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| G.I. Joe Extreme | |
|---|---|
 G. I. Joe Extreme title screen |
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| Format | Animated television series |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 26 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 min. |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | First-run syndication |
| Original run | September 23, 1995 – February 21, 1997 |
G.I. Joe Extreme is a line of military-themed toys from Hasbro and the next major incarnation of G.I. Joe after G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero folded in 1994. The series ran from 1995 to 1997. It was actually preceded by Sgt. Savage and the Screaming Eagles, a one-time only series that filled the hiatus between A Real American Hero and Extreme. The only character from that line that was carried over was Sgt. Savage himself. Because of Sgt. Savage’s inclusion, the Screaming Eagles series is considered by some collectors to be part of the G.I. Joe Extreme series even though it was actually labeled as part of the Real American Hero line.
The Extreme series lasted only two years. The action figures stand at 5” tall and the size allowed for more details especially in the facial and muscular features. However, the line is criticized by collectors for having even more limited articulation than its predecessor. The title logo is reminiscent of the one used by Hasbro for the classic 12” series from the 1960s and 70s. Extreme was supported by a short-lived comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics and even had an animated series which ran for two seasons totaling 26 episodes. The TV series was produced by Gunther-Wahl Productions (co-founded by animation producer Lee Gunther) and distributed by Claster. The line as a whole, though, never enjoyed the success the A Real American Hero series had and lasted only two years.
The series' tagline was "Extreme times call for extreme heroes!".
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Story overview
The series is set in 2006 where a new enemy emerges, the terrorist organization SKAR. The toyline never made it clear if the name was meant to be an acronym but it was often spelled in all capitals. However, in the Dark Horse comics, SKAR was an acronym for Soldiers of Kaos, Anarchy, and Ruin. The group is led by the Iron Klaw, a former count of a European country.
In the comics published by Dark Horse, the original leader of SKAR was a woman named the Duchess, who wanted the royal line to regain control of her country’s government through whatever means necessary and was assassinated by Iron Klaw, her lieutenant, when he became more ambitious and craved world domination.
The Joe Team is a much smaller group. Their designated commander is Lt. Stone. Their main headquarters is located on an uncharted island while their presidential liaison is a man named Mr. Clancy. It has been hinted that Clancy is much older than he looks and has been battling the SKAR organization far longer than the Joes.
Points about G.I. Joe Extreme:
- Before the official release, rumors swirled in the comic book circles that a "darker, edgier" version of G.I. Joe would premiere. Several sources officially and unofficially tied the project in to artist and Image Comics co-founder Rob Liefeld. Mr. Liefeld ultimately denied any involvement. However, the cartoon and action figures shared hallmarks of Liefeld's designs: overmuscled characters, designs with shoulder pads, and Liefeld's studio: Extreme Studios.
- A major criticism with G.I. Joe Extreme was that the Joes featured, shared archetypes and elements of classic Joe vs. Cobra heroes. For example, the leader Lt. Stone, was just like Duke. Mayday had red hair like Scarlett; and the only difference between Snake Eyes and Black Dragon was that the latter was a wise-cracking motormouth.
- Despite its apparent failure, G.I. Joe Extreme has had a lasting legacy on the overall G.I. Joe franchise. The character of Heavy Duty was overhauled to resemble Freight (G.I. Joe Extreme's resident big man). In G.I. Joe Resolute, Stalker adopted some of the physical looks of Quick Stryke. And the entire G.I. Joe Sigma Six theme was a redo of G.I. Joe Extreme. Cobra Commander was less wily and more like a warlord. He patterned the character of Iron Klaw, the absolutely ruthless leader of SKAR.
- SKAR - Soldiers of Kaos, Anarchy, and Ruin - relied on android Skyrines. These were massive attack bots which could also fly. Cobra's use of SkyB.A.T.s in Sigma Six revisited this theme.
- The character of Hi-Tech in recent G.I. Joe fiction is a nod to Extreme's techie Metal Head.
- Scarlett's role as a pilot in Sigma Six was adopted from Extreme's Mayday.
- In Sigma Six, Destro is a Cyborg, much like Extreme's Wreckage.
- Sigma Six debuted the Mexican American G.I. Joe Long Range. He is suspiciously similar to the Italian American Ballistic/Eagle Eye of Extreme.
- The 5-inch G.I. Joe The Rise of Cobra Action Battlers are "updates of a sort" to the Extreme line.
Connection to A Real American Hero
It was never made clear how much of a connection Extreme had to the original A Real American Hero series. The Extreme series never made any references to A Real American Hero and was considered a separate continuity from ARAH.
The only character who was carried over from ARAH was Sgt. Savage. The Screaming Eagles toyline spawned a short animated featurette that would have served as a pilot for a possible television series. In the featurette, Sgt. Savage was a World War II American soldier captured and experimented upon by Nazi forces who eventually fell into a cryopreservation sleep in 1944. He was eventually found and revived by Hawk, Lady Jaye and Doc 50 years later in 1994, all characters from the A Real American Hero series. This concept was heavily borrowed from the origin of Marvel Comics' Captain America.
Characters
See main article: List of G.I. Joe Extreme characters
Comics
Dark Horse Comics acquired the rights to publish the G.I. Joe Extreme comics in 1996. The four issue mini-series was written by Mike W. Barr with art by Tatsuya Ishida and Scott Reed. The cover to the first issue (The Hour of the Iron Claw) was done by Frank Miller, the second issue (Pawn of the Iron Klaw) by Norm Breyfogle and issues three (The Gang's All Here) and four (The Ultimate Price) by Walter Simonson. The plotline of the mini-series revealed events that occurred before the television series, but also contradicts it on several points, notable in that Iron Klaw is still second-in-command of the military wing of SKAR under the Duchess of Mklavia at the time of the formation of the new Joe Team, and with the inclusion of two new members of the Joe Team, Short Fuze and Tall Sally.
The mini-series was immediately followed by an ongoing series. This series followed the continuity of the comic and began with a three-part story (Red Scream: Hunted, Red Scream: Shakes Hands with Satan, Red Scream: Island Assault) that featured an anti-globalist group led by a woman called Red Scream who sought to discredit (and eventually destroy) the Inter-Alliance by impersonating the Joe Team and committing acts of terror. The plotline ended with the capture and defeat of both Red Scream and Iron Klaw. A fourth issue (All This and World War II and The Last, Wild Heart: The Fourth Man) began a plotline where remnants of the Iron Army were still active, but it was never concluded. A fickle comic market and the poor performance of the toys led to the ongoing series lasting only four issues. Dark Horse Comics claimed the comic was on hiatus in its news releases, rather than cancelled.
Episode list
See Main Article: List of G. I. Joe Extreme episodes.
External links and references
G.I. Joe Extreme on Joepedia, an external wiki
- Official Hasbro site
- Yo Joe! The 3 3/4" G.I. Joe Collector's Site
- G.I. Joe Extreme at the Internet Movie Database
- G.I. Joe Extreme at TV.com
- Dark horse GI Joe Comics
- Joepedia: The G.I. Joe Wiki
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