Cheat Commandos
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The Cheat Commandos is a fictional cartoon series and line of action figures in the universe of the animated cartoon series Homestar Runner. The commandos resemble a series of stereotypical G.I. Joe figures, and are described as "an elite fighting force, sworn to defeat the evil forces of Blue Laser!"
The earliest reference to the Cheat Commandos appeared in Strong Bad Email #93 - Army where the Cheat is reluctantly addressed as Firebert by Strong Bad. The Cheat Commandos next appearance is in "Cheat Commandos: Rock Rock On!"
The Cheat Commandos toys are produced by the fictional Cheap as Free Toys, and are all modelled after long-time Homestar Runner character The Cheat. Nominally an action cartoon, episodes of the Cheat Commandos quickly degenerate into blatant advertisements for Cheat Commandos playsets, accessories, and breakfast cereal. Even the theme song goes so far as to include the lyric "Buy all our Playsets and Toys!" This is in keeping with the series' style of parodying 1980s cartoons, which were seen by many as being only slightly less blatant advertising for their related toy lines. Like other '80s cartoon series, they released an educational film entitled "Commandos in the Classroom", which kept the spirit of the previous episodes by saying that good people love "all our playsets and toys".
[edit] Characters
Gunhaver: Apparent mission commander, Gunhaver sports "cool glasses" and a "stylin' coat". As the name indicates, he has a gun, though he is not seen with it until "Let Us Give TANKS!". First name possibly Charles, as mentioned in "Let Us Give TANKS!".
Firebert: The original Cheat Commando. Is ridiculed for his bad commando name, and is The Cheat's alter ego in the Cheat Commandos.
Silent Rip: Has a job spying on enemies, he seems to have a voice similar to that of a stereotypical surfer.
Crackotage: Referred to as "that guy who flies that plane," he talks in rhyme followed by a laugh (You can't shoot and you can't fly, if you went with us you'd probably die! He he ha ha!). In "Commandos in the Classroom" he briefly loses his knack for rhyming (example: "Movie night is my favorite night, I think it is my favorite night! He he ha ha!"), but he gets it back in "Let Us Give TANKS!".
Fightgar: A rough-and-tumble commando, he wears a bandolier and a red bandana, and has a five-o-clock shadow. He talks in a rough London accent, and has been seen wearing implausible disguises.
Flashfight: Described as being "in charge of stuff!!", Flashfight has not yet made an appearance in a Cheat Commandos cartoon.
Ripberger: Believed to be a ninja. His first appearence is in the Holiday Toon "Let Us Give TANKS!".
Foxface: The only female, her role in the Commandos is unknown. (It is implied that she is a token female.) She has yet to be seen in a cartoon, though her bullet proof purse is seen and clearly labeled in one episode by the armory.
Reinforcements: The only one seen carrying a weapon regularly (his Justice Rocket Backpack Rocket Rocket), he is a stereotypical commando. He has jungle camos and, like Fightgar, a five-o-clock shadow. He has made three brief appearances in the cartoons, only saying "hey guys", if anything.
Reynold: The commandos' mercenary/civilian contractor. Due to his lack of combat skill, Reynold does not get brought along on missions, which he resents. He is a main character in "Shopping for Danger". Gunhaver taught him how to avoid making Inappropriate Peer-2-Teen Choice Behaviors in "Commandos in the Classroom", after he tried to "swear a cuss," (Diaper Biscuits!) but ended up admitting that he might as well go home and get teen pregnant. Apparently, he looks vaguely like Drew Carey. He also suffers from strabismus, as revealed when, in one cartoon, he took off his glasses to disguise himself as Gunhaver.
Blue Laser Commander: A parody of G. I. Joe's Cobra Commander, Blue Laser is an evil mastermind who leads an organization bent on crushing the Cheat Commandos and creating absurd diabolical plans such as "blowing up the ocean". He once relocated his headquarters to his Nana's backyard, and for a time thought that cleaning the mildew out of his bathroom was key to crushing the Cheat Commandos. (Incidentally, the first masked Cobra Commander toy was repainted and released in the European "Action Force" toyline as "Red Laser", though this may not be an intentional reference.)
The Twins: Two babies with eyepatches and dressed in Blue Laser uniforms who appear briefly in "Shopping for Danger".
Blue Laser Minions: Blue Laser Commander's identical henchmen. Often confuse even Blue Laser Commander, to the point that, in "Let Us Give TANKS!", he threw a fork in one minion's eye in a fit of pique.
Reynold's Brother: A stereotypical punk rock fan whose parents apparently rent Reynold's room out to him every Thanksgiving, much to Reynold's dismay. He spends most of his time listening to loud music and playing video games, and thinks Reynold is "so lame".
Oliver Smidgen: A stereotypical Dickensian street urchin (whose name is an obvious reference to Oliver Twist), he appears in "Let Us Give TANKS!" to try and encourage Gunhaver to play a song on the piano.
Green Helmets: These seem to be the normal (and highly dispensable) infantry members of the Commandos, rather like the Greenshirts from GI Joe and the Redshirts from Star Trek. Gunhaver doesn't care much for them, as he ignores their calls for help and instead takes a Thanksgiving Break in "Let Us Give TANKS!", saying "We've got like 50 of them".
