History YMMV / GIJOE

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: The episode ''Cobra Quake''. While the plot of the episode focuses on G.I. Joe stopping Cobra from making an artificially created earthquake to destroy Tokyo, on March 11, 2011, Japan actually got hit by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake. Now, ''TheHub'' no longer airs this episode on its channel.

** The episode ''Cobra Quake'', which focuses on G.I. Joe trying to stop Cobra from causing an artificially created earthquake to destroy Tokyo. Then, in 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake actually hit Japan. As a result, TheHub suspended airing this episode on its channel until further notice.

* IAmNotShazam: G.I. Joe is the name of the organization, not the name of any one character. There ''is'' actually a character named G.I. Joe in the series, Joseph B. Colton, the legendary soldier for whom the organization was named--his name was Joe, and he was a GI (traditionally, from WW2). For the record, he's implied to be the very same gentleman from the 12-inch line famed for his full beard and kung fu grip.

* DorkAge: The DiCEntertainment-produced cartoons in the early 90s likely count, being a LighterAndSofter version than the 80s series. One episode even features Cobra plotting in taking over a school with bogus history books, and end up getting defeated by school-children.

* HarsherInHindsight: The episode ''Cobra Quake'', which focuses on G.I. Joe trying to stop Cobra from causing an artificially created earthquake to destroy Tokyo. Then, in 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake actually hit Japan. As a result, TheHub suspended airing this episode on its channel until further notice.

* IAmNotShazam: G.I. Joe is the name of the organization, not the name of any one character.
** There ''is'' actually a character named G.I. Joe in the series, Joseph B. Colton, the legendary soldier for whom the organization was named--his name was Joe, and he was a GI (traditionally, from WW2). For the record, he's implied to be the very same gentleman from the 12-inch line famed for his full beard and kung fu grip.

* MemeticBadass: Joe Colton, the first G.I. Joe, is treated as this both in and out of universe.
** Ditto for Snake Eyes.

* MoralEventHorizon: In ''World War III'', Cobra Commander definitely crosses the line.

* NightmareFuel: The episode "There's No Place Like Springfield" will give anyone nightmares for a week. As will the one with the giant shrieking underwater worms.

* TheScrappy: Shipwreck's parrot Polly in the cartoon due to being annoying and lacking the usefulness of the other team pets.

* SignatureScene: The above-mentioned opening to the 1987 movie, featuring [[SugarWiki/SoCoolItsAwesome the Joes and Cobra having an epic showdown on the Statue of Liberty]].

* UnintentionallySympathetic: Cobra Commander, like most villains of 80s cartoons, is just so hapless and clumsy and riddled with bad luck and loses so often in a humiliating fashion that sometimes you just can't help feeling bad for him. His comic book counterpart, however, is an aversion.

* CompleteMonster: [[Monster/GIJoe Now has its own page]].

** Helix in the IDW comics due to being a GodModeSue. Your doomed for Scrappydom when you're written as not only canonically beating ''[[EnsembleDarkhorse Snake-Eyes]]'' in a straight-up fight, but doing so with ease.

* GodModeSue: Helix. She can "calculate all near-future possibilities", meaning she essentially sees few seconds into future AND she's pretty AND she's fast AND she's an excellent fighter AND everything about her is super-secret. So far she's been shown to out-fight Snake-Eyes and out-wit Hawk. For her next appearance, Chuck Dixon will probably make her out-mean Beach Head, out-glamour Cover Girl and out-perform everyone else.

*** Said costume gets an update in the "Devil's Due" comic run, but it's still pretty darned silly. Credit where it's due, the artist took the concept and got it to skew towards the awesome end of hokey. Gone is the silly cobra hood that made it look like a cheap Halloween costume, and the weird neck snakes are shrunken and incorporated into the sleeker, more metallic look. In the end, though, it is still a guy in a snake suit.

* CompleteMonster: The original Franchise/GIJoe comic, first under [[ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel Marvel]], now with IDW, has [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Doctor Venom]]. Where Cobra Commander at least had ''one or two'' humanizing moments, Venom was pure evil incarnate distilled into paint thinner. Invented a machine whose sole purpose was [[MindRape mind-raping]] prisoners, which was then adapted into {{brainwash|ed}}ing them. Had to team up with Kwinn and Snake Eyes for their mutual survival, yet [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder never missed a chance to back-stab one or both of them]] and would repeatedly end up [[DirtyCoward begging for his miserable life]] if cornered. If that's not enough, when Destro went into a HeroicBSOD at the sight of Baroness making an apparent HeroicSacrifice to save him, Venom commented to Cobra Commander, "Doesn't he realize love is just the overestimation of one woman's value over another?" [[KickTheDog within earshot of Destro]]! Not only did he ''never'' show remorse, he never showed anything but [[ForTheEvulz child-like glee]] when inflicting suffering on others and [[WhyWontYouDie anger if they survived]].

* SignatureScene: The above-mentioned opening to the 1987 movie, featuring [[SoCoolItsAwesome the Joes and Cobra having an epic showdown on the Statue of Liberty]].

** Seal Team 6 and the mission to kill Osama bin Laden (as recounted in ''ZeroDarkThirty'') feels a ''lot'' like a real-life version of ''GI Joe'', including bringing a dog along and wacky hijinks with the EOD guy.

** Dr. Sidney Biggles-Jones is an interesting case. Normally she'd just be a minor scientist (albeit [[HotScientist a good-looking one]]), but she was a key player in the ''TransformersGeneration2'' crossover/BackDoorPilot, making her a memorable figure in two different fandoms.

* FridgeLogic: So, if they're supposed to be the Real ''American'' Heroes, why is their flamethrower-guy Irish?

* MagnificentBastard: Cobra Commander on his good days.

* MyRealDaddy: Larry Hama for the comic and Snake Eyes.

* RealWomenDontWearDresses: According to Sigma 6, Scarlett hasn't worn a dress since her prom.
** Not so. She wore a very slinky dress when she went undercover in DDP's ARAH #17 and #18. If that's not enough, she has worn the dress greens during the Marvel-era, which means a knee-length skirt, most notably at General Flagg's funeral. OTOH, that leaves her wearing her combat uniform or jeans only 99% of the time and she doesn't really follow any feminine stereotypes otherwise, it's kinda moot point.

* TheScrappy: Shipwreck's parrot Polly in the cartoon due to being widely seen as annoying.

* UnintentionallySympathetic: Cobra Commander, like most villains of 80s cartoons, is just so hapless and clumsy and riddled with bad luck and loses so often in a humiliating fashion that sometimes you just can't help feeling bad for him. [[spoiler:His comic book counterpart, however, was very much a MagnificentBastard.]]

** ''G.I. Joe Extreme'' anyone? This thing was so bad and riddled with so much 90's cheese it more or less killed the entire franchise up until 2001-2002.

* FridgeLogic: So, if they're supposed to be the Real ''American'' Heroes, why is their flamethrower-guy Irish? Related to UnfortunateImplications below.

* UnfortunateImplications: Blowtorch, the Joes' fire-based weapons expert, had an [[{{Oireland}} Irish]] accent in the TV show.
** In the ''Twenty Questions'' episode that introduced Hector Ramirez, we see the Joes relaxing in their off time; Alpine, who appears to be of some African American/Hispanic ancestry, makes a nasty comment when he sees Native American Indian teammate Spirit feeding his pet eagle Freedom from the mouth. Alpine says "Disgusting, probably gonna get a disease." Spirit tells Alpine not to fear for his health, and Alpine shoots back "I'm not. I'm worried about Freedom." Seeing as how the insult is aimed at a Native American it comes across as more than a little racist.

** There was an episode where they went to Southeast Asia and encountered Amerasian street kids acknowledged to have been fathered by American soldiers during the UsefulNotes/VietnamWar.

** In the original animated movie, Duke's death was retconned away at the last minute. For ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation'', they [[spoiler:refilmed a bunch of scenes to change Duke's death]]. Everyone is waiting to see if they'll dub in TheRock saying "Hey, everyone, Duke's gonna be okay!"

** In the original animated movie, Duke's death was retconned away at the last minute. For ''GIJoeRetaliation'', they [[spoiler:refilmed a bunch of scenes to change Duke's death]]. Everyone is waiting to see if they'll dub in TheRock saying "Hey, everyone, Duke's gonna be okay!"

* CompleteMonster: The original Franchise/GIJoe comic, first under [[ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel Marvel]], now with IDW, has [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Doctor Venom]]. Where Cobra Commander at least had ''one or two'' humanizing moments, Venom was pure evil incarnate distilled into paint thinner. Invented a machine whose sole purpose was [[MindRape mind-raping]] prisoners, which was then adapted into [[{{Brainwashed}} brainwashing]] them. Had to team up with Kwinn and Snake Eyes for their mutual survival, yet [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder never missed a chance to back-stab one or both of them]] and would repeatedly end up [[DirtyCoward begging for his miserable life]] if cornered. If that's not enough, when Destro went into a HeroicBSOD at the sight of Baroness making an apparent HeroicSacrifice to save him, Venom commented to Cobra Commander, "Doesn't he realize love is just the overestimation of one woman's value over another?" [[KickTheDog within earshot of Destro!]] Not only did he ''never'' show remorse, he never showed anything but [[ForTheEvulz child-like glee]] when inflicting suffering on others and [[WhyWontYouDie anger if they survived]].

* LauncherOfAThousandShips: Scarlett, as the main female Joe, has this: OfficialCouple status either with Duke in the cartoon or with Snake-Eyes in the comics, Clutch tried to hit on her in the comics, just like Tunnel Rat in the Sigma 6 cartoon and Ripcord in the live-action movie. Her interaction with Zartan in the TV episode "The Gamemaster" looks almost flirtatious. And there's even people who pair her with [[{{Transformers}} Bumblebee]] due to them teaming-up in the many crossovers.

* MemeticMutation: Fenslerfilm's [[WebVideo/GIJoePSAs dubbed-over PSAs.]]

* RealWomenNeverWearDresses: According to Sigma 6, Scarlett hasn't worn a dress since her prom.

* UnintentionallySympathetic: Cobra Commander, like most villains of 80s cartoons, is just so hapless and clumsy and riddled with bad luck and loses so often in a humiliating fashion that sometimes you just can't help feeling bad for him. [[spoiler:His comic book counterpart, however, was very much a MagnificentBastard]].

* FashionVictimVillain: Metal facemask, [[WalkingShirtlessScene Absolute Pec-Cleavage]], and a big old disco collar. Destro almost makes it work, somehow...
** Besides, his Iron Grenadier outfit compensates for the original one.

** Seal Team 6 and the mission to kill Osama bin Laden (as recounted in ''ZeroDarkThirty'') feels a ''lot'' like a real-life version of ''GI Joe'', including bringing a dog along and wacky hijinks with the EOD guy.

* MyRealDaddy: Larry Hama for the comic.