Characters / G.I. Joe: Renegades

GI Joe

GI Joe In General

Our Real American Heroes.

• Badass Normal: As always, they're normal people who accomplish amazing feats.
• Chronic Hero Syndrome: Trouble never happens upon the Joes until the Joes confront trouble.
• Fire-Forged Friends: None of the troops get along and barely know each other at the start. Over the course of their adventures they soon grow to trust and rely on one another until they eventually grow into True Companions.
• Five-Token Band: The core cast is composed of a woman, a white guy, two black guys, an Asian, and a ninja-American.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: Played with. The authorities and media portray the Joes as fugitives, but people burned by COBRA and/or have read Breaker's blog see them as heroes. There's also the people whom they help out for one reason or another.

Scarlett

Scarlett

Real Name: Shana O'Hara
Rank: Lieutenant
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia

Voice Actor: Natalia Cigliuti

• Action Girl: A Double Subversion. She's supposedly a desk jockey Army intelligence officer, who for some reason is put in charge of a field operation leading GIs. It turns out she has a very good reason for being there and is a competent soldier.
• Adaptational Jerkass: While old versions of Scarlett were always tough, she was usually The Heart of the Joes and friendly towards everyone. This incarnation is a full-on ice queen who doesn't see the team as her friends and often argues with them before changing her tune. Apart of her character development is her growing out of her nasty demeanor and viewing the Joes as true friends.
• Brief Accent Imitation: During "Busted" when Scarlett disguises herself as trailer park baby mama complete with the most overbearing accent you can imagine. Easily her funniest moment.
• Defrosting Ice Queen: Upon introduction, Scarlett is a cold, abrasive jerk who treats her fellow soldiers like nothing more than her obedient yes-men and often dismisses treating them kindly. Apart of her character development over the course of the series is her forming genuine respect and friendships with the Joes, to the point where they become her True Companions.
• Disappeared Dad: Her father was a Cobra scientist who was said to not have survived when his lab blew up. She never mentioned this, because she fears the team would think she's out purely for revenge. Yet she would not know of Cobra otherwise.
• Dude Magnet: Exactly like previous versions, Scarlett has charmed some men thanks to her noble side. Duke grows fond of her after the two break the ice, Snake Eyes has strong feelings towards her to the point of devoting his life to protecting her, and even Breaker crushes on her upon meeting her in person.
• Ensign Newbie: A borderline example.
• It's Personal: She has a strong vendetta against Cobra because her father used to work for them until he was betrayed and attacked by them. Upon discovering his downfall, she vowed to expose the business as the monstrous snakes they really are.
• The Lancer: Despite her rank of Lieutenant outranking Duke's rank of Sergeant, more often then not, Scarlett serves as the second-in-command to Duke.
• McNinja: Snake Eyes was her sensei, so she's got some tricks up her sleeve.
• Memento MacGuffin: Her locket her father gave her.
• Missing Mom: Her mother isn't seen or mentioned.
• Running Gag: Any time someone says they like a particular product or service, Scarlett reveals it's a COBRA subsidiary and reminds the person that COBRA is evil.
• Supporting Leader: The highest-ranking member of The Team and really the forefront of the fight against Cobra. However, Duke is The Hero from a narrative point of view.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: The girly city girl to Lady Jaye's tomboy army girl.
• Translator Buddy: She always understands what Snake Eyes might be "saying" mostly due to being the Ninja's student.

Duke

Duke

Real Name: Conrad Hauser
Rank: Sergeant
Birthplace: St Louis, Missouri

Voice Actor: Jason Marsden

• A Father to His Men: True to his original 1983 file-card characterisation, he consistently puts the welfare of his subordinates above everything else.
• Badass Bookworm: Apparently reads a lot of military history. At the very least, he can quote von Clausewitz.
• Chronic Hero Syndrome: What's that, Duke? Those people need help? But what about Flint chasing you down... oh, never mind.
• The Engineer: Not quite, but he's had ordnance tech training, and has "cleared his share of mines".
• The Hero: Though Scarlett is technically his CO, and she's the one leading the fight against Cobra, Duke is The Hero from a narrative standpoint.
• Honor Before Reason: He sticks around to help people, even if it means risking capture.
  • A flashback shows that he even refused a medal for saving a comrade's life because it was his error that caused the situation in the first place (in his mind, anyway). Also, he and Lady Jaye are tight because he disobeyed orders to save her life.
• Ink-Suit Actor: Duke's facial structure is a lot like Marsden's.
• Related in the Adaptation: As in The Movie, Vinnie (Lt. Falcon) is his brother.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Disobeyed orders to save Lady Jaye's life.
• Supporting Protagonist: See The Hero.
• Your Approval Fills Me with Shame: Years ago, Flint pulled strings to get Duke recognized for saving a squad mate who stepped on a mine. Duke didn't want it, since he blamed himself for letting it happen in the first place. It's part of why his and Flint's relationship is so strained.

Snake Eyes

Snake Eyes

Real Name: ?
Rank: ?
Birthplace: ?

Voice Actor: Danny Cooksey

• The Ace: Snake Eyes does something hilariously overpowered in almost every episode.
• All Love Is Unrequited: Is implied to having feelings for Scarlett (which Jinx lampshades and remarks that he sees Scarlett differently than his other students and cares for her in a special way). Scarlett, while caring deeply for him, either doesn't realize his feelings or is simply ignoring them. When he sees her and Duke in, ah, a compromising position, he doesn't exactly react all that happily.
• Badass Longcoat: Picks one up after the team starts moving towards civilian clothing.
• Clothing Damage: It's not really played for fanservice, but his bodysuit tends to take a mauling on a significantly more regular basis than most of the other Joes' outfits.
• Combat Pragmatist: Hello, Sword Duel. Snake Eyes would like to introduce you to his friend, Grenade.
• Dynamic Entry: He's almost never seen traveling with the other Joes at the beginning of an episode. He prefers to make a more dramatic entrance out of nowhere, occasionally by dropping into view kicking someone in the head.
• Dual Wielding: Has a penchant for going Guns Akimbo or using two swords, depending on the situation.
• The Faceless: In the present time, his face is never revealed to the audience, though we do see it in certain flashbacks.
• Glass Cannon: You have to hit him first, but if you can get him down, this Snake Eyes has a tendency to stay down for a while.
• Informed Loner: Yeah, he hangs out with no less than four people. The only reason he's there, though, is because Scarlett asked him to be. And he does set out on his own quite a bit. The other Joes tend to lampshade this.
• Leitmotif: To emphasize the fact that he is a ninja, anytime Snake Eyes is on screen doing anything the music switches to Eastern pipes.
• McNinja: White guy who joined a Japanese ninja clan.
• Mighty Whitey: As usual, the greatest member of the Japanese ninja clan is the Caucasian Snake Eyes. Possibly downplayed, as the Japanese Storm Shadow seems to be at least his equal in combat.
• Mysterious Past: While we're shown how he became a kickass Ninja, we don't know his real name. We also aren't made privy to why or how a teenaged white boy was living in the streets of a rural Japanese village (long enough for his blond hair to be in a long, thick ponytail), or where he gained the knowledge, let alone the practice, of battlefield tracheotomies.
• Nightmare Face: Implied. When the Dreadnoks took off his visor, they really didn't like what they saw and are visibly disturbed. In "Revelations - Part 1," it is implied that the lab explosion is what harshly scarred his face.
• Parrying Bullets: He can block lasers with his swords. Lasers. As Roadblock says:
  Roadblock: He has a sword and he knows how to use it.
• Poor Communication Kills: Being a mute makes exonerating yourself from a crime you didn't commit really difficult.
• Sixth Ranger: It's not even clear if he's a member of the armed forces, but he's certainly more detached from The Team, more powerful and mysterious.
• The Speechless: He can't talk because his throat was cut with a shuriken. Scarlett often acts as his translator and has no problem understanding him whatsoever.
• Stealth Hi/Bye: As a ninja, Snake can pop in and vanish within a blink. Surprising and ditching the Joes to the point of a Running Gag. He and Batman should have a competition. And no one would know who the winner was.

Roadblock

Roadblock

Real Name: Marvin Hinton
Rank: Corporal
Birthplace: Biloxi, Mississippi

Voice Actor: Kevin Michael Richardson

• The Big Guy: Both the largest of the main Joes and the one who does the most physical work.
• Expy: This incarnation of him is based on BA Baraccus. Like, heavily based, down to the affinity for mechanics, fondness for the Coyote, small but tough grandmother, etc. One of Roadblock's biggest contrasts is that he is a Gentle Giant.
• Gentle Giant: More than willing to use his size to scare bad guys, but actually one of the friendliest and most easy-going members of the team.
• Hidden Depths: There's a lot to Roadblock under the surface.
  • He has a decent enough grasp of Spanish to allow admission into a Spanish-speaking COBRA facility.
  • His family has a military background which he's quite proud of.
  • When joking to Duke about a "hidden talent", Roadblock mentions that he can play the Accordion.
  • Despite being a amiable Gentle Giant who one might assume would get along well with them, Roadblock self-admits to not getting along well with kids.
• Improbable Hairstyle: Sports a massive set of muttonchop sideburns even prior to being forced to go on the run from the Army as a renegade.
• Metalhead: Loves his metal music, much to Tunnel Rat's chagrin.
• Military Brat: Unlike the other Joes, Roadblock comes from a family of soldiers. His grandfather served as a Tuskegee airman.
• Mr. Fixit: First shown underneath a car, and is the main force keeping The Coyote up and running.
• Supreme Chef: Nerfed compared to other versions of Roadblock, but he is capable of whipping up a stew out of pretty much nothing (though he can't identify poisonous mushrooms). It's also implied he usually makes the Joes breakfast.

Tunnel Rat

Tunnel Rat

Real Name: Nicky Lee
Rank: Private First Class
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York

Voice Actor: Matthew Yang King

• Absurd Phobia: Scared of germs and anywhere medical research is being conducted. Absurd because he's perfectly willing to crawl around in sewers, but justified (at least to him) because he's already pretty much immune to anything but a man-made germ.
• American Accents: Sports a Noo Yawk accent, much like Rattrap.
• Big Brother Worship: His brother was one of Nicky's biggest inspirations and an important member of the community he grew up in. When they visit him he's a lot more sympathetic to their cause than Herschel (Roadblock's cousin) and Vincent (Duke's brother) and offers to help them rather than turn them in (even though he does show some active disdain for the non-Nicky Joes in his attitude and demeanor, with the implication being he blames them for getting his lil' bro in trouble in the first place).
• Combat Medic: In the second, episode it's established that he's the only member of the team to have had medical training and he becomes the team's medic from time to time.
• Deadpan Snarker: He often makes quips and sarcastic comments.
• Expy: For Rattrap from Beast Wars.
• Give a Man a Fish...: References the spirit of the trope in "Dreadnoks Rising" without actually quoting it. Tunnel Rat recalls how his older brother protected him against bullies, which got him pounded pretty badly whenever he wasn't around. He learned to defend himself to prevent that, which is why he's in favor of going back into town and teaching the locals how to fight the Dreadnoks.
• The Medic: Particularly good at identifying plants and herbs for treatment.
• Peking Duck Christmas: Implied by the fact his parents own a kosher Chinese restaurant.
• The Pigpen: Characters have commented on his smell a few times. He says he can't help it, it's from the tunnels.
• Properly Paranoid: He counts his paranoia as a virtue and it saves him from being brainwashed by Tomax and Xamot.
• Race Lift: His previous incarnations were of mixed ancestry, but this version seems to be American-born to Chinese immigrants.
• Tunnel King: Honing these skills got him into legal trouble. He joined the army to avoid being sent to prison.

Ripcord

Ripcord

Real Name: Wallace Weems
Rank: Private First Class
Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio

Voice Actor: Khary Payton

• Adaptational Badass: The first Ripcord to ever wield super powers.
• Black Guy Dies First: He appears to die in the series premiere. Subverted in "Prodigal", where it turns out that he survived.
• Came Back Wrong: Survived the explosion from the 1st episode but was infused with Bio-Viper material.
  • Came Back Strong: Once he gets his chip removed, though, his Bio-Viper abilities become very useful to himself and the team.
• Deadpan Snarker: To the point that he annoys Tunnel Rat, of all people.
• Empowered Badass Normal: With the control chip removed, Ripcord can control his Bio-Viper side.
• Half-Human Hybrid: He's infused with Bio-Viper DNA
• Heroic Sacrifice: He appears to give his life to save the others in the first episode, though it's later revealed that he didn't die.
• Involuntary Shapeshifting: Due to the control chip Cobra implanted in him after his capture. After that's taken care of, though, this becomes extremely handy Voluntary Shapeshifting.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He means well, but the nicknames he gives the Joes comes from his brutal honesty or him making fun of them.
• Mauve Shirt: We actually get to know about him a bit before he supposedly dies.
• The Nicknamer: Everyone on the team except Duke, Snake Eyes, and Ripcord himself get their nicknames this way, Ripcord getting his from Scarlett.
• Race Lift: Much like in Rise of Cobra and Resolute, he's depicted as a black man.
• Rubber Man: He can stretch his limbs once he gains voluntary control of his Bio-Viper form.
• Sacrificial Lamb: His apparent death in the series premiere serves to show that this isn't your father's G.I. Joe, even if he later turned out to survive.
• Story-Breaker Power: In the season finale, he's captured and disabled. This was done because otherwise, he would have fought Cobra Commander, who was using a Mini-Mecha, to a standstill.
• Super-Strength: As a Bio-Viper, he has tremendous strength.
• Trauma-Induced Amnesia: After the trauma he suffered in the series premiere, he forgets about the main Joes, but recovers his memories as he spends time with them.
• Walking Spoiler: If you couldn't tell.
• "X" Makes Anything Cool: Cobra Commander keeps referring to Ripcord as "Patient X". He probably thought it sounded cool (and it certainly fits the Commander's penchant for seeing others as objects and assets rather than people), but Ripcord obviously doesn't like it as he never used the moniker himself.

Breaker

Breaker

Real Name: Alvin Kibbey
Rank: N/A
Birthplace: England
a.k.a.: Coyote

Voice Actor: Greg Ellis

• Adaptational Nationality: Here, he's depicted as English instead of American.
• Adaptational Wimp: While still as intelligent as most incarnations, Breaker was a Genius Bruiser who is also ready to throw down if the mission ever demanded it, whereas this version is a helpless civilian who reluctantly gets dragged into a war. This changes by the end where he gets even with Major Bludd and signs up for the army.
• Amazon Chaser: He clearly grows a crush upon meeting Scarlett and is impressed to say the least by her skills.
• Faking the Dead: Major Bludd believes he successfully assassinated him for Cobra, but he merely hit his tech scanner he wore on his back. Breaker uses this to his advantage by pretending to lay low so Cobra won't know he's still sabotaging them, and it's implied he signs up for the army to ready himself if he ever gets discovered alive.
• Mission Control: He becomes this to the Joes after they save his life. Whenever the heroes look into a COBRA conspiracy, usually it's thanks to intel Breaker sends them.
• Nerd Glasses: He wears big rounded glasses.
• Non-Action Guy: He's not a fighter.
• Sixth Ranger: The Joes go around inspiring other people to stand up and fight against Cobra. Breaker is the most recurring of those people and reappears a few times after his debut to help the Joes indirectly.
• The Smart Guy: He's one of the most intelligent and resourceful allies to the Joes. At the series end he's joined the Falcons as their main tech guy
• Took a Level in Badass: Starts out as a dorky, scared nerd constantly needing the Joes to protect him and even crying at times, but ultimately he wrecks a Cobra weapons cache and even costs Major Bludd his eye. Later in the series, he actually signs up for the Army in order to help clear the names of his newfound friends.

Other US Military Personnel

US Military in General

Technically, GI Joe isn't an official organization in this treatment; only those who are actually doing The A-Team thing are Joes. The US Military is acting against the Joes for most of the series, trying to capture who they think are fugitives.

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• Inspector Javert: While Flint is the one that plays this the most straight, the entirety of the military pursuing the Joes falls under this as they are trying to capture the heroes all the while thinking they're the villains.

General Abernathy

Clayton Abernathy

Rank: General
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado

Voice Actor: Lee Majors

• Big Good: The goal of the series is to get enough evidence to him to allow the Joes to clear their name.
• Comic-Book Movies Don't Use Codenames: He's never referred to as "General Hawk".
  • Justified, since almost everybody's codename is actually a nickname given to them by someone else in the show.
• Disabled in the Adaptation: This version has at least lost the vision in his right eye, given he wears an eyepatch over it.
• Eyepatch of Power: He wears an eye-patch.
• Face of a Thug: Abernathy is a calm, reasonable, and genuinely heroic man who's face is comprised of tons of villain tropes. The eyepatch, bald head, and cheekbones combined together give him the look of a possible villain, but the General is a hero.
• Four-Star Badass: He is a very competent general.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: He wants to believe Scarlett, but he can't accept her word alone.

Flint

Flint

Real Name: Dashiell Fairborne
Rank: Lieutenant
Birthplace: Wichita, Kansas

Voice Actor: Johnny Messner

• Adaptational Jerkass: Flint is most famous for being the classic manly action hero archetype, tough when he's in a fight, but has a kind heart and friendly nature all around. This incarnation is a bit more gruff, harsh, and confrontational whenever onscreen.
• The Atoner: Seems to carry a lot of guilt over sacking Duke back in their school football days, as Duke was seriously injured and missed out on scholarship money his family needed. Flint has tried to make it up to him several times since, and even while chasing the Joes, he's convinced himself he's doing Duke a favor.
• Butt-Monkey: His efforts in turning in the Joes often don't turn out well.
• By-the-Book Cop: As a contrast to Duke, who's willing to forgo the law or authority if doing so proves the right thing to do in his heart, Flint is by the book. As mentioned above, the truth (and by extension, what's wrong or right) are for the due processes of the law to ascertain.
• Expy: In keeping with the series' similarities to The A-Team, he's basically Colonel Decker, down to the rocky past with the Joes' leader.
• Failure Is the Only Option: Even when he actually catches the Joes, it's only temporary.
• Good is Not Nice: He's definitely on the heroic side of things and does what's right, but he's a bit of a Jerkass and tends to think rather fondly of himself, his skills and judgement in his position, and his prior military and athletic accomplishments.
• I Owe You My Life: Duke saves his life in "Homecoming, Part 2" during the train derailment. Flint insists he has to take the Joes in, but he doesn't open fire when they escape.
• Inspector Javert: If you look at it from his point of view, the Joes don't have any proof that Cobra was manufacturing Bio-Vipers and they all have various reasons for blowing up the plant (money troubles, criminal histories, etc.) He does promise Duke to look after the families of the Joes when Duke's brother turns them in. Even when he does become suspicious of Cobra Industries, he still continues to chase after the Joes whether or not they find proof.
• Jerk Jock: His first line of dialogue with Duke is referencing a time he sacked him in a high school football game.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Especially with Duke before they became friends, where he gave him a ride after seeing that he hurt his leg and encourages him to join the military. Even a little after, he shows signs of not being a bad person.
• Jerkass Has a Point: "The truth is for a jury to decide. I'm just doing my job."
• The Leader: As the show goes on, Flint starts to put together a new team to combat the Joes, the Falcons. He's the leader of the group, and of the section of the Military pursuing the Joes at large.
• The Resenter: The "Homecoming" two-parter reveals Flint had "gone to the mat" for Duke early in his military career, so he sees something like Duke becoming a fugitive as a slap in the face.
• The Rival: To Duke
• With Friends Like These...: Scarlett's incredulous that Duke could ever have considered Flint his friend.

Lady Jaye

Lady Jaye

Real Name: Alison Hart-Burnett
Rank: Sergeant
Birthplace: Bridgewater, Massachussets

Voice Actor: Nika Futterman

• Action Girl: As always, she's a very active female character. Her role in the series means she doesn't get to show this often, but she's never shy to do so whenever they chance presents itself.
• Beauty Equals Goodness: As opposed to The Baroness, Jaye is a very beautiful woman who also does the right thing. Her main role being assisting the Joes in their escapes from time to time because she truly believes they're innocent people falsely accused.
• Buxom Beauty Standard: Let's just say that Jaye's tight white shirt shows off her perfect battle form.
• Deadpan Snarker: From time to time she can drop a good jab at her foolish cohorts, especially towards Flint or the Baroness.
• Hot-Blooded: She's very fiery and outspoken, not even being afraid to sass her superior officers.
• I Owe You My Life: During a mission, her helicopter crashed. Duke abandoned the mission to go save her and her pilot's lives, thus showing a strong sense of integrity and heroism. It was because of this that she believes Duke and the other Joes are innocent, and covertly aides them.
• Irony: Most incarnations of Lady Jaye are romantically involved with Flint, but this version of the character hates working with him. In fact, it's subtly implied she grew a crush on Duke, Flint's rival.
• The Lancer: In the Falcons, she's the second in command, and her sympathy to the Joes often plays against Flint's aggression.
• The Mole: Not an officially "recognized" one, but nevertheless, Lady Jaye takes multiple opportunities to help the Joes out.
• Ms. Fanservice: Downplayed, but very much present. While Lady Jaye is often portrayed as a gorgeous tomboy, this version doesn't wear her full uniform. Having a super tight top which shows off her athletic build and large bust size. Alongside having pretty eyes, nice hair, well-toned muscles, an accommodating Latin theme whenever she's mischievous, and a dashing Hispanic accent to heighten her sassy attitude.
• Race Lift: Alison is usually of Irish descent, but this incarnation of the Lady is Latina.
• Rescue Romance: It's very subtly teased that she grew feelings for Duke when he broke mission command to save her life. She even displays a Longing Look a few times with him when she sees he survived another skirmish safe and sound.
• Spicy Latina: Lady Jaye is Hispanic in this version and doesn't hesitate to snark against her superiors or Cobra staff.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: She does not get along with Flint as she's far more sympathetic towards the Joes and gets irritated by his sour attitude, but she still carries on her job.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: As always, the tomboy to Scarlett's girly girl.
• The Trickster: Mildly, but Lady Jaye usually helps the Joes by duping Flint or her cohorts with clever deceptions to allow the heroes an escape. Often times, her accompanying smile hints she gets some joy doing it.
• Undying Loyalty:
  • Lady Jaye always saves her fallen fellow officers just as much as Duke. Whether it be her pilot or even Flint.
  • Naturally towards Duke too. After he saved her life, she repays him back double by aiding him & the Joes in escapes from Flint's manhunt of them as she truly believes her friend is not the bad guy COBRA claims. It's also teased she may have grown feelings for him thanks to his care for her.
• Vapor Wear: Lady Jaye is mostly seen wearing a super tight white top which shows off her athletic build. Seems the soldier is a firm believer in going commando.

Wild Bill

Wild Bill

Real Name: William Hardy
Rank: Warrant Officer

Voice Actor: Charlie Schlatter

• Ace Pilot: Joining Flint in the latter half of season 1, Wild Bill acts as the lead pilot for the Falcons, usually the one transporting Flint and Lady Jaye during their missions.
• Blood Knight: Mildly, but Bill gets too much amusement from his hunt of Bio-vipers.
• Punch-Clock Villain: While the other major Falcons all have personal connections to the Joes, Wild Bill is just doing his job.

Heavy Duty

Heavy Duty

Real Name: Herschel Dalton
Rank: Corporal
Birthplace: Biloxi, Mississippi

Voice Actor: Keith Ferguson

• The Big Guy: For the Falcons, he's the biggest and likely would have been the muscle when they worked as a team. Fittingly he's Roadblock's counterpart.
• City Mouse: A variation. He was born in rural Mississippi but left for the city and disdains his country roots.
• City People Eat Sushi: Having been stationed in a remote locale in Idaho, Heavy Duty misses the sushi restaurants from the city. That said, he's fine with a home cooked meal from his Grams.
• Composite Character: His real name is that of his film counterpart's (Hershel Dalton, as opposed to Lamont Morris), but he's otherwise more in line with his traditional self, being an American soldier and Roadblock's cousin.
• Embarrassing Nickname: Zig-zagged with Appropriated Appellation. While his grandmother gave him that name for how fast he could fill a diaper as a baby, he ran with it as few outside his family knew that story.
• Genius Bruiser: A Valedictorian who had earned a (presumably full-ride) ROTC College Scholarship and who is a capable military soldier. His debut has him heft a large plasma rifle and demolish a group of targets, showing mastery of a weapon he used for the first time that a number of other soldiers struggled with.
• Hidden Depths: Heavy Duty's debut episode more or less showed the whole package.
  • In truth, while he is supremely capable as a military soldier and individual in general, justifiably confident, intelligent, and well-learned, even if he is ignorant of Cobra's dark side and somewhat underestimates the threat of Major Bludd as an adversary (until Bludd captures him and Roadblock, at least), he harbors feelings of regret for leaving his home in Biloxi, which he otherwise has no love for outside the family he left behind to better himself. He admits to Roadblock he holds some jealousy towards his cousin for having stayed close to their family and backs this familial longing up by showing that he kept what is otherwise an Embarrassing Nickname from his Grams in Heavy Duty, actively encouraging others to refer to him by it. His time as a Chicago cab driver has also imparted him with a skill set not unlike a professional street racer. He apparently knows how to pick locks with nails (makes one wonder...). Oh, and despite being big and badass}}, he's shown to still be afraid of wild snakes.
  • Heavy Duty has a tactically pragmatic side. He agreed to come to Flint's operation and hunt down his cousin in part in agreement that he'd be transferred to Flint's unit, The Falcons, permanently. This would insure he'd be a part of a growing and prestigious outfit in civilization as opposed to having his skills and capabilities squandered in an outpost in Idaho.
  • He has a strong sense of duty like Flint does, but unlike Flint, once he sees how dirty Cobra really is, he can't bring himself to turn his cousin and his "accomplices" in, despite giving his word as an accomplished professional US Military Soldier to Flint and country that he would do just that.

COBRA Industries

Cobra In General

They are the Enemy... but no one knows it.

• Adaptational Badass: This version of Cobra is a more subversive enemy than the out-and-out terrorist organization of the Sunbow cartoon. They've successfully convinced the public that they're a philanthropic company with aims to better society, but it's all a front for their shady dealings behind closed doors. The Joes are constantly on the run from Cobra and the United States government, and it isn't until the finale that Cobra is finally revealed for what they are to the public, but the company is so large and wields enough influence that they could still give the world a fight, which Cobra Commander vows.
• Animal Motifs: If you can think of a way to subtly or not-so-subtly link something back to serpentine imagery, Cobra have done it. Shop Smart and Save, this universe's Wal-Mart (even called "S-Mart" for short), for example.
• MegaCorp: The company has a lot of influence over the general public.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Outside of the COBRA and MARS agents not getting along, there's often discontent around the higher ups. Destro hates Mindbender and the pair have tried sabotaging each other more than once. Storm Shadow once tried to kill Mindbender after the doctor nearly electrocuted him, Tomax and Xamot signed on only to find themselves enslaved to COBRA, and the Commander doesn't really endear himself to anyone when he has his employees eaten by a big snake.
• Villain with Good Publicity: Again, no one knows what they're really up to. Until the finale.

Cobra Commander

Cobra Commander

Real Name: ?
Alias: Adam DeCobray

Voice Actor: Charlie Adler

• Adaptational Badass: This Cobra Commander is treated as a more serious threat than the screeching incompetent of the Sunbow cartoon. While less physically able, he cultivates a public image of a benevolent philanthropist as a front for his illegal and amoral activities, being a much more subversive enemy.
• Badass Longcoat: As with many of the other characters, he wears one; his veers into a fascist military uniform, with the dark blue colors and gold buttons.
• Bad Boss: Increasingly so as the series progresses and COBRA suffers more and more setbacks.
• Bald of Evil: His mask exposes the top of his head and he's completely bald with pale sickly skin.
• The Beastmaster: He has an enormous genetically modified cobra named Serpentor that he keeps as a pet, which was made for him by Mindbender. He feeds at least two minions to it over the course of the series, and it almost eats McCullen before he agrees to turn over MARS Industries to COBRA.
• Big Bad: Per franchise tradition, he's the main villain of the series, with the Joes seeking to thwart his schemes for world domination.
• Cane Fu: When his health takes a turn for the worse, he begins to carry a collapsible, snake-themed cane with a laser weapon embedded in the end.
• The Chessmaster: As part of this Cobra Commander being an Adaptational Badass, he's always a step or two ahead of the heroes.
• Comic-Book Movies Don't Use Codenames: A variant, in that while other Cobra agents usually address him as "Commander", he's known otherwise under the Adam DeCobray alias. When Duke addresses him by that name in the Grand Finale, CC promptly orders Duke to address him as "Commander! — COBRA Commander." before opening fire.
• Composite Character: Combines elements of several previous versions, namely his Marvel Comics and Resolute personalities (and level of competence) with an appearance initially akin to the first live-action film, before giving him a Sunbow-style faceplate later on (albeit without the usual helmet). Bits of the Sunbow version's personality (namely his concern for nobody but himself) begin to seep in over time, but to a lesser degree.
• Cool Mask: As usual, he wears an impressive mask over his face. At first, he only wears a partial plastic face-guard, but as his health worsens, he begins to use the full mask as a breathing device (it's shown to tilt down over his face).
• Corrupt Corporate Executive: He's the head of COBRA Industries, which presents itself as a philanthropic company but is, in fact, a ruthless terrorist using his resources to further his sinister agenda.
• Dark Lord on Life Support: The Commander is in poor health, and as the series goes on, he starts to wear a full faced breathing mask styled after his classic look.
• Disabled in the Adaptation: Aside from the snake mutation in G.I. Joe: The Movie, the Commander in most incarnations is perfectly healthy. This version is sick and, as noted above, his iconic faceplate is reimagined as a breathing mask.
• Evil Sounds Raspy: Part of his intimidating persona, and likely a byproduct of his failing health.
• The Faceless: Only part of his face can be seen usually, revealing his bald head and one red eye. After his health deteriorates and he's forced to use the full-face breathing mask, we don't see his face until the very end of the Grand Finale; even then, it's kept mostly in shadow, but what we do see indicates the Acid Pool he fell into damaged his face even more.
• Handicapped Badass: A non-physical version. He's chronically ill and needs a cane, but remains a sinister threat to the world.
• Jerkass: Even peeling back his megalomaniacal sociopathy, Cobra Commander can often just be a garden variety asshole. Episode 24 basically had him be a micromanaging superior to the Baroness as she piloted the excavator, constantly complaining and belittling her performance.
• Knight of Cerebus: While the series overall is Darker and Edgier, it has its fair share of humor from the dynamic between the Joes, but the mood darkens considerably around Cobra Commander.
• Mini-Mecha: Makes use of one (a repainted/customized version of Destro's exo-armor) against the Joes in the finale, to compensate for his ill health.
• Mysterious Past: The show concludes before we learn anything about the Commander's personal history (including what exactly it is he's sick with). We don't even discover his birth name. "Adam DeCobray" is the alias given to his falsely benevolent public persona.
• No-Nonsense Nemesis: Much like in the original comics and unlike the bumbling coward of the 80's cartoon, this version of Cobra Commander is focused and a serious threat.
• Orcus on His Throne: To uphold his public persona, and because of his declining health, Cobra Commander leaves much of the dirty work to his underlings for the majority of the series. It's not until the finale, when the Joes infiltrate his stronghold, that he confronts them directly, albeit with a Mini-Mecha to compensate.
  Cobra Commander: For too long I have entrusted the elimination of my enemies to mere underlings, but an effective leader must set an example for his troops. Wouldn't you agree, Sergeant?
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: He has a single eye exposed that is colored red to emphasize that he's bad news.
• Soft-Spoken Sadist: Rarely raises his voice (unless he gets angry). The one time he really shouts, he immediately begins to hack and cough, implying whatever illness he has takes a toll on his lungs.
• The Sociopath: A cold-blooded, power hungry monster willing to kill anyone standing in his way.
• This Means War!: At the end of the series, as he emerges from the wreckage of his mansion badly wounded and scarred:
  Cobra Commander: They want to start a war with Cobra? Then Cobra will finish it.
• Tranquil Fury: Most of the time, anyway. Whenever one of his subordinates fails him, the Commander is usually calm when casually threatening their lives. He doesn't show full-on irrational hatred until near the end of the season.
• Villain with Good Publicity: Again, no one knows what COBRA's up to and his "Adam DeCobray" identity appears in videos as a polite businessman trying to help the world.
• You Have Failed Me: Almost. Near the end of the series, he gets a lot less tolerant of his underlings' constant failures, and they're required, on the spot, to think up reasons he shouldn't kill them.

Baroness

The Baroness

Real Name: Anastasia Cisarovna

Voice Actor: Tatyana Yassukovich

• Adaptational Badass:
  • Much more effective in combat than her main series counterpart.
  • The fact that the Oktober Guard, an entire resistance group, who in mainline canon was the Soviet answer to GI Joe, has apparently been fighting against her family specifically for literal generations highlights just how powerful and dangerous her family is.
• Adaptational Modesty: Her femme fatale traits are altered in order to make her a Lady of War instead. Anastasia lacks her iconic Spy Catsuit leather and is often seen in a Badass Longcoat covering everything instead. Though, she shares her other counterparts taste for gorgeous dresses when playing up her businesswoman persona.
• Badass Boast:
  • When Snake Eyes takes Mindbender hostage to counter her taking Scarlett hostage, Baroness simply says:
  "I don't negotiate with Cobra's enemies, I bury them."
  • When confronted by Red Star and his disgust against her family's classism:
  "Know your place. We ruled under the Tsars, then the Communists, then the Capitalists! The Cisarovnas were born to rule."
• Badass Longcoat: Among her half a dozen outfits, she often wears an impressive long coat.
• The Baroness: The newest incarnation of the Trope Namer. Surprisingly...well-developed for a kids' show.
• Dark Action Girl: Although her high-ranking position in Cobra means that she rarely goes into combat.
• The Dragon: She serves as Cobra Commander's highest-ranking subordinate.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: She and Destro have a thing going on; he even gives her some nice gifts like a pair of shock gauntlets she uses to fight the Joes. The romance serves to humanize her, especially in episodes like "Castle Destro".
• The Heavy: Cobra Commander prefers to remain on his throne for the duration of the series, with later episodes making it clear he's too sick for field work. Baroness often is the one dispensing orders to the soldiers directly and taking charge in the line of duty.
• Lady of War: This incarnation is far more elegant and graceful when dealing with confrontations, acting like a proper lady even when attempting to slaughter the Joes.
• Ms. Fanservice: As per norm for the icon, if downplayed. This incarnation of the Baroness covers up more than her usual counterparts, but has her moments of playing up her alluring, mysterious femme fatale persona from time to time. Her first appearance and later publicity campaigns have her wearing a few sexy backless dresses, she acts as a graceful Lady of War, a sensual accent, flirtatious teasing towards Destro, and eventually gains a Sensual Spandex armor when she enters more combat heavy missions for her organization.
• Only Sane Man: COBRA has a bad case of Teeth-Clenched Teamwork, with Destro, Mindbender, and Storm Shadow all taking shots at one another and Cobra Commander being the Bad Boss he always is. Baroness has the task of trying to stop the various parties from killing one another.
• Pet the Dog: After Destro's humiliation, she still refers to him as James in private, forgoing the name meant to shame him. In a more vulnerable moment, she admits to wanting to convince the Commander to allow her to remove it, in spite of her loyalty to COBRA and the mask symbolizing his attempted betrayal.
• Uncertain Doom: She's sucked into a portal when the MASS Device breaks down, never to be seen again.
• Unholy Matrimony: With Destro.
• Unlimited Wardrobe: In contrast to the other characters, Anastasia has a variety of field and civilian outfits.
• Women Are Wiser: She is the sole female member of COBRA and the most rational one among them.

Dr. Mindbender

Dr. Mindbender

Real Name: Brian Bender

Voice Actor: Charlie Schlatter

• Adaptational Comic Relief: An interesting example in that Mindbender usually has a comedic edge to him, but Renegades goes about it differently. Often, Mindbender's animated adaptations make the humor at his expense by playing him as a buffoon or having certain actions Played for Laughs, whilst here, he's firmly Laughably Evil who's carefree jokey demeanor just underscores how much of a monster he is.
• Adaptational Personality Change: He's now a tech bro.
• Age Lift: Mindbender's age often fluctuates, but for the most part he's at least middle-aged. Here he's explicitly one of the youngest members of the COBRA admins.
• Ascended Extra: Although prominent in the original cartoon, Mindbender is not usually considered part of COBRA's A-list, and has more often than not been excluded from adaptations. Here, however, he's far more prominent than traditionally bigger characters like Destro and Zartan.
• Breakout Villain: He gains just as much screentime and prominence as the Commander himself. Often times, he gets more plot relevance, funny lines, and schemes than the iconic Cobra associates.
• Conspicuous Gloves: He wears a pair of fairly large workman's boots on at all times that stand out from the rest of his ensemble. Even though he's largely dressed for lab work, the boots give him a "field scientist" feel.
• Deadpan Snarker: He tends to make sarcastic remarks.
• Evil Genius: He's wanted for "crimes against nature", and works for COBRA because it keeps the law off of his back and lets him do what he loves.
• Expy: He's a less over-the-top version of Headmaster; unsurprisingly, Marty Isenberg was involved in that show too.
• Faux Affably Evil: He's excitable, fun loving, and probably the most morally repellent Cobra agent outside of the Commander himself (and possibly Dr. Monev). There's a smarmy charm to Bender as he goes about his day gently mocking those around him. It's especially notable when talking to his Bio-Vipers: he speaks to them like they're his children... and he's their abusive parent.
• For Science!: He likes to make monsters or tamper with peoples' brains just for the sake of proving it's possible.
• Insufferable Genius: He knows how smart he is and he loves rubbing it into peoples' faces.
• Laughably Evil: Sure, he's an amoral Mad Scientist, but damn, does he ever have fun with it.
• Mad Scientist: Is more impressed that one of his creations managed to escape and wreak havoc than the fact that it's loose and potentially blowing their cover...
• Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: He's unquestionably a genius bio-engineer, but also a total scumbag.
• Motherly Scientist: When he debuts, he's talking to the unborn Bio-Vipers, referring to them as his children and that he loves them even if other people find them horrifying. As soon as they're made he's quick to use fear and pain via electric shock to get them to heel like an abusive parent.
• Non-Action Guy: It's better to let the Baroness do the ass-kicking.
• Omnidisciplinary Scientist: Bio-Vipers are his specialty, but you can see him dabble in other fields including quantum physics.
• Psychopathic Manchild: He tends to act immature and has the air of an apathetic teenager.
• Steven Ulysses Perhero: His last name is Bender and his first name is an anagram of "brain", which can be a synonym for "mind". Lampshaded as soon as the Joes learned his name.
• Uncertain Doom: He's sucked into a portal when the MASS Device breaks down, never to be seen again.
• Vague Age: His voice and mannerisms make him seem really young for a doctor of biophysics. Destro mockingly refers to him as a "student intern".

Major Bludd

Major Bludd

Real Name: Sebastian Bludd

Voice Actor: André Sogliuzzo

• Adaptational Badass: In most stories the Major is just a glorified Elite Mook who often folds like tissue when the battles get tough, but this version of Bludd is an unrelenting bounty hunter who never gives up in a fight until he wins and he even shrugs off gruesome injuries which would kill any man.
• Blood Knight: The Major loves his job and is always eager for a scrap.
• Cool Car: Drives around in a weaponized sports coupe straight out of Mad Max.
• Determinator: When Bludd get's on a case, few things can stop him.
• Eye Patch Of Power: Averted. Unlike previous versions of the character, this one doesn't don the classic eyepatch even after damaging an eye. He prefers to leave his useless eye uncovered.
• Eye Scream: He loses an eye in an explosion caused by the Joes.
• It's Personal: Played with. In his debut he loses an eye to the Joes, and states that he'll hunt the Joes for free afterwards. When he finally does show up again, he actually demands ten times his regular rate for taking them down and cites his injuries as the reason why he deserves more money rather than the reason why he'd do it for free. He makes it clear later in the episode that killing the Joes is personal for him, but it's also still a job he expects compensation for.
• Lack of Empathy: He has no qualms about assassinating a college boy whom he barely even knows.
• Land Downunder: He speaks in a stereotypical Australian accent.
• Made of Iron: He doesn't let any injury deter him from going on.
• Major Injury Underreaction: Both when he loses an eye and an arm, he just seems more seething with rage than the shouts of pain you would expect.
• Mutilation Conga: In his first appearance, he loses an eye. In his second appearance and arm gets ripped off by a crocodile.
• Only a Flesh Wound: Not even losing his fricking arm would make him give up.
• Private Military Contractors: He's a mercenary hired by the Baroness.
• Regret Eating Me: To the crocodile who ate his arm: "Hope ya choke on it, sport!"

Storm Shadow

Storm Shadow

Real Name: Tomisaburo Arashikage

Voice Actor: Andrew Kishino

• Adaptational Heroism: Most versions of Storm Shadow will never forgive Snake Eyes for his apparent part in their sensei's death, but this one deduces and accepts that he himself killed Hard Master. The series ended before we could see how this would affect his involvement with Cobra.
• Always Someone Better: Storm Shadow always felt second to Snake Eyes.
• The Brute: During his stint with Cobra, Storm Shadow's role boils down to this: an incredibly skilled warrior that they can use against Snake Eyes.
• Cain and Abel: Jinx describes the relationship between Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes as this.
• Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: Though inverted from the norm, as heroic Snake Eyes is dressed in black, and Anti-Villain Storm Shadow is dressed in white.
• Combat Pragmatist: After Snake Eyes brings a grenade to a sword fight, Storm Shadow uses explosives in his next engagement, and sees no problem working with COBRA if it helps him kill Snake Eyes.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: The only people who have lasted longer than a few seconds in a fight with him are Snake Eyes, Jinx, and technically Snowjob.
• Dual Wielding: He uses two katanas.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: In spite of his many many faults, he does love his family. But he also tries to control them and steer them down the path he thinks is better.
• It's Personal: He believes Snake Eyes murdered his uncle.
  • It was actually an accident that Hard Master was poisoned. Storm Shadow wanted to poison Snake Eyes, but the cups were switched beforehand. When Storm Shadow learned of this, he dropped his grudge (but not his hatred) and went ronin.
• Jerkass: Even beyond his moral dubiousness, Storm Shadow's also a dick. An Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy who treated Snake Eyes badly when they were children and embraces the criminal lifestyle his uncle tried to dissuade him from.
• My God, What Have I Done?: A more subtle example than most, and this is his reaction to finding that he killed his own uncle, a man he looked up to. He doesn't have a grand breakdown, but it does hurt him deeply and ultimately has him end his enmity with Snake Eyes.
• Never My Fault: He never really considers how his obsessive and criminal actions have damaged his relationship with Jinx. Though this is subverted when he learns he killed the Hard Master. When Jinx confirms it wasn't Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow pieces together that it was he himself who killed Hard Master, though on accident. Instead of deluding himself and blaming Snake Eyes, he acknowledges what he's done, saves Snake Eyes and Jinx, and leaves them be.
• Ninja: As always, he's a ninja.
• Offscreen Teleportation: Somehow goes from being kicked off the roof of a fast moving train, and clearly landing on the ground, to appearing in a train carriage about a minute later.
• Rival Turned Evil: He was a rival of Snake Eyes who became enemies with him out of severe jealousy.
• Stealth Hi/Bye: As ninjas are masters of stealth, he can appear and disappear unexpectedly to those around him.

Zartan

Zartan

Real name: ?

Voice Actor: Brian Bloom

• All Bikers are Hells Angels: The Dreadnoks are a classic example under his leadership.
• Badass Biker: He's the leader of a biker gang and is an actual threat.
• Chekhov's Gunman: After the Baroness approaches him about a job, he disappears for a while. He's actually been serving as the Commander's body double, explaining CC's slightly "off" behavior.
• Clingy MacGuffin: Has a hologram projector seemingly permanently fused to his wrist after his second appearance. He doesn't seem to mind. The Baroness was able to remove it, but since he used it first, it's coded to his DNA signature, which essentially means no one can use except him.
• Crazy-Prepared: He had a tracking device installed on his bike should it ever be stolen.
• Creepy Souvenir: He likes to take items off of people he's intimidated — nametags, glasses, hair... He tried to steal Snake-Eyes' visor when he had the ninja held captive, but changes his mind once he sees the Nightmare Face.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Snake Eyes' face was unsettling enough that he put his mask back on.
• Evil Gloating: He always boasts when it seems things are going his way.
• Face Death with Dignity: He hijacks the Coyote and captures Scarlett, but is mistaken as a Joe and fired at by Wild Bill. When he thinks they're about to die (before he learns about the truck's capabilities), he admits to Scarlett that he'd rather go out in a blaze of glory.
• I Shall Taunt You: Mimicking his opponents, while delivering a "The Reason You Suck" Speech to throw them off guard.
• Jerkass: He terrorized an entire town in his first appearance and is always shown to be quite a vainglorious prick.
• Master of Disguise: Took a Level in Badass after gaining possession of a Cobra Industries holographic disguise suit.
• Pragmatic Villainy: He cuts a deal with Flint in order to get back at the Joes. Once he gets the holographic suit, though, he pulls a double cross.
• Red Right Hand: After the holographic suit glitches it does something to his face, either burning it or permanently altering the skin pigments around his eyes. Whatever it was, it seems to be a permanent change as it remains even after he removes the suit and it allows him to keep his more threatening classic appearance.
• Voice Changeling: Mostly as a sadistic taunt, but used strategically at least once. It becomes more useful once he obtains the holographic disguise suit.

Firefly

Firefly

Real Name: ?

Voice Actor: Peter MacNicol

• Axe-Crazy: If his love for fire doesn't tip you off, his debut episode has him ecstatic about torching down an innocent town.
• Pyromaniac: He really likes setting things on fire.
• Psycho for Hire: Baroness hires Firefly to destroy the town of Green Ridge when the town won a court order to stop the construction of a dam built by by COBRA Industries.
• Talkative Loon: He tends to talk a lot. Usually about his fanatical obsession with fire and things burning.

Tomax and Xamot

Tomax and Xamot

Voice actor: Stephen Stanton

• Adaptational Ugliness: The twins here are far more ratty and sketchy compared to their usual suave, muscle-bound businessmen guise.
• Ambiguously Brown: The twins are not redheaded gingers anymore, but are dark-skinned, seemingly of either Egyptian or Indian descent based on their kingdom's architecture.
• Creepy Twins: Even creepier than in the original series.
• Cult: Former leaders of one.
• Dark Messiah: The brothers present themselves as noble heroes who bring enlightenment to those who follow their path, but in reality are simply power-hungry conmen using their abilities to manipulate others for profit.
• Foreshadowing: In their final appearance, the twins ponder utilizing their skills to influence business executives on an international market level. Possibly hinting that they're going to form their own accounting firm similar to Cobra exactly like their original counterparts.
• Laser-Guided Karma: They built a vast empire upon the suffering of others for monetary benefit, but once they lose their control over the cult they themselves end up suffering torture under a different vast empire benefiting from them.
• Living Battery: Dr. Mindbender's "reward" for them is to use them as fuel for his inventions.
• Psychic Powers: They brainwashed most of the members of their cult — and most of the Joes.
• Race Lift: From redheaded Corsicans to Ambiguously Brown.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: As payback for what COBRA put them through, they order Baroness and Mindbender to fight to the death. Other events in the episode end up interrupting the fight, though.
• Team Member in the Adaptation: Inverted. While often portrayed as high-ranking Cobra operatives, the pair has nothing to do with the organization in this adaptation. They're enslaved by COBRA and forced to be a part of their plans but eventually, they escape and sever ties with the group.
• Twin Banter: Exactly like their incarnations, they often talk to each other and finish each others sentences.
• Twin Telepathy: They have it, and they're actually able to use it to brainwash others. For a time, COBRA uses them as guinea pigs to develop their own mind-controlling technology, including telepathic remote control over the Bio-Vipers.
• Villain: Exit, Stage Left: The twins break free from Cobra when the power fails, but despite getting small vengeance upon Mindbender & Baroness, they're forced to flee.
• Weaksauce Weakness: Exactly like their other counterparts, they have no power if separated.
• Wonder Twin Powers: Their Psychic Powers weaken when they're further away from each other.

Bio-Vipers

Bio-Vipers

Genetically engineered super-soldiers created by Dr. Mindbender, they are the primary "special product" that COBRA is developing during the course of the series. It was discovering the first Bio-Viper lab that resulted in the Joes being branded as renegades.

• Blob Monster: Bio-Vipers are fundamentally amorphous masses of plant-based gelatinous matter. However, they normally assume a more humanoid form, because this makes them more useful.
• Combat Tentacles: They can sprout these to attack, but later versions typically don't bother.
• Cyborg: The short-lived Mecha-Vipers are Bio-Vipers integrated into a heavily-armored combat exo-suit.
• Healing Factor: Because they're synthetic masses of gelatinous matter, they can reassemble their bodies with ease. It's hard to inflict a lingering injury.
• Hive Mind: Later iterations of Bio-Vipers are controlled by artificial telepathic broadcasts, connecting them into a singular mind.
• Made of Plasticine: They're not physically tough, but because they can pull themselves back together effortlessly, it doesn't matter.
• Planimal: Their base components are plant tissues.
• Removing the Head or Destroying the Brain: A short-lived iteration gain increased intelligence at the cost of being destructible by shooting them in the head.
• Super-Soldier: They were created to act as a powerful army for Cobra.
• Technopath: The one-off Techno-Viper, a Bio-Viper/nanite swarm hybrid that could drain electricity and control technology.
• Tunnel King: By reverting to blob form, they can burrow under the ground to spring a surprise attack.
• Underground Monkey: Aside from the various iterations of Bio-Viper, there's also the Mecha-Vipers (Bio-Vipers wrapped around exo-suits), the Techno-Viper (gray, more bestial technopathic Bio-Viper), and the Shadow-Vipers (black Bio-Vipers neurally linked to Storm Shadow).
• Voluntary Shapeshifting: Due to being made of goo, they can reshape themselves in various ways.
• Weaksauce Weakness: At least the original Bio-Vipers, due to being made of plant-based material, can be destroyed with weedkiller.
• What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Basically created so the Joes don't have to feel bad about blowing up human Cobra Mooks. To be fair, they don't appear to have thoughts beyond obeying orders or looking for food.

MARS Industries

MARS in General

An arms dealing organization run by the McCullen family, with James/Destro currently at its head. While COBRA acts under the radar, MARS already has a reputation as a group of warmongers and as such COBRA keeps their partnership a secret.

• Interservice Rivalry: In the appropriately titled episode, "The Enemy of My Enemy", it's clear that Destro and Mindbender have a rivalry over whose product is the best: Bender's organic monsters vs. Destro's machines. By episodes end, MARS is absorbed into the greater COBRA hierarchy, although Destro and Bender don't stop trying to sabotage one another.
• A Lighter Shade of Black: MARS deals in weapons and encourages global destabilization. In spite of that, it's a much better company to work for than COBRA as you won't be fed to a giant snake if you fail.
• Meaningful Name: Outside of MARS being an anagram, its name ties it into the god of war.
• Significant Anagram: MARS is an anagram of arms; MARS is an arms-dealing group.
• Villain with Good Publicity: Averted. Publicly, they're a well known war profiteering organization. COBRA actively hides their ties to MARS because they want their reputation to be clean.

Destro

Destro

Real Name: James McCullen

Voice Actor: Clancy Brown

• Adaptational Origin Connection: Normally he's already wearing his mask when he joins Cobra; the origin varies. Here, he's forced to don the mask as Cobra Commander's punishment for Destro's attempted betrayal.
• Amazon Chaser: Lets out a lovesick sigh watching Baroness kick ass.
• And I Must Scream: Here, his mask is implied to be screwed into his skull.
• Arms Dealer: As always, he's a highly skilled military technology developer.
• Badass in a Nice Suit: In addition to being a skilled businessman and combatant, Destro has some nice clothes. In addition to the trope's suitably classy designs, there's his more blue collar debut ensemble. It reinforces Destro's appearance as more of a working class villain who's willing to work at the street level along with his minions.
• Batman Gambit: Failed spectacularly at manipulating Adam DeCobray/Cobra Commander due to severely underestimating him.
• Benevolent Boss: It's a much safer bet to work for him than Mindbender, Baroness, or Cobra Commander. He treats his employees at MARS better than the Cobra Industries grunts and even detonates his experiment in a failed attempt to kill the Joes, not just because they'd beaten him, but because his employee Scrap-Iron was injured in the crossfire.
• Corrupt Corporate Executive: Abducted the homeless to test his inventions, and that was before he joined Cobra's inner circle.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He's very attracted to the Baroness, and she does reciprocate, though her loyalty is still to COBRA.
• Expressive Mask: Downplayed; unlike other adaptations — where Destro's mask somehow has movable lips — the entire jawpiece is fixed in place (though the giant screws on the side of the jaw imply they could be moved); instead, parts of the mask around his eyes are capable of movement and expression.
• A Father to His Men: He may be a bad man himself, but he's very loyal to his underlings.
• Foil: To Cobra Commander. As mentioned above, Destro/James' rather working class ensemble during his first two appearances shows him as a man of the people in a way that the Cobra Commander only preens to be via his alias Adam DeCobray. James is loyal to his company and to all the people who work under him, and isn't put off with the idea of working in the field, doing grunt labor, and getting his own hands dirty. Cobra Commander, on the other hand, puts up a veneer of assured strength and geniality in his false persona, but is in fact a manipulative, ill Bad Boss who almost never does anything directly, is quick to blame, curse, and threaten his underlings who have to do the hard jobs themselves, and never sees himself as anything less than the supreme "COMMANDER!" of Cobra.
• Genius Bonus: Spelled out In-Universe; "destro" means "destruction" or "ruination", and it is forced upon those family members who greatly injure the Clan McCullen through their ineptitude.
• Mark of Shame: Twofold, this time:
  • The famous metal mask, but this time it's Cobra Commander's idea, since McCullen used a mask to try and use the Joes to take down COBRA on his behalf.
  • He is also forced to adopt the name Destro, which in this continuity is a term his clan uses for utter failures. Having lost control of his company to COBRA, he is forced to assume the moniker.
• The Mole: A subversion — a bad guy who wants to bring down Cobra Industries. Unfortunately, Cobra Commander found out.
• The Starscream: Destro fulfills the role of the minion trying to stab the Big Bad in the back, especially because MARS was separate from COBRA until the Commander's hostile takeover. "Cutting Edge" reveals that in addition to wanting to take out the Commander and break his hold on MARS, it's also an attempt at giving Anastasia a Klingon Promotion, though without her knowledge.
• Unholy Matrimony: With The Baroness.

Scrap-Iron

Scrap-Iron

Real Name: Timothy James

Voice Actor: Phil LaMarr

• Bait the Dog: He first appears as a kind preacher offering hot drinks and food to the homeless. This is all a cover so he can find veterans and abduct them for unethical science experiments.
• Laser-Guided Karma: Maimed with the technology from the company he works for by Roadblock who he'd been experimenting on.
• Mauve Shirt: The most recurring minion character in the show. While Bludd and Zartan are mercenaries in their own right, Scrap-Iron's often in the show to provide a helping hand to whatever Destro has planned.
• Number Two: He seems to be Destro's second in command and oversees MARS's various schemes. His second appearance had him dressed for combat and had the series continued he may have taken up the role as The Dragon to Destro.
• Sinister Minister: Downplayed. He's not actually a priest and he's rarely scary while in disguise, but there are moments where his soft reassurances turn sinister.
• Two-Faced: After his debut episode, he ends up like this.

Iron Grenadiers

Destro's answer to the Bio-Vipers. Iron Grenadiers are MARS soldiers piloting scaled down versions of Destro's mechs, without the violent mental link.

• 2D Visuals, 3D Effects: The series is rife with this for the robots and vehicles, but this is the first example of people in the series rendered in CG.
• Elite Mooks: More skilled and powerful than the ordinary Bio-Viper, but the Bio-Viper mechs out-skill them.
• The Worf Effect: They debut beating up the new version of the Bio-Viper and their debut ends with an even newer version throwing them around.

Other Characters

Law & Order

Voice Actor: Corey Burton

• Canine Companion: Order is Law's best friend and will bite any criminal to submission.
• Token Good Teammate: He is one of the prison guards who disapproved the warden's illegal gambling ring. Law finally turns on the warden and rallies the few good guards to put a stop to him.

Barbecue

Voice Actor: Jerry O'Connell

• Defector from Decadence: While initially loyal to Cobra Industries, he finally quits after seeing how evil they truly are.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: He sports nasty burns on his left arms, a result from an Ax-Crazy arsonist.
• Token Good Teammate: He's a member of Cobra Industries but is a good man.

Red Star

Voice Actor: Liam O'Brien

• Arch-Enemy: To Baroness as she and her family tyrannically ruled over Red Star's people.
• Crazy-Prepared: As the rebel leader of an underground resistance, he has a plan if his old plans fail.
• Enemy Mine: He and the Joes are forced to ally when both their plans go up in smoke. Things are very rocky, but both sides grow an understanding of the other eventually.
• He Who Fights Monsters: His quest to take down the Baroness has resulted in him being just as coldhearted and ruthless as her. Duke has to convince him to care about the dozens of civilian casualties who are going to be caught in his crossfire, to which he is alright with at first.
• Heel–Face Turn: By the end of his team-up with the Joes he reconsiders his violent war tactics and becomes a more noble rebel over the Knight Templar he used to be.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Evolves into one thanks to the Joes helping him complete his mission, and showing him how war was changing him for the worst.
• La Résistance: The Oktober Guard is a rebellion in this version, trying to combat the Baroness family's oppression.
• Odd Friendship: As usual, he's a Russian guerilla soldier who forms a genuine respect for the American Joes after working together.
• Old Soldier: He's been combating the Baroness' family for a long time, but age has not slowed him down one bit.

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