Cobra Commander is way funnier than Serpentor, but I still think Serpentor has room for growth as a villian. He’s incredibly different from Cobra Commander, and that contrast is kind of fun. Cobra Commander prefers to strategize from the shadows and let his men do all the combat work. He’s evil and greedy, but he’s definitely more pragmatic than outright fascist. That’s how I see him. Cobra Commander will do whatever he can to enrich himself and consolidate power and infamy onto himself, but he’s not dedicated to promoting discrimination and violence and stuff. He’s much more solidly focused on personal fame and fortune.
Meanwhile, Serpentor is basically an impulsive man child who wants to rush into battle at all times. He’s a real fanatic, but that’s mostly because he’s a genetic clone of dozens of dictators, fascists or otherwise warmongers. Not only that, but I think I’d play up his impulsive and arrogant childishness by making it clear that Serpentor is emotionally unstable. He is a clone. And a clone doesn’t get the normal human life experience, especially not since Serpentor is basically a test tube baby rapidly aged into his 30s or 40s. He didn’t have time to mature mentally like a normal human. So he’s got the maturity level of a three year old, but with the knowledge of all his ancestors and the power of a 30 or 40 year old athlete at the peak of their strength. He’s not mentally well.
But this differences between leaders is what I think makes it a shame GI Joe didn’t get a third season dedicated to a Cobra Civil War storyline. Cobra Commander and Serpentor deserve to just fight amongst themselves for 30 episodes, while GI Joe is forced to deal with both of their splinter organizations. Two Cobras means twice the danger, after all.
I still think Serpentor’s story deserves to end with him somehow getting a chance to mature and age normally, because that at least allows him a chance to live a life not dependent on his genetic ancestors and their memories. But I don’t know if his redemption would be successful or a disastrous failure. Both options seem likely.
