Rock 'n Roll (G.I. Joe)
Encyclopedia
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.
Rock 'n Roll's primary military specialty is infantry
, and his secondary military specialty is PT instructor
. He is familiar with all NATO and Warsaw Pact
light and heavy machine guns. He graduated from advanced infantry training (top of class), and received specialized education in covert ops school.
Rock 'n Roll is cunning but naive, and forceful but shy. He possesses a strong sense of loyalty to his teammates and is sincerely concerned about their wellbeing. Rock 'n Roll is a man of honor and integrity who can be counted on to hold the line.
In time, Rock 'n Roll moved on from being a machine gunner to a gatling
gunner.
(1993) sub-lines.
G.I. Joe series, he first appeared in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1 (June 1982), along with the rest of the original team. He participates in the rescue of nuclear physicist and noted peace activist Adele Burkhart from a minor Cobra facility. Adele is rescued safely, only suffering from a gunshot wound to the arm.
Rock 'n Roll is featured in the Joes' second recorded adventure. He, Snake Eyes, and Scarlett
are far behind enemy lines and low on ammunition. Needing to get valuable info back to friendly territory, Scarlett orders both of them, at gunpoint, to run to the rendezvous, leaving her to fight a rearguard action. As they jog through the desert, Rock 'n Roll begs Snake-Eyes to be allowed to go back to help Scarlett, but finds he is talking to empty air as Snake-Eyes already has left. Rock 'n Roll finishes his mission, then steals a Joe motorcycle. He arrives just in time to kill another wave of enemy soldiers and rescue his friends. Reinforcements endanger all three, until Hawk
, bending orders himself, arrives in the V.A.M.P. in time to save them.
A flashback reveals that around this time, Rock 'n Roll is part of the mission where, due to a helicopter crash, Snake-Eyes loses his ability to speak. Grunt
and Scarlett
are with them as well.
The Joe team manages to capture Cobra Commander
for a time, and Rock 'n Roll is assigned to be one of his guards; however, the Cobra ninja Storm Shadow
rescues the Commander. Some time after, Rock 'n Roll and the other original thirteen Joes save for Snake-Eyes and Hawk, are taken off field duty. While on leave and headed for Malibu, Cobra mercenaries called Dreadnoks
run Rock 'n Roll's classic 1956 Bel Air Nomad off the road. He and his two friends, Clutch
and Breaker
are injured. Spotting the Dreadnoks while in an ambulance, Rock 'n Roll commandeers the vehicle and chases them down, resulting in the capture of the Dreadnok, Buzzer
.
He would later be featured in a multiple-issue storyline where he and Clutch
find the Cobra-owned town of Broca Beach. Rock 'n Roll realizes the Broca Beach police are Cobra agents by a ring they sport. They are recognized as Joes and captured by the Dreadnoks
. They are brainwashed by the Baroness
, using an old device left behind by the evil scientist Doctor Venom. The two later escape.
They team up with Canadian police officers to destroy a Cobra distribution facility in Canada. Broca Beach is read from documentation, causing odd headaches with the pair.
In a later attack on a Joe facility, the Baroness manages to activate the duo's hypnotic suggestions, which was to kill and destroy. Unknown to the Baroness, Rock 'n Roll and Clutch were minding visitors to the base. Unwitting visitors, two young girls who had gotten in way over their heads. The presence of the girls helped to break the brainwashing, as the inherent decency of the two men would not allow them to kill innocent teenagers, no matter how intense the brainwashing.
'. He is one of the few Joes left when a nanite-ambush leaves most of the team incapacitated. A nanite attack on the country leaves the White House
open to a literal Cobra take-over. The Joes join with many other military forces and successfully defend it. Rock 'n Roll believes he is escorting the Secretary of Defense to safety; it is really Zartan
who knocks him out and flees.
Rock 'n Roll was part of a group of Joes that went to Chicago and battled not only the Dreadnoks
but an out of control Battle Android Trooper as well.
In the next two issues, Rock 'n Roll would be instrumental in discovering a Cobra town. Spending a vacation with Alpine, Mutt
and Bazooka
. they decide to go to a local bar (this would also be Mutt's second time discovering a Cobra town; he and Spirit had discovered Millville). The bartender's odd behavior leads Rock 'n Roll to investigate. A Cobra ring is spotted on the man's finger and a confrontation breaks out, as the other bar patrons are Cobra agents. Rock 'n Roll takes the bartender hostage but none of the other agents care.
Bazooka, who had been in the restroom, is hit with a bottle from behind and knocked out; the Cobra agents tie him up in a cold storage room. In the basement facility, the awake Joes are questioned and beaten by Cobra agents. One questions why the Joes are not simply shot and is told that they are being kept alive by strict orders. Years before, Cobra Commander had failed to make his orders clear and several Joe team members were executed.
Cobra Commander himself arrives to question the group. Upstairs, Bazooka, who had been pretending to be unconscious, escapes and kills several Cobra agents. He starts a destructive fight with Big Boa. The Joes take advantage of this distraction and though tied up, subdue many of their captors and ultimately escape. Afterward, there is no sign of Cobra, not even the remains of the soldiers Bazooka killed. The foursome's veteran status is enough for their story to be believed.
, and Wild-Bill
in the Special Missions: Japan one-shot comic to help Jinx and Budo stop a plot to overthrow the Japanese government. Despite the quartet's lack of stealth skills, Rock 'n Roll and his fellow Joes manage to disguise themselves as obnoxoius American businessmen and start a fight in the office of a Japanese businessman who is behind the conspiracy. This distraction allows Jinx to infiltrate the facility. The entire group is captured but manage to break out when it is revealed that Mistress Armada was secretly backing the coup. The Joes soon restore order with help from the Japanese military.
Rock 'n Roll and Clutch are reactivated again during the World War 3 storyline. The duo head to Turkey where they team up with MOSSAD agent Ibraham. They investigate a bombing which Ibraham believes might snowball into World War 3. Later, they team with the other Joes to stop an assassination attempt at the Israeli 'Wailing Wall'. and battle the 'Plague', an elite Cobra team. While the main Joe force returns to the States, Rock 'n Roll and Clutch remain in the Middle East with Ibraham. The three of them celebrate once Cobra is finally defeated.
, Grunt
and Zap
had been sent into Sierra Gordo to observe the local Liberation Front. While discovering the front was actually a murderous terrorist group, they are discovered by enemy forces and forced to retreat. The group is confronted with many problems, such as backup being very far away and Stalker's insistence on carrying a wounded prisoner.
in the first appearance, but then Will Ryan
took over the part.
animated series.
video game created for the Nintendo Entertainment System
.
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...
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
His real name is Craig S. McConnel, and his rank is that of sergeant E-5 (later promoted to Staff Sergeant E-6). A surfer, weight lifter, and bass guitar player from Malibu, the noise of machine gun fire is music to his ears.Rock 'n Roll's primary military specialty is infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, and his secondary military specialty is PT instructor
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
. He is familiar with all NATO and Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
light and heavy machine guns. He graduated from advanced infantry training (top of class), and received specialized education in covert ops school.
Rock 'n Roll is cunning but naive, and forceful but shy. He possesses a strong sense of loyalty to his teammates and is sincerely concerned about their wellbeing. Rock 'n Roll is a man of honor and integrity who can be counted on to hold the line.
In time, Rock 'n Roll moved on from being a machine gunner to a gatling
Gatling gun
The Gatling gun is one of the best known early rapid-fire weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is well known for its use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat...
gunner.
Toy history
Rock 'n Roll was first released as an action figure in 1982. His character was re-issued with a new action figure design in 1989, with a slight name change to Rock & Roll, however, his file card's content continued to maintain the code name Rock 'n Roll. The name change was temporary, as the next few editions of his action figure all used the Rock 'n Roll name. The character also became part of Super Sonic Fighters (1991), and Star BrigadeStar 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...
(1993) sub-lines.
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 #1 (June 1982), along with the rest of the original team. He participates in the rescue of nuclear physicist and noted peace activist Adele Burkhart from a minor Cobra facility. Adele is rescued safely, only suffering from a gunshot wound to the arm.
Rock 'n Roll is featured in the Joes' second recorded adventure. He, Snake Eyes, and Scarlett
Scarlett (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...
are far behind enemy lines and low on ammunition. Needing to get valuable info back to friendly territory, Scarlett orders both of them, at gunpoint, to run to the rendezvous, leaving her to fight a rearguard action. As they jog through the desert, Rock 'n Roll begs Snake-Eyes to be allowed to go back to help Scarlett, but finds he is talking to empty air as Snake-Eyes already has left. Rock 'n Roll finishes his mission, then steals a Joe motorcycle. He arrives just in time to kill another wave of enemy soldiers and rescue his friends. Reinforcements endanger all three, until 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:...
, bending orders himself, arrives in the V.A.M.P. in time to save them.
A flashback reveals that around this time, Rock 'n Roll is part of the mission where, due to a helicopter crash, Snake-Eyes loses his ability to speak. Grunt
Grunt (G.I. Joe)
Grunt is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is an infantryman with the G.I. Joe Team and debuted in 1982.-Profile:...
and Scarlett
Scarlett (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...
are with them as well.
The Joe team manages to capture 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...
for a time, and Rock 'n Roll is assigned to be one of his guards; however, the Cobra ninja Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow is a British, French and Italian air-launched cruise missile, manufactured by MBDA. Storm Shadow is the British name for the weapon; in French service it is called SCALP EG...
rescues the Commander. Some time after, Rock 'n Roll and the other original thirteen Joes save for Snake-Eyes and Hawk, are taken off field duty. While on leave and headed for Malibu, Cobra mercenaries called 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...
run Rock 'n Roll's classic 1956 Bel Air Nomad off the road. He and his two friends, Clutch
Clutch (G.I. Joe)
Clutch is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is one of the G.I. Joe Team's motor vehicle drivers and debuted in 1982.-Profile:...
and 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:...
are injured. Spotting the Dreadnoks while in an ambulance, Rock 'n Roll commandeers the vehicle and chases them down, resulting in the capture of the Dreadnok, 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:...
.
He would later be featured in a multiple-issue storyline where he and Clutch
Clutch (G.I. Joe)
Clutch is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is one of the G.I. Joe Team's motor vehicle drivers and debuted in 1982.-Profile:...
find the Cobra-owned town of Broca Beach. Rock 'n Roll realizes the Broca Beach police are Cobra agents by a ring they sport. They are recognized as Joes and captured by 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...
. They are brainwashed by 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...
, using an old device left behind by the evil scientist Doctor Venom. The two later escape.
They team up with Canadian police officers to destroy a Cobra distribution facility in Canada. Broca Beach is read from documentation, causing odd headaches with the pair.
In a later attack on a Joe facility, the Baroness manages to activate the duo's hypnotic suggestions, which was to kill and destroy. Unknown to the Baroness, Rock 'n Roll and Clutch were minding visitors to the base. Unwitting visitors, two young girls who had gotten in way over their heads. The presence of the girls helped to break the brainwashing, as the inherent decency of the two men would not allow them to kill innocent teenagers, no matter how intense the brainwashing.
Devil's Due
Rock 'n Roll was among one of the first Joes called back into active duty when the team was reassembled in the new series by Devil's Due. While the team was inactive, Rock 'n Roll had stayed in the military and had been required to shave his beard. He was happy to rejoin the team as it gave him a chance to regrow his beard. Rock 'N Roll meets many new Joes, collectively referred to as 'GreenshirtsGreenshirts (G.I. Joe)
Greenshirts is a term applied to the generic-looking soldiers from the cartoon G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. The Greenshirts are the equivalent of "extras" in that they are in the story to serve merely as background characters and have little to no speaking parts. Due to the unique look of each...
'. He is one of the few Joes left when a nanite-ambush leaves most of the team incapacitated. A nanite attack on the country leaves the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
open to a literal Cobra take-over. The Joes join with many other military forces and successfully defend it. Rock 'n Roll believes he is escorting the Secretary of Defense to safety; it is really Zartan
Zartan
Zartan is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, by Hasbro. He is a mercenary who often worked directly for Cobra Commander, and is one of the main villains in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic and animated series. His character was voiced by Zack Hoffman in the 1985 TV...
who knocks him out and flees.
Rock 'n Roll was part of a group of Joes that went to Chicago and battled not only 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...
but an out of control Battle Android Trooper as well.
In the next two issues, Rock 'n Roll would be instrumental in discovering a Cobra town. Spending a vacation with Alpine, 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 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:...
. they decide to go to a local bar (this would also be Mutt's second time discovering a Cobra town; he and Spirit had discovered Millville). The bartender's odd behavior leads Rock 'n Roll to investigate. A Cobra ring is spotted on the man's finger and a confrontation breaks out, as the other bar patrons are Cobra agents. Rock 'n Roll takes the bartender hostage but none of the other agents care.
Bazooka, who had been in the restroom, is hit with a bottle from behind and knocked out; the Cobra agents tie him up in a cold storage room. In the basement facility, the awake Joes are questioned and beaten by Cobra agents. One questions why the Joes are not simply shot and is told that they are being kept alive by strict orders. Years before, Cobra Commander had failed to make his orders clear and several Joe team members were executed.
Cobra Commander himself arrives to question the group. Upstairs, Bazooka, who had been pretending to be unconscious, escapes and kills several Cobra agents. He starts a destructive fight with Big Boa. The Joes take advantage of this distraction and though tied up, subdue many of their captors and ultimately escape. Afterward, there is no sign of Cobra, not even the remains of the soldiers Bazooka killed. The foursome's veteran status is enough for their story to be believed.
America's Elite
Rock 'n Roll is a reserve member of the Joes in the America's Elite series. He gets called into action alongside Clutch, Gung-HoGung-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:...
, and Wild-Bill
Wild Bill (G.I. Joe)
Wild Bill is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s.-Profile:According to Wild Bill's original file card, his real name is William S. Hardy, and his rank is that of army chief warrant officer CW-4...
in the Special Missions: Japan one-shot comic to help Jinx and Budo stop a plot to overthrow the Japanese government. Despite the quartet's lack of stealth skills, Rock 'n Roll and his fellow Joes manage to disguise themselves as obnoxoius American businessmen and start a fight in the office of a Japanese businessman who is behind the conspiracy. This distraction allows Jinx to infiltrate the facility. The entire group is captured but manage to break out when it is revealed that Mistress Armada was secretly backing the coup. The Joes soon restore order with help from the Japanese military.
Rock 'n Roll and Clutch are reactivated again during the World War 3 storyline. The duo head to Turkey where they team up with MOSSAD agent Ibraham. They investigate a bombing which Ibraham believes might snowball into World War 3. Later, they team with the other Joes to stop an assassination attempt at the Israeli 'Wailing Wall'. and battle the 'Plague', an elite Cobra team. While the main Joe force returns to the States, Rock 'n Roll and Clutch remain in the Middle East with Ibraham. The three of them celebrate once Cobra is finally defeated.
G.I. Joe Declassified
Rock 'n Roll is featured in this Devil's Due look back at the early days of the Joe team. He, StalkerStalker (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...
, Grunt
Grunt (G.I. Joe)
Grunt is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is an infantryman with the G.I. Joe Team and debuted in 1982.-Profile:...
and Zap
Zap (G.I. Joe)
Zap 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 original bazooka soldier and debuted in 1982.-Profile:...
had been sent into Sierra Gordo to observe the local Liberation Front. While discovering the front was actually a murderous terrorist group, they are discovered by enemy forces and forced to retreat. The group is confronted with many problems, such as backup being very far away and Stalker's insistence on carrying a wounded prisoner.
G.I. Joe Reloaded
Rock 'n Roll is heavily featured in the alternate continuity of G.I. Joe: Reloaded as he tries to track down a seeming traitor within the team. Traveling alone for some time, he deals with Snake-Eyes, who is a suspect.Novel
Rock'N'Roll is a supporting character in the 'Find Your Fate' novel "Operation: Dragon Fire".Sunbow
Rock 'n Roll appeared in the original G.I. Joe animated series. Rock 'n Roll first appeared in the animated A Real American Hero mini-series. He was voiced by Frank WelkerFrank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
in the first appearance, but then Will Ryan
Will Ryan
Will Ryan is an American voice actor and producer–writer–composer, well-known for singing about the American West. In the late seventies he teamed up with Phil Baron as Willio and Phillio. They had regular gigs on television, radio and comedy clubs and universities throughout the US...
took over the part.
DiC
Rock 'n Roll appeared in the DiC G.I. JoeG.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1989 TV series)
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a half-hour American animated television series based on the successful toyline from Hasbro and the comic book series from Marvel Comics. The series was produced by DIC Entertainment and ran from 1989 to 1991....
animated series.
Video games
Rock 'n Roll is featured as a playable character in the 1991 G.I. JoeG.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...
.
External links
- Rock & Roll at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page