To help promote JoeCon, which will be held April 9-12, the Mayor of Springfield, Illinois J. Michael Houston gave a key to the city to Cobra Commander. The promotion is interesting, but they couldn’t have done this with another character? Maybe not go with the head of the evil terrorist organization?

The city does have a history within the G.I. Joe universe, and was part of the cartoon’s first season finale “There’s No Place Like Springfield” where it housed a Cobra base and the entire town was filled with Cobra agents.

In the comics, the man who would become Cobra Commander settled in a town called Springfield, and from there launched his organization recruiting many of the town’s disillusioned citizens. So I guess the Mayor was just honoring one of his former constituents who went on to bigger things?

(via iO9)