Red Laser is an Action Force

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...

 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...

 character. He is a Red Shadow

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...

 and the gunner of the Laser Exterminator.

Red Laser was known in West Germany as Roter Laser.

Characterisation

According to his Battle Action Force depiction, Red Laser is a former-member of a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese terrorist organisation and:

Has a high level of technical experience. Formerly a student of Laser Technology at Tokyo University, was corrupted by dreams of power shown to him by Baron Ironblood

Baron Ironblood

Baron Ironblood is a fictional character from Action Force, the British equivalent to the G. I. Joe Franchise. He appeared in the Battle Action Force comic books and annuals of the 1980s and was cast as an action figure by toy-makers Palitoy and distributed around Europe.In West Germany, he was...

. Has developed Laser Exterminator into the most deadly weapon in the enemy armoury.

In addition, Red Laser is described as totally corrupt, and brainwashed by Baron Ironblood to accept the slightest command from him

Action figure

As an action figure Red Laser was supplied with a black pistol

Pistol

When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...

 which could be clipped onto his back. The figure distributed in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 is a repaint of the G.I. Joe

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...

 Cobra Commander

Cobra Commander

Cobra Commander is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise. He appears in the toyline, animated series , comic books, video games, and movie as the usual principal antagonist. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra, and archnemesis of the Joes...

. A variation of the figure, without the skull and crossbones, was made for West Germany due to then German toy laws.

Role in the transition to Cobra

Red Laser is one of a handful of Red Shadow characters incorporated into the storyline that accompanied the transition to Cobra in the mid 1980s. The change in direction saw a storyline where Ironblood betrays the Red Shadows, leaking information about their bases and intentions to the UN

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

. As the Shadows are wiped out, Ironblood goes into hiding and constructs a new identity for himself, becoming Cobra Commander

Cobra Commander

Cobra Commander is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise. He appears in the toyline, animated series , comic books, video games, and movie as the usual principal antagonist. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra, and archnemesis of the Joes...

, and creating Cobra as a new enemy force.

Subsequently, Red Laser (who is shown without his face mask/helmet) together with the Black Major

The Black Major

The Black Major The Black Major The Black Major (published name John Shepherd (name changed to protect his family ) is a fictional character from the Action Force series depicted in the Battle Action Force comic books and Palitoy action figures as a European version of G.I...

 and Red Vulture goes in search of Ironblood to seek revenge for the betrayal of the Red Shadows. However he is unable to get near to his former leader and exits the series having rescued the Black Major with Red Vulture. He never features again in Battle Action Force.