G.I. Joe: Ride of the Valkyrie
Just
released last week, G.I. Joe: TheComplete Collection, Volume 2 not only continues to reprint Marvel's G.I. Joe comics in a high-quality,
hardcover collection, but also includes an in-depth look at the creation of
Larry Hama's profiles for two prominent characters: Destro and Duke.
In the
book's introduction, Mark Bellomo discusses Hama's development of Destro (under
an alternate code name) and shares the arms dealer's original typewritten
profile. One excised, seemingly forgotten bit of lore is the fact that Destro
operates from a "custom-converted oil super-tanker, the Valkyrie." The concept of an
ocean-going command center isn't surprising coming from Hama. In a few issues
of the G.I. Joe comic series, Destro
is seen transporting his troops in a converted cruise ship, while others
feature Cobra Commander actually using an oil tanker as a base of operations.
Panel from G.I. Joe #73 |
Panel from G.I. Joe #117 |
But was
the concept of the Valkyrie itself
abandoned? Not quite. Though Larry Hama's detailed character profiles helped
defined the entire G.I. Joe
franchise, he had no real involvement in the popular G.I. Joe cartoon. Even so, it appears that even his unused concepts
influenced the series. The Valkyrie
finally does appear in the 1985 cartoon episode, "The Synthoid Conspiracy,
Part II." In that episode, Cobra has replaced key military officers with
artificial imposters known as synthoids, who shut down the G.I. Joe team and
make the Joes outlaws (a plot that may sound vaguely familiar to moviegoers). Destro, recently offended
by Cobra Commander, offers his old enemies refuge on his ship, the Valkyrie. When the ship finally appears,
it happens to look exactly like an oil tanker-turned-aircraft carrier.
The Valkyrie |
The Valkyrie never appeared again in any
corner of the franchise, but with G.I.
Joe movies, toys and comic books still going strong, it may only be a
matter of time before someone dusts off the concept.
G.I. Joe: The Complete
Collection, Volume 2—including Mark Bellomo's introduction and behind-the-scenes notes
for every issue—is now available. The original G.I. Joe cartoon series is available on DVD and streaming on
Netflix.
James McFadden has written more than a dozen
articles for the United Kingdom's Official Star Wars Fact File,
as well as the article "The Forgotten War" for StarWars.com. In
addition, James has contributed to a number of fan Web sites. His first book, Fightingfor Freedom: The Unauthorized G.I. Joe Chronology, is coming soon from Hasslein Books.
Labels: G.I. Joe, James McFadden, Larry Hama
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