Stalker (G.I. Joe)
Encyclopedia
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 figure
s, as he is African-American. Stalker was a major character in the G.I. Joe comic book series published by Marvel Comics
, and has also been featured in the series from Devil's Due publishing
. In the animated series, however, he received very little screen time after the first mini-series, and is absent from the later series, G.I. Joe: Sigma 6
.
In 2004, he was released as part of the Toys R Us exclusive "Desert Patrol Squad" set, which also included the figures Ambush, Dusty
, Gung Ho
, Snake-Eyes and Tunnel Rat
.
He grew up in Detroit, Michigan where he was a leader of a large street gang. At some point, he turned his life around and joined the US Army. His fluency in Spanish
, French
, Arabic
and Swahili
, coupled with his experience in commanding other people, made him a valuable asset. When he joined the G.I. Joe Team
, he often served as leader in their many missions.
Prior to joining G.I. Joe, he served on the same LRRP team as Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow did during their tour in the Vietnam War
. Their experiences, including a firefight meant to rescue an injured Snake-Eyes, made them the best of friends. After their tour, only Stalker stayed in the military, while Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow
went on a long sabbatical training in the art of the ninja. Years later, Stalker, along with Hawk
, would be responsible for selecting the members that would comprise the original Joe team. He was, in effect, serving as second in command to Hawk until Duke
came on board.
Stalker's friendship with Snake-Eyes affects circumstances during a mission in Sierra Gordo. Stalker leads a rescue of Snake-Eyes. He again has a flashback to the time Snake-Eyes was rescued from under Viet cong fire. As the Joe team leaves, Stalker himself is badly injured by the Crimson Twins. Against his protests, he is evacuated as Snake-Eyes stays back to hold off Cobra soldiers. As the other Joes inform him, he is no longer team leader due to his injuries and they must follow the orders of the next highest ranking officer, which is Snake-Eyes. Both men survive this incident.
Stalker's most trying moment was when he and his team were captured by Borovian authorities after a mission gone awry. Only Outback
manages to escape, under orders and under protest. Snow Job
and Quick-Kick
are imprisoned with Stalker for several months in a brutal Borovian prison camp. Snow-Job comes close to dying when he falls ill. The United States disavows any knowledge of their mission. Scarlett and Snake-Eyes fake their own death and join with Storm Shadow in an illegal mission. All of the Joes escape with the aid of the freedom fighter called the White Clown.
Stalker, Snow Job and Quick Kick emerge back home to a crowd of dozens of Joes. All three specifically search out Outback to reassure him that he did the right thing.
Stalker helps spearhead a G.I. Joe mission to the fictional country of Wolkekuck-Uckland when it comes under threat by Cobra forces.
Stalker stayed on, serving with the G.I. Joe Team until its disbandment in 1994.
After G.I. Joe was disbanded in 1994 (at the end of the Marvel series), Stalker stayed in the military, serving for a brief time as a recruiter in his hometown of Detroit. In 2001, the G.I. Joe team was reinstated in response to Cobra's return to the United States. Under the leadership of his old comrade, Duke, many of the older Joes, including Stalker, were brought back to help train and lead a batch of new recruits. Stalker later took part in the Joes' assault on Cobra Island to fight the forces of a revived Serpentor.
Eventually, the team's roster was cut down to only a dozen Joes including Stalker. That small team defended the new Pit against Cobra's attack, but Stalker and most of the team members were quickly reassigned to other units. Shortly after, the G.I. Joe team was again disbanded by the military but later, under the leadership of General Joseph Colton, Stalker was reactivated along with seven other Joes to continue counter terrorism activity.
episode "Homecoming, Part 2", voiced by Andrew Kishino
. During a flashback, he is seen leading a squad of soldiers intercepting gun runners in a jungle. A member of his team, Duke
disobeys his orders after Lady Jaye
's helicopter is shot down. He is referred to as "Stalker One" in the sequence.
, and in the 2009 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...
series. He is one of very few characters from the first line of the toys to have a distinct appearance from the other action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s, as he is African-American. Stalker was a major character in the G.I. Joe comic book series published 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...
, and has also been featured in the series from Devil's Due publishing
Devil's Due Publishing
Devil's Due Publishing is an independent comic book publishers in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned properties that populate its monthly comic book series and graphic novels.Though...
. In the animated series, however, he received very little screen time after the first mini-series, and is absent from the later series, 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...
.
A Real American Hero Toy history
As of 2011, there have been 19 figures released of Stalker. In 2002, Stalker was renamed Sgt. Stalker. He was also released once as Lonzo R. Wilkinson, from before he was a member of G.I. Joe.Vintage/Modern
Stalker was one of the original figures released carded in the first series in 1982. Like all of the original sixteen figures, Stalker was released with "straight arms", and his head only could turn left and right. The 1989 release of Stalker came with a white kayak. The 1991 release was part of the "Talking Battle Commanders" group, and featured several phrases that were spoken when one of the buttons on his backpack were pressed. A new version of Stalker was released in 1994 as part of the Battle Corps line.In 2004, he was released as part of the Toys R Us exclusive "Desert Patrol Squad" set, which also included the figures Ambush, Dusty
Dusty (G.I. Joe)
Dusty 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 desert trooper and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
, 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:...
, Snake-Eyes and Tunnel Rat
Tunnel Rat (G.I. Joe)
Tunnel Rat is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline. He has appeared in all cartoon and comic incarnations of the series.-Profile:...
.
25th Anniversary
In 2007, Sgt. Stalker was released as part of the 25th Anniversary. His new design was based on his original 1982 figure. This mold was reused for his 2008 release, which was packaged with the DVD Battles Pack, set 1 of 5. The mold was again used for his 2008 release with a green JUMP jet pack as part of the Target exclusive Ultimate Battle Pack.G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero - Marvel Comics
Stalker first appeared in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1 (June 1982).He grew up in Detroit, Michigan where he was a leader of a large street gang. At some point, he turned his life around and joined the US Army. His fluency in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
, coupled with his experience in commanding other people, made him a valuable asset. When he joined 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....
, he often served as leader in their many missions.
Prior to joining G.I. Joe, he served on the same LRRP team as Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow did during their tour in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Their experiences, including a firefight meant to rescue an injured Snake-Eyes, made them the best of friends. After their tour, only Stalker stayed in the military, while Snake Eyes and 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...
went on a long sabbatical training in the art of the ninja. Years later, Stalker, along with 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:...
, would be responsible for selecting the members that would comprise the original Joe team. He was, in effect, serving as second in command to Hawk until Duke
Duke (G.I. Joe)
Duke is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 lines of military-themed toys. 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...
came on board.
Stalker's friendship with Snake-Eyes affects circumstances during a mission in Sierra Gordo. Stalker leads a rescue of Snake-Eyes. He again has a flashback to the time Snake-Eyes was rescued from under Viet cong fire. As the Joe team leaves, Stalker himself is badly injured by the Crimson Twins. Against his protests, he is evacuated as Snake-Eyes stays back to hold off Cobra soldiers. As the other Joes inform him, he is no longer team leader due to his injuries and they must follow the orders of the next highest ranking officer, which is Snake-Eyes. Both men survive this incident.
Stalker's most trying moment was when he and his team were captured by Borovian authorities after a mission gone awry. Only Outback
Outback (G.I. Joe)
Outback 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 survivalist and debuted in 1987.-Profile:His real name is Stuart R. Selkirk, and his rank is that of sergeant E-5...
manages to escape, under orders and under protest. Snow Job
Snow Job (G.I. Joe)
Snow Job 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 arctic trooper and debuted in 1983.-Bio:...
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:...
are imprisoned with Stalker for several months in a brutal Borovian prison camp. Snow-Job comes close to dying when he falls ill. The United States disavows any knowledge of their mission. Scarlett and Snake-Eyes fake their own death and join with Storm Shadow in an illegal mission. All of the Joes escape with the aid of the freedom fighter called the White Clown.
Stalker, Snow Job and Quick Kick emerge back home to a crowd of dozens of Joes. All three specifically search out Outback to reassure him that he did the right thing.
Stalker helps spearhead a G.I. Joe mission to the fictional country of Wolkekuck-Uckland when it comes under threat by Cobra forces.
Stalker stayed on, serving with the G.I. Joe Team until its disbandment in 1994.
Reinstatement - Devil's Due Publishing
The Devil's Dues G.I. Joe series loosely continues the original storyline, opening with the reinstatement of the G.I. Joe team in 2002. The newer series is ambiguous with references to the Vietnam War, implying that characters such as Stalker may have been serving in a different conflict in Southeast Asia at a later time in history (so that the characters and storyline are timeless rather than being limited to only 2 decades of storytelling).After G.I. Joe was disbanded in 1994 (at the end of the Marvel series), Stalker stayed in the military, serving for a brief time as a recruiter in his hometown of Detroit. In 2001, the G.I. Joe team was reinstated in response to Cobra's return to the United States. Under the leadership of his old comrade, Duke, many of the older Joes, including Stalker, were brought back to help train and lead a batch of new recruits. Stalker later took part in the Joes' assault on Cobra Island to fight the forces of a revived Serpentor.
Eventually, the team's roster was cut down to only a dozen Joes including Stalker. That small team defended the new Pit against Cobra's attack, but Stalker and most of the team members were quickly reassigned to other units. Shortly after, the G.I. Joe team was again disbanded by the military but later, under the leadership of General Joseph Colton, Stalker was reactivated along with seven other Joes to continue counter terrorism activity.
Sunbow
He first appeared in the G.I. Joe animated series in Part 1 of "The MASS Device" mini-series. He made several appearances in episodes of the first season of the Sunbow cartoon series.G.I. Joe: Renegades
Stalker appears in the 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....
episode "Homecoming, Part 2", voiced by Andrew Kishino
Andrew Kishino
Andrew Kishino is a Japanese-Canadian voice actor in video games, animation and voice-over narration.-Animation:*The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy - Additional Voices...
. During a flashback, he is seen leading a squad of soldiers intercepting gun runners in a jungle. A member of his team, Duke
Duke (G.I. Joe)
Duke is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 lines of military-themed toys. 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...
disobeys his orders after 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...
's helicopter is shot down. He is referred to as "Stalker One" in the sequence.
Video games
Stalker is one of the featured characters in the 1985 G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero computer game. He is a non-playable supporting character in the 1992 game G.I. Joe: The Atlantis FactorG.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 2009 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...
.
External links
- Stalker at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page