Star Brigade

Origin

The Star Brigade is a sub team of the G.I.Joe team.  As per the norm during the Marvel run of G.I.Joe A Real American Hero, Hasbro would have Larry Hama integrate the toy line into the comic book.  Star Brigade first appeared in a few pages of issue #145 and consisted of Duke, Payload, Roadblock, Sci-Fi, and Space Shot.  The toy line had an expanded lineup of several other G.I.Joe members as well as a Cobra sub team.  
 

First Mission

 

After launching into space the G.I.Joe Star Brigade team, aboard the Defiant Space Shuttle, rendezvous with their Russian counter part, the Oktober Guard.  After coupling the two shuttles together the Joe team meet up with the first of the Russian crew Red Star, who briefed them on their mission.  An asteroid that was accelerating towards earth, where the American scientists had observed path deviations which were actually course corrections.  They were dealing with a guided missile fifteen miles in diameter.   The Star Brigade then meets up with the rest of the Russian team, Colonel Brekhov, Lt. Gorky, Sgt Misha, Dragonsky and Daina.  Here they learn that the asteroid were once a Planetary Field Specialist at Tyuratam Space Center devised a methodology for diverting the orbits of large asteroids and aiming them like missiles at military targets.  Unfortunately the Stavka failed to discern the

progressive insanity of the chief architect until it was too late.  The robotic worker drones that would convert the first asteroid had already been deployed.  Both teams land on the asteroid and are immediately attacked by the robot drone workers who fight to defend their work.  The teams unleash their armored fighting suit technology, the Joe's one upping the Russian's 
with their Armor Bot.    
 
The battle begins and robot drones are like the Cobra version of the B.A.T's, unfeeling, unforgiving, and relentless.  Duke

decides its time to split up the teams to meet their objective and stop the asteroid.  They leave Payload and Dragonsky to man their respective shuttles while the rest of the two teams head to find the main control room.  The Star Brigade and Oktober Guard are met with more opposition by the robot workers unable to break through.  Meanwhile back at the shuttles, the Defiant is breached by the robot workers forcing Payload to evacuate in a Star Fighter that was stored in the cargo bay.  The teams dispense with the robot workers regrouping at the Russian shuttle to form a new plan.  They decide to make a break for the access ramp that is built around the inner wall of a large crater that leads to the control center.  Payload and Dragonsky stay behind to try and repair the Russian space shuttle with parts from the badly damaged Defiant.  
 

In the final epic battle the Star Brigade and Oktober Guard make a break for the control center battle through several robot workers once again.  Meanwhile back at the shuttles, Dragonsky makes a discovery about the robot workers when they are again threatened by the robot workers.  Payload tries to slowly reach for his weapon which gets a reaction from the workers prompting Dragonsky to scream at Payload to pick back up his tool.  Back down the access ramp the Joe's and Oktober Guard come across a construction drone, a really big construction drone.  It attacks the two teams destroying the Russian's armored battle suit and being shut down by the Joe's Armor Bot.   

 

Their efforts are in vain as they are once again pinned down by the robot workers, until Dragonsky radio's Duke and Red Star convincing 
them to have their team put down their weapons and pick up any nearby tools.  They reluctantly do this realizing the robots will not attack them if they are unarmed.  The teams finally make it into the control center, Diana finding an unmarked red button that may be the self destruct.  Unknowing if there is a time delay they decide to do what they have to do to save the earth, even if no one ever knows that they did.  Duke presses the button which activates a message from the lead scientist informing them they have five minutes to evacuate.   

The Star Brigade and Oktober Guard beat it out of the control center with no hope of reaching the Russian shuttle in time, until it arrives to pick them up.  The teams hurry into the shuttle and punch it escaping the asteroid before it explodes blowing into harmless bits.  Back on Earth the G.I.Joe team witnesses the explosion in the night sky hoping they escaped before it blew.  Stalker points towards a "falling star" in the sky and tells everyone to "Make a wish".