Flint (G.I. Joe)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A character from the G.I. Joe series, Dashiell R. Faireborn is better known as Flint, the rugged Warrant Officer, easily identified by his trademark beret. It has been rumored that he was named after G.I. Joe series writer Flint Dille.
Flint hails from Wichita, Kansas. He is a Rhodes Scholar and holds a degree in English literature. He graduated with top honors from Airborne School, Ranger School, Special Forces School and Flight Warrant Officers School. He also oversaw several strategically important rescue missions. Because of his credentials, Duke brought him in to the G.I. Joe Team.
Contents |
[edit] Cartoon
[edit] Sunbow
Flint's first animated appearance was in the second G.I. Joe miniseries, The Revenge of Cobra, in which he was presented as the second in command, filling in for Duke as G.I. Joe team leader after Duke is captured by Cobra. Flint then became a recurring character throughout the first season, often alternating in the commanding officer role with Duke. To a certain extent, Flint and Duke were almost interchangeable, and when General Hawk was introduced, Duke was made second in command while Flint became third in the chain. Flint's romance with Lady Jaye was a common piece of the storyline throughout the show and one of the few things the cartoon had in common with the comic book.
[edit] Sunbow Transformers Series
Flint also has a connection to the Transformers series. Fans speculated for two decades that the character, Marissa Faireborn, in Transformers is his daughter. A point for this speculation is they both share the same last name. In one third-season Transformers episode ("The Killing Jar") where she encounters an illusory version of her father, he was voiced by the same actor as Flint in the G.I. Joe series, Bill Ratner. The writers of both shows to remained coy whether Marissa Faireborn was actually Flint and Lady Jaye's daughter or not. However, cast notes for "The Killing Jar" refer to Marissa's father as being "a 60-year-old Flint". The mystery was finally solved on November 7, 2006, with the 20th anniversery DVD release of Transformers: The Movie. On an interview on the DVD, Flint Dille, story editor for Transformers, confirmed that Marissa Faireborn is indeed Flint and Lady Jaye's daughter.
[edit] G.I. Joe The Movie
Flint appears in the movie as leader of the rescue team that is searching for Roadblock. Like many of the characters from the previous seasons, he does not have a major part in the movie, but is seen throughout most of the movie.
[edit] DIC
Flint makes a reappearance later in the second season of the DIC cartoon as the leader of the 'Eco-Warriors'. He fights with his team to stop Cespool from destroying the world with toxic waste. As with many characters from the Sunbow era, Flint's personality was changed. He didn't refer to his relationship with Lady Jaye (who appeared in the first season, paired up with Captain Grid-Iron), so it can be assumed they broke up by that time.
[edit] Beyond
Flint had a minor role in the animated movie GIJoe: Valor VS Venom. He worked on a remote station in the jungle, with Gung Ho, Beach Head and Tunnel Rat under his command.
Flint has not yet appeared in the G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 TV series, and no Sigma Six figures have been made in his likeness as of this writing.
[edit] Comic
The comic book version of Flint was a little different from the cartoon version. While the cartoon Flint was down to earth and level-headed, the comic book Flint had a problem with arrogance, for his self confidence often bordered on being downright cocky. His teammates usually tolerated him because they knew he had the goods to back up his attitude, but his ego sometimes got in the way of his relationship with Lady Jaye, who was turned off by his cockiness when he came on to her. Still, Flint was a brave, steadfast soldier who refused to be intimidated by anyone or anything, and proved to Lady Jaye he wasn't a complete jerk when he held off a group of Cobra EELS just long enough for her to warn the other Joes of an attack, which almost cost Flint his life. While he was recovering from the beating he took, he started to confide some of his fears and doubts in Lady Jaye, who came to forgive Flint's occasional arrogance and eventually fell in love with him.
Flint also had his more brutal side, as shown in a mission in war-torn Wolkekuck-Uckland. He and Lady-Jaye stumble upon two Cobra soldiers. Flint is forced to kill his opponent. The other man surrenders to Lady-Jaye. Flint says they cannot take prisoners offers to kill the man if she is not able to do it. In the end, the prisoner's knowledge of Cobra movements saves his life.
When G.I. Joe disbanded, Flint and Lady Jaye got married. When G.I. Joe was reformed and they both came back, just as Flint was starting to write a book on his experiences in GI Joe, many of their teammates commented that Flint's marriage to Lady Jaye seemed to have a positive effect on him, causing him to mellow out a great deal.
Flint resumed his duties as the team's primary tactician while Lady Jaye eventually became the Joe's Head of Intelligence and a field commander. The murder of Lady Jaye by Red Shadow's member Dela Eden in front of him caused Flint to go up against Red Shadows alone. In reality it was a set up, allowing Snake-Eyes, Duke, Scarlett and General Ray to attack. Flint was able to confront Dela Eden, yet he could not kill her.
When G.I Joe re-formed with a smaller roster and covert status (in G.I. Joe: America's Elite), Flint was called back to active duty. However, the death of Lady Jaye had caused him to seemingly become a new person. His face now bears scars possibly due to his more aggressive approach in battle. The charismatic, well-spoken and confident to the point of arrogance Warrant Officer was replaced by a sullen and brooding man who rarely speaks (when he does, it is usually to suggest maximum force against any size threat) and trains to become a better warrior at the cost of his humanity.
[edit] Trivia
In the UK, in an effort to internationalise G.I. Joe characters for the UK's Action Force Flint's real name was given as David Faireborn, and was the commander of UK operations under the command of Trent in the comic series.
