Ever wanted to find all sorts of G. I. Joe info in one spot? Here you'll find filecard facts, figure variations, mail-in offers, cartoon appearances, comics, and much more, without having to cross-reference a lot of resources.
Much of the information you'll see in these pages is available in various books and on websites. A lot of it requires going directly to the toys, cartoons, and promotional material. I designed this guide in an effort to bring a vast amount of data to one place. All the entries are arranged into a single chronological format.
Right now, this guide is the focus of my site, but there's more. Material that's not G. I. Joe-related can be accessed from the MAIN PAGE. If you're interested in Christian resources, visit the Realms of Faith portion of this site.
Hasbro owns the copyrights to G. I. Joe and the names of all its characters, vehicles, and organizations. This is an unoffical, free site to summarize, review, comment on, and ultimately celebrate Hasbro's creations.
First of all, a word about the background colors: I tried to approximate the color of the regular assortment filecards for each year. Thus, 1985-94 is grey, 1997-98 and 2004-05 are white, 2000-2001 is orange, and the rest are pale yellow. I personally think the orange color is a little harsh, but that was Hasbro's decision, not mine. As for the tables, I tried to make them fairly easy to understand, but here are some samples in case they're helpful to anyone:
| Hawk | Item # 6468 | Regular Carded Assortment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| G. I. Joe Commander | O-7 (Army brigadier general) | SN: RA 212-75-4036 | |
| File Name: Gen. Clayton M. Abernathy | Primary MOS: Artillery | ||
| POB: Denver, CO | Secondary MOS: Radar | ||
The figure's code name appears in boldface, with the other name (which I call the "concept") below it. The item number (through 1994) is the four-digit number on the figure's card or box. Afterwards, it is the last half of the package's ISBN/UPC number, also known as the SKU number. Hawk was available in 1986's regular assortment of carded figures.
Next are the rank, serial number, file name, place of birth, and military specialties listed on the filecard. If a filecard doesn't list a secondary MOS, I leave that box blank. I tried to remain faithful to the spelling and punctuation of each card, even when there are errors and inconsistencies (which I usually note). I have, however, listed Cobra division names in the singular rather than the plural (e.g., Lamprey instead of Lampreys) and included the serial comma before the last item in a series of three or more.
| Appearance: brown hair; brown jacket with black holster; light and dark green camouflage pants with black belts, holster. | |||
| Cartoon appearance: opaque white-lensed goggles on helmet; brown boots. | |||
| Accessories: light green helmet (new, with goggles); light green backpack (new, with canteen and several pouches); black pistol (Keel Haul's semi-automatic). | |||
 Filecard Information: Hawk was the original field commander of the Joe Team before he got his General's star and was booted upstairs to honcho the entire G. I. Joe Operation. He's a West Point graduate and has a list of special education credits as long as his arm, but he still managed to get the main body of his experience out there where it counts—on the battle field."Hawk's the type of commander who goes out and gets shot at like everyone else. Troops respect that. They know he won't ask them to do anything he isn't willing to do himself. And that's why they are willing to do anything Hawk tells them." |
I've written my own description of what the figure looks like, differences from the cartoon character, and the accessories included. Accessories released with previous figures are identified by the name of the first figure to have that accessory. I'm not a weapons expert by any means, but I've scoured the web for the actual names of guns and other equipment.The character information from the filecard (usually two paragraphs) follows, along with a sample of the figure's character art.
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| Variations: Hawk's helmet has black goggles in the 1986 catalog and commercials but was produced with green goggles. Mail-order Hawks came with a gold '91 Cobra Commander' submachine gun instead of the pistol, and no helmet or backpack. | |||||||
| Mold:
head—Hawk (86, 97), Breaker (97), Rock 'n Roll (97) arms—Hawk (86, 97) torso and waist—Hawk (86, 97, 05) legs—Hawk (86, 97), Breaker (97) | |||||||
| Toy notes: Featured in the Devilfish commercial. Also available through the 1992 mail-in offer "Terror on the Tundra." The first major hair color change; many would follow. A slightly different version was released in India. Some parts were used to create the India-exclusive figure Super Cop. Versions from 1991 to 1997 were named "General Hawk." The name was changed to "General Tomahawk" for the 2000 and 2002 versions, and to "General Abernathy" for the 2004 and 2005 versions. The 2008 version's full name is "G. I. Joe Hawk." Copyright issues are believed responsible for the name changes, since competing The Corps! figures by Lanard have a figure named "Hawk." | |||||||
| Cartoon notes: Voiced by Ed Gilbert. Spoke 338 lines in 26 episodes. 13th most frequent speaker. First appeared and spoke in ASA 1. Total appearances: 26. Hawk was seen operating the AWE Striker, Conquest, HAVOC, JUMP, LCV Recon Sled, Mauler, Snow Cat, and Tomahawk. | |||||||
| Prioritized appearance list: Arise Serpentor Arise parts 1-5, Sink the Montana, Nightmare Assault, Raise the Flagg, The Movie parts 2-5, Sins of Our Fathers, Second-Hand Emotions, The Most Dangerous Thing in the World, Joe's Night Out, Cobrathon, Into Your Tent I Will Silently Creep, Ninja Holiday, Last Hour to Doomsday, My Favorite Things, G. I. Joe and the Golden Fleece, The Rotten Egg, My Brother's Keeper, Not a Ghost of a Chance, The Spy Who Rooked Me. Hawk was included in the opening sequences of season 2 and the Movie. | |||||||
| Cartoon notes: Not used as the leader of G. I. Joe during the first season since he was no longer available in stores; Duke was brought in as leader for ARAH in order to popularize the new figure, answering to Colonel Sharp(e). | |||||||
| Comic notes: Hawk appeared in 102 issues between 1982 and 1994: #1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10-20, 22, 23, 25-27, 30-33, 41, 45-47, 49, 50, 52, 54-61, 63, 65, 67-70, 73-78, 83, 86, 88-90, 93-96, 98, 101, 103-105, 107-111, 113, 115, 119-121, 123, 128, 129, 135, 137-141, 143-151, 155, Special Missions #1, 5, 16, 24, 27, and 28, and Yearbook #4. Unlike the cartoon, Hawk was the clear leader of the Joe Team throughout Marvel's run. | |||||||
Often there were several versions of a character released in different years and/or with different uniforms. I list all versions here Each version has its own entry in the Guide. The difference between a version and a variation is in many cases a judgment call. New filecards, repaints, special teams, and new uniforms are considered separate versions, with the exception of most convention-exclusive repaints. Otherwise, when a figure has differences within a particular assortment or year, or with a mail-order re-issue (such as Lifeline), I regard it as a variation. Fan-made and customized figures are not listed in this document. The mold category lists the body parts and other figures that share them. Here you can see that the parts were reused for three 1997 figures, as well as 2005's version of the general.
Toy notes include filecard and packaging variations, mail-order availability, noteworthy appearances in the commercials, international variations, name changes, and other arguably interesting nuggets about the figure. Cartoon notes list the voice talent behind the cartoon character, appearances on the Sunbow animated series and the Movie, vehicles driven, etc. The five-part miniseries are sometimes abbreviated ARAH (A Real American Hero), TROC (The Revenge of Cobra), TPOD (The Pyramid of Darkness), and ASA (Arise, Serpentor, Arise). Speaking roles do not take into consideration laughs, screams, unintelligible background noise, or lines spoken simultaneously by more than three people. Unless the character is always silent, appearances are ordered according to the number of lines the character speaks in each complete story. My lists of comic appearances (brought in here from Hawk's 1982 entry) are second-hand and possibly incomplete, but include the Marvel regular issues, Special Missions, and Yearbooks. I do not have comic appearances for Cobra troop types.
| RAM | Item # 6073 | Boxed Vehicle ($2.99) |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid-fire Motorcycle | Accommodates: 2 figures | |
| Appearance: green motorcyle with black tires and panel on front; headlight; green cannon attached to right side | ||
| Catalog Description(s): "Race into action! Detachable 20 MM Vulcan Gatling Cannon Side Car. Free-rolling wheels, front fork turns. Super-Realistic detail and aerodynamic styling." (1982) "Race into action on the RAM! Includes detachable 20mm Vulcan Gatling Cannon. Other figures sold separately." (1983) | ||
With equipment, I've followed a similar format. Through 1994, the price should generally be considered a minimum for the time of release, and does not take into account retail mark-up. Where the figure's rank would appear, I've listed the number of figures the vehicle can carry (in this case, two on the motorcycle's seat). Again, I've written my own description of the vehicle's appearance to distinguish it from similar toys. Relevant text from Hasbro's yearly catalogs is transcribed next. Beginning in 1986, the catalogs included information on the vehicle's size.
| Associated Figures: Breaker on box art and in the commercial and the 1982 catalog, Stalker in the 1983 catalog, Rock 'n Roll in the 1984 catalog. | ||
| Toy notes: Similar in design to the 1985/1997 Silver Mirage. Repainted in 1986 as part of the Sears-exclusive Dreadnok Ground Assault. | ||
| Cartoon notes: RAMs appeared in 11 episodes: ARAH Part 1, TROC Part 1, Cobra's Creatures, Cobra Stops the World, Cobra's Candidate, Red Rocket's Glare, Where the Reptiles Roam, Excalibur, and Cobra CLAWs Are Coming to Town; and briefly in TROC Part 5 and The Traitor I. Joes seen operating the RAM were Flash, Scarlett, Stalker, Cover Girl, Duke, Roadblock, and Lady Jaye. Buzzer, Ripper, Storm Shadow, and Torch also drove RAMs. |
Hasbro would sometimes associate a figure with a vehicle repeatedly so that kids who bought one would feel a need to buy the other. In order to bring this out, I've listed which characters appear with the vehicle on the box art and in the commercials and catalogs. Versions and variations are among the facts listed under "Toy notes." Cartoon notes include appearances and operators for the entire Sunbow series but usually not the commercials or DIC episodes.
Tables for the mail-in offers, cartoon series, and comics are pretty self-explanatory. I listed the episodes in what I believe to be a reasonable chronological order. It generally follows production order (by episode #'s) rather than airdate order. Characters and equipment are listed by number of lines and then in order of appearance; parentheses indicate very brief or obscured appearances for vehicles and in the opening sequences. Marvel comics are presented by order of release, with Devil's Due comics separated out by series. Most information on the comics is second-hand and possibly incomplete.
Where did I get all this information? Well, to begin with, I actually own a mostly complete figure collection and a large number of vehicles. I did not collect toys released between mid-1993 and the end of 1994 until recently. I kept filecards, box-backs, and mail-in offers, so the vast bulk of the vintage information comes from my own collection. I have diligently picked up recent old-sculpt figures, but my new-sculpt purchases were haphazard until this year; however, information since 2002 has been readily available.
As for the cartoon, in August 2003 I prepared dialogue-only transcripts for the episodes, and they provide the basis for appearance information and other cartoon-related statistics. So the cartoon information on this site is first-hand and should be fairly accurate. I hope to expand upon these and add commentary in the future, if time allows (probably not this year).
Having said all that, I should give credit to others whose efforts have benefitted this guide. First, above all, thanks to Hasbro and Sunbow for producing the wonderful phenomenon we call G. I. Joe. I could (and probably will) write essays on what it's meant to me. Also, thanks to stores like Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Children's Palace, and Service Merchandise for carrying the toys, and to independent stations in Kansas City and Wichita for airing the program on weekday afternoons all those years ago. Others also deserve thanks for assisting in my collection: Rhino Entertainment for its video releases, Josh Wible for my current set of series videos, the Great Escape for second-hand Joes, and especially Corey Stinson for the Classifieds at YoJoe.com, through which I was able to find about a third of my vintage figures. Also Josh Andes, Tommy Green, Kevin Hallam, Henry Kwan, Justin Page, Blake Pearson, Tony Pope, Keith Quillen, Chris Rodgers, Ed Tan, and Shawn Ten Eyck, fellow collectors, and Donald Williams, whose Skydive figure allowed me to complete my 1982-1992 collection.
As for this site, I mostly owe YoJoe.com and Quick Kick's Theatre for the inspiration to put this on the Web. Their vast stores of knowledge, as well as commercial clips, helped to fill in gaps regarding rare variations, 1993-94 toys, the first few mail-in offers, and some accessories I'd assigned to the wrong figures. It was Astrotrain's page on the Transformers that inspired me to include information on which episodes featured speaking roles for certain characters. I initially checked my own appearance lists with those at the Theatre and caught a few errors on my part before systematically re-watching the episodes. Toy item numbers and prices through 1994 come from The Official 30th Anniversary Salute to G. I. Joe by Vincent Santelmo (Krause Publications, 1994). Information on DIC-series cartoon episodes was compiled from information in an episode guide self-published by Thomas Wheeler, Kathy Pulver's website, and Lars Pearson's book Now You Know.That book also provided helpful comic information, as did appearance lists compiled by Straight-Edge, YoJoe.com, Bryon Hake, and others. Finally, the Internet Movie Database provided the birthdates for several G. I. Joe voice actors listed on my Birthdays page. Thanks also to Lars Pearson for mentioning this site in his book, and to Lee (JStein8104), Medic, Scott White, SoundEffect, Hybrid Snow-Cat, and Lynn Blattner for numerous corrections, suggestions, and overall moral support in this effort.
Feel free to contact me at propjoes@hotmail.com regarding the information in this guide, but first, please read the Frequently Asked Questions to see if your concern has already been addressed here. Also, know that I can only answer questions submitted in English, and I am not buying, selling, or trading through this site or that e-mail address. If you see anything that's incorrect (including typos), or can supply information that's missing here, or if I haven't given proper credit, I am very eager to hear from you. I'd like this guide to be as comprehensive as possible in fulfilling its purpose. (If you have multiple corrections, please send them together rather than in separate e-mails if possible.) I'm not familiar enough with the Marvel comic series to include it in this guide, but if you have a reasonably complete collection of the comics that you just can't sell and you'd like to donate them for the good of the G. I. Joe fan community, I'm all ears.
Also, if I've said something you think someone else might find hard to understand (since you yourself are, of course, an intelligent reader), please let me know so I can clarify. If you have an opinion regarding any of my editorial comments, you are welcome to demonstrate your rationality and considerate nature in your response. I also welcome any questions about plans for future material, suggestions for the site, how I came across my collection, and so forth.
I am currently not in the market for figures or accessories. But if you'd like to contribute a few dollars and decide to send it to my address (which is not posted on this site, by the way), I will send you, as a token of my sincere appreciation, a nicely written thank-you note.
Most of the questions I'm asked could simply be answered by browsing the site, so look around a little first before e-mailing. Also, general comments about G. I. Joe and ongoing discussions would be better suited to discussion boards. I've listed quite a few on my Links Page, or you can just Google. There you'll be able to canvas the opinions of hundreds of Joe fans (many of them more knowledgeable than me), and get more rapid responses than I can provide.
I don't mind disagreement; in fact, I actually tend to enjoy it as long as it's between two mature, thinking people. But I will generally disregard messages that question my hygiene, personal habits, planet of origin, and the integrity of my genealogy, or that recommend actions which are not anatomically possible. Nor am I currently making toys, cartoons, etc., available to others at this time. I plan on keeping my collection for a good long while. But otherwise, all your feedback will be appreciated!
Contact me at propjoes@hotmail.com once you've read the FAQ.
Does this much time and effort spent on something so trivial make me a nerd? Do you consider that a good thing? If so, visit
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