EPISODE SEVEN - JUNGLE

The quest for the Power Stones continues as the Joes and COBRA travel to the Amazon jungle. Zartan's advanced mining facility finds a source of stones, but a test turns dangerous when the B.A.T.s get affected by the stones' power and turn against COBRA, gaining untold power in the process. Spirit, performing recon in the jungle moves in to stop them, with Snake Eyes as backup...but can they hope to stop this army of improved B.A.T.s as well as Zartan with his upgraded stealth suit?

Detailed Synopsis:

So Duke and the Siugma 6 team now have one of the Power Stones, and COBRA Commander is not the least bit pleased. After a brisk speech to his senior members about the importance of these stones, he casts them off in different directions, to each corner of the globe to continue to search out and recover these mysterious power stones. Their purpoise is still not entirely clear, but one thing that is clear is that COBRA Commander will not accept failure from here on out.

Meanwhile, in the Amazon Jungle, Spirit, on a recon patrol, spots a COBRA stealth battlecruiser with the help of his falcon, Billy. Wondering what they're doing in the jungle, he reports in to Sigma 6 HQ. Duke reports his findings to the team, and he, Scarlett, and Hi-Tech decide that the best person to back up Spirit is Snake Eyes himself.

Spirit and Billy continue their recon and see the battle cruiser land in the Northwest part of the jungle. They split up to continue monitoring and stumble upon Zartan's Mining Facility. At the facility, Zartan and two COBRA Troopers take the elevator down to investigate three energy spikes they have located deep underneath the jungle. Zartan isn't convinced that the three stones they've discovered are, in fact, Power Stones, and he decides to take it upon himself to test the energy absorbing properties of these rocks.

He shoots one of the stones without hesitation, and an enormous blast of energy engulfs the entire facility and erupts high into the Jungle sky. As it blasts, energy flows into the B.A.T.s and sends them for a loop. The surge is so large that Snake Eyes even spots it several miles away and the R.H.I.N.O. copter gets overwhelmed by the raw power. The power quickly disspates and the impromptu test convinces Zartan that these are authentic Power Stones. As the Troopers prepare to move the stones, Zartan learns that his little test had unforseen consequences.

Meanwhile, the R.H.I.N.O. copter goes down in the jungle at the hands of the immense power surge. Spirit goes to check out the crash, and is relieved to find that Snake Eyes survived, in part thanks to the Sigma Suit. Snake Eyes brought Spirit his Sigma Suit as well, and while Spirit admits he doesn't necessarily like wearing the suit (he prefers to work with nature while doing his recon) he suits up just the same, and he and Snake Eyes head out.

Back in the R.O.C.C., Duke and Scarlett are researching the energy surge and come to the conclusion that it was potentially caused by Zartan and the Power Stones.

Speaking of Zartan, back at the Mining Facility, the B.A.T.s have gone crazy and are firing on the battle cruiser. Zartan orders the cruiser to take off and meet them at the emergency rendezvous point where they will try to figure out how to stop this new B.A.T. menace. On his way out of the mine shaft, Zartan guns down a group of B.A.T.s and finds out the hard way that they now also have the ability to repair themselves on the spot! They barely make it to the elevator and take off as quick as they can...however, Zartan realizes that once they reach the top, there will be even more B.A.T.s to fight up top to make it to the cruiser.

Spirit and Snake Eyes are breaking for the facility, and see the COBRA cruiser taking off into the sky. As they reach the COBRA facility, they see the B.A.T.s and COBRA's fighting each other. Curious, they move in to find out more, being sure to take out some B.A.T.s along the way. However, the appearence of the Joes distracts the B.A.T.s just enough to let Zartan make a break for the battle cruiser. The two Sigma 6 members decide to split up - Snake Eyes will chase down Zartan while Spirit tries to take down a few Battle Android Troopers.

As Snake Eyes dashes off, Spirit lashes into the B.A.T.s, tearing them up with his bow & arrow and tomahawk. He quickly sees, to his distress, that the B.A.T.s are repairing themselves as quickly as he can cut them down. Snake Eyes is hot on Zartan's trail, just as Spirit wises up and uses an electricity arrow on the B.A.T.s, shorting them out.

Snake Eyes catches up with Zartan and the troopers, and with one swift toss of his Whipstar, shatters the containers holding the Power Stones. He has Zartan cornered, but Zartan is not ready to give up yet. Zartan fades into invisibility and lashes into the G.I. Joe ninja, tossing him around before retrieving the Power Stone.

Back at the R.O.C.C., the rest of the Sigma 6 team depart to continue on foot, because the jungle is too dense. They ask Snake Eyes to keep Zartan busy, and he agrees, while Hi-Tech tells him how to adjust his visor to see Zartan even when he's invisible. But to everyone's surprise, Zartan still cannot be found! The COBRA master of disguise has upgraded his cloaking shield to be invisible on all spectrums. Zartan goes up one side and down the other on Snake Eyes, who simply cannot defend himself against the invisible COBRA agent. Just as Zartan is about to land the killing blow, Spirit saves the day! A well-placed arrow knocks the pistol out of Zartan's hand and he is at the Sigma 6 Tracker's mercy...or is he?

Zartan turns himself invisible and makes a deal with Spirit...if he wins, the Power Stone is his. Otherwise, Zartan leaves with it. Spirit has no choice but to agree, and the battle is on!

Zartan is supremely confident that his cloaking shield can defeat any technology and he will easily dispatch Spirit as he did Snake Eyes...but Spirit doesn't rely on technology, and he quickly emerses himself in the nature that surrounds him. Depending on the sky, the wind, and the water rather than circuits and wavelengths, Spirit tracks Zartan's every move, and suddenly lashes out with his tomahawk, dropping Zartan quickly and cleanly, then taking the stone!

But COBRA isn't willing to let the stone go that easily! The battle cruiser immediately descends upon the two Joes, ready to take them out and take back the Stone. Bombs start dropping as Spirit and Snake Eyes scramble for cover. It looks like it may be all over, but the rest of the Sigma 6 team moves in just in time, firing on the battle cruiser and driving them down.

Zartan returns to COBRA, taking the Commander's punishment and vowing to make it up to him. COBRA Commander relunctantly agrees and Zartan promises to make up for losing the Stone.

Back at the Sigma 6 base of operations the team members go over the Power Stone and Hi-Tech comes to the realization that the Power Stone not only absorbs energy, but then amplifies it 1000-fold, and that makes it a deadly source of power for COBRA. The team swears to stop at nothing to recover the Stones on their own so that COBRA can not use them for evil.

End episode 7