1 2 ▁interview ▁that ▁this ▁Cob ra ▁Commander ▁is ▁not ▁the ▁same ▁character ▁played ▁by ▁Joseph ▁Gordon - Le v itt ▁in ▁The ▁R ise ▁of ▁Cob ra , ▁but ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁confirmed ▁that ▁the ▁Cob ra ▁Commander ▁of ▁Ret ali ation ▁is ▁indeed ▁still ▁R ex ▁Lewis . ▁He ▁features ▁an ▁alter ed ▁appearance ▁from ▁the ▁first ▁film , ▁more ▁similar ▁to ▁his ▁hel met ed ▁look ▁from ▁the ▁G . I . ▁Joe : ▁A ▁Real ▁American ▁Hero ▁cart oon . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁movie , ▁Cob ra ▁Commander ▁has ▁been ▁transferred ▁from ▁the ▁F LA GG ▁to ▁another ▁high - security ▁prison ▁in ▁Germany ▁alongside ▁Dest ro , ▁where ▁he ▁is ▁being ▁force - f ed ▁a ▁par al yz ing ▁drug ▁whilst ▁floating ▁in ▁a ▁water ▁chamber . ▁He ▁is ▁soon ▁broken ▁out ▁by ▁Storm ▁Sh adow ▁and ▁Fire fly , ▁but ▁Dest ro ▁is ▁left ▁behind ▁and ▁Storm ▁Sh adow ▁is ▁injured ▁as ▁the ▁base ▁is ▁destroyed . ▁After ▁sending ▁Storm ▁Sh adow ▁off ▁to ▁the ▁H imal ay as ▁to ▁he al , ▁Cob ra ▁Commander ▁retre ats ▁to ▁his ▁own ▁base ▁of ▁operations , ▁where ▁he ▁meets ▁with ▁Z art an ▁( st ill ▁dis gu ised ▁as ▁the ▁President ). ▁They ▁develop ▁Project ▁Ze us , ▁a ▁super ▁weapon , ▁which ▁uses ▁kin etic ▁bomb ard ment ▁and ▁targets ▁several ▁prominent ▁cities . ▁Cob ra ▁Commander ▁demonstr ates ▁the ▁magnitude ▁of ▁the ▁weapon ' s ▁power ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the