Duke (G.I. Joe)
Encyclopedia
Duke is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
and G.I. Joe: Sigma 6
lines of military-themed toy
s. The character is featured in both the animated series and comic books. Duke is portrayed by actor Channing Tatum
in the 2009 live-action film, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
Conrad S. Hauser. Duke was born in St. Louis, Missouri
, and is fluent in French and German, as well as several Southeast Asian languages. He was at the top of his class at Fort Benning
, attended U.S. Army Special Language school, has undergone Special Forces training, and worked with South Vietnamese Tribesmen. He was also an instructor in four different Special Forces schools. Despite his accomplishments, he has repeatedly turned down any officer commissions offered to him. He believes a commander's place is with his troops, not behind the battle lines.
Duke is field commander and second-in-command of the G.I. Joe team after Hawk
. In this role, he has served as a rugged leader by example, a precise giver of orders, a source of history and knowledge, and a fair settler of disputes. As the team has fluctuated in size and structure over the years, Duke has supervised the training of the non-commissioned officers in G.I. Joe, as well as leading special units such as Tiger Force and Star Brigade.
After the G.I. Joe Team disbanded, Duke disappeared. It was later learned that he'd been performing Black Ops for a secret government agency, his missions of which are still highly classified. One such mission was to locate and detain the mercenary Major Bludd
, which led to evidence that Cobra Commander had returned, and hastened the reinstatement of G.I. Joe. Duke returned to active duty in G.I. Joe when the team was reinstated, though his maverick and dangerous behavior took some of his longtime colleagues by surprise, and caused him to relinquish his position as field commander for a more behind-the-scenes advisory role.
. He was later released in 1984, as part of the third series. The figure was repainted and released as the leader of the Tiger Force line in 1988. A new version of Duke was released in 1992. That version was repainted and released as part of the Battle Corps line in 1993. New versions of Duke were also released in 1993 and 1994, as commander of the Star Brigade
line.
action figures, Hasbro introduced the G.I. Joe: Hall of Fame
era of 12" action figures in 1991. Duke was the first 12" (30 cm) action figure produced in the Hasbro G.I. Joe line since 1978.
The first 12" Duke was a Target Stores exclusive. The popularity of the figure convinced Hasbro to unleash a new series of 12" G.I. Joe action figures, known as the Hall of Fame series. These new 12" figures were based on the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
series of 3.75" action figure characters. The 12" Duke had a headsculpt that was never used again for any other G.I. Joe figure, and was dressed for Desert Storm combat, with a backpack, commemorative stand, a light-up weapon with sound effects, grenades, and a Beretta handgun and holster.
, Roadblock
, and Gung-Ho
, created from an entirely new mold that was based heavily on the original design. He was also released in several single packs (with one including his Jet Pack featured in the opening credits of G.I. Joe: The Movie
), comic packs, movie packs (packaged with the greatest battles DVD), and multi-packs. Duke was one of the only G.I. Joe figures to be released in a special package for the G.I. Joe: Resolute
animated series.
G.I. Joe series, Duke first appeared in issue #22 (April 1984). Duke is not a member of the original G.I. Joe team line-up, arriving after the death of General Flagg
to help straighten the team out and become the new field commander. However, he and Roadblock
first act as security for the funeral of Flagg; they shoot down an attacking Rattler plane. His first mission was to lead an effort to keep Cobra Commander
prisoner in a mountain base. However, the Cobra ninja Storm Shadow
rescues the Commander.
Duke also took part in the invasion of the Cobra-controlled town of Springfield. He also played second-in-command to Hawk during the Cobra Civil War. For a while, Duke led the G.I. Joe special team Tiger Force. He was also involved in the mission to push Cobra out of Trucial Abysmia, but intelligence vastly underestimated Cobra's presence there. Duke's squad is captured, and a misinterpreted order leads to several men being shot dead by a S.A.W. Viper
. Doc
, Heavy Metal
, Thunder
, and Crankcase
are slain immediately. The Viper is wounded, and the survivors escape in a Cobra Rage tank. It is destroyed, killing Crazylegs
, Breaker
, and Quick Kick
. Duke and the other two survivors, Cross-Country and Lt. Falcon, make it back to friendly lines safely.
Duke would recover from that experience and lead the defense of the Joe headquarters, the Pit
, against Cobra. He continued working with G.I. Joe until its disbandment.
In an interview in ToyFare
magazine, G.I. Joe comic book writer Larry Hama
admitted he could never get a handle on Duke. According to Hama, military comic book conventions maintain that the commanding officer is the "good cop" and the first sergeant is the "bad cop," and Duke, as first sergeant, never really fit the "bad cop" mold.
s assignments for a secret government agency for a few years. It was during one of his missions that he discovered Cobra's attempt to make a comeback. He helped rally the effort to have G.I. Joe reinstated. By this time, Duke had a different edge to him, taking more risks and sometimes putting teammates in danger. When Hawk was incapacitated in a Cobra assassination attempt, Duke took up his injured mentor's causes, fighting the corrupt Jugglers while holding the team together in the wake of the loss of their leader.
series. Duke disappears, going off on his own mission to locate Cobra Commander. During his search, he is captured by a group of B.A.T.s under the control of a Crimson Guardsman, who also had a grudge against Cobra Commander and wished to locate him. Duke frees himself, and after much torture, kills the Guardsman and saves Washington D.C. from being nuked. Civilians then treat his wounds and help him return home. Duke also assists his colleagues in defending their Yellowstone base from enemy infiltration.
Later, Duke deals with his father, a protester who dislikes the military. During a talk in his father's home, both men are captured by Cobra agents.
, Duke's counterpart is Secretary of Defense Conrad Hauser, serving in the administration of U.S. President Joe Colton. In the story "Eye in the Sky", Hauser had to report to the president on the loss of an orbital defense satellite to the evil alien robots called the Autobots, and its eventual destruction thanks to the efforts of the heroic Decepticons.
. Flagg is replaced by Colonel Sharp in The Revenge of Cobra, the second miniseries released in 1984. By the beginning of the first season of G.I. Joe, the role of commanding officer frequently alternated between Duke and Flint
, the warrant officer introduced in The Revenge of Cobra miniseries. This was due in part to the series writers trying to balance the regulation of characters, based on the prominence of their action figures.
In the second season, Hawk
replaces Duke as commander of G.I. Joe. Duke becomes second-in-command, while Flint is the third man down. Duke was voiced by Michael Bell. Duke appears briefly alongside Torpedo
in one of the series' public service announcement
s about the dangers of swimming alone.
Though the comic books and file cards say Duke is from St. Louis, Missouri, The MASS Device miniseries said that Duke was from Iowa
. In one episode of the miniseries, Duke was kissed by the character Selena as he rescues both her and Scarlett. Duke says to Scarlett: "I was going to bring flowers. Instead I brought this." and hands her the crossbow. In the episode "Cobra Stops The World", Scarlett asks Duke to take her to dinner and a movie and he agrees. Cover Girl
kissed Duke on the cheek in "Cobra Claws Are Coming to Town". In the episode "Spell of the Siren", the Baroness discovers a conch shell whose song hypnotizes men. She uses the shell to seize control of Cobra and capture most of the male Joes. Scarlett was overly concerned for Duke's welfare to which Lady Jaye replies: "Duke and Flint are in Cobra's curse, Scarlett, now it's up to us".
In the episode "The Phantom Brigade", the ending scene shows Duke putting his arm around Scarlett as they walk away after having paid their respects to the dead heroes.
In the episode "The Synthoid Conspiracy", Duke was not only taken prisoner, but replaced with one of Destro
's synthetic doppelgangers, in an attempt to get the G.I. Joe team disbanded permanently.
, Duke is the older half brother of Lt. Falcon
. Duke was responsible for foiling Cobra's first attempt to take over the BET machine and captures Serpentor
. With the aid of Cobra-La
and the Dreadnoks
, Serpentor escapes and gets his revenge during a second attempt to obtain the BET machine. Duke is critically wounded when Serpentor impales him in battle. His injuries cause him to slip into a coma. This makes the second time that Duke has lapsed into a coma - the first being in "The Traitor" two-part story, where his condition prevents him from letting the other Joes in on Dusty's triple-agent status.
Duke's original fate in the movie was to die at the hands of Serpentor. However, due to fan backlash regarding the death of Optimus Prime in The Transformers: The Movie
, Hasbro asked for a re-edit, so Duke would merely fall into a coma following Serpentor's venomous attack, and a later edit added dialogue near the end of the movie, indicating Duke recovers from his injuries.
and G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom
, voiced by John Payne
.
, Duke is the leader of the G.I. Joe team. He has retained much of his personality from the A Real American Hero series. He is still willing to go into the most dangerous situations, rather than send a member of his team to do it. This Duke is much more comfortable being the military man than engaging in social situations, as seen in the first season episode "Vacation".
Duke is still that same hard-charging, man-of-action type of leader he's always been, albeit looking much younger and with a new haircut. One other physical differentiation of this Duke from previous continuities is the scar on his right cheek. So far, it has not been explained how he acquired it.
. In the course of the storyline, Duke presents Scarlett with an ultimatum, to go with Snake-Eyes or to remain with him, and she chooses to be with Duke. Later on while on a mission in Siberia, Duke gets injured and orders Scarlett to leave him. She refuses and replies: "Oh, to hell with your orders! It's taken me years to sort out in my head what I want - who I want - and today I did. I'm staying with you, for all the time I have left. And if that' only six minutes, then damn it, I'm spending my last six minutes with you!"
, Duke is a younger, and far more aggressive version than his other incarnations. Duke is a member of command staff, and makes the decision to expose the Cobra mega-corporation's true basis at cost, which results in them being branded as criminals following the destruction of Cobra Pharmaceuticals.
In the two-part episode "Homecoming," a flashback revealed that Duke was on a football team in his youth and went up against the football team that Flint was a part of. A play that Flint did ended up breaking Duke's leg costing him his college scholarship. A later encounter with Flint had Duke being given the offer to join the military. During a training, Duke saves a fellow cadet who had stepped on a pressure-activated land mine with Duke taking the small blunt of the blast. When he was assigned to work with Stalker to thwart a weapons trade held by M.A.R.S. Industries, Duke ended up disobeying orders when a M.A.R.S. Operative shoots down a helicopter that Lady Jaye was on and ended up saving her and the pilot. In the present, Duke splinters from the others when his parents Max and Connie are captured. During that time, he did have some problems with his brother Vince who was shown displeased with what happened at Cobra Pharmaceuticals and stated that their parents are in doubt about what happened. After Duke saves his parents and reunites with the other Joes, they arrive at the Hauser household where Connie wanted to treat them to a meal. Unfortunately, Vince had called Flint after he had warned Duke to stay away. Duke ends up defending his actions towards the other Joes and tells Flint upon the group's arrest to see that their families are protected.
In the episode "Going Underground", both Scarlett and Duke are trapped underground separated from the remaining Joes. They managed to send a S.O.S. As they felt another cave in occurring, they held on to each other, only it was Tunnel Rat and Snake Eyes coming in to rescue them. Seeing them as they were, Tunnel Rat turns to Snake Eyes and says, "Guess we shoulda' seen that coming, eh?". Later on, after Duke hands Scarlett her locket, she gives him a hug, when Snake Eyes sees this, he rides off on his motorcycle as Duke tries to explain.
portrayed Duke in the 2009 film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. He is part of General Hawk
's team. Contrary to his original back-story, he is a newcomer to the G.I. Joe team; all Joe rookies are already established, well-trained soldiers. Also in the 2009 film, Duke identifies himself as a Captain, while conspicuously wearing the rank of Major (Army) or Lt. Commander (Navy), although all versions of his action figure have him graded at Major/O-4. There is no reference in the film to him ever performing duties as a First Sergeant. He was also engaged to marry Ana Lewis, (who would end up becoming the Baroness
), but left her at the altar because of guilt due to the apparent death of Ana's brother, Rex. Tatum will return as Duke in the sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation
.
Duke is featured as a playable character in the 1991 G.I. Joe
video game created for the Nintendo Entertainment System
. He is also featured as a playable character in the 1992 game G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor
, and in the G.I. Joe arcade game
.
Duke appears as a playable character in the video game G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
.
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...
and G.I. Joe: Sigma 6
G.I. Joe: Sigma 6
G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 is a line of military-themed action figures and toys produced by Hasbro, re-imagining the characters of the 1980s toyline, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.The Sigma 6 toy line served several purposes for Hasbro...
lines of military-themed toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s. The character is featured in both the animated series and comic books. Duke is portrayed by actor Channing Tatum
Channing Tatum
Channing Matthew Tatum is an American actor and film producer. He began his career as a fashion model and appearing in television commercials for Pepsi and Mountain Dew before turning to film roles...
in the 2009 live-action film, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
Profile
Duke is the code name of First SergeantFirst Sergeant
First sergeant is the name of a military rank used in many countries, typically a senior non-commissioned officer.-Singapore:First Sergeant is a Specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First Sergeants are the most senior of the junior Specialists, ranking above Second Sergeants, and below Staff...
Conrad S. Hauser. Duke was born in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, and is fluent in French and German, as well as several Southeast Asian languages. He was at the top of his class at Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, attended U.S. Army Special Language school, has undergone Special Forces training, and worked with South Vietnamese Tribesmen. He was also an instructor in four different Special Forces schools. Despite his accomplishments, he has repeatedly turned down any officer commissions offered to him. He believes a commander's place is with his troops, not behind the battle lines.
Duke is field commander and second-in-command of the G.I. Joe team after 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:...
. In this role, he has served as a rugged leader by example, a precise giver of orders, a source of history and knowledge, and a fair settler of disputes. As the team has fluctuated in size and structure over the years, Duke has supervised the training of the non-commissioned officers in G.I. Joe, as well as leading special units such as Tiger Force and Star Brigade.
After the G.I. Joe Team disbanded, Duke disappeared. It was later learned that he'd been performing Black Ops for a secret government agency, his missions of which are still highly classified. One such mission was to locate and detain the mercenary Major Bludd
Major Bludd
Major Bludd , is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series of the 1980s. Appearing in both the comic books and the cartoons, Major Bludd is one of the series villains, a mercenary working for the Cobra Organization.-Toy:Major Bludd first appeared in 1983, he has had 6...
, which led to evidence that Cobra Commander had returned, and hastened the reinstatement of G.I. Joe. Duke returned to active duty in G.I. Joe when the team was reinstated, though his maverick and dangerous behavior took some of his longtime colleagues by surprise, and caused him to relinquish his position as field commander for a more behind-the-scenes advisory role.
Vintage/Modern
Duke was one of the first mail-away figures created in 1983 for the G.I. Joe 3 3/4" action figure line of G.I. Joe: A Real American HeroG.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...
. He was later released in 1984, as part of the third series. The figure was repainted and released as the leader of the Tiger Force line in 1988. A new version of Duke was released in 1992. That version was repainted and released as part of the Battle Corps line in 1993. New versions of Duke were also released in 1993 and 1994, as commander of the Star Brigade
Star Brigade
The Star Brigade is a fictional sub-team from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. With specialized space suits and accessories, these high-tech astronauts were designed to protect the universe from Cobra and the Lunartix Empire.-Toys:All of the Star Brigade...
line.
Hall of Fame
In response to the high demand from nostalgic collectors of the vintage era G.I. JoeG.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
action figures, Hasbro introduced the G.I. Joe: Hall of Fame
G.I. Joe: Hall of Fame
The Hasbro G.I. Joe Hall of Fame era of 12" action figures began in 1991, when Hasbro released the Target Exclusive Duke in response to the high demand from nostalgic collectors of the vintage era G.I. Joe action figures. Duke was the first 12" action figure produced in the Hasbro G.I. Joe line...
era of 12" action figures in 1991. Duke was the first 12" (30 cm) action figure produced in the Hasbro G.I. Joe line since 1978.
The first 12" Duke was a Target Stores exclusive. The popularity of the figure convinced Hasbro to unleash a new series of 12" G.I. Joe action figures, known as the Hall of Fame series. These new 12" figures were based on the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
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...
series of 3.75" action figure characters. The 12" Duke had a headsculpt that was never used again for any other G.I. Joe figure, and was dressed for Desert Storm combat, with a backpack, commemorative stand, a light-up weapon with sound effects, grenades, and a Beretta handgun and holster.
25th anniversary
Duke was released in a box packed with Snake Eyes, ScarlettScarlett (G.I. Joe)
Scarlett is a fictional character from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a line of military-themed toys created by Hasbro. The character is one of the original members of the fictional team and toy line. She is a major character of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic book series and the...
, Roadblock
Roadblock (G.I. Joe)
Roadblock is a character from Hasbro's G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series of toys, comics and cartoons. He is one of the most prominent African-Americans in the series. His primary function in G.I. Joe is as a heavy machine gunner and a secondary function as a cook.-Fictional character...
, and Gung-Ho
Gung-Ho (G.I. Joe)
Gung-Ho 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 original Marine and debuted in 1983.-Profile:...
, created from an entirely new mold that was based heavily on the original design. He was also released in several single packs (with one including his Jet Pack featured in the opening credits of G.I. Joe: The Movie
G.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...
), comic packs, movie packs (packaged with the greatest battles DVD), and multi-packs. Duke was one of the only G.I. Joe figures to be released in a special package for the G.I. Joe: Resolute
G.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...
animated series.
The Rise of Cobra
To coincide with the launch of the new movie G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Hasbro released at least two figures based on the Duke movie character. For both releases, he is listed as Conrad "Duke" Hauser. The first, classified as "Desert Ambush", features Duke in a desert camouflage uniform. The second, classified as "Reactive Impact Armor", features him in the movie style black uniform.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, Duke first appeared in issue #22 (April 1984). Duke is not a member of the original G.I. Joe team line-up, arriving after the death of General Flagg
General Flagg
General Flagg is the code name as well as the rank and surname of two fictional characters from the toyline, cartoon and comic series, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero....
to help straighten the team out and become the new field commander. However, he and Roadblock
Roadblock (G.I. Joe)
Roadblock is a character from Hasbro's G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series of toys, comics and cartoons. He is one of the most prominent African-Americans in the series. His primary function in G.I. Joe is as a heavy machine gunner and a secondary function as a cook.-Fictional character...
first act as security for the funeral of Flagg; they shoot down an attacking Rattler plane. His first mission was to lead an effort to keep 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...
prisoner in a mountain base. However, the Cobra ninja 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...
rescues the Commander.
Duke also took part in the invasion of the Cobra-controlled town of Springfield. He also played second-in-command to Hawk during the Cobra Civil War. For a while, Duke led the G.I. Joe special team Tiger Force. He was also involved in the mission to push Cobra out of Trucial Abysmia, but intelligence vastly underestimated Cobra's presence there. Duke's squad is captured, and a misinterpreted order leads to several men being shot dead by a S.A.W. Viper
Overkill (G.I. Joe)
Overkill is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline from Hasbro, which has spawned comics and cartoon series. He first appeared in the 1989 G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero incarnation of the series. He also appears in G.I...
. 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....
, 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:...
, 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 Crankcase
Crankcase (G.I. Joe)
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.-Profile:...
are slain immediately. The Viper is wounded, and the survivors escape in a Cobra Rage tank. It is destroyed, killing Crazylegs
Crazylegs (G.I. Joe)
Crazylegs 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 assault trooper and debuted in 1987.-Profile:His real name is David O. Thomas, and his rank is that of corporal E-4...
, Breaker
Breaker (G.I. Joe)
Breaker 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 original communications officer and debuted in 1982.-Profile:...
, and Quick Kick
Quick Kick (G.I. Joe)
Quick Kick 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 martial arts expert, and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
. Duke and the other two survivors, Cross-Country and Lt. Falcon, make it back to friendly lines safely.
Duke would recover from that experience and lead the defense of the Joe headquarters, 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....
, against Cobra. He continued working with G.I. Joe until its disbandment.
In an interview in ToyFare
ToyFare
ToyFare was a monthly comedy and collecting magazine published by Wizard Entertainment that focused on collectible action figures, busts, statues, and maquettes. It previewed new and upcoming lines and figures each month, as well as providing a price guide for toy lines, new and old...
magazine, G.I. Joe comic book writer Larry Hama
Larry Hama
Larry Hama is an American comic book writer, artist, actor and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s....
admitted he could never get a handle on Duke. According to Hama, military comic book conventions maintain that the commanding officer is the "good cop" and the first sergeant is the "bad cop," and Duke, as first sergeant, never really fit the "bad cop" mold.
Devil's Due
After the disbandment, Duke went to take on black opBlack op
A black operation or black op is a covert operation typically involving activities that are highly clandestine and often outside of standard military protocol or even against the law.-Origins:...
s assignments for a secret government agency for a few years. It was during one of his missions that he discovered Cobra's attempt to make a comeback. He helped rally the effort to have G.I. Joe reinstated. By this time, Duke had a different edge to him, taking more risks and sometimes putting teammates in danger. When Hawk was incapacitated in a Cobra assassination attempt, Duke took up his injured mentor's causes, fighting the corrupt Jugglers while holding the team together in the wake of the loss of their leader.
America's Elite
The team is reorganized in the G.I. Joe: America's EliteG.I. Joe: America's Elite
G.I. Joe: America's Elite is a series of comic books set in the G.I. Joe universe that began publication in June 2005. The events of the series begin one year after the conclusion of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero . The Special Missions series features reservist G.I. Joes and expands on plots set...
series. Duke disappears, going off on his own mission to locate Cobra Commander. During his search, he is captured by a group of B.A.T.s under the control of a Crimson Guardsman, who also had a grudge against Cobra Commander and wished to locate him. Duke frees himself, and after much torture, kills the Guardsman and saves Washington D.C. from being nuked. Civilians then treat his wounds and help him return home. Duke also assists his colleagues in defending their Yellowstone base from enemy infiltration.
Later, Duke deals with his father, a protester who dislikes the military. During a talk in his father's home, both men are captured by Cobra agents.
G.I. Joe: Reloaded
In this series, Duke is a double agent working for Cobra, due to his distress over the U.S. government's willingness to create destructive weaponry. In the final issue, he confronts Scarlett in a sewer system. She gains the upper hand and kills him with a knife to the back.Fun Publications
In the mirror universe created by Fun PublicationsFun Publications
Fun Publications is a publishing company that runs the Transformers Collectors Club and G.I. Joe Collectors Club under licensefrom Hasbro. Besides releasing comics, Fun Publications releases exclusive toys and runs conventions for their clubs....
, Duke's counterpart is Secretary of Defense Conrad Hauser, serving in the administration of U.S. President Joe Colton. In the story "Eye in the Sky", Hauser had to report to the president on the loss of an orbital defense satellite to the evil alien robots called the Autobots, and its eventual destruction thanks to the efforts of the heroic Decepticons.
A Real American Hero
In the first G.I. Joe miniseries The MASS Device, Duke is the field leader of G.I. Joe, under the command of General FlaggGeneral Flagg
General Flagg is the code name as well as the rank and surname of two fictional characters from the toyline, cartoon and comic series, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero....
. Flagg is replaced by Colonel Sharp in The Revenge of Cobra, the second miniseries released in 1984. By the beginning of the first season of G.I. Joe, the role of commanding officer frequently alternated between Duke and Flint
Flint (G.I. Joe)
Flint is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series. He was originally created as a character for the Sunbow cartoon series in 1984, and later introduced into the comic book and produced as an action figure in 1985.-Profile:...
, the warrant officer introduced in The Revenge of Cobra miniseries. This was due in part to the series writers trying to balance the regulation of characters, based on the prominence of their action figures.
In the second season, 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:...
replaces Duke as commander of G.I. Joe. Duke becomes second-in-command, while Flint is the third man down. Duke was voiced by Michael Bell. Duke appears briefly alongside Torpedo
Torpedo (G.I. Joe)
Torpedo is a fictional 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 original SEAL and debuted in 1983.-Profile:...
in one of the series' public service announcement
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
s about the dangers of swimming alone.
Though the comic books and file cards say Duke is from St. Louis, Missouri, The MASS Device miniseries said that Duke was from Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. In one episode of the miniseries, Duke was kissed by the character Selena as he rescues both her and Scarlett. Duke says to Scarlett: "I was going to bring flowers. Instead I brought this." and hands her the crossbow. In the episode "Cobra Stops The World", Scarlett asks Duke to take her to dinner and a movie and he agrees. Cover Girl
Cover Girl (G.I. Joe)
Cover Girl is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline comic books and cartoon series. She is a tank jockey, specializing in the Wolverine missile tank, and debuted in 1983.-Profile:...
kissed Duke on the cheek in "Cobra Claws Are Coming to Town". In the episode "Spell of the Siren", the Baroness discovers a conch shell whose song hypnotizes men. She uses the shell to seize control of Cobra and capture most of the male Joes. Scarlett was overly concerned for Duke's welfare to which Lady Jaye replies: "Duke and Flint are in Cobra's curse, Scarlett, now it's up to us".
In the episode "The Phantom Brigade", the ending scene shows Duke putting his arm around Scarlett as they walk away after having paid their respects to the dead heroes.
In the episode "The Synthoid Conspiracy", Duke was not only taken prisoner, but replaced with one of Destro
Destro
Laird James McCullen Destro XXIV, usually referred to simply as Destro, is a fictional villain from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line of military-themed toys from Hasbro. He is portrayed by Christopher Eccleston in the 2009 live-action film, G.I...
's synthetic doppelgangers, in an attempt to get the G.I. Joe team disbanded permanently.
G.I. Joe: The Movie
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...
, Duke is the older half brother of Lt. Falcon
Lt. Falcon
Lt. Falcon is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is a green beret with the G.I. Joe Team and debuted in 1987.-Profile:...
. Duke was responsible for foiling Cobra's first attempt to take over the BET machine and captures 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:...
. With the aid of Cobra-La
Cobra-La
Cobra-La is a fictional civilization created by Hasbro for the military-themed toyline and TV series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. Introduced to the public in G.I. Joe: The Movie and the 1987 series of action figures, Cobra-La was created as a reference to James Hilton's Lost Horizon, and the...
and the Dreadnoks
Dreadnoks
The Dreadnoks are a fictional biker gang who act as villains in the G.I. Joe saga, which have been represented in several types of media, including toylines , comic books series , and television cartoons .All Dreadnoks are uncouth and violent, and usually engage their enemies with...
, Serpentor escapes and gets his revenge during a second attempt to obtain the BET machine. Duke is critically wounded when Serpentor impales him in battle. His injuries cause him to slip into a coma. This makes the second time that Duke has lapsed into a coma - the first being in "The Traitor" two-part story, where his condition prevents him from letting the other Joes in on Dusty's triple-agent status.
Duke's original fate in the movie was to die at the hands of Serpentor. However, due to fan backlash regarding the death of Optimus Prime in The Transformers: The Movie
The Transformers: The Movie
The Transformers: The Movie is a 1986 animated feature film based on the animated series of the same name. It was released in North America on August 8, 1986 and in the UK on December 5, 1986....
, Hasbro asked for a re-edit, so Duke would merely fall into a coma following Serpentor's venomous attack, and a later edit added dialogue near the end of the movie, indicating Duke recovers from his injuries.
Spy Troops and Valor vs. Venom
Duke appeared in the direct-to-video CGI animated movies G.I. Joe: Spy TroopsG.I. Joe: Spy Troops
G.I. Joe: Spy Troops is a 2003 direct-to-video CGI animated movie produced by Reel FX Creative Studios. Spy Troops is the first G.I. Joe movie to be released by Reel FX....
and G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom
G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom
G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom is a direct-to-video CGI animated movie and sequel to G.I. Joe: Spy Troops. It was released in 2004 by Reel FX Creative Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Like Spy Troops, the film was written around the theme of the toys released that year. In this case, it...
, voiced by John Payne
John Payne (voice actor)
John Payne is an English-born Canadian voice actor who works for Ocean Studios in Vancouver, Canada. He has played several roles in anime, most notably Ramba Ral in Mobile Suit Gundam and Rasetsu in InuYasha....
.
Sigma 6
In G.I. Joe: Sigma 6G.I. Joe: Sigma 6
G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 is a line of military-themed action figures and toys produced by Hasbro, re-imagining the characters of the 1980s toyline, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.The Sigma 6 toy line served several purposes for Hasbro...
, Duke is the leader of the G.I. Joe team. He has retained much of his personality from the A Real American Hero series. He is still willing to go into the most dangerous situations, rather than send a member of his team to do it. This Duke is much more comfortable being the military man than engaging in social situations, as seen in the first season episode "Vacation".
Duke is still that same hard-charging, man-of-action type of leader he's always been, albeit looking much younger and with a new haircut. One other physical differentiation of this Duke from previous continuities is the scar on his right cheek. So far, it has not been explained how he acquired it.
Resolute
Duke appeared in 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...
. In the course of the storyline, Duke presents Scarlett with an ultimatum, to go with Snake-Eyes or to remain with him, and she chooses to be with Duke. Later on while on a mission in Siberia, Duke gets injured and orders Scarlett to leave him. She refuses and replies: "Oh, to hell with your orders! It's taken me years to sort out in my head what I want - who I want - and today I did. I'm staying with you, for all the time I have left. And if that' only six minutes, then damn it, I'm spending my last six minutes with you!"
Renegades
In G.I. Joe: RenegadesG.I. Joe: Renegades
G.I. Joe: Renegades is an American animated television series based on the G.I. Joe toy franchise. The series premiered on November 26, 2010 on The Hub. The series aired on Teletoon in Canada....
, Duke is a younger, and far more aggressive version than his other incarnations. Duke is a member of command staff, and makes the decision to expose the Cobra mega-corporation's true basis at cost, which results in them being branded as criminals following the destruction of Cobra Pharmaceuticals.
In the two-part episode "Homecoming," a flashback revealed that Duke was on a football team in his youth and went up against the football team that Flint was a part of. A play that Flint did ended up breaking Duke's leg costing him his college scholarship. A later encounter with Flint had Duke being given the offer to join the military. During a training, Duke saves a fellow cadet who had stepped on a pressure-activated land mine with Duke taking the small blunt of the blast. When he was assigned to work with Stalker to thwart a weapons trade held by M.A.R.S. Industries, Duke ended up disobeying orders when a M.A.R.S. Operative shoots down a helicopter that Lady Jaye was on and ended up saving her and the pilot. In the present, Duke splinters from the others when his parents Max and Connie are captured. During that time, he did have some problems with his brother Vince who was shown displeased with what happened at Cobra Pharmaceuticals and stated that their parents are in doubt about what happened. After Duke saves his parents and reunites with the other Joes, they arrive at the Hauser household where Connie wanted to treat them to a meal. Unfortunately, Vince had called Flint after he had warned Duke to stay away. Duke ends up defending his actions towards the other Joes and tells Flint upon the group's arrest to see that their families are protected.
In the episode "Going Underground", both Scarlett and Duke are trapped underground separated from the remaining Joes. They managed to send a S.O.S. As they felt another cave in occurring, they held on to each other, only it was Tunnel Rat and Snake Eyes coming in to rescue them. Seeing them as they were, Tunnel Rat turns to Snake Eyes and says, "Guess we shoulda' seen that coming, eh?". Later on, after Duke hands Scarlett her locket, she gives him a hug, when Snake Eyes sees this, he rides off on his motorcycle as Duke tries to explain.
Live-action movie
Channing TatumChanning Tatum
Channing Matthew Tatum is an American actor and film producer. He began his career as a fashion model and appearing in television commercials for Pepsi and Mountain Dew before turning to film roles...
portrayed Duke in the 2009 film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. He is part of 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:...
's team. Contrary to his original back-story, he is a newcomer to the G.I. Joe team; all Joe rookies are already established, well-trained soldiers. Also in the 2009 film, Duke identifies himself as a Captain, while conspicuously wearing the rank of Major (Army) or Lt. Commander (Navy), although all versions of his action figure have him graded at Major/O-4. There is no reference in the film to him ever performing duties as a First Sergeant. He was also engaged to marry Ana Lewis, (who would end up becoming the Baroness
Baroness (G.I. Joe)
The Baroness is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline by Hasbro, originally appearing in the first issue of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic series by Marvel Comics in June, 1982. The Baroness is a villain, usually associated with G.I. Joe's enemy, Cobra.Baroness...
), but left her at the altar because of guilt due to the apparent death of Ana's brother, Rex. Tatum will return as Duke in the sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
G.I. Joe: Retaliation is an upcoming science fiction action film directed by Jon Chu. It is a sequel to 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.-Plot:...
.
Video games
Duke is one of the featured characters in the 1985 G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero computer game.Duke is featured as a playable character in the 1991 G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe (NES)
G.I. Joe is a 1991 run and gun game published by Taxan for the Nintendo Entertainment System based on the toyline of the same name. The game was produced by Ken Lobb and developed by the same Japanese team that later formed KID. It was followed by a single sequel titled G.I...
video game created for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
. He is also featured as a playable character in the 1992 game G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor
G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor
G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor is the title of a NES video game developed by KID and published by Capcom in the United States in 1992. The game is a sequel to the G.I. Joe video game released for the NES by Taxan in 1991.-Storyline:...
, and in the G.I. Joe arcade game
G.I. Joe (arcade game)
The G.I. Joe video game was produced by renowned game developer Konami and released in 1992. It was only released in arcade machine form, and is not known to have ever been ported into any form of console.-Synopsis:...
.
Duke appears as a playable character in the video game G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (video game)
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is the title of a video game adaption of the film of the same name. The game takes place after the film. The 360 and PS3 versions are based on the same code, while the DS is an entirely different game unto itself, and the Wii, PS2, and PSP version are also based on...
.
Other media
- Duke appeared in the Robot ChickenRobot ChickenRobot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
episode "More Blood, More Chocolate" voiced by Skeet UlrichSkeet UlrichBryan Ray Trout , best known as Skeet Ulrich, is an American actor best known for starring in the CBS drama Jericho as Jake Green and for portraying Billy Loomis in Scream...
. In the "Inside the Battlefield: The Weather Dominator" segment, it is mentioned that he and Snake-Eyes were captured by Cobra and forced to battle each other. A recurring gag in that segment is that Duke can't understand what Snake Eyes wrote on the Etch A SketchEtch A SketchEtch A Sketch is a registered trademark for a mechanical drawing toy manufactured by the Ohio Art Company.An Etch A Sketch is a thick, flat gray screen in a plastic frame. There are two knobs on the front of the frame in the lower corners. Twisting the knobs moves a stylus that displaces aluminium...
. In "PS: Yes In That Way", Duke introduces the G.I. Joe team to the newest recruit named Calvin, and ends up nicknaming him "Fumbles" for his clumsiness. After another of Calvin's clumsy moments during the introduction, Duke makes "Fumbles" the team's janitor. When Calvin defects to Cobra and snipes the G.I. Joe team, Calvin only leaves Duke alive. In "The Ramblings of Maurice," he and the G.I. Joe members award Roadblock with a chocolate statue. After Junkyard eats the chocolate statue and dies, Duke speaks at Junkyard's funeral, and has Junkyard's name added to the Wall of Fallen Heroes. Amazed that Junkyard was the only name on the list, he bets that Cobra's Wall of Fallen Villains is full of names. - Duke's romantic inclinations are touched on in the non-fiction paperback Saturday Morning Fever.
External links
- Duke at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page