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G.I. Joe: Sigma 6

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G.I. Joe: Sigma 6
The G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 logo
GenreAction, Military, Science Fiction
Anime
Directed byKobun Shizuno
StudioGonzo
Released September 10, 2005 – January 6, 2007

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 toyline was accompanied by a 26-episode animated series produced by the Japanese animation studio Gonzo, which aired on Fox, G4, and YTV, and a 6-issue comic series published by Devil's Due Productions.

The Sigma 6 toy line served several purposes for Hasbro. First, it allowed them to depart from the classic 3 ¾-inch format of the A Real American Hero series of the 1980s; most Sigma 6 action figures stand at approximately 8 inches (200 mm) and have more articulation. Second, the new series offered them the chance to streamline the story and characters, stripping away old continuity and "rebooting" the franchise with younger versions of the cast - similar but different to their 1980s namesakes - rendered in the popular anime style. This approach was designed to duplicate the recent success enjoyed by G.I. Joe's sister brand, Transformers, which had recently accomplished a multimedia relaunch of its franchise with the new series, Transformers: Armada.

Unfortunately, the series did not particularly succeed in this regard: the series did not finish airing its twenty-six episodes in the United States (although it did complete its run on YTV in Canada as late as June 2007), and the next re-invention of the G.I. Joe property returned to the 3 ¾-inch size, concentrating solely on a 25th anniversary revisitation of the Real American Hero line that was targeted almost entirely at adult collectors.

History

In 2005, G.I. JOE returned to television with "SIGMA 6", the code name for a new group of G.I. JOE heroes with highly specialized capabilities that they use to protect the world from the Cobra Commander and his evil forces. SIGMA 6 featured many of the most popular and well-known G.I. JOE characters such as Duke, Snake-Eyes, Heavy Duty, Scarlett and Tunnel Rat, as well as a new hero, Long Range. G.I. JOE action figures made the jump to a larger scale (approximately 8 inch), replacing both 3 ¾ inch action figures and 12-inch (300 mm) action figures in retail stores. A new G.I. JOE comic book was also introduced.

To complement the surging 8-inch (200 mm) line of G.I. JOE SIGMA 6 action figures and vehicles, Hasbro introduced an all-new line of 2 ½ inch scale Mission Sets action figures. Each set of action figures is packaged as a "mission in a box", and includes a Mission Manual to help bring the themed battle to life with your action figures.

Premise

It is now the 21st century and G.I. Joe is still battling Cobra from taking over the world. An ambush in the Arctic and the subsequent escape of Cobra Commander from prison lead the Joes to believe something bigger is going on.

After a major attack by Cobra on the G.I. Joe Team's headquarters, the "Joes" are forced to retaliate. This time, they are equipped with Sigma suits. Designed by Hi-Tech, these special body suits protect the Joes from Cobra's laser blasts and, in addition, enhance their abilities. The "Joes" are now codenamed Sigma 6.

Series overview

Essentially, G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 is a continuation of the two direct-to-video G.I. Joe CGI movies, G.I. Joe: Spy Troops and G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom, both films produced by Reel FX Studios. Several references are made to events from Valor vs. Venom, such as Cobra Commander being captured and in prison, and General Hawk suffering a change in his DNA. Snake-Eyes continues to have Kamakura and Jinx as his apprentices. Despite these connections, there are changes that bring to question how much of a continuation Sigma 6 is from A Real American Hero. The series presents a more "anime-stylized" spin on G.I. Joe, creating some controversy among G.I. Joe fans.

Just as he was in the first season of the Sunbow G.I. Joe series, Duke is clearly designated as the G.I. Joe commander. He is also recast as a much younger man, someone who appears to have just come to his 30s than a man going to his 40s. Scarlett, who has always been a major character, had her position in the team upgraded to second in command after Duke. Like Duke, she has been aged younger for the series though their youth may be attributed to the fact that the artwork is done in an anime style. She is however still the team's counterintelligence specialist. Tunnel Rat's appearance and personality varied greatly from his appearance in A Real American Hero series. Here, he is a bug-eating, unorthodox infiltration and demolitions expert. Heavy Duty seems to have retained his personality from Spy Troops and Valor vs. Venom, serving as the team's weapons expert. Added to the team is a tracker, Spirit Iron-Knife, and his falcon Billy, who retains his strong and shamanist personality, as well as the team sniper and transportation specialist Long Range. Hi-Tech serves as the team's technician, mechanic, etc. Jinx, Kamakura and Snake-Eyes function as the team's ninja unit. Snake-Eyes has remained the silent deadly ninja commando with Jinx and Kamakura as his students. Hawk was last seen in a healthy state at the end of Valor vs. Venom but his appearance in Sigma 6 indicates otherwise. He is seen in a hospital where Duke visited him. At the start of Season 2, Lt. Stone (an apparent old friend of Duke's) arrives and joins the team under orders of Hawk and provides them with a new seafaring base as well as his personal attack copter, the Dragonhawk, which will also be used as a drop ship for the team's vehicles that can be carried by the Dragonhawk, like the Ninja Hovercycle, the Night Ranger Quad and the V.A.M.P.. Along with Stone is the soldier Firefly (who betrays the team and captures all but Duke and Hi-Tech in season 2 episode 7 "Revelations").

The changes are not limited to the Joe Team. Cobra Commander had his appearance greatly overhauled and, likewise, his personality. No longer comical, he is now a more deadly adversary, closer to his standard portrayal in the comics, however he has retained his cartoon counterpart's love of grandiose schemes. Destro is now more clearly aligned with Cobra and together with the Commander and the Baroness, they truly form the Cobra Triumvirate. Meanwhile, Overkill is upgraded from a lowly lab assistant to a scheming cybernetic chief scientist who is stuck inside a giant glass tube. Zartan remains Cobra's master of disguise, however his shape shifting and stealth abilities are due to his suit rather than skill and genetic enhancements as in A Real American Hero. The Dreadnoks are now Torch, Buzzer and Machete, a new character. Storm Shadow serves as Cobra's ninja, however seems more inclined to work with Cobra B.A.T.s, leading the Ninja B.A.T.s into battle. This differs from his original portrayal in A Real American Hero as he has always had more faith in a well trained human as opposed to machines. Though the series is supposed to continue from Valor vs. Venom, in episode 2 "Escape", Cobra Commander says to Overkill that all his troops should be welcoming him, implying that Overkill was the only absent COBRA member. That claim ignores the presence of characters such as Dr. Mindbender or Slice in Valor vs. Venom.

Sigma 6 also has a recurring man vs. machine theme. Cobra's forces are often seen to be primarily composed of the Battle Android Troopers or B.A.T.s, while the members of the Cobra Triumvirate all possess some form of cybernetic enhancement or enhanced armored suits, with normal troopers wearing full armored uniforms.

Continuity problems

In the Direct-to-Video DVD "First Strike" released on October 3, 2006, the first five episodes of Sigma 6 were re-recorded and re-edited with new dialogue, cut scenes, and information including a perplexing paradox on the show's place in the G.I. Joe continuity. When we first meet Sigma 6's Duke, he is a fresh out of training school and he was just assigned his codename of "Duke". There is no active G.I. Joe team, and he is tasked to form one (this stands in direct contrast to the original version of the first five Sigma 6 episodes where the opposite was true for all the aforementioned examples). Later, when Duke has a meeting with General Hawk, we are told the events in the two Reel FX movies took place 20 years earlier, and there are flashback scenes with footage from the Valor vs. Venom movie including images of Duke, Scarlett, and Snake Eyes. Given that Sigma 6 takes place two decades later, it is unclear as to how to view the current characters. Obviously they are not the same people from the previous films, so one would speculate they are just new recruits with shared codenames. However, this does not explain each member's uncanny resemblances to their past counterparts, nor does it explain unique characters such as Snake Eyes, Zartan, and Destro. As it stands, there is no satisfactory answer to this question aside from fan speculation and conjecture.

Characters

The heroic military members of G. I. Joe: Sigma 6 (counterclockwise from top to bottom: Heavy Duty, Long Range, Snake Eyes, Duke, Tunnel Rat and Scarlett)

G.I. Joe

  • Duke - Leader of the G.I. Joe Team.
  • Snake Eyes - Ninja Commando.
    • Jinx and Kamakura - Snake-Eyes's apprentices and ninjas-in-training (Jinx is female and Kamakura is male).
  • Scarlett - Counter intelligence, helicopter pilot and Second in Command to Duke.
  • Tunnel Rat - Infiltration and demolitions specialist, and ninja-in-training.
  • Long Range - Driver of the R.O.C.C. (the Joe team's Mobile Command), transportation specialist and the team sniper.
  • Heavy Duty - In charge of artillery.
  • Hi-Tech - Electronics expert, hacker, Communications expert and inventor.
    • H.O.U.N.D. (Hybrid Operations and Utility Networking Device) - Hi-Tech's support robot introduced in episode 17.
  • Spirit Iron-Knife - Expert tracker and shaman.
    • Billy the Falcon - Spirit's pet falcon.
  • General Hawk - Advisor to the G.I. Joe Team.
  • Lt. Stone - Pilot of the Dragonhawk Heavy Armored Drop Ship and covert-ops specialist.
  • Zondo - Expert transportation

Cobra

  • Cobra Commander - Cobra leader.
  • Destro - Cobra's weapon maker and inventor.
  • The Baroness - Intelligence officer.
  • Storm Shadow - Ninja agent captured and brainwashed by Cobra. Acts as Cobra Commander's bodyguard. He refers to Snake-Eyes as "brother".
  • Overkill - Evil B.A.T. leader and robotic scientist planning to rule Cobra himself.
  • Firefly - Sabotage, demolitions and electronic warfare expert and spy.
  • Dreadnoks
    • Zartan - Master of disguise and leader of the Dreadnoks.
    • Buzzer - Chainsaw-wielding Dreadnok.
    • Torch - Flamethrower Dreadnok.
    • Machete - Shotgun w/bayonet-toting Dreadnok.
  • BAT - Standard Cobra Battle Android Trooper which is a basic exoskeleton with two laser cannons in each hand. A second version of the exoskeleton has wings, but no arm gun. A third version known as Ninja B.A.T. is gray with armor plating and blades on its forearms, which can be launched at targets.
  • Cobra Troopers - Basic Cobra infantry troopers who serve as communications troops, computer specialists, security, and soldiers. Dressed in white armor and a black jumpsuit. They are generally depicted as unintelligent and slightly coward.

Others

  • Scott Abernathy - General Hawk's son & honorary member of Sigma 6.
    • Spud - Scott's cybernetic dog, created in Hackfield Science Academy using Overkill's venom. Unlike Overkill's creations, it can quickly adapt in combat.

Episodes

Season 1

  • 1. Cobra Strike
  • 2. Escape
  • 3. Capture
  • 4. Reveal
  • 5. Sigma
  • 6. Race
  • 7. Jungle
  • 8. Vacation
  • 9. Polar
  • 10. Honor
  • 11. Space
  • 12. Zeus, Part 1
  • 13. Zeus, Part 2

Season 2

  • 14. Hidden
  • 15. Invasion
  • 16. Search
  • 17. Showdown
  • 18. Challenge
  • 19. Trap
  • 20. Revelations
  • 21. Duel
  • 22. Awards
  • 23. Balance
  • 24. Giant
  • 25. Ice
  • 26. Assault

Music

1. "Be a Hero (Sigma Six)"

  • Version 1 FOX 4KIDS TV preview only
  • Version 2 (eps. 1-13)
  • Version 3 (eps. 14-26)

Production

Companies

English staff

  • Created By: Miguel Gaban
  • Script Adaptation: John Touhey
  • Executive Producer:
  • Creative Management: Kyoko Grant
  • Graphics:
    • Jennifer Obrotka
    • Lucialie Dumaguing
    • Paul J. Baccash
  • Associate Producer: Julie Rath
  • ADR Director: Eric Stuart
  • Production Supervision:
    • Brenda Dillon
    • Andy Zine
  • Music Composition:
  • Editing
    • Jordan Podos
  • Post-Production Coordinator: Chris Guido
  • Post Production Supervisor:
    • Chris Guido
    • Brenda Dillon
  • Production Assistant: Joan Vollero
  • Music Producer: John Sands
  • Mix Engineer: Ron London
  • Vice President Of Production: Brenda Dillon
  • Voice Direction:

Cast

Others credited

Template:JoeWiki

See also

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