▁sib ling ▁from ▁cons cription . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁the ▁man ▁who ▁would ▁become ▁Cob ra ▁Commander ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁used ▁car ▁sales man . ▁When ▁Dan ▁returned ▁from ▁Vietnam , ▁he ▁displayed ▁deep ▁psych ological ▁tra uma , ▁and ▁took ▁to ▁self - dest ruct ive ▁behavior , ▁resulting ▁in ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁a ▁car ▁collision ▁with ▁another ▁family . ▁Dev ast ated ▁by ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁his ▁brother , ▁the ▁future ▁Cob ra ▁Commander ▁bl amed ▁the ▁family ' s ▁surv iv or : ▁another ▁war ▁veter an , ▁against ▁whom ▁the ▁young ▁Cob ra ▁Commander ▁formed ▁an ▁elaborate ▁reven ge ▁scheme . ▁ ▁Cob ra ▁Commander ▁track ed ▁the ▁former ▁soldier ▁to ▁Japan , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁training ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Ar ash ik age ▁nin ja ▁cl an . ▁The ▁Commander ▁approached ▁the ▁mer cen ary ▁Fire fly ▁to ▁assass inate ▁the ▁soldier , ▁but ▁Fire fly ▁referred ▁Cob ra ▁Commander ▁to ▁Z art an , ▁another ▁assass in ▁who ▁in fil tr ated ▁the ▁cl an , ▁but ▁ultimately ▁killed ▁the ▁wrong ▁man ▁( the ▁Hard ▁Master ). ▁Storm ▁Sh adow ▁was ▁bl amed ▁for ▁the ▁murder , ▁and ▁his ▁search ▁for ▁his ▁uncle ' s ▁k iller ▁would ▁eventually ▁lead ▁him ▁to ▁join ▁Cob ra , ▁where ▁he ' d ▁p ledge ▁loyal ty ▁to ▁Cob ra ▁Commander ▁as ▁his ▁personal ▁body guard , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁get ▁close ▁to ▁him ▁and ▁find ▁the ▁real ▁assass in . ▁The ▁soldier ▁left ▁the ▁nin