General Bio[]
File Name: James McCullen Destro XXIV
Aliases: The Specialist
Specialties: Weapons Manufacturer; Terrorist
Birthplace: Callander, Scotland
Affiliation: Cobra
Destro is one of the most cunning foes the Joe Team has ever faced. He is the power behind M.A.R.S. (Military Armament Research Syndicate), one of the largest manufacturer of state-of-the-art weapons. His business is fueled by inciting unstable countries to wage wars against each other and then getting them to purchase weapons from him. To him, war is simply man's expression of his most natural state. It is the perfect example of where the fittest survive and where many technological advances are made. His biggest client, thus far, is Cobra with whom he maintains an alliance of convenience. Despite being a manipulative person, Destro maintains a sense of honor and actually respects the Joe Team for their skills and expertise, if not their motivation.
The silver mask Destro wears is his most distinctive feature. It is forged from Beryllium steel. For centuries, the Destro clan designed and sold weapons. In an incident dating back to the English Civil War, an ancestor of his was caught selling weapons to both sides. He was forced to wear a steel mask for his crimes (neither side were willing to execute him because they still wanted his weapons). Rather than taking it as a sign of shame, the Destro clan turned it into a symbol of pride. The patriarchs passed it down as tradition from father to son for over 20 generations.
Movie[]
Alias: Laird James McCullen XXIV
Abilities: Weapons Designer
Played by: Christopher Eccleston
Appearances: Rise of Cobra
Affiliation: Cobra
James McCullen's family background is redone as his ancestor James McCullen I was only punished by the French monarchy while was caught selling weapons to both them and England, condemned to have a red-hot iron mask welded onto his face and serve as an example to others who attempted to overthrow the crown. He also reveals that James McCullen I was also called Destro, explaining it to be short for the "Destroyer of Nations" which his family has been known for in their shady arms-dealing. Supplying the world's governments through M.A.R.S., James McCullen is secretly a terrorist mastermind, using NATO's funding for his research on nanomites before arranging for it to be stolen by M.A.R.S. agents, using one of the warheads to attack Paris as retribution for his ancestor's punishment. He is the primary antagonist for most of the movie, but by the end of the movie, McCullen is severely burned as Rex Lewis takes control of the organization, with the familiar Cobra logo on the side of his personal sub. The "Cobra Commander" then uses more of the stolen Nanomites to reconstruct McCullen's face, transforming his skin into living metal. Suffering the same fate as his ancestor and forced to be obedient to Cobra Commander, McCullen is dubbed "Destro" before being arrested and placed in a high security prison.
Combat Heroes[]
Destro has currently appeared in the Combat Heroes line four times and was expected to appear another time:
- In his classic black suited costume with a silver mask in the Destro and Scarlett 2-Pack
- In his movie incarnation holding a Nanomite gun in the Ripcord and Destro 2-Pack
- In his movie incarnation wearing a purple suit and holding a gun in the Cover Girl and Destro 2-Pack
- In a blue suit with a silver mask in the Destro Single Pack
- He was expected to appear in a black suit with a gold mask in the Cobra Pack 5-Pack but it was cancelled
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