The end is nigh -- Mayor J. Michael Houston of Springfield, Illinois has given Cobra Commander the Key to the City. Yes, the masked G.I. Joe villain who once hosted a telethon for fellow terrorist organizations has invaded the home of Abraham Lincoln.

Photo courtesy of GeneralJoes.com

From G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #50

According to GeneralJoes.com (via ComicsAlliance ), the leader of the Cobras was awarded Springfield's highest honor in order to promote the upcoming G.I. JoeCon. The announcement came with the following message from Cobra Commander himself: “Springfielders near and far, I accept your Mayor’s generous gift. And let it be known that I too bring a gift for every man, woman and child of this city that is so near and dear to my heart; an invitation to join with me. Join Cobra!”Fans of Larry Hama's G.I. Joe comic book run from the 1980s may remember an issue where the Cobra Commander took over a town called Springfield, and replaced all residents with sleeper agents.G.I. JoeCon runs from April 9-12, and you can buy tickets here

Anthony Couto is a writer for IGN. He co-hosts a podcast about horrible movie sequels – called– which you can “like” on. Ponder with him on Twitter ator on IGN at