Forty years ago, the most notorious terrorist in the G.I. Joe universe quietly walked into an episode of The Transformers. And for many kids watching television on that Thursday afternoon in November 1986, the significance of the moment may have gone completely unnoticed.

There were no elaborate promotional campaigns. No giant crossover logo flashed across the television screen. No heroic announcement that the worlds of G.I. Joe and The Transformers were about to collide.

Instead, viewers were introduced to a mysterious, aging criminal wearing a broad-brimmed hat, a trench coat, and a very familiar silver faceplate.

His name was Old Snake.

And although the episode never formally called him Cobra Commander, the clues were so unmistakable that generations of fans have recognized the character as the former leader of Cobra.

The episode was called Only Human, and on November 13, 1986, it became one of the most fascinating pieces of shared storytelling in the history of Hasbro’s legendary animated franchises.

Today, on its 40th anniversary, SerpentorsLair looks back at the episode, the actors who brought it to life, the surprising G.I. Joe technology at the center of its plot, and the remarkable details even longtime fans might have forgotten.

A Familiar Voice From a Forgotten War

To understand why Old Snake’s appearance was so remarkable, we need to remember what Saturday morning and weekday afternoon cartoons looked like in the middle of the 1980s.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and The Transformers were two of the most recognizable animated franchises on television.

Both were associated with Hasbro toys, both were produced through the Sunbow and Marvel Productions animation partnership, and both employed many of the same enormously talented voice actors.

For children, these were distinct worlds. In one, Duke, Snake Eyes, Scarlett, and the rest of the Joe team battled the terrorist organization Cobra. In the other, Optimus Prime, Megatron, and their robotic armies fought a war that stretched across the galaxy.

But behind the scenes, the franchises had more in common than fans might have realized.

One extraordinary example was actor Chris Latta, also known professionally as Christopher Collins.

Latta provided the unmistakable voice of Cobra Commander in G.I. Joe. At the same time, he portrayed one of the most memorable villains in the Transformers universe: Starscream.

Think about that for a moment.

Two of the most recognizable, treacherous, power-hungry villains in 1980s animation were brought to life by the same actor.

When Old Snake finally spoke during Only Human, longtime G.I. Joe fans had an advantage.

They had heard that voice before.

Latta gave the mysterious character the familiar rasping, conspiratorial delivery associated with Cobra Commander.

And while the voice alone would have made the appearance intriguing, the animation offered several additional clues.

Old Snake wore a reflective silver faceplate resembling Cobra Commander’s famous battle helmet. Beneath his trench coat, viewers could glimpse elements of a familiar blue-and-red uniform.

His mannerisms were recognizable, too. He was arrogant, bitter, manipulative, and convinced that modern criminals were inferior to the masterminds of his generation.

This was more than a random stranger with an unusual voice.

This was a character carrying the unmistakable fingerprints of Cobra’s former supreme commander.

The Story: What If the Autobots Became Human?

Only Human opens with an unusual problem for the Autobots.

Instead of confronting Megatron, Galvatron, or another Decepticon threat, the Autobots find themselves interfering with the criminal operations of a powerful human gangster named Victor Drath.

Drath is dangerous, wealthy, and accustomed to getting what he wants. Unfortunately for him, his schemes repeatedly attract the attention of Earth’s enormous robotic defenders.

Determined to eliminate the interference, he approaches a mysterious weapons specialist known as Old Snake.

Old Snake has access to a remarkable technology: the ability to transfer minds into artificial human bodies called synthoids.

For Drath, this presents an extraordinary opportunity.

He can strip the Autobots of their giant robotic forms, leaving them trapped inside vulnerable human bodies while taking possession of their original mechanical shells.

The four Autobots targeted are Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, Springer, and Arcee.

After falling into Drath’s trap, the four awaken in artificial bodies that resemble ordinary human beings.

Suddenly, the powerful leaders and warriors who once towered over humanity must learn what it means to be small, physically vulnerable, and unable to transform.

They can no longer rely on their immense strength or sophisticated robotic weaponry.

They are still Autobots in their minds, but their bodies are now unmistakably human in appearance.

Even their clothing reflects their recognizable Autobot colors: Rodimus in orange and red, Ultra Magnus in blue and white, Springer in green, and Arcee in pink.

For an audience accustomed to seeing these characters as gigantic robots, it was a startling transformation.

And it created some of the most entertaining character moments in the entire third season.

The Human Autobots Were One of Season Three’s Strangest Ideas

The transformation affected each Autobot differently.

Rodimus Prime: A Leader Without His Power

Rodimus Prime was already struggling with the enormous responsibility of succeeding Optimus Prime following the events of The Transformers: The Movie.

Now he found himself without the imposing body and physical advantages that had once made him such a formidable warrior.

His experiences with a woman named Michelle, who initially offers him assistance before betraying him to Drath, provide one of the episode’s more unusual personal storylines.

Rodimus also gets a firsthand introduction to ordinary human experiences, including breakfast and coffee.

Ultra Magnus: Still a Soldier

Ultra Magnus refuses to let his unfamiliar body stop him from acting like a commander.

His military instincts remain intact, even when his robotic strength has disappeared.

One of the episode’s better moments comes when Magnus uses a grenade to confront armed criminals, demonstrating that strategy and courage are not exclusive to Cybertronians.

Arcee: Finding Herself in a Human World

Arcee’s transformation presents a fascinating twist. Although she already possessed a recognizably feminine robotic appearance, she now has to navigate the world as a physically ordinary human woman.

When she finally reaches Autobot City seeking assistance, the guards refuse to believe that the human standing before them is really Arcee.

The result is both amusing and frustrating. For once, an Autobot must convince fellow allies of her own identity.

Springer: The Cleverest Trick of All

Springer may have the most entertaining solution to the crisis.

While Drath’s criminals operate the stolen Autobot bodies, Springer manages to convince the villains that he knows how to handle heavy machinery.

He subsequently finds himself operating his own stolen robotic body while still trapped in human form.

It is a wonderfully absurd situation, even by the imaginative standards of 1980s Transformers animation.

The Biggest Clue Was Invented on G.I. Joe a Year Earlier

For dedicated G.I. Joe fans, the single most important connection in Only Human may not actually be Old Snake’s helmet or his distinctive voice.

It is the technology he provides to Victor Drath.

The synthoids.

That word should sound extremely familiar to anyone who remembers the original G.I. Joe animated series.

In October 1985, G.I. Joe aired the two-part adventure The Synthoid Conspiracy.

In that story, Cobra used artificial duplicates to replace influential military and government personnel, undermining the Joes through infiltration rather than a conventional attack.

The deception involved powerful figures and even a duplicate of Duke.

The ultimate objective was to cripple G.I. Joe from within.

Now, more than a year later, a mysterious former terrorist was offering synthoid technology to a criminal operating in the Transformers universe.

It was an unusually specific connection.

Neither story merely featured generic robots pretending to be humans. Both involved artificial humanoid creations associated with a sinister plot to steal or control identities.

That link helped make the appearance of Old Snake feel like a genuine continuation of Cobra’s animated history.

The technology is not used identically in the two stories: G.I. Joe emphasizes impersonation, while Transformers uses synthoids to house transferred Autobot minds.

But the terminology and Cobra connection are a particularly satisfying Easter egg for anyone familiar with both shows.

Cobra Commander Returns — But Not the Way We Remember Him

By the time the third season of The Transformers arrived in 1986, the animated storyline had moved into the then-distant future of 2006.

That setting gave the writers a remarkable opportunity.

If Cobra Commander existed in this fictional universe, what might have happened to him after two decades?

Only Human offers a tantalizing answer without spelling out every detail.

Old Snake appears to be a former terrorist mastermind who has outlived the organization that once made him powerful.

His old empire is apparently gone. Instead of commanding legions of Cobra soldiers from a Terror Drome, he earns money by selling advanced technology to wealthy criminals.

It is a surprisingly believable fate for a character whose ambition repeatedly exceeded his ability to hold power.

Even when his resources have diminished, the Commander remains clever enough to manipulate those around him.

Drath wants to destroy the Autobots. Old Snake recognizes that stealing their bodies creates an even greater opportunity.

He is still a strategist, still dangerous, and still willing to sell almost anything to the highest bidder.

The years may have weakened him physically, but his criminal imagination is very much alive.

The Plan to Destroy Autobot City

Old Snake’s technology allows Victor Drath to gain control of four powerful Autobot bodies.

But the criminals eventually devise an even more devastating use for them.

They plan to pack the stolen robotic bodies with explosives and send them into Autobot City.

The Autobots inside the city would see familiar allies approaching and have little reason to suspect that the bodies were being piloted by criminals.

It was essentially a Trojan-horse attack against Metroplex and the Autobot forces.

And without the Autobots’ resourcefulness, it might have succeeded.

Springer and Ultra Magnus eventually use Springer’s recovered mechanical body to warn the city. Their attack gets the defenders’ attention before the remaining stolen bodies can complete their mission.

Blaster activates the city’s defenses, while Metroplex plays an important role in stopping the assault.

After the threat is neutralized, Perceptor uses the captured technology to return the four Autobots to their proper bodies.

Victor Drath and his associates are brought to justice.

But there is one extraordinary exception.

Old Snake escapes.

The Final Scene That Revealed Everything

For many longtime fans, the final moments of Only Human are the reason the episode remains unforgettable.

As the adventure concludes, Old Snake walks away, apparently free from prosecution and already lamenting the incompetence of the younger criminals he has encountered.

He complains that they simply do not make terrorists the way they once did.

Then comes the moment that transforms an unusual Transformers episode into an unforgettable G.I. Joe crossover.

Old Snake begins to shout the rallying cry of his former organization.

COBRA!

But the aging criminal can barely complete his old battle cry before dissolving into a coughing fit.

It is an unexpectedly humorous ending.

And it is also the final piece of evidence identifying the mysterious masked man.

The voice. The faceplate. The uniform. The terrorist history. The synthoids. And finally, that one unmistakable word.

Although the episode avoids a formal on-screen introduction naming him Cobra Commander, its identity clues are deliberate and overwhelming.

For those who recognized the character, it was a wonderful surprise: the former leader of Cobra had somehow survived long enough to cause trouble for a completely different generation of heroes.

The Strange Connection to the 1987 G.I. Joe Movie

Here is another detail that makes Old Snake particularly interesting to longtime G.I. Joe collectors.

Some animation frames appear to show unusual, reptilian-looking fingers or hands beneath Old Snake’s damaged gloves.

That detail has led fans to compare his appearance with Cobra Commander’s transformation in G.I. Joe: The Movie.

In the 1987 animated feature, the Commander is exposed to the mutagenic spores of Cobra-La and gradually becomes a snake-like creature.

But there is a fascinating chronological complication.

Only Human aired in November 1986, while G.I. Joe: The Movie was not released until 1987.

That means audiences saw Old Snake before they publicly witnessed Cobra Commander’s grotesque transformation in the G.I. Joe feature film.

The possibility of a production-era connection is intriguing, especially because both animated franchises were being developed within overlapping creative circles.

However, fans should distinguish an intriguing visual parallel from documented production intent. The episode does not explicitly explain Old Snake’s appearance as an aftermath of Cobra-La.

Nevertheless, it remains one of the most entertaining details to investigate when revisiting the episode frame by frame.

Did You Know Marvel Was Already Crossing These Universes Over?

The animated Old Snake appearance was not the first time Hasbro’s two biggest action franchises encountered one another.

In 1986, Marvel Comics launched its four-issue G.I. Joe and the Transformers crossover miniseries.

Written by Michael Higgins with artwork by Herb Trimpe, the series brought the Joes and Autobots into direct conflict before they recognized their shared enemies.

The first issue reached comic-book stores in the autumn of 1986, ahead of the November 13 television broadcast, despite carrying a January 1987 cover date.

Its cover became one of the most memorable images of the crossover era, depicting the destruction of Bumblebee during an encounter with G.I. Joe personnel.

Unlike the subtle cameo in Only Human, the Marvel crossover explicitly placed the two teams into the same adventure.

But it is important to remember that the comic books and animated programs did not necessarily follow one unified continuity.

That is what makes the 1986 television appearance so special.

Old Snake was a direct acknowledgment of the G.I. Joe cartoon world within an actual episode of the original Transformers animated series.

The crossover was understated, but for viewers who recognized the references, it was unmistakable.

The Other G.I. Joe Connection: Marissa Faireborn

Old Snake was not the only character who eventually connected the Transformers animated universe to G.I. Joe lore.

Season Three introduced Captain Marissa Faireborn, an officer of the Earth Defense Command who frequently worked alongside the Autobots.

Her surname immediately caught the attention of G.I. Joe fans.

Flint’s real name was Dashiell R. Faireborn, and his relationship with Lady Jaye was already a familiar part of the original G.I. Joe cartoon.

Later franchise material established Marissa as their daughter, strengthening the connection between the two animated properties.

That family relationship, however, was not explicitly established in the original 1986 Transformers episodes themselves.

It is an example of how later Transformers storytelling expanded and clarified references that began as intriguing connections for longtime fans.

When considered alongside Old Snake, Marissa Faireborn helped make the futuristic Transformers setting feel like a possible continuation of the world G.I. Joe fans had grown up watching.

The Crossover Finally Got Its Own Action Figures!

If you collect G.I. Joe and Transformers action figures, this is where the story becomes especially interesting.

For decades, Only Human remained an unusual animated curiosity, with fans remembering the human versions of the Autobots and Cobra Commander’s strange cameo.

But years later, official collectors’ club releases would finally give parts of the episode a physical toy representation.

In 2015, the Transformers Collectors’ Club and G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club offered an exclusive set featuring Old Snake accompanied by two Advanced Stealth Battle Android Troopers.

The figure recreated the character’s trench coat, wide-brimmed hat, and familiar masked appearance.

This was a particularly satisfying release because it acknowledged an otherwise obscure episode from the original 1980s cartoon.

Instead of simply producing another familiar Cobra Commander variation, the collectors’ clubs celebrated a version of the villain that many casual fans had never encountered.

The Advanced Stealth B.A.T.s also reinforced the connection between Cobra’s robot soldiers and the Transformers toy universe.

For collectors, the set represented a rare opportunity to display a tangible piece of shared G.I. Joe and Transformers history.

Human Rodimus Prime and Arcee Became Real Toys, Too

The official crossover collectibles did not end with Old Snake.

In another wonderfully unexpected release, the collectors’ clubs produced action figures representing the human versions of Rodimus Prime and Arcee.

They recreated the orange and pink outfits seen in Only Human using G.I. Joe-style figure construction.

That decision was especially fitting.

After all, the entire premise of the episode was that giant alien robots had been transformed into human-shaped beings.

The figures were released in early 2017 following the clubs’ 2016 preorder program.

Perhaps even more fascinating is the fact that additional figures representing Ultra Magnus, Springer, and Victor Drath were shown as planned or prototype concepts but did not receive equivalent official releases.

For collectors interested in the history of unrealized toys, those missing characters make Only Human an especially compelling subject.

A complete display featuring all four human Autobots and Old Snake would have been a remarkable tribute to the episode.

Other collectible manufacturers and customizers have also revisited the concept, demonstrating that the episode’s unusual human character designs continue to appeal to fans.

What began as a strange half-hour television adventure has become an enduring part of Transformers collecting history.

Five Details Even Longtime Fans Might Have Missed

Forty Years Later, Old Snake Still Has One Last Secret

When viewers first watched Only Human on November 13, 1986, few could have imagined that this unusual cartoon adventure would still be generating conversations four decades later.

After all, it was not a major multi-part event.

It did not feature the death of an iconic Autobot or the introduction of a new toy line.

And its central villains were not the Decepticons.

Instead, the episode offered something different: a glimpse into a shared fictional world where the consequences of one franchise might continue long after its original heroes and villains had grown older.

Old Snake suggested that Cobra Commander had somehow survived the collapse of his empire and reinvented himself as an underground dealer in dangerous technology.

He was physically diminished but still extraordinarily cunning.

He had lost his army, but he had not lost his appetite for power.

And the greatest surprise of all was that the Autobots had never confronted a villain quite like him.

There is something wonderfully appropriate about Cobra Commander finishing his final animated appearance in the episode by trying to shout the name of an organization that no longer seems to exist.

It is funny, nostalgic, and perhaps even a little sad.

He may no longer command an army, but he cannot bring himself to stop being Cobra Commander.

For Gen-X viewers, that brief scene became a bridge between two of the most unforgettable franchises of childhood.

And forty years later, it remains one of the best-kept crossover secrets of the original 1980s cartoon era.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN, G.I. JOE AND TRANSFORMERS FANS!

Research Sources and Further Reading

• IMDb — The Transformers: Only Human (1986)
• TV Guide — Transformers Season Three Episode Guide
• Transformers.tv — Only Human Episode Retrospective
• Transformers Wiki — Only Human
• RQ87 — Only Human Episode History and Analysis
• Tubi — G.I. Joe: The Synthoid Conspiracy (Part 1)
• /Film — The Transformers and G.I. Joe Crossovers
• Grand Comics Database — G.I. Joe and the Transformers #1
• TFW2005 — Old Snake Collector Figure Reveal
• TFW2005 — Only Human Arcee Figure Archive

Editorial note: Only Human is commonly dated November 13, 1986, by episode references including IMDb and TV Guide. Some digital platforms display different release dates. Old Snake’s identity is strongly implied in the original episode rather than formally stated in dialogue. Film stills, animation art, toy photographs and comic artwork remain the property of their respective owners. Image source credits are provided for identification and attribution.

About the Author

Adam Jared is the founder of SerpentorsLair.com, an entertainment and pop-culture website celebrating vintage toys, movies, television, comics, and the unforgettable nostalgia of Generation X. He holds a Master of Science in Social Media Management and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Strategic Communication.