Although he hid it well, Flash has always been jealous of Grand Slam. When the JUMP Jet Pack was first developed both he and Grand Slam volunteered to be the test pilot, and Grand Slam out qualified him by a very slim margin. On top of that Grand Slam updated his uniform with silver pads, which was something that Flash had wanted to do. Any time the Joe's were telling stories, everyone always wanted to hear how Grand Slam had beat the crap out of Major Bludd over most of Flash's tales. One day Flash tried to have a design for a powerful prototype laser he had been working on approved only to find out that Grand Slam had just turned one in of very similar design. Grand Slam had absolutely no idea that Flash was working on one and it was purely coincidence that they were so nearly alike, but Flash logically jumped to the conclusion that Grand Slam had stolen his idea. The last straw came when Grand Slam's laser was approved over his. Flash's faith in the order of the universe was shaken by this seeming injustice. Using his security clearance and access codes he was able to steal the prototype laser and make off with it. Knowing that Grand Slam was on a mission observing a known Cobra front, Flash made his way there with the intention of using the laser on him. When he arrived there was a battle already in progress, and to his disbelief he saw that Grand Slam was in the process of "subduing" Cobra Commander himself. Without giving it a second thought Flash shot the laser at Grand Slam, only catching his backpack, but there was enough force behind the blast to throw him several feet from the Commander. The blast from the laser also punched completely through one of the Joe's MOBAT's that had been about to destroy Cobra Commander's escape vehicle that he had been making his way towards. Cobra Commander, being the opportunist that he is, offered Flash a place in Cobra for saving him. Flash accepted, knowing that he would be imprisoned and court-martialed after all that he had done. It didn't take him long to work his way up Cobra's ranks to Laser-Viper Commander, and he still has a score to settle with Grand Slam.