"That Was Way Too Close!"Wonderfully absurd escapes from mortal danger in the original G.I. Joe cartoon.

Read more from Slate's Summer Movies special issue.

PRINTDISCUSSE-MAILRSSRECOMMEND...SINGLE PAGE

FacebookMySpace Mixx Digg Reddit del.icio.us Furl Ma.gnolia SphereStumbleUponCLOSE

The first war between G.I. Joe and Cobra (1985-86), as documented in the G.I. Joe animated series, was the most violent conflict in history never to result in a single casualty. Through a combination of terrible aim, superhuman jumping ability, and impossibly reliable parachutes, every combatant escaped even the most dire of situations without so much as the angle of his beret askew. The G.I Joe series is an ode to the improbable escape, and the thrill of the violence comes not from the possibility of death but from the zany ways the Joes and Cobras avoid it. (Will the live-action G.I. Joe film due later this summer stick to the cartoon's bloodless ways? Not likely.) Herewith, a collection of the most ridiculous escapes in G.I. Joe history.

Click here for a video slide show of elaborate escapes from mortal danger in the original G.I. Joe cartoon.

.

.

.

PRINTE-MAILRECOMMEND...RSS

FacebookMySpace Mixx Digg Reddit del.icio.us Furl Ma.gnolia SphereStumbleUponCLOSE

SPONSORED CONTENT

• Slate's Summer Movies Issue III
  It's a sequel, but we promise it's good.
  July 7, 2009
• Minor Threat
  Why are we so fascinated with horror movies about homicidal children?
  Jonah Weiner | July 7, 2009
• Why Don't Movies Ever Blow Up the Bay Bridge?
  A history of destroying national landmarks on film.
  Keith Phipps | July 7, 2009
• Search for more Summer Movies articles
• Subscribe to the Summer Movies RSS feed
• View our complete Summer Movies archive