Cobra is a 1986 American action film directed by George P. Cosmatos and written by Sylvester Stallone, who also stars in the title role. The film co-stars Reni Santoni, Brigitte Nielsen and Andrew Robinson. Loosely based on the novel A Running Duck by Paula Gosling (later published as Fair Game and filmed under that title in 1995), Cobra follows police detective Marion "Cobra" Cobretti as he investigates a string of violent crimes while also protecting a witness targeted by the perpetrators.

Plot

In Los Angeles, a mass shooting at a supermarket evolves into a hostage crisis, prompting the Los Angeles Police Department to summon Lieutenant Marion "Cobra" Cobretti, a member of their elite "Zombie Squad", to resolve the crisis. Infiltrating the supermarket, Cobretti stands off with the shooter, who espouses social Darwinist ideals and mentions a "New World", and kills him before he can execute a group of hostages. As the scene is cleaned up, Cobretti is reprimanded by Detective Monte for his seeming disregard for police procedures and protocols, while Cobretti admonishes a group of reporters harassing him for not prioritizing the victims instead. Unbeknownst to Cobretti and the LAPD, the supermarket incident is only part of a string of seemingly unconnected violent crimes in Los Angeles committed by the aforementioned "New World", a social Darwinist cult that despises modern society and believes in killing the weak, leaving only the strongest and smartest to rule the world.