G.I. Joe Team

Last updated

G.I. Joe
G.I Joe Movie insignia.jpg
G.I. Joe unit insignia patch used in the live action films
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1
Created by Larry Hama
Hasbro
In-story information
Type of organizationMilitary unit
Base(s)G.I. Joe headquarters
Leader(s) General Colton (original leader)
General Flagg
General Hawk
Sergeant Hauser
Roster
See: List of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero characters

G.I. Joe is the code name of a fictional elite covert special operations unit operating under the control of the United States Armed Forces in the G.I. Joe universe. [1] In the 1960s and 1970s, a toy military adventure character based on General Joseph Colton was available. From 1982, the name "G.I. Joe" referred to the team, also known as the "Joe team" or the "Joes". The G.I. Joe team was introduced as the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline by Hasbro. Later, the Marvel G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic books and the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero television cartoons were released. The team's battle cry is "Yo Joe!"

Contents

Background

The G.I. Joe team consists of US Army personnel, representatives from the United States Marine Corps, the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, and the United States Coast Guard. A few are from other forces such as the British Army and the Australian Army. Members are selected from the best recruits who bring with them their particular skills. [2]

Marvel Comics

In the first issue, the team's official codename is "Special Counter – Terrorist Unit Delta". [3] The team became known first casually and then officially as "G.I. Joe". The original members of the team were Hawk, Stalker, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Breaker, Clutch, Rock 'n Roll, Steeler, Grand Slam, Flash, Short-Fuze, Grunt and Zap.

The team is one of the United States' many Special Operations Forces. A Mossad agent identifies team members he meets as part of G.I. Joe because they are "too scruffy to be Delta Force, and not weird enough to be SOG". [4] The team is portrayed as a covert group with access to sophisticated military equipment. Over time, the team is more public with action in high profile missions.

Devil's Due

In the comics series by Devil's Due Publishing, the existence of the Joe team is known to the general public but its missions remain covert. The Joe team has been reduced to a skeleton staff. When a new enemy, the "Red Shadows" arrive, the team is victorious but afterwards is disbanded. However, this was a ruse and the Joe team is reformed with a new core team and the former members as reserves. In the G.I. Joe: America's Elite series, the new team is fully covert.

IDW

In the comics series created by IDW Publishing the G.I. Joe team is a covert organisation operating under the auspices of the US military forces. Their mission is to handle extreme threats. In order to remain covert, new members of the team must fake their own deaths and completely leave their former lives. The team's base, known as "The Pit", is an abandoned military establishment in the Nevada desert.

Animated series

The 1985 G.I. Joe animated television series and the G.I. Joe animated movie expanded on the function of what the show's opening describes as a "special mission force". The team members have many extraordinary skills. They can work in many different environments and operate many different types of vehicles and aircraft. In the animated productions, the team is known to the public. For example, in the episode 20 Questions, the team appears on a talk show and in the episode Once Upon a Joe, the team are greeted excitedly by children.

Factions

G.I. Joe has different factions in their organization:

Battleforce 2000

Battleforce 2000 is a hi-tech unit of the Joes using experimental weaponry under battlefield conditions. They consist of Avalanche, Blaster, Blocker, Dee-Jay, Dodger, Knockdown, and Maverick.

Ninja Force

Led by Storm Shadow sometime after he defected from Cobra, a group of ninjas affiliated with the Arashikage clan form the Ninja Force as a part of the G.I. Joe Team, in order to combat Cobra. Its inaugural members are Nunchuk, T'Jbang, and Dojo. Ninja Force later gained other members like Banzai, Bushido, and T'Gin-Zu.

Counterparts

There are different counterparts of G.I. Joe that work with the G.I. Joe team:

Comando Heroicos

The Comando Heroicos is the Argentinian branch of G.I. Joe. Known members include Sgt. Redmack, Sgt. Shimik, Sgt. Topson

Oktober Guard

The October Guard is Eastern Europe's answer for G.I. Joe. Known members include Red Star, Big Bear, Colonel Brekhov, Daina, Dragonsky, Lt. Gorky, Horrorshow, Misha, Schrage, Stormavich, and Wong. Red Star maintains that G.I. Joe is the Oktober Guard's counterpart.

Productions

Generally, Hawk is the team's commanding officer. Duke is the senior non-commissioned officer and second-in-command. Flint often serves as third in command (though being a warrant officer, he technically outranks Duke) and usually leads field missions whenever Duke cannot. Beach-Head and Sgt. Slaughter are labeled as fourth and fifth in command, respectively. Both of them also serve as drill instructors and trainers to new Joe recruits. However, a number of differences exist between the comics, cartoon and even the toyline.

Marvel Comics

The original Marvel comic book series takes a fairly realistic approach to the military command hierarchy. In the early issues of the comic, the overall command of the G.I. Joe team falls to brigadier general Lawrence J. Flagg, who serves as liaison with the Pentagon. Hawk is the field leader, with Stalker as the senior non-commissioned officer and de facto second-in-command. After General Flagg is killed in issue 19, Hawk assumes overall command of the team in issue 33 and appoints Duke as field leader. Vice Admiral Keel-Haul is introduced in issue 36. General Joseph Colton (the model for a G.I. Joe 12 inch toy) appears in issues 86, 127 and 152 but is not a member of the team.

Real American Hero cartoon series

The Real American Hero animated series produced by Sunbow Entertainment mainly focused on newer characters. In the initial miniseries, Duke served as team leader, answering to General Flagg, while Flint served as second-in-command and was the lead character of the second miniseries. In the second full season, coinciding with the release of a new Hawk action figure, Hawk is established as the commander, with Duke as second-in-command and Flint in third, with Beach Head and Sgt. Slaughter also in leadership roles. This continued with the newer series produced by DIC Entertainment that took place after the animated film.

G.I. Joe Extreme

G.I. Joe Extreme was a relaunch of the toy line that features a new team assembled by the mysterious Mr. Clancy to battle SKAR (Soldiers of Khaos, Anarchy and Ruin), an organization led by Iron Claw, who sought to use the instability of post-Cold War Eastern Europe to launch a campaign for world domination. The team is shown as a very small and elite group, and the only character to carry over was Sgt. Savage, who had been introduced late in the previous line. A cartoon series was produced by Sunbow and Gunther-Wahl Productions and distributed by Claster Television which was broadcast for two seasons.

Dark Horse Comics acquired the comic book license at the time and published two four-issue mini-series of G.I. Joe Extreme. The first, continuing from the cartoon series, sees the team defeat SKAR, which was established as having been initially founded in the 1960s but only becoming a threat after Iron Klaw took control in a coup. The second sees them battle Red Scream, a group opposed to globalization. A third nemesis, the I.R.O.N. Army (a reorganization of the remnants of SKAR) was mentioned in the last issue, but the series was canceled before the story could continue.

Sigma 6

In the G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 series, the team is smaller and new characters are introduced gradually rather than en masse. The series gives the history that the team reformed with a new codename after their base was destroyed by Cobra.

The Rise of Cobra

In this movie, G.I. Joe is an acronym for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity and the team include Hawk, Duke, Rip Cord, Scarlett, Breaker, Heavy Duty and Snake Eyes. It is an international force using advanced technology. The team's base is in Egypt. It is well funded due to global backing. [5]

Renegades

In this series, the team, called the "Renegades", is founded by Lieutenant Scarlett O'Hara and her ninja sensei Snake Eyes. The team members include Sergeant Duke Hauser, Corporal Roadblock Hinton, Private Tunnel Rat Lee, and Private Rip Cord Weems. Their purpose is to expose Cobra Industries for its illegal transgressions. However, they become wrongly accused of the ruin of Cobra Pharmaceuticals. The team must clear its name while avoiding a new nemesis, the Falcons, and is successful. The Falcons' commander is Flint. Its members include Lady Jaye, Wild Bill, Lift-Ticket, and Heavy Duty.

Retaliation

In the sequel to The Rise of Cobra, the team include Roadblock, Flint, Lady Jaye, Snake Eyes and Jinx with support from General Joseph Colton and Storm Shadow. Duke, Mouse, Grunt and Clutch were all killed by Cobra.

Snake Eyes

In the film, Scarlett is a major of the Joes who assisted the Arashikage Clan in their fight against Cobra. Snake Eyes learned from Scarlett that his father was a Joe targeted and killed by Cobra while working undercover to infiltrate Cobra. Scarlett asks Snake Eyes to join the team, but chooses to first find Tommy, who cast himself out of the Arashikage.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

At the end of the film, Noah Diaz is recruited by Agent Burke, who learns about the Autobots' existence, to join G.I. Joe.

See also

Related Research Articles

Snake Eyes (<i>G.I. Joe</i>) Fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise

Snake Eyes is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books, and animated series, created by Larry Hama. He is one of the original and most popular members of the G.I. Joe Team, and is most known for his relationships with Scarlett and Storm Shadow. Snake Eyes is one of the most prominent characters in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero franchise, having appeared in every series of the franchise since its inception. He is portrayed by Ray Park in the 2009 live-action film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and the 2013 sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Henry Golding portrays the titular character in the 2021 reboot Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins.

Storm Shadow (<i>G.I. Joe</i>) Fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise

Storm Shadow is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is best known as the Cobra Commander's ninja bodyguard, and for his history with fellow ninja Snake Eyes.

Hawk (<i>G.I. Joe</i>) Fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise

Hawk is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero media franchise. He is one of the original members of the G.I. Joe Team, and debuted in 1982 as a Missile Commander, but was later promoted to full commander of the team. Hawk is portrayed by Dennis Quaid in the 2009 live-action film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Duke (<i>G.I. Joe</i>) Fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise

Duke is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books, and animated series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's First Sergeant, and debuted in 1983. The character is also featured in both the G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 animated series and comic books. Channing Tatum portrays Duke in the 2009 live-action film, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and the 2013 sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

<i>G.I. Joe: Sigma 6</i> Line of toy action figures; animated series

G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 is a line of military-themed action figures and toys produced by Hasbro, re-imagining the characters of the 1980s toyline, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.

<i>G.I. Joe</i> (comics) Comics

G.I. Joe has been the title of comic strips and comic books in every decade since 1942. As a licensed property by Hasbro, G.I. Joe comics have been released from 1967 to present, with only two interruptions longer than a year. As a team fighting Cobra since 1982, the comic book history of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero has been covered by three separate publishers and four main-title series, all of which have been based on the Hasbro toy line of the same name.

Scarlett (<i>G.I. Joe</i>) Fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise

Scarlett is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. She is one of the original members of the G.I. Joe Team, and debuted in 1982. The character is also featured in both the G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 animated series and comic books. Scarlett was portrayed by actress Rachel Nichols in the 2009 film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Samara Weaving in the 2021 film Snake Eyes.

Baroness (<i>G.I. Joe</i>) Fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise

Baroness is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline by Hasbro, originally appearing in the first issue of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic series by Marvel Comics in June, 1982. The Baroness is a villainess, associated with the G.I. Joe Team's nemesis Cobra.

Flint (<i>G.I. Joe</i>) Fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise

Flint is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series. He was originally created as a character for the Sunbow G.I. Joe animated series in 1984, and later introduced into the comic book and produced as an action figure in 1985. He is portrayed by D.J. Cotrona in the 2013 film G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Jaye</span> Fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise

Lady Jaye is a fictional character in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. She was originally created as a character for the G.I. Joe animated series produced by Marvel Productions and Sunbow Productions in 1984, was later produced as an action figure, and was finally introduced into the comic book in 1985. Lady Jaye is the G.I. Joe Team's covert operations specialist. She is portrayed by Adrianne Palicki in the 2013 film G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

Stalker (<i>G.I. Joe</i>) Fictional character from G.I. Joe

Stalker is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's original ranger and debuted in 1982. He is sometimes called "Sgt. Stalker" on toys. He was the first African-American character in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.

Firefly (<i>G.I. Joe</i>) Character in G.I. Joe

Firefly is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is a mercenary who works for the Cobra Organization as a saboteur. He is portrayed by Ray Stevenson in the 2013 film G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

Jinx (<i>G.I. Joe</i>) Character from the G.I. Joe franchise

Jinx is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. She debuted in 1987 as the G.I. Joe Team's female ninja, and since then her code name has been the identity of several other incarnations of the same character, including one of Snake Eyes' apprentices in G.I. Joe: Sigma 6, Chuckles' undercover contact in G.I. Joe: Cobra, and Storm Shadow's cousin in G.I. Joe: Renegades. She is portrayed by Élodie Yung in the 2013 film G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

Kamakura (<i>G.I. Joe</i>) Fictional character

Kamakura is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is the first character created by Devil's Due Publishing to be made into a G.I. Joe figure, and later brought into the new animated series.

<i>G.I. Joe: Americas Elite</i>

G.I. Joe: America's Elite is a series of comic books set in the G.I. Joe universe which began publication in June 2005. The events of the series begin one year after the conclusion of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, and features the G.I. Joe Team re-activated with a reduced roster. The Special Missions series features reserve specialists who are activated as needed, and expands on plots set up in the main title.

Rock n Roll (<i>G.I. Joe</i>) Character in G.I. Joe

Rock 'n Roll is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's original machine gunner and debuted in 1982.

<i>G.I. Joe: Resolute</i> American animated television series

G.I. Joe: Resolute is an American anime-influenced adult animated web series based on the G.I. Joe franchise. It was written by Warren Ellis, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, and produced by Sam Register, creator of Cartoon Network's Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi and The Looney Tunes Show. It debuted on the web at Adult Swim Video on April 17, 2009, as a series of ten 5-minute episodes and a final 10-minute episode, with a content rating of TV-14-V, and later premiered as a movie on Adult Swim on April 25, 2009. The show has a darker and more realistic tone compared to other installments in the franchise, and also uses elements from both the cartoons and the comics, and is described by Warren Ellis as a "fusion".

Lt. Stone is the name of three different fictional characters from the G.I. Joe franchise. Each one of them are featured in a different continuity: two Lieutenants, and a Sergeant. In addition to these each of them have an action figure in the line of toys by Hasbro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Kessler</span> Fictional character

Billy Kessler is a fictional character in the comic book series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. He is the son of the main villain of the series, Cobra Commander, but fights against his father and the forces of Cobra Command, learning martial arts under the tutelage of Storm Shadow, who helps him after a botched attempt on Cobra Commander's life. While still a boy, he loses an eye and a leg when a Cobra operative destroys a car in which he is riding, and after recovering he goes on to become a member of his father's greatest enemy, the G.I. Joe Team.

<i>G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero</i> (Devils Due Publishing)

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a comic book that was published by Image Comics from 2001 to 2005. Based on Hasbro, Inc.'s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line of military-themed toys, the series picks up seven years after the end of the Marvel Comics series.

References

  1. ↑ Fletcher, Dan (August 7, 2009). "A Brief History of G.I. Joe". Time . Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  2. ↑ Truitt, Brian (April 14, 2010). "Larry Hama relaunches his '80s 'G.I. Joe 'series". USA Today . Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  3. ↑ Hama, Larry. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, vol. 1, issue no. 1, Cover date: June 1982. Marvel Comics.
  4. ↑ "GCD :: Issue :: G.I. Joe Special Missions #2 [Direct Edition]". Comics.org. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  5. ↑ Donaldson-Evans, Catherine (September 7, 2007). "G.I. Joe to Become Global Task Force in Movie". Fox News. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.