▁mut ative ▁sp ores ▁in ▁a ▁labor atory ▁accident , ▁causing ▁him ▁to ▁grow ▁an ▁array ▁of ▁eight ▁additional ▁eyes ▁over ▁his ▁face , ▁explaining ▁why ▁he ▁we ars ▁a ▁mask . ▁Despite ▁this ▁de form ity , ▁his ▁amb ition ▁was ▁recognized ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁selected ▁by ▁Cob ra - La ' s ▁r uler , ▁Gol ob ulus , ▁to ▁vent ure ▁from ▁their ▁isolated ▁H imal ay an ▁kingdom ▁into ▁the ▁outside ▁world . ▁He ▁was ▁instruct ed ▁to ▁establish ▁an ▁army ▁for ▁the ▁raz ing ▁of ▁human ▁civil ization ▁and ▁re emer gence ▁of ▁Cob ra - La ▁into ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁world : ▁that ▁army ▁is ▁Cob ra . ▁This ▁origin ▁stands ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁episode ▁" Tw enty ▁Question s ", ▁where ▁the ▁Commander ▁told ▁an ▁interview ing ▁journalist ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁spe ar head ing ▁a ▁mut iny ▁at ▁his ▁military ▁a cademy ▁in ▁his ▁youth . ▁In ▁other ▁episodes , ▁a for ement ioned ▁re actions ▁to ▁off - screen ▁un mask ings ▁or ▁g lim ps es ▁of ▁the ▁Commander ' s ▁features ▁are ▁not ▁in ▁keeping ▁with ▁the ▁in human ly ▁blue - sk inned ▁figure ▁port rayed ▁in ▁the ▁film . ▁ ▁In ▁light ▁of ▁Cob ra ' s ▁constant ▁fail ures , ▁Gol ob ulus ▁dec ides ▁to ▁put ▁the ▁Commander ▁on ▁trial ▁and ▁pun ishes ▁him ▁by ▁forcing ▁his ▁further ▁expos ure ▁to ▁the ▁sp ores ; ▁their ▁effect ▁begins ▁to ▁de vol ve ▁him ▁into