AF (Action Figures)
Encyclopedia
AF or the Action Force were the third generation of Action Force
action figure
s and comic book
heroes released in the United Kingdom
. Originally featuring in the Battle Action Force comics and cast as action figures by Palitoy
, they were an internationally re-worked version of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
series.
-centric G.I. Joe equivalents, AF were written as an international band of soldiers, who fought the Red Shadows
, Cobra and the Nazis
.
Introduced into the series by their leader, Duke, the AF series gradually took over from the previous second-generation of Action Force and the Z Force
, Q Force
, Space Force
and SAS
teams.
As a number of the second generation Action Force figures were already repaints or recharacterisations of their G.I. Joe equivalents, there was a substantial overlap in a number of the characters (for example, Gung-Ho was simply Z Force's Gaucho, re-cast as Harry Brewster, an American from the Florida
Everglades
) and for that reason they never featured in storylines with their second generation counterparts. Moondancer was the only character whose profile from the Second Generation Space Force
character was unchanged. Other overlaps included Breaker and Stalker both of whom had entirely different characters with identical codenames in the Second Generation Z Force and SAS teams respectively.
Action Force
Action Force was a 1980s range of European action figures initially based on Action Man, and later used to introduce G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toys to European markets...
action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s and comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
heroes released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Originally featuring in the Battle Action Force comics and cast as action figures by Palitoy
Palitoy
Palitoy was the name of a British toy company.It manufactured some of the most popular toys in Britain, some original items and others under licence...
, they were an internationally re-worked version of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a military-themed line of action figures and toys in Hasbro's G.I. Joe franchise. The toyline lasted from 1982 to 1994, producing well over 500 figures and 250 vehicles and playsets. The line reappeared in 1997 and has continued in one form or another to the...
series.
Characterisation
In contrast to their United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-centric G.I. Joe equivalents, AF were written as an international band of soldiers, who fought the Red Shadows
Red Shadows
The Red Shadows are the fictional fighting force opposed to Action Force and depicted in the UK Battle Action Force comic books. They were also portrayed in action figures by Palitoy as a European version of the G.I. Joe range. Later US G.I. Joe storylines have revived the Red Shadows as an...
, Cobra and the Nazis
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
.
Introduced into the series by their leader, Duke, the AF series gradually took over from the previous second-generation of Action Force and the Z Force
Z Force (Action Force)
Z Force is a fictional infantry military unit that features in the Action Force universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe action figure and comic book series....
, Q Force
Q Force
Q Force is a fictional marine military unit that features in the Action Force universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe action figure and comic book series....
, Space Force
Space Force (Action Force)
Space Force is a fictional space military unit that features in the Action Force universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe action figure and comic book series....
and SAS
SAS (Action Force)
SAS Force is a fictional special forces military unit that features in the Action Force universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe action figure and comic book series....
teams.
As a number of the second generation Action Force figures were already repaints or recharacterisations of their G.I. Joe equivalents, there was a substantial overlap in a number of the characters (for example, Gung-Ho was simply Z Force's Gaucho, re-cast as Harry Brewster, an American from the Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
Everglades
Everglades
The Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee...
) and for that reason they never featured in storylines with their second generation counterparts. Moondancer was the only character whose profile from the Second Generation Space Force
Space Force (Action Force)
Space Force is a fictional space military unit that features in the Action Force universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe action figure and comic book series....
character was unchanged. Other overlaps included Breaker and Stalker both of whom had entirely different characters with identical codenames in the Second Generation Z Force and SAS teams respectively.
List of characters
- Ace -
- Airborne - Italian Air AssaultAir assaultAir assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces...
specialist. - Blowtorch - French flame thrower specialist.
- Breaker - West German radio operator, a contrast to the Italian Breaker of series 2.
- Cutter - Ex Royal New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Navy, commands the hovercraft. - Deep Six - Irish deep sea diver and pilot of the Sharc submarine.
- Doc - Jamaican medic
- Dolphin - As a Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer, became the youngest commander of a Nuclear SubmarineNuclear submarineA nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor . The performance advantages of nuclear submarines over "conventional" submarines are considerable: nuclear propulsion, being completely independent of air, frees the submarine from the need to surface frequently, as is necessary for...
. Now Action Forces Sealion submarine pilot. - Duke - Team Leader, Duke was a Top Sergeant with the U.S.Airborne RangersUnited States Army RangersUnited States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...
before joining Action Force. - Flash - Claimed to be an ex-Royal Green JacketsRoyal Green JacketsThe Royal Green Jackets was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two "large regiments" within the Light Division .-History:...
soldier, but it later turned out to be involved with Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
gangsters in his youth. - Grunt (mail in only) - Characterized as a generic AF infantryman.
- Gung-Ho -
- Moondancer - A Triad Fighter Pilot from the Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. - Mutt and his dog, Junkyard - Former SpanishSpanish peopleThe Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
military police dog handler and his Rottweiler cross canine. - Recondo - Tough former SASR trooper.
- Ripcord - Former member of The Parachute Regiment.
- Roadblock - A gourmetGourmetGourmet is a cultural ideal associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterised by elaborate preparations and presentations of large meals of small, often quite rich courses...
chef from the French CongoFrench CongoThe French Congo was a French colony which at one time comprised the present-day area of the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and the Central African Republic...
. Roadblock is a heavy machine gun specialist. - Scarlett - Belgian martial arts expert and counter-intelligence specialist.
- Snowjob - Former ScottishScottish peopleThe Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
Olympic Skier who only originally joined Action Force to train for the Olympics. - Stalker - French infantryman. A contrast to Series 2's Icelandic jeep driver.
- Ton Up - Swedish getaway driver who joins AF to drive the Wolverine missile tank.
- Torpedo - Dutch S.E.A.L.United States Navy SEALsThe United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
trained commando, when off duty lives on the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
coast in a remote WindmillWindmillA windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
. - Tripwire - Welsh mine detector and bomb disposal expert.
Vehicles, weapony and armour
- Armoured Troop Carrier - A six wheeled amphibious A.P.C.A.P.C.A.P.C. is a French ready-to-wear brand, founded in 1988 by the Tunisian born Designer Jean Touitou. A.P.C. stands for 'Atelier de Production et de Création'. The company's legal address is 39 Rue Madame 75006 Paris. in Paris, which is also the location of its flagship store.-Characteristics of the...
- Command Centre - Transportable fortified HQ with vehicle repair station, prisoner cell and battlefield communications suite.
- Dart - A ground-to-air missile system
- Flying Submarine (piloted by Deep Six)
- Hovercraft (piloted by Cutter)
- Lance - A self-propelled multi-barreled heavy machine gun.
- Sealion Submarine (piloted by Dolphin)
- Shaft - A tripod tracked self-propelled weapons system.
- Silent Attack Kayak (piloted by Recondo)
- Skystriker (piloted by Ace) - A multi-role fighter jet
- Triad fighter Spacecraft(piloted by Moondancer)
- Whirlwind - A multi-barreled anti-aircraft gun
- Wolverine (driven by Ton Up) - A tracked multi-barreled missile system