Falcon (also known as Lieutenant Falcon) is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is a

Green Beret The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos, a special-forces unit active during World War II. It is still worn by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course, and personnel from other units of the Roy ...

with the G.I. Joe Team and debuted in 1987.

Profile

His real name is Vincent Falcone and his rank is first lieutenant (paygrade O-2). Falcon was born in

Fayetteville Fayetteville may refer to: *Fayetteville, Alabama *Fayetteville, Arkansas ** The Fayetteville Formation *Fayetteville, Georgia *Fayetteville, Illinois *Fayetteville, Indiana *Fayetteville, Washington County, Indiana *Fayetteville, Missouri *Fayette ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. As a

, his primary function is

special operations Special operations or special ops are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment." Special operations ma ...

. His father was also a Green Beret, who served with the

10th Special Forces Group The 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (10th SFG (A), or 10th Group) is an active duty United States Army Special Forces (SF) Group. 10th Group is designed to deploy and execute nine doctrinal missions: Unconventional warfare (United States), ...

as a command sergeant major, making Falcon a second generation Green Beret. Falcon served with the

5th Special Forces Group The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (5th SFG (A), 5th Group) is one of the most decorated active duty United States Army Special Forces groups. The 5th SFG (A) saw extensive action in the Vietnam War and played a pivotal role in the early mo ...

's Blue Light counter-terrorist unit as an "A" Team executive officer prior to joining the G.I. Joe team. He has been cross-trained in demolitions, and is fluent in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

, and

Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language officially used in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes. * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa. * Swahili culture, the culture of the Swahili p ...

. Falcon is also an expert with most NATO and Warsaw pact small arms. Falcon has an overwhelming friendliness, and can usually sway even the strongest isolationist into joining the fight. This excessive personality often leads to friction with his commanding officers. In the ''G.I. Joe'' animated continuity, Falcon is established to be the younger half brother of

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

(the characters are unrelated in the comics). This relation serves as one of the main focuses in '' G.I. Joe: The Movie'', in which Falcon's irresponsible behavior causes

Serpentor Serpentor is a fictional character and a recurring antagonist from the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toyline, comic books, and animated series. Introduced in 1986, the character rules as Emperor over Cobra where most versions are depicted ...

to escape captivity, which results in a hostility between himself and Duke when Duke is forced to use his influence to bail Falcon out of trouble.

Toys

Falcon was first released as an

action figure An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game, television program, or sport; fictional or historical. These figures are usually ...

in 1987. It sports the familiar

green beret The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos, a special-forces unit active during World War II. It is still worn by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course, and personnel from other units of the Roy ...

headgear, and olive green

fatigues Fatigues may refer to: Military * Combat uniform, also called military fatigues, a type of uniform especially in the military * The plain OG-107 uniform in the United States armed forces * Workwear worn by soldiers to avoid getting their unifor ...

with tiger stripes, and is armed with shotgun, knife, backpack and antenna. Two more versions came out, both made from repaints of the same original

mold A mold () or mould () is one of the structures that certain fungus, fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of Spore#Fungi, spores containing Secondary metabolite#Fungal secondary metabolites, fungal ...

. The second is a

Toys 'R' Us A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and p ...

exclusive released in 1988, where he was renamed Lt. Falcon and packaged in a "Night Force" two-pack with Sneak Peek. It sports a black beret, black top fatigue with grey sleeves, brown pants and black boots. The third version was released in 1991, as part of the Super Sonic Fighters subset of the toyline. It sports a green beret again, and the fatigues have an urban design. The action figure carries a portable helicopter backpack that can emit four different sounds. A fourth all-new sculpt Falcon figure was planned for release as part of the 4th wave of the G.I. Joe "Direct To Consumer"/Toys "R" Us line but was canceled along with the other figures in that wave. In 2009, this version was released by G.I. Joe Collectors' Club. In 2008 Hasbro released a new sculpt of Falcon for its 25th anniversary line, in a two pack with Nemesis Immortal (originally Nemesis Enforcer). The figure pack also included an original comic, issue #8 titled ''Lt. Falcon vs. Nemesis Immortal: Showdown at the Top of the World'', written by Larry Hama and featuring both characters. The story takes place in the Himalayas, the same location as ''G.I. Joe: The Movie''. Lt. Falcon carries a wounded Dusty to their extraction site, concerned that Nemesis Immortal is still around. As the story continues, it focuses on Lt. Falcon battling Nemesis Immortal, so that the Joes can escape.

Comics - original continuity

''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' - Marvel Comics

In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe series, he first appeared in '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' #60 (June 1987). Falcon and several other soldiers are tricked into believing they are now part of the Joe team. They end up in a confrontation with

General Hawk 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. ...

and the

Dreadnoks COBRA (sometimes referred to as Cobra Command) is a fictional terrorist organization and the nemesis of the G.I. Joe Team in the Hasbro action figure toyline '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' and '' G.I. Joe: Sigma 6'', as well as in related ...

. Ultimately it was all a plan to destroy

Cobra Island COBRA (sometimes referred to as Cobra Command) is a fictional terrorist organization and the nemesis of the G.I. Joe Team in the Hasbro action figure toyline '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' and '' G.I. Joe: Sigma 6'', as well as in related ...

with a giant missile; the weapon is destroyed. Due to his heroic actions, Falcon and the other soldiers are officially accepted into the Joe team. Later on, he is involved in several major events in the comics. During the Cobra Civil War he is the leader of a

recon In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconna ...

team for the Joes. The team is responsible for many incidents, including securing the manned tower at the

Cobra COBRA or Cobra, often stylized as CoBrA, was a European avant-garde art group active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home countries' capital cities: Copenhagen (Co), Brussels ...

airfield. Falcon witnesses the death of most of the

Oktober Guard The following list (organized by faction) covers every known character in the ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toy line to have received his/her own action figure. It includes the year the characters' version 1 action figure debuted, their cod ...

. Falcon is also involved in deadly mission in the fictional country of Trucial Abysmia in which several Joes are killed by a Cobra S.A.W. Viper. Falcon and the survivors escape in a Cobra Rage tank. This vehicle is destroyed by Cobra forces, killing

Breaker Breaker may refer to: Objects * A breaking wave on water, or a "breaker", a shallow over which waves break * Circuit breaker, an electrical overload switch * Breaker (hydraulic), a percussion hammer attached to an excavator People * Breaker ...

, Crazy-Legs and Quick-Kick. Duke, Cross-Country and Falcon are the only survivors. This is just prior to Cobra's invasion of another fictional country, Benzheen. Lt. Falcon left G.I. Joe after it was disbanded.

Reinstatement - Devil's Due Publishing

Before G.I. Joe was reinstated, Lt. Falcon has become a military consultant for various

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

productions. He would take part in missions if he was needed. He later got involved in the second major invasion of Cobra Island in G.I. Joe #25 (

Devil's Due Productions Devil's Due Publishing (often abbreviated as DDP) is an independent comic book publisher in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned proper ...

). His last mission prior to a second disbandment of G.I. Joe was a recon mission in fictional Badhikstan. By rejoining the Joe Team Falcon received a pay raise to Captain (O-3).

America's Elite

Falcon became a reservist after Joe Colton reorganized the team. During the "

World War III World War III, also known as the Third World War, is a hypothetical future global conflict subsequent to World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). It is widely predicted that such a war would involve all of the great powers, ...

" storyline, he joined

Vorona ''Vorona berivotrensis'' ( ; Malagasy for "bird", ''berivotrensis'', "from Berivotra") is a monotypic genus of prehistoric birds. It was described from fossils found in a Maevarano Formation quarry near the village of Berivotra, Mahajanga Provi ...

in teaming up with her old comrades in the Oktober Guard to battle Cobra in Chechnya and Russia.

Animated series

G.I. Joe: The Movie

In animation, Lt. Falcon first appears in '' G.I. Joe: The Movie'', voiced by

Don Johnson Don Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor and singer-songwriter. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series '' Miami Vice'', for which he won a Golden Globe, and received a Primetime Emm ...

. He is depicted as a member of the "Rawhides", a group of new Joe recruits, and is cocky and irresponsible. He avoids training, instead giving an unauthorized tour of the facility where Serpentor is being held to a woman named "Heather", who in reality is

Zarana Zarana is a fictional Character (arts), character from the ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toyline, comic books and animated series. She is affiliated with Cobra Command, Cobra as a member of the Dreadnoks. Profile Zarana is the younger siste ...

in disguise. Falcon is caught in the act by Duke, and is punished to keep watch on the outer perimeter of Serpentor's prison until Duke says otherwise. However, he deserts his post and flirts with fellow Rawhide

Jinx A jinx (also jynx), in popular superstition and folklore, is a curse or the attribute of attracting bad or negative luck. Examples of "jinxing" in the 21st-century press include the suggestion a ship might be "jinxed". The connection was made wi ...

, believing it impossible for the enemy to break Serpentor out. Falcon's neglect of his duties allows the

and

Golobulus Cobra is the fictional nemesis of the G.I. Joe Team in the Hasbro toylines and related media. This is an alphabetical listing of Cobra members with unique identities as well as the members of its factions. Alexander McCullen Alexander McCullen ...

' minion Nemesis Enforcer to compromise G.I. Joe security and rescue Serpentor, critically injuring Joes

Gung-Ho ''Gung ho'' () is an English term, with the current meaning of 'enthusiastic or energetic', especially overly so. It originated during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) from a Chinese term, ( zh, hp=gōnghé, l=to work together), sho ...

Alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...

and

Bazooka The Bazooka () is a Man-portable anti-tank systems, man-portable recoilless Anti-tank warfare, anti-tank rocket launcher weapon, widely deployed by the United States Army, especially during World War II. Also referred to as the "stovepipe", th ...

in the process.

scolds him for his actions, has him confined to his quarters until the court-martial, and orders Low-Light and Scarlett to get him out of his sight. At Falcon's court-martial, Hawk reads Lt. Falcon's charges that involved the mentioning of Cobra having made a new ally. Duke pleads in his defense to Hawk and those overseeing the court-martial while revealing that Falcon is his half-brother, though Falcon does not appreciate it. Rather than receiving a heavy sentence, Falcon is sentenced to the "Slaughterhouse" where he is put under the punishing training supervision of drill instructor Sgt. Slaughter and his "Renegades"

Mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (automobile), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City, US * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or tra ...

, Red Dog, and

Taurus Taurus is Latin for 'bull' and may refer to: * Taurus (astrology), the astrological sign ** Vṛṣabha, in vedic astrology * Taurus (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac * Taurus (mythology), one of two Greek mythological ch ...

. Falcon does managed to improve himself under their supervision as Duke checks in with them. Sgt. Slaughter, Falcon, and the Renegades are enlisted by Duke to do an unnamed infiltration of the Terror Drome. Falcon is briefly captured and interrogated, but is saved by the Renegades. He comes to the aid of the Joes in the battle for the Broadcast Energy Transmitter (B.E.T.), during which Duke is impaled by Serpentor while saving Falcon and falls into a coma. After being consoled by Hawk, Falcon swears vengeance on Serpentor while the Joes prepare for their final assault on Cobra-La in the Himalayas. He is on guard in Joe headquarters with the rest of the Rawhides and contacts

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...

. When Hawk's team is ambushed and captured by the traps in Cobra-La, Falcon and the recruits head to the Himalayas and help the Joes in battle. In the throne room, Falcon struggles with Serpentor and is nearly strangled, but a mutated

Cobra Commander Cobra Commander is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' franchise. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra and the archenemy of the G.I. Joe Team. He was portrayed by Jos ...

in the form of a snake saves him. Falcon defeats Serpentor by causing his cape to be caught in his air chariot's engine turbine. He then fights Golobulus, who overpowers him, but Falcon jabs Golobulus in the eye with the latter's stick, freeing himself. Falcon evades Golobulus and manages to deactivate the B.E.T. machine, but Cobra-La's spore pods have matured in space and released its mutative spores by then. However, Falcon reconfigures the B.E.T. to incinerate the spores before they reach Earth, causing it to overload as Golobulus gets away. Stuck on one end of an abyss, Falcon tells Jinx and Sgt. Slaughter to leave, but they save him in time before the B.E.T. destroys the spores and Cobra-La in an explosion. As the Joes celebrate their victory, Falcon shares a kiss with Jinx, and they watch the remaining mutation spores burning in orbit. Though Duke does not appear, Falcon thanks him for his success after the Joes are contacted that Duke has come out of his coma. Lt. Falcon was originally meant to replace Duke's leadership role in the cartoon after Duke was killed protecting him from Serpentor, but that idea was scrapped due to the uproar of

Optimus Prime Optimus Prime, also known in Japan as is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the ''Transformers'' franchise. Generally depicted as a brave and noble leader, Optimus Prime is the supreme commander of the Autobots in their fight ag ...

's death in '' The Transformers: The Movie''. Consequently, the two characters were identified in the movie as siblings. In earlier drafts, Lt. Falcon was penned as the son of General Hawk (hence the Avian-themed codenames).

DiC

Lt. Falcon appeared again in the ''G.I. Joe'' animated series produced by

DiC DIC may refer to: Biology and chemistry * Diisopropylcarbodiimide ''N'','-Diisopropylcarbodiimide is a carbodiimide used in peptide synthesis. As a liquid, it is easier to handle than the commonly used Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, ''N'','-dicyclo ...

, voiced by Fred Henderson. In the two-part episodes "Long Live Rock and Roll" and "The Greatest Evil", his portrayal is less flattering, as he succumbs to the drug Spark provided by the drug dealer Headman. Led by Duke and a vengeful

Crimson Guard The Crimson Guard is an elite organization within the fictional G.I. Joe universe. They are members of Cobra Command, the nemesis of the G.I. Joe team. They are often referred to by a phonetic spelling of their organization's initials, as "Sie ...

who has a drug-addicted sister, it took the combined forces of G.I. Joe and Cobra to defeat Headman's private army, the Headhunters.

Renegades

In '' G.I. Joe: Renegades'', Lt. Falcon is homaged as Duke's younger brother Vincent "Vince" Hauser. When Duke returns fearful for his family due to threats from Cobra, Vince warns Duke to stay away from him and their parents. Unlike his mother and eventually his father, Vince doesn't believe Duke is innocent and turns him and the Joes over to

when they come over to Duke's house for a rare home-cooked meal. Despite this, Duke defends his actions due to his concern for the family.

References

External links

Lt. Falcon
at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page
Lt. Falcon
at YOJOE.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Falcon Comics characters introduced in 1987 Fictional characters from North Carolina Fictional United States Army Special Forces personnel Fictional lieutenants Fictional military captains Fictional linguists Fictional combat medics Male characters in animated television series Male characters in comics G.I. Joe soldiers