How old are Billy and Junko supposed to be in Master & Apprentice II? Older than 16, from what I've gathered (Billy drives just fine in #20-21 of the regular series, and it seems unlikely that she's his junior) , but how much older? Have their been any references to high school, college, simply "school", full-time employment, or being old enough to buy alcohol for either of them? I've gotten the idea in my head that the current run is actually set in the recent past (2000 or 2001) rather than an eternal "now", but does Brandon Jerwa ignore the Vietnam origins of Storm Shadow/Snakes Eyes/Cobra Commander/the Baroness, or is Tommy a very spry forty-something in an intergenerational relationship (apparently Billy surmises that Junko "is more than an apprentice" in M&A2 #1)?

Okay, I'm definitely not an expert on what DDP is incorporating or slashing from the classic history of these characters; however, I think they (DDP) make the statement that we are to assume that Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow et al are not Vietnam veterans in this newer series.

Okay, I'm definitely not an expert on what DDP is incorporating or slashing from the classic history of these characters; however, I think they (DDP) make the statement that we are to assume that Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow et al are not Vietnam veterans in this newer series.

If you're right, then I guess we're to assume that Snake Eyes & pals, sans Tommy, have been in GI Joe for about 16 years ("ten years ago" as of v2 #22, Mindbender was buried alive, for "a few years" before that Cobra Commander I was incognito, Billy was in a coma "for a year" immeadiately before CC was shot by Fred VII, and GI Joe had to be fighting Cobra for a couple of years before that). Assuming that Snake Eyes & pals joined the Army at 17 were in a generic Southeast Asian conflict for a couple of years, that's 19 + "three years" since the last time Hawk saw Snake Eyes before recruiting him. So they've shaved their ages down to 38. :rolleyes:

Sarcasm duly noted (hopefully by DDP, too) and my point exactly. I for one have no problem with a "willing suspension of disbelief" for the older Joes. So they fought in Vietnam and still look like they're in their late 20's or early 30's. So what? Can anyone else recall Pierce Brosnan replacing Sean Connery in newer James Bond movies? Do the successive new actors playing Bond really bother fans? Of course not.

I say leave their origins intact and just run with the ball you've been thrown.

Sarcasm duly noted (hopefully by DDP, too) and my point exactly. I for one have no problem with a "willing susupension of disbelief" for the older Joes. So they fought in Vietnam and still look like they're in their late 20's or early 30's. So what? Can anyone else recall Pierce Brosnan replacing Sean Connery in newer James Bond movies? Do the successive new actors playing Bond really bother fans? Of course not.

I say leave their origins intact and just run with the ball you've been thrown.

YES. There are two ways Devil's Due could handle the older characters (Colton, Abernathy, Duke, Snake Eyes, Tommy, Stalker, Cobra Commander, "Wild" Bill Hardy, and Leatherneck) while keeping their backstories intact.

1) They were young adults during the Vietnam conflict and still look like they're 35 now. Either ignore this or introduce a longevity drug to the mythos, my preference being the former.

2) Let them show their age. Introduce proteges for Duke and Stalker, establish them, then reveal that Abernathy, Duke, Snake Eyes, Stalker, Wild Bill, and Leatherneck are coming up for mandatory retirement after 30 years. Have Snake Eyes and Scarlett start a family, Tommy go into retirement to train Junko and start a family (with Snake Eyes being the best man at his wedding), Billy enlist in the Army to carry on Tommy's legacy, Stalker settle down with his wife to raise Jamal, Abernathy be appointed Secretary of Defense to end the neverending "evil Jugglers try to sabotage GI Joe" subplot, and Duke go out in a blaze of glory. The characters would be succeeded by General Rey or General Flagg Jr., Duke's protege, Stalker's protege, Kamakura, Billy, and Franklin "Airborne" Talltree.

Update: the more I think about option 2), the more I like it. It would bring Billy out of the holding pattern he's been in for so many years, give Kamakura a chance to be something other than Snake Eyes' Robin, complete Storm Shadow's story rather than repeatedly dragging him through rehashed events, nix the stupid "evil Jugglers" subplot, and give Gung-Ho a chance to shine as GI Joe's new First Sergeant, with a young guy gunning for his job. :D

Sarcasm duly noted (hopefully by DDP, too) and my point exactly. I for one have no problem with a "willing susupension of disbelief" for the older Joes. So they fought in Vietnam and still look like they're in their late 20's or early 30's. So what? Can anyone else recall Pierce Brosnan replacing Sean Connery in newer James Bond movies? Do the successive new actors playing Bond really bother fans? Of course not.

I say leave their origins intact and just run with the ball you've been thrown.

Well said.. I concur..

They should of just left the series in the 80's in a semi-alternate time line.

YES. There are two ways Devil's Due could handle the older characters (Colton, Abernathy, Duke, Snake Eyes, Tommy, Stalker, Cobra Commander, "Wild" Bill Hardy, and Leatherneck) while keeping their backstories intact.

1) They were young adults during the Vietnam conflict and still look like they're 35 now. Either ignore this or introduce a longevity drug to the mythos, my preference being the former.

2) Let them show their age. Introduce proteges for Duke and Stalker, establish them, then reveal that Abernathy, Duke, Snake Eyes, Stalker, Wild Bill, and Leatherneck are coming up for mandatory retirement after 30 years. Have Snake Eyes and Scarlett start a family, Tommy go into retirement to train Junko and start a family (with Snake Eyes being the best man at his wedding), Billy enlist in the Army to carry on Tommy's legacy, Stalker settle down with his wife to raise Jamal, Abernathy be appointed Secretary of Defense to end the neverending "evil Jugglers try to sabotage GI Joe" subplot, and Duke go out in a blaze of glory. The characters would be succeeded by General Rey or General Flagg Jr., Duke's protege, Stalker's protege, Kamakura, Billy, and Franklin "Airborne" Talltree.

Update: the more I think about option 2), the more I like it. It would bring Billy out of the holding pattern he's been in for so many years, give Kamakura a chance to be something other than Snake Eyes' Robin, complete Storm Shadow's story rather than repeatedly dragging him through rehashed events, nix the stupid "evil Jugglers" subplot, and give Gung-Ho a chance to shine as GI Joe's new First Sergeant, with a young guy gunning for his job. :D

I agree that the evil jugglers subplot SUCKS!!!