* AudienceAlienatingEra: The volume 4 ReTool by Creator/KarenTraviss is a DarkerAndEdgier, entirely realistic military drama that strips out almost all fantastical elements of the series; something that many fans had been calling for for a while. Unfortunately, what this ended up with was a series that suffered from painful levels of TooBleakStoppedCaring and was so [[DecompressedComic decompressed]] that pretty much nothing at all happened before the series was CutShort due to low sales. It's entirely possible that the complete failure of the "high-realism" approach led, in part, to the DenserAndWackier lightheartedness of [[ComicBook/GIJoe2016 the 2016 revival]].
* CompleteMonster: See [[Monster/GIJoe here]].
* MagnificentBastard: See [[MagnificentBastard/GIJoe here]].
* NightmareFuel: From vol. 1, [[ReducedToDust what happens]] to the test subjects of the M.A.S.S. device. Even worse in issue 11, when we actually see [[BodyHorror the poor guy's body dissolve]] while he begs for help.
** Also from vol. 1, the seeming fate of the troops at Cobra's moon base after the M.A.S.S. device is destroyed. The last image of the final issue is them desperately [[DefaceOfTheMoon digging a message]] into the surface:
--->'''HELP US'''
*** Issue one of vol. 2 makes it clear that there is no rescuing them. They are stuck up there to either starve or suffocate.
* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap:
** Helix's appearances in ''Revolution'' were much better-received thanks to playing up her social awkwardness in place of a generic "badass" attitude (and a well-placed "[[TakeThatScrappy shut up, Wesley]]" moment).
** Hashtag gets significantly better when she reappears at the end of the run. It helps that she's nowhere near as stupid. Still, it's telling that she hasn't appeared since.
* TheScrappy:
** Helix, thanks to being a CanonForeigner and SpotlightStealingSquad with [[CombatClairvoyance out-of-place-seeming powers]] who adds another dimension to the much disliked LoveTriangle of Scarlett and Snake Eyes.
** Hashtag, as an unintelligent, inexperienced [[TakeThat mockery of]] [[TheGenerationGap Millenials]].
* UnexpectedCharacter: Let's be honest: even with the ComicBook/HasbroComicUniverse existing, ''nobody'' saw a Transformer (and an evil one, at that) joining the Joes until it was announced.
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