COBRA Command, commonly referred to as C.O.B.R.A., is the fictional nemesis of the G.I. Joe team in the Hasbro action figure toylines G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and G.I. Joe: Sigma 6, as well as their related media.
Cobra was introduced when G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line was launched in 1982. The toyline was accompanied by a Marvel Comic series written by Larry Hama, and an animated television series by Sunbow and Marvel Productions. Each medium to feature G.I. Joe has had its own continuity and as such, the origin and portrayal of Cobra has differed in each of them.
A popular rumor states that "C.O.B.R.A." is an acronym for "COnversion by Blackmail, Revolution and Anarchy", but Hama vehemently denies this.
It was Marvel Comics who invented Cobra, with the concept and name coming from Archie Goodwin: when they were brought in, Hasbro hadn't thought of doing a villain for the toyline, and were reluctant to make villain toys as they believed villains didn't sell. As Jim Shooter put it, "later, by the way, villains became 40% of their volume."
Read more about Cobra Command: Comic Series, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, In Popular Culture
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