Bazooka (G.I. Joe)
Encyclopedia
Bazooka is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team
's missile specialist and debuted in 1985.
.
He was operating as an Abrams tank driver in the Third Armored Division, when he came to believe that they were too vulnerable to rocket launcher fire. He put in for a transfer as soon as possible. Bazooka trained at the Advanced Infantry School, Fort Benning, Armor School, Fort Knox, and is a qualified expert with Dragon Anti-Talk Missile, Milan System, LAW
rocket system, recoilless rifle, and all Warsaw Pact RPG systems. He is noted for being a swift, strategic thinker.
. In 2008, a new version of Sgt Bazooka was released, which was based heavily on the 1985 version.
G.I. Joe series, he first appeared in issue #44 (February 1986). He is one of the many Joes to go underground, after most of the team is arrested to cover up a public relations fiasco. The rogue Joes work to free General Hawk
from murderous government agents who are holding him and another friendly general in a small clinic. Bazooka receives a minor bullet wound in the ensuing firefight. The entire Joe team is cleared of all charges.
line of comics, Bazooka makes his debut fighting hand-to-hand with Crimson Guard
forces. Later, he ends up in a running battle with Ripper
and Buzzer
over the possession of an experimental laser weapon. Bazooka drives an A.W.E. Striker while chasing the Dreadnoks through a shopping center. With the assistance of an elderly war veteran, Bazooka gets the weapon but loses the enemy. He later finds out the device was worthless.
, Mutt
and Rock 'n Roll
. They have met up in Alpine's new hometown of Delhi Hills, and discover it is a hot-spot of Cobra activity. In issue #16, Bazooka defeats Cobra's drill sergeant Big Boa in personal combat. Despite the large amount of destruction, mostly caused by Bazooka, there is no evidence of any enemy activity when Joe backup arrives. The foursome's veteran status is enough for them to be believed. Their reports are later verified, when an anonymous report leads to Cobra operatives in Delhi Hills being captured by a Joe team.
reboot of the G.I. Joe series, Bazooka is seen as a peripheral character. He, along with Scarlett and Duke, are tasked with a mission to protect Dr. Gerald Orizama from a Cobra abduction plot. During the mission, Bazooka waits outside of the building, where he is the first person to confront Blackout and his unsuspecting young decoys. During Blackout's extraction of the doctor, Bazooka is shot dead in a hallway. He is mourned by fellow Joes back at The Pit
, with his trademark football jersey framed and hung on the wall, while Stalker
says a tribute to him.
. Bazooka, Alpine, and Gung-Ho are charged with guarding the captured Serpentor
. Lt. Falcon is supposed to be guarding the front, but leaves his post. As a result, all three Joes are attacked by the Dreadnoks and Nemesis Enforcer. Bazooka himself is smacked across the face by Nemesis Enforcer.
, the U.S.S. Flagg suffers sabotage, with multiple bombs going off. Its secure construction keeps it from sinking but there are still casualties. Bazooka, who is on security detail, is found murdered, without a mark on him. He was slain and hidden before the charges were planted. The culprit of both the bombing and Bazooka's murder is revealed to be Storm Shadow
. In Bazooka's mouth was a message addressed to Snake Eyes.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a military-themed line of action figures and toys in Hasbro's G.I. Joe franchise. The toyline lasted from 1982 to 1994, producing well over 500 figures and 250 vehicles and playsets. The line reappeared in 1997 and has continued in one form or another to the...
toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team
G.I. Joe Team
G.I. Joe is the code name of an elite covert special forces unit operating under the control of the United States Military in the fictional G.I. Joe universe....
's missile specialist and debuted in 1985.
Profile
His real name is David L. Katzenbogen, and his rank is that of sergeant E-5. Bazooka was born in Hibbing, MinnesotaHibbing, Minnesota
Hibbing is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 16,361 at the 2010 census. The city was built on the rich iron ore of the Mesabi Iron Range. At the edge of town is the largest open-pit iron mine in the world. U.S...
.
He was operating as an Abrams tank driver in the Third Armored Division, when he came to believe that they were too vulnerable to rocket launcher fire. He put in for a transfer as soon as possible. Bazooka trained at the Advanced Infantry School, Fort Benning, Armor School, Fort Knox, and is a qualified expert with Dragon Anti-Talk Missile, Milan System, LAW
Anti-tank warfare
Anti-tank warfare was created by the need to seek technology and tactics to destroy tanks and their supporting infantry during the First World War...
rocket system, recoilless rifle, and all Warsaw Pact RPG systems. He is noted for being a swift, strategic thinker.
Toys
Bazooka was first released as an action figure in 1985. The figure was repainted and released as part of the Tiger Force line in 1988. A new version of Bazooka was released in 1993 as part of the Battle Corps line. Another version was released in 2004 as Sgt Bazooka, and packaged as the driver of the "Quickstrike" vehicle. This figure was repainted and released the same year without the vehicle, in a two-pack with Dreadnok TorchTorch (G.I. Joe)
Torch is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is affiliated with Cobra as one of the Dreadnoks and debuted in 1985. He is often seen working closely with Ripper and Buzzer....
. In 2008, a new version of Sgt Bazooka was released, which was based heavily on the 1985 version.
Marvel Comics
In the Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
G.I. Joe series, he first appeared in issue #44 (February 1986). He is one of the many Joes to go underground, after most of the team is arrested to cover up a public relations fiasco. The rogue Joes work to free General Hawk
Hawk (G.I. Joe)
Hawk is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line of military-themed toys. He appears in the animated series, comic books, toyline, and movie.-Profile:...
from murderous government agents who are holding him and another friendly general in a small clinic. Bazooka receives a minor bullet wound in the ensuing firefight. The entire Joe team is cleared of all charges.
Action Force
In the London-based Action ForceAction Force
Action Force was a 1980s range of European action figures initially based on Action Man, and later used to introduce G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toys to European markets...
line of comics, Bazooka makes his debut fighting hand-to-hand with Crimson Guard
Crimson Guard
The Crimson Guard is an elite organization within the fictional G.I. Joe universe. They are members of Cobra Command, the nemesis of the G.I. Joe team. They are often referred to by a phonetic spelling of their organization's initials, "Siegies". Tomax and Xamot are the commanders of the Crimson...
forces. Later, he ends up in a running battle with Ripper
Ripper (G.I. Joe)
Ripper is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is affiliated with Cobra as one of the Dreadnoks and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
and Buzzer
Buzzer (G.I. Joe)
Buzzer is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is affiliated with Cobra as one of the Dreadnoks and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
over the possession of an experimental laser weapon. Bazooka drives an A.W.E. Striker while chasing the Dreadnoks through a shopping center. With the assistance of an elderly war veteran, Bazooka gets the weapon but loses the enemy. He later finds out the device was worthless.
Devil's Due Comics
During the seven year period when G.I. Joe was on hiatus, Bazooka's health suffered. He loses much of his hair, and gains a large amount of weight. He also takes a job as a security guard. As seen later in issue #15, he has spent much time in the local gym and recovered most of his fighting trim. In the same issue, he is visiting with AlpineAlpine (G.I. Joe)
Alpine is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's mountain trooper and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
, Mutt
Mutt (G.I. Joe)
Mutt is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's dog handler , and debuted in 1984.-Profile:...
and Rock 'n Roll
Rock 'n Roll (G.I. Joe)
Rock 'n Roll is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toy line, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is the G.I. Joe team's original machine gunner and debuted in 1982.-Profile:...
. They have met up in Alpine's new hometown of Delhi Hills, and discover it is a hot-spot of Cobra activity. In issue #16, Bazooka defeats Cobra's drill sergeant Big Boa in personal combat. Despite the large amount of destruction, mostly caused by Bazooka, there is no evidence of any enemy activity when Joe backup arrives. The foursome's veteran status is enough for them to be believed. Their reports are later verified, when an anonymous report leads to Cobra operatives in Delhi Hills being captured by a Joe team.
IDW
In the IDWIDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
reboot of the G.I. Joe series, Bazooka is seen as a peripheral character. He, along with Scarlett and Duke, are tasked with a mission to protect Dr. Gerald Orizama from a Cobra abduction plot. During the mission, Bazooka waits outside of the building, where he is the first person to confront Blackout and his unsuspecting young decoys. During Blackout's extraction of the doctor, Bazooka is shot dead in a hallway. He is mourned by fellow Joes back at The Pit
The Pit (G.I. Joe)
The Pit is the fictional headquarters of the specialist G.I. Joe team from the 1980s Marvel comic book created by Larry Hama. It is a multi-level underground base complete with training facilities, living quarters, a briefing room, and heavy equipment storage....
, with his trademark football jersey framed and hung on the wall, while Stalker
Stalker (G.I. Joe)
Stalker is the code name of Army Sergeant Lonzo R. Wilkinson, a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series. He is one of very few characters from the first line of the toys to have a distinct appearance from the other action figures, as he is African-American. Stalker was a major...
says a tribute to him.
Cartoons
Sunbow series
Bazooka first appeared in the mini-series "Pyramid of Darkness". He is frequently paired off with Alpine, and is voiced by John Hostetter. He has appeared in the following episodes:- "Bazooka Saw A Sea Serpent"
- "the Funhouse"
- "Lasers in the Night"
- "Flint's Vacation"
- "Arise, Serpentor, Arise"
- "Sink the Montana"
- "The Most Dangerous Thing in the World"
G.I. Joe: The Movie
He plays a minor but critical role in G.I. Joe: The MovieG.I. Joe: The Movie
G.I. Joe: The Movie is a 1987 animated film spun off from the animated series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, based on the original Hasbro toyline. It was produced by Sunbow Productions and Marvel Productions and was animated in Japan by Toei Animation.Created at the height of the G.I. Joe craze in...
. Bazooka, Alpine, and Gung-Ho are charged with guarding the captured Serpentor
Serpentor
Serpentor is a fictional character from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a line of military-themed toys created by Hasbro. The character was introduced in 1986 as a toy with an air chariot and included in the animated series that same year.-Toys:...
. Lt. Falcon is supposed to be guarding the front, but leaves his post. As a result, all three Joes are attacked by the Dreadnoks and Nemesis Enforcer. Bazooka himself is smacked across the face by Nemesis Enforcer.
G.I. Joe: Resolute
In an episode of G.I. Joe: ResoluteG.I. Joe: Resolute
G.I. Joe: Resolute is an animated television series based on the G.I. Joe franchise. It was written by Warren Ellis, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, and produced by Sam Register. The series debuted on the web at Adult Swim Video April 18, 2009, with a Content Rating of TV-14-V, and premiered in its...
, the U.S.S. Flagg suffers sabotage, with multiple bombs going off. Its secure construction keeps it from sinking but there are still casualties. Bazooka, who is on security detail, is found murdered, without a mark on him. He was slain and hidden before the charges were planted. The culprit of both the bombing and Bazooka's murder is revealed to be Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow (G.I. Joe)
Storm Shadow is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic book series and television shows. The character is best known for his history with fellow ninja Snake Eyes...
. In Bazooka's mouth was a message addressed to Snake Eyes.
Other media
- Bazooka is briefly mentioned on page 148 of the non-fiction e-book Diary of an American Boy: A Poet, Athlete, Stud, and a Liar by Charles Pratt.
- Bazooka's red sports jersey is seen on the wall in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
External links
- Bazooka at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page