Cobra (1986)
Directed by George P. Cosmatos and written by Sylvester Stallone, Cobra is a gritty, high-octane action thriller that blends urban crime, vigilantism, and ‘80s style intensity. Stallone stars as Lieutenant Marion “Cobra” Cobretti, a fearless Los Angeles police officer who plays by his own rules to fight crime in a city terrorized by a wave of brutal murders.
The story begins with a chilling sequence inside a supermarket, where a heavily armed gunman takes hostages. As the situation escalates, the LAPD’s elite unit — known as the Zombie Squad — is called in. Cobra, a member of this specialized force, arrives on the scene in his signature 1950 Mercury Monterey. Unflinching and cool under pressure, he enters the store alone, negotiates briefly, and then kills the gunman with a single precise shot. His methods are effective but controversial, earning him both admiration and criticism from fellow officers and the media.
Cobretti’s no-nonsense approach soon brings him into conflict with his superiors and the press, but he’s proven right when the supermarket shooter is revealed to be part of a larger, sinister organization known as the “New World.” This cult-like group of extremists believes that society must be “cleansed” of the weak and that chaos will give rise to a new order. Their leader, the cold and sadistic Night Slasher (Brian Thompson), orchestrates a series of brutal murders across Los Angeles, targeting random civilians at night.
The turning point comes when Ingrid Knudsen (Brigitte Nielsen), a model and key witness, accidentally sees the Night Slasher and his gang commit a murder. When the killers realize she can identify them, she becomes their next target. Cobra is assigned to protect her — a mission that quickly turns personal.
As the Night Slasher’s cult grows more aggressive, Cobra and Ingrid flee the city, heading to a remote rural town under police protection. But the cult tracks them down, leading to a relentless pursuit filled with gunfights, car chases, and explosions. Cobra uses his combat skills, tactical instincts, and sheer determination to take down dozens of attackers, culminating in a final showdown with the Night Slasher in a fiery steel foundry.
In the climactic fight, Cobra and the Night Slasher face off in a brutal, close-quarters brawl among molten metal and sparks. Cobra ultimately kills the murderer by impaling him on a hook and sending him into the fire — a symbolic end to the cult’s reign of terror.
After the dust settles, Cobra rejects a promotion and the political bureaucracy of the police department, choosing instead to continue his mission on the streets — protecting the innocent his own way.
