Tunnel Rat (G.I. Joe)
Encyclopedia
Tunnel Rat is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
toyline. He has appeared in all cartoon and comic incarnations of the series.
.
G.I. Joe series, he first appeared in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #59 (May 1987). He had been assigned for security to Thunder
, Clutch
, and Grand Slam
. The entire team had been out for some time testing equipment. Tunnel Rat teaches Grand Slam all about the Joe credit cards, as the latter had been having problems with getting his pay.
The team joins up with Dusty
, Crank-Case
, Hawk
, Cross-Country
and, later, Outback
. They are to take the equipment to Fort Carson.
It is Tunnel Rat's new methods of pay that get them attacked by Cobra forces. The Crimson Guardsman Fred, Raptor and Cobra Commander track down the Joe convoy via Tunnel Rat's credit records, old intelligence and the abilities of Raptor's birds. Cobra Commander attacks the entire team in a 'Pogo Plane'. Due to the limited manuverability of the mountains, the battle is precarious for both sides. Clutch's driving skills saves the day but Cobra Commander escapes with the knowledge that Tunnel Rat has unwittingly given him.
Tunnel Rat often serves as pointman in missions where the Joes have to travel through underground tunnels and sewer channels. He does so during the Cobra Island
civil war; his expertise helps his fellow recon teammates escape from Cobra soldiers and in other instances, Iron Grenadiers
.
Tunnel Rat and other Joes come into conflict with the Iron Grenadiers in issue #23 of 'Special Missions'. Tunnel Rat, along with his fellow Joes, had been giving the Joe rookie Scoop a hard time because the man, while meeting Joe standards, just barely did so. Scoop personally saves the life of Tunnel Rat (who had been wounded) by defeating an Iron Grenadier in hand to hand combat. This earns him the respect of all the other G.I.Joes.
, Beach Head, Lift Ticket
, Rapid Fire, and Windmill. As the main team moved to attack Cobra forces in the Appalachian Mountains, Tunnel Rat redeployed to New York City where he battled Alley Vipers in the sewers.
comes under siege by robotic adversaries.
The first Tunnel Rat figure was released as part of the 1987 series of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. A second version was made available a year later as part of the Night Force sub-set, packaged with Psyche-Out
. A third Tunnel Rat figure was part of the Sonic Fighters sub-set in 1990, and came with an over-sized backpack that featured electronic sounds.
G.I. Joe vs Cobra/Valor vs Venom
The original Tunnel Rat sculpt was revived as part of a new "Night Force" set released in 2004. That same year, he was released as part of the "Desert Patrol Squad" set, which also included the figures Ambush, Dusty
, Gung Ho
, Snake-Eyes and Stalker
. Both sets were only available at Toys "R" Us stores.
Two all-new sculpted Tunnel Rat figures were released as well. The first (G.I. Joe vs Cobra) portrayed him as being much taller than previously seen in other media. This was corrected in the second version (Valor vs. Venom).
Comic Book Pack
A Tunnel Rat figure using the original mold, but with a newly sculpted head to reflect his comic book appearances, was packaged along with Flint, General Abernathy, and a reprint of Marvel Comics G.I. Joe #76.
Rise of Cobra
While not in the movie, a figure for Tunnel Rat was created for the toyline. Tunnel Rat is part of a 2-figure Walmart exclusive, packaged with Monkeywrench
, an explosives expert for the Dreadnoks
.
as a member of the Rawhides, a group of G.I. Joe rookies. He was often partnered with the taller Big Lob. The Rawhides would try to operate on their own throughout the movie. He was voiced by Laurie Faso
.
He was not seen again in the following seasons from DiC
.
, voiced by Doron Bell Jr.
.
, although his character design is overhauled that there is no resemblance to his previous version. In that series, he has a penchant for portable hi-tech devices and a specialty in infiltration and demolition materials. He is also somewhat lazy and will eat anything, including live insects. He often works with Heavy Duty
, who seems to be his best friend.
, where his character is given a much more gung-ho and cocky treatment.
, Tunnel Rat is portrayed as Asian American. He is one of the central characters of the series. He is part of the titular 'Renegades', a sub-team of Joes on the run from the law.
In the episode "White Out," it was revealed that Tunnel Rat was once on the same military team with Snow Job and Frostbite.
In the episode "The Anomaly," it is revealed that Tunnel Rat has a brother named Teddy. The siblings work together in saving a friend who had been abducted by a Sewer Viper.
portrayed by Eddie Hargitay
.
voiced by Bumper Robinson
.
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...
toyline. He has appeared in all cartoon and comic incarnations of the series.
Profile
Tunnel Rat is the code name of Nicky Lee, a Trinidadian Chinese who lived in Brooklyn, New York prior to joining the US Army where he had Ranger training. He specializes in explosive ordnance disposal. The character's facial appearance is based on G.I. Joe comic book writer Larry HamaLarry Hama
Larry Hama is an American comic book writer, artist, actor and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s....
.
Marvel Comics
In the Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
G.I. Joe series, he first appeared in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #59 (May 1987). He had been assigned for security to Thunder
Thunder (G.I. Joe)
Thunder is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is the G.I. Joe team's self-propelled gun artilleryman and debuted in 1984.-Profile:...
, Clutch
Steeler (G.I. Joe)
Steeler is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is the G.I. Joe team's original tank commander and debuted in 1982.-Profile:...
, and Grand Slam
Grand Slam (G.I. Joe)
Grand Slam is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. Grand Slam is the G.I. Joe Team's original laser artillery soldier.-Profile:...
. The entire team had been out for some time testing equipment. Tunnel Rat teaches Grand Slam all about the Joe credit cards, as the latter had been having problems with getting his pay.
The team joins up with Dusty
Dusty (G.I. Joe)
Dusty is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's desert trooper and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
, Crank-Case
Crankcase (G.I. Joe)
Crankcase is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's A.W.E. Striker driver and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
, Hawk
Hawk (G.I. Joe)
Hawk is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line of military-themed toys. He appears in the animated series, comic books, toyline, and movie.-Profile:...
, Cross-Country
Cross-Country (G.I. Joe)
Cross-Country is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's H.A.V.O.C. driver and debuted in 1986.-Profile:...
and, later, Outback
Outback (G.I. Joe)
Outback is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's survivalist and debuted in 1987.-Profile:His real name is Stuart R. Selkirk, and his rank is that of sergeant E-5...
. They are to take the equipment to Fort Carson.
It is Tunnel Rat's new methods of pay that get them attacked by Cobra forces. The Crimson Guardsman Fred, Raptor and Cobra Commander track down the Joe convoy via Tunnel Rat's credit records, old intelligence and the abilities of Raptor's birds. Cobra Commander attacks the entire team in a 'Pogo Plane'. Due to the limited manuverability of the mountains, the battle is precarious for both sides. Clutch's driving skills saves the day but Cobra Commander escapes with the knowledge that Tunnel Rat has unwittingly given him.
Tunnel Rat often serves as pointman in missions where the Joes have to travel through underground tunnels and sewer channels. He does so during the Cobra Island
Cobra Island
Cobra Island is a fictional country located in the Gulf of Mexico. It is the main base of operations for the fictional Cobra Organization featured in the G.I. Joe toyline from the 1980s. It is featured in the G.I. Joe cartoon and the comic book series created by Marvel Comics and Devil's Due...
civil war; his expertise helps his fellow recon teammates escape from Cobra soldiers and in other instances, Iron Grenadiers
Iron Grenadiers
The Iron Grenadiers are a faction from the military-themed line of action figures and toys known as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.-History:They are a private army owned and maintained by the arms dealer Destro. The Grenadiers are composed of Destro's castle guards, personal bodyguards, and...
.
Tunnel Rat and other Joes come into conflict with the Iron Grenadiers in issue #23 of 'Special Missions'. Tunnel Rat, along with his fellow Joes, had been giving the Joe rookie Scoop a hard time because the man, while meeting Joe standards, just barely did so. Scoop personally saves the life of Tunnel Rat (who had been wounded) by defeating an Iron Grenadier in hand to hand combat. This earns him the respect of all the other G.I.Joes.
Devil's Due
When G.I.Joe was reinstated as seen in the Devil's Due comics, Tunnel Rat returned as a reservist. He was called into action to help battle the returned Serpentor. When Joe, Cobra, and the Coil battled it out on Cobra Island, Tunnel Rat was part of Assault Team Beta. After the conflict, Tunnel Rat was part of a group of Joes tracking down a mysterious invasion in Sierra Gordo. Tunnel Rat was wounded during the mission and had a lengthy recovery. By the time he fully healed, the team had disbanded in the wake of the battle against the Red Shadows.America's Elite/Devil's Due
Tunnel Rat returned to reserve status. He was called into action to help a group of Joes infiltrate an abandoned Cobra facility in New York City. During the World War 3 storyline, Tunnel Rat was reactivated again, this time he deployed to South America alongside FootlooseFootloose (G.I. Joe)
Footloose is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's infantry trooper, and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
, Beach Head, Lift Ticket
Lift-Ticket (G.I. Joe)
Lift-Ticket is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's Tomahawk pilot and debuted in 1986.-Profile:...
, Rapid Fire, and Windmill. As the main team moved to attack Cobra forces in the Appalachian Mountains, Tunnel Rat redeployed to New York City where he battled Alley Vipers in the sewers.
IDW Publishing
Tunnel-Rat appears in issue #4 of the IDW Publishing G.I. Joe series. He assists his teammates when The PitThe Pit (G.I. Joe)
The Pit is the fictional headquarters of the specialist G.I. Joe team from the 1980s Marvel comic book created by Larry Hama. It is a multi-level underground base complete with training facilities, living quarters, a briefing room, and heavy equipment storage....
comes under siege by robotic adversaries.
Toys
A Real American HeroThe first Tunnel Rat figure was released as part of the 1987 series of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. A second version was made available a year later as part of the Night Force sub-set, packaged with Psyche-Out
Psyche-Out (G.I. Joe)
Psyche-Out is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is the G.I. Joe team's deceptive warfare specialist and debuted in 1987.-Profile:...
. A third Tunnel Rat figure was part of the Sonic Fighters sub-set in 1990, and came with an over-sized backpack that featured electronic sounds.
G.I. Joe vs Cobra/Valor vs Venom
The original Tunnel Rat sculpt was revived as part of a new "Night Force" set released in 2004. That same year, he was released as part of the "Desert Patrol Squad" set, which also included the figures Ambush, Dusty
Dusty (G.I. Joe)
Dusty is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's desert trooper and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
, Gung Ho
Gung-Ho (G.I. Joe)
Gung-Ho is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books, and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's original Marine and debuted in 1983.-Profile:...
, Snake-Eyes and Stalker
Stalker (G.I. Joe)
Stalker is the code name of Army Sergeant Lonzo R. Wilkinson, a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series. He is one of very few characters from the first line of the toys to have a distinct appearance from the other action figures, as he is African-American. Stalker was a major...
. Both sets were only available at Toys "R" Us stores.
Two all-new sculpted Tunnel Rat figures were released as well. The first (G.I. Joe vs Cobra) portrayed him as being much taller than previously seen in other media. This was corrected in the second version (Valor vs. Venom).
Comic Book Pack
A Tunnel Rat figure using the original mold, but with a newly sculpted head to reflect his comic book appearances, was packaged along with Flint, General Abernathy, and a reprint of Marvel Comics G.I. Joe #76.
Rise of Cobra
While not in the movie, a figure for Tunnel Rat was created for the toyline. Tunnel Rat is part of a 2-figure Walmart exclusive, packaged with Monkeywrench
Monkeywrench (G.I. Joe)
Monkeywrench 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 1986.-Profile:His real name is Bill Winkie...
, an explosives expert for the Dreadnoks
Dreadnoks
The Dreadnoks are a fictional biker gang who act as villains in the G.I. Joe saga, which have been represented in several types of media, including toylines , comic books series , and television cartoons .All Dreadnoks are uncouth and violent, and usually engage their enemies with...
.
G.I. Joe: The Movie
In the cartoon series, the character first appeared in G.I. Joe: The MovieG.I. Joe: The Movie
G.I. Joe: The Movie is a 1987 animated film spun off from the animated series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, based on the original Hasbro toyline. It was produced by Sunbow Productions and Marvel Productions and was animated in Japan by Toei Animation.Created at the height of the G.I. Joe craze in...
as a member of the Rawhides, a group of G.I. Joe rookies. He was often partnered with the taller Big Lob. The Rawhides would try to operate on their own throughout the movie. He was voiced by Laurie Faso
Laurie Faso
Laurie Faso is an American television actor and occasional voice actor. In his career, he has held several bit parts on various shows, in addition to doing voices for several animated series and films, such as The Snorks, Monchichis, Darkwing Duck, Transformers and The Little Troll Prince...
.
He was not seen again in the following seasons from DiC
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
.
Spy Troops
Tunnel Rat appeared in the direct-to-video CGI animated movie G.I. Joe: Spy TroopsG.I. Joe: Spy Troops
G.I. Joe: Spy Troops is a 2003 direct-to-video CGI animated movie produced by Reel FX Creative Studios. Spy Troops is the first G.I. Joe movie to be released by Reel FX....
, voiced by Doron Bell Jr.
Doron Bell Jr.
Doron Bell Jr. is a Canadian actor. He is known primarily for voice work, perhaps best known for his role as Odie in the fantasy television series Class of the Titans.-Selected filmography:...
.
Sigma Six
Tunnel Rat also appears in G.I. Joe: Sigma 6G.I. Joe: Sigma 6
G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 is a line of military-themed action figures and toys produced by Hasbro, re-imagining the characters of the 1980s toyline, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.The Sigma 6 toy line served several purposes for Hasbro...
, although his character design is overhauled that there is no resemblance to his previous version. In that series, he has a penchant for portable hi-tech devices and a specialty in infiltration and demolition materials. He is also somewhat lazy and will eat anything, including live insects. He often works with Heavy Duty
Heavy Duty (G.I. Joe)
Heavy Duty is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series of toy lines, comics and cartoons. Heavy Duty is the G.I. Joe Team's heavy ordnance specialist. He is described as being unafraid of any situation despite heavy enemy fire...
, who seems to be his best friend.
Resolute
The character appears in G.I. Joe: ResoluteG.I. Joe: Resolute
G.I. Joe: Resolute is an animated television series based on the G.I. Joe franchise. It was written by Warren Ellis, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, and produced by Sam Register. The series debuted on the web at Adult Swim Video April 18, 2009, with a Content Rating of TV-14-V, and premiered in its...
, where his character is given a much more gung-ho and cocky treatment.
Renegades
In G.I. Joe: RenegadesG.I. Joe: Renegades
G.I. Joe: Renegades is an American animated television series based on the G.I. Joe toy franchise. The series premiered on November 26, 2010 on The Hub. The series aired on Teletoon in Canada....
, Tunnel Rat is portrayed as Asian American. He is one of the central characters of the series. He is part of the titular 'Renegades', a sub-team of Joes on the run from the law.
In the episode "White Out," it was revealed that Tunnel Rat was once on the same military team with Snow Job and Frostbite.
In the episode "The Anomaly," it is revealed that Tunnel Rat has a brother named Teddy. The siblings work together in saving a friend who had been abducted by a Sewer Viper.
Books
- Tunnel Rat is a featured character in the G.I.Joe novel 'Fool's Gold'.
- He is briefly mentioned in the e-book 'Diary Of An American Boy'.
Live-action movie
Tunnel Rat will appear in G.I. Joe: RetaliationG.I. Joe: Retaliation
G.I. Joe: Retaliation is an upcoming science fiction action film directed by Jon Chu. It is a sequel to 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.-Plot:...
portrayed by Eddie Hargitay
Eddie Hargitay
Eddie Hargitay Hargitay is an American actor, born in Hollywood, California. His godfather and great uncle was actor and former Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay...
.
Video games
Tunnel Rat appears as a non-playable supporting character in the video game G.I. Joe: The Rise of CobraG.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (video game)
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is the title of a video game adaption of the film of the same name. The game takes place after the film. The 360 and PS3 versions are based on the same code, while the DS is an entirely different game unto itself, and the Wii, PS2, and PSP version are also based on...
voiced by Bumper Robinson
Bumper Robinson
Bumper Robinson is an American actor and voice artist. Robinson got his nickname because he repeatedly bumped into things while running through his home as a young child.- Life and career :...
.
External links
- Tunnel Rat at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page