G.I. Joe (other)
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''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of
action figures An action figure is a poseable character (arts), 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 fig ...
owned and produced by the
toy 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 ...
company
Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment holding company founded on December 6, 1923 by Henry, Hillel and Herma ...
. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the
U.S. armed forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. U.S. federal law names six armed forces: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the Coast Guard. Since 1949, all of the armed forces, except th ...
with the Action Soldier (
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
), Action Sailor (
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
), Action Pilot (
U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...
), Action Marine (
U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...
), Action lifeline ( U.S. Coast Guard) and later on, the Action Nurse. The name is derived from the usage of "G.I. Joe" for the generic U.S. soldier, itself derived from the more general term "
G.I. G.I. is an informal term that refers to "a soldier in the United States armed forces, especially the army". It is most deeply associated with World War II, but continues to see use. It was originally an initialism used in U.S. Army paperwork f ...
". The development of G.I. Joe led to the coining of the term "
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 ...
". G.I. Joe's appeal to children has made it an American icon among toys. The ''G.I. Joe'' trademark has been used by Hasbro for several different toy lines, although only two have been successful. The original line introduced on February 1, 1964, centered on realistic action figures. In the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, this line was licensed to
Palitoy Palitoy was a British toy company. It manufactured some of the most popular toys in Britain, some original items and others under licence. Its products included Action Man, Action Girl, Action Force, Tiny Tears, Pippa (doll), Pippa, Tressy, Mainli ...
and known as
Action Man Action Man is an action figure launched in Britain in 1966 by Palitoy as a licensed copy of Hasbro's American "movable fighting man", G.I. Joe. Action Man was originally produced and sold in the United Kingdom and Australia by Palitoy Ltd of ...
. In 1982 the line was relaunched in a scale complete with vehicles, playsets, and a complex background story involving an ongoing struggle between the G.I. Joe Team and the evil
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 ...
organization which seeks to take over the Free World through terrorism. As the American line evolved into the
Real American Hero ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' (also known as Action Force in Finland, Sweden and the UK) is a military-themed line of action figures and toys in Hasbro's G.I. Joe franchise. The toyline lasted from 1982 to 1994, producing well over 500 fig ...
series, Action Man also changed, by using the same molds and being renamed as
Action Force Action Force is a brand of European action figures released in the 1980s that was based on the ''Action Man'' toyline. It was also used to introduce ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toys to European markets. Several publishing companies have ...
. Although the members of the G.I. Joe team are not
superheroes A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
, they all had expertise in areas such as martial arts, weapons, and explosives. G.I. Joe was inducted into the
National Toy Hall of Fame The National Toy Hall of Fame is a U.S. hall of fame that recognizes the contributions of toys and games that have sustained their popularity for many years. Criteria for induction include: icon status (the toy is widely recognized, respected, a ...
at
The Strong The Strong is an interactive, collections-based educational institution in Rochester, New York, United States, devoted to the study and exploration of play. It carries out this mission through six programmatic arms called "Play Partners": * Th ...
in
Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...
, in 2004 and into the Pop Culture Hall of Fame in 2017. Each year, G.I. Joe Day is celebrated on February 1 to mark the start of the brand. The line made its first public appearance at the New York Toy Fair on February 9, 1964, one week after being launched.


History of the figures


Stan Weston's original design (1963)

The original idea for the action figure that would become G.I. Joe was developed in 1963 by
Stanley Weston Stanley Weston (né Weinburger; September 25, 1919 – April 11, 2002) was an American publisher, sportswriter, artist and photographer. He promoted the sport of boxing and professional wrestling throughout his career. Weston started ''Pro Wrestl ...
, a
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
licensing agent. Weston made rudimentary prototypes of the figure and basic marketing materials that showed the sales potential of a military action figure. When he showed these materials to Donald Levine, a Hasbro executive, Levine told Weston: "You will make a fortune with these". Weston subsequently licensed the entire concept to Hasbro for US $100,000.


America's movable fighting man (1964–1969)

The conventional marketing wisdom of the early 1960s was that boys would not play with
dolls A doll is a physical model, model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and ...
and parents would not buy their sons dolls, which have been traditionally a girl's toy; thus the word "
doll A doll is a physical model, model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and ...
" was never used by Hasbro or anyone involved in the development or marketing of G.I. Joe. "
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 ...
" was the only acceptable term, and has since become the generic description for any poseable figure intended for boys. G.I. Joe was specifically designed using the articulation of an artist's model, even going so far as being used to produce the prototype toys. "America's movable fighting man" is a registered trademark of Hasbro, and was prominently displayed on every boxed figure package. The Hasbro prototypes were originally named "Rocky", "Skip", and "Ace", before the more universal name G.I. Joe was adopted. One of the prototypes would later sell in a
Heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset A heritage asset is an item which has value because of its contribution to a nation's society, knowledge and/or culture. Such items are usually physical assets, but some countries also ...
auction in 2003 for $200,001. An African-American figure was introduced in 1965, though it was simply the same face as the white figure, but molded in brown plastic. Aside from the obvious trademarking on the right buttock, other aspects of the figure were copyrighted features that allowed Hasbro to successfully pursue cases against producers of cheap imitations, since the human figure itself cannot be copyrighted or trademarked. The scar on the right cheek was one; another, unintentional at first, was the placement of the right thumbnail on the underside of the thumb. Early trademarking, with "G.I. Joe™", was used through some point in 1965; the markings changed once G.I. Joe was a registered trademark; "G.I. Joe®" now appears on the first line. Subsequently, the stamped trademarking was altered after the patent was granted (in late 1966), and assigned a number; 3,277,602. Figures with this marking would have entered the retail market during 1967.


Adventure Team (1970–1976)

By the late 1960s, in the wake of the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, Hasbro sought to downplay the war theme that had initially defined "G.I. Joe". The line became known as "The Adventures of G.I. Joe". In 1970, Hasbro settled on the name "Adventure Team". Highlights of the line included: * To coincide with the new direction, "Life-Like" flocked hair and beard, an innovation developed in England by
Palitoy Palitoy was a British toy company. It manufactured some of the most popular toys in Britain, some original items and others under licence. Its products included Action Man, Action Girl, Action Force, Tiny Tears, Pippa (doll), Pippa, Tressy, Mainli ...
for their licensed version of Joe,
Action Man Action Man is an action figure launched in Britain in 1966 by Palitoy as a licensed copy of Hasbro's American "movable fighting man", G.I. Joe. Action Man was originally produced and sold in the United Kingdom and Australia by Palitoy Ltd of ...
, is introduced in 1970. A retooled African American Adventurer was also introduced, which came in two versions as did the others in the series, bearded or shaven. * In 1974, named after the increasingly popular martial art, Hasbro introduced "Kung-Fu Grip" to the G.I. Joe line. This was another innovation that had been developed in the UK for Action Man. The hands were molded in a softer plastic that allowed the fingers to grip objects in a more lifelike fashion. The polymer used, however, broke down quickly, which caused the end of the thumb and fingertips to break off after a few weeks. * In 1976, G.I. Joe was given eagle eye vision; a movable eye mechanism to allow the toy to appear to be looking around when a lever in the back of the head was moved. This would be the last major innovation for the original line of figures.


A shift in play patterns

For its first ten years, G.I. Joe was a generic soldier/adventurer with only the slightest hints of a team concept existing. In 1975, after a failed bid to purchase the toy rights to the ''
Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After being seriously injured in a NASA test fl ...
'', Hasbro issued a bionic warrior figure: Mike Power, Atomic Man. One million units were sold. Also added to the Adventure Team was a superhero, Bullet Man. This character had recurring enemies, The Intruders – Strongmen from Another World. Comics included with figures at the time featured "Eagle Eye" Joe, Atomic Man, and Bullet Man operating together; the Adventure Team was finally an actual team. The original G.I. Joe line ended in America in 1976. At this time, Hasbro released a line of inexpensive, rotationally molded mannequins in the G.I. Joe style called The Defenders. Hasbro published comic book advertisements starring the Adventure Team, featuring the original G.I. Joe, Atomic Man, and Bulletman as members.


International G.I. Joe licensees

From 1966 through 1984, Palitoy Ltd. produced a British version of the G.I. Joe line, under the
Action Man Action Man is an action figure launched in Britain in 1966 by Palitoy as a licensed copy of Hasbro's American "movable fighting man", G.I. Joe. Action Man was originally produced and sold in the United Kingdom and Australia by Palitoy Ltd of ...
name for the UK market. Initially, these were exactly the same designs as the American figures, and at first the same military theme which included figures from
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The line later expanded to include all men of action, like
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
players and other sports figures. In the early 1980s, Palitoy responded to falling sales of Action Man by launching "Action Force", a new range of smaller military-themed figures in the style of the then-popular ''Star Wars'' line from Kenner. Later, when the U.S. Real American Hero line was released in the UK, they were released under the '
Action Force Action Force is a brand of European action figures released in the 1980s that was based on the ''Action Man'' toyline. It was also used to introduce ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toys to European markets. Several publishing companies have ...
' title, since the term "G.I." is not in common use in Britain. The figures had the same appearance and code names as the American G.I. Joes, but their identities and histories were international rather than purely American or British. The range was later renamed G.I. Joe to bring it into line with international markets; however, the Action Man line retained its original name when it was revived in the early 1990s. The G.I. Joe line was also licensed to
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
under the Action Team name. In
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, Geyperman was the Hasbro licensee, although the products were more based on Palitoy's line, down to the logo design. In France the name was Action Joe, in
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, Takara and Tsukuda licensed the figures under the names "G.I. Joe" and "Combat Man". In Italy, Polistil licensed the figures under the Action Team name. In
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, the line was released as "G.I. Joe" by Kenbrite; Palitoy also licensed their "ActionMan" line to TolToys. In
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, it was licensed to Brinquedos Estrela; the line was called "Falcon" and the figures were called "Comandos em Ação" ("Commandos in Action"). In
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
, the G.I. Joe figures were licensed by Veri-li enterprises under the name "Joe Super Temerario", and "Los Temerarios". The G.I. Joe toy line was produced in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
under the Funskool brand. In Mexico, G.I. Joe was licensed to Lili-Ledy and were named "Hombres de Acción" (Men of Action).


Hall of Fame (1991–1994)

Hasbro began releasing new G.I. Joe figures in 1991. The first figure,
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 ...
, was marketed exclusively to
Target Target may refer to: Warfare and shooting * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artille ...
retail stores. Based on the Real American Hero toyline, the Hall of Fame series featured Mission Gear Outfits, vehicles, and featured popular characters like Snake-Eyes,
Stalker Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance or contact by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring t ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
Destro Laird James McCullen Destro XXIV, usually referred to simply as Destro, is a fictional Character (arts), character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books, and cartoon series. He is the Scottish people, Scottish leader of ...
, and
Storm Shadow The Storm Shadow is a Franco-British low-observable, long-range air-launched cruise missile developed since 1994 by Matra and British Aerospace, and now manufactured by MBDA. "Storm Shadow" is the weapon's British name; in France it is calle ...
among others. This was followed by an anniversary series based on the 1960s line and was followed by the Hall of Fame Limited Editions, also based on 60s releases.


Classic Collection (1995–2004)

G.I. Janes were introduced in a series called the Classic Collection, the first female dolls in the G.I. Joe line-up since 1967; this doll was a
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...
pilot. The Classic Collection hearkened back to the original all military theme of G.I. Joe with fairly realistic uniforms and gear. Soldiers from Australia, Britain, and other nations, as well as United States forces were featured. The line also presented an all-new articulated G.I. Joe figure that formed the basis of many offerings until the line was discontinued in the new millennium. In 2000, a ''
Navajo The Navajo or Diné are an Indigenous people of the Southwestern United States. Their traditional language is Diné bizaad, a Southern Athabascan language. The states with the largest Diné populations are Arizona (140,263) and New Mexico (1 ...
Code Talker A code talker was a person employed by the military during wartime to use a little-known language as a means of secret communication. The term is most often used for United States service members during the World Wars who used their knowledge ...
'' was introduced, one of only two G.I. Joe talking figures (until this time) since the 1970s.the other being the WW2 Military Police figure. In 2001, G.I. Joe honored the events of the 1941
attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...
by releasing a line of Pearl Harbor figures. In 2003 Hasbro announced the release of the 40th Anniversary G.I. Joe line. This line featured reproductions of the earliest G.I. Joe figures and accessories originally made in 1964.


Masterpiece (1996–1997)

In 1997, the original G.I. Joe figure returned via the G.I. Joe Masterpiece Edition, a unique book-and-figure product created by
Chronicle Books Chronicle Books is a San Francisco–based American publishing company that publishes books for both adults and children. History The company was established in 1967 by Phelps Dewey, an executive with Chronicle Publishing Company, then-publish ...
with assistance from Don Levine, former creative director of Hasbro Toys and the driving force behind the original Joe concept.


Timeless Collection (1998–2003)

During the late 1990s Hasbro built on the renewed interest in authentic reproductions of G.I. Joe established by the Masterpiece Edition reproduction book/figure set; they bought the rights to the ME figure and released a range of store exclusive reproduction figure sets, with the character of the sixties G.I. Joe boxed sets.


GI Joe 40th Anniversary (2003-)

Reproduction boxed uniform and figure sets were released, covering the original product lineup of 1964 - Action Soldier, Action Sailor, Action Marine and Action Pilot. The supplied figure was a variation on the previously released Masterpiece Edition reproduction figure (as indicated on the left & right buttock), with a revised head sculpt. In November 2006 a reproduction Land Adventurer G.I. Joe figure was released as an exclusive to Hot Topic stores. The figure was a reproduction of the Land Adventurer with the Kung-Fu Grip hands and came in the "Coffin" style box. A reproduction Talking Adventure Team Commander was also released in a limited run of 1,970 issues. Adventure Team boxed figures were subsequently released exclusively via Walmart. The available figures were the Land, Sea, Air Adventurers, Man of Action and the African American Adventurer. All figures except the African American used the (flocked) head sculpt of the 40th Anniversary series release.


History of the figures


A Real American Hero (1982–1994)

The year 1982 saw the highly successful relaunch of the G.I. Joe product line in a smaller, scale. The scale was the same scale used by the
Kenner Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy brand owned by Hasbro. Kenner Products began as a toy company founded in 1946, going on to produce several highly recognizable toys and merchandise lines including action figures for t ...
's ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' figures, but with many more points of articulation much like the 1970s Mego's ''
Micronauts Micronauts is a North American science fiction toyline manufactured and marketed by Mego from 1976 to 1980. The ''Micronauts'' toyline was based on and licensed from the '' Microman'' toyline created by Japanese-based toy company Takara in 1974 ...
'' toy line which itself was licensed directly from
Takara was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955. In March 2006, the company merged with Tomy, Tomy Company, Ltd. to form Tomy, Takara Tomy. The Takara motto was("playing is culture"). The company focused on traditional toys and board games. They cr ...
's ''
Microman was a science fiction toyline created, manufactured and marketed by Takara, Takara Co., Ltd. from 1974 to 1984 as well as from 1998 to 2007. The ''Microman'' line was a series of action figures with accompanying vehicles, robots, playsets and ...
'' toy line. This relaunch pioneered several tactics in toy marketing, combining traditional advertising with an animated television mini-series and an ongoing comic book. The decision to use a smaller scale for the figures also made it possible for Hasbro to produce a variety of matching vehicles and playsets that further expanded the appeal and commercial potential of the line. G.I. Joe's increasing popularity supported an array of spin-off merchandising that included
poster A poster is a large sheet that is placed either on a public space to promote something or on a wall as decoration. Typically, posters include both typography, textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or w ...
s,
t-shirt A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt, or tee for short) is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a '' crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shir ...
s,
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
s,
board game A board game is a type of tabletop game that involves small objects () that are placed and moved in particular ways on a specially designed patterned game board, potentially including other components, e.g. dice. The earliest known uses of the ...
s, and
kite A kite is a tethered heavier than air flight, heavier-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create Lift (force), lift and Drag (physics), drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. Kites often have ...
s. In 1985, both ''Toy & Lamp'' and ''Hobby World'' magazines ranked ''G.I. Joe'' as the top-selling American toy. The line was canceled at the end of 1994. This was also the 30th anniversary of G.I. Joe and accordingly, Hasbro released a series of and figures based on the Original Action Team figures from 1964.


Stars & Stripes Forever – TRU Exclusives (1997–1998)

A select assortment of figures from the "Real American Hero" line were released as Toys "R" Us exclusives to celebrate the 15th anniversary. A second assortment followed in 1998.


A Real American Hero Collection (2000–2002)

In 2000, Hasbro re-released a selection of G.I. Joe figures and vehicles. This line lasted until 2002. The figures were sold in packs of two and consisted of repainted versions of figures from the Real American Hero line. Some of these repainted figures were assigned new identities: for example, the
Baroness Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knight ...
figure was repainted and sold as a new character called
Chameleon Chameleons or chamaeleons (Family (biology), family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 200 species described as of June 2015. The members of this Family (biology), family are best known for ...
, described on the packaging as "the illegitimate half sister of Baroness".


G.I. Joe vs Cobra (2002–2005)

Beginning in 2002, newly designed collections of G.I. Joe figures and vehicles were released. Each collection centered on a storyline or theme, such as "Spy Troops" and "Valor vs. Venom". Direct-to-
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
features were animated for both the '' G.I. Joe: Spy Troops'' and '' G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom'' collections, as well as a new
trading card game A collectible card game (CCG), also called a trading card game (TCG) among other names, is a type of card game that mixes strategic deck building elements with features of trading cards. The genre was introduced with '' Magic: The Gathering'' in ...
based on the G.I. Joe vs. Cobra storyline. Both the and lines were put on hiatus prior to the release of the Sigma 6 line in 2005.


Direct to Consumer (DTC) (2005–2006)

The line was reintroduced after a very brief hiatus via Hasbro's direct-to-consumer website HasbroToyShop.com and various online retailers. As a result of the line's success, some figures also became available at certain retailers, such as
Toys "R" Us Toys "R" Us is an American toy, clothing, and baby product retailer owned by Tru Kids (doing business as Tru Kids Brands) and various others. The company was founded in 1948 in Washington, D.C.; its first store was built in April 1948, with i ...
.


25th Anniversary (2007–2009)

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the ''Real American Hero'' line in 2007, Hasbro released a collection of newly sculpted figures (as opposed to the scale of the RAH line) based on classic and new designs of many of the line's best known and most popular characters. The 25th-anniversary figures replaced the classic O-ring construction with a swivel chest feature and increased points of articulation beyond the standard shoulder, elbow and knees to swivel wrists, ankles and double-hinged knees. The 25th-anniversary figures also include "
Specialist Trakker This is an alphabetical list of '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' characters who are members of the G.I. Joe Team. For Cobra characters, see ''List of Cobra characters''. Ace Ace is the G.I. Joe Team's original fighter pilot. His real name ...
", otherwise known as Matt Trakker the leader of M.A.S.K. Originally planned to consist of only two sets of five figures each (one G.I. Joe and one Cobra), the "25th Anniversary" collection was well received by retailers and collectors and was expanded by Hasbro into a full-fledged toyline that ran through 2009. The most recent releases in this line do not include the "25th Anniversary" branding, but in all other respects constitute a continuation of the "25th Anniversary" collection. Other waves released in 2009 include the
Resolute Resolute may refer to: Geography * Resolute, Nunavut, Canada, a hamlet * Resolute Bay, Nunavut * Resolute Mountain, Alberta, Canada Military operations * Operation Resolute, the Australian Defence Force contribution to patrolling Australia's Exc ...
figures, which were introduced in wave 13, and had an animated feature premiere in April 2009. The "25th Anniversary" line was later canceled, in favor of releasing figures for the upcoming live-action movie. Some of the planned figures from canceled waves, totaling 14 figures, were instead released as two 7-figure exclusive packs. Entitled "Defense of Cobra Island" and ''Attack on Cobra Island'', each set contained figures from one opposing side. The canceled future waves included Night Force Falcon, the Python Patrol Trooper and Tele-Viper, and an Iron Klaw/Resolute Crimson Guard Trooper Comic Pack.


The Rise of Cobra (2009)

In July 2009, a series of figures based on the '' G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra'' movie was released in the United States and Australia. The line was a mixture of ''The Rise of Cobra'' movie designs, some G.I. Joe vs Cobra designs, some 25th anniversary figure molds and new molds.


The Pursuit of Cobra (2010–2011)

In 2010, a new series of figures was released, based on four battlegrounds: Desert, City, Jungle and Arctic. The packaging was an update to the 25th anniversary design.


30th Anniversary (2011–2012)

In 2011, a new series of figures was released, including characters from both G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and the '' G.I. Joe: Renegades'' cartoon series. This series was continued through 2012.


Retaliation (2013)

A series of figures based on the movie '' G.I. Joe: Retaliation'' was confirmed by Hasbro in February 2012. Despite the movie's release being moved from June 2012 to March 2013, the initial assortments of figures, vehicles, and role-play items were shipped to retailers, and appeared on store shelves in May 2012. A ''Variety'' article was published stating that the already released figures had been pulled from the shelves and recalled by Hasbro, although the companies official statement indicated that existing product would be sold through. New product shipments were halted by Hasbro, but existing Retaliation figures were available in Target, Wal-Mart, and Toys R Us as late as December 2012. The toyline was re-released in the United States in February 2013.


50th Anniversary (2014–2016)

In 2014, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of G.I. Joe, a new line of figures was released, using characters from the ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' cartoon series. This series ended in 2016.


Retro Collection (2020— )

In 2020, Hasbro released a new line of super-articulated figures and vehicles, similar to the Star Wars The Vintage Collection, utilizing retro-themed packaging from the 1980s.


Other toylines


Super Joe (1977–1978)

In 1977, Hasbro released the Super Joe Adventure Team, and took the battle between good and evil to the stars. The figures were scaled down to 8 inches, similar in size to Mego's Superheroes line of action figures. The line was a hybrid of superhero and space action figures with new features incorporated such as battery powered back-pack lights and motorized accessories. The hero Super Joe characters, Super Joe Commander (Caucasian/African American) and Super Joe (Caucasian/African American) had a "One-Two Punch" that could be activated by pressing panels on the figure's back. The majority of these figures used Kung-Fu grip style plastic in the joints and hands. But with age, the material degrades, leaving even unopened figures missing limbs and hands. Unlike the original G.I. Joe collection, the Super Joe collection was developed from the start with a play-pattern of Good vs Evil. Super Joe Commander and the Adventure Team (Man of Action, and Adventurer) with their alien comrades "The Night Fighters", Luminos and The Shield, fight against the evil Gor, King of the Terrons, Terron, The Beast from Beyond, and his orange-eyed ally Darkon, the half-man half-monster (the action figure was the same as the Super Joe Commander, but molded in dark green plastic and with a different set of accessories.) As with the previous series, various accessory/costume packs were sold for the Super Joe line (including several that were powered by the Commander's light vest via a jack to the battery pack.) Most of the non-powered packs were updated versions of previous GI Joe packs - some of which simply used the same accessories without scaling them down for the smaller figure. (The
Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosen ...
exclusive "Avenger Pursuit Craft" was the same as a prior GI Joe vehicle, molded in a different color and with different decals.) Super Joe was discontinued by the end of 1978. The same basic body molds were used later by a subsidiary of
Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment holding company founded on December 6, 1923 by Henry, Hillel and Herma ...
to produce a line of action figures based on the TV series ''
Space Academy ''Space Academy'' is an American science fiction television series produced by Filmation that originally aired Saturday mornings on the CBS television network, from September 10 to December 17, 1977. (Repeats ran on and off until September 1, 197 ...
.''


Short-lived lines (1994–1997)

As a follow-up to the Real American Hero toyline, '' Sgt. Savage and his Screaming Eagles'' figures debuted in late 1994. It was canceled after only two waves of figures were released, due to a combination of scarce marketing and, therefore, low sales. In 1995, ''
G.I. Joe Extreme ''G.I. Joe Extreme'' is a line of military-themed toys that was sold in retail from 1995 to 1997. The toys were produced by Kenner following their acquisition by former competitor Hasbro and was intended to succeed the '' G.I. Joe: A Real Ameri ...
'' figures were introduced by
Kenner Toys Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy brand owned by Hasbro. Kenner Products began as a toy company founded in 1946, going on to produce several highly recognizable toys and merchandise lines including action figures for t ...
(who had merged with Hasbro in late 1994, taking over their boys toys production). Along with the release of toys, ''G.I. Joe Extreme'' featured a comic book, published by
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
, and a Gunther-Wahl-produced cartoon series which ran for two seasons.


Sigma 6 (2005–2007)

2005 saw the introduction of a new line called '' G.I. Joe: Sigma 6'', consisting initially of an 8" scale selection of action figures distinguished by their extensive articulation and accessories. Sigma 6 combined entirely new characters with already familiar characters from the "Real American Hero" line. Its release was accompanied by a television series produced by the
Japanese animation is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
studio
GONZO Gonzo may refer to: People * Gonzo (nickname), a list of people with the nickname * Radislav Jovanov Gonzo (born 1964), Croatian music video director Radislav Jovanov, also known as Gonzo * Matthias Röhr (born 1962), German musician whose stage ...
, and a comic book mini-series published by Devil's Due. Hasbro also expanded the Sigma 6 line to include a 2" scale selection of vehicles, play sets, and figurines with limited articulation. 2007 saw the re-branding of the 8" line. The ''Sigma Six'' branding was dropped in the spring of 2007. Subsequent 8" figures were branded simply as "G.I. Joe" action figures and divided into differently packaged sub-groups such as ''Combat Squad'', ''Commandos'', and ''Adventure Team''. The entire 8" product line was canceled by the end of 2007, although Hasbro considers the 8" figures a success and may revisit the scale in the future.


Sideshow Collectibles (2009–present)

In 2009,
Sideshow Collectibles Sideshow Collectibles is an American specialty manufacturer of movie, film, television and collectible action figures, statues, and high end pieces. Sideshow's licenses include ''Star Wars'', DC Comics, Marvel Comics, ''The Lord of the Rings'', D ...
began releasing its own line of G.I. Joe figures under license from Hasbro. These highly detailed figures offer new looks at key characters. In addition, Sideshow also created "Figure Environments", which are small diorama pieces intended to enhance the display of their figures. A line of figures was featured at Comic-Con 2012.


Real people honored with ''G.I. Joe'' figures

The G.I. Joe brand has made promotional action figures based on real-life persons, both military and civilian, that the company deems ''Real American Heroes''.


G.I. Joe Classified Series (2020–present)

In the second quarter of 2020, Hasbro announced the new release of the G.I. Joe Classified Series. It was announced as a new line of highly articulated 6-inch scale action figures that included prominent characters like Snake Eyes, Scarlett,
Roadblock A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be: * Roadworks *Temporary road closure during special events * Police chase *Robbery * Sobriety checkpoint * Protests In peaceful ...
, Duke, and Destro in the first wave. A deluxe edition Snake Eyes (version 00) was released before Wave 1 as an exclusive from Hasbro Pulse. Cobra Commander, Gung Ho, and Red Ninja were included in the second wave. Many repaint releases of the previous figures and also the characters from the 2021 film Snake Eyes were included in this series. There have been more than 50 figures of the famous G.I. Joe characters as of 2022 with news of even more characters to be released in the future, including the return of Sgt. Slaughter to the series, and the announcement of his sub-team, the Marauders returning in 2023. There have been a few vehicles released as part of deluxe figures, including a Cobra motorcycle, the C.O.I.L., the G.I. Joe R.A.M., and a repaint of the G. I. Joe R.A.M. in the Tiger Force line. In July 2022, fans successfully funded the first HasLab vehicle for this line, a H.I.S.S. tank with 4 exclusive figures and accessories. A tiered method of crowdfunding was used to provide the total number of figures. A second HasLab vehicle, a Dragonfly attack chopper that came included with 4 additional figures, was also successfully funded in the following year in July 2023. This series has some exclusive lines that are dedicated to certain retailers, including Special Missions: Cobra Island, Tiger Force, and Python Patrol. There are also special figures that are limited to certain retailers like Amazon. There is also a line of Retro Cardback figures that were formerly exclusive to Walmart but are now general releases. Some figures are only available directly from Hasbro, including several like the Snake Supreme Cobra Commander, Master of Disguise
Zartan Zartan is a fictional character from the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toyline, comic books, and animated series. He is one of the main villains in the franchise as the leader of the Dreadnoks, and a mercenary who often worked directly for ...
, and a future figure of
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 ...
as part of their yearly online exclusive convention, Pulsecon.


Super7 (2021–present)

In 2021, the toy company Super7 started producing two lines of G.I. Joe figures. One is part of their ReAction line of 3.75" figures, with figures inspired from classic episodes of the Animated Series. They have also started releasing figures in their Ultimate's 7 inch line, that include multiple head designs, hands, and accessories.


In media


Comics

G.I. Joe originated from a comic strip in the 1940s called "Private Breger". As a licensed property by Hasbro, ''G.I. Joe'' comics have been released from 1967 to present. G.I. Joe re-appeared in the 1980s as a promotional comic book, produced by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. The success of the main title led Marvel Comics to produce a secondary title, ''G.I. Joe: Special Missions'' which lasted 28 issues. The main series released its final issue #155 in December 1994, coinciding with the end of the ''Real American Hero'' toy line. In July 2001,
Devil's Due Publishing 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 ...
acquired the rights to ''G.I. Joe'' and released a four-issue limited series entitled ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (Reinstated)''. The new series picked up seven years after the end of the Marvel Comics series, and also used elements from the animated TV series. Strong sales led to ''Reinstated'' being upgraded to ongoing, and DDP also published other ''G.I. Joe'' titles outside the existing continuity. DDP's license with Hasbro expired in 2008 and was not renewed. In 2009,
IDW Publishing IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW) and is recognized as the fifth-largest comic ...
began to publish the series again. IDW's G.I. Joe series is a complete reboot of the property, ignoring the continuity from the Marvel and Devil's Due incarnations of the comic, and eventually was folded into a shared
Hasbro Comic Book Universe The Hasbro Comic Book Universe (HCBU) is an American comic book franchise and shared universe created and published by IDW Publishing, based on various properties of the toy company Hasbro. Publication history Following the bankruptcy of Dream ...
with other Hasbro-based titles published by the company such as Transformers. However, the ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' series originally published by Marvel Comics in the 1980s and 1990s was revived as an ongoing series in May 2010 with a special #155 issue, and followed by #156 onwards in July 2010. The series directly picks up from the end of the Marvel Comics series and ignores the Devil's Due continuity completely. In 2022 it was announced that IDW lost the rights to G.I Joe. In 2023,
Skybound Entertainment Skybound Entertainment is an American multiplatform entertainment company founded by Robert Kirkman and David Alpert. It operates in concert with Image Comics. History Skybound Entertainment is the company behind the long-running comic series, ...
announced they had acquired the rights to G.I. Joe, and would be launching a new shared universe, the
Energon Universe The Energon Universe (EU) is an ongoing American comic book franchise and shared universe, shared fictional universe created and overseen by Robert Kirkman, and published by Skybound Entertainment, an imprint of Image Comics, in collaboration wit ...
, that would include G.I. Joe, Transformers, and a new original property, Void Rivals; the first G.I. Joe comic as part of this universe was launched December 2023. It was also announced that they would resume publishing ''A Real American Hero'', with issue #301 in November 2023 picking up where the IDW revival had left off.


Records and Read-Along Sets

In 1966,
Hanna-Barbera Records Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...
was the first label to produce a G.I. Joe album, titled "The Story of the Green Beret." In the 1970s, four Book and Record 45 rpm sets were released by
Peter Pan Records Peter Pan Records is an American record label specializing in children's music. The label was introduced to the public in March 1948. The label was owned by the Synthetic Plastics Company of Newark, New Jersey until the 1970s. The label became ...
, which tied into accessory packages. Three of these were combined into an LP. The art of the original Peter Pan book and record sets was created by
Carl Pfeufer Carl T. Pfeufer (September 29, 1910 – May 5, 1980Carl Pfeufer
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.


Television

Marvel Productions Marvel Productions Ltd., later known as New World Animation, was an American production company owned by the Fox Entertainment Group subsidiary of News Corporation which was founded in 1981 as the television and film studio subsidiary of the Mar ...
and
Sunbow Productions Sunbow Entertainment (formerly known as Sunbow Productions until 1995) was an American animation studio and distributor, founded on June 23, 1980, and owned until May 4, 1998, by Griffin-Bacal Advertising in New York City and in the United State ...
released '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' in 1983 to promote the 3.75 inch (9.5 cm) toyline. The premise was "good vs. evil" as explained in the show's opening theme song, provided by
Jackson Beck Jackson Beck (July 23, 1912 – July 28, 2004) was an American actor best known as the announcer on radio's '' The Adventures of Superman'' and the voice of Bluto in the Famous era Popeye theatrical shorts. Early years Beck was born on July 23, ...
(previously known for his work as
Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.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 ...
, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world". The show featured physical fighting and high-tech weapons as a way to compensate for toned-down violence and lack of bullets in what was intended to be a children's program. The show also featured
public service announcement A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. Oftentimes these messages feature unsettling imagery, ideas or behaviors that are des ...
s placed at the end of each show. These PSAs ended with the phrase: "Now I know!" or "And knowing is half the battle". The series ran for a total of 95 episodes, from 1983 to 1986. The animated series was canceled after the release of '' G.I. Joe: The Movie'', but made a significant return with the animation company
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 ...
taking over where Sunbow/
Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...
left off, and ran from 1989 to 1991. DiC released a 5-part mini-series entitled "Operation: Dragonfire", in which the Joes faced off once again against Cobra as they tried to take control of an energy source known only as 'dragonfire'. In this mini-series, Cobra Commander was also returned to a semi-human state by the energy itself while Serpentor, the Cobra emperor, was turned into an iguana by the dragonfire. This mini-series was successful enough for DiC to produce 2 more seasons. In 1995, Sunbow returned to produce "
G.I. Joe Extreme ''G.I. Joe Extreme'' is a line of military-themed toys that was sold in retail from 1995 to 1997. The toys were produced by Kenner following their acquisition by former competitor Hasbro and was intended to succeed the '' G.I. Joe: A Real Ameri ...
" an animated series based upon the namesake toy line. This series, along with the toy line, was canceled after 2 seasons, broadcast from 1995 to 1997. In the 2000s, a new interest in the "Real American Hero" toy line brought about new lines, including '' Spy Troops'' (2003), ''
Valor vs. Venom Valor, valour, or valorous may mean: * Courage, a similar meaning * Virtue ethics, roughly "courage in defense of a noble cause" Entertainment * Valor Kand, a member of the band Christian Death * ''Valor'' (TV series), an American drama series ...
'' (2004), and '' Sigma 6'' (2005-2007). In 2009, '' G.I. Joe: Resolute'' was launched. This new series was more realistic and contained graphic violence and dark themes, with Cobra portrayed as a serious threat, a sharp contrast to the relatively lighter-toned animated series that preceded it. ''Resolute'' was originally released as mini webisodes, with the full series later broadcast on
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
's
Adult Swim Adult Swim (stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representativ ...
and s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...
. In 2010,
The Hub The Hub may refer to: Places * The Hub, Bronx, an area of the South Bronx, New York, known for its convergence of subway and bus lines * The Hub (Edinburgh), former church in Edinburgh that is now home to the Edinburgh International Festival * T ...
launched '' G.I. Joe: Renegades'', in which the Joes became fugitives seeking to clear their names while Cobra worked towards world domination under the guise of a pharmaceutical company. The series' last episode aired 2011. It has also been spoofed by the cult animated sci-fi series ''
Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company and later revived by Comedy Central, and then Hulu. The series follows Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1 ...
'' in the episode "
Saturday Morning Fun Pit "Saturday Morning Fun Pit" is the nineteenth episode in the seventh season of the American animated television series ''Futurama'', and the 133rd episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central on July 17, 2013. The episode ...
". In 2014, the American sitcom ''
Community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...
'' featured an episode (" G.I. Jeff") where one of the main characters dreams that he and his friends are characters in the 1983 cartoon series. The episode was animated in the same style and featured some of the same voice actors as the cartoon. The episode also features scenes where the character's mind is trying to get back to reality, but keeps getting caught in G.I. Joe commercials. In 2021, Paramount TV Studios,
eOne Lionsgate Canada is a Canadian entertainment company and a subsidiary of Lionsgate Studios. Based in Toronto, the company is primarily involved in the acquisition and production of films and television series. The company began on June 1, 1973 ...
, Skydance and
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
are developing the first live action G.I. Joe TV series that will focus on
Lady Jaye 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 Produ ...
with
Erik Oleson Erik Oleson is an American television writer and producer. He is best known for being the showrunner and executive producer of the second season of Amazon Prime Video's ''Carnival Row'', and the critically acclaimed third and final season of Ma ...
serving as the creator and showrunner.


Film

Many movies have been made based upon G.I. Joe and the toy lines that developed from the action figure. The ''G.I. Joe: Real American Hero'' animated series was followed up by '' G.I. Joe: The Movie''. The film had been released direct-to-video in 1987 because of the perceived box office failure of another animated movie – ''The Transformers: The Movie''. Inspired by viewers' reaction to Optimus Prime's death, ''G.I. Joe: The Movie'' was re-dubbed, cutting out the death of one of the main characters,
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 ...
. Instead, he falls into a coma and recovers (unseen) at the movie's end. Also, the main villain, Cobra Commander, met his own demise when he was turned into a living snake by mutant spores created by a new enemy, Cobra-La. Filmmaker Gregory P. Grant made a film using old GI Joe figurines simply called ''Ode to GI Joe'' which played at film festivals and earned him a
Student Academy Award The Student Academy Awards are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in an annual competition for college and university filmmakers. Description The awards were originally named the Student Film Awards and were first pres ...
. A direct to video animated series was created for the Sgt. Savage line, packaged with an exclusive Sgt. Savage figure in 1994. Next in the G.I. Joe-based line of movies was the 2003 release of '' Spy Troops: The Movie'', Hasbro's first computer-animated feature which coincided with the release of its "Spy Troops" header line. It is followed by ''
Valor vs. Venom Valor, valour, or valorous may mean: * Courage, a similar meaning * Virtue ethics, roughly "courage in defense of a noble cause" Entertainment * Valor Kand, a member of the band Christian Death * ''Valor'' (TV series), an American drama series ...
'' (2004), in response to sales from "Spy Troops". This was Hasbro's second commissioned feature using computer graphics to coincide with the line of the same name. By 2005, Hasbro had entered into an exclusive agreement with Paramount Pictures to have them distribute any future features based on the "Real American Heroes" line, but by the time a third movie was to be created, this time called, ''Attack of the BATS'', Hasbro's sales on the "Real American Heroes" line had once again slumped, and the project was scrapped. In 2009
Stephen Sommers Stephen Sommers (born March 20, 1962) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer, best known for big-budget action films, such as ''The Mummy (1999 film), The Mummy'' (1999), its sequel, ''The Mummy Returns'' (2001), ''Van Helsing ( ...
directed a big budget Hollywood live-action movie based on G.I. Joe. The first film in what is intended to be a franchise, is '' G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra'', stars
Channing Tatum Channing Matthew Tatum (born April 26, 1980) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut in the drama ''Coach Carter'' (2005), and had his Breakthrough role, breakthrough with the sports comedy film ''She's the Man'' (2006) and t ...
as Duke,
Ray Park Raymond Park (born 23 August 1974) is a British actor, martial artist and stuntman. He is best known for physically portraying Darth Maul in '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' and '' Solo: A Star Wars Story'', along with a motion ...
as Snake Eyes,
Christopher Eccleston Christopher Eccleston (; born 16 February 1964) is an English actor whose work has encompassed Hollywood blockbusters and arthouse films, television dramas, Shakespearean stage performances and science fiction, most notably the Ninth Doctor, ni ...
as Destro,
Jonathan Pryce Sir Jonathan Pryce (born John Price; 1 June 1947) is a Welsh actor. He is known for his performances on stage and in film and television. He has received numerous awards, including two Tony Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards as well as nom ...
in the role of the
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
, and
Joseph Gordon-Levitt Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt (; born February 17, 1981) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his leading perform ...
as Cobra Commander. Tatum describes the film as being a cross between
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
,
Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, two Extraterrestrials in fiction, alien robot fac ...
and ''
Mission Impossible ''Mission: Impossible'' is an American multimedia franchise based on a fictional secret espionage agency known as the Impossible Missions Force (IMF). The 1966 TV series ran for seven seasons and was revived in 1988 for two seasons. It inspired ...
'': "It's a huge $170 million movie. It's just a big kid sort of driven film". The movie showcased the main members of G.I. Joe and Cobra. While some characters held true to the cartoon adaptations, others differed markedly in significant respects. As well, the storyline gave a different foundation for the battle between G.I. Joe and Cobra. The movie is based in present time (however at the beginning of the movie it states "In the not too distant future") and shows glimpses of each character's history. In the movie, Cobra sets out to cause destruction using high tech weapons and sell them to ruthless terrorists. The G.I. Joe members join to stop Cobra from becoming a global terrorist organization. To promote the film, '' G.I. Joe: The Invasion of Cobra Island'' was produced as a viral campaign. The short animated two-parter used stop motion and puppet animation utilizing Hasbro's toy line, and was produced by R.M. Productions Ltd. The sequel '' G.I. Joe: Retaliation'' directed by Jon M. Chu and starring
Dwayne Johnson Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on a part-time basis. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional w ...
as Roadblock was scheduled to be released in June 2012 but was delayed until March 2013. In the film, the Joes are framed as traitors by Zartan, who is still impersonating the
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
, and Cobra Commander now has all the world leaders under
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 ...
's control, with their advanced warheads aimed at innocent populaces around the world. Outnumbered and out gunned, the Joes form a plan with the original G.I. Joe General Joseph Colton to overthrow the Cobra Commander and his allies Zartan, Storm Shadow and
Firefly The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...
. A Reboot, '' Snake Eyes'' directed by
Robert Schwentke Robert Schwentke (; born 15 February 1968) is a German film director and screenwriter. He is best known for directing '' Flightplan'' (2005), '' The Time Traveler's Wife'' (2009), '' Red'' (2010), '' The Divergent Series: Insurgent'' (2015), '' T ...
and starring
Henry Golding Henry Ewan Golding (born 5 February 1987) is a British actor of Malaysian origin. He has starred in the romantic comedies '' Crazy Rich Asians'' (2018) and ''Last Christmas'' (2019), the thriller '' A Simple Favor'' (2018), the action comedy '' ...
as the title character, was released in July 23th, 2021. The film tells an origin story of the title character. The films received mixed reviews by the critics. The team appear in the end of '' Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''. Where Noah Diaz is invited to join the secret military organization
G.I. Joe ''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), A ...
, who will cover his brother Kris healthcare. In April 11, 2024, a crossover with the Transformers and G.I. Joe was announced in
CinemaCon Cinema United, formerly known as the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), is an American trade organization whose members are the owners of movie theaters. Most of the operators of worldwide major theater chains are members, as are ...
, with Michael Bay, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian, Tom DeSanto and Don Murphy returning as producers, and with a possible theater release in 2026.


Video games

There were several
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
adaptations of G.I. Joe, including '' G.I. Joe: Cobra Strike'' by
Parker Brothers Parker Brothers (known as Parker outside of North America) was an American toy and game manufacturer which in 1991 became a brand of Hasbro. More than 1,800 games were published under the Parker Brothers name since 1883. It remained family owne ...
for the
Atari 2600 The Atari 2600 is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977 as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS), it popularized microprocessor-based hardware and games stored on swappable ROM cartridg ...
and
Intellivision The Intellivision (a portmanteau of intelligent television) is a home video game console released by Mattel Electronics in 1979. It distinguished itself from competitors with more realistic sports and strategic games. By 1981, Mattel Electronic ...
(1983), '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' by
Epyx Epyx, Inc. was a video game developer and video game publisher active in the late 1970s and 1980s. The company was founded in 1978 as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, publishing a series of tactical combat games. The Epyx ...
for the
Apple II Apple II ("apple Roman numerals, two", stylized as Apple ][) is a series of microcomputers manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1977 to 1993. The Apple II (original), original Apple II model, which gave the series its name, was designed ...
and the Commodore 64 (1985), ''Action Force (video game), Action Force'' by Virgin Interactive, Virgin Games for the Commodore 64 (1987), a ''G.I. Joe (video game), G.I. Joe'' video game by Taxan for the
Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
(1991), a ''
G.I. Joe ''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), A ...
'' arcade game by
Konami , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...
for arcades (1992), and '' G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor'' by
Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...
for the
Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
(1992). A game for
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
,
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...
,
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
,
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
, PSP and
Nintendo DS The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...
was released to coincide with the first live-action G.I. Joe film, '' G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra''. Another video game, '' G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout'', was released for
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
,
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...
, and
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
in 2020. In 2025, Overwatch 2 also made a collaboration with them. 42


See also

* Big Jim, a similar action figure series made by
Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company headquartered in El Segundo, California. Founded in Los Angeles by Harold Matson and the husband-and-wife duo of Ruth Handler, ...
*
Eagle Force Eagle Force was a die-cast action figure military-themed toy line marketed by Mego Corporation in the 1980s in the United States. Produced during Ronald Reagan's first term as president, the Eagle Force toy line was marketed to send the mess ...
*
G.I. Joe's G.I. Joe's was a privately held retail chain for sporting goods, ready-to-wear clothing, and auto parts; that operated stores in the Pacific Northwest region of the northwestern United States.The Story of G.I. Joe''


References


External links

* (Hasbro) *