Jab's He-Builds: Trap Jaw, Two-Bad, Bow, Angella, She-Ra

[Jabroniville]

Zap: "Look, ALL Marines is crazy. They're the assault troops, right? They're a hairy, scary, crazy outift! So the big brass decide that the G.I. Joe team needs a representative from the esteemed USMC. They tell us they sending us the best the Coprs has got. Well, all that means to me is that they sent us the hairiest, scariest, craziest jar-head that ever scratched, kicked and bit his way out of that hole in the swamp they call Parris Island!"

GUNG-HO (Ettienne R. LaFitte)
Military Specialty: Marine, Recondo
Role: The Crazy Uncle, Boisterous Bruiser
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe, The United States Marine Corps
PL 8 (125)
STRENGTH 4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+4)
Athletics 5 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Close Combat (Knife) 2 (+10)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Marine) 12 (+12)
Insight 3 (+3)
Intimidation 8 (+9)
Investigation 2 (+2)
Perception 7 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 2 (+2)
Treatment 3 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 5, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 3 (Unarmed 2, Rifle), Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improvised Weapon, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Skill Mastery (Marine), Startle, Taunt, Takedown 2, Ultimate Marine

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Knife +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Weapons +10 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government/The USMC)

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 56--28 / Advantages: 33 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 21 (125)

-Gung-Ho RULES!! Okay, so he was my favourite Joe as a kid (I just thought he looked COOL, what can I say?), despite never having his toy. Depicted in both the cartoon and comic books as a loud-mouthed, brash, violent, crazed jarhead, Gung-Ho was always the first guy to go flying into combat. One writer explicitly called him the "Crazy Uncle" of the TV show, and he was actually based off two family members of series producer Daniel Rudat, both of whom were marines. There's also some funny bits of Cajun in him, and there's a great scene in an episode where Cobra kidnaps seven Joes' surviving family members, and later goes after Gung-Ho's. The Baroness leads a huge force towards some shanty huts in the Louisiana Bayou, but the ENTIRE GROUP gets captured by Gung-Ho's equally giant & crazy clan of Cajun Hillbillies!

-It's funny how the part of me that loved this series as a kid comes through while reading and watching Joe-based stuff nowadays. In the comic, when Storm Shadow jumps out of a tree and slashes Gung-Ho before getting taken out by Roadblock, I was actually MAD that my favourite guy got jobbed out! I normally don't even care if that kind of thing happens to my favourites now that I'm a grown man- just goes to show you the power childhood fandoms can still hold over you. Heck, I was even annoyed when he, Stalker & Roadblock got snuck up on by some Tucaro Indians in another issue.

-Gung-Ho costs about the same as his fellow Elite Joes, but he gets it in entirely differen ways. Gung-Ho is MUCH stronger and tougher at his core than regular Joes (in one scene, he RIPS THE HOOD off a "Cobra" sports car and promptly TOTALS THE ENTIRE THING using the hood as an Improvised Weapon), sacrificing smarts, Awareness and some Skills to do it. He's basically an entirely-crazy jarhead to the max, and is one of the better ass-kickers around because of it. He's also one of the few Joes to make PL 8 with a melee attack, but only with a knife (or an Improvised Weapon- in his comic debut, he rushed THREE armed men, while shirtless and in the snow I might add, and used a RIFLE BUTT to wipe out all three guys). Gung-Ho is nuts.

Use the Same Stats for:
Leatherneck (Marine)
-The second season of the show was less kind to Gung-Ho, as he was replaced as "Resident Marine" by Leatherneck, a more arrogant, hard-to-like character who was always arguing with Navy SEAL Wet-Suit, and replaced as "Team Strongman" in a BIG way by Sgt. Slaughter. Similarly, he all but vanishes for several trades' worth in the comics, as the never-ending supply of new characters results in an almost-entirely new crew every single mission. By contrast, Gung-Ho still mostly becomes a Background Extra in the comics, but Leatherneck fails to replace him -- he just kind of goes on one or two missions and then disappears.

[catsi563]

All you need to know about Shipwreck can be summe dup in one sentence.

He and Covergirl are an ongoing item.

[Jabroniville]

(Roadblock & co. are in the American Embassy of a rioting foreign country, and actively watching rioters loot & pillage the Embassy. Their mission is to rescue the Ambassador, nothing more)
Roadblock: (spotting an arsonist about to set fire to the American flag) "Gotta stop the guy with the lighter..."
Psyche-Out: "Let him slide, Roadblock--"
Roadblock: "No way." (looks to guy) "Sir, would you kindly desist in your actions and leave the premises?"
(guy spits on Roadblock's head, then goes inches from the flag. Roadblock loads up his .50 calibre machine gun)
"I am obliged to be courteous... and persistent. Sir, you are wilfully attempting to destroy United States property. If you persist in doing so, I SHALL reduce your head to a fine mist."
Guy: "You're crazy! There are people walking out of here with IBM typewriters! Why don't you shoot some of them?
Roadblock: "Nobody ever died for a typewriter."

ROADBLOCK (Marvin F. Hinton)
Military Specialty: Heavy Machine Gunner, Cook
Role: Scary Black Man, Team Powerhouse, Big Blaster, Black Best Friend
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 8 (128)
STRENGTH 4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+3)
Athletics 5 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+10)
Deception 1 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+11)
Expertise (Chef) 8 (+10) -- Half-Cost
Expertise (Heavy Weapon Operator) 4 (+6)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 7 (+10)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Machine Gun) 1 (+11)
Stealth 2 (+4)
Technology 2 (+4)
Treatment 1 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Equipment 6, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Browing .50 cal) 2, Improved Hold, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Soldier), Teamwork, Ultimate Soldier, Withstand Damage

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment
"Browning .50 calibre Machine Gun" Blast 9 (Feats: Restricted to Freaky-Strong People) (Extras: Multiattack) (Inaccurate -2) (26)

Powers:
"Sheer Size & Strength" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Weapons +10 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Machine Gun +7 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +9, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 19 (128)

-Roadblock got a TON of play in both cartoon and comic, what with all the inventive things they gave the Team Strongman. The comics made him a bit of an intellectual snobbish-type, prone to egotism regarding cooking, but showcased him more than almost any non-ninja Joe (like when he broke free single-handedly when he, Hawk & their boss were all arrested under false suspicion, then used a CAR DOOR as a Captain America-style shield and melee weapon, then led the "resistance" when the other Joes were also rounded up). In the cartoon, he was a goofy, stereotypical "rhyming" character, but was still a heavy feature in many episodes. He was still a chef here, oddly enough, but less of a culture snob about it.

-Roadblock is even scarier than Gung-Ho, but packs a slightly different skillset, namely packing a HUGE Machine Gun (so large that it usually requires two other Joes just to hand it to him) with which to do grievous damage to anything he encounters. Note the unusually-low Parry. Roadblock doesn't dodge punches. He eats them. This guy took down STORM SHADOW in hand-to-hand (OK, so Arashikage sliced up Gung-Ho earlier and was unprepared for a dive-bomb... he still did it, and this series perscribed legendary magic powers to it's ninjas). He's so tough he has a full-blown "Strike" Power built into him. And that GUN... a huge +9 damage (and remember, he has Power Attack), made slightly-less-inaccurate due to his capabilities with firearms (especially big ones- I just added 1 point to basic "Ranged Combat- Firearms" for it), and it'll take down nearly any man, animal or vehicle. Hell, in his first appearance, he & Duke gun down A FIGHTER JET using hand-held weapons!

[luketheduke86]

Seeing all these GI Joe builds and hearing you guys talk makes me want to find some of the comics and check them out. My only exposure to GI Joe was the cartoon and the action figures. Which version of the comics would you guys suggest?

[Yojimbo28]

Anything by Larry Hama. Well, the first 70 issues or so, at least.

"Nobody ever died for a typewriter." Classic Hama line.

I hear good things about the Max Brooks stuff, but haven't read any of it myself. The best thing about Hama is that, like Jab pointed out, the man served his country, and it shows. There's a versimilitude to the Joes in the Marvel comics that is missing in the cartoons, and most of the "reboots" (How many have their been? Dark Horse, Image, Devil's Due, etc.) that I've read.

[Jabroniville]

Yeah, Hama's stuff is keen. I've got about 10 trades so far, and all of them are pretty good. There ARE flaws, however- the roster gets out of control after a point, and many good characters and supporters utterly vanish (Duke, Gung-Ho). Many more debut with some fanfare, and then disappear after their first appearance (Shipwreck, Quick-Kick), being Demoted To Extra very quickly. Then there's the whole ninja thing, as the Snake-Eyes/Storm Shadow/Scarlett/Blind Master/Jinx crew totally steal the spotlight. They're all good characters, but eventually you're like "Wow, it's the Ninja Show now".

Then there's the tiresome "Everyone in Cobra betrays each other" thing. I was into it at first, but basically the second Destro shows up (hired by Cobra to be their "Hawk", no less) he starts scheming for control. Then Baroness allies with him. Then Major Bludd does. Then Zartan has his own scheme, and Firefly allies with Destro. Then Serpentor is born, and takes over. Then Fred VII gets involved. Then he & Baroness scheme against Serpentor, then DESTRO makes a power-play. Eventually I'm like "OK I GET IT! THEY'RE BAD AND THEIR WEAKNESS IS THEIR INABILITY TO GET ALONG! BUT SERIOUSLY!"

As a whole, though, this series rocks. There are many great issues, and a lot of terrific concepts and things going on. I never figured a book where almost every character has the same abilities and it's all grim 'n' gritty gunfighting could be so good.

I've only got a few issues of the IDW or Devil's Due series. Looking at the ones I have, I think I all got them when I was first getting into comics, but I wasn't overly impressed by the early efforts. The Joe-verse kind of requires smaller panels and lots of dialogue and explanations of things to work, and most of these were quickie-read super-giant-panel affairs that take little effort to get through. It read more like a superhero book than a military one, and the Joes kind of need the latter, y'know?

IDW has re-released most of the Joe comics in Trade format, but many of them go out of print quickly. I've yet to find Trade 4 anywhere.

[Jabroniville]

COBRA MOOKS
Military Specialty: Jobbing in the Background
Role: Mooks
Group Affiliations: Cobra, Destro's Iron Grenadiers
PL 4 (41)
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 1 (+2)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+4)
Stealth 1 (+2)
Technology 2 (+2)
Vehicles 3 (+3)
Vehicles 2 (+5) or Expertise (Specialty) 2 (+2) for non-Drivers

Advantages:
Equipment 4, Ranged Attack 3

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Weapons +3 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2 (+3 Kevlar), Fortitude +2, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Cobra Goons are driven entirely by profits, and so they'll run easily at the first sign of trouble. Can't collect paychecks while you're in jail, or dead.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (41)

-Cobra had a lot of "Mook" toys- basically just a series of Jobbers for you to build their armada with. Personally, I would have felt shafted as a kid if I'd gotten one toy out of nine billion Blueshirts in the show, but some of these guys honestly looked about the coolest of the entire line. Their accuracy SUCKS, and for good reason- I can't think of a single instance of these guys hitting anything. Hell, if placed across the broad side of a barn, they might in fact kill a few of their own to friendly fire. The Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy put out a LOT of these guys.

Mooks Using Template:
Generic Cobra Guys
-The fabled "Blueshirts". The Mooks of all Mooks, even worse in combat than Stormtroopers (who at least killed some Rebel Mooks and wounded Han Solo that one time).
Crimson Guard
-Ranged Attack 2- PL 6 (43)
-The elite Red guys who were much cooler looking- oddly one of the best designs of the entire series. Here I just made them better shots than Blueshirts, so they're PL 5 Jobbers instead of PL 4 Jobbers.
Headhunters (Narcotics Guard)
-The Headman's goons.
Eels, Lampreys, Snow Serpents, Tele-Vipers
Motor Viper, Strato-Viper
Vipers (Infantry)
Gyro-Viper, Ice Viper, Sea Slug, Techno-Viper
Royal Guard (Battle-Axe)
Astro Viper (Astronaut)
Secto-Vipter (BUGG Driver), Star-Viper (Stellar Stiletto Pilot)
Toxo-Viper (Hostile Enviro)
Alley Viper (Urban Assault), Annihilator (IG Trooper)
Night-Viper, Frag-Viper (Grenades), TARGAT (Trans-Atmospheric Rapid Global Assault Trooper)
Track Viper (HISS II Pilot)
Laser-Viper (Laser Trooper), SAW-Viper (Semi-Auto), Range-Viper (Wilderness), Rock-Viper (Mountains), Undertow (Frogmen w/ Barracudas), Vapor (Hurricane Pilot)
Eco-Warriors: Toxo-Viper, Sludge Viper
Desert Scorpion (Desert Troops, Giant Scorpion pet), Incinerators (Flamethrowers), Interrogator (Battle Copter Pilots), Night Vulture (Air Recon), Snow Serpent
Cobra Eel (Shark Missile Launcher, Underwater Demolitions), Flak-Viper (Anti-Aircraft), Heli-Vipers
Toxo-Zombie
Hydro-Vipers, Iron Grenadiers
WORMS (MAGGOT Driver)

---



STANDARD COBRA EMPLOYEES
Military Specialty: Jobbing
Role: Named Jobbers
Group Affiliations: Cobra, Destro's Iron Grenadiers
PL 6 (70)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Specialty) 8 (+9)
Insight 1 (+2)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Perception 3 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+4)
Technology 2 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 5, Improved Critical (Chosen Weapon), Ranged Attack 4

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +6 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +5, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Cobra Goons are driven entirely by profits, and so they'll run easily at the first sign of trouble. Can't collect paychecks while you're in jail, or dead.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 9 (70)

-The Joe line was mainly sold for Joes, but Cobra, as the official enemy, had it's fair share of named guys. They tend not to have much characterization, or even much ability, as they're more or less "Named Jobbers" like the Dreadnoks, but some of them looked pretty cool.

Cobras Using Template:
Wild Weasel (Rattler Pilot)
-Replace Specialty with Pilot 6 (+12 Total)- PL 6 (69)
-Wild Weasel wasn't used often, but he was almost as good as any Joe in the air.
Scrap Iron (Anti-Armour, Bug-Planter)
-This guy showed up only briefly in any continuity, and is generally a "Tech-Guy".
Croc Master (Reptile Trainer)
-Minion 10 (two Alligators)
-Yes, his name was CROC Master and he had Alligators for pets. Don't ask.
Crystal Ball (Hypnotist)
-Not making this guy up. One of the dumber ideas. Also, his toy rocked, and I had it. No 'gators though. Must've been a Garage Sale purchase.
Raptor (Falconer)
-Perception 9 (+10), Minion 3 (Falcon)- PL 6 (76)
-This guy looked so out of place it wasn't even funny. He was basically a comic book superhero design mixed in with militaristic Cobra designs.
Voltar (Destro's General)
-Ranged Attack 2, Fighting 7- PL 7 (74)
-The General of the Iron Grenadiers was probably a bit tougher than the standard goon.
Headman (Drug Kingpin)
-Intelligence 2, Awareness 2, Presence 2, Benefit (Wealth), Ranged Attack 2- PL 7 (79)
-The Headman was an evil druglord, evil even by COBRA's standards (since in the '80s, drugs were considered worse than terrorism or murder), and I think Cobra hated him as well. Basically just an attempt to get on the "Anti-Drug" bandwagon).
Scarface (Mook)
-Scarface was a hapless Cobra Mook who was recognizable by a large wound across his face, and he came to be a target by both Joe & Cobra by means quite beyond his control (it was a bit convoluted and confusing, so I forget what it was about). In any case, he was killed after spending a few issues as a Living Macguffin. Kind of a pathetic, unfortunate figure, really. You almost felt bad for him (he didn't even get to SAY anything during his final issues).
Copperhead (Water Moccasin Pilot)
HEAT Viper (Bazooka)
Darklon (Evader Driver)
Decimator (Hammerhead Driver)
Metal-Head (Anti-Tank)
Overlord (Dictator Driver)
CessPool (Chief Environmental Operative)
Big Boa (Cobra Trainer)
Sky Creeper (Air Recon Leader, career crook)
Nullifier (AGP Pilot)
Gristle (Urban Crime Commander)
Nitro-Viper (Detonator Driver)
Ferret (DEMON Driver)
Blackstar (Cobra Space Pilot)

[Jabroniville]

THE DREADNOKS
Military Specialty: None, Really (they're just violent sociopaths)
Role: Big, Dumb Goons
Group Affiliations: The Dreadnoks, Cobra
PL 6 (64)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+8)
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Biker Thug) 8 (+7)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Perception 2 (+1)
Vehicles 4 (+6)
Vehicles 4 (+10) -- Flaws: Limited to Ground Vehicles

Advantages:
Equipment 5, Improved Critical (Chosen Weapon), Ranged Attack 4, Teamwork, Ultimate Biker Thug

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +6 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +5, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Greed & Destruction)- The Dreadnoks all like money, but most of them like breaking things even more. In a few of their cases, it's a virtual all-consuming obsession. In one issue of the comic, the Dreadnoks are just there to leave an opening for Cobra, but they end up going crazy and demolishing an entire airfield's worth of equipment because it was all RIGHT THERE and they had chainsaws and junk. Totally magnificent stuff.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 10 (64)

-The Dreadnoks were great. Initially a potentially-franchise-ruiningly bad idea, they were supposed to be little fuzzy Ewok rip-offs (Dreaknok=Ewok), but Larry Hama basically went "nobody wants to see the heroes shooting little teddy bears" and make them Mad Max rip-offs instead. And they were very entertaining, and sort of the Cobra equivalent to wrestling's "Jobbers To The Stars", the guys who weren't jobbers (ie. Cobra Blueshirts), but they were nonetheless there to lose every single show, to make the Joes look better. Statistically they're a bit weird, as you'd expect them to be super-strong (they're REALLY well-built), but they're giant wusses compared to the Joes, and get easily KO'd every single time. Hell, one episode features Ripper throwing a huge combo at Gung-Ho, whose concept of "defense" is to STAND THERE WITH HIS ARMS AT HIS SIDES WITH HIS CHEST STICKING OUT, and it totally works and Gung-Ho just kicks his ass. Even in the comics, the Dreadnoks can't catch a break, and easily lose in melee, and only escape from fights due to trickery or higher firepower against an outnumbered foe. So they lack fighting skill, and are more dumb thugs.

Dreadnoks Using Template:
Ripper (Metal Splitter)
-Power Jaws/Metal Splitter (usually on a Rifle's end)- Strength-Damage +3, Improved Critical
-Ripper was my favourite as a kid... him or Monkey-Wrench, I can never remember. I always thought black-haired people were cooler back then (I was seven or eight- I have no clue why), so it might've been him. He was clearly voiced in the unique screechy vocal stylings of Chris Latta, but not in the same way that Cobra Commander was. He was more of an Aussie crazed berserker, who would nonetheless show Latta's trademark cowardice the second things turned against him.
Torch (Blowtorch)
-Blowtorch (Damage 6, Reach 2)
Buzzer (Chainsaw, Nunchuku Axe)
-Fighting 6, Intelligence 3, Awareness 1, Ranged Attack 3, Expertise (Psychology) 4 (+7), Insight 2 (+3)- PL 6 (76)
-The other guy in the "Motley Trio" of Dreadnok Goons, Buzzer actually had a lot more characterization in the comic book, which explained that he was a psychiatrist who was doing a study on biker gangs, but "went native" and eventually became what he was studying. As a result, he's pricier than the other Dreadnoks, but I balanced it by making him slightly worse at combat. And yes, Axe Nunchuku.
Monkeywrench (Harpoon)
-Monkeywrench debuted when Thrasher did, and essentially became just another one of the common Dreadnok goons- being a big dumb incompetent muscular guy.
Thrasher (Thunder Machine Driver)
-Thrasher was a REALLY obvious case of "Buy this toy!" in the cartoon- in the same episode that debuts the Season 2 Joes (Sgt. Slaughter, Beach Head & others), Zartan decides to hold Dreadnoks Try-Outs. Thrasher comes in late, but insists that "I come with my own vehicle" which he then drives around, trying to make it look cool for the kids. He does NOTHING- he's just a green-tinged hair-having loser.
Zanzibar (Dreadnok Pirate)
-Replace Biker Thug with Pirate Thug.
Zandar
-Deception 10 (+10), Improved Critical (Alligator), Improvised Weapons, Features 2: Unmemorable Features- PL 6 (72)
-Another dumb idea, Zandar actually has "Zartan's Brother" as his Military Specialty. He doesn't actually DO anything in the cartoon, other than a HILARIOUS incident in which he uses an ALLIGATOR as a melee weapon in a debate over whether or not Certs are a candy or a mint (what kind of Exotic Weapon Proficiency would THAT be, I wonder?). But seriously, he barely even has a speaking role, and is just there as window-dressing. In the comics, he was shown as being one of those guys that you just fail to recognize or notice ("now what did that guy look like again? I totally forget"), giving him a bit of a boost.
Gnawgahyde (Dreadnok Poacher w/ Boar)
-Expertise (Poacher) 8 (+7), Favoured Enemy (Animals), Minion 2 (Boar)- PL 6 (71)
-My friend once gave this to his brother for a birthday present. The result: He unwraps it, looks to his brother, and goes "I hate this guy". A really ugly-looking toy.

[Jabroniville]

ZARTAN (Real Name Unknown)
Military Specialty: Master of Disguise
Role: Creepy Guy, Master of Disguise, Manipulative Bastard, Sub-Group Leader
Group Affiliations: Cobra, The Dreadnoks
PL 8 (157)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 4 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 9 (+13)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+9)
Expertise (Biker Thug) 6 (+9)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 3 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 8 (+11)
Ranged Combat (Bow & Arrow) 2 (+12)
Stealth 7 (+12)
Technology 3 (+6)
Vehicles 5 (+7)
Vehicles 4 (+11) -- Flaws: Limited to Ground Vehicles

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit (Secret Identity), Defensive Attack, Equipment 5, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Rifle), Improved Defense, Languages 2 (Several), Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 8, Seize Initiative, Skill Mastery (Deception), Tracking, Ultimate Deception

Powers:
"Ventriloquism"
Illusion 2 (Auditory) (Flaws: Limited to Voices) [1]

"Holographic Disguise" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Restricted 2- Only Zartan) [14]
Morph 3 (Any Humanoid) (15 points)

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +10 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Bow & Arrow +12 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Zartan is greedy to the max, along with his Dreadnoks.
Responsibility (The Dreadnoks)- Mostly cowardly and stupid, the Dreadnoks are a constant headache to the more orderly Zartan.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 70--35 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 14 (157)

-Zartan is a true Cobra icon- a "third party" of sorts, since Cobra Commander & Destro were often feuding with each other- Zartan had a loyalty ot Cobra Commander, but only as far as his dollar went. As leader of his own band of Mooks, Zartan showed up A LOT, and he had a pretty creepy echoing voice, in addition to his disguise powers. He's much pricier than most Joes OR Cobras, thanks to his abilities coming from a Powered Device, as well as his Ventriloquism. And hell, this guy offed SERPENTOR in the comics- doing a classic jerkwad move by sniping him from God-knows-how-far-away, piercing his eye with an arrow. He's still not quite as good with the bow as Storm Shadow, since he has to "cheat" with a sound-enhancing device to pin-point guys Blind-Sight-wise, but he's still damn good with it. He's still only got +10 to his defenses, since I've seen him lose to a generic Joe in melee once.

---



ZARANA (Real Name Unknown)
Military Specialty: Zartan's Sister (?)
Role: Bad Girl, Master of Disguise, Manipulative Bitch, Scheming Leader-Type
Group Affiliations: Cobra, The Dreadnoks
PL 7 (124)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 9 (+13)
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Biker Thug) 4 (+7)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+6)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 6 (+9)
Stealth 6 (+11)
Technology 3 (+6)
Vehicles 5 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit (Secret Identity), Defensive Attack, Equipment 5, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Rifle), Improved Defense, Languages (A Few), Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Skill Mastery (Deception), Ultimate Deception

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +8 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Zarana is in it for money. Also a bit of thrills.
Relationship (Mainframe)- Zarana had to pretend to fall for Mainframe in order to seduce him and get a Macguffin Device (actually, I think it was literally called that). She ended up falling in love with him for real, and her loyalties would be divided whenever a situation came up involving him.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 12 (124)

-Zarana is Zartan's sister, and wore her hair in typical '80s "punker" (I hate punkers) fashion, sporting hot-pink short hair. That and the pink half-shirt thing makes her one of the most dated characters in the Joe-verse BY FAR. Out of the new villains, she got a great deal of focus, frequently subbing for Zartan as Dreadnok leader, and she even had a "Dating Catwoman" arc with Mainframe of the Joes in the `toon. In the comics, she feuded constantly with the Baroness (you know how WOMEN are :)). She's basically a mini-Zartan in stats, relying on sheer Deception over an actual Morph power- her disguises were second to none.

-Her best scenes? The huge catfight with Lady Jaye, in which all the Cobra soldiers and Joes stop what they're doing and just watch them go at it; and when she gets into a verbal match with The Baroness, calling her an "Astigmatic sow!"

[Jabroniville]

ROAD PIG (Donald DeLuca)
Military Specialty: Dreadnok
Role: Crazy Giant Goon
Group Affiliations: The Dreadnoks, Cobra
PL 8 (65)
STRENGTH 5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -2/3 AWARENESS -1/3 PRESENCE -3/0

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Expertise (Biker Thug) 7 (+5/+10)
Intimidation 6 (+11)
Perception 2 (+1/+5)
Vehicles 3 (+5)
Vehicles 4 (+9) -- Flaws: Limited to Ground Vehicles

Advantages:
Benefit (Uses Strength instead of Presecne for Intimidation Checks), Close Attack 2, Equipment 5, Improved Critical (Sledgehammer) 2, Ranged Attack 4, Ultimate Biker Thug

Equipment:
"Donald Personality"
Enhanced Intelligence 5 (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [5]
Enhanced Awareness 4 (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [4]
Enhanced Presence 3 (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [3]

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment (includes Giant Cinderblock Sledgehammer- Strength-Damage +3, Penetrating 6)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Sledgehammer +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Weapons +6 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +5, Fortitude +9, Will +1/+4

Complications:
Relationship (Zarana)- Road Pig is obsessed romantically with Zarana, sister of Zartan. His obsession allows him to be easily controlled by her, and he will do whatever she asks, no question.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 10 (65)

-Road Pig stands out amongst the Dreadnoks as a super-strong behemoth of a man with two personalities -- he's got an intelligent side, and a stuttering moronic one, and switches between the two frequently, often in mid-conversation. So he'll come out talking like Marvel's Thor, and then all of a sudden switch to someone who'd make Archie's Big Moose look like Dilton Doiley. He stats up as a PL 8, and he's by far the most dangerous of the non-Zartan Dreadnoks, packing +8 damage with his huge Sledgehammer. As far as weapons go, it's pretty kick-ass: A CINDER-BLOCK attached to a metal rod. In terms of sheer melee damage, no other character in the Joe canon comes near him. Hell, he once halted a MOVING CAR with it, and effortlessly KO'd both Rock 'n' Roll & Clutch at once.

[Jabroniville]

The Baroness: "For COBRAAAAA!"
Firefly: "For personal survival, and the promise of riches!"

FIREFLY (Real Name Unknown)
Military Specialty: (Watch it y'all it's) Sabotage, Demolitions, Terror
Role: Cool-Looking Jobber
Group Affiliations: Cobra
PL 8 (115)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+9)
Expertise (Saboteur) 8 (+11)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Investigation 1 (+3)
Perception 6 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+9)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 3 (+6)
Vehicles 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Equipment 5, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Rifle) 2, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 7, Skill Mastery (Saboteur), Ultimate Saboteur

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +9 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +7, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Cobra Goons are driven entirely by profits, and so they'll run easily at the first sign of trouble. Can't collect paychecks while you're in jail, or dead.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 12 (115)

-Firefly was basically a cool design and little else- looking like a ninja dude, but he was a "Saboteur" in Cobra's charge. He actually jobbed pretty hard in his debut, getting his butt kicked with Wild Weasel, and didn't fare much better in the 'toon, but every kid I knew thought he was both rad AND tubular. In the comics, he got roped into the never-ending "Who is betraying whom in Cobra?" storyline, but nothing every really came of it, and he was demoted quickly. He gets boosted a bit over Major Bludd and the twins, but only by a bit- he did kill Soft Master and Ripcord's girlfriend in the comics, and was VERY resourceful, so he's got some skills beyond being a simple Merc-type.

---



MAJOR BLUDD (Sebastian Bludd)
Military Specialty: Mercenary, Terrorist
Role: Jobber Leader
Group Affiliations: Cobra
PL 7 (108)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Mercenary) 8 (+11)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Investigation 1 (+3)
Perception 6 (+8)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 3 (+6)
Vehicles 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Equipment 5, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Rifle) 2, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Skill Mastery (Mercenary), Ultimate Mercenary

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +8 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +7, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Cobra Goons are driven entirely by profits, and so they'll run easily at the first sign of trouble. Can't collect paychecks while you're in jail, or dead.
Obsession (Poetry)- Major Bludd loves poetry, and he writes a lot of it... badly. Most others consider suicide as a welcome alternative to hearing any of it. "When you're feeling low and woozy/slap a fresh clip in your uzi/assume the proper firing stance/and make those suckers jump and dance".

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 59--24 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (108)

-True story: My old roommate was in the reserves, and one of his Majors actually had the last name of "Bludd". Spelled the same and everything. He was a HUGE Jobber in the cartoon, basically being used every time they didn't want Cobra Commander or Destro soaking up a loss, and so he was there leading tons of Cobra brigades towards their inevitable retreats. He probably has more losses than just about anybody, actually. At least in the comics, his short-lived run allowed him to kill General Flagg, which was... glossed-over really quickly, though it bridged the gap between the Hawk-led first Pit, and the Hawk & Duke-led second Pit. But yeah, he vanished after that, only showing up a couple times, as Larry Hama started focusing far more on Serpentor/Commander/Destro, as well as the Baroness, the fake Cobra Commander, and the Dreadnoks.

Use Similar Stats For:
Tomax & Xamot (Crimson Guard Commanders, Executive Enterprises)
-Replace Mercenary with Expertise (Business) 8 (+11), Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Senses 1 (Communication Link- Other Brother), Complications: Feels Equivalent Effect that Other Brother Feels- PL 7 (115)
-I hated these guys. Always have, always will. They're tough in some regards, but also go down like giant jobbers any time they actually go against a real Joe in hand-to-hand. They also have the worst weakness EVER, as one twin immediately feels whatever happened to the other. I mean, who includes a Drawback like that? You get to kick TWO asses for the price of one! The twins appeared a LOT in the middle of the cartoon's run, as they were a never-ending source of money for Cobra, and they were the Corrupt Corporate Executives, constantly trying to buy everyone out and bribe people. They were behind a lot of Cobra's get-rich-quick schemes, and were enormously over-played. Yup, I still hate them. In the comics, they pretty much almost never show up, except for background stuff.

[Jabroniville]

BAZOOKA (David L. Katzenbogen)
Military Specialty: Missile Specialist
Role: Team Moron, Blow-It-Up Guy
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 8 (104)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+4)
Athletics 5 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 1 (+1)
Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+8)
Expertise (Missile Specialist) 9 (+8)
Insight 2 (+2)
Intimidation 7 (+7)
Perception 4 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Missiles) 2 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Treatment 2 (+1)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Equipment 6, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Missile Launcher) 2, Quick Draw, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Missiles), Teamwork, Ultimate Missile Specialist

Equipment:
30 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment (Usually a Missile Launcher: Blast 8- Extras: +7 Area- 30ft. Burst or Blast 10- Inaccurate -2)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Missiles +6 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Exploding Missiles +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +8, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)
Reputation (Dumbass)- Bazooka is... of lower intelligence compared to the other Joes, and does foolish things quite a bit. He's usually made to look like an idiot more than any other character (and at least Gung-Ho does it because he's a crazy bad-ass, not a moron).

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 21 (104)

-Bazooka provoked a funny outburst from Larry Hama in the planning phases, as he was called a "Bazooka Soldier"- Hama pointed out that Bazookas are as obsolete as flintlock muskets, and haven't been used for "over THIRTY YEARS!" (emphasis his- this is apparently his Berserk Button) and so they should give him a new "specialty", but could keep the code-name. He was depicted as the Team Moron in the cartoon (most '80s toons had at least ONE guy who was a simple-minded buffoon who broke things and acted like he belonged under constant supervision, not on a heroic squadron of fighters- MUCH LESS being the guy with the massive Area Effect Weapon). He was usually paired up with the more stable, specialized Alpine.

-Bazooka uses an Area Effect Weapon (much more powerful than the standard Grenades most Joes use), but has far less skill than most in his class level possess. Because he's a dumbass.

[Jabroniville]

B.A.T.s (Battle Android Troopers)
Military Specialty: Robot Mooks
Role: Elite Mooks, G-Rated Killable Mooks
Group Affiliations: Cobra
PL 5 (30)
STRENGTH 5 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -- AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE --

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+7)
Perception 4 (+2)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Treatment 2 (+1)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 3, Improved Grab, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Android Body"
Protection 6 (Extras: Impervious 5) (Flaws: 2 Ranks Limited to Ballistics/Lasers) (Weak Point- Chest Array) [10]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Weapons +4 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +5 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+6 Ballistics), Fortitude --, Will -2

Complications:
None

Total: Abilities: -14 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 40 / Defenses: 2 (30)

-The Battle Android Troopers were the sign of a new kind of Mook- killable robots, allowing the Joes to *gasp*! Actually HIT THINGS with their lasers for once! Shocking, I know. They were remarkably powerful in their first appearances, getting the "buy these toys now, kids!" push, but they ended up being a little more vulnerable as things went on. Hell, my only memory of them as a kid was them getting blown up with EVERY SHOT, having their glass chest covering shattered easily (and in the comics, they go down easily enough- they just take plenty of shots since a moving torso can still aim and fire). The cartoon features a funny instance where the Joes' lasers are useless against the B.A.T.s, at which point Sgt. Slaughter & company just run up and start PUNCHING THE CRAP OUT OF THEM. So yes, apparently in the cartoon-verse, lasers do less damage than human fists. Good to know. This is reflected slightly in their stats, as the B.A.T.s are PL 5 Elite Mooks, lacking accuracy, but they're pretty tough and can hit hard (they have full Power Attack, a rarity in this 'verse. B.A.T.s have been shown to bust through metal or stone, and can carry single Joes helpless with one hand).

Use Similar Template For:
Overkill (BAT Leader)
-Strength 6, Fighting 6, Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8), Ranged Attack 8, Dodge +6 (DC 16)- PL 7 (41)
-Overkill is just an elite B.A.T. Nothing fancy, really.

[luketheduke86]

Thanks for the info on the comics Yojimbo and Jab. I'll probably see about buying a couple of the Classic GI Joes trades on Amazon here. I thought I found a great deal on the first five trades on eBay but the seller was in Australia and was going to charge 120 bucks for shipping .

[Kara]

Hail Cobra!

...Um...I mean...

Go Joe? Yeah, that's it, go Joe. Definitely not Cobra. Definitely.

Excellent builds by the way. And (while my allegiance is definitely on the side of Joe, definitely) I will be using the Cobra builds with just a little bit of tweaking, to make up an army for my campaign bad guys.