Destro
From Transformers Wiki
| This article is about the fictional character. For the real-world comic series, see Destro (comic). |
- Destro is an affiliate of Cobra from the G.I. Joe portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
James McCullen Destro XXIV, Laird of Castle Destro, is an international arms dealer. He wears a beryllium steel mask that has been passed down from generation to generation; it is a symbol of his heritage. It's also shiny. Like, REALLY shiny.
Destro runs a weapons organization called M.A.R.S., and will often sell to either side of a conflict. As such, he is not an official member of Cobra, but he has a thing for the Baroness, and vainly tries to talk the Cobra Commander out of his crazier ideas. What distinguishes him from his Cobra allies is that he actually has a sense of honor (albeit a skewed one), which has occasionally conflicted with Cobra's more ruthless agendas. Not much, mind you.
Occasionally he dresses in leopard-prints for no purpose other than to look awesome.
Contents |
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
G.I. Joe and the Transformers
After disgustedly watching Serpentor and the Baroness flirt, Destro witnessed Doctor Mindbender seizing control of Power Station Alpha. Power Struggle
Marvel Generation 2 comic
For whatever reason, Destro and the Baroness decided to defect from Cobra Commander's leadership and hid from him within the secret passageways of the Cobra-controlled Silent Castle. They contacted G.I. Joe for assistance and managed to get Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow as rescuers. Using the castle's transformation to throw Cobra off balance, the two defectors managed to escape with the ninja's assistance, but not before Snake-Eyes stabbed Scarlett to maintain her cover as a G.I. Joe traitor within Cobra. Unfoldings! On the trip to Cobra Island, Destro tried, awkwardly, to empathize with Snake-Eyes, but the silent ninja didn't appreciate the thought. At the island, Destro and Baroness reunited with Zartan and, with Hawk, deduced that Cobra Commander was planning to resurrect Doctor Mindbender. Realignments With the help of Zartan, Destro returned to his castle and retook it while the higher-ups of Cobra were busy in Canada and Milleville with a deal with Megatron. Goin' South
G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
After learning of a crashed alien spaceship, Destro passed the information on to Cobra. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #1 He then acted as financier and distribution manager for Cobra's development of the S.N.A.K.E.s and their hotwiring of Transformers, and later went to Cobra Island in person to check up on their progress. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2 Destro was so impressed by Soundwave that he decided he would lead Cobra's attack on the SPS Research Facility. This display of self-assertion even impressed the mighty Megatron, but it irked Cobra Commander. Despite unexpected resistance from the newly formed G.I. Joe team, the mission was a success. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3 Shortly afterwards, Soundwave was released from his reprogramming and sent out Rumble to kill Destro and Zartan, but they were saved by the Baroness and her S.N.A.K.E. squad. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4
The creation of G.I. Joe heavily compromised Destro's illegal activities, which made him even snarkier towards Cobra Commander when they met in Portugal two years later. By showing that he had Starscream under his control, the commander tried to convince Destro to fund his attempts to hack the Cybertronian supercomputer Teletran 3. Realizing that the computer's teleportation technology would be invaluable to his arms dealing, Destro agreed and oversaw the process in Boston. Unfortunately, G.I. Joe struck down on them, damaging the computer and teleporting everyone present to Cybertron. After learning that their mucking-about with Teletran 3 had put Earth in severe danger, the Joes offered to travel through time and fix the damage, and Destro had Cobra troops help them out just in case. When Cobra Commander protested, Destro told him to shut up, since it was all the commander's fault to begin with. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1
When Shockwave attacked and took control of Teletran 3, Destro and the others hid in the crambed catacombs of Cybertron. They made a plan to save the day by sneaking back and accessing Teletran 3, but Destro wasn't up for the mission since his mask made it impossible to avoid metal detectors. Instead, he stayed behind and told Stalker that he had always expected to die in Scotland instead of another planet. The plan was a success, and Destro returned to Earth after arguing with Cobra Commander some more. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4
Several months later, Destro attempted to sell some spare S.N.A.K.E.s to Mr. Calandero in Cuba, but Eject destroyed all the Cobra machines on his own and Destro retreated. This was part of a larger scheme, sponsored by Cobra-La. The S.N.A.K.E.s were just the bait, and while on the boat, the Autobots were infected with an organic homing beacon that the Pretender Monsters used to track the Autobots back to their base.
Dealing with the serpents made Destro feel somewhat uneasy, but at least he had Mistress Armada to keep him company and make him feel so very good. Black Horizon, Part 1 of 2
Transformers/G.I. Joe
Destro was among Cobra's higher-ups in 1939, although he conspired with Starscream to overthrow Cobra Commander and Megatron. As part of this plan, he arranged for G.I. Joe to find a map of the Fera Islands, where Cobra's headquarters lay. To look loyal, Destro still suggested to Cobra Commander that they strengthen their defenses on the Fera Islands just in case, but was shot down. The Line When G.I. Joe attacked a few hours later, Destro attempted to talk strategy with Cobra Commander, only to be repeatedly interrupted and insulted as the commander made his own decisions. Transformed He stood by Cobra Commander and the Baroness as Megatron tried and failed to rebel against Cobra. Trial by Fire
As the battle went on, Destro and Starscream's secret plan went off flawlessly: G.I. Joe awakened the Autobots, who allied with them and started taking out Cobra Commander's troops left and right. In the meantime, Destro and Starscream had put their heads together and constructed Bruticus, a gigantic robot made from the combination of Cybertronian technology and Destro's knowledge of weaponry. When Cobra Commander was near defeat, they would unleash Bruticus to destroy him, Megatron, G.I. Joe and the Autobots in one fell swoop. Wolves
Before carrying out the final step of the plan, Destro betrayed and took out Starscream, revealing that his only true ally had been his secret lover, the Baroness. The treacherous couple then activated Bruticus, but their plan failed when the Autobots sacrificed themselves to destroy the giant. Destro was subsequently arrested by Scarlett and put on trial for crimes against humanity, but not before learning that the Baroness had been planning to betray him anyway. The Iron Fist
Decades later, in 1986, Destro operated a Cobra smuggling facility in New York City. When G.I. Joe attacked, he was punched in the face by Shipwreck, but his beryllium mask allowed him to just shrug it off. The punch Flint delivered to his gut was a tad more effective. Destro and his loyal soldier Scrap-Iron were ultimately able to escape on a prototype Flight Pod. Targets of Opportunity
Destro created several COBRA/Decepticon hybrid warriors, which were sicced on the Joes when they infiltrated the terrorist organization's secret arctic base. Divided Front #3 Due to Destro's machinations, the Joes and the Autobots became public enemies, making it much more difficult for them to foil his plot. Divided Front #6
Transformers vs. G.I. Joe
The boy who would one day come to be known as Destro was born in Medieval Scotland, when Vikings were raiding its shores. At this time, the young Mac Cullen was a mute. He accompanied his brother, Laird Mac Cullen, on a pilgrimage to glean knowledge from the Cobra druids. Mainly, if and when the invaders would strike at their hometown. After the druids warned them not to touch anything within the cave of the old gods, they allowed them passage into it to seek their answers. But the boy couldn't resist picking up a small, glowing cube and inserting it into a nearby receptacle. This caused the dormant Teletraan I to activate, awaken a nearby Decepticon, and download information into the boy's mind. The Decepticon was felled by the two warriors accompanying the boy, and its face taken as a trophy. The druids discovered the trio's transgression and chased them from their island. After he had returned home, the young Mac Cullen revealed that he had gained the ability to talk after the ordeal.
Then, the marauders came. With the knowledge that had been downloaded into his mind, the younger Mac Cullen fashioned a firearm. He used it to kill Thor FalkenHauser after the Viking had slain the elder Mac Cullen in battle. The boy then took the metal visage worn by his brother in combat, and claimed the title of "Destro." Afterwards, he traveled back to the island of the druids, and drove them from their land with his invention. There, Destro laid down the foundation of the House of Destro, and begun traveling the world.
Once he had accumulated enough worldly knowledge, Destro came back to his castle and brought forth many metallurgical innovations into the world. He kept the best inventions for himself, while selling lesser version of them to world at large. In doing so, he acquired vast amounts of wealth. Stick To Your Guns By incorporating the wonders of Cybertronian technology into his own anatomy, he also gained the means to live through the ages. Funeral for a Friend Stick To Your Guns
After World War I, Destro moved his castle to California. There, he met Cobra Commander, who bought out the exclusivity to Destro's innovations with a mountain of money and bespectacled babes. Stick To Your Guns
After Cobra Commander's apparent demise, Destro expressed his frustration over the fact that G.I. Joe was gaining more and more ground over Cobra. Many undercover outpost had been found out, and even more Cobra operatives had been taken into custody. Though he wanted to make his presence and power known to his enemies, Cobra's new acting leader, the Serpentress, ordered him to stay his hand; greater machinations were taking place as part of the Cobra Empire's ultimate plan. These plans began to bear fruit when Cobra scooped up Rumble and Laserbeak after their confrontation with the Joes. Destro welcomed the Cybertronians into the ranks of the terrorist organization. I Saw Three Ships
Cobra set out to form an alliance with the two robots' superior. To this end, Destro experimented with the M.A.S.S. transfer device and found that he was the only organic capable of surviving a trip through the teleportation machine. He nonetheless allowed his Crimson Guardsmen to accompany him through the device to Cybertron. He emerged on the alien world a little frayed, while the guardsmen writhed in agony before succumbing to a fiery death. Destro met Megatron, and the two tyrants discussed the terms of a partnership. Destro was not only allowed to spearhead a strike against the Joes on Megatron's behalf, but was promised a boon for his services in the Decepticon interest. Funeral for a Friend Said boon turned out to be a pistol adorned with the Decepticon emblem.
After returning to Earth, Destro and the Serpentress decided to make sure the comatose Cobra Commander would never awaken and wrest from them the control they had acquired over Cobra... only to discover that the body in their care was not the true Cobra Commander, but one of his body doubles! Everybody Hates Metroplex Despite this setback, Destro and the Serpentress went ahead with their plan of a hostile take-over of the Earth. Destro sent the Serpentress off to intimidate the world leaders at the United Nations while he returned to Cybertron. Her address was interrupted when an chaotic brawl between the Joes and Optimus Prime broke out just outside of the building, hindering their plans further. As this was happening, Destro was using Cobra's technology in consciousness-mapping to control several captive Autobots and Joes in fighting one-another. During this "game," the Autobot Galen was revealed not to be an Autobot at all, but a human! This made Destro question everything he thought he knew about the origin of life in the Universe, since it indicated that Cybertron might have indigenous organic life. Expelled from the Garden
After Cybertron had seemingly destroyed Earth, Destro held a grand feast for the members of Cobra, declaring Earth as disposable as a paper plate. The Torch suddenly began spewing blood, the Serpentress scolded Destro for allowing a Joe to cook their food only for the Scotsman to retort that good cuisine was worth any risk. Earth: R.I.P.
When Megatron ordered Primus to consume the sun, Destro remained atop the Decepticon leader's head, even as he swarmed by green bombs which Doctor Venom killed. Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12 As the battle raged, Destro found himself facing off against Hawk only to be impaled by Lady Jaye's javelin, just as Hawk was impaled by the Serpentress' staff. After Venom had torn loose the javelin, Destro reached for Hawk's war-hammer, recognizing it as Thor FalkenHauser's weapon, only for Duke to grab the weapon, his bloodline activating its full power, and use it so shatter Destro's gem, killing him. Destro was survived by his gun, itself a Decepticon dubbed Mini-Megatron only for the miniature Cybertron to be crushed under Duke's boot. The War Never Ends
San Diego Comic Con tech specs
Destro had made a swank deal with Shockwave: he'd give the Decepticon energon cubes and an upgrade in return for ££££s! He knew Shockwave's interests would clash with his soon, but he thought he could deal with the Decepticon when that came to pass. Sure you can, Destro.[1]
2005 IDW continuity
After Cobra collapsed, Secret Raiders Destro remained a successful businessman. The Deathstone At some point he recreated and improved the M.A.S.S. device, and following the "Revolution" event, he licensed the technology to Doctor X and Baron Ironblood, allowing the villains use of the teleporter, A Game of Chess as well as his robotic Iron Grenadiers. The Iron Klaw
When the remains of the Transformer Astrotrain crashed on Earth, Destro hired V.E.N.O.M. to retrieve the body parts. Escorted by Annihilators, Destro met up with Miles Mayhem in Alice Springs, Australia to pick up Astrotrain's head, but the meeting was interrupted by Scarlett and Matt Trakker. While the G.I. Joe leader engaged Cliff Dagger, Destro ordered the Annihilators to load the head onto his plane, only to be stopped by Joe sniper Sci-Fi. With Mayhem distracting Sci-Fi, Destro decided to cut his losses and retreat, boarding his plane and jetting off. The Deathstone
Some time after their alliance began, Baron Ironblood—in actuality, former hero "G.I. Joe" Colton—visited Castle Destro through the M.A.S.S. device to try and persuade the arms dealer to join his "Iron Ring" for his attack on Cybertron. When Colton arrived, Destro, unaware of his secret identity as Ironblood, directed his B.A.T. guards to kill Colton, but was persuaded to have the androids stand down when Colton made him an offer of the advanced technology to be found on Cybertron, noting that Destro's teleporter, combined with the Cybertronians' spacebridge signal, could get them to the alien world. Suitably intrigued, Destro agreed to the alliance. A Game of Chess Destro was present when the new Cobra Commander—the former Baroness—formally declared the reformation of Cobra. G.I. Joe vol. 5 #9
Destro joined the Iron Ring when they attacked the ceremony for Earth's initiation into Cybertron's Council of Worlds, First Strike #1 bringing with him an army of robotic Iron Grenadiers. Unification Day: Dawn Destro transported Storm Shadow through Iacon in a Razorback, First Strike #1 using the vehicle's missiles to blast past Optimus Prime and Windblade, and pacifying Storm Shadow (who was angry that they were leaving their enemies alive) with the thought of future bloodshed. After Shazraella Enerchanged with an unwilling Cybertronian to carry the Talisman, Destro joined the other villains in heading into Cybertron's depths. First Strike #2 When Shazraella activated Metroplex's security systems to prove how easily she could destroy them, Destro shot at the laser cannons to try and disable them; later, he expressed annoyance at Miles Mayhem's casual misogyny. First Strike #3 When Windblade located the villains, Metroplex opened up his floor panels to drop them, but Destro was caught by Storm Shadow thanks to her Dire Wraith DNA enhancements. Destro then escaped out of the bottom of Metroplex and into Cybertron's tunnels with the other villains. First Strike #4
As the villains neared the core, they were set upon by a swarm of Insecticons, forcing Mayhem and Destro to try and hold them off. On reaching the core, Destro was dismayed to find that Scarlett's team and Optimus Prime had beaten them there. First Strike #5 In the ensuing fight, Destro clashed with Optimus, quipping about wanting to kill a "god" like Optimus was said to be to his people. When Starscream, Elita One, and Obsidian joined the fight, Destro was caught in the beam when Mayhem used his "Python" Mask to attack Lady Jaye. The battle was cut short, however, when the villains' ally Garrison Kreiger—secretly the Prysmosian wizard Merklynn—activated the Talisman, transmuting a portion of Cybertron into a replica of lost Prysmos. Destro was magically cast out of "New Prysmos" along with the other combatants, and imprisoned in a Cybertronian prison cell. First Strike #6 It evidently didn't hold him for long, though, as soon after he was on Earth once more with the rest of Cobra; Destro asked after V.E.N.O.M.'s agents, who had been arrested while working for Cobra, but accidentally referred to Cobra Commander as "Baroness", enraging her. M.A.S.K.: First Strike
Destro witnessed the ceremony by which Crystal Ball and the Dire Wraiths opened a portal to Cobra-La and was horrified when said portal was used to mutate several unwilling Cobranarchists into Vipers. As he questioned the wisdom of letting the Vipers devour the Wraiths, Cobra Commander implied he may share a similar fate if he didn't stop complaining. Scarlett's Strike Force #1 Destro later interrupted a sacred ritual being carried out by Crystal Ball to inform Cobra Commander that a G.I. Joe team was closing in on their base and was ordered to send Croc Master and Raptor after them. Scarlett's Strike Force #2
Aw Yeah Revolution!
Destro was an ally of Cobra Commander. Arriving after Rom flung the Cobra's Weapon Prime into space, Destro observed the ease with which Cobra's troopers were defeated by the Dire Wraiths and felt he needed to give himself an advantage in this epic conflict. This advantage arrived at his feet in the form of the Orbsah Gem. Using the gem's immense power, he flung Rom into the depths of space and transported the Micronauts back to their home dimension! Aw Yeah Revolution! #3
Energon Universe
Toys
G.I. Joe and the Transformers
- Shockwave H.I.S.S. Tank with two figures & Energon (2012)
- Accessories: Flak vest, two kneepads, rifle, six stacks of dollars, six stacks of Euros, money briefcase, Soundwave cassette deck, three "Mini-Con Deployers"
- A San Diego Comic-Con 2012 exclusive, Destro was released with a non-transforming Shockwave HISS tank vehicle and Constructicon B.A.T.. This version of Destro is made from parts of several other G.I. Joe figures; namely, the head of 2011 Pursuit of Cobra Destro, the torso, waist, and upper legs of Pursuit of Cobra Dusty, the lower legs of 2011's 30th Anniversary Cobra Trooper, and the arms of the same line's Techno-Viper.
- Destro comes with removable armour and a bright green rifle; also included is a briefcase with six stacks of $100 bills, six stacks of €500 notes, and a single flat block of the same monetary value to fill half of the briefcase. The set also features a small, non-transforming Soundwave cassette recorder that can be pegged onto a G.I. Joe figure's back.
Merchandise
Kidrobot
Enamel Pin Series
- Destro (November 3, 2017)
- Rarity: 1 in 20
- Released by Kidrobot in their Enamel Pin Series, this is a flat, enamel pin badge of Destro inspired by the art of Tom Scioli's Transformers vs. G.I. Joe, albeit with cutesy proportions. The pin series was blindboxed, with some pins being rarer than others.
Vinyl Mini Series
- Destro (November 14, 2017)
- Rarity: 1 in 24
- The same character design was reused for the Vinyl Mini Series, with Destro receiving a three-inch tall, blindboxed figurine retaining the vibrant colours and exaggerated proportions. Destro featured articulation in each shoulder. His eyes are decoed to specifically resemble a reflection of the barrel of Megatron's fusion cannon, referencing the meeting between the gun god and his avatar in "Funeral for a Friend".
Notes
- A number of Transformers voice actors have also provided the voice of Destro over the years, including Arthur Burghardt, Scott McNeil, Marc Thompson, Eric Bauza, Robin Atkin Downes, Clancy Brown and Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.
- In "Along Came a Spider," Destro's likeness was used as a Halloween costume by a child in Detroit.
References
External links
- Destro at yojoe.com
- Destro at the IDW Hasbro Wiki
