G.I JOE: The Complete Collection, Vol. 3 Preview

7/27/2019 G.I JOE: The Complete Collection, Vol. 3 Preview

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G.I. JOE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION, VOLUME 3. AUGUST 2013. FIRST PRINTING. HASBRO and its logo, G.I. JOE, and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. 2013 Hasbro. AllRights Reserved. The IDW logo is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. IDW Publishing, a division of Idea and Design Works, LLC. Editorial offices: 5080 Santa Fe St., San Diego, CA 92109. Any similarities to personsliving or dead are purely coincidental. With the exception of artwork used for review purposes, none of the contents of this publication may be reprinted without the permission of Idea and Design Works, LLC. Printed in Korea.IDW Publishing does not read or accept unsolicited submissions of ideas, stories, or artwork.

Originally published by Marvel Comics as G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO Issues #2533, YEARBOOK #1, and by Hasbro as the 25th Anniversary Comic Pack #10 and #32.5.

Ted Adams, CEO & PublisherGreg Goldstein, President & COORobbie Robbins, EVP/Sr. Graphic ArtistChris Ryall, Chief Creative Officer/Editor-in-ChiefMatthew Ruzicka, CPA, Chief Financial OfficerAlan Payne, VP of SalesDirk Wood, VP of MarketingLorelei Bunjes, VP of Digital Services

IDW founded by Ted Adams, Alex Garner, Kris Oprisko, and Robbie Robbins

ISBN: 978-1-61377-706-0 16 15 14 13 1 2 3 4

Special thanks to Hasbros Aaron Archer, Derryl DePriest, Joe Del Regno, Ed Lane, Joe Furfaro, Jos Huxley, Heather Hopkins, and Michael Kelly for their invaluable assistance.

www.IDWPUBLISHING.com

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1. EDITORS

Justin Eisinger & Alonzo Simon

2. DESIGNER

Shawn Lee


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PG. 86 2008: "THE TIGER AND THE TEAPOT"

Written by Larry Hama - Pencils, Inks, and Cover by Sheldon Goh*This comic was included as a bonus in Hasbros 25th Anniversary Comic Pack[s] product, as well as two action figures: Ninja

Apprentice (Snake Eyes) vs. the Arashikage Leader (Hard Master), attired as they were featured in this comic pack. This issue

greatly enhances the narrative provided in issues ##26 and 27.

PG. 111 ISSUE #28, OCTOBER 1984: "SWAMPFIRE!"

Written by Larry Hama - Pencils by Marie Severin - Inks by Andy Mushynsky

Colors by George Roussos - Letters by Rick Parker - Edits by Denny O'Neil

Cover by Mike Zeck and John Beatty

PG. 135 ISSUE #29, NOVEMBER 1984: "BEACHED WHALE"

Written by Larry Hama - Pencils by Frank Springer - Inks by Andy Mushynsky


Cover by Michael Golden

PG. 12 ISSUE #25, JULY 1984: ZARTAN!

Written by Larry Hama - Pencils by Frank Springer - Inks by Mike Gustovich



PG. 37 ISSUE #26, AUGUST 1984: "SNAKE-EYES: THE ORIGIN"

Script and Breakdowns by Larry Hama - Finishes by Steve Leialoha - Colors by George Roussos

Letters by Rick Parker - Edits by Denny O'Neil - Cover by Mike Zeck and Bob Wiacek

PG. 62 ISSUE #27, SEPTEMBER 1984: "SNAKE-EYES: THE ORIGIN, PART II"



Cover by Mike Zeck and Bob Wiacek

PG. 235 ISSUE #32 1/2, 2008: "A DAY IN THE LIFE OF SPRINGFIELD"Written by Larry Hama - Pencils, Inks, and Cover by Jeremy Dale*This comic was included as a bonus in Hasbros 25th Anniversary Comic Pack[s] product, as well as two action figures: Scarred Cobra

Officer (Scar-Face) vs. Cobra Elite Trooper (Crimson Guard [Fred clone]), attired as they were featured in this comic pack. This issue

greatly enhances the narrative provided in issues ##32 and 33.

PG. 259 ISSUE #33, MARCH 1985: "CELEBRATION!"




PG. 284 YEARBOOK #1, MARCH 1985

Cover by Michael Golden

PG. 159 ISSUE #30, DECEMBER 1984: "DARKNESS"

Written by Larry Hama - Pencils by Frank Springer - Inks by Andy Mushynsky and Pat Redding



PG. 184 ISSUE #31, JANUARY 1985: "ALL FALL DOWN!"

Written by Larry Hama - Pencils by Rod Whigham - Inks by Andy Mushynsky

Colors by Christie Scheele - Letters by Rick Parker - Edits by Denny O'Neil

Cover by Frank Springer and Klaus Janson

PG. 208 ISSUE #32, FEBRUARY 1985: "THE MOUNTAIN!"



Cover by Frank Springer

PG. 4 INTRODUCTION

Written by Mark W. Bellomo


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When Hasbro concocted their revolutionary 11 G.I. JOE action figurebrand in 1964, Americas original Man of Action represented a unique,individual fighting soldierone solo dog-face, seaman, flyboy, orjarhead who could don different outfits and accoutrements to representthe four major branches of the U.S. armed forces. Assuming the identityof an Action Soldier, G.I. JOE could be placed behind a slew of CombatSand Bag Sets, manning his Bivouac Machine Gun on the soft pine needlesof the forest floor. Dressed as an Action Marine, G.I. JOE could fieldstrip his M-1 rifle included in the Beachhead Attack Set while restingatop the dunes of your backyard sandbox. As an Action Pilot, G.I. JOEdouble-timed it down the tarmac of your driveway while he outfittedhimself in the Scramble Equipment Flight Suit. As an Action Sailor, G.I.JOE carefully put on his Scuba Suit from the Frogman Set to swim in theslow-moving stream behind your house.

In the sixties and seventies, the concept of G.I. JOE applied to alone adventurer: one man against the world. And this idea lasted for 14strong years (1964-1978) until the price of oil nearly quadrupled andpetroleum-based plastics were prohibitively expensive. Even at a mereeight inches tall, Hasbros scaled-down Super Joe line was dead in thewater.

And Kenner Toysdue to their successful association with the blockbuster1977 Star Wars: A New Hopefilm and accompanying 3 action figurelinecornered the market for boys toys.

Unconcerned, Hasbro prepared G.I. JOE for a comeback in 1980/81:American patriotism was at an all-time high, the stigma attached tomilitary toys had finally lifted, Ronald Reagan encouraged hisconstituents to wave their flags 24-7, and the amateur U.S. hockey teamwon the gold at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Therefore, withtheir new line of highly articulated, superbly accessorized, andlavishly designed 3 G.I. JOE action figures, it appeared that thecompany couldnt miss. But there was one catch to the reintroduction ofthe line: instead of G.I. JOE existing as a generic military everyman,the concept was tweaked and G.I. JOE became a team of specialists thanksto the Herculean efforts of the creative team at Marvel Comicschargedby Hasbro to handle the toy lines entire back story. Due to the inputof Jim Shooter (Marvels famous Editor-in-Chief), Archie Goodwin (one ofthe most beloved editors in the history of the medium), and Larry Hama(the artist/writer/editor extraordinairetasked to write the G.I. JOEcomic book) on the creative end, now each member of the G.I. JOE MobileStrike Force possessed an area of specialization, with MOSs (MilitaryOccupational Specialties [a soldiers job]) ranging from InfantryTrooper to Machine Gunner to Communications Officer. Stephen Hassenfeld,the president of Hasbro, was blown away by the joint presentation, andwith his blessing, the line was green-lit; the company readied for theirall-new G.I. JOE line to take America by storm.

Poised as Hasbro was for the renewed brand to hit retail shelves in1982with an initial assortment of nine individually-packaged G.I. JOEaction figures: Breaker (Communications Officer), Flash (Laser RifleTrooper), Grunt (Infantry Trooper), Rock N Roll (Machine Gunner),Scarlett (Counter Intelligence), Short-Fuze (Mortar Soldier), Snake Eyes(Commando), Stalker (Ranger), and Zap (Bazooka Soldier)the perceptivefolks at Marvel were exceedingly concerned with the early direction ofthe line.

Hama recalls these early meetings with Hasbro, where the Marvel Comicscontingent was present to discuss the plans for launching the line: All

INTRODUCTION

SAVE THIS FORM. IT WILL NOT BE REPLACED IF LOST.


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of us [at Marvel] realized that Hasbro didnt have any bad guys forthe G.I. JOE team to fight. Jim Shooter, on his personal website(www.jimshooter.com), shares his memories of that first meeting:[Hasbro] explained the rollout [of the line]. They didnt plan to haveany villains in the launch. We protested. Who are they going tofight? They need bad guys! Archie pitched his bad guy concept. TheHasbro people resisted on the grounds that villain action figuresdont sell

It was amazing, stated Hama, recounting the same meeting. All we gotwere blank stares after asking them about villains. Perplexed, theveteran writer echoed his teammates concern with the question: Sothen, what are they going to do all day long, march around in paradesand polish their belt buckles? Silence ensued. To alleviate thetension, Archie [Goodwin] piped up. He said that perhaps there shouldbe a paramilitary terrorist organizationLets say we call it Cobra.Like HYDRA is to S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Marvel universe. Why dont wecall it Cobra?

Hasbro relented. They acceded to Marvels request for villains.

So then, thanks to Archie Goodwin, Cobra Command and the CobraCommander were born. In order to rush a lone antagonist into the initialassortment of nine characters, Cobra Commander was offered as a mail-away. Adorned in his special combat helmet, Cobra Commander the EnemyLeadercosting a mere 50 and five Flag Point proof-of-purchases fromany G.I. JOE productwas so well-received by children and collectorsthat Hasbro actually violated postal rules and regulations in theirdelay to fill all of the orders. Following the Commanders overwhelmingsuccess, a few weeks later a Cobra Soldier (simply dubbed Cobra) and

a Cobra Officer were developed and solicited as part of Series One; bothmasked adversaries were code-named The Enemy.

Oddly enough, other than the Baroness and Major Bludd (and the recently-deceased, short-lived villain, Dr. Venom), every single member of CobraCommand was masked. Their facial features were concealedan idiosyncrasythat concerned writer Larry Hama, since this feature limited the emotionthat he could convey in the Marvel Comic. Sometimes, states Hama, Ihad to create new characters in order to facilitate storytelling. TheBaroness came about because there wasnt one single Cobra character witha visible face. Its very difficult for actors to perform when nobodyhas any agents of expression.

So then, each member of Cobra was masked. Cobra Commander. Destro andStorm Shadow. Firefly and Wild Weasel. Scrap Iron and Copperhead. Eventhe nameless, faceless legions of Cobra Command obfuscated theirfeatures: Cobra (Soldier), Cobra Officer, Cobra HISS Driver, Cobra ViperPilot, and the Cobra Stinger Driver.

That is, until the arrival of Zartan and the Dreadnoks.

In the issues contained within this volume of G.I. JOE: The CompleteCollection, beginning with #25 (Zartan), Cobra Command truly expands

its nefarious ranks with Buzzer, Ripper, Torch, and Zartan. Althoughall four characters were concocted by Hasbro from a sheer marketing anddesign perspective, intrepid writer Larry Hama made lemonade with thelemons he received, transforming these terribly weak scoundrels intofour supremely interesting arch-villains. Strictly speaking, Hama dealtwith edicts from Hasbro for all 12 years that he wrote the Marvel Comicbook and the action figure Combat Command File Cards.

So then, when he was approached by the company and introduced to thefirst of these new characters, Hasbro Inc. sent Hama a few referencephotographs for a brand-new action figurewith no manner of descriptor


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but a single name: ZARTAN. According to the writer, I dont think Iactually came up with the name Zartan. As I remember it, it is simply ajumble of TARZAN [meaning White-skinin the fictional ape language ofMangani from the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels]. Along with thesephotos, a Hasbro exec proudly bragged to the writer: We have this newfigure. Utilizing a new kind of plastic, weve made a toy that CHANGESCOLOR IN SUNLIGHT!!! Apparently, earlier in 1984, Hasbro had stumbledupon a process by which they could inject a toys ABS (acrylonitrilebutadiene styrene: the plastic material which the company used toconstruct their action figures) with color-changing capabilities. Sothen, this new action figures parts were comprised ofphotochromicABSwith light-adjusting parts that darken (via ultraviolet rays) whenexposed to sunlighta process that Hasbro used many times over withZartan/Dreadnok-related characters and vehicles.

Hama balked: The figure changed color in sunlight what do I do withthat, right? Rather than focusing on the physical aspects of thecharacter, I tried playing with the whole chameleon concept. Ithought: What if we extend that to hispersonalityinstead? And he

followed this tack when creating Zartans file card, reproduced in itsentirety:

Master of Disguise

Code Name: ZARTAN

File Name: UnknownAliases: Too numerous to listBirthplace: Unknown

Zartan can alter his skin color at will to blend in withhis environment. He is also a master of make-up anddisguise, a ventriloquist, a linguist (over 20 languagesand dialects), an acrobatic-contortionist, and apractitioner of several mystic martial arts. Very littleis known of his background and origins, but most securityagencies agree that he must have had European militaryacademy training (probably St. Cyr).

Psychological Profile: Extreme paranoid schizophrenic.Grows into various multiple personalities to such anextent that the original personality becomes buried andforgotten.

According to the above file card, we can assume that Zartan receivedEuropean military academy training, perhaps at St. Cyr, the coleSpciale Militaire de St-Cyr(Special Military School of Saint Cyr)the premier military academy in France, chosen by Larry Hama becauseaside from Sandhurst [located in Berkshire, England], it was the onlyother European military school I could think of. Regardless, the ESM(St. Cyr) provides its cadets with an intense and rigorous program thatfocuses as much on academics as military tactics, and is deeply rootedin French traditions and customs. After completing his military

training, Zartan became a master of make-up and disguise, aventriloquist, a linguist, an acrobatic-contortionist, and apractitioner of several mystical martial arts. With an infamousreputation, he was initially approached by Cobra Commander many yearsbefore organizing the Dreadnoks for reasons to be revealed later inthe canon.

One of the more controversial aspects of Zartans biography is hispsychological profile, which describes the Cobra agent as an extremeparanoid schizophrenic [who] grows into various multiple personalities.An explanation of this disorder might best be recounted by looking into


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the DMS-IV TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,4th Edition, Text Revision) under the entry for Paranoid Schizophrenia(also called schizophrenia, paranoid-type [DSM-IV, 295.30]). Thisdisorder is the most common type of schizophrenia, with the effectedperson exhibiting relatively stable (yet often paranoid) delusions,usually accompanied by hallucinationsparticularly of the auditoryvariety (hearing voices)and perceptual disturbances. The paranoiaassociated with this type of schizophrenia manifests as a thoughtprocess believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often tothe point of irrationality and delusion (i.e., persecutory beliefs;beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat toward oneself).Furthermore, according to his file card text, it appears that Zartansparanoia is so acute that these aberrations may lead him to manifestother personalities (i.e. Dissociative Identity Disorder [DSM-IV,300.14]); distinctly different dispositions that alternately controlhis behavioraccompanied by memory impairment for important informationnot explained by ordinary forgetfulness.

Unfortunately, in response to the psychological profile on Zartans

mass-produced file card, certain groups reacted adversely. According toan article in the New York Times (Toy Maker to Remove SchizophrenicLabel, [12/05/84]), Hasbro issued an apology for the charactersbiography on December 4th, 1984, in response to complaints fromseveral mental-health associations about Zartan, citing that theyused poor judgment in marketing [him] as a schizophrenic adversaryof G.I. JOE. As a result, in subsequent solicitations, Hasbro changedZartans dossier and removed his psychological profile altogether.Regardless of his controversial nature, Hasbro sold nearly one millionunits of this toyan impressive number by any count.

Zartans loyal band of Dreadnoks resulted from another more ludicrousmarketing ploy by Hasbro executives.

In 1983, by all accounts Kenner cleaned up at retail with their releaseof Star Wars action figures and stuffed animals based upon the cute,friendly, furry Ewok characters (a gaggle of hunter-gatherers wholiterally resemble plush teddy bears) fromEpisode VI: Return of theJedi (1983). In response to their competitors success, Hasbroapproached Larry Hama with a directive: inject some furry, teddy bear-type creatures into the G.I. JOE universe as the teams adversaries.Hama steadfastly refused, based on a simple premise: Good guys justcant shoot rifles at teddy bears. Parents will lose their minds!Rarely did Hama take a hard stand against an idea, but this was one ofthose moments: [Hasbro] came up with the name and the concept of plushbears. eWOKdreadNOK? Get it? I fought it. It was one of the few battlesI won. I finally got them to relent and switch from teddy bears tooutlaw bikers from OZ [Australia]. Hama continued, Marketing andsalespeople wag the dogwhich is the case EVERYWHERE. But the onlyargument that works with these folks is: I think it seems like a goodthing in the short term, but my contention is that this will hurt yoursales globally in the long run. Of course, he was right.

And the Dreadnoks were ridiculously popular from the beginning. Hama

relates an evening back in 1985 when he and his wife were watchinglate night television: One night, Jay Leno went on Johnny CarsonsTonight Showright around the time when the Dreadnoks action figureswere released, and his entire comedy bit was reading the Dreadnok filecards aloud to the audience. He actually read them aloud on Carson! Hewas feigning offense at the biker phenomenon because the Dreadnoks wereportrayed as stupid bad guys. We also got some sort of protest fromsome biker church in Connecticut that was run out of a drive-inmovie theater


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Nonetheless, Hamas creation and execution of the Dreadnok phenomenonshowed the degree of his stylistic skill when constructing a universe ofrealistic, serious-minded characters. He was not going to dumb downhis message of subversion; he was not going to depress the level ofsophistication of the narrative. Hama crafted his fiction in the mannerit deserved to be written, and as a result, kids and collectors alikereceived the Dreadnoks: three unique criminals, a trio of delinquents torepresent the outlaw motorcycle club subculture.

When reviewing the complex yet accessible Combat Command File Cards forZartans Dreadnoks, the depths of Hamas allusiveness and his conscioususe of literary devices were ever-present. Even as a child, Hama wasextraordinarily well-read, and his poring through Homers The IliadandThe Odysseyduring sixth grade impressed upon him the importance ofmeter and rhymethe two preeminent aspects of epic poetry that make oraltradition more memorable. Hama knew the importance of cadence, tone, andmeter when constructing his Combat Command File Cards, and he used thesedevices often to give G.I. JOE and Cobra dossiers a melodic, lyricalquality in the vein of oral traditionand the Dreadnoks biographies

were no exception. When asked about this aspect of his writing as itapplied to the Dreadnoks, Hama acknowledged the connection: It issimple triplets listen. Tom, Dick, Harry. Winken, Blinken, Nod. Whenyou set up names like this, its more memorable.

Many readers forget that we Americans have been imprinted upon since ourpre-school years to remember certain rhymes and rhythms and oraltraditionsand not just the sophisticated, revered passages of Beowulfor The Odyssey. Every culture retains and records their oral traditions,and these legends may be as basic as the nursery rhymes of Mother Gooseor the fables of Aesop. Hamas use of (indirect) historical and literary

references and his hyper-awareness of the lyrical aspect of oraltradition manifest themselves from the very beginning with theDreadnoks file names.

For example, the file names of the Dreadnoks are TomWinken (Torch),Dick Blinken (Buzzer), and Harry Nod(Ripper). Larry Hama concoctedthese surnames as an allusionan indirect referenceto Wynken, Blynken,and Nod from the childrens nighttime song (ca. 1889), Dutch Lullaby[The Fishermen Three]. Famous for his light-hearted and accessiblechildrens poetry, American writer Eugene Field penned this fantasybedtime story which recounted the fantastical tale of three childrenfishing and sailing among the stars in a wooden shoe. In this popularpoem, the three tiny fishermen symbolize the nodding head (Nod) andwinking (Wynken) and blinking eyes (Blynken) of a sleepy youngchild. The version of the poem included below is taken directly from1904s The Worlds Best Poetry, Volume Onea poem of which Hama wasintimately familiar:

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one nightSailed off in a wooden shoe

Sailed on a river of misty lightInto a sea of dew.

Where are you going, and what do you wish? 5

The old moon asked the three.We have come to fish for the herring-fish

That live in this beautiful sea;Nets of silver and gold have we,

Said Wynken, 10Blynken,And Nod.


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The old moon laughed and sung a songAs they rocked in the wooden shoe,

And the wind that sped them all night long 15Ruffled the waves of dew;

The little stars were the herring-fishThat lived in the beautiful sea;

Now cast your nets wherever you wish,But never afeard are we 20So cried the stars to the fishermen three,

Wynken,Blynken,And Nod.

All night long their nets they threw 25For the fish in the twinkling foam,

Then down from the sky came the wooden shoe,Bringing the fishermen home.

T was all so pretty a sail, it seemed

As if it could not be; 30And some folks thoughtt was a dream theyd dreamed

Of sailing that beautiful sea.But I shall name you the fishermen three:

Wynken,Blynken, 35And Nod.

Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,And Nod is a little head,

And the wooden shoe that sailed the skiesIs a wee ones trundle-bed; 40So shut your eyes while mother sings

Of the wonderful sights that be,And you shall see the beautiful things

As you rock in the misty seaWhere the old shoe rocked the fishermen three 45

Wynken,Blynken,And Nod.

Furthermore, the three forenames of the Dreadnoks personal names readTom, Dick, and Harryessentially placeholder names for relativelyunimportant persons. The origins of the expression every Tom, Dick, andHarry stems from the appellations given to three generic GalapagosIsland tortoises brought back to England aboard the HMS BeaglebyCharles Darwin, as documented in his book, The Voyage of the Beagle(1839). So then, Dick Blinken, Harry Nod, and Tom Winken were the namesgiven to Dreadnoks Buzzer, Ripper, and Torcheach of whom warrants a bitof explanation unto themselves.

Along with his two compatriots, Buzzer formed the core of the villainous

biker gang dubbed the Dreadnoks (a modified spelling of the noundreadnought [those who dread nothing; are fearless, Oxford EnglishDictionary])Zartans interesting and colorful bunch of reproachablemiscreants whose sole purpose in life is to torment those weaker thanthem. In later issues of the Marvel Comic, Buzzer was often portrayed asintelligent and arrogantoftentimes he is the leader of this motleygroup. Buzzer is the only member of the Dreadnoks with an education, acharacteristic which makes him all the more dangerous.


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Even casual G.I. JOE fans will note that the names of the Dreadnoksreflect their MOSs: Buzzer chainsaws things apart, Ripper rendsthings to pieces with a blade, Torch melts them to the ground. Forfurther edification, what follows is Buzzers original Combat CommandFile Card:

Buzzer

File Name: Dick Blinken (Richard Blinken-Smythe)Place of Birth: Cambridge, England

Buzzer was an extreme left-wing Cambridge sociology don*who went to Australia to research the biker gangphenomenon. Following a short respite, he found himselftransformed into a vexated wanderer. One year later,Blinken-Smythe changed into the very object of hisresearch. Years of intellectual displeasure and extremeindignation at societys two-faced morality caused

repressed psychotic anger, [which] manifested into anintense desire to chainsaw apart the expensive geegaws oftechnological society.

Specialty and M.O.**: A scavenger of the swamps, Buzzercan cut through steel, wrought iron and any metal (exceptarmor plate) with his diamond-toothed chain saw.

*A head or fellow of a college.**Modus Operandi.

Ripper was a founding member of the original triumvirate of ZartansDreadnoks. The reference to Tasmania on his file card (reprinted belowin full) was an obvious allusion to Ripper being a Tasmanian devil:whether the animal (the small, muscular, dog-like carnivore which is thelargest carnivorous marsupial in the world) known for its screechingcry, foul odor when stressed, and ferocity while feeding, or the WarnerBrothers Looney Tunes characterimmediately recognizable due to itscaricaturized display of a real-world Tasmanian devils behavior (i.e.its ravenous appetite and crazed manner of conduct).

Ripper

File Name: Harry NodBirthplace: Grim Cape, Tasmania

There are devils in Tasmania and Ripper is probably themeanest of them all. Was expelled from nursery school forextorting candy from his schoolmates and spent most ofhis adult life in various correctional institutions. Heis a professional criminal motivated by greed and amalignant dislike for the niceties of civilizationexcept

for motorcycles.

Specialty and M.O.*: Edged weapons and cutting tools. Isknown throughout the swamps for using his blade like across between a firemans axe and a can opener to unlockgates and crack safes.

*Modus Operandi


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Along with Buzzer and Ripper, Torch was the final member of thedespicable Dreadnoks* first generation of career criminals. Accordingto his mass-produced file card (reprinted below), at fourteen years old,Torch was recommended by the Australian judicial system to attend aborstal reform school (an organization that is long since dissolved [ca.1982]), a generic youth prison (i.e. not Borstal as indicated on thedossier, but a borstal) intended to reform seriously delinquent youngpeople; for instance, a court-ordered sentence would recommend borstaltraining. After escaping borstal, Torch did a stint in the AustralianMerchant Marine (an auxiliary entity used to augment an existing branchof military service) where he learned to utilize all manner of cuttingtorcheshis personal choice when wreaking havoc with the Dreadnoks.Following his hearty life at sea, he returned to Australia where hejoined the (fictional) Melbourne Maulers Motorcycle Club. For reasonsunknown, he moved to the United States to become a founding member ofthe Dreadnoks.

Torch

File Name: Tom WinkenBirthplace: Botany Bay, New South Wales, Australia

Subject was remanded to Borstal* at age fourteen. Escapedand went to sea in the Merchant Marine where he learnedthe use of the cutting torch. Later rode with theMelbourne Maulers M.C.**

Torch is an illiterate, unrepentant thug whose penchantfor sudden and unexpected violence is matched only by the

utter depth of his stupidity.

Specialty and M.O.***: Works with Oxy-Acetylene torch asa general cutter mostly on remodeling stolen cars andoccasional safe crackings. Scavenges the swamps for funand profit.

*Reform school**Motorcycle Club***Modus Operandi

Mark W. Bellomo

For the past fifteen years, Mark W. Bellomo has written hundreds of articles and a number of bestselling books on the topic of action figures, where he has cemented his reputation as one of the worlds foremostexperts. Most recently, Bellomo provided forewords to IDW Publishing's Transformers: Classicsand G.I. JOE: Special Missionstrades, and he is currently presiding over the fifteen-volume hardcover project,G.I. JOE: The Complete Collectionthe first tome of which youre holding in your hands. Readers may view him as the subject of the 18-part YouTube documentary The Collectable Spectacle, or witness the fruitsof his labors as a consultant f or Syfys Collection Intervention. His latest books, IDWs The Art of Transformers: Fall of Cybertron(Autumn, 2012), and Krause Publications Toys & Prices: The Worlds Best Toy Guide,(Spring, 2013) will be available at fine bookstores everywhere.

* Although the Dreadnoks were not introduced to retail shelves until Series Four of the Hasbrotoy line (1985), they were featured much earlier in the Marvel comicintroduced in the exactsame issue that premiered Cobras mysterious Master of Disguise: issue #25, Zartan(published in July, 1984). As further evidence that these three characters were created muchearlier than their 1985 toy appearance would indicate, the action figure representations ofBuzzer, Rippper, and Torch were definitely designed in 1984. This fact can be confirmedbecause all three of the original Dreadnoks do not possess the same magnificent neckarticulation (not just side-to-side movement, but the ability to pivot up-and-down on a balljoint) that was introduced with the rest of the Series Four, 1985 assortment of actionfigures. Therefore, Ron Rudat and his team of toy designers at Hasbro had finished thesefigures designs well before the remaining 1985 characters.


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G.I JOE: The Complete Collection, Vol. 3 Preview