M.A.R.S.

Destro
G.I. Joe character
Destro; detail from the cover of G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero #49 (July, 1986), Marvel Comics. Art by Mike Zeck.
First appearance	1983
Voiced by	Arthur Burghardt (Sunbow) Maurice LaMarche (DiC series) Scott Mcneil (Spy Troops & Valor vs. Venom) Marc Thompson (Sigma 6) Eric Bauza (Resolute) Clancy Brown (Renegades)
Affiliation	Cobra
Specialty	Weapons Supplier Founder of M.A.R.S. Industry
File name	Destro XXIV, James McCullen
Birth place	Callander, Scotland
Primary MOS	Weapons Manufacturer
Secondary MOS	Terrorist
Subgroups	Iron Grenadiers Star Brigade Armor Tech

Destro
G.I. Joe character
Christopher Eccleston as Destro in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
First appearance	2009
Portrayed by	Christopher Eccleston
Voiced by	Robin Atkin Downes (video game)
Affiliation	Cobra
Specialty	Weapons designer
File name	James McCullen
SN	Classified
Rank	Classified
Series	G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Laird James McCullen Destro XXIV, usually referred to simply as Destro, is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books, and cartoon series. He is the leader of the Iron Grenadiers, and founder of M.A.R.S. Industries, a weapons manufacturer and supplier for Cobra. Destro is portrayed by Christopher Eccleston in the 2009 live-action film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Born in Callander, Scotland, Destro's full name is James McCullen Destro XXIV, and he is Laird of the Castle Destro in the Scottish Highlands. The Destro clan has designed and sold weapons for centuries, and Destro is the faceless power behind their current incarnation—M.A.R.S. (Military Armament Research System), a state-of-the-art weapons manufacturer and one of the largest multinational corporations in the world. As a businessman, Destro is cutthroat and unyielding and is able to maintain apartments and office buildings in most major cities of the world. His luxurious lifestyle outdoes most oil sheiks or shipping magnates. War is his business and passion: Destro believes in the spoils of war and the vast wealth M.A.R.S. provides. He hires mercenaries to stir up conflict in dangerous regions, then provides high-tech arms to any side able to meet his price. Continuing a tradition started by the first Destro, he will even sell to both sides of the same war.

Destro's key characteristics are his sense of honor, a calm demeanor, and love for Cobra's second-in-command, the Baroness. He wears a mask forged from beryllium steel, a tradition dating back to the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, when an ancestor of his was caught by Cromwell's men in the act of selling weapons to both sides. Forced to wear a steel mask for his crimes (neither side wanted to execute the ancestor because they still wanted the weapons he sold), the Destro clan has since turned it into a symbol of pride, passing it down from father to son for over 20 generations. He also wears on a neck chain his family crest bearing an ancient Scottish emblem symbolizing absolute power. Destro will sometimes enter battle himself, either as a member of Cobra Command, or against them if it's better for business. He respects the G.I. Joe Team for their combat skills, but detests them for wasting their skills to maintain peace. Destro and Cobra Commander despise each other but maintain an alliance of convenience. Although twice the tactician and three times the soldier of Cobra Commander, Destro's sense of honor works to his disadvantage in the face of Cobra Commander's ruthlessness.