List of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero characters

Ace is the G.I. Joe Team's original fighter pilot. His real name is Brad J. Armbruster, and his rank is Air Force captain O-3. Ace was born in Providence, Rhode Island. His primary military specialty is fixed wing pilot, and his secondary military specialty is intelligence operations. He spent time flying pipelines and flying stunt planes for films before enlisting in the United States Air Force, and later transferred to the G.I. Joe team. Prior to joining the Joes, he worked as a senior instructor for the USAF Fighter Weapons Squadron "Aggressors" (pilot combat training school). Ace was released in 1983 packaged with the "Sky Striker" fighter jet. A new figure was released as part of the 1992 "Battle Copters" line, with his name changed to "Wendall Armbruster". The figure was repainted and released as part of the "Battle Corps" line in 1993, packaged with the "Ghoststriker" X-16 fighter jet. In the United Kingdom Action Force toyline, Ace was first released in 1985, then rereleased in 1987 with his hometown changed to Montreal, Canada. In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series, Ace debuts in issue #14 (August 1983). He is featured in issue #34 (April 1985), where he battles the Cobra pilot Wild Weasel in a dogfight over New Jersey. Both pilots run out of missiles and ammunition, and the fight ends in a stalemate. After G.I. Joe disbands following the series' end in 1994, Ace returns to stunt flying. When the team reforms in 2001 in the Devil's Due Publishing comic series, he rejoins on reserve status. ==Agent Faces==

Agent Faces is the G.I. Joe Team's infiltrator. His real name is Michelino J. Paolino, and he was born in Parma, Ohio. Agent Faces was first released as an action figure in 2003, in a two-pack with Zartan. His primary military specialty is fighting. His secondary military specialty is intelligence. Agent Faces was born with an uncanny talent for mimicry. After doing a brutally accurate impression of his first sergeant during basic training, he was sent to a top-secret intelligence school. There, he learned the tricks of cloak and dagger, and the use of advanced makeup and disguise techniques. Agent Faces appeared in the direct-to-video CGI animated movie G.I. Joe: Spy Troops, voiced by Ward Perry. ==Agent Helix==

Agent Helix is a covert operations officer with advanced martial arts training and expert marksmanship. Her favorite weapons are dual 10mm Auto pistols. An Olympic-class gymnast, her distinctive "Whirlwind attack" is an overpowering combination of kicks and firepower. Agent Helix appears as a playable character in the G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra video game, voiced by Nancy Truman. She was designed by Mayan Escalante, a character artist at Double Helix Games, as an un-lockable character in the video game. She then became an action figure in the 2009 edition of the toyline. ==Airborne==

Airborne is the G.I. Joe Team's helicopter assault trooper. His real name is Franklin E. Talltree, and his rank is that of sergeant E-5. Airborne was born in a Navajo reservation in Arizona. His primary military specialty is an airborne infantryman, while his secondary military specialty is helicopter gunship gunner. Airborne was first released as an action figure in 1983. The same figure was included in a 1986 "Original Team" mail-in offer. A new figure was released based on the 2003 animated film G.I. Joe: Spy Troops in which the character did not appear. He debuts in issue #11 of the Marvel Comics series, flying a glider against Cobra forces threatening the Alaskan Pipeline. Airborne was voiced by Peter Cullen in the 1985 Sunbow animated series, first appearing in the miniseries "A Real American Hero". He was voiced by Phil Hayes in the 1989 DiC animated series. ==Airtight==

Airtight is the G.I. Joe Team's hostile environment specialist. His real name is Kurt Schnurr, and his rank is that of corporal E-4. Airtight was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He is a trained expert in chemical weaponry, and is able to detect, identify, neutralize and contain viruses and poisons. His primary military specialty is CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) specialist, and his secondary military specialty is ordnance. He is noted for being a practical joker. Airtight was first released as an action figure in 1985. The Brazilian release of the figure, called Ar Puro ("Pure Air"), was released in 1990. A new figure was released in 2008 as a "Direct to Consumer" figure for the G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary line. Airtight first appears in issue #44 (February 1986) of the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series. He is part of a training mission in the Nevada desert for prospective Joes being conducted by Lady Jaye, and when the group is attacked by Cobra forces using new mutant plant spores, he destroys them with battery acid. He is additionally featured in the second issue (December 1986) of the Special Missions series as part of a unit sent to neutralize an old World War II plane partially stuck inside a glacier and threatening to release a toxic cloud that risks endangering lives. In the 2001 Devil's Due Publishing continuity, Airtight returns to duty in the US Army as a CBR Warfare Specialist following the disbandment of G.I. Joe, and was eventually promoted to Sergeant E-5. He is called back to active reserve status upon reinstatement of the team in the event his skills are needed for a future mission. In the UK Action Force continuity, Kurt Schnurr hails from Munich, West Germany. Pat Fraley voiced Airtight in the 1985 Sunbow animated series. Troy Baker voiced him in one episode of the 2010 animated series G.I. Joe: Renegades, in which Airtight is repackaged as a Cobra scientist who becomes infected with a virus he has partially created. ==Airwave==

Airwave is the G.I. Joe Team's audible frequency specialist. His real name is Cliff V. Mewett, and he was born in Louisville, Kentucky. The same name Cliff V. Mewett was also used a few years later for Colonel Courage, even though the character is African-American and born in a different city. Airwave was first released as an action figure in 1990, as part of the "Sky Patrol" line. He is the Sky Patrol communications specialist, and is also the Signal Corps Adjutant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is noted for being able to gain a signal where few others can. Airwave appears in the DiC G.I. Joe cartoon voiced by Michael Benyaer. ==Alpine==

Alpine is the G.I. Joe Team's mountain trooper and debuted in 1985. His real name is Albert M. Pine, and his rank is that of corporal E-4. Alpine was born in Minidoka, Idaho. All subsequent releases of Alpine list his rank as that of Sergeant E-5 only the 1985 release listed his Rank as Corporal E-4. He grew up in the "Snake River Plain", where mountains surrounded on all four sides. This affected his childhood, and he took up mountain climbing as a symbolic representation of overcoming his life. He continued this while working as an accountant for a large publishing firm. Alpine graduated from Ranger School at Fort Benning, and is a qualified expert with M-16, M-14, M-60 and M-1911A1 auto pistol. Alpine is an expert climber, having mastered the challenge of climbing encumbered with weapons, armor, ammunition, communications equipment and other military gear. He has also made good use of his secondary military specialty, applying his refined approach to bookkeeping as a finance clerk. Alpine likes to remind his teammates that the FBI has apprehended more bad guys through accounting, than by kicking down doors. During his time with G.I. Joe, Alpine has also forged a strong friendship with Bazooka. ==Altitude==

Altitude is the G.I. Joe Team's recon scout. His real name is John Edwards Jones, and he was born in Cambria, California. Altitude was first released as an action figure in 1990, as part of the "Sky Patrol" line. Altitude appears in the DiC G.I. Joe cartoon voiced by Terry Klassen. ==Ambush==

Ambush is the G.I. Joe Team's concealment specialist. His real name is Aaron McMahon, and he was born in Walnut, California. Ambush was first released as an action figure in 1990. In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe series, Ambush debuted in issue #111 as part of an advance recon team that was sent to the fictional Middle Eastern country of Benzheen. In the Devil's Due series, Ambush is seen as one of the many Joes interfering in the second Cobra civil war. His infiltration skills are put to use when a Joe team investigates hostile corporate instances in the fictional Eastern European country of Darklonia. Ambush was voiced by Andrew Koenig and Ian James Corlett in the DiC G.I. Joe animated series. ==Armadillo==

Armadillo is the G.I. Joe Team's driver of the Rolling Thunder vehicle. His real name is Philo R. Makepeace, and his rank is E-7 (Sergeant First Class). Armadillo was born in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and was first released as an action figure in 1988 with the "Rolling Thunder" missile launcher. His primary military specialty is that of armored assault vehicle driver. His secondary military specialty is advanced reconnaissance. Prior to his military career, he used to drive semi trucks, before his aggressive driving style got him into trouble. In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe series, the character Armadillo was called Rumbler. His first appearance was in issue #80, when he helped the G.I. Joe team to keep Cobra Command from claiming a newly formed island near the original Cobra Island. However, just as the battle was over, the island sank back beneath the waves. He later participated in a secret mission to rescue captured Joes and members of the Oktober Guard from Sierra Gordo. He participates in the Battle of Benzheen. In Marvel UK's Action Force comic, Armadillo appeared in G.I. Joe Annual 1992, as part of a team sent the fictional country of Sao Cristobel. The mission is to keep Cobra from acquiring a nuclear warhead. ==Backblast==

Backblast is the G.I. Joe Team's Anti-aircraft soldier. His real name is Edward J. Menninger, and his rank is that of Sergeant E-5. Backblast was born in New York City, New York. His primary military specialty is air defense, and his secondary military specialty is signal corps. Backblast was first released as an action figure in 1989. In the Devil's Due Publishing continuity, Backblast is seen as one of the many Joes fighting against the new army created by Serpentor. This conflict takes place on Cobra Island. Backblast is a playable character in the 2009 G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra video game voiced by Chopper Bernet. ==Back-Stop==

Back-Stop is the G.I. Joe Team's Persuader tank driver. His real name is Robert A. Levin. Back-Stop was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His primary military specialty is armor, and his secondary military specialty is mechanized infantry. In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series, he debuted in issue #64 (October 1987) as part of a new group of Joes meeting at their secret headquarters, The Pit. They are not informed of the top-secret aspects of the Joe team right away, such as the underground complex and the space shuttle, the USS Defiant, as their top-secret clearances had not caught up to them yet. Back-Stop appears in only one panel with his face obscured in shadow. The 2009 Canadian G.I. Joe convention had a limited edition box set that included a 25th Anniversary Back-Stop figure and a comic book. The use of the trademarked character was approved by Hasbro. ==Banzai==

Banzai is the G.I. Joe Team's Rising Sun ninja and member of Ninja Force. His real name is Robert J. Travalino. His primary military specialty is first-strike commando. His secondary military specialty is nunchaku instructor. His birthplace is Hartsdale, New York. Banzai trained with a reclusive ninja master in the hostile mountains Tibet for some time. He is noted for training while blind-folded. ==Barbecue==

Barbecue is the G.I. Joe Team's firefighter. His real name is Gabriel A. Kelly, and his rank is that of corporal E-4. Barbecue was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His primary military specialty is fireman, and his secondary military specialty is infantry. He was in line to be the seventh Kelly from his family line to join the Boston Fire Department, but opted to join G.I. Joe instead. Barbecue was first released as an action figure in 1985. The figure was repainted and released as part of the 1989 "Slaughter's Marauders" line, and the 1992 "Eco-Warriors" line. New figures were released in 2008 for the G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary line, and in 2009 for the G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra line. Barbecue was added to the UK Action Force toyline in 1987, with his name changed to "Gabriel A. Garibaldi" and his hometown to Naples, Italy. In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe series, Barbecue debuts in issue #40 (October 1985), where he is part of a team of Joes assigned to erect a transportable air-sea base in the Gulf of Mexico. In the 2001 Devil's Due Publishing continuity, he is accepted back on reserve status for special missions after G.I. Joe reforms. Barbecue was voiced by Loren Lester in the 1985 Sunbow animated series, Lee Jeffrey in the 1989 DiC series, and Jerry O'Connell in the 2010 series G.I. Joe: Renegades. ==Barrel Roll==

Barrel Roll is the G.I. Joe Team's high-altitude sniper. His real name is Dwight E. Stall, and he was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Barrel Roll was first released as an action figure in 2003, and is the brother of both G.I. Joe Bombstrike and Cobra Black Out. A version of Barrel Roll with no accessories came with the Built to Rule Rising Tide, which followed the G.I. Joe: Spy Troops story line. The forearms and the calves of the figure sported places where blocks could be attached. His primary military specialty is marksmanship instructor. His secondary military specialty is fixed-wing aircraft pilot. Barrel Roll pushes himself to practice daily on the sniper range. He is a crack shot, and a skilled HALO jumper and pilot. He can claim the high ground without being spotted, drifting in silently by glider or parachute, and then disappear into the underbrush, sitting absolutely still to align the perfect shot. Barrel Roll appeared in the direct-to-video CGI animated movie G.I. Joe: Spy Troops, voiced by Paul Dobson. ==Barricade==

Barricade is the G.I. Joe Team's bunker buster. His real name is Philip M. Holsinger. Barricade was born in Pittsburg, Kansas, and was first released as an action figure in 1992. His 1993 release was part of the Battle Corps line. In 2004, he was released as part of a Toys R Us exclusive "Anti-Venom Task Force" set. The story behind the Anti-Venom Task Force, is that they are G.I. Joe's response to Doctor Mindbender and Cobra Commander turning civilians into dangerous monsters. His primary military specialty is bunker busting, i.e. penetrating hard targets. His secondary military specialty is the driver of the "Badger" vehicle. Barricade is also explicitly trained to fight enemy agents in city and urban areas. ==Bazooka==

Bazooka is the G.I. Joe Team's missile specialist and debuted in 1985. His real name is David L. Katzenbogen, and his rank is that of sergeant. Bazooka was born in Hibbing, Minnesota. He was operating as an Abrams tank driver in the 3rd Armored Division, when he came to believe that they were too vulnerable to rocket launcher fire. He put in for a transfer as soon as possible. Bazooka trained at the Advanced Infantry School, Fort Benning, Armor School, Fort Knox, and is a qualified expert with Dragon Anti-Tank Missile, Milan System, LAW rocket system, recoilless rifle, and all Warsaw Pact RPG systems. He is noted for being a swift, strategic thinker. Bazooka was first released as an action figure in 1985. The figure was repainted and released as part of the Tiger Force line in 1988. A new version of Bazooka was released in 1993 as part of the Battle Corps line. Another version was released in 2004 as "Sgt Bazooka", and packaged as the driver of the "Quickstrike" vehicle. This figure was repainted and released the same year without the vehicle, in a two-pack with Dreadnok Torch, as part of the Valor vs Venom line. In 2008, a new version of Sgt Bazooka was released, which was based heavily on the 1985 version. In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe series, he first appeared in issue #44 (February 1986). He is one of the many Joes to go underground after most of the team is arrested in order to cover up a public relations fiasco. The rogue Joes work to free General Hawk from murderous government agents who are holding him and another friendly general in a small clinic. Bazooka receives a minor bullet wound in the ensuing firefight. The entire Joe team is cleared of all charges. In the UK-based Action Force line of comics, Bazooka makes his debut fighting hand-to-hand with Crimson Guard forces. This is part of a Joe team effort to destroy a secret Cobra hideout using a fast food restaurant as cover. Later, he battles Dreadnoks Ripper and Buzzer over the possession of an experimental laser weapon, and with the assistance of an elderly war veteran, he acquires the weapon but the Dreadnoks escape. He later finds out the device is worthless. During G.I. Joe's seven-year hiatus, Bazooka becomes overweight and is working as a security guard. In later issues, he works his way back into fighting condition and reunites with Alpine, Mutt and Rock 'n Roll. They have met up in Alpine's new hometown of Delhi Hills, and discover it is a hotspot of Cobra activity. In issue #16, Bazooka defeats Cobra's drill sergeant Big Boa in personal combat. Despite the large amount of destruction, mostly caused by Bazooka, there is no evidence of any enemy activity when Joe backup arrives. The foursome's veteran status is enough for them to be believed. Their reports are later verified, when an anonymous report leads to Cobra operatives in Delhi Hills being captured by a Joe team. Bazooka is later seen battling Cobra soldiers in Colombia. Bazooka is a peripheral character in the 2010 IDW Publishing reboot of the G.I. Joe series. He, along with Scarlett and Duke, are tasked with a mission to protect Dr. Gerald Orizama from a Cobra abduction plot. During Black Out's extraction of the doctor, Bazooka is shot dead in a hallway. He is mourned by fellow Joes back at The Pit, with his trademark #14 football jersey framed and hung on the wall, while Stalker says a tribute to him. Bazooka first appeared in the 1985 five-part miniseries "The Pyramid of Darkness". He is voiced by John Hostetter. He is usually paired with Alpine and portrayed as dullardly, often speaking in one-word sentences and being forgetful, as well as clumsy. Bazooka appeared frequently throughout the first season. Bazooka continued to appear in the second season in a reduced role. Bazooka plays a minor role in the 1987 animated film G.I. Joe: The Movie, when he, Alpine, and Gung-Ho are charged with guarding the captured Serpentor. Lt. Falcon is supposed to be guarding the front, but deserts his post, resulting in the three Joes being attacked by the Dreadnoks and incapacitated by Nemesis Enforcer. In an episode of G.I. Joe: Resolute, the USS Flagg suffers sabotage with multiple bombs going off. Its secure construction keeps it from sinking but there are still casualties. Bazooka, who is on security detail, is found murdered, without a mark on him. He was slain and hidden before the charges were planted. The culprit of both the bombing and Bazooka's murderer is revealed to be Storm Shadow. In Bazooka's mouth was a message addressed to Snake Eyes. ==Beach Head==

Beach Head (real name: Wayne R. Sneeden), introduced in 1986, is a U.S. Army Ranger and later the sergeant major of the G.I. Joe team. Born into abject poverty in Auburn, Alabama, Beach Head was bullied to his low economic-status for much of his youth. However, rather than letting this wear him down, he devoted himself to rising above and beyond his environment, to be the best he could possibly be. Ultimately, Beach Head became the star of his high school, in both athletics and academia. He even became his high school's valedictorian. Beach Head was a lane instructor at the Ranger School in Fort Benning as well as an advisor at the Covert Ops School in Central America. Known for his strict discipline and demanding training routines, he is both respected and feared by recruits. He is meticulous, patient, and strong-willed. Beach Head doesn't get mad because he thinks it is a waste of energy . . . what he does is get even (and he is very good at that). The only thing that irritates him among his comrades is when they don't try their hardest to get the job done. Nothing irks Beach Head like apathy. Beach Head has appeared across multiple toy lines, including the 25th Anniversary series, and in various comics published by Marvel, Devil's Due, and IDW. In animation, he debuted in the second season of the Sunbow series, voiced by William Callaway, and has appeared in G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987), Spy Troops (2003), and Valor vs. Venom (2004). ==Big Ben==

Big Ben is the G.I. Joe Team's SAS Fighter. His real name is David J. Bennett, and his rank is that of Staff Sergeant. Big Ben was born in Burford, England, and was first released as an action figure in 1991. The figure was repainted and released in 1993 as part of the "international Action Force" mail-in offer. Other repainted releases came in 2000 packaged in a two-pack with Whiteout, and two different versions in 2002, packaged in a double-pack with an Alley Viper figure. Big Ben received training at Bradbury Barracks in Hereford, before becoming a cadre member at the NATO Long Range Recon Patrol School in West Germany. He is a member of the 22nd Regiment of the British Special Air Service, on his second assignment with the G.I. Joe Team, as part of a temporary exchange program between American Special Forces and the British SAS. His primary military specialty is infantry, with a secondary of subversive operations. In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe series, he assists the Joes in defending Destro, when the allied group is entrenched in Destro's Trans-Carpathian castle. He also appears in issue #137. In the Devil's Due G.I. Joe series, he assists the Joes when they invade Cobra Island to interfere in their second civil war. Big Ben appeared in the DiC G.I. Joe cartoon, voiced by Maurice LaMarche. ==Big Brawler==

Big Brawler is the code name of Brian K. Mulholland. He is the G.I. Joe Team's jungle mission specialist, and was first released as an action figure in 2001. A new version with red hair was released in 2003, in a Tiger Force five-pack exclusive to Toys R Us stores. His specialties are counter-intelligence and espionage, and he is a master of both psychological warfare and hand-to-hand combat. When it came to terrorist attacks orchestrated by the Cobra Organization, Big Brawler transferred from the Army Intelligence to the G.I. Joe Team. ==Big Lob==