Duke tells Hawk that 24 hours have passed, and they haven't heard zip from Roadblock and his unit. Hawk says the unit is smart and tough, so there's no reason to write them off yet. Duke agrees, but asks who will take their place if Cobra hits them now. They've got the B.E.T. and Serpentor, so Cobra are bound to attack. Flint suggests he leads a search party after Roadblock's unit, which Hawk agrees to. He also says he'll have the B.E.T. transferred to a maximum security station. Flint heads out, taking Lifeline and Iceberg with him. Duke tells Hawk he's already ordered Beach Head to fast forward the training of their new recruits, as the sooner they graduate, the sooner they can fight. Hawk says that's easier said than done -first they've got to survive Beach Head.

Beach Head meets the new recruits: Chuckles, Tunnel Rat, Big Lob, Jinx and Law. He tells Law it's a pleasure to see one of them is a real trooper. Law tells everyone to look sharp, and they all stand to attention. Beach Head tells the six Rawhides that they're going to learn soldiering, but then he notices there's only five of them. He asks where Lieutenant Falcon is, but Big Lob says Falcon had some errands to do. Beach Head tells them he'll see what they're made of.

Tunnel Rat and Big Lob are up first. Beach Head tells them they'll love this little training exercise: all they have to do is get from here to the other side, and ring that bell -but watch out for surprises. Tunnel Rat says he got kicked out of kindergartens with tougher playgrounds than this, whilst Big Lob just yawns. Beach Head tells them to do it.

They start running, but Beach Head uses a controller to set off some explosives. Tunnel Rat gets knocked down, but then sees a drainpipe nearby, and enters it. Meanwhile, Big Lob avoids getting blown up, and uses a rope to swing over a pit.

He lands on a beam, and walks across it, before jumping into a pool. He swims under some barbed wire, and climbs out, only to then get shot at by a turret.

He throws a grenade, which drops into the turret and blows it up. Tunnel Rat climbs out of another pipe, and shoots the other turret. He and Big Lob then ring the bell, and Big Lob says the crowd goes bananas.

Beach Head throws his controller to the ground, and says the crowd isn't the only thing going bananas. Law is up next. Beach Head tells him that somewhere in this village is a time bomb, set to go off in 5 minutes. His task is to find it and dispose of it. Law says no problem, and whistles for his dog to come over.

Beach Head wonders what the dog is doing here, and Law says it's his dog, Order. Order has been trained to sniff out explosives, and Law tells him to seek. Beach Head tells Law this is supposed to be his test, but Law says he and Order are a team -Order finds them bombs, whilst he drives the car. They tried it the other way, but it didn't work. Order finds the bomb, and brings it back to Law and Beach Head.

Beach Head points out that Order has brought them back the bomb. He takes it from the dog and throws it, only for Order to chase after it and bring it back again. Beach Head tries to take it but Order refuses to let go. Law tells his dog to give it to him, and he does. Law throws it, and it explodes.

Law tells Beach Head that Order thought he was playing, usually Order is quite obedient. Beach Head hopes they both get fleas. Later on, Chuckles is given his test, which is a simple one: destroy the Cobra H.I.S.S. tank.

Chuckles is in a H.A.V.O.C., and locks on. But there is a weapons malfunction, as Beach Head tells him to wake up -he needs to get it before it gets him! Chuckles suddenly opens the cockpit, and pulls off a missile from the side of his vehicle.

He runs forward, despite being under fire, and throws the missile. The H.I.S.S. is destroyed, but Beach Head tells him next time, use the rocket launcher.

Beach Head then finds Jinx. He wants to know why she isn't dueling Falcon, and she says he didn't show. She thinks he was too chicken to take her on, but Beach Head says it was either that, or he heard she's one bad luck lady. The word is that when she's around, things go wrong. Jinx says they usually turn out right in the end. Beach Head asks her why she has her eyes closed, and tells her to keep them open. The two start to spar, and he manages to knock her down.

He says that was pathetic, and tells her not to unpack, as she won't be staying here long. Jinx gets back up and asks him to try it again, her way. She blindfolds herself and says her blind ninja master used to say that the keenest eye is that which looks inward. She snaps her weapon in two.

She then attacks Beach Head, kicking his weapon in half and then knocking him down. She asks him if he now sees what she means.

Meanwhile, Falcon is taking his date, Heather, on a tour of the base, despite it meant to be for personnel only. She asks if it's really safe, as just the thought of Serpentor being in here gives her goose bumps all over her body. Falcon opens the doors up and tells her not to worry, as when she has him as a guide, she has nothing to fear but Falcon himself. He tells her she can relax with him, and tells her to look at the text manuals over there. He says suppose they were Cobra creeps, and then fires a shot from his gun. The shot bounces around the room...

...and it shoots through the manuals. Heather asks for him to do it again, so he does an over the shoulder shot. Duke opens the doors, and almost gets hit in the head.

Falcon asks what he's doing here, and he says his duty, which is more than he seems able to do. He tells Falcon it should have occurred to him that a military prison is no place for a date, which surprises Heather -Falcon had told her that he was in charge! Duke gets more annoyed when he sees that Heather has a camera. He has her give him the camera's film, which he then crushes. Duke says film and visitors are forbidden here, and Falcon should be aware of those regulations. Falcon says he'll take the lady elsewhere, but Duke has Jinx escort her out. Heather thinks Falcon is such a hunk, but thinks she's not telling Jinx anything she doesn't already know. Jinx says she did kind of have a date with Falcon, but she doubts he'll have much time to socialize with either of them from here on.

She orders Heather to split, so Heather drives out of the base. Back inside Duke and Falcon argue about who is in the wrong, and Falcon decides to pull rank. Duke tells him the only thing he's pulling is guard duty, until he says otherwise.

Heather stops next to a lake, and removes her outfit. Thrasher then apepars, and asks her if she's taking a dip, but Heather throws him into the lake.

She reveals that she was actually Zarana in disguise. The other Dreadnoks appear, and Zartan tells his sister that was neatly done. He trusts her mission was equally well-executed, and she says that whilst Duke took the film in her camera, he didn't get the film in her earring. She says they'll soon know everything they need to penetrate the Joe's stockade. Just then, something emerges from the lake.

Pythona and Nemesis Enforcer appear, and Pythona tells Zarana she has done well. They'll use the information she's obtained to free Serpentor tonight. Back at the Joe's base, Bazooka, Alpine and Gung-Ho are on guard duty. Alpine feels like a train is coming in, and he's going to be under it. Gung-Ho tells him not to sweat it, as Falcon is guarding their outer perimeter. If anyone is dumb enough to try anything, they have to get past him first. But in the guard station, Falcon is missing.

Falcon is instead busy sexually harassing Jinx, and she pushes him away. He thinks she should be glad to see her, but she reminds him that he's supposed to be on guard duty. Falcon think she was jealous of Heather, but she tells him to stow it, as she's allergic to baloney. She tells him again that he should be guarding Serpentor, but he says nobody can get close to the stockade.

Outside, Pythona's group, which includes Nemesis Enforcer and the Dreadnoks, manages to enter the prison. A shield lowers down, but Pythona is able to melt it, and then Nemesis Enforcer prizes it open.

Falcon says that even if some intruders did make it into Serpentor's cell block, they'd still have to blast through a couple of yards of super-hard concrete, then get past three of their best guys. In the prison, the Dreadnoks blow apart a wall, and then charge in. The Joes fire back at them. Alpine sees that the alarm circuit has been cut.

Gung-Ho goes to fix it. Pythona notices him, and tells Nemesis Enforcer that alarm must not be reconnected. Nemesis Enforcer charges forward, and uses one of his wings as a shield. He gets over to Gung-ho and picks him up by the head.

Bazooka hits Nemesis Enforcer on the back of the head, but gets punched for it. This does give Gung-Ho the chance to kick Nemesis Enforcer in the face, which causes him to release his grip.

Alpine grabs onto Nemesis Enforcer from behind, and Gung-ho is able to reconnect the wire, causing the alarm to sound. Nemesis Enforcer throws Alpine into Gung-Ho, taking them both out.

Falcon thinks it can't be, and tells Jinx she's bad luck. Nemesis Enforcer uses one of his wings to disable some of the bars to Serpentor's cell, and free him. As they run out, Duke orders for the recon sleds to be deployed.

Pythona drops some grenades, which take out the Joes. She and the others are able to escape.

Falcon gets to the prison, but is too late. Hawk tells him to take a good look at what his irresponsibility cost them, just because he deserted his post. An enemy force was able to penetrate security, free Serpentor, and injure three good men. He tells Falcon he's confined to quarters until court marshall, and orders for him to be taken away.

Pythona's group travel back to the mountains in a strange creature. As it comes in to land, the captured Joes see it. Roadblock thinks that even these guy's air force is ugly. The creature lands.

Golobulus orders for the path of esteem to be prepared. A box is placed down, and thousands of small creatures crawl out of it, creating a path. Serpentor walks out and walks down the path.

He bows before Golobulus, and says he salutes him. Pythona had told him that he owes him his freedom. Golobulus says not just his freedom, but his life. He introduces himself, and says he is the supreme ruler of the kingdom of Cobra-La. He was the one who created Serpentor. Mindbender disagrees, and says that Serpentor is the product of his own genetic engineering. Destro tells him to be silent.

Mindbender reminds him that they combed the tombs of history's most powerful leaders for their DNA. Destro says that such a brilliant plan was beyond the capacity of even Mindbender's fine intelligence, and Golobulus tells Destro he has perceived the facts correctly. He reveals that he implanted the idea and skill into Mindbender's pedestrian brain with this, a psychic motivator.

Golobulus says it is their greater destiny that concerns him now. He wants to know where the broadcast energy transmitter is, and Serpentor says he was unable to capture it. He says he won't fail his lord again, and Golobulus says he hopes not, as he would hate to lose him. But first, a graver matter lies before them: the trial of Cobra Commander!

Back at the Joe's base, most of the Rawhides are waiting outside the court room, trying to listen in. Inside the court room, Duke says he can't understand how an arrogant misfit like Falcon got into this outfit in the first place. Three good men were injured, and Serpentor was freed by some bizarre new enemy, all because he couldn't obey orders. They'd searched his file in the hope of finding some act of merit to offset the maximum penalty, but they found none.

Duke then gets up and asks for the defendant to be spared. Hawk asks on what grounds, and Duke says that underneath it all, there's a Joe worth saving. He also reveals that Falcon is his half brother. Hawk says that will confer on this, and tells Duke to remove the defendant.

As Duke takes Falcon outside, Falcon tells him not to do him any more favors, as he's done more than enough already. Jinx tells him Duke is trying to help, but Falcon thinks Duke just busts his chops every chance he gets. Duke says he promised their mother he'd keep an eye on him, but maybe he shouldn't have taken the job. Tunnel Rat thinks that as Falcon did the crime, he should do the time. Big Lob thinks that Duke may now get penalize for Falcon's screw ups.

Falcon says nobody is going to take the rap for him, and tells Duke he doesn't need his help any more -he should get out of his life! They head back into the court room, and Hawk says it is the judgment of this trial that he is not be bound over for court martial. But he must still answer for the serious charges against him. He is to learn what it means to be a Joe, even if it kills him. He's sending him to the Slaughterhouse!

Cobra Commander complains that they can't do this to him, and demands to be released. Golobulus tells him to be silent, or be silenced. The Dreadnoks wonder why there's all this legal stuff going on, if they want to trash Cobra Commander, why don't they just get on with it? Golobulus tells them it is because they are civilized. A great wrong has been inflicted on Cobra-La by Cobra Commander, and that wrong must be avenged in accordance to their ancient tradition.

He flies up and says to let the web of remembrance tell the tale. 40,000 years ago, the glory of Cobra-La dominated the planet.

But an age of ice destroyed much of what they had built, and with it began the time of the barbarians. Surprisingly, these barbarians evolved. Baroness whispers to Destro that if you ask her, some of them did not evolve...

...as the Dreadnoks prove. Golobulus says that gradually, the humans mastered a technology based on inorganic, lifeless substances. Their culture was a travesty of Cobra-La's noble ways, and a threat to their existence.

They retreated to preserve their ways, and await an opportunity to reclaim the Earth. Generations passed, and then a brilliant young nobleman came to his attention. A laboratory accident left him disfigured...

...but Golobulus chose him to become Cobra Commander. He was sent into the world to raise a mighty army, and destroy the human civilization which had driven them into exile. But he failed.

Golobulus tells him he was his hope, and he failed him -miserably!