Wild Bill (G.I. Joe)
Encyclopedia
Wild Bill is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s.
.
Wild Bill served as a combat infantryman and participated in LRRP
operations during the Vietnam War
. He reenlisted for Flight Warrant Officer School and has remained in service since. When he first joined the G.I. Joe Team
, he was the pilot of the "Dragonfly" helicopter. He is a qualified expert in the M1911A auto pistol (but prefers single action .45 long colt revolvers
) and the XM-16 attack rifle.
Wild Bill is the original helicopter pilot for the G.I. Joe team, and is also an expert tracker and can function on the ground as well as any trained infantry scout. He is able to adapt the hunting skills he learned as a boy whenever he's tracking the enemy, saying that sneaking up on a Cobra is easier than sneaking up on most 'critters'.
Wild Bill has a hobby as a country-western
singer. While personally honest, he enjoys telling tall tales for the amusement of his friends.
In 2002, a new figure was made utilizing the newer technology in articulation and detail. It was released as part of the G.I. Joe vs. Cobra
series.
G.I. Joe series, Wild Bill first appeared in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #11 (May 1983). While never a major character, he appears prominently throughout the series. He often flies the Joes to their missions, either in the Dragonfly, the Tomahawk
helicopter or the C-130 plane.
Wild-Bill accompanies Snake-Eyes to give Kwinn a burial at sea.
Wild-Bill flies support for a multi-Joe mission investigating Cobra activity in the Florida Everglades. His helicopter is shot down by Destro
's wrist rockets. He is injured in the crash and has to be medically evacuated. However, in the middle of this, in issue 27, he travels to New York City to help Scarlett
hunt down Storm-Shadow.
In the fourth issue of the Special Missions spin-off where he and his team crashland in a Southeast Asia
n jungle and had to battle the Oktober Guard and river pirates. His team consists of Leatherneck
, Roadblock
and Lifeline
. Wild Bill is shot by the Guard but lives. Tensions arise because Leatherneck blames Lifeline, who is a pacifist. The Joes and the Guard are captured by river pirates. There, Wild Bill recovers enough to see Lifeline's forced battle with a Guard member and comment upon it. The Guard and the Joes are allowed to leave, sans the item they came for, because Lifeline's unwillingness to hurt the Guard member more than he had to impresses the pirates.
In one of Wild Bill's many helicopter missions, he almost kills the Cobra agents Tomax and Xamot
. They escape with a turn down a sewer pipe.
Another instance was in G.I. Joe issues #68-71. Crazylegs
, Wild Bill and Maverick
were forced into evacuating several Dreadnoks
out of Rio Vista, the capital of war-torn Sierra Gordo. The Dreadnoks, Zarana
, Thrasher
and Monkeywrench
, had taken several nearby refugees hostage. Eventually, the Joes, Dreadnoks and refugees all work together to get to safety.
Wild Bill is the pilot for the mission where several Joes help Destro nuetralize the bounty that Cobra Commander has put on his head. He is the pilot for a mission to the Bering Strait
.
Wild Bill is featured in G.I. Joe Special Missions #16. He teams up with Maverick and other Joe pilots, such as Ace and the stealth fighter pilot in a recon mission over Cobra Island
. He also shows a talent for Ping Pong.
'. In issue 26 he has a detailed memory of a previous military incident which he had repressed. His rescue mission had been forced to leave a man behind; this caused Wild Bill many sleepless nights.
When the team reforms, Wild Bill is one of the few Joes to be introduced to the 'new generation', a large group of soldiers referred to as Greenshirts
.
Wild Bill is one of the few Joes available, at the time, to assist Jinx
. The mission is to infiltrate the organization of Japanese businessman Hayatu Toba, who is thought to be assembling a personal army of his own. He rejoins the main team alongside Cover Girl and Gung-Ho, during the World War 3 storyline. He helps in capturing Cobra Mortal. He assists in battling the Plague, a group of elite Cobra soldiers, in the Middle East.
In New York City, he again confronts the Plague, leading a group of volunteer citizens in laying down covering fire so Duke
and a valued ally can escape. Several of the Plague are wounded. Wild Bill takes part in the final battle against Cobra in the Appalachian Mountains
. Wild Bill is badly injured by Plague member 'Vector' in a South American jungle, saving Stalker
from Vector's unique weaponry by voluntarily taking the shots himself.
.
.
and G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom
, voiced by Don S. Davis
episode "Knockoffs." Flint
called for a helicopter to look for Joes, Zartan
, and stolen Cobra truck with camo suit along with Baroness
and Lady Jaye.
.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a military-themed line of action figures and toys in Hasbro's G.I. Joe franchise. The toyline lasted from 1982 to 1994, producing well over 500 figures and 250 vehicles and playsets. The line reappeared in 1997 and has continued in one form or another to the...
toyline, comic books and cartoon series 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. Wild Bill was born in Brady, TexasBrady, Texas
Brady is a city in McCulloch County, Texas, United States. Brady refers to itself as "The Heart of Texas", as it is the closest city to the geographical center of the state. The population was 5,523 at the 2000 census...
.
Wild Bill served as a combat infantryman and participated in LRRP
Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol
Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols, or LRRPs , were special small four to six-man teams in the Vietnam War on highly dangerous special reconnaissance missions deep into enemy territory....
operations during 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...
. He reenlisted for Flight Warrant Officer School and has remained in service since. When he first 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 was the pilot of the "Dragonfly" helicopter. He is a qualified expert in the M1911A auto pistol (but prefers single action .45 long colt revolvers
.45 Colt
The .45 Colt cartridge is a handgun cartridge dating to 1872. It began as a black powder revolver round developed for the Colt Single Action Army revolver, but is offered as a magnum level handgun hunting round in modern usage. This cartridge was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1873 and served as the...
) and the XM-16 attack rifle.
Wild Bill is the original helicopter pilot for the G.I. Joe team, and is also an expert tracker and can function on the ground as well as any trained infantry scout. He is able to adapt the hunting skills he learned as a boy whenever he's tracking the enemy, saying that sneaking up on a Cobra is easier than sneaking up on most 'critters'.
Wild Bill has a hobby as a country-western
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer. While personally honest, he enjoys telling tall tales for the amusement of his friends.
Toy history
The character first appeared as part of the 1983 line of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toy line. His action figure was bundled with the Dragonfly helicopter toy. A second edition action figure was released in 1992, and his function is re-designated as an Air Cavalry Scout. The figure was repainted and released as part of the Battle Corps line in 1993.In 2002, a new figure was made utilizing the newer technology in articulation and detail. It was released as part of the G.I. Joe vs. Cobra
G.I. Joe vs. Cobra
G.I. Joe vs. Cobra is the G.I. Joe toy line series that ran from 2002 to 2005. The toy line was produced by Hasbro.-Overview:The series represented the first major relaunch of the G.I. Joe franchise since 1996’s G.I. Joe Extreme. Story and theme-wise, it was a continuation of the G.I. Joe: A Real...
series.
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, Wild Bill first appeared in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #11 (May 1983). While never a major character, he appears prominently throughout the series. He often flies the Joes to their missions, either in the Dragonfly, the Tomahawk
Tomahawk (G.I. Joe)
The G.I. Joe Tomahawk is a fictional all-weather, twin-engine, twin-rotor heavy lift/assault as well as troop carrier helicopter from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series of toys, comics and animated series produced by Hasbro. It has a top speed of 175 mph when fully loaded. Its...
helicopter or the C-130 plane.
Wild-Bill accompanies Snake-Eyes to give Kwinn a burial at sea.
Wild-Bill flies support for a multi-Joe mission investigating Cobra activity in the Florida Everglades. His helicopter is shot down by 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 wrist rockets. He is injured in the crash and has to be medically evacuated. However, in the middle of this, in issue 27, he travels to New York City to help 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...
hunt down Storm-Shadow.
In the fourth issue of the Special Missions spin-off where he and his team crashland in a Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n jungle and had to battle the Oktober Guard and river pirates. His team consists of Leatherneck
Leatherneck (G.I. Joe)
Leatherneck is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is a Marine with the G.I. Joe Team and debuted in 1986.-Profile:...
, 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 Lifeline
Lifeline (G.I. Joe)
Lifeline 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 rescue trooper and debuted in 1986.-Profile:...
. Wild Bill is shot by the Guard but lives. Tensions arise because Leatherneck blames Lifeline, who is a pacifist. The Joes and the Guard are captured by river pirates. There, Wild Bill recovers enough to see Lifeline's forced battle with a Guard member and comment upon it. The Guard and the Joes are allowed to leave, sans the item they came for, because Lifeline's unwillingness to hurt the Guard member more than he had to impresses the pirates.
In one of Wild Bill's many helicopter missions, he almost kills the Cobra agents Tomax and Xamot
Tomax and Xamot
Tomax and Xamot, also called the Crimson Twins or Crimson Guard Commanders, are the code names of identical mirror twin brothers in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero universe...
. They escape with a turn down a sewer pipe.
Another instance was in G.I. Joe issues #68-71. 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...
, Wild Bill and Maverick
Battleforce 2000
Battleforce 2000 is a fictional sub-team from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline and comic books. First released in late 1987 , they represent a hi-tech unit of the Joes using experimental weaponry under battlefield conditions.-Toys:The toy line was made up of 7 action figures, with the 6...
were forced into evacuating several 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...
out of Rio Vista, the capital of war-torn Sierra Gordo. The Dreadnoks, Zarana
Zarana
Zarana is the sister of Zartan and Zandar in the fiction setting of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. She has short naturally auburn hair that has been dyed pink and is usually depicted with a tattered hot pink T-shirt and blue pants. Zarana is a master of disguise who can fool even the best...
, Thrasher
Thrasher (G.I. Joe)
Thrasher 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 the Dreadnoks' Thunder Machine driver and debuted in 1986.-Profile:...
and Monkeywrench
Monkeywrench (G.I. Joe)
Monkeywrench 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 1986.-Profile:His real name is Bill Winkie...
, had taken several nearby refugees hostage. Eventually, the Joes, Dreadnoks and refugees all work together to get to safety.
Wild Bill is the pilot for the mission where several Joes help Destro nuetralize the bounty that Cobra Commander has put on his head. He is the pilot for a mission to the Bering Strait
Bering Strait
The Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
.
Wild Bill is featured in G.I. Joe Special Missions #16. He teams up with Maverick and other Joe pilots, such as Ace and the stealth fighter pilot in a recon mission over Cobra Island
Cobra Island
Cobra Island is a fictional country located in the Gulf of Mexico. It is the main base of operations for the fictional Cobra Organization featured in the G.I. Joe toyline from the 1980s. It is featured in the G.I. Joe cartoon and the comic book series created by Marvel Comics and Devil's Due...
. He also shows a talent for Ping Pong.
Action Force
Wild Bill appears in many issues of the Marvel UK version of G.I. Joe, which is called 'Action ForceAction Force
Action Force was a 1980s range of European action figures initially based on Action Man, and later used to introduce G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toys to European markets...
'. In issue 26 he has a detailed memory of a previous military incident which he had repressed. His rescue mission had been forced to leave a man behind; this caused Wild Bill many sleepless nights.
Devil's Due
Wild Bill is featured in the first story arc of G.I. Joe: Frontlines, which presents the last adventure of the previous G.I. Joes. He flies air support in an attack on Destro's castle, which is filled with many Cobra officers. He has to end up dealing with a Cobra Mamba all by himself, with a battered and leaking helicopter. Much of this incident is off-panel.When the team reforms, Wild Bill is one of the few Joes to be introduced to the 'new generation', a large group of soldiers referred to as Greenshirts
Greenshirts (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...
.
Wild Bill is one of the few Joes available, at the time, to assist Jinx
Jinx (G.I. Joe)
Jinx is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. She debuted in 1987, and her code name has also been the identity of several other incarnations of the same female ninja character: one of Snake-Eyes' apprentices in Sigma 6, Chuckles'...
. The mission is to infiltrate the organization of Japanese businessman Hayatu Toba, who is thought to be assembling a personal army of his own. He rejoins the main team alongside Cover Girl and Gung-Ho, during the World War 3 storyline. He helps in capturing Cobra Mortal. He assists in battling the Plague, a group of elite Cobra soldiers, in the Middle East.
In New York City, he again confronts the Plague, leading a group of volunteer citizens in laying down covering fire so 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...
and a valued ally can escape. Several of the Plague are wounded. Wild Bill takes part in the final battle against Cobra in the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
. Wild Bill is badly injured by Plague member 'Vector' in a South American jungle, saving Stalker
Stalker (G.I. Joe)
Stalker is the code name of Army Sergeant Lonzo R. Wilkinson, a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series. He is one of very few characters from the first line of the toys to have a distinct appearance from the other action figures, as he is African-American. Stalker was a major...
from Vector's unique weaponry by voluntarily taking the shots himself.
Sunbow
Wild Bill first appeared in the animated series in the A Real American Hero mini-series. The character's uniform had a different color scheme than in the comics and toy line. 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:...
.
G.I. Joe: The Movie
Wild Bill also appeared briefly in the 1987 animated film 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...
.
Spy Troops and Valor vs. Venom
Wild Bill 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 Don S. Davis
Don S. Davis
Don Sinclair Davis PhD was an American character actor, theatre professor, painter and captain in the United States Army.-Career:He was perhaps best known for playing General George S...
G.I. Joe: Renegades
Wild Bill made an appearance 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 "Knockoffs." 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:...
called for a helicopter to look for Joes, 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...
, and stolen Cobra truck with camo suit along with 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...
and Lady Jaye.
Video games
Wild Bill is one of the featured characters in the 1985 G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero computer game. He appears as a non-playable supporting character in the 2009 video game G.I. Joe: The Rise of CobraG.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
- Wild Bill at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page