Red Shadows in issue #213 (spoilers!)

[seaneley]

Okay, you've been warned about spoilers...
The giant robot controlled by Serpentor has landed in Olliestan. The giant eye that has been hidden in the underground Joe base in Utah is attached to it, giving the robot a giant "cyclops" appearance. (I had thought the eye had launched the giant robot, but the eye was actually attached to the giant robot. No one is sure how long the eye has been there, but the Joe base was built over it to guard it. I'm guessing it's an unknown Transformer.)
The giant robot immediately proceeds to rip off the head of Red Shadows mech, which is much smaller in comparison to the one-eyed robot from Utah. Red Laser (still a captive of Throwdown / Kamakura) is amazed by what he has just seen.
The Black Major orders his troops to attack the towering Cyclops. (The Red Shadows appear to be in black HISS tanks, not the red Hyena). The new Red Shadows aren't as interested in sacrificing their lives. One says, "Um--that thing just took out our ultimate weapon, Black Major!"
Duke sends orders to Dusty, Bazooka, Outback and Cover Girl. He wants them to destroy the robot no matter what, now that Serpentor is controlling it. Meanwhile, the Red Shadows also begin an assault on it with the tanks.
While this is happening, Throwdown / Kamakura tells Red Laser to drive the Shadow Track closer to the monster mech. Red Laser can't believe it, but does it. A giant fist destroys the Shadow Track and Red Laser is thrown free. (He doesn't appear to be killed.) Throwdown uses his ninja skills to jump onto the cyclops arm and swiftly run up it. He is able to allude its attempt to throw him off and makes it all the way to the back of its head and enter inside it.
Back at the Joe H.Q. in Utah, Serpentor has begun battling the Joes as he attempts to control the one-eyed Transformer in Olliestan. He reveals that his selective DNA "pruning" has made him a superior being in all ways - even Mindbender didn't know what he was capable of. He can now control the Joe base through its computers and the giant eye with his mind remotely, he is able to reverse "zap" Roadblock because of their shared mind-link, he can outfight Snake-Eyes and he is even stronger than he was before. Every Joe falls before Serpentor (though none are killed), when he realizes that Throwdown / Kamakura has entered the giant robot's head in Olliestan. He immediately launches the cyclops and orders it to return home. It is so fast that this will only take a matter of minutes.
Inside, Throwdown realizes he's in trouble. He is still wearing the Toxo-Viper outfit and it comes with oxygen, but the reentry into the earth's atmosphere will be hot, and he doesn't think his suit can withstand the heat. He is right. As the mechanical behemoth begins to descend towards Utah, the interior becomes super-heated and the ninja's suit bursts into flame.
As the cyclops begins its landing sequence, Serpentor has beaten Snake-Eyes mostly unconscious and ripped off his black mask revealing his scarred features. The other Joes threaten to shoot the head Cobra, but they know that his super-human reflexes will only cause them to hit their friend. As the giant robot begins to settle behind him, he gloats, believing he has won. He tosses the beaten Snake-Eyes at the feet of his friends. Desperate, Duke tosses a grenade at Serpentor, but the Cobra Emperor uses his mind-link with the robot to flick it back at the Joes. Snake-Eyes, barely conscious, grabs it in mid-air. He begins a swift sprint towards Serpentor, who isn't worried in the least as he mentally commands the giant robot's fist to squash the G.I. Joe commando.
Still alive inside the head of the robot, Throwdown is in extreme pain, still on fire, but grabs the energy saber he had taken from a Blue Ninja before and kept. It still operates and he uses this to trash the inside of the robot's brain. The cyclop's hand stops moments before killing Snake-Eyes. The stupefied Serpentor can only angrily cry out "Noooo! It was all within my grasp! It was--" as Snake-Eyes flings himself at him and carries them both over the edge of a gantry and into the open space behind. Scarlett screams his name, but it is too late. The frag grenade explodes the survivors can only stare in disbelief at the sudden turn of events.
A circular opening by the giant eye leaves a sudden hole as Throwdown cuts his way out of the monster with his energy saber. The ninja drops to the floor, flames still dancing off his face and upper body. He leans in, perhaps beyond pain, and picks up Snake-Eyes' discarded mask. He puts it on, and stands silently before his comrades. Snake-Eyes has died; Snake-Eyes is reincarnated...
In Olliestan, the remaining Joes wait anxiously for word of what is going on back at base. Dusty takes the call and his shocked face immediately alerts the other Joes that something is seriously wrong. The desert trooper covers his face as a tear begins to slide down his cheek. (Fade to black)
Notes: Snake-Eyes is confirmed as dead in the letters page. I'm pretty sure that Throwdown is now the new "Snake-Eyes" and will never be Kamakura. Most importantly to everyone at this site: I'm sure, but this might be the last issue for the Red Shadows for a while. We'll have to see if they show up in the next issue or not. Perhaps they will keep the remaining Joes from leaving Olliestan.

[DAMartin]

Hmm, I'd rather have him as Kamakura, or remaining as Throwdown, or at least being a non-burned legacy. If he's too similar, he feels like a Snowball II type cheat.

[buddusky]

I thought it was a weak story, I expected so much more from the death of the most iconic character. The changeover with the mask was too quick. Nice to see the Red Shadows but it feels like a cameo, they're not used to their full potential.

[wolforrest]

Poor old Snake, I would like to think the Black Hiss tanks are V2 Hyenas.
Could the one eyed robot be Shockwave?

[seaneley]

If the giant eye is Shockwave, he's a different color. Also, the giant eye is green, complete with a black pupil. Weird.

I have to admit, I don't like the idea of Throwdown as "Snake-Eyes Junior", unless he had first been Kamakura for a length of time serving as Snake-Eyes' apprentice. Only then would he have been fit to be Snake-Eyes' replacement. It felt too rushed.
On top of that, I don't know too many burn victims that would put something immediately on over their burns. Kamakura was still on fire when he put on Snake-Eyes' mask! I suppose we have to assume that Throwdown was in shock and beyond pain. However, if he "continues with the mission" like nothing happened next issue (which I highly suspect), I'm going to call the story a "fail".