Wild Bill (G.I. Joe)
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|
Wild Bill | |
---|---|
Brady, TX | |
SN | RA056403211 |
Rank | CW-4 (Chief Warrant Officer 4) |
Primary MOS | Helicopter Pilot |
Secondary MOS | Fixed Wing Pilot, Aircraft Armorer |
Wild Bill is a fictional character from the
Profile
His real name is William S. Hardy, and his rank is that of army chief warrant officer CW-4. Wild Bill was born in Brady, Texas. His primary military specialty is helicopter pilot and his secondary military specialties are fixed wing pilot and aircraft armorer.
Wild Bill served as a combat infantryman and participated in
Wild Bill is the original helicopter pilot for the G.I. Joe team, and is also an expert tracker and can function on the ground as well as any trained infantry scout. He is able to adapt the hunting skills he learned as a boy whenever he's tracking the enemy, saying that sneaking up on a Cobra is easier than sneaking up on most 'critters'.[2]
Wild Bill has a hobby as a country-western singer. While personally honest, he enjoys telling tall tales for the amusement of his friends.
Toy history
The character first appeared as part of the 1983 line of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toy line. His action figure was bundled with the
In 2002, a new figure was made utilizing the newer technology in articulation and detail. It was released as part of the G.I. Joe vs. Cobra series.
Comics
Marvel Comics
In the
Wild Bill accompanies Snake Eyes to give Kwinn a burial at sea.[4]
Wild Bill flies support for a multi-Joe mission investigating Cobra activity in the
In the fourth issue of Special Missions, he and his team crash-land in a
In one of Wild Bill's many helicopter missions, he almost kills the Cobra agents Tomax and Xamot. They escape with a turn down a sewer pipe.[7]
Another instance was in G.I. Joe issues #68-71.
Wild Bill is the pilot for the mission where several Joes help Destro neutralize the bounty that Cobra Commander has put on his head.[9] He is the pilot for a mission to the Bering Strait.[10]
Wild Bill is featured in G.I. Joe Special Missions #16. He teams up with Maverick and other Joe pilots, such as
Action Force
Wild Bill appears in many issues of the Marvel UK version of G.I. Joe, which is called 'Action Force'. In issue 26 he has a detailed memory of a previous military incident which he had repressed. His rescue mission had been forced to leave a man behind; this caused Wild Bill many sleepless nights.[12]
Devil's Due
Wild Bill is featured in the first story arc of G.I. Joe: Frontlines, which presents the last adventure of the G.I. Joe Team. He flies air support in an attack on Destro's castle, which is filled with many Cobra officers. He has to end up dealing with a Cobra Mamba all by himself, with a battered and leaking helicopter. Much of this incident is off-panel.[13]
When the team reforms, Wild Bill is one of the few Joes to be introduced to the "new generation", a large group of soldiers referred to as
Wild Bill is one of the few Joes available, at the time, to assist
In New York City, he again confronts The Plague, leading a group of volunteer citizens in laying down covering fire so Duke and a valued ally can escape. Several of The Plague are wounded.[15] Wild Bill takes part in the final battle against Cobra in the Appalachian Mountains.[volume & issue needed] Wild Bill is badly injured by Plague member Vector in a South American jungle, saving Stalker from Vector's unique weaponry by voluntarily taking the shots himself.[16]
Animated series
Sunbow
Wild Bill first appeared in the animated series in the "A Real American Hero" mini-series. The character's uniform had a different color scheme than in the comics and toy line. He was voiced by Frank Welker.[17]
In the episode "Where the Reptiles Roam", Wild Bill goes undercover with Lady Jaye, Alpine and Bazooka to investigate a dude ranch in Texas that Cobra bought. There, he befriends a girl named Mary Belle, the daughter of the ranch's owners. He also lures a cattle stampede away from a nearby solar power control room (which was actually a distraction for Zartan to steal a computer chip inside) and performs a square dance song. Mary Belle soon reveals herself as the Baroness in disguise, but Wild Bill swiftly defeats her and Zartan as well. Wild Bill later saves the day for G.I. Joe in battle by leading a cattle stampede against Cobra.[18]
G.I. Joe: The Movie
Wild Bill also appeared briefly in the 1987 animated film
Spy Troops and Valor vs. Venom
Wild Bill appeared in the direct-to-video CGI animated movies G.I. Joe: Spy Troops and G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom, voiced by Don S. Davis.
Resolute
Wild Bill appeared in G.I. Joe: Resolute.
G.I. Joe: Renegades
Wild Bill made an appearance in the G.I. Joe: Renegades episode "Knockoffs." Flint calls for a helicopter to look for the Joes, Zartan, and a stolen Cobra truck with a camo suit along with Baroness and Lady Jaye.
Live-action film
Wild Bill will be appearing in
Video games
Wild Bill is one of the featured characters in the 1985 G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero computer game.[21] He appears as a non-playable supporting character in the 2009 video game G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
References
- ISBN 0-87135-288-5.
- ^ "Wild Bill filecard". Yojoe.com. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
- ISBN 0-87341-301-6.
- ^ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #22 (1984)
- ^ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #25-30 (1984)
- ^ G.I. Joe Secret Missions #4
- ^ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #37 (July 1985)
- ^ G.I. Joe A Real American Hero #68-71
- ^ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #118 (Nov. 1991)
- ^ G.I. Joe Special Missions #20 (April 1989)
- ^ G.I. Joe Special Missions #16
- ^ "Action Force" #26 (August 29, 1987)
- ^ G.I. Joe: Frontline #1-4
- ^ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero vol. 2 #2 (2001)
- ^ G.I. Joe America's Elite #33 (March 2008)
- ^ G.I. Joe America's Elite #35 (2007)
- ^ "Roll Call". G.I. Joe Roll Call. Joe Headquarters. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
- ^ "Where the Reptiles Roam". G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. Season 1. Episode 25.
- ^ G.I. Joe: The Movie (Motion picture). De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. April 20, 1987.
- ^ Murphy, Charles (May 3, 2018). "EXCLUSIVE: Character Details About The G.I. Joe: Ever Vigilant". That Hashtag Show.
- ^ Roberts, Matt. "G.I. Joe for Personal Computers". YoJoe.com. Retrieved 2010-03-20.
External links
- Wild Bill at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page