Actually, I just stumbled across a few episodes while surfing the web.
(ARRR!)
I found the lines in question particularly amusing or telling, so I quoted them.
I generally spent that era of my life playing Mario, instead of watching TV.
Interestingly enough, as so as I posted my analysis of Commander Feral, I got to the episode where he uses weed killer bombs, to fight plant monsters. They don't work either, because Doctor Viper expected the SWAT Kats to try that. In retrospect, Feral also used an antibiotic missile on the giant germ monster, and Viper anticipated that with immunity too.
I'd accuse the writers of randomly foiling the Enforcers' attacks, just so the SWAT Kats can be the heroes, but Viper also now makes minions immune to both electro-rockets and octopus missiles, the SWAT Kats' primary offensive arsenal.
So yeah, glory hogging bravado, even when he has someone better for the job, and doing it himself means leaving Lieutenant Steel in charge. Nothing is worth leaving Lieutenant Steel in charge of anything.
I figure the only reason he hasn't been punished for all his treachery is that Feral Doesn't consider him a threat, and he prevents a competent second-in-command, from appearing, and threatening to replace Feral.
I'd say Feral was meant to be some sort of object lesson about foolish bravado, but the SWAT Kats are at least as full of ridiculous '80s action-hero machismo. They're like John Rambo meets Batman, in a cartoon. (Dang, Hana-Barberra could have pitched this show with that line.)
The real reason he always loses is because he fights to make himself look good, and his rivals fight to save the city and rescue the girl. The good guys always win, and the bad guys, get beat up by other bad guys, to show that only the good guys can defeat the bad guys. Ah, cartoon karma.
