Realistic Origin for Cobra and Joe?

[sithassassin]

So, I was thinking... For a live action Joe movie like what they are getting ready to film, there will need to be a realistic and believable origin story for both the Cobra organization as well as GI Joe. Here's how I think it could work...

First of all, I think Cobra should be a para-military order instead of a terrorist group. I think it should all begin with CC. The good commander should be American (thus making sense for a special multi-national taskforce being made to stop Cobra also being based in America). My thought is he should be so wacko billionaire, kind-of-a Ross Pero type. This guy should be arrogant and off his rocker and the type who thinks everything is possible (for the right price). CC doesn't like the direction that the US has been going and decides he could run the country better than the clown in the White House. He doesn't want to mess with things like elections and popular votes however so he decides he will raise an army. He starts by recruiting a large notorious biker gang called the Dreadnoks and their leader Zartan. Soon, however, CC realizes he will need more than some nasty biker-types to conquer the country. So he starts researching war-for-profit groups and secretly hires one Austrailian group led by a merc named Bludd. Of course all of these recruits will need state-of-the-art weaponry so he turns to a Scottish arms dealer Destro. Of course, CC needs to move all this flowing money quietly so he hires two corrupt corporate-types to set up a legitimate front to launder his money thru - Tomax and Xamot. Then he also hires others for special assignments. Storm Shadow for assassinations, Firefly for terrorist type stuff etc. Of course Cobra wouldn't be Cobra without alot of underhanded double-dealing. So, Destro would also be selling arms to GI Joe and at some point would turn on CC and turn informant. Bludd thinks CC is a quack and plans on assassinating him as soon as Cobra conquers America. Then of course Tomax and Xamot would be embezzling millions of dollars from the money CC is laundering.

Then, when Cobra makes itself known as a threat GI Joe is formed as an American-led task force formed to combat Cobra. Some members would represent other countries but the majority of the team would be American.

What are your ideas? Could something like this work?

[Compulsive Collector]

I'm actually partial to the origin Larry Hama provided for Cobra Commander and his organization. I don't think it needs much more than a little modernization.

[Snowjob00]

Good story but it might be alittle much to follow for all age groups. I like it though. Maybe too much drama for a GIjoe shootout movie though.
You know though, it depends on if they need to introduce the characters or where the movie begins I guess.
If I personally was writing the script I would not start it with the formation of the team, that would take too long, but only that they had already been organized and then introduced as an elite unit to combat a new paramilitary group and conduct intelligence and such. Keeping some of the main characters highlighted throughout the film and using some of the lesser knowns as intermediate cast members. Much like the body of the xmen movie which is a great template.

[OUTBACK]

i like the terrorist aspect. after all, they WERE terrorists.

i don't mind "offending" them at all.

[ARBCOToys]

I'd definately leave origins out of the first movie. The comic origins were released over the course of YEARS. No way you could fit that into a 2 to 2 1/2 hour movie and make it interesting for all moviegoers.

I hope they keep it simple. Six to eight Joes versus Cobra Commander, Baroness, Destro and the Cobra Army. Cobra would, of course, have some sort of doomsday weapon the Joes would have to stop.

[Monkeywrench]

Originally Posted by OUTBACK

i like the terrorist aspect. after all, they WERE terrorists.

i don't mind "offending" them at all.

I agree bro

[OUTBACK]

ARBCO, i think i might agree. but, the only people that will get it....is us. the common person won't understand everything right away and the idea of unfolding "origins" in sequels is a perfect formula.

to be honest, i don't think they would be dumb enough to even try to explain everything in 2.5 hours.

[sithassassin]

One thing I wonder about is how they will handle Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. SE is a bit easier, they can focus on the elite commando aspect but SS may seem out of place in a live action movie. You have all these guys with guns and then a ninja? Also I hope that we don't see the same thing with Joe that we saw with the X-Men movies where SE dominates screen time like Wolvie does. I'd hate to sit through 2 hours of Snake-Eyes and the Joe team.

[Compulsive Collector]

Originally Posted by sithassassin

One thing I wonder about is how they will handle Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. SE is a bit easier, they can focus on the elite commando aspect but SS may seem out of place in a live action movie. You have all these guys with guns and then a ninja? Also I hope that we don't see the same thing with Joe that we saw with the X-Men movies where SE dominates screen time like Wolvie does. I'd hate to sit through 2 hours of Snake-Eyes and the Joe team.

There have been rumors that the Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow relationship will be heavily explored, but rumor is all we have thus far.

And as for Storm Shadow fitting in, he was essentially a bodyguard and personal minion for Cobra Commander early in the comics. I think that's a good role for him in a film.

[Obiwanjacoby]

I don't believe they would scrub the word terrorist. I think it would actually help the movie more by using it.

-PJ