Introducing the First 13 in G.I. Joe

Hasbro created the very first action figures through the G.I. Joe line. Released in 1964, these 12 inch figures centered on realism. They could be posed for play or display. These action figures also came with removable clothes and weapons/accessories modeled after military aesthetics and equipment.

Because of real life political and historical tensions and changes, however, G.I. Joe underwent a lot of development between the ’60s to the ’80s. In fact, they changed so much that people consider the original 13 G.I. Joe to be a team introduced in the 1980s — not the original base set of action heroes. So, sound off! Let’s introduce those first thirteen G.I. Joe heroes below.

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G.I. Joe Team — the First 13 from “A Real American Hero”

When people think of G.I. Joe, they tend to think of the team introduced in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero action figure line. This ’80s revamp brought 13 multifaceted characters to the toy line lore who all served in the United States military Special Forces. Hawk, Stalker, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Breaker, Clutch, Rock n’ Roll, Steeler, Grand Slam, Flash, Short-Fuze, Grunt, and Zap were the thirteen original team members. They all went by codenames and had complex backstories. They also served under Lieutenant Joseph Colton in the Special Counter-Terrorist Unit Delta.

The figures themselves were roughly eighth scale, standing at just shy of 10″ tall. Each figure included a file card with their photo, codename, indication of allegiance, specialties, education, background, et cetera. These file cards were originally written by comic book writer Larry Hama. Hasbro’s second series of the new G.I. Joe figures included a “swivel arm” articulation. Similarly, the subsequent series improved upon the range of motion with ball joints. As the line gained popularity, Hasbro even unveiled play sets — or types of scenery and environments — as well as vehicles for these militaristic models.

A Real American Hero comic animated series

We also saw these original 13 G.I. Joe characters in the 1982 debut of A Real American Hero from Marvel Comics.  Portrayed as a covert group, Unit Delta would later go on to take more high-profile, high-octane missions. But in the first comics as well as in the 1983 cartoon series, they were more stealthy. The animated miniseries also subtly altered the team structure. Duke served as team leader, answering to a new character called General Flagg. Continuous seasons changed the commanders and protagonists to coincide with new toy releases.

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Who Was the First Female G.I. Joe?

Scarlett was the first female G.I. Joe hero! As part of the original 13, Scarlett was a counterintelligence expert. Her real name was Shana M. O’Hara — the entire name and pseudonym being a pretty overt reference to the fictional character Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With the Wind. Like Scarlett O’Hara, G.I. Joe’s Scarlett was a Southerner. However, she had many skills that a Southern belle did not, such as acrobatics and martial arts proficiency. Scarlett was extremely formidable in the field. She was also very intelligent, a qualified weapons expert, and later became a field commander after her squad disbanded in 1994.

The G.I. Nurse Action Doll was the real first female G.I. Joe action figure

Did you know there was a female G.I Joe action figure way before Scarlett? The G.I. Nurse Action Doll was released two decades earlier. She only had medical accessories and wasn’t as glamorous as Barbie. Caught in the middle of the action figure and doll criteria, and unwanted by both audiences, “G.I. Action Girl” was poorly received and barely sold any units. Now, however, this doll/action figure is highly sought-after and valued quite impressively on the aftermarket.

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Original G.I. Joe Action Figures

The name “G.I. Joe” itself was derived from a universally recognized, generic slang for an American soldier. Naturally, then, the four original G.I. Joe figures from 1964 represented the four U.S. military branches. Action Soldier was the Army, Action Sailor was the Navy, Action Pilot was the Air Force, and Action Marine was the Marine Corps. Then, Hasbro expanded their four-figure line even further in the late ’60s to include an astronaut, a diver, a Green Beret, and a Black soldier. The G.I. Nurse Action Doll also debuted in 1967.

Again, these heroes aren’t generally recognizable in the modern G.I. Joe landscape. Vintage toy collectors love them. Avid history fans do, too. But to 21st-century kids, comic readers, and film fanatics, Action Hero can’t hold a candle to the epic martial artist known as Snake Eyes.

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Modern G.I. Joe Action Figures

Today, G.I. Joe collectibles focus on the most popular members of the original 13. Notably, Snake Eyes makes for some really sick action figures in various scales — including the most beloved sixth scale, as represented here by Threezero. Additionally, the G.I. Joe toy line expands alongside its cinematic counterparts just like in the ’80s with the cartoon. However, Hasbro also released nostalgic retro collections that performed exceptionally well. They were sculpted to resemble the original molds while still maintaining modern quality and figure standards. That way, fans of every generation could get something exciting out of the release.

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Who is your favorite G.I. Joe character from the first 13? Do you have enough G.I. Joe action figures to flaunt your fandom? Share your collection at side.show/geekgroup or in the Sideshow Social Network. And as always, don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!