The G.I. Joe Order of Battle #2

History

The Order of Battle miniseries was conceived as G.I. Joe's answer to Marvel's own Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, translating the text and spirit of Hasbro's action-figure file cards into a comics-format reference under the editorial direction of Howard Mackie and Jack Morelli, with Jim Shooter as Editor-in-Chief. Larry Hama scripted every Joe profile—expanding some entries, such as Rock 'n' Roll's, beyond what appeared on any retail file card—while Herb Trimpe penciled all character art and Bob Wiacek handled cover inks for issue #2. The Rocky Balboa profile was written and illustrated before Hasbro's licensing deal with Stallone's camp was finalized; because the rights were never secured, Trimpe deliberately avoided drawing the character with Stallone's likeness, and the retraction published in issue #3 was one of the most direct editorial corrections of a fictional character's existence in mainstream comics publishing.

Trivia · 7 facts

• Issue #2 (cover-dated January 1987, on-sale November 1986) is the second of a four-issue miniseries; issues #1–#2 profile G.I. Joe team members alphabetically (M–Z in #2), issue #3 covers Cobra, and issue #4 covers vehicles and equipment.
• Rocky Balboa (Robert Rudolph Remus / 'Rocky') receives a full character profile as a G.I. Joe recruit—his only comic-book appearance in that capacity—but Trimpe intentionally avoided Sylvester Stallone's likeness because the licensing deal was not yet finalized; the profile was formally retracted in Order of Battle #3 and #4, and the character was removed entirely from the 1987 trade paperback collection.
• According to former Hasbro product manager Kirk Bozigian, the Rocky figure was planned as a mail-away premium; the deal collapsed when Stallone's agents' demands proved incompatible with Hasbro's arrangement, and the competitor Coleco's simultaneous Rambo toy line factored into the decision to drop the character.
• The issue features an 'In Memoriam' section with pin-up illustrations (no biographies) honoring three characters who had died in the main comic series: Kwinn the Eskimo, the Soft Master, and Bongo the Balloon Bear (associated with Candy Appel)—an unusual editorial acknowledgment of character mortality in a toy-licensed title.
• Several profiles contain content that diverges from or expands upon the original retail file cards: Rock 'n' Roll's entry adds excerpts attributed to 'Col. D. O'Neil' and 'John Doe' not found on any card; Sgt. Slaughter's profile draws from his 1985 mail-in figure's file card; Snake-Eyes' bio is specifically sourced from his 1985 card; and Slip-Stream's vehicle designation is altered from 'Conquest X-30' to a classified designation.
• The entire series was collected in a 128-page trade paperback (July 1987, ISBN 0871352885) with a cover by Herb Trimpe; the TPB added profiles for Chuckles, Jinx, Lt. Falcon, and Fast Draw while removing the Rocky, Sgt. Slaughter, and RAM Motorcycle entries.
• Mister Fantastic / Reed Richards appears in the character index associated with this issue, reflecting cross-promotional connections within the Marvel licensed universe context, though his profile role in the Joe handbook is not elaborated in surviving editorial documentation.

Cast · 40 characters

Full credits

Key issues in The G.I. Joe Order of Battle

Variants (1)