I've been working on a new Joe team for some time. Essentially in my verse the Joe team was eliminated, defeated by a combination of the undead, Cobra, and government bureaucracy. So I wanted to start anew. I wanted to imagine a team led by a former Joe that was desperate to hold onto the past. A group of people that had essentially lost everything yet kept going. Not bound by laws, regulations, MOS designations, chains of command, etc. A team that worked together out of some individual need. I've started writing about them in my newer ATR chapters, as I wrote each I would send them to Spectre before putting them up and he always had the same comment, "It's a good story but I don't know the characters so I'm not that invested in them." He was right. I created them for myself, knew all about them, and then tossed them out into the world without a whole lot of anything. So to remedy that I figured, now's as good a time as any.
Pics will be coming as soon as I get some time, hopefully tomorrow while the Little Warrior is at Karate Camp. Till then, here's an introduction of my new Joe team.
The Joe team is no more.
Once the finest fighting force the military could produce, reduced to empty corpses by an enemy that never tired, never stopped, and never retreated. The fall of New Salem was the final nail in the coffin. The Joes fought valiantly but failed. Rumors of Joe surviving the wastes make the rounds. No one knows for sure. Without a fixed command, hell, without a working government there is no reason for anyone to continue the mission, a mission that with the rise of the undead was no longer needed.
None of that mattered to Vincent R. Falcone, Falcon, former Captain and member of the legendary Green Berets. With the world falling apart around him he desperately needed the focus of a mission. With no superior officers to guide him he created his own mission, ensure G.I.Joe survived. He helped any that he could and recruited those that he felt most represented the hope and faith of his former team. He found 13. 13 men and women from all walks of life that were willing to come together to work to defeat not the undead but Cobra. Gone were the military protocols, rank, uniforms, and Military Operating Specialities. Now the team needed to be able to address the threat of the undead while being able to disrupt the growth of Cobra, by whatever means necessary. He found members all over the southwest, survivors looking for a reason to keep surviving. He offered them a mission. They gladly accepted.
Forge, a blacksmith and blacksmith by trade, his skills are essential in a world where firearms and ammunition are a dwindling commodity. The ability to take steel and turn it into a blade that can hack through the skull of shambling corpse was worth more then gold. He can take any steel that can be hardened and turn it into a bringer of death. It’s not only knives, swords, and axes that keep him busy, just about any kind of metal work that needs to be done falls on Forge.
Smith, a former gun store owner, Smith grew up making the reloads for her father’s various hunting rifles and shotguns. From there she learned how to repair, design, and build firearms of all types and calibers. Working in a Texas town where everyone and their dog owned and carried firearms kept her busy. She earned a reputation for the high quality work and craftsmanship she put into not only repairs but custom work as well. Now she in charge of keeping the Joe armory stocked and in working order. She does everything from repair firearms to packing new ammunition. She has worked to push each Joe into carrying a revolver due to the ease of repair, most have taken to it, a handful push back and refuse to give up their semi-autos.
Bowyer was a competitive archer and avid hunter before the turn. Those skills went far in keeping him alive. The simplicity of the bow and the silence of the arrow allowed him to get out of situations where a firearm would have surely meant his doom. Capable of using bows of all kinds; recurve, longbow, compound, even various crossbows, Bowyer is most comfortable with a custom crossbow that he had pre-turn and was able to keep in working order through everything that was thrown at him.
Sparrow is one of only two current Joe members with any military experience. 153D, a Warrant Officer in the National Guard, 28th Infantry Division, responsible for flying the UH-60 Black Hawk. She saw herself deployed to the Middle East on several occasions. Now she is one of two pilots of the Joe team and flies the single MH-6 Little Bird for deployment and extraction as well as air support whenever the mission calls for it.
Hook was a private helicopter pilot making a comfortable living for himself and his family, then the world went to "LASER BLAST". He lost everything and everyone that was important to him. He made his way to the one place he could think of, the local airfield, there he attempted to procure an aircraft, for what end he didn’t know. That’s where he ran into Wrench Bender, a mechanic with whom he’d always been friendly. They ended up taking to the skies just as a growing horde, attracted by the sounds of the big rotors, pushed down the fence and advanced. Now he flies a Tomahawk helicopter transporting other members, gear, supplies, even vehicles to where ever they are needed.
Drifter raced fast cars on the streets of LA. Having grown up watching the Fast and the Furious franchise he became obsessed with the fast lifestyle and faster cars. He found himself in and out of county jails for driving violations, had his license suspended, his car impounded, and none of it mattered. He’d be back out on the street the next night doing what he lived to do, drive fast. He doesn’t get to use those skills as often now but if the chance arises his foot becomes heavy and nerves become steel.
Throttle drove trucks for a living. Big rigs. She was a pretty woman in the world of big burly men, they were not kind to her. She learned fast how to not only drive the long roads of North America but to survive the truck stops along the way. When he world turned upside down she packed her rig and headed toward the desert. That’s where Falcon found her, her rig converted into a secure sanctuary protecting her from the threats of the undead. He didn’t get within a hundred yards before she had a bead on him and was letting him know his options. She works incredibly well with GP and the two are often the first to volunteer for recon missions. She is also the member with the best relationship with “The Bug,” Bumble Bee, a sentient robotic being of unknown origin that can transform from an off-road VW Beetle to a nearly 20 foot tall robot in an instant.
Mother, a name he earned by always being the watchful cautious eyes of the team, was a competitive shooter with an incredibly popular Youtube channel. Millions logged on to watch videos of his near unmatchable shooting skills. Many accused him of camera trickery or other cheating. They’re all dead, he’s still shooting.
Bulleit is the only other member with a Military Background. Bulleit worked side by side with the Joe medic Lifeline, being not only a second set of hands to help the wounded but also his protection. A crack shot and top notch medic, at a time when the flu can kill just as fast as the undead her skills are vital to the success of the Joe team.
Greaser grew up the oldest of five. Her father was a gear head that instilled his love of fixing cars into each of his children. Greaser excelled. She could diagnose an issue by sound alone, break down an engine or transmission, and put it all back together before her siblings had figured out the issue. Now she makes sure to keep the Joe garage in working order. Everything from dirt bikes, quads, various civilian, and military vehicles are under her care.
Wrench Bender worked as a mechanic at an airfield that Hook frequented. He is a top notch mechanic that knows the ins and outs of keeping whirly birds up in the air. When the "LASER BLAST" hit the fan Hook ended up trying to steal a helo from the heliport, Wrench Bender tossed him the keys with the caveat that he take him along. Now he makes sure that the limited air support of the Joe team stays up in the air.
GP, short for Ground & Pound, was an amateur Mixed Marital Arts competitor. He had dreams of making it to the big leagues but never quite got there. With the world changing around him he was able to use his martial arts skills to stay alive and stay one step ahead of the roamers and draggers that lurk around every corner.
Scrounge likes to talk about growing up poor in Tennessee. His family had little to nothing and they had to find, make, or steal whatever they needed. His skillset lends itself perfectly to a world without law where “everyman for themselves” became the rule rather then the exception. Now tasked with procuring whatever the team needs he travels farther from their base of operations then any other member and does so solo. He has gone nearly to the doorstep of New Springfield and has caches to support his operations spread in all directions allowing him to go out unsupported for extended periods of time while searching for supplies.
When Scrounge heads into the field he does so on his trusty quad he dubbed Spare Parts. He has it loaded with whatever tools, weapons, or gear he may need while scavenging. He had Greaser and Wrench Bender outfit it with what he calls his “Get Out Of Jail Free Card” a high power jet engine. It’s a one time use addition in case the need arises to absolutely get out of Dodge.
