Castle Grayskull stood on the outskirts of Eternia's Evergreen Forest. As He-Man piloted the Wind Raider over the terrain, the journey provided some of the most gorgeous scenery Jinx had ever seen. However, she was not relishing in the beauty. Her mind was plagued by other matters.
Dree Elle placed a hand on her arm. She could tell something was bothering her friend. "How you holding up Jinx?"
"Look, I appreciate the concern," Jinx said. "I realize I was at death's door back there, but I'm fully healed now. Don't worry about me."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Dree Elle said, "but I was referring to your mental status rather than your physical. Come on Jinx, tell me what's bothering you."
Jinx sighed, "It's my battle. I failed. I had my chance to finally defeat Vypra but I lost."
"What are you talking about?" Orko called from the front of the Wind Raider. "Vypra limped away with the living daylights beat out of her, and you don't have a scratch on you."
"Only because of She-Ra," Jinx corrected him. "If she hadn't healed me I would have died. I may have dealt Vypra some scars, but she gave me a fatal wound. I should be dead now. If we had fought that battle on Earth I would be."
"But you didn't," Dree Elle said trying to sound positive. "You've been given another chance."
"I've had more than enough chances already," Jinx scoffed. "Every time Vypra got away from me in the past I wrote it up as cowardice on her part. She never stuck around long enough to determine who was the better of us. Until today that is, and today she proved that I don't have what it takes to beat her."
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Orko said. "Just because you didn't win this time doesn't mean the results will always be the same."
"You know, Jinx," He-Man said slowly, "you might think about using this second chance to change your life's path."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, this quest for revenge," He-Man said. 'It's taking control of your whole existence. And for what? Revenge never solves anything. You get back at them, they get back at you, you get back at them, it never ends."
"It'll end when one of us is dead," Jinx stated firmly.
He-Man shook his head at her stubbornness. "Suppose you do make the kill. You won't feel better. You won't be satisfied. So you'll seek out another to wreak vengeance on. Then another and another until one day you realize that you've become that which you hate, but it will be too late for you to change."
Jinx thought on this for a moment. "Are you speaking from a personal experience?"
He-Man shrugged, "Well no I was just…"
"Then what makes you think you know what the hell you're talking about?" she snapped.
Everyone looked at Jinx in shock, which almost caused He-Man to crash the Wind Raider into a tree. Luckily he looked back and managed to swerve clear at the last moment.
"When you get revenge," Jinx continued, seemingly unaffected by the near collision, "you are righting a wrong that was done to you. You are regaining your honor. Which, to a ninja, is the most prized possession we have. No person should ever be forced to live in dishonor. Vengeance allows one to take back that which was stolen."
"I don't agree," He-Man said. "Revenge is just a matter of foolish pride."
Jinx glared at him. "This is the way the ninja have always lived. These are the beliefs of my family, my ancestors, all my people. Are you honestly going to sit there and tell me that we've been wrong all these centuries? That my noble ancestors were complete fools?"
He-Man said nothing. He could not think of a response to that.
"Besides," Jinx went on, calming down a bit, "you misinterpret the purpose of my quest. I'm not out for revenge. I'm out to avenge."
"What's the difference?" Orko asked.
"Revenge is something you seek for yourself," Jinx explained. "For wrongs done against you alone. And, if left unanswered, that can darken your soul," she said with a glance towards He-Man. "But to avenge, now that's another matter. Then you are seeking to right wrongs for others. For those who cannot seek it themselves."
Orko scratched his head trying to understand. Dree Elle however nodded. She saw clearly what Jinx meant in a way the others could not. Jinx went on.
"Do you know how many people Vypra has killed? Yuckers was number one hundred twenty-seven. And that's just the ones I know about. All those lives lost. All those souls unable to rest in peace because their killer still lives, laughing at their spirits as they are forced to watch her plague the living realm. And they can do nothing to stop her."
The young ninja's eyes closed and her fists clenched in rage. "I will not allow those souls to continue to suffer! That is what I'm out for. I shall either avenge those restless souls, or I will join them."
He-Man brought the Wind Raider in for a landing next to the others that had already arrived and were waiting for them. All of the Joes were gazing in awe at the spectacular sight before them. The sheer size of the stone fortress was intimidating enough, but the colossal skull carved into the front of the stone and around the drawbridge opening sent chills down many of their spines.
Tunnel Rat leaned over and whispered to Teela, "Why do they call it Grayskull when it's green?"
"Watch your step along here everyone," He-Man said, stepping to the front of the crowd. "That abyss is bottomless."
"So how do we get in," asked Duke. "You got some fancy remote door opener for this thing?"
He-Man smiled and pulled out his sword, "In a way, yes. By the power of Grayskull I command the jaw bridge open!" At this the massive stone slab that formed the drawbridge to the castle and the lower jaw of the massive skull fell open enticing the heroes to enter its hallowed halls.
As he beheld the spectacle Duke's jaw fell open as well, "Now that's impressive!"
Many of the Joes were slightly hesitant walking into the castle's entrance. It was as though they expected the giant skull to suddenly come to life and swallow them. Finally, once everyone was inside, the jaw bridge closed behind them and for a brief moment they were swallowed -by darkness. That ended a second later as a falcon's cry pierced the blackness and the torches lining the walls suddenly lit on their own, lighting a path that led straight to the inner throne room.
As the Joes watched in amazement, Zoar glided over their heads and hovered before the throne briefly before changing form. Where there was a bright orange falcon seconds before, there now stood the eternally young, stunningly beautiful Sorceress of Castle Grayskull. Instinctively Jinx fell to one knee in a show of respect.
"Welcome my friends," Sorceress said softly. "Please, stand up Jinx. There is no need for that."
"I assume you are The Sorceress," Jinx said rising to her feet. "Although I've only been on Eternia a short time, I've already heard a lot about you. It's an honor to finally meet you in person."
"I can say the same of you my friend," Sorceress smiled. "All of Eternia owes you a great debt G.I. Joe. However there is a new development which poses a greater danger than the Cobra armies."
"So you've said," Duke nodded. "But what exactly is it?"
Sorceress gestured to one side as Zodac emerged from the darkness, "This is Zodac. He is a Cosmic Enforcer and observers all that transpires in the universe. He can explain everything to you better than I."
Zodac nodded towards the Joes. "As Teela'na has said, I observe everything in the universe. My task is to assure that the balance that holds the cosmos together remains intact. I have watched your actions with particular interest G.I. Joe, because I feared this day would come eventually."
Duke turned to He-Man. "Is he always this cryptic?"
He-Man nodded. "Yes. You get used to it after a while. Please explain yourself Zodac."
"Cobra was living a cursed life," said Zodac. "They were meant to remain forever on Earth alone. By bringing them here King Hiss has thrown that ancient curse into chaos and caused an imbalance in the universe. If the balance is not restored soon, all of existence will be ripped apart. The universe will be destroyed."
"This doesn't make sense," Storm Shadow said stepping forward. "How and why was Cobra cursed? And how can we affect it?"
"There is no time to explain it all," Zodac sighed.
"No, he is right Zodac," Sorceress stated firmly. "We'll have to make time. If they are to succeed, they must fully understand what is happening." She stepped down from her throne and gestured for everyone to follow her. Walking quickly she led them down a corridor lined with large paintings.
"These are the living pictures," she said, stopping before a rather old looking portrait. "They tell the history of Eternia. You see G.I. Joe, you and Eternia share a common link through Cobra. It began long ago before any of you were born."
Sorceress waved her arm before the portrait and suddenly the images started to move as though they were a movie on a screen. The images provided a useful visual aide as Sorceress began her story.
"Eternia today is a world which strives on the balance between the ancient magic and sorcery, and the advanced technology and science. But it was not always this way. There was a time when the magic was in complete control of the planet. These were the days now known as Preternia. During these days the Snake Men thrived and controlled much of the planet, but slowly mankind caught up with them. For a time the two races lived in relative peace, but soon the Snake Men strived to take back all of Eternia. As the battles continued each side looked for new ways to become superior to their opponents. This eventually led to both sides embracing the powers of technology.
"Not everyone approved of this sudden and drastic change to their way of life however. One in particular was a young Snake Man of noble birth. He had been cast out by his family because he had fallen in love with, and married, a human woman. Both of them feared that the reliance on technology would bring an end to both of their races. Together they gathered loyal supporters who shared their beliefs. When he was ready, the nobleman led his army in an assault on the Hall of Wisdom, hoping to take control of the Council of Elders and use their power to destroy all the scientific technology, returning Eternia to its old ways, but the attack was a dismal failure. The nobleman and all of his followers were slain in battle. Only his beloved wife survived for she had not gone to battle due to the fact that she was pregnant with his child.
"The young woman returned and hid among her people, hoping to one day avenge her husband and accomplish his goals. Shortly thereafter she gave birth to a son, but this ultimately was her undoing as the child she bore could not fit in either the human or the Snake Man world."
At this the image shifted to show the young mother holding a tiny baby in her arms, half hidden under her cloak. The child looked normal enough at first, but then as the woman moved her cloak fell back revealing why the child would not fit in. From the waist up the baby looked human, but below that instead of legs there was only a scaly, serpentine tail.
"Although this happened thousands of years ago on Eternia," Sorceress said with a grim tone, "the child would grow up to become someone you G.I. Joes know well."
Jinx gasped in shock, "It can't be! Are you saying… that baby is… Golobulus?"
"I thought that whole Cobra-La thing was just a story," Nunchuck said.
Jinx explained, "You joined the team after the Cobra-La battle, but it did happen, though not in the way Hollywood portrayed it. You see, after the battle someone on the team decided to write a movie about it. When he sent the script to the studios though, it seemed so unbelievable they thought it was a work of fiction. As such they revised and rewrote the events until their final draft was nothing like what really happened. So to this day mankind doesn't realize how close they came to extinction. Anyway, let's get back on track here."
Jinx nodded to The Sorceress and she continued, "The boy was raised to follow his parent's beliefs in the atrocity of technology. When he was old enough, he vowed to do what his father had died attempting and attacked the Hall of Wisdom. Whereas his father had tried a direct attack however, Golobulus stealthily entered the Hall and succeeded in stealing one of the Elders most guarded artifacts: The Crest of Infinity. With it he could reshape the universe as he wanted it for the crest gives the bearer complete power over space and matter."
Tunnel Rat rolled his eyes. "Okay, why did they even have that thing?"
Apparently Sorceress chose to ignore this actually rather valid question, "With the power of the crest, Golobulus almost succeeded. Technology all across the planet began to fail, but ironically it was the ancient magic he sought to restore that defeated him. He was finally stopped by the most powerful wizard in the universe. His name was Gray, but we know him better as He-Ro."
At this the living picture changed to show the famous wizard locked in deadly combat with the evil serpent hybrid. Golobulus looked different than the Joes that had encountered him remembered. He was years younger, his head had not yet gone bald and he still had both of his eyes, but he was just as frightening as he had always been. In his right hand he held a long scepter. The other was clenched tightly around the Crest of Infinity.
As the two combatants raged on, Golobulus seemed to have the advantage. He-Ro fired constant blasts of energy from his staff only to have them batted away by the snake man's scepter. Golobulus then raised the crest, which glowed with energy, and the ground surrounding the heroic wizard rose up, enveloping him in a prison of stone. As Jinx watched she was forced to remind herself that He-Ro would ultimately win this fight. Though, for the moment, she could not see how.
A split second later He-Ro burst out of the rock encasing him in a show of incredible power. Then, gathering all his strength, he fired an enormous blast of energy so large it would be impossible to block or dodge. At this however Golobulus grinned and held the Crest of Infinity forward. As the artifact glowed with power, He-Ro's energy blast vanished into thin air. Or so it seemed. In reality Golobulus had reshaped space so that the energy was now coming up behind He-Ro. The wizard turned just in time to see it coming, but with no time to defend himself as the blast sent him flying several yards until he finally fell in a heap out cold.
Laughing with delight Golobulus slithered over to the fallen hero and brought his staff up to deliver the killing blow. As the scepter came down however, it was intercepted by the blade of a sword. Golobulus backed off in surprise, though it was hard to tell if he was more shocked that someone had stopped him, or that the someone was a young boy.
The boy was approximately eight years old. He had long blond hair, which was pulled back in a ponytail. His bright blue eyes were narrowed in a look of complete seriousness. He wore a black wizard's cloak over what looked like a martial artist's outfit. The sword he carried was a katana and he wielded it now against his foe with the skills of a master.
Jinx gaped in awe at the young warrior as she watched him force Golobulus onto the defensive and gave him no quarter. "Who is that kid?" she asked. "He's better than I was at his age!"
"I'm afraid I know little about him," Sorceress said. "Only that his name is Derrick and he is He-Ro's apprentice. Zodac said that the boy will be a great hero one day, but that is all I can tell you."
Derrick continued his assault on Golobulus, his sword flashing at blinding speeds. Finally the two combatants locked their weapons and fell into a test of strength. Sweat formed on both brows as each strived to force the other to give out. The Joes knew that Golobulus' physical strength was beyond that of a normal human, so for this boy to be holding equal with him was unbelievable.
Derrick's attention was completely focused on overpowering the serpent man and, as a result, he failed to notice when Golobulus' tail came up behind him. That is until the coils wrapped themselves around his body, pinning his arms to his sides. Derrick cried out in pain and his sword fell from his grasp as the deadly coils began to constrict, intent on crushing his bones like an empty can. Golobulus paused only for a moment to bring the young warrior close to his face and let him know that, on no uncertain terms, he was about to die.
The sinister grin on the evil one's face seemed to anger Derrick beyond the ability to feel pain however. His eyes began to glow with fury -then they began to glow for real. The boy's pupils and irises vanished as his eye sockets turned a bright yellow with energy. Then, in a feat of physical power that should have been impossible in a boy of his size and age, he pushed out with all his muscles, which in turn caused the coils enclosing him to unwind and fly away.
Golobulus was thrown back by this sudden unexpected event and Derrick wasted no time in following through. As soon as his hands where free, his sword magically flew off the ground into his grasp. Eyes still glowing, the boy slashed forward at the snake man's head. Golobulus dropped his scepter and his hand instantly shot to cover his bleeding wound were Derrick's sword had taken his eye. Amazingly, he maintained his grip on the Crest of Infinity, but Derrick was quick on the return stroke and sliced through flesh and bone, severing the entire arm at the shoulder. This seemed to exhaust the young fighter though, as his eyes ceased glowing and he fell to his knees gasping for breath.
Though short one arm, blind in one eye, and gushing blood, Golobulus refused to admit defeat and again wrapped his tail around Derrick. This time the boy did not resist. It seemed he had given his all, but then mystical forces tore Golobulus off him and lifted the evil reptilian off the ground, imprisoning him in a bubble of magic. Derrick's attack had bought He-Ro the time he needed to recover. Without the crest's power Golobulus was hopelessly overwhelmed.
Everyone had remained quiet while watching the fight. Now that it had ended Sorceress once again continued relating her tale, "Golobulus was defeated. Though his crimes would warrant a sentence of death, the Council of Elders decided to show mercy and instead banished him and his followers through time and space to a foreign world during a primitive period devoid of technology where he would live out the rest of his days. That world and time was your prehistoric Earth.
"To ensure these forces, or one just as evil, could never return to reclaim Eternia, a powerful curse was cast, forming a barrier that would prevent anyone from traveling to the planet should they bear the Mark of the Serpent. I am not speaking of the Cobra emblem, though that is a visual sign of those who carry the mark. The Mark of the Serpent is a symbol of pure evil. It is not displayed on the outside, but is something worn on the soul."
At this point Zodac took over the tale. "The Council of Elders, which I was able to guide as I had once been a member, knew that your planet was about to undergo an evolutionary leap. Humanity was about to rise on Earth as it had on Eternia, but we didn't think Golobulus would pose an unnatural threat. We had purposely positioned them in a time before your great Ice Age, knowing that this sudden change in climate would force the serpent men into reclusion, allowing humanity to evolve unaffected. I believed that Golobulus would pass on long before he could return to trouble mankind, but he had found a way to cheat death."
The living picture changed again to now show Golobulus as G.I. Joe remembered him. He was aged and bald. His eye was replaced by a bio-organic implant. His left arm that Derrick had severed was back, but was now green and scaly like his tail.
Zodac went on, "Golobulus created a new type of technology based entirely on living organisms. By constantly repairing and replacing his failing body parts with these bio-organic implants he was able to prolong his life indefinitely. He had achieved immortality, but at the cost of his own soul.
"Generations passed and as the ice retreated Golobulus sent several loyal servants, descendants of his original followers, out into the world to investigate, and perhaps find new supporters to help him reclaim the planet. Eventually a brilliant young man came to their attention. This human had grown dissatisfied with the world governments and began a movement against them. Though he had only amassed a relatively small cult following, his brilliant mind and ruthless nature quickly caught the attention of Golobulus' followers. So, when the man became involved in a horrible accident that left him in a critical condition, they rushed him back to their kingdom of Cobra-La.
"Golobulus agreed that this man was the perfect choice to lead his armies into battle. Therefore he used the same bio-organic technology that had preserved him for millenia to save the man's life, though his face would remain horribly scarred forever. From that point on he became the man you know as Cobra Commander.
"Using gold and jewels mined from the tunnels of Cobra-La to fund his campaign, and with control over Cobra-La's finest soldiers, the Commander returned to the human world and raised up a mighty army. Thus was born the evil organization of Cobra. Cobra Commander was to conquer all of humanity and thereby pave the way for Golobulus to return and rule the planet once again, but he had other plans. Even though Golobulus had saved his life and given him what he needed, Cobra Commander had no intention of letting the snake men rule."
"Men may rule, but serpents never," Roadblock whispered.
"What was that?" Duke asked.
"It's something Cobra Commander said during the Cobra-La incident. 'Men may rule, but serpents never.' I didn't realize just how deep that went till now."
"Indeed," Zodac nodded. "Cobra Commander betrayed his would be master. He set out to conquer only for himself. To reconstruct the world as he imagined it should be. He had become a being of pure evil. The Mark of the Serpent had been passed to him and he in turn passed it to his minions."
The living images stopped moving now and returned to being mere paintings once again. The Sorceress sighed and began walking back towards her throne room.
"So now you see where we stand," she said. "By bringing those who bear the Mark of the Serpent back to Eternia, King Hiss has invoked a terrible curse as well as caused an imbalance in the evil. This has damaged the very fabric of the universe. Unless the balance is restored, and soon, all of existence will be torn apart. Everything will cease to be."
"But how can we restore the balance?" She-Ra asked.
"First we must return the Cobra army to Earth," Sorceress stated. "Only then can we reverse the damage that has already been done and return the universe to its order."
"How do you propose we go about doing that?" Duke groaned. "We can't even round up all of Cobra to put into prison, let alone on another planet."
"There is only one thing which can help us now," Teela'na said. "The very artifact that began this whole ordeal. The Crest of Infinity! With it we can reshape space, sending Cobra back to Earth and repair the rupture in the cosmos."
"Hang on," Tunnel Rat said. "If the crest is that powerful, why don't we just use it to send all the bad guys to a deserted planet or asteroid? Or better yet, into a black hole. I mean, why should we subject Earth to Cobra's terror anymore? Why not get rid of them for good when we have the chance?"
"Because that would not restore the balance in the universe," Zodac said in a soft but very firm tone. "In fact, it would only make matters worse by creating a further imbalance between good and evil. I realize it may be hard to accept, but you cannot have a complete absence of evil. That is the way of things whether we like it or not."
Tunnel Rat nodded, "Okay, then let me ask you this. If you can really see everything that's happening in the universe, why didn't you nip this problem in the bud? If you were so afraid of this happening, why didn't you do something to prevent it?"
Zodac bowed his head and sighed. "Much as I wanted to, I could not. When I became a Cosmic Enforcer I was sworn to an oath. Though I observe all that transpires in the cosmos, I am forbidden to interfere. In the interest of maintaining the balance, I am able to provide others with information and point them in the right direction, but no more."
"How convenient," Tunnel Rat scoffed. "So if we blow this and the universe is destroyed, it'll be our fault and not yours. Even though you were one of the morons who created this mess!"
"Enough!" Jinx shouted. "What's done is done. We're not going to get anywhere fighting amongst ourselves. If the Crest of Infinity is what we need, then let's go get it."
"I'm afraid it's not so simple," Sorceress sighed. "To prevent the Crest of Infinity from ever being used for evil purposes again, the Elders divided it into six pieces and scattered them across Eternia."
"Do you at least know where they are?" He-Man asked
She nodded. "Yes. The first piece is hidden here in the caverns beneath Grayskull. The second piece was placed inside Central Tower. The third was cast to the bottom of the Harmony Sea. The fourth was entrusted to the dragons of Darksmoke. Those will be the relatively easy ones to retrieve. However, the fifth lies in the depths of Skeletor's lair Snake Mountain. The final piece was kept by the Elders in the Hall of Wisdom."
"But the Hall of Wisdom disappeared years ago," He-Man said, concerned.
Sorceress nodded. "Yes but the crest piece was taken away from there before that. You may recall, Hordak tried to conquer Eternia several times throughout history before he left for Etheria. It was during one of these invasions he managed to steal the Crest piece and when he departed he took it with him. After he conquered Etheria he placed the sacred relic where no one could reach it: inside the Slime Pit. To retrieve it one will have to swim through the energy draining ooze. No normal being has enough power to make it."
"I'll bet He-Man could do it," Orko said with a clear sign of admiration.
"No, I'll do it," She-Ra stated. "I know Etheria better than anyone here, except perhaps Zodac. And, no offense to you brother, but I'm a much faster swimmer than you are. I wouldn't have to be in the slime as long."
"You're right," He-Man agreed. "She-Ra stands the best hope of getting that crest piece back."
She-Ra looked to The Sorceress. "If you'll open a portal back to Etheria for me, I'll get started right away."
"By yourself?" Storm Shadow asked in shock.
She-Ra frowned but nodded. "On Etheria the Horde is in control. It's too dangerous to bring any of you who are unfamiliar with the land. Don't worry though, I'll get some of the rebels to help me take care of anyone who gets in my way." The matter settled, Sorceress conjured up the dimensional gate and She-Ra rushed through followed closely by Swift Wind.
"I hope she'll be okay," Jinx said.
He-Man patted her shoulder. "She-Ra knows how to take care of herself."
"All right," Duke said getting down to business, "We're going to have to decide who's going on what mission, and fast. We don't have much time."
"Let's just be glad Skeletor and Cobra don't know about this," Dree Elle said. "I'd hate to think what would happen if they got hold of the Crest."
"That's all I know. While they were deciding how to divide their forces, I slipped away unnoticed and came back here to report."
Cobra Commander snickered with delight. "You've done well Zartan. I knew leaving you behind to spy for us was a good idea."
The evil master of disguise grinned. "Yes, not even that Zodac character noticed me. And he's supposed to see and know everything!"
"He probably did notice you and just chose not say anything," Skeletor scoffed. "I wouldn't put it past him."
King Hiss was beaming. "The Crest of Infinity! I had thought it lost for all time! This is better than I could have ever planned!"
"Gather the warriors!" Skeletor shouted. "We must collect the crest pieces before they do!"
"You all seem to be forgetting one very important thing," Saurod bellowed. "If Cobra does not return to Earth and restore the universal balance soon, there won't be any worlds left to conquer!"
"Don't worry," Cobra Commander chuckled. "We will be going home, but only after we reshape it to be under our rule!"
Skeletor lifted a glass. "To our impending victory, my friends! Those fools won't even know what hit them!"
