October Guard
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The October Guard (or Oktober Guard) is a Soviet special operations unit first introduced in the pages of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comics and cartoon in the '80s and subsequently the G.I. Joe toyline itself. 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 several 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”, but was written as Oktober Guard later in the series.
The October Guard often operates internationally, protecting and promoting Soviet and Warsaw Pact interests. Despite the fact their respective countries are rivals with the United States during the Cold War, the members of the October Guard are never portrayed as evil, but as military professionals doing their job and serving their country. Their missions often put them at odds with G.I. Joe, but when the situation arises they often find themselves temporarily allied with the Joes against a common foe.
In the Marvel comics, the October Guard lost all but two of their members during a mission in the fictional country of Sierra Gordo. With their deaths and the Cold War cooling down, it was assumed the October Guard was disbanded, but their roster was soon 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 and the only woman in the original 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.
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.
Schrage – 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 and paratrooper. Hates when the Guard is said to be counterpart of G.I.Joe team.
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 effort.
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. Current whereabouts unknown.
[edit] Cartoon
Wong – The only made-for-TV member, and the only member representing 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 unconfirmed, this is probably a deliberate joke on the part of the show's writers)
[edit] Toy
Volga - A female Oktober Guard member released in 1998 and has only appeared as an action figure. She is a Czechoslovakian Lieutenant and is a small arms specialist and helicopter pilot. Volga was intended as a surrogate for Daina.
[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)
