Cartoon Cobra Commander started off fine, it was just the writers decided he was more madman than ruthless dictator is when it got sour...I could consider it a progression of his ego dealing with constant failures.

Comic book CC was ruthless to a fault, quick to discard those loyal to him. Piss poor way to run an organization. After he came back, he was a carciature...as much as later Sunbow CC was a carciature of MASS Device CC. He was never tactically competent in either medium. That's one truth, he is, militarily speaking, a buffoon on the battlefield. Strategy he's far better at, but then he has to trust others to carry out his plans. Dr. Venom said to CC "Why waste strategic talent on a tactical problem." Unfortunately, as he discarded lackeys, he had no one to remind him of that.