] [[Conglomerate (company)|conglomerate]] which serves as a front for his terrorist organization, it is also revealed that Adam DeCobray isn't his real name. He is egotistical, but nowhere as arrogant and pompous in his promotional speechmaking as some of his other incarnations. Suffering a disfiguring terminal condition that resorts to him wearing a full breathing mask covered by plastic shielding wrap, Cobra Commander is forced to appear to the public as a normal-looking virtual simulation over video screens with only a few like Baroness knowing of his true appearance. Only Doctor Mindbender knows the full truth of his condition as Cobra Commander funds the scientist's research in hopes to achieve immortality. Charlie Adler reprises the role of Cobra Commander for this series.

While he is more ruthless and less incompetent than his previous versions, Cobra Commander still has an affinity for big, expensive schemes such as building a transcontinental, maglev train network to move weapons and resources across the country, making armies of Bio-Viper soldiers, and later the M.A.S.S. teleportation device. He doesn't participate in field work, carrying out most of his day-to-day activities from a high-tech bunker located under his mansion.