Comics

G.I. Joe’s Latest Power Couple Could Be a Big Issue (And Fans May Not Like It)

A new power couple has emerged in G.I. Joe, and some longtime fans might not be thrilled

Baroness on GI Joe cover

Skybound’s Energon Universe has shaken up its Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises in a variety of ways, and one of the biggest changes can be found on the G.I. Joe side. Those who have been keeping up with the series know that the iconic villain Baroness is actually not aligned with Destroy or Cobra yet, and she hasn’t met Destro yet either, who she has a famous romantic relationship with in other stories. In her absence, another character has stepped into that relationship to form a new power couple, and it could be a relationship that bums out and perhaps even upsets longtime fans.

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This all stems back to the Destro miniseries, where fans saw Destro meet heiress Astoria Carlton-Ritz. They hit it off during their first encounter, but then Destro has to go into hiding after a hit attempt, and he barely makes it out of an encounter with an assassin named Chameleon. He is able to deduce that Chameleon and Astoria are in fact the same person, and they end up striking up a romance by the end of the series.

In G.I. Joe #4 we get confirmation that this is still the case. At one point Stalker and Cover Girl are getting ambushed as they attempt to protect the Brainwave Scanner, and one of the key attackers is Chameleon. We get the reunion between Chameleon and Destro later after the order is given to move locations to Destroy’s M.A.R.S. facility, and Destroy is understandably irate. Chameleon tells Destro, “Calm down lover. Ripper and I followed your lead and retrieved the brainwave scanner, but when we received an order to return to M.A.R.S.”

That’s a huge change already from other versions of G.I. Joe. Destro and Baroness have long had a romantic relationship in other versions, but that can’t happen here as of yet for multiple reasons. First off Baroness is part of the Joe team and was recruited and advocated for by Duke. Then there’s the fact that Baroness hasn’t actually met Destro one-on-one yet in this world, but that’s now about to change.

In G.I. Joe #4 the entire team is captured and brought to the M.A.R.S. facility, and unfortunately for them, Cobra needs some fodder for experiments. According to Duke, the Joes have them right where they want them, but the jury is out on whether that’s true or not. What is true is that with everyone in the same location now, this could be where Baroness and Destro finally have a chance to have a full introduction, and this could pave the way for a love triangle in future issues.

The change of Baroness and Destro not being romantically linked to start with might be disappointing to some fans, and if the series never plays with the idea of bringing them together we could see some fans being upset. In this case, though it now puts a more interesting dynamic for them on the table if they finally do meet.

What do you think of the changes to G.I. Joe so far in the series? Let us know in the comments and you can talk all things comics and G.I. Joe with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!