Stalker

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G.I. Joe character
Stalker
Affiliation	G.I. Joe
Specialty	Ranger
File name	Wilkinson, Lonzo R.
Birthplace	Detroit, MI
SN	RA725054399
Rank	E-9 Sergeant Major
Primary MOS	Infantry
Secondary MOS	Medic, Interpreter
Subgroups	Talking Battle Commanders Tiger Force
Voiced by	Arthur Burghardt (Original) Charlie Adler (Resolute)
Year introduced	1982

Stalker is the code name of Army Sergeant Lonzo R. Wilkinson, a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series. He is one of very few characters from the first line of the toys to have a distinct appearance from the other action figures, as he is African-American. Stalker was a major character in the G.I. Joe comic book series published by Marvel Comics, and has also been featured in the series from Devil's Due publishing. In the animated series, however, he received very little screen time after the first mini-series, and is absent from the later series, G.I. Joe: Sigma 6.

A Real American Hero Toy history

As of July 2009, there have been 18 figures released of Stalker. In 2002, Stalker was renamed Sgt. Stalker. He was also released once as Lonzo R. Wilkinson, from before he was a member of G.I. Joe.

Vintage/Modern

Stalker was one of the original figures released carded in the first series in 1982. Like all of the original sixteen figures, Stalker was released with "straight arms", and his head only could turn left and right. The 1989 release of Stalker came with a white kayak. The 1991 release was part of the "Talking Battle Commanders" group, and featured several phrases that were spoken when one of the buttons on his backpack were pressed.

25th Anniversary

In 2007, Sgt. Stalker was released as part of the 25th Anniversary. His new design was based on his original 1982 figure. This mold was reused for his 2008 release, which was packaged with the DVD Battles Pack, set 1 of 5. The mold was again used for his 2008 release with a green JUMP jet pack as part of the Target exclusive Ultimate Battle Pack.

Comics - original continuity

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero - Marvel Comics

Stalker first appeared in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1 (June 1982).^[1]

He grew up in Detroit, Michigan where he was a leader of a large street gang. At some point, he turned his life around and joined the US Army. His fluency in Spanish, French, Arabic and Swahili, coupled with his experience in commanding other people, made him a valuable asset. When he joined the G.I. Joe Team, he often served as leader in their many missions.

Prior to joining G.I. Joe, he served on the same LRRP team as Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow did during their tour in the Vietnam War.^{[volume & issue needed]} Their experience there made them the best of friends. After their tour, only Stalker stayed in the military, while Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow went on a long sabbatical training in the art of the ninja. Years later, Stalker, along with Hawk, would be responsible for selecting the members that would comprise the original Joe team.^{[volume & issue needed]} He was, in effect, serving as second in command to Hawk until Duke came on board.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Stalker's most trying moment was when he and his team were captured by Borovian authorities after a mission gone awry. Only Outback manages to escape, under orders and under protest.^{[volume & issue needed]} Snow Job and Quick-Kick are imprisoned with Stalker for several months in a brutal Borovian prison camp. Snow-Job comes close to dying when he falls ill. The United States disavows any knowledge of their mission. Scarlett and Snake-Eyes fake their own death and join with Storm Shadow in an illegal mission.^{[volume & issue needed]} All of the Joes escape with the aid of the freedom fighters called Magda and her friend, the White Clown.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Stalker, Snow Job and Quick Kick emerge back home to a crowd of dozens of Joes. All three specifically search out Outback to reassure him that he did the right thing.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Stalker stayed on, serving with the G.I. Joe Team until its disbandment in 1994.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Reinstatement - Devil's Due Publishing

The Devil's Dues G.I. Joe series loosely continues the original storyline, opening with the reinstatement of the G.I. Joe team in 2002. The newer series is ambiguous with references to the Vietnam War, implying that characters such as Stalker may have been serving in a different conflict in Southeast Asia at a later time in history (so that the characters and storyline are timeless rather than being limited to only 2 decades of storytelling).

After G.I. Joe was disbanded in 1994 (at the end of the Marvel series), Stalker stayed in the military, serving for a brief time as a recruiter in his hometown of Detroit. In 2001, the G.I. Joe team was reinstated in response to Cobra's return to the United States. Under the leadership of his old comrade, Duke, many of the older Joes, including Stalker, were brought back to help train and lead a batch of new recruits. Stalker later took part in the Joes' assault on Cobra Island to fight the forces of a revived Serpentor.

Eventually, the team's roster was cut down to only a dozen Joes including Stalker. That small team defended the new Pit against Cobra's attack, but Stalker and most of the team members were quickly reassigned to other units. Shortly after, the G.I. Joe team was again disbanded by the military but later, under the leadership of General Joseph Colton, Stalker was reactivated along with seven other Joes to continue counter terrorism activity.

Cartoons

He first appeared in the animated series in Part 1 of the "The MASS Device" mini-series.

References

External links

• Stalker (G.I. Joe) on Joepedia, an external wiki
• Stalker (G.I. Joe) at the Internet Movie Database
• Biography at My Useless Knowledge
• Stalker (G.I. Joe) at YoJoe