The Making of "Transformation"

Chapter 2

Fear of the Dark

Part5

The Story

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I hate hindsight. I hate how it's 20/20. When I did the 1st chapter of "Transformation", it was going to be a stand alone story. It was supposed to end like a lot of my other dios. It was open-ended. But for some reason, I decided to expand on the idea. The original story was kind of a jab at how Hasbro actually makes their GI Joe figures. It's the only way to explain why we get some pretty darn swell figures and some pretty darn pathetic ones.

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There are little things in the 1st chapter that bug me. As it stands now, this whole thing of "Transformation" is considered Ep1. I don't have a nifty title for Ep1 yet, other than "Transformation" which is kinda lame. Someday, I'll reshoot the cover and call it something entirely different. It's a Star Wars thing. Remember, Lucas eventually called our beloved 1977 SW Episode 4, A New Hope. That was a trip for those of us who don't pay that much attention.

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Anyway, the plot thickens and starts to really get into the meat of what the story of "Transformation" is about. The 2nd chapter is aptly labeled Fear of the Dark. Tho I used my best attempts on a limited budget, I did my best to make the 2nd chapter seem like it was in the dark. Unfortunately, it's not dark enough. I was aiming for a Doom/Aliens look and well, you see what I got. *chuckle*

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Chapter2 opens w/ the 1st RRTS (which has, unfortunately, no cool nickname). Comprised of Lt. Graydon, Stalker, Beach Head, Snake Eyes, Bombstrike, Gung Ho and Footloose, the team (sans SE) are sent in to retrieve a missing Snake Eyes. On their approach and from an earlier report, things don't quite sound right. There are no Cobra sentries posted outside nor is there any sign of Cobra equipment. When the RRTS land and enter the lobby of the installation (which doesn't have a name at this time either), they find it void of Cobra activity. What would cause Cobra to up and leave a perfectly working operation?

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After hacking into the computer, Stalker is able to get the security cameras on-line and the Joes witness a squad of NeoVipers in a firefight. They can't see the enemy, but the NeoVipers are terrified. The Joes go investigate only to find a room full of bodies. The plot thickens as Graydon and Stalker hack into the video logs of Overkill's Lab. Cobra's been messing w/ humans and animal DNA again. The chapter ends w/ Graydon pushing the squad to find Snake Eyes and to leave the installation. They ARE on a rescue mission, afterall.

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Chapter3 has yet to be published but in my mind, it all makes sense. Unfortunately for the reader, I had almost NO action in the 2nd chapter. I don't exactly show what the Joes will face. Everyone is hanging on! The main point of Ch2 was to set up the atmosphere and look of the story. I think it worked. Chapter3 will be mainly action AND it will wrap up the story. 3 chapters seem awfully short especially when the 1st chapter has a totally different feel. But Chapter3 should feel full despite the entire 1st Episode being short.

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Now apparently, my Joeverse is different than everyone else's. I use what works, make up a lot of my own stuff and disregard a ton of things. If my main 2 teams are comprised of 7 chars each, what about the other 100-some Joes running around? How come we don't see Duke and Hawk and well, the 'normal' Joes everyone wants to see and EXPECTS to see. It's because my Joeverse doesn't revolve around the ninja aspect. Or Duke. This is my GI Joe as I see it. It's not melee action on the battlefield, tho that's what the cartoon portrayed quite often. This isn't SW Battlefront (the video game) but hey, maybe in the future I'll have a big old melee. I'm into small, specialized teams that can kick booty. Ahhhhh, the things Doom and Aliens have done to me...

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Until Next Time