[DMC]

The next issue, Silent Interlude, is one of my all time favorites. The is no dialogue; the story is entirely visual. Snake eyes parachutes out of a C-130 and infiltrates a Cobra castle to rescue Scarlett. We are introduced to the CLAW, which is basically a powered hang glider.



Snake Eyes? HALO jump from the C-130



Close up of the CLAW

[DMC]

The next issue gives us our first glimpse of the plane that will become the Rattler. Cobra Commander send this prototype ?tank-smasher? to attack the funeral of General Flagg. The plane shown is not the Rattler we all know and love; it is an example intermediate stage between the A-10 and the final product. This one has the two turbofan engines mounted on the rear fuselage just forward of the tail like the A-10, as opposed to the wing-mounted engines of the mature Rattler design. This versions has the triple vertical stabilizer like the Rattler, but does not have the third tail-mounted engine. There also appear to be wing-root air intakes on this model as well. Finally, the gunner?s turret aft of the pilot is an unmanned version that looks more like a WWII cruiser turret than an anti-aircraft position.

All in all, I like this prototype rattler design. I wonder if the illustrator didn?t have the final version of the toy to go off of, or if this intermediate design was drawn purposely to be a prototype model.


The A-10


The Rattler prototype, with a unique pilot.






The final design of the Rattler

[DMC]

The next issue, ?Cobra Commander Captured at Last,? has only a tail of one aircraft in it:



This looks suspiciously like a C-130, but I can?t stand the thought of Cobra flying that great American aircraft. I?m going to go with the Antonov An-12 for this one.