Cobra Island is surrounded by open beaches which are, at the very least, hostile environments for tanks of any sort. The Hammerhead was specifically developed to function in shallow coastal waters, sand and scrub vegetation. Sacrificing heavy armor protection for speed and agility, the Hammerhead requires a driver with lightning fast reflexes and exceptional peripheral vision.
"The wide-angle, image-intensifier unit built into the DECIMATOR's helmet offers him a 180 degree view in almost complete darkness. The image he sees is compressed in the same manner used for wide-screen movie titles when they are shown on TV. In essence, he can keep the target in front of him at all times and get a perfectly clear shot at it without even turning his head. This is extremely advantageous when fighting a speeding vehicle on a flat beach!"
Decimator is a Cobra operative in the original G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line. First released as a Hasbro carded action figure in 1990, with 1 distinct figure version produced across the 1982 to 1994 ARAH run.
Decimator did not appear by name in the Sunbow or DiC cartoon series synopses. Original Hasbro file-card lore and Marvel ARAH comics appearances are the primary characterization sources.