Buzzer (G.I. Joe)

Buzzer
G.I. Joe character
First appearance 1985
Voiced by Neil Ross (Sunbow/Marvel)
Wayne Grayson (Sigma 6)
Charlie Adler (Renegades)
Affiliation Dreadnoks
File name Dick Blinken
Birth place Cambridge, England

Buzzer is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is affiliated with Cobra as one of the Dreadnoks and debuted in 1985.

Profile

His real name is Dick Blinken (Richard Blinken-Smythe). Buzzer was born in Cambridge, England.

Buzzer was once an extreme left-wing Cambridge sociology don who went to Australia to research biker gangs. His experiences there transformed him into the object of his research, as years of intellectual displeasure and extreme indignation at society's two-faced morality, instilled in him a desire to take society apart with a chainsaw. Buzzer is now a scavenger of the swamps, and can cut through steel, wrought iron, and nearly any metal with his diamond-tooth chainsaw.[1]

Toys

Buzzer was first released as an action figure in 1985.[2]

Comics

Marvel Comics

In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe series, he first appeared in issue #25 with Ripper and Torch.[3] Later, the Dreadnoks are sent as an advance team to McGuire Air Force Base, as Cobra Commander believed it was the location of G.I. Joe headquarters. Buzzer's carelessness causes an explosion, which provides enough of an alert to drive off the enemy. The Dreadnoks retreat so as to not get into trouble.[4]

He appears in the third yearbook, as Serpentor tells the Dreadnoks a story of strategy from one of his previous lives.[5]

Buzzer's appetite for destruction ends up spawning a multi-issue storyline. The trio of Dreadnoks steal Zartan's holographic bike and attack random cars on the road. One car holds a trio of G.I. Joe members, Rock'N'Roll, Grunt and Clutch; all three are on vacation. The attack leaves all the Joes injured. After a pause to attack another Air Force base, Buzzer ends up captured by Rock'N'Roll and taken into Joe custody.[6]

Later, Buzzer is released into the custody of the military police. With him in the transport vehicle is Candy Appel, the innocent daughter of Crimson Guardsman Appel, a noted Cobra scientist. Candy's anger at Buzzer's disrespect causes enough of a distraction for the Dreadnok to subdue the guards, kidnap the girl and escape - notably, with the real location of G.I. Joe headquarters.[7]

Buzzer and Candy spend some time trying to gain an advantage over each other. Eventually, Candy manages to shove a gun in Buzzer's face; he pleads for his life. She simply drives away.[8] Buzzer retreats to Springfield, the current headquarters of Cobra. He assists Firefly and Scrap-Iron in chasing the fugitive known as the Soft Master. By coincidence, all meet up with Candy. She had caught a ride with a civilian and Billy, the son of Cobra Commander. With Buzzer supervising, the Cobra agents murder all but Billy by rockets.[9]

Buzzer reveals his knowledge of Joe headquarters to the others when the Joes attack Springfield.[10] Buzzer finally tells his information to all of Cobra high command. Soon after he participates in a multi-Dreadnok attack on Serpentor. This fails. Buzzer's attempt at a reward for this information is brushed off by Zartan, who is still mad that Buzzer took his bike without permission.[11] This information allows Cobra to successfully destroy Joe headquarters soon after. Buzzer is the getaway driver for this mission, allowing many Dreadnoks, Cobra Troopers and Cobra underwater 'E.E.L.S' to escape.[12]

Intelligence later reveals rogue Pentagon officials plan to fire a decommisoned multi-story missile at Cobra Island. Buzzer is sent to get help from the Cobra Consulate building in New York; the transport helicopter he returns with destroys the just-launched weapon.[13]

Buzzer again encounters Clutch and Rock'N'Roll. He is part of the Dreadnok team supervising the new Cobra city of Broca Beach. The two, again on vacation, discover the conspiracy. He participates in their capture and brainwashing and eventual release back to the Joe team as 'double agents'.[14]

He makes an appearance in #21 of the Special Missions spin-off series. He tosses a grenade at what he correctly suspects to be a G.I. Joe team. The Joes' newfound ally, a homeless man named Sgt. Gramble, leaps on it. Despite the grenade being a dud, Gramble dies from the stress.[15]

Action Force

Buzzer premieres in the Action Force continuity in issue #5. He and Ripper pursue and lose a wounded Snake-Eyes.[16] The two return later to steal a laser weapon being tested by Bazooka in the A.W.E. Striker. A chase ensues through a shopping 'precinct'. The Dreadnoks wipe out due to the interference of an elderly soldier that had been observing the battle. They escape but lose the weapon; Bazooka learns it would never have worked due to fundamental design flaws.[17] A write-up in a later issue of Action Force establishes that Buzzer left Cambridge for Australia because of suspected ties to the Russian KGB. From there, he joined a biker gang with Torch and Ripper. The two were the only three escapees from a police raid. He became the leader of the trio, before they were recruited by Zartan.[18]

Devil's Due

As seen in the Devil's Due comics, Buzzer stays with the Dreadnoks as they expand into a nationwide network. He is seen beating on a man who has tossed his jacket over Dreadnok 'colors'.[19] In the next issue, Buzzer and Thrasher flee a Dreadnok/Joe battle in the Thunder Machine; this involves an attack on Zartan's Everglades headquarters. They are driven into the swamp by Wild Bill and left behind as 'unimportant'.[20]

After they safely meet up with the Dreadnoks again, the two of them are part of a Dreadnok team supervising the purchase of a nuclear weapon from Russians.[21] Buzzer is seen as backup for Zartan during his re-emergence back into the American criminal underworld; the Dreadnoks had retreated to Canada after the Everglades raid.[22]

Cartoons

Sunbow/Marvel

He first appeared in the G.I. Joe animated series in "The Revenge of Cobra" mini-series, voiced by Neil Ross.[23] In "The Revenge of Cobra", Zartan and the Dreadnoks recovered a piece of Destro's Weather Dominator, offering to sell it to the highest bidder, Cobra or G.I. Joe.[24]

G.I. Joe: The Movie

Buzzer also appeared briefly in the 1987 animated film G.I. Joe: The Movie.[26]

Sigma 6

Buzzer appears in G.I. Joe: Sigma 6. He is seen as a member of Zartan's Dreadnoks.

Renegades

Buzzer first appears in the G.I. Joe: Renegades episode "Dreadnoks Rising." This version is an African-American. He is shown as a member of the Dreadnoks.

References

  1. ↑ Hama, Larry (1987). Howard Mackie, ed. G.I. Joe Order Of Battle. Marvel Entertainment Group. p. 19. ISBN 0-87135-288-5.
  2. ↑ Santelmo, Vincent (1994). The Official 30th Anniversary Salute To G.I. Joe 1964-1994. Krause Publications. p. 102. ISBN 0-87341-301-6.
  3. ↑ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #25 (July 1984)
  4. ↑ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #30 (1984)
  5. ↑ "G.I. Joe Yearbook" #3
  6. ↑ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #35 (1985)
  7. ↑ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #40
  8. ↑ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #42
  9. ↑ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #43
  10. ↑ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #50
  11. ↑ "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #52 (October 1986)
  12. ↑ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #53 (November 1986)
  13. ↑ "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" #60 (June 1987)
  14. ↑ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #88-90 (1989)
  15. ↑ G.I. Joe: Special Missions #21 (May 1989)
  16. ↑ "Action Force" #5 (April 4, 1987)
  17. ↑ "Action Force" #33-34 (October 1987)
  18. ↑ "Action Force" #42 (December 19th 1987)
  19. ↑ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2 (2001)
  20. ↑ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #3 (2001)
  21. ↑ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #6 (2002)
  22. ↑ G.I. Joe: America's Elite #5 (2005)
  23. ↑ "Roll Call". G.I. Joe Roll Call. Joe Headquarters. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
  24. ↑ Thomas Wheeler (February 2010). "Retrospective Review: A History of Dreadnok Ripper". G.I. Joe Collectors Club Magazine: 11.
  25. ↑ Childs, T. Mike (2009). The Rocklopedia Fakebandica. Macmillan. pp. 42–43. ISBN 978-0-312-32944-0.
  26. ↑ G.I. Joe: The Movie (Motion picture). De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. April 20, 1987.

External links