Summary
TheG.I. Joeteam has officially formed in theEnergon Universe, bringing the elite squad into a bold new era for the franchise. Throughout the four miniseries released thus far,Skybound has assembled a number of classic characters to form the Joe team in preparation for November’sG.I. Joe#1, with a few rather surprising inclusions along the way.
Conrad “Duke” Hauser made his Energon Universe debut inTransformers#2, where he barely survived an encounter with the Decepticon Starscream. Duke got his own series a few months later, where a team slowly came together across the five-issue miniseries.The recently-releasedScarletthas grown the ranks even more, bringing Shana “Scarlett” O’Hara into the Energon Universe, along with a few surprise inclusions.
Now that the Joe team has officially formed in the new continuity,it seems like a good time for a roll-call.Here is every known member of the G.I. Joe team in the Energon Universe so far.
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12Snow Job (Real Name: Harlan W. Moore)
First Energon Universe Appearance:Scarlett#1
Snow Job only appeared for a single page inScarlett#1, but that page managed to convey his characterization in a handful of panels. Scarlett describes him as one of the rare soldiers who is reliable on and off the battlefield, as readers learn the two have a history of working together. This should prove invaluable as the two continue to fight side-by-side on the newly-formedG.I. Joeteam.
While all he’s done in the Energon Universe so far is fly Scarlett into the Arashikage Compound via helicopter, hopefully readers get to see the team’s resident Arctic Trooper strap on his skis soon and hit the powder for some prime snow action. The snow-capped mountain setting ofScarlettshould give the character ample opportunity to show off his skills, butSnow Job has much more to offerthe team than simply his arctic expertise.
11Jinx (Real Name: Unknown)
First Energon Universe appearance:Scarlett#1
Jinx’s true allegiance is currently undefined in the Energon Universe, but readers do know that she was previously assigned to infiltrate Clan Arashikage by Stalker. All contact is lost after Jinx becomes deeply-embedded with the ninja clan, leading to Stalker recruiting Scarlett to recover her old friend. From what readers learned inScarlett#1, it appears thatJinx may have switched sidesto the Arashikage, which would make sense, given previous continuities.
While Jinx’s real name was never known in the original comics, later stories revealed her name as “Kimi Arashikage,” the cousin of Storm Shadow. Given the familial ties, it would make sense for Jinx to join up with the Arashikage, if this backstory is still in place.Whether or not Jinx returns to the fold and joins the newJoeteam remains to be determined, but she’s an intriguing addition to the world, nonetheless.
10Scarlett (Real Name: Shana O’Hara)
Scarlett is already a seasoned operative by the time we meether in her debut issue, infiltrating a high-class party in Monaco to investigate claims of human trafficking. The character was briefly seen in a file on Hawk’s desk in theFree Comic Book Day Energon Universe Special, so clearly the new team has had its eye on Shana O’Hara for a while now. After being dismissed from her company following the debacle in Monaco, Stalker recruits Scarlett to infiltrate Clan Arashikage and discern whether or not Jinx has betrayed them all.
Scarlett was the first female member of the G.I. Joe team, joining in 1982.
By adding Scarlett to the fold,Skybound has opened the door to bringing the ninja elements of the franchise to the Energon Universe.She was one of the original figures released in the firstG.I. Joewave all the way back in 1982, soit’s fitting that Scarlett would be on the initial team in the Energon Universe.Given her previous experience with Jinx and Snow Job, it will be interesting to see if Scarlett knows any of the other Joes on the team from her past.
9Lady Jaye (Real Name: Allison R. Hart-Burnett)
First Energon Universe Appearance:Free Comic Book Day Energon Universe Special#1
Interestingly enough, theFree Comic Book Day Energon Universe Specialrevealed that Col. Hawk is putting together more than one team of elite soldiers,starting with Flint and Lady Jaye. It is a brief appearance, butLady Jaye still manages to make an impression when attempting to apprehend the Baroness.She even gets a fancy battle-suit to accomplish the task, accompanied by one of her trademark spear javelins.
In the classic continuity, Lady Jaye is an expert in covert operations and counterintelligence. She’s also fluent in several different languages and an expert in mimicry and impersonation, making her an ideal undercover operative. Whatever Hawk’s plans are for the hidden Joe splinter team, it would appear that Lady Jaye will be a valuable part of it.
8Flint (Real Name: Dashiell R. Faireborn)
First Energon Universe appearance:Free Comic Book Day Energon Universe Special#1
The Joe team’s Chief Warrant Officer appeared alongside his longtime partner Lady Jayein theFree Comic Book DayEnergon Universe Special, assigned by Hawk to attack the Baroness while she was on the run following her escape in the pages ofDuke. In the classic continuity, it took a while for Lady Jaye to warm to Flint due to his arrogance, but it appears the two are already together in the Energon Universe.
If Flint is on Hawk’s splinter team, that raises all sorts of interesting possibilities for the Energon Universe moving forward. The question of why Hawk needs a second team operating in secret from the main roster will be an interesting thread to follow when the newG.I. Joeseries launches in November. IfFlint and Lady Jayeare in this splinter group, will they come into conflict with the main team? It will be exciting to see how it all plays out.
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7Baroness (Real Name: Anastasia Cisarovna)
First Energon Universe Appearance:Duke#2
It’s quite a shock for long-time fans, but theBaroness is officially a memberof the Energon Universe’s G.I. Joe team. After helping Duke escape from the Pit in his own miniseries, Duke pressures Hawk into letting the Baroness join the all-new team. In spite of her background as a terrorist, Duke sees an opportunity to recruit a potential enemy before more nefarious organizations began reaching out.
While shocking, there is some precedent for it in franchise history. Baroness was actually portrayed as a member of G.I. Joe in the two-part episode “Worlds Without End” from the original eighties cartoon. The story saw a team of Joes transported to an alternate universe where Cobra ruled the United States, and Baroness was an undercover operative working for the Joes.How long she remains one of the good guys in the Energon Universe remains to be determined, but it will be fun to watch play out in the upcomingG.I. Joeseries.
6Clutch (Real Name: Lance J. Steinberg)
Clutch is the first person Duke turns to after he’s framed for murder and declared an enemy of the state, which speaks to the trust Duke places in the expert mechanic. Clutch’s anti-authoritarian attitude serves him well as he teams with Duke, and it should be interesting to see how he mixes with his new team-mates on the G.I. Joe team.
Clutch’s freewheeling attitude and “ladies man” persona are intact from previous continuities, and it’s always nice to have a court jester-style character on the team. Clutch also got to show off his mechanical prowess inDuke#2, where he repaired a bunch of classic Joe vehicles in the decommissioned Pit tofight off Major Bludd’s forces.
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5Rock ‘N Roll (Real Name: Craig S. McConnel)
First Energon Universe appearance :Duke#1
Rock ‘N Roll’s first act in the Energon Universe is to hunt down a rogue Duke, setting up an interesting dynamic between the new G.I. Joe team. One can imagine that things could get awkward now that Rock ‘N Roll will be taking orders from Duke, but the two soldiers are professionals and likely able to put the past behind them.
While Rock ‘N Roll first appeared at the end ofDuke#1,it was the second issue where readers witnessed the classic Joe in action.Rock ‘N Roll keeps true to his name as he blares some heavy metal while trying to subdue Duke and Clutch.Rock ‘N Roll is another classic Joe member, so seeing him on the new team is a nice addition.
4Stalker (Real Name: Lonzo R. Wilkinson)
First Energon Universe appearance:Duke#1
The other elite operative assigned to hunt down Duke, Stalker manages to subdue the title character in a fistfight inDuke#2. His resilience and cool head in battle make him a valuable ally for the new Joe team, and it makes sense that Stalker would be the one to contact Scarlett for her mission infiltrating Clan Arashikage.
In the originalG.I. Joe: A Real American Herocontinuity, Stalker was part of Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol with Arashikage ninjas Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow in Vietnam. WhileStalker’s backstory in the Energon Universeis unknown at this point, there have been a few hints so far pointing to a connection with the Arashikage. No matter what his backstory is, Stalker remains an important character in the line-up, a solid and dependable soldier for the team to rely on.
3Cover Girl (Real Name: Courtney A. Krieger)
First Energon Universe Appearance:Duke#1
Cover Girl hasn’t done much in theEnergon Universe thus far, other than act as Hawk’s aide de camp. From her appearances so far, she does seem to be a capable and trusted confidante. Cover Girl’s original backstory portrayed her as a fashion model who soon grew bored with the lifestyle, enlisting in the military to give her life more purpose.
Cover Girl proved herself to be quite versatile in her talents. In addition to her expertise in make-up and disguise learned while she was a model, Cover Girl also trained in the use of heavy armor and diesel mechanics, becoming quite the gear-head in the process. Her original action figure came packaged with the Wolverine tank, sohopefully her mechanical prowess will be featured in the Energon Universe soon.
