Line #15 Awesome/GIJoeARealAmericanHero


1	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogDdCy_7ke8 The season one opening title sequence]] has some pretty cool moments, most notably how Bazooka swings from a human ladder into a gun turret and throws out Destro, with Destro being caught in mid-fall by Footloose, who effortlessly tosses him to Roadblock, who then [[GrievousHarmWithABody throws Destro straight into the charging Dreadnoks, knocking them to the ground.]]
2
3	* The pilot miniseries has two impressive ScienceHero accomplishments between action scenes.
4	** Cobra has spent months, if not years, building their MASS device, but the previously KidnappedScientist and the Joes manage to make a perfect duplicate in a matter of days and use it to great effect for the remainder of the arc.
5	** In just a few hours, a trio of D-List Joes manages to build a crude but effective KillSat to send against the relay satellite that the MASS device depends on to direct its beams. The Joes’ satellite nearly succeeds before Cobra uses the MASS device to teleport spacesuit-wearing troops to defend their satellite.
6	* For the villains, whenever Storm Shadow is on screen. He's easily Cobra's most effective agent.
7	* The episode "Nightmare Assault". Dr. Mindbender has invented a machine that allows him to [[NightmareWeaver give the Joes nightmares]] to (a) disrupt their sleep and make them less effective in the field; and (b) create opportunities to MindScrew them by re-creating nightmare imagery in the real world. Then he turns the machine on Low-Light, who's already prone to nightmares (unresolved father issues, it seems). Turns out, the machine's nightmares are so weak compared to Low-Light's standard fare that he's not only able to overcome the device and help his teammates do likewise, but he actually makes progress with his own nocturnal terrors.
8	-->'''Low-Light''': You gotta be tougher than that. I'm not a wimp anymore! I'm a G.I. Joe -- and ''nothing'' stops a G.I. Joe! NOTHING!!!
9	** To top it off, he makes sure Mindbender gets HoistByHisOwnPetard when in the process, Low-Light ends up giving the Doctor such a scare through the machine that Mindbender destroys it, having seen this was too much even for him.
10	* The climax of "Bazooka Saw A Sea Serpent" has Bazooka knocked into the water during the sea battle and then grabbing onto the robotic monster's tail and clinging to it underwater while blasting the robot with his eponymous weapon, resulting in it being stopped by biting itself.
11	* In the climax of the five-part pilot, Cobra slave Ramar grabs a Cobra four-wheeler and throws the vehicle (along with its driver and gunner) out the window.
12	* Cobra's ambush of the Joe convoy in the first part of "Revenge of Cobra" is suitably impressive, with their vehicles emerging from holes in the ground, hollow trees, and the like. When the Joes manage to capture Cobra Commander, he has Zartan and the Dreadnoks standing by to break him out of jail within a couple of hours (having anticipated that Destro might not feel inclined to have the rest of their forces help him).
13	* Shipwreck is introduced using a land sailboat to help Mutt and Flint escape from a Cobra outpost, noting that the one thing their sensors can't pick up is wind power.
14	* "The Greenhouse Effect" features a Cobra spy posing as a clumsy janitor to steal a device, then engaging in some acrobatics swinging from the ceiling before overpowering two Joes, escaping out a window, and sliding down the face of a nearby cliff.
15	* In "Haul Down the Heavens," a random Cobra {{Mook}} spots Snow Job fleeing in a helicopter to BringHelpBack. He races after the helicopter, grabs the landing gear as it takes off, and then manages to knock Snow Job out of the craft (although Snow Job drags the {{Mook}} down with him). When the two hit the ground, they spend several seconds wrestling, and the Cobra thug manages to stab Snow Job with a tranquilizer dart before being overpowered, causing Snow Job to pass out not far away.
16	* In "Countdown for Zartan," Storm Shadow is training several Cobra cadets in difficult martial arts. The Dreadnoks mock his training as requiring too much work for too little reward and show off their weapons in an impressive fashion by destroying several surplus tanks. Storm Shadow responds by making another tank collapse on itself by hitting several pressure points ''bare-handed.'' The cadets promptly bow respectfully and rejoin him.
17	--> '''Torch:''' With our weapons, we Dreadnoks are unbeatable.
18	--> '''Storm Shadow:''' Anyone can ''use'' a weapon, but the ninja ''is'' a weapon.
19	* Zartan plants a bomb inside an anti-terrorism conference, then is captured and held prisoner inside that same building, with his digital watch counting down how long is left until the bomb explodes. Zartan is confident that the Joes are bluffing, but as the watch counts down, he cracks. He tells them the location just as they're about to flee the building and take Zartan with him. Gung-Ho then reveals that he set the watch several minutes ahead to trick Zartan, ensuring there'd be plenty of time left when he cracked.
20	* When Spirit is captured by Cobra, he reveals that he has a throwing knife hidden under his headband and uses it to disable the electric control panel for the door to his cell.
21	--> '''Spirit:''' They did not find this. Spirits of my fathers, guide my hand.
22	* "Cobra Quakes." Right after the team solves a WireDilemma, they get interrupted by attacking Cobra helicopters which force them to run away from a bomb as it continues counting down. Japanese GI Joe trainee Takeo severs the wire with a shuriken from halfway across the room with only a second left to go.
23	* The climax of the five-parter "Arise, Serpentor, Arise!": With Serpentor as its new leader, Cobra stages an assault on Washington DC and, in a frightening display of power, seizes the city; Serpentor declares himself the emperor of the nation. This is all following on the heel of several episodes where Cobra managed to outmaneuver G.I.Joe. G.I.Joe's response? Infiltrate the city and proceed to open a can of whup-ass on Serpentor and his forces. The next few minutes of battle that ensue make for one of the most woot-worthy action scenes in 80s Western cartoons.
24	** Just to be clear, they infiltrated the city by disguising themselves as the president and other American politicians, claimed to surrender and then revealed the deception right in front of a very surprised Serpentor (who had ignored Destro's advice about how [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome conquering the capital wouldn't just leave the US instantly defenseless]]).
25	** Earlier than that, Sgt. Slaughter took on Serpentor one-on-one and won.
26	** Even before that, he managed to wake up a few minutes after the DNA extractor was used on him, when it should've knocked him out for weeks, only for him to promptly [[OpenSaysMe start unscrewing the door controls]] ''with a thumbnail.'' Cobra Commander's response?
27	---> "That man has the constitution of a vending machine!"
28	** Zartan is holding tryouts for a new Dreadnok. True to the organization's philosophies, said tryout is a battle royale, last man standing gets the position. All the applicants dogpile on one another, except one (Monkeywrench) who sits on the sidelines. After the established Dreadnoks wonder why he isn't fighting, [[CombatPragmatist he lights a stick of dynamite and tosses it into the fracas]]. Explosion[[note]]unrealistically non-lethal because this is an 80s cartoon[[/note]], thugs flying everywhere, Monkeywrench wins. The way Zartan responds to accusations that Monkeywrench cheated suggests that actually ''improved'' Zartan's opinion of him.
29	** Cobra Commander as the ironic Savior of Serpentor, when a flamethrower stream stops the Joes from advancing on the Emperor, and it's shown the Commander was the one who fired it.
30	** The real moment of awesome comes from Serpentor planning to kill Cobra Commander where he stands after Cobra Commander just saved Serpentor's life... and Cobra Command "in a rare moment of brilliance" asks Serpentor how he plans to maintain the loyalty of the Cobra rank and file when they see how imperfect Serpentor really is, and that Sepentor ''needs him'' as a scapegoat!.
31	** A season and a movie later, Cobra Commander starts the season as Serpentor's pet snake... and by the end of the five-part season premiere, he's mostly human again, has reclaimed Cobra for himself (at last!) and as a cherry on top mutates Serpentor into a lizard.
32	* In "Lasers in the Night", Gung-Ho sucker-punched a snake while running from Cobra.
33	* In "In the Cobra's Pit", Lady-Jaye knocks down five gliders with one javelin, and Cobra Commander's C.L.A.W. a while later...On her first mission, no less.
34	* "The Gamesmaster" sees the titular character -- a PsychopathicManchild with an entire island, and a whole crew of robotic soldiers -- successfully kidnap Cobra Commander, the Baroness, Lady Jaye and Flint, all to participate in a twisted "game". Once both sides figure out what's going on, Destro and Duke agree to [[EnemyMine work together]] to rescue the four. Cue ''two entire armies'' bearing down on the Gamesmaster's island with hundreds of planes. But this guy is prepared -- he's got battleships and missiles! Still, they get taken down anyway. On the ground, Scarlett and Zartan team up to kick the butts of the robots and break through. Zartan actually compliments Scarlett on her fighting. And even despite all this (and [[VillainousBreakdown throwing a tantrum]] because the other players "cheated"), the Gamesmaster manages to [[KarmaHoudini get away scot-free]], [[SequelHook promising to return and play more "games"]].
35	* Doubles as funny, but Snake Eyes breakdancing during "Pyramid of Darkness Part 2." The man's got moves.
36	* In the climax of "The Most Dangerous Thing in the World", General Hawk gets to show off just ''why'' he's in charge. G.I. Joe has spent the whole episode suffering from incompetent leadership courtesy of falsified promotions, and is mounting a desperate defense of their headquarters as Cobra troops are storming it and winning. Then General Hawk parachutes in, and the tide turns: In no time at all, Hawk uses superior knowledge of the terrain to catch Cobra forces in a pincer move, has his men hijack some Cobra firepower to turn against them, and figures out the tactical weakness of the latest Cobra vehicle. Cobra goes from near-victory to a bewildered retreat in two minutes and thirty seconds.

Context Awesome / GIJoeARealAmericanHero