Destro & Son #2 – “Do Unto Others!”

Posted on by phil.wrede
The title image for this comic strip. The series is called “Destro & Son” (slightly styled to resemble the logo for the TV show “Sanford & Son), with profile images of both the COBRA-affiliated terrorist Destro, and the mechanical soldier known as a B.A.T. The title of this particular comic strip, “Do Unto Others!” is visible at the bottom of the image.
In a brightly-lit room, Destro faces the B.A.T., asking, “How are you adjusting to your physical form?”
The B.A.T. lifts its left hand quizzically, replying, “I often feel unsteady. I know what I wish to do, but I cannot.”
Destro pulls a golden pistol from his hip and shows it to the B.A.T. He says, “Target practice can be helpful for hand-eye coordination, and improving motor control.” The B.A.T. looks at the pistol as though it’s never seen one before.
Destro hands the gun to the B.A.T.; the android holds its hands out to accept the weapon. “I’d like to gift this to you,” Destro says.
The B.A.T. holds the gun disinterestedly. “This weapon is… inferior,” it declares. “’Inferior’?” Destro replies, angrily.
The B.A.T. pulls a substantially larger gun from the holster on its own hip. “I constructed this from parts I found in your laboratory,” it explains.
Destro takes his own gun out to match the B.A.T. (it is significantly larger than the one he offered the B.A.T. originally). “It’s like you have a little brother!” Destro says about the B.A.T.’s custom-made gun. “Let’s take him for a test drive!”
The B.A.T. and Destro shoot their guns at the reader, with a series of loud BLAM! sound effects running along the edge of the image.
From their perspective (a reverse of the previous shot), we see both Destro and the B.A.T.’s arms holding their guns. A nameless military guard stands before them, his hands in the air. He screams, “Oh my god! Ohmygod! Oh my god!” while Destro says, “Your safeguards performed perfectly! You couldn’t have shot him if you’d needed to!”
The guard looks up and quietly asks, “…Can I please go back to work now?”
The credits for this comic strip, including the use of particular fonts created by Blambot, the ownership of G.I. JOE by Hasbro, the creation of G.I. JOE characters by actual factual people, and the photography/script/lettering by me, Phil Wrede.

If the B.A.T. made its gun out of spare parts it found in Destro’s workshop, that means we’ve got ourselves a Dr. Soong -> Data -> Lal-type situation going on at COBRA HQ, doesn’t it?

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