Firefly: Mercenary. Unholy Bastard. Cobra Operative. Ninja Master?!
Someone wanted the scans of when in G.I. Joe, Firefly became a ninja. Well here's the two issues it happened in: G.I. Joe vol. 1 #124 and 126.
This whole event starts with Snake-Eyes and his ninja group escaping Cobra's base but being chased by Slice and Dice with the Red Ninja Clan helping them. The two groups duke it out however it ends with Snake-Eyes capturing the Red Master. For those wondering why I cut off some of the panels for this issue, #124 it's cause it was a three-way tale with the issue intercuting with three stories. The ninjas where plot #1, some drug dealer (forgot their name) vs some Joes in a Cobra Town where plot #2, and Cesspool and his Toxic loving Cobras vs Flint where plot #3. Anyway:
Cue interesting duel between Slice and Snake-Eyes. It ends of course with Snake winning, however we get a party crasher:
And we get our reveal of who really is the Red Master in #126:
Storm Shadow gives the low down to the rest of Ninja Force of who Firefly is. All the stuff we know of him being a rutheless Cobra Agent who you never should turn your back to. Stormy doesn't heed his own advice but Snake-Eyes make's the save.
Firefly goes on to explain how he escaped the ordeal of being buried alive in a volcano by Cobra Commander. He stumbled across B.A.T.s (Battle Android Troopers) who where deactivated after the Cobra Civil War. Reactivating them he has them dig a tunnel in less ammount of time the others in the buried freighter do. So yeah he left all his so called comrades to rot and die while he escaped. Slice then calls him out on how is it his body was still accounted for when Cobra Commander had some men look into the buried freighter some time later and do a body count with Firefly's body being among the dead:
Storm Shadow then calls him out on how the hell does Firefly know all these Ninja Tricks to which he reveals:
During this, Firefly also reveals it was he who was originally contracted by Cobra Commander to kill the Blind Master, however when he watched Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow train he got a little cowardly but decided to pay another assasin for the job. That assasin was Zartan who killed the Blind Master. The rest you know is G.I. Joe history.
Firefly as he's explaining all of this take's off his Red Master outfit revealing his new costume and stating to the ninjas he's only upgraded his ninja skills using bombs, gas, and guns instead of simple outdated ninja toys like katanas. However said Ninja Force isn't so impressed:
Issue ends with Firefly truimphant and about to brainwash everyone in the scene to be his private ninja army. He then uses said army to invade Cobra Island and take it over. Cobra Commander let's him do this given that he has Destro's castle in Trans-Carpathia aka how this whole mess started.
Firefly's reign of Cobra Island doesn't last long. Snake-Eyes breaks free of the brainwashing. Goes to the Joes for reinforcements, come's back to Cobra Island to free Ninja Force, and then fights Firefly who uses an ultimate cheerleading tactic which Snake-Eyes easily brings down. He then de-brainwashs the Red Ninjas, Slice, and Dice. And that story ends with said team of Cobra's overshadowing Firefly apparently killing him.
But being such a magificent bastard Firefly somehow escapes (we never know how) and returns when Devil's Due take's over the G.I. Joe book. So now you know how Firefly became a ninja. And knowing's half the battle..
G.I. JOE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If anyone wants to see the final appearances of Firefly where he truly recaptures that magnificent bastardy in America's Elite during World War III. I'm willing scan and post it.