G.I. Joe: Sigma 6

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G.I. Joe: Sigma 6
From left to right: Duke, Scarlett, Tunnel Rat, Long Range, Snake-Eyes and Heavy Duty
Genre Action, Mecha, Military, Science Fiction
TV anime
Directed by Kobun Shizuno
Studio GONZO
Network United States 4Kids TV, G4
Original run September 10, 2005 –
No. of episodes 26 (2 Seasons, ongoing)

G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 is a line of military-themed action figures and toys that appeared in the fall of 2005. The toyline is produced by Hasbro and continues the theme and characters established by G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. It is also an animated series produced by the Japanese animation studio GONZO, currently airing on 4Kids TV and G4, and will start airing on YTV in the fall of 2006. It will consist of 26 episodes. It also has a 6-issue comic series published by Devil's Due Productions.

The Sigma 6 toyline served Hasbro several purposes. First, it allowed them to depart from the classic 3 ¾-inch format of the A Real American Hero series. All Sigma 6 action figures stand at approximately 8 inches and have more articulation. Second, the new series offered them the chance to streamline the storyline and characters for a new younger audience. It is hoped that Sigma 6 would follow in the success Hasbro had with Transformers: Armada and their hope is a multimedia revival of G.I. Joe. To accomplish this task, much of the old continuity has been stripped away leaving younger versions of icons from the past.

Contents

[edit] 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 code named Sigma 6.

[edit] 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 were 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, always been a major character, had her position in the team upgraded to second 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 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. In the start of Season 2, Lt. Stone (an apparent old friend of Duke's) arrives and joins the team under orders 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 teams 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 shapeshifting 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 Real American Hero as he's 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 recurring man vs. machine theme. Cobra’s forces are often seen to be primarily composed of the Battle Android Troopers or BATs 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.

[edit] 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 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 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.

[edit] Characters

[edit] G.I. Joe

  • Duke - leader of the G.I. Joe Team.
  • Scarlett - counter intelligence, helicopter pilot and second in command to Duke
  • Tunnel Rat - Infiltration and demolitions specialist
  • Long Range - Driver of the ROCC, the Joe Team's mobil command, transportation specialist and the team sniper
  • Snake Eyes - Ninja commando
  • Heavy Duty - Artillery/gunner
  • Jinx and Kamakura - Snake-Eyes's apprentices
  • Hi-Tech - Electronics expert, hacker, communications expert and inventor
  • 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.
  • Shipwreck - Toy only character
  • Grand Slam - Toy only character
  • Wetsuit - Toy only character
  • Flint - Toy only character
  • Gung-ho -Toy only character

[edit] Cobra

  • Cobra Commander - Cobra leader
  • Destro - Cobra's weapons maker
  • Baroness - Intelligence officer
  • Storm Shadow - Ninja agent captured and brainwashed by Cobra. He refers to Snake-Eyes as "brother"
  • Overkill - Evil BAT leader and scientist planning to rule Cobra himself.
  • Firefly - Sabotage/Demolitions & Electronic Warfare
  • Dreadnoks
    • Zartan - Master of disguise and leader of the Dreadnoks
    • Buzzer - Chainsaw-wielding Dreadnok
    • Torch - Flame thrower
    • Machete - Shotgun w/bayonette-toting Dreadnok
  • BAT - Standard Cobra Battle Android trooper with two laser cannons in each hand. Also operates Pulverizer mech.
    • Ninja BAT - A ninja type BAT
    • Aero-BAT - BAT with wings and machine gun on back
    • Cobra Mantis - A BAT unit driven by Destro in episode 17.
    • Cobra Trooper- Wearing black jumpsuits with white armor, they serve as pilots, technicians, patrol and various other functions but rarely see combat. They have been depicted as rather incompetent.
    • Overlord Vector - A snake torso BAT.
    • Overlord Virus - A ninja type BAT that was sent to Japan as backup for Storm Shadow. Under the influence of power stone, it is almost invincible. It later returns as a guard for an abandoned and seemingly haunted castle in Romania that Destro modified as a Cobra base.
    • Overlord Vortex - A BAT with a single red eye, two laser-firing arm cannons, and tank-like wheels for feet. Its metal hide is very hard to penetrate.
    • Zeus - A megaBAT created by Destro to destroy Megalo City. Zeus's AI is run by the captured Spud.

[edit] Others

  • Scott Abernathy - General Hawk's son
  • Spud - Scott's cybernetic dog created in Hackfield Science Academy using Overkill's venom. Unlike Overkill's creations, it can quickly adapt in combat.
  • H.O.U.N.D. (Hybrid Operations and Utility Networking Device) - Hi-Tech's support robot introduced in episode 17.

[edit] 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

[edit] Music

1. "Be a Hero (Sigma Six)"

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

[edit] Production

[edit] Companies

[edit] English Staff

  • Created By: Miguel Gaban
  • Script Adaptation: John Touhey
  • Executive Producer:
  • Creative Management: Kyoko Grant
  • Graphics:
    • Jennifer Obrotka
    • Lucialie Dumaguing
    • Paul J. Baccash
    • Jordan Podos
  • Associate Producer: Julie Rath
  • ADR Director: Eric Stuart
  • Production Supervision:
    • Brenda Dillon
    • Andy Zine
  • Music Composition:
  • Editing
  • 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:

[edit] Cast

[edit] Others Credited

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

G.I. Joe
v • d • e
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
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