Crankcase (G.I. Joe)
Encyclopedia
Crankcase 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 A.W.E. Striker driver and debuted in 1985.
.
Crankcase's primary military specialty is motor vehicle driver, and his secondary military specialty is armor
. He was building street machines by the age of thirteen and racing them at sixteen. He worked the stock car circuit for years, until a recruiting sergeant signed him up with promises of speed and glory. Crankcase graduated from Ranger School
and Desert Warfare School, and attended the Special Air Service Tactical Driving School under the NATO Exchange program. He is a qualified expert in the M-16
, M-1911A1, M-60
, and TOW
.
G.I. Joe series, he first appeared in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #44 (February 1986). He is part of a training group with Bazooka
, Airtight
and Heavy Metal
. They are led by Lady Jaye
. The four's efforts in fighting a Cobra-led weapons-testing attack earns them battlefield promotions into the team. Later, he is part of a small team of Joes who are attacked by Raptor and Cobra Commander
.
Crankcase is sent to an unnamed middle-eastern country with Leatherneck
, Stalker
and the aircraft pilot Slipstream. The four using a modified plan to fight their way onto an enemy air force base and they steal a valued plane. An American mercenary pilot named Deke voluntarily sacrifices his life to save the four Joes. Later, Crankcase escorts new Joe officers to the Utah base. He is one of many who works underground building the secret part of the facility. He later escorts new Joes into the top floor part; they had not quite received authorization for anything beyond that. His A.W.E. Striker is almost crushed by the USS Defiant
space shuttle.
Crankcase is killed in action when he was executed by a SAW Viper in #109. On a mission to Trucial-Abysmia, a group of Joes are kidnapped by Cobra forces and kept in a pit. Doc
is shot first by a S.A.W. Viper taking 'orders' that Tomax and Xamot
have misunderstood. Crankcase, Thunder
and Heavy Metal
are killed next. The survivors escape due to a hidden knife they use to wound the Viper. Crankcase is buried in Arlington Cemetery.
", a slightly different G.I. Joe continuity, also produced by Marvel Comics
. He debuts in #8, as one of the field officers trying to stop the destruction of the Eiffel Tower
. He is featured in the next issue. As an artillery expert, he tries to disarm the motion-triggered bomb Lady Jaye
is holding.
Crankcase drives support on a mission to protect an important ambassador and to rescue Shipwreck, who is impersonating the man.
Crankcase has a cameo during a confrontation with the alien robot Megatron. He is seen assisting an injured colleague.
computer game.
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 A.W.E. Striker driver and debuted in 1985.
Profile
His real name is Elwood G. Indiana, and his rank is that of corporal E-4. Crankcase was born in Lawrence, KansasLawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
.
Crankcase's primary military specialty is motor vehicle driver, and his secondary military specialty is armor
Armoured warfare
Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....
. He was building street machines by the age of thirteen and racing them at sixteen. He worked the stock car circuit for years, until a recruiting sergeant signed him up with promises of speed and glory. Crankcase graduated from Ranger School
Ranger School
The United States Army Ranger School is an intense 61-day combat leadership course oriented towards small-unit tactics. It has been called the "toughest combat course in the world" and "is the most physically and mentally demanding leadership school the Army has to offer". The course is conducted...
and Desert Warfare School, and attended the Special Air Service Tactical Driving School under the NATO Exchange program. He is a qualified expert in the M-16
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
, M-1911A1, M-60
M60 machine gun
The M60 is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links...
, and TOW
BGM-71 TOW
The BGM-71 TOW is an anti-tank missile. "BGM" is a weapon classification that stands for "Multiple Environment , Surface-Attack , Missile ". "TOW" is an acronym that stands for "Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire command data link, guided missile"...
.
Toys
Crankcase was first released as an action figure in 1985, packaged with the A.W.E. Striker.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 G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #44 (February 1986). He is part of a training group with Bazooka
Bazooka (G.I. Joe)
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.-Profile:...
, Airtight
Airtight (G.I. Joe)
Airtight 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 hostile environment specialist and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
and Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (G.I. Joe)
Heavy Metal 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 Mauler M.B.T. tank driver and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
. They are led by Lady Jaye
Lady Jaye (G.I. Joe)
Lady Jaye is a fictional character in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. She was originally created as a character for the Sunbow cartoon series in 1984, and later produced as an action figure, and finally introduced into the comic book in 1985. Lady Jaye is...
. The four's efforts in fighting a Cobra-led weapons-testing attack earns them battlefield promotions into the team. Later, he is part of a small team of Joes who are attacked by Raptor and Cobra Commander
Cobra Commander
Cobra Commander is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise. He appears in the toyline, animated series , comic books, video games, and movie as the usual principal antagonist. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra, and archnemesis of the Joes...
.
Crankcase is sent to an unnamed middle-eastern country with Leatherneck
Leatherneck (G.I. Joe)
Leatherneck is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is a Marine with the G.I. Joe Team and debuted in 1986.-Profile:...
, 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...
and the aircraft pilot Slipstream. The four using a modified plan to fight their way onto an enemy air force base and they steal a valued plane. An American mercenary pilot named Deke voluntarily sacrifices his life to save the four Joes. Later, Crankcase escorts new Joe officers to the Utah base. He is one of many who works underground building the secret part of the facility. He later escorts new Joes into the top floor part; they had not quite received authorization for anything beyond that. His A.W.E. Striker is almost crushed by the USS Defiant
Defiant (G.I. Joe)
The Defiant is a fictional space shuttle complex vehicle and station from the G.I. Joe series, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, line of toys, comics and cartoons.-Toys:...
space shuttle.
Crankcase is killed in action when he was executed by a SAW Viper in #109. On a mission to Trucial-Abysmia, a group of Joes are kidnapped by Cobra forces and kept in a pit. Doc
Doc (G.I. Joe)
Doc is the code name of two fictional characters from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic book and cartoon series....
is shot first by a S.A.W. Viper taking 'orders' that Tomax and Xamot
Tomax and Xamot
Tomax and Xamot, also called the Crimson Twins or Crimson Guard Commanders, are the code names of identical mirror twin brothers in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero universe...
have misunderstood. Crankcase, Thunder
Thunder (G.I. Joe)
Thunder is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is the G.I. Joe team's self-propelled gun artilleryman and debuted in 1984.-Profile:...
and Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (G.I. Joe)
Heavy Metal 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 Mauler M.B.T. tank driver and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
are killed next. The survivors escape due to a hidden knife they use to wound the Viper. Crankcase is buried in Arlington Cemetery.
Action Force
Crankcase makes several appearances in "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...
", a slightly different G.I. Joe continuity, also produced by Marvel Comics
Marvel 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...
. He debuts in #8, as one of the field officers trying to stop the destruction of the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
. He is featured in the next issue. As an artillery expert, he tries to disarm the motion-triggered bomb Lady Jaye
Lady Jaye (G.I. Joe)
Lady Jaye is a fictional character in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. She was originally created as a character for the Sunbow cartoon series in 1984, and later produced as an action figure, and finally introduced into the comic book in 1985. Lady Jaye is...
is holding.
Crankcase drives support on a mission to protect an important ambassador and to rescue Shipwreck, who is impersonating the man.
Crankcase has a cameo during a confrontation with the alien robot Megatron. He is seen assisting an injured colleague.
Sunbow
He first appeared in the G.I. Joe animated series in the second season episode "The Most Dangerous Thing in the World".Video game
Crankcase drives his AWE Striker in the first Action ForceAction Force (video game)
Action Force: International Heroes is a video game released by Virgin Games in for the Sinclair Spectrum and Commodore 64, and in for the Amstrad CPC. The game is set in the world of the Action Force toys by Hasbro. It was followed by a sequel, Action Force II.-Plot:Cobra have launched a...
computer game.
External links
- Crankcase at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page