October Guard
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The October Guard (or Oktober Guard) is a group of special operations military team first introduced in the pages of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comics and cartoon in the 80's and later appeared in the toylines in the 90's. The name is a reference to Russia's October Revolution. Usually thought to be the Soviet/Russian equivalent of G.I. Joe, they are in fact composed of members from Warsaw Pact countries. Unlike the Joes, the team is composed of just a small squad and most do not sport a fancy codename.
Originally, the October Guard was to be called the Pravda Patrol with the members sporting far different costumes. The designs were created by Tom DeFalco and Herb Trimpe, but Hasbro did not approve of the design. Further revisions led to the final design as seen in #6 of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comics. The team name was initially spelled October with a “c”, during the latter half of the series, the name was spelled with a “k”: Oktober Guard.
The October Guards often operate out of their countries, protecting and promoting Soviet and Warsaw Pact interests. Despite the fact their countries are rivals with the United States during the Cold War, the October Guards are never portrayed as evil, but as professionals doing their job. Their missions often put them at odds with G.I. Joe and encounters with the terrorist organization, Cobra. Sometimes, when their (and the Joe's) survival matter or successful execution of a mission demands it and considering they are just as dedicated to opposing Cobra themselves, they will find themselves in a temporary alliance with G.I. Joe.
During a mission in the fictional country of Sierra Gordo, the October Guard lost all but two of their members. With their deaths and the Cold War cooling down, it was assumed the October Guard was disbanded, but it turns out that their roster was simply refilled. Their last known mission prior to truly being disbanded was a joint operation with the G.I. Joe subgroup Star Brigade.
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[edit] Characters
[edit] Original members
Col. Brekhov – The original commander of the October Guard. He was killed in action in Sierra Gordo.
Daina – Czech sniper and helicopter pilot. The only woman in the team. She often has to put up with the sexist attitudes of her comrades. She and Dragonsky are the two surviving original members. In the Devil's Due G.I. Joe series, she joined the Joes after mourning Lt. Gorky's death. She is now code-named Vorona. Interestingly, she was named Diana in the cartoon.
Dragonsky – Flamethrower. First appeared in G.I. Joe Yearbook #2, years after the October Guard's first comic book appearance but is one of the original members. Current whereabouts unknown.
Horrorshow – RPG trooper from Soviet republic of Georgia. He was killed in action in Sierra Gordo.
Shrage – East German infantry. He was killed in action in Sierra Gordo.
Stormavik – Russian para-trooper. He was killed in action in Sierra Gordo.
[edit] Replacement members
Big Bear – Russian anti-armor specialist.
Lt. Gorky – Russian Naval Infantry. He is one of the replacement members. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he was demoralized by the rampant corruption in the Russian armed forces. In the Devil's Due G.I. Joe series, he is assigned to assist the Joes but turns out to be a traitor. He eventually tries to redeem himself but dies for his efforts.
Red Star – Real name Col. Anatoly Krimov. He has an uncanny resemblance to Col. Brekhov, but their relationship was never explained. Current whereabouts unknown.
Sgt. Misha – Russian Spetsnaz trooper. He is one of the replacement members. Current whereabouts unknown.
[edit] Cartoon
Wong – The only made-for-TV member. He is the only one from the Asian part of Soviet Union. He wears what looks like a black cowboy costume, and bears more then a passing resemblance to Larry Hama. (While uncofirmed, this is probably a deliberate joke on the part of the show's writers)
[edit] Animated Appearances
Several Guard Members appeared in the animated series during the DIC Series (1989-1991). They were often teamed with British member Big Ben.
- Episode 13 Cold Shoulder (Col. Krimov)
- Episode 15 General Confusion (Col. Krimov/Big Ben)
- Episode 17 Thats Entertainment (Col. Krimov)
- Episode 26 Chunnel (Big Bear/Big Ben)
[edit] References
- Quick Kick's Theatre
- My Useless Knowledge
- Oktober Guard HQ
- History of the October Guard
- DIC GI Joe Information Archive about Oktober Guard
| Toy Line | G.I. Joe | G.I. Joe Adventure Team | G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero | Action Force | Sgt. Savage and the Screaming Eagles | G.I. Joe Extreme | Hall of Fame | Masterpiece Edition | Timeless Collection | Classic Collection | G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 |
|---|---|
| Comics | List of G.I. Joe comics |
| Animated Series | Sunbow series | DiC series | G.I. Joe Extreme | Sigma 6 |
| G.I. Joe Characters | Duke | Snake-Eyes | Scarlett | Stalker | Hawk | Flint | Lady Jaye | Roadblock | Shipwreck | Cover Girl | List of G.I. Joe ARAH characters |
| G.I. Joe Villains | Cobra Commander | Destro | Baroness | Zartan | Storm Shadow | Dr. Mindbender | Serpentor | Firefly | Overkill |
| Movies | G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987) | Spy Troops (2003) | Valor vs. Venom (2004) |
| Factions | G.I. Joe | Cobra | Dreadnoks | Oktober Guard | Iron Grenadiers | Cobra-La | Arashikage | Phoenix Guard |
| Video Games | G.I. Joe | The Atlantis Factor |
