A
pilot episode for a
Sgt. Savage and his Screaming Eagles animated series was produced by
Sunbow Productions and
Graz Entertainment and written by Lloyd Goldfine. The episode never aired on TV, but was released on a
VHS tape included with the Commando Sgt. Savage action figure. A few characters from the
A Real American Hero TV series appeared in the pilot to tie the two series together. While the onscreen title was "Old Heroes Never Die", the packaging gave the title as "Old Soldiers Never Die".
Plot The episode starts with a
newsreel from the 1940s detailing how Sgt. Savage, a
war hero awarded with the
Medal of Honor in the
World War II European theater, dies along with his entire company in a failed raid against a German scientific facility. Later, such place is discovered by a news team in the middle 1990s, it turns out that Savage survived. His frozen body is discovered, and is given to the Joes for further research. A robotic trooper invades the Joes' scientific facility, but Savage awakens in the nick of time to destroy it. According to Savage, the raid where all his company died was spoiled by a traitor amongst his ranks. Later, a scientist called Dr. Garret Stromm announces to the Joes that a new super advanced space platform is about to be deployed. Savage identifies the scientist as Lt. Garrison Kreiger, the traitor himself. Savage also learns that during World War II he was Kreiger's guinea pig in genetic experiments and now he possesses super strength and increased reflexes, these "powers", as his whole physical condition wanes from time to time. Savage is then introduced to his new team, a squad of 6 experts in different scientific fields, all well seasoned sergeants, but unable to follow direct orders, after a brief skirmish, Savage takes control of them, now calling themselves the "Screaming Eagles". Kreiger is later seen communicating to
Cobra Commander that the ties between their two organizations no longer bind, how he helped the
Cobra Command formation and how he will destroy them if he interferes with his plans. At the same time, the Eagles are checking the invading robot's remains, and they realize that the space platform Kreiger, who now calls himself "General Blitz" helped to build is really a
Doomsday device meant to control every computer system on the planet (aiming mainly at the
Strategic Defense Initiative), so Savage and his team go forth to stop Blitz, his plans, and his new, completely robotic I.R.O.N. Troopers.
Characters ;Screaming Eagles :A team of six well seasoned sergeants and specialists on every technology and military field led by Sgt. Savage. Due to the short retail life of the toyline, D-Day and Dynamite were the only characters besides Savage himself who were actually released as figures; the rest of the team ended up being featured solely in the animated pilot. The real names and backstories of all the Screaming Eagles members would be established years later in the 2009 book
G.I. Joe vs. Cobra: The Essential Guide published by
Random House. •
Sgt. Savage (voiced by
Scott McNeil):
Master Sergeant Robert Steven Savage, a decorated World War II veteran who was captured by the Iron Army and used as a test subject for genetic experimentation to create the ultimate soldier. He was kept frozen in a cryogenic sleep chamber. Sgt. Savage would be the only character to be carried over to the succeeding
G.I. Joe Extreme toyline. •
D-Day (voiced by Brent Chapman): David X. Brewi, a former
Golden Gloves champion and the heavy weapons specialist. •
Dynamite (voiced by Scott McNeil): Hector J. Garrido, an Argentinian chemist with "love for explosives", demolitions expert. •
Grill (voiced by
Julian Christopher): Darren K. Filbert, a genius in mechanics, creator of all the Eagles' arsenal and vehicles. •
Head Banger (voiced by
Garry Chalk): Kevin M. Kaye, a "Heavy rocker" with a knack for communications systems. •
Mouse (voiced by
Michael Donovan): Morris L. Sanderson, a clumsy mountain of a man, and the team's head
hacker. •
Tank (voiced by
Robert O. Smith): Dwight M. Prudence, the vehicles' master operator. ;The I.R.O.N. Army :A shadowy cabal of elite enemy cyber-soldiers from World War II. The organization's name is an
acronym for "International Robotic Operations Network". •
General Blitz (voiced by Garry Chalk): Garrison Kreiger, a World War II American 2nd lieutenant who was part of Sgt. Savage's platoon while secretly working for the I.R.O.N. Army. During the present day he poses as Dr. Garret Stromm, a scientist who leads Iron Arms Industries, a seemingly legitimate company in charge of developing the International Orbital Space Program, but this is actually a front for his organization. It is implied that he had a hand in the creation of
Cobra Command. •
I.R.O.N. Stormtroopers: An army of cyber soldiers created by Kreiger during World War II as a "new
master race" for
world domination. ;Guest characters •
Hawk (v.b.
David Kaye) •
Lady Jaye (v.b.
Kathleen Barr) •
Doc (v.b. Julian Christopher) •
Cobra Commander (v.b. Scott McNeil) == References ==