******possible spoilers in thread******
Snake Eyes is dead.
We all need to face that fact. No more denial, no more, oh they will bring him back.
He is dead and Throwdown is taking his place, and his uniform, for now. That is until Throwdown gets his new uniform.
So in part three of this four part arc we see the open boot ceremony at the Pit.
It is a silent issue but we see a lot.
It has been postulated that the coyote that stumbles into the ceremony and sniffs at Snake Eyes boots is based on a spirituality and a legend.
I see it in a different light since I was unaware of the significance of death and the coyote.
I see now the stories of the Coyote and his insisting that death be permanent.
I also see the Shoshoni believed that the coyote was an indication of an ending. The sighting of the coyote was said to bring natural shifts in balance, causing an end, which of course, simply makes way for new beginnings. Essentially the coyote is a way-maker of new direction as it went about its symbolic role of representing the cycle of life/death in nature.
I see some false hope of a return because in myth the coyote is also known as a trickster. However the trick he pulled was to fool the others into making death permanent.
I also found a story which the coyote and the eagle interact, the eagle is trying to bring back the dead but the coyote is impatient and lets them out too early, and they are sent back to the land of the dead...permanently.
I believe that Larry is saying that the presence of the coyote, not only means that "Classified" is gone, but that the cycle of life has generated a new character with similar traits in Throwdown.
We know how Larry loves to weave in some educational things into his stories.
Now let me tell you my first thoughts as someone who did not know about the coyote legend.
I see this as the Joes are having a very private moment. Something intensely emotional and for many, personal, intimate. Along comes this intruder to the events. A coyote whose ear is tattered, curious as to what is going on and intent on staying for the ceremony. The coyote witnesses all the Joes and stands right where it would be considered rude to stand if it were human. It disrupts the event. Spirit, seeing enough, approaches the troublesome animal with his mystic ways. He calms the animal, and lifts it up and over to the gate, telling it to go on its way, there is nothing more to see. The coyote needs to leave and get back to being a coyote.
I saw the coyote as myself. Someone who crashes in and who really is an outsider in many ways, who thinks that he knows what is going on, that they think they have a connection to the events, the deceased. When in reality none of that is true. We are just an observer who is being tolerated. Just like the coyote. Then the time comes and we reach the final panel. Spirit leads us out, we were allowed in because in a way we do have a stake in the death. It does affect us in many ways but now it is time for us to go, to get back to being ourselves, and the gate shuts behind us.
Now in other ways this was pretty spectacular.
75 Joes lined up in formation.
Stalker getting weak in the knees.
A GIJOE vehicle funeral procession.
Salutes from every Joe in attendance.
A silent issue. Very appropriate. Other than Taps being played and the 21 gun salute military funerals are silent.
This just goes to show how huge a character Snake Eyes was. How he affected the entire team in some way, not just Scarlett, Stalker and Storm Shadow.
It is also a fitting way to say goodbye.
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