,.,'Eurq.rntsrp elrnb dlenlcr 1psI sn{t tng,'s.{es ure:q du e.ieq,la getI ot unpueppe pcrSoloqcdsd prre,,v'srql sr eJei{l ,u.ou ldecxa 'aJe.la JeAodaql se Suqroxa se lsnf gps arr dru:eaqr ur qofftl pue serlorrr pue sarut8aseql-dlpunogo.rd aru pelsege srr{ttql Surgleuros-,l\?s o.l.t, ef,uelorleqt IIE rauP ua^g'oJII leer olur lueIu-ell)xe eql Puelxe o1 Peluervr lsnl36-peurol sn Jo tsoru dq.r,r. dle,ra-l[ sr 1J,,'peur"ldxa aq ..'srarplos JouorD(el aqt er? sarurS oepur puesaIAoW,, 'tueurtrn:far pue deld :ezvruoe^uaq drqsuonela: er11 Jo lrer.a'ptpu?l tsoru orlt peq daluepi

drp l:alo be:1 ur ops:adoo4 1o.4ed 3eq.la, Jo ssru?r{f,arusnorxue'e1du:rs eql Surureal-satur$aof'i'C p*d1orq Surdqd pH € eTIe8els oqr ssorce tda.rr Jeqrueu ef,ue-rpnE qf,?e 'su:nt 3ur{rl .srsplnoqsnaqt uo {lotsrnq aqr dpears or.!roq rueqt t{3ne1 pue segrr er4de_rrilr.r,r suo:]ed psuJj? eH .uoqelnTuis

8ururc:1-uodeazrt e qSnorqt ureql3"pyr8 pw sen5rlrS t.resep ur e3ue-rpn? rlor{4A. or{t SursseJp tateeql uel-t?query [erus t, vt Dpuailns peddogs-1.ro.la. La1ur11 ':eed srql rarp?g

'tsnlpoolq pue usrorer{ Jo saspdurrprucopaed dpururaas eqt sal?rqalact"rp puerq e-eof 'I'C Jo aprs 3ror-aqrm (lpeproep pu? ,{poo1q,lryeeFaif olq 3-rp q;o,u. esaql q10g'rE1xrbt:1 eqr rnoqe ecard ue-aruerurolad-- itapuaung otor4aor depreg tro-ur3rrr sni ot uoqlpp? u1 'aso:d crueursI{ ol Paredu:or lurenb puB tsau-rea sLrroas atrsqen\ Supm-icor drurylerF3ury arlJ :roru3trr srq q8norqrsuru >l?aJls srlseJJes peTfnourlnoJ ?iq8noi pue'duunls'lIBt sr dapr?H

'.:e7y1 be.r1 aqr Surrnp

0ze

9Z

efl^-res Prenc FuortEN slq stunoJerIooq 9002 qdap-reg'boq u1 punot)aLF uo tea4 V ratpps nqlouy lsnf ,xo-ureur srq ur deiuell :eqdorsr:q3uosrf sasnu ,,Jo nree:p ,(po ppocaof 'I't Peqrte.ra rela ol{^r doq due

1"#,?:1",#;",: T >roor s;nru_r ,rem au Lu )).,3o e:r se,ro18 aqa,,'paureld

-xa oq .,'uoperolr IN61I eqr ul u8r-u-oq ssel lol E aq ITr ^

?rqoJ,,'Orgre./\{l-re.rodruetuor Jo sertryar reg?p aqltcaBer IF,^A sar-res.4^ou sq 1?q1 peluFletrr€H'l[eJ srq] serres sf,nuof, ao['I.Jeqt qJunrlor ot EureH pe-rrq 3urys4-qnd CINAD s1:oTyyu8rsaq pu? ?epl'1:ozvr srq dq pessa-rdruJ .$eT 3Ip-Pr,lN erp ur .r?.r rerpoolq puE

^A.aue Sqnq8g dn pue pFo.4a sauos teqlpeer or{.4A sppl eqtJo eruos's.rrad ue1raqtou? ir1 '8upq8g paqsrurJ t6us?1y\;edoo;t uesap er{t drsnq leqr ,r,rauqe;1 'rq8r-r li lo8 eureg fu:r1 rng

lJasoP aqt ursoEqFsor{ Jo pua oql po1\\olloJ 1"r{1sepe:ed eder-:a1:p eqt s.1y\or{s ral3u>looq rrruol aof'I') eq;..'saof oqrrepun IIIo5 leru eruofle.^A er{t tnoSrrrnnd sI rr,rxg 3rp pue 1no Surpndsr Erqo3,,'suwldxa eq,,':apuerlrruo3Ergoc qlr a [e3P e sPetu rFua aql'uo.ra,,(poqou---e:g-esee3,,'8unq3gdols ot &snq s:apro rarplos rar{toueueq,Aa sepnlfuof, oltlrq ar{I'alou Fg-uJnotu E uo spue saIJSs sJrruoJ aql'relA.JInC IBa.r agt 01 per?druo3

'lueruolu ftroul-ed'un:8 ? ur urcular1Jo saJn[reJ eri]Srmuaapa: 'uasep eqt Jo tno osdrocquos req sarrr?f &snc[..'3rm]r.(ue :o>iceq dpoq eqr to8 roleu o,4a "'uon-3e ur 8urssru se pelq ss.l.r aH .unJ

-.relo se.4a trun srF{,, &sng plor pqJ3I{]OuI qJeulJed srq.,.rurulorn u1 53,1a

rerporq .(yq,, dpue3 qpualg p"ep snrqlI.'\A' P3r?qs ar{ lEr{t tauurp s"rutslrrl]ar1r {Flar lrsng'dppnq ft^\ sTr{ q111redrus ?lqo3 € rogv .e8es parrds-ul-r%A. JII1C sTql uI alot lso>F?poql qll&\ ltsnq gserrur errreH

'r{t?ap ot drqsuorl-?lal qsruoourr E qtr.4^. aurl dol e.roJIIol e^rsserrr ?-trrEruof, lzqr 3ut:npelp srerplos tq8ra '11e uJ .seplens3f,

eof '1'g ;o tunourt atruon:od-o.rdslp ? sapnlf,ur rqyr JInD pozr-lBuorlrg s-q] 'ssaleqtla eN

'>iooq rruroJe 3o seSed eqt otm dpceyed tU rena.erueS-oapirr tsJg aql'$sef,s \ou eJrl-Ieer ern pellJ pBq lEr{t squoq u?ruspue 'sapssrur pnrs ,sle:e:l 3o e8e-tooJ oqt Surqcrumu 'se133o8 uors-1a{q81u qsl{uld q8no:ql tno porl-JEf eJe.4A sapreq un€ snoJerunN'an3sor erp ot s3ruoc aof .1.9 pue'd-qunoc pa8erseq s-rq q uoddnspuno:8 roJ ?frraurv sSeq ueeqzuegJo rr,ulg eql 'enssr txeu eqt uI

'uors?Aur or{l rage s.reeqc dn€peq auo.,'Jr su.r,ro ?tqoC .ln,ou puv'Fo s.plro \ eqtJo tuef,red 61go doluo strs ueaqzuog ldnoc e t?r{rg,,'ueaqzueg pepec l-4unoc dq:eeur ePEAur o1 raP?e] urels?g elPPiwFuolltg ? q1l.4a dn parueot e.rqo3.4o.or{ stunof,ol enssr 166l l:enr-qeJ ar{J'aurze8nu s.rvreu dlqtuorue s? tsg se stualo esaql potrr:do:d-de looq xusoc aof T..C eql

fuen:qaggopue aql dq po:epap s?.4^. erg-3sBec Y'seTrlsrr? qrot-q8F{ dq palenlrundapreq puno:8 e-rc61 d:enuef urue8eq lce$e ut3uerrrv ar{J'uorse^-ur rbr:1 rqt t?quor ot pre .S-1-I roJ

.ryE

14";+

lTiln[-:E:

lur

:

["'l

t:

;

After each simularion, Hart-ley explained how many of partic-ipants wouid have died during theactual maneuver. During the Surren-der workshop, participants could ac-tually feel the rea1, rwitchy madnessof Iraq-quickly learning that mostcivilians make lousy soldiers.

Larry Harna elaborated on re-cruitment in an emaii exchangeabout the G.I. Joe comic books."'War is bad," he wrote. "To some itwill be the most exciting thing theywill experience in their entire life.To others it will hrunt their night-mares forever. Don't make a choicebased on readtng ficrion (especiallyanything I have writtenl)." G.I. Joehelped children rehearse the mo-tions of war in the.1980s, but itcould never make them good at it.

arlier this year, ParamountPictures released a public-ity photo of Snake Eyes

from the live-action G.I.Joe: Rke ofCobra rnovie, slated for a 2009 re-leese. Encased in black leather andhidden behind a skintight mask,dris mute ninja was one of G.I.Joe'smost iconic good guys. In the uP-coming film, he will be played byRay Park-the swashbuckling actorrpho starred in Star Wars: Episode I-The Plmntom Menace as the evil JediDarth Maul.

That image generated hundredsof nostalgic web Posts. On the mostbasic 1eve1, Snake Eyes fulfilled thekarate fetish that gripped many boysin the '80s. Scill, his character main-tained a sophisticated, ambiguousrelarionship with the military in theC.LJoe comics.

In the last issue of the G.I.Joe: AReaI Anterican Flero series, a teenagerwrites to Snake Eyes seeking enlist-ment advice. It is the perGct oppor-tunity for the hawkish tendencies ofthe toy Line to soar, but Hama takesa somber approach.

Snake Eyes responds with a

letter about his experience inViet-nam.At the climax of the comic, theninja crouches in a field of trarnpledflowers and dead soldiers, cling-ing to his enormous rifle like a liferaft. "There is no honor or glory inthe primary occupation of the soi-dier," Snake Eyes reflects. "There areonly'long stretches of interminableboredom punctuated by briefflur-ries of pure terror.'There is no win-ning. Ask anyone who has sat be-numbed in the aftermath ofbattle...surrounded by stinking, ragged wetbodies of comrades hastily coveredwith ponchos... assailed by the un-earthly scr.eaming of the maimed."

That eerie passage had a lifelonginfluence on Major Philip Kost, a

G.I. Joe aficionado and career sol-dier. On the Internet, Kost curatesthe five-hundred-plus membershipon the G.I.Joe Reloaded discussionboard. Most recently, he wor-ked as

rnfitary consultant for Devil's Duecomics-the company that revivedthe G.LJoe franchise in 2001.

Kost told me that he returned toSnake Eyes's letter over and over dur-ing his service. "I can understand itbetter now. fl-arry Hama] laid it outthere on the line. The intent of theletter was not to glorifii anything ordetract from anything. It was to tellthe truth.This is how things will beif you take this route. Dont think it's

all going to be glory and honor, buton the other side, it's not the worstthirig in the world either. Here it is,make your decision."

Kost and Rieman and Hardeya1l played war, but they were neverbrainwashed. They knew exacdywhat they were gerdng into beforethey enlisted, because G.I.Joe taughtthem. Even as this brand revived the

-ilia.y" image, American failuresand the grim realities ofwarhauntedthe issues. Like a secret code embed-ded iruide the heads of '80s kids-Dr.Mindbender's revenge, if you will-the irucrutable ninja named SnakeEyes ended nearly a decade of mil-itary worship with a sermon aboutthe nightmares of combat.

it's easy to rebuke Hasbro forkindling warlike impulses in inno-cent minds. But that critique rrearschildhood ]ike some Garden ofEden, miracu-lously isolated &omadult hostfities. Children have neverbeen peacefi-ri. From the very firstmoment they shape a thumb andpointer-finger into a pistol or turna stick into a sword, they are plalangwar. G.I. Joe taught children whatthat violence meant, helping themprocess the confusing legacy ofViet-nam, the &ightening conflicts of theReagan era, and the unsetded con-clusion of the first GulfW'ar.

Snake Eyes is the serpent inthat peacefi.rl garden, peddling ap-ples from the T[ee of Knowledge ofGood and Evil-a symbol that em-bodies both a curse and an enlight-ened intelligence. Next sufirmer, ageneration bewildered by the Iraq'War will sample his forbidden fruitfor the first time. *

321