G.I. Retro - Duel In The Devils Cauldron

In this episode of G.I. Retro, I break down Part 4 of the M.A.S.S. Device - Duel in the Devil's Cauldron! G.I. Joe and Cobra race to a live volcano in South America for the third and final element, Timber is in two places at once, Stalker pulls off the con of his life on Cobra Commander, Selina saves New York City, and Scarlett goes toe-to-toe with Destro himself.
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Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:10

G.I. Joe and Cobra are playing catch with a meteorite, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance. It's the bottom of the ninth in the Mass Device. This is G.I. Retro. Now, back to G.I. Joe. Yo Joe and welcome everyone! Back to G.I. Retro, where I am revisiting and celebrating the Sunbow era of G.I. Joe, a real American hero, one episode at a time. And we are in the penultimate episode of the miniseries that started it all, The Mass Device. Today we'll be Duel in the Devil's Cauldron, which just so happens to be my favorite title of any episode in this miniseries. Originally aired September 15th, 1983. The key players, as you might suspect, Destro, Cobra Commander, Scarlet, Duke, Stalker. But stepping into the spotlight this episode, we've got Gung Ho. Seen him in the background over the course of the miniseries, but actually stepping into major plot role, this episode is Gung-Ho, as well as Wild Bill. And then we have the first appearance of the Sky Striker pilot, Extraordinaire Ace, in this episode as well. And Airborne. So we've got a few new faces, uh, some bigger roles for some rock and roll as well. I believe this was his first speaking role. But let's get into the episode. We last left G.I. Joe. They had opened up the canister for the crystals, and wouldn't you know it? It's booby-trapped with gas. They're about to pass out. The uh narrator tells us that it's actually a bomb that's about to explode. Fortunately for the Joes, Timber and Covirl come to the rescue, mostly Timber here. It's in this scene where, of course, we also see a somewhat famous little bit of an animation uh screw up. We see Timber in two places at once, but hey, you know, he's a he's a special kind of wolf. He's CoverGirl's kind of wolf, as she says. But yeah, Timber and CoverGirl uh doing a lot here, saving the day for the Joe team, really coming through in the clutch here, allowing G.I. Joe to get back on their feet and back in the game to get this last element they need for the Mass Device. But before they can go after it, they need to distract Cobra Commander a little bit. Stalker comes up with a brilliant plan sending on their emergency channel this message saying that G.I. Joe has to surrender to Cobra's demands. Again, keep in mind, Cobra Commander is threatening to destroy New York City with what elements he has left of Cobra's mass device. So Stalker sends this message saying, hey, we've got no other choice. This is a code white. We've got to surrender to all of Cobra's demands. And Cobra Commander is just overjoyed listening in on this supposedly secret encrypted message.

SPEAKER_01 3:10

One! Don't try to talk me out of it. It's not my decision. They don't know where eavesdropping on this super secret transmission, so it must be the truth! Victory Bestroom! I said Victory Best Trouble! Is it not?

SPEAKER_03 3:30

It'll take several hours to complete the surrender operation.

SPEAKER_01 3:34

Then I will finished!

SPEAKER_05 3:42

I don't think we see Cobra Commander that stoked for the rest of the series. I I guess we'll all find out together as we re-watch, but yeah, super pumped is Cobra Commander. Also having the slaves fight for his amusement as a way of celebrating. Very dark, very sinister, very on-brand for the early iteration of Cobra and Cobra Commander that we see here in the Mass Device miniseries. And good on Stalker with the Misdirect, completely redeeming himself for being the fallop last week and waking up the worms of death. Really good plan from G.I. Joe here. So they can go off to the Devil's Cauldron, try and recover that third element and be in the driver's seat and defeat Cobra with their own mass device. But before we get to that, I want to say that for a little later on. While that's all going on, Cobra Commander grows impatient. He and the Baroness both suspect that, you know, maybe it is some type of trap or just delay from G.I. Joe. And he decides that he's had enough and he's just going to straight up destroy New York. Like I said, this early, competent, and deadly iteration of Cobra Commander. He's going to use what remains of their elements for the mass device and just wipe New York off the face of the earth. And he almost does it. I mean, we see the Ray coming in, hurtling towards the Empire State Building. But who should step in to save the day? Not a G.I. Joe, but the beautiful slave girl Selena, once again, putting her life on the line for the benefit of others, for the benefit of G.I. Joe, and for the benefit of the entire world. Crude technique, but effective. Just dousing the Mass Device circuitry with water, causing it to short out, saved New York City, and also crucially, now Cobra Commander is out of the elements he needs to operate the Mass Device, essentially a lame duck mass device. But Selena, with what little freedom she has, putting it all on the line, Cobra Commander, of course, is going to punish her for that. But Selena getting the job done yet again. Okay, now let's get to the mission in the Devil's Cauldron. G.I. Joe on the scene first and the Dragonfly helicopters and the Joe team, their plan to get this meteorite out is using magnets to lift the meteorite out of the mouth of the volcano. And surprisingly, I mean a couple hiccups, but it was going surprisingly well.

SPEAKER_02 6:24

Yeah, bits! Magnets! Oh!

SPEAKER_05 6:28

But just when G.I. Joe thinks they have everything in hand, Destro and Cobra show up to spoil the party. They destroyed the Joe's magnets. The meteorite falls back into the mouth of the volcano, and then Destro institutes his own plan for retrieving the meteorite. And I really liked how he described it. He's trying to force an eruption. So as he put it, the meteorite will shoot into the air like a champagne cork. And it does exactly that. And he happens to have on his helicarrier this special meteorite uh catching net, because of course he does. And somehow G.I. Joe gets a couple of sky strikers that they're able to splay out their their own net as well. So, like I said, they're almost playing this game of catch uh for this meteorite, and even Duke says that they've got a pop fly ball. Unfortunately for G.I. Joe, they are not able to secure it. Destro does, and that is when Gung Ho calls the charge for the assault on Destro's helicarrier. Gung-ho doing a lot in this episode. He was pretty much seemingly leading the extraction of the meteorite, and then again, this assault on the helicarrier, which I really loved this whole scene. It's a great fight. You get some great hero shots that I love so much. Gung Ho gets to have a couple where he, you know, he's fighting some Cobra troopers. He nails one, then he gets nailed and sort of no-sells it like Hulk Hogan and takes him out. Great battle. But I think the best elements of this assault on the Helicarrier come courtesy of Scarlet. I love how they showcase her in this fight, her using the crossbow, her using her heels at some point, her martial arts, just how she fights in this battle. Just super cool. She looked like the most lethal one out there. It was great, really awesome, and it was a great spotlight for Scarlet. Super cool. But it also was during the Assault on the Helicarrier that we come to our but did you die moment of the week.

SPEAKER_01 8:33

Did you die? I got shot. But did you die?

SPEAKER_05 8:38

As with most episodes, there are so many that we could choose from. I mean, we've got a battle raging over a literal volcano, liquid hot magma, people parachuting left and right, crashing into the side of the volcano and everything like that. But for me, when I saw it, I knew it was the DYD. Snake Eyes on the jetpack, taken off to join the fray, leaving Timber behind. Timber having none of it, and Snake Eyes gives that glance back, and Timber just goes for it and jumps out of the helicopter, thankfully, into the waiting arms of his new companion, Snake Eyes. But yeah, that is absolutely the did you die moment of the week. Great stuff. Glad Timber's okay. And he would come up big in the battle later on, too. So yeah, Timber, special wolf, showcasing it throughout this entire episode. So possible MVP? Perhaps. We'll see. But before we get to episode MVP, we've got a few candidates for that. I want to do the foul-up of the week.

SPEAKER_02 9:43

You're here because you're an industrial spray follow-up.

SPEAKER_05 9:46

Thank you as always, Sarge. And I want to preface this foul up of the week with a little disclaimer because out of all the awards across these episodes that we've done so far, this one was the hardest for me to pick because it's going to somebody that otherwise, in my opinion, had a really strong episode. They stepped into the spotlight, they showed leadership qualities, they showed combat prowess, but still, the most sort of glaring single act of buffoonery in this episode is from Gung Ho. Take a look. And I get it. Who doesn't want to play with G.I. Joe toys? This channel wouldn't exist if we didn't want to play with G.I. Joe Toys. And Gung Ho is one of my favorites, both as an action figure and as a character, but nearly blowing that operation makes him the Phallop of the week. Alright, from Fallop of the Week to the other side of the coin. Episode MVP for Duel in the Devil's Cauldron. A few really deserving candidates, in my opinion. I just mentioned Timber. I mean, from along with CoverGirl saving the entire GI Joe team from that booby-trap canister that was a bomb to saving Snake Eyes in the battle on the helicarier. Really strong episode from Timber. But didn't quite get it. And then we've got Selena, the beautiful slave girl, stepping up again in this miniseries. We already saw earlier on how she risked it all to save Duke. And she does it again this episode, but to save New York and the world. With no weapon, no training, just a pitcher of water, and takes out Cobra's mass device. Really great stuff from Selena. Again, another valiant effort, but still the bridesmaid, not the bride, with MVP here in this episode. Sorry to say it, Selena. Maybe you've got one more shot. Maybe you'll get it next episode. The episode MVP this week is a G.I. Joe who was highlighted in an awesome way and just would not be denied. And I am talking about Scarlet. I mentioned how great she came across during the battle on the helicarrier. I didn't even mention yet that she's the one that takes it upon herself to go after Destro, which was really cool when he's trying to make his escape. And even though she gets captured, she just would not be stopped.

SPEAKER_00 12:37

Grothing before a meatball like you isn't my style, Destro.

SPEAKER_03 12:43

You're a paradox, Sky.

SPEAKER_02 12:46

You're the fool. You choose the controls. We're all finished.

SPEAKER_05 13:03

Scarlet will complete her mission no matter the cost. That is why she is this week's episode MVP. That is also where Duel in the Devil's Cauldron ends on a cliffhanger with Destro and Scarlet heading possibly to their demise. Of course, we know by the tease ahead that that's not the case, but I digress. Uh before I get out of here for this edition of GI Retro, I did want to highlight one more comment, a little quick mailbag here, but this one really caught my eye. And this comes from Old Man Winter 7739. They say, I dug out my DVDs to watch along. Thank you for that, first of all. And my 11-year-old is watching too. She watched all of G1 Transformers with me a couple of years ago. And now it's time for my other favorite 80s cartoon. And this just warmed my heart, made my weak to see this because it's exactly what I wanted to sort of bring out by doing this show, by creating this channel, is actually one, having all of you re-watch, and then to make it generational with your children, I just think is so cool. So thank you very much for sharing that with me. And I hope you and your daughter really enjoy watching together. And I hope you're enjoying this channel. That is going to do it for this edition of GI Retro Duel in the Devil's Cauldron. Just one episode in the Mass Device miniseries remains. The finale a stake in the serpent's heart. Come on back and relive how the miniseries that changed everything ends. And if you didn't know, now you know. Take it away, Flint.

SPEAKER_01 14:41

And knowing is half the battle.