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'''''Action Force''''' was a comic series produced by [[Marvel Comics]] [[United Kingdom|UK]], based on the ''Action Force'' toyline (at this point the brand name for [[G.I. Joe (franchise)|''G.I. Joe'']] in [[Europe]] and [[Israel]]). Like [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|Marvel UK's ''Transformers'']], it reprinted [[United States of America|American]] ''[[G.I. Joe (comic)|G.I. Joe]]'' issues and also its own new stories. The two UK titles would crossover, and ''Action Force'' became ''Transformers''' back-up strip from #153.
'''''Action Force''''' was a comic series produced by [[Marvel Comics]] [[United Kingdom|UK]], based on the ''Action Force'' toyline (at this point the brand name for [[G.I. Joe (franchise)|''G.I. Joe'']] in [[Europe]] and [[Israel]]). Like [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|Marvel UK's ''Transformers'']], it reprinted [[United States of America|American]] ''[[G.I. Joe (comic)|G.I. Joe]]'' issues and also its own new stories. The two UK titles would crossover, and ''Action Force'' became ''Transformers''' back-up strip from #153.


Its relation to the ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' and ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' comics is a strange one. Unlike the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] UK comic, which also reprinted US material, very little effort was put into making the UK stories jibe with their US counterparts. Many of the characters had their histories and sometimes names changed to be make them more international (usually European). While the original ''Transformers'' strips tied into and reflected the US reprints, the unique ''Action Force'' plots were fairly independent and focused on the West Europe branch of Action Force (i.e. [[To sell toys|the ones in the shops]]). Some token revisions were made to the US scripts, such as replacing all instances of "G.I. Joe" with "Action Force" and rewriting [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]]'s first US appearance to make him a visiting foreign agent.   
Its relation to the ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' and ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' comics is a strange one. Unlike the [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] UK comic, which also reprinted US material, very little effort was put into making the UK stories jibe with their US counterparts. Many of the characters had their histories and sometimes names changed to be make them more international (usually European). While the original ''Transformers'' strips tied into and reflected the US reprints, the unique ''Action Force'' plots were fairly independent and focused on the West Europe branch of Action Force (i.e. [[To sell toys|the ones in the shops]]). Some token revisions were made to the US scripts, such as replacing all instances of "G.I. Joe" with "Action Force" and rewriting [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]]'s first US appearance to make him a visiting foreign agent.   


As for ''Transformers'', the [[G.I. Joe and the Transformers|US ''G.I. Joe'' crossover]] was not reprinted in the UK until long after its original publication, and its principle effect on ''Transformers'' (the transformation of [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] into Goldbug) occurred in a [[Hunters|completely different manner]] in the UK continuity.  So when ''Action Force'' later crossed over with the UK Generation 1 comic, it was for the first time in that market, and US readers never heard a thing about it.
As for ''Transformers'', the [[G.I. Joe and the Transformers|US ''G.I. Joe'' crossover]] was not reprinted in the UK until long after its original publication, and its principle effect on ''Transformers'' (the transformation of [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] into Goldbug) occurred in a [[Hunters|completely different manner]] in the UK continuity.  So when ''Action Force'' later crossed over with the UK Generation 1 comic, it was for the first time in that market, and US readers never heard a thing about it.
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Starting with Generation 1 UK issue #[[Enemy Action!|153]], ''Action Force'' (actually ''G.I. Joe'' reprints) became the book's backup strip.  Not long after, another comic called ''[[Action Force Monthly]]'' started up, featuring new stories, reprints of old UK-originated ''Action Force'' stories, and even reprints of the Generation 1 UK crossover (in issues #1-6).  This book was published in the US as ''G.I. Joe: European Missions'', though within the stories the term "Action Force" was always used.
Starting with Generation 1 UK issue #[[Enemy Action!|153]], ''Action Force'' (actually ''G.I. Joe'' reprints) became the book's backup strip.  Not long after, another comic called ''[[Action Force Monthly]]'' started up, featuring new stories, reprints of old UK-originated ''Action Force'' stories, and even reprints of the Generation 1 UK crossover (in issues #1-6).  This book was published in the US as ''G.I. Joe: European Missions'', though within the stories the term "Action Force" was always used.


[[Image:Trans-Atlantic Treaty.jpg|thumb|right|250px|]]   
[[Image:Trans-Atlantic Treaty.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]   


Some time after ''Action Force Monthly'' ended, Hasbro decided to gradually rebrand everything as ''G.I. Joe''. A promotional comic, reprinted in [[Underworld|#245]] of the UK Generation 1 comic, had representatives from the American G.I. Joe team and the specifically British (sorry rest o' Europe) Action Force joined together to form "G.I. Joe the Action Force" to better fight the global Cobras.<ref>[http://www.bloodforthebaron.com/comics/maf/043/index.html "Divided We Fall!"]</ref> This came complete with a treaty on the merger that required [[you]] as a signatory. Unfortunately this strip made no sense with any established continuity, but the comic quickly returned to ''G.I. Joe'' reprints, and the only real change from then on was that the stories were branded "G.I. Joe the Action Force".  
Some time after ''Action Force Monthly'' ended, Hasbro decided to gradually rebrand everything as ''G.I. Joe''. A promotional comic, reprinted in [[Underworld|#245]] of the UK Generation 1 comic, had representatives from the American G.I. Joe team and the specifically British (sorry rest o' Europe) Action Force joined together to form "G.I. Joe the Action Force" to better fight the global Cobras.<ref>[http://www.bloodforthebaron.com/comics/maf/043/index.html "Divided We Fall!"]</ref> This came complete with a treaty on the merger that required [[you]] as a signatory. Unfortunately this strip made no sense with any established continuity, but the comic quickly returned to ''G.I. Joe'' reprints, and the only real change from then on was that the stories were branded "G.I. Joe the Action Force".  
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[[Category: Action Force]]
[[Category:Action Force]]
[[Category: Back-up strips]]
[[Category:Back-up strips]]
[[Category: Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]

Revision as of 23:59, 25 June 2020

This article is about the comic series. For its titular stars, see Action Force (team).
G.I. Joe
SOMEBODY PLEASE TURN OFF THE SCREAMING HEADS THANK YOU

Action Force was a comic series produced by Marvel Comics UK, based on the Action Force toyline (at this point the brand name for G.I. Joe in Europe and Israel). Like Marvel UK's Transformers, it reprinted American G.I. Joe issues and also its own new stories. The two UK titles would crossover, and Action Force became Transformers' back-up strip from #153.

Its relation to the G.I. Joe and Transformers comics is a strange one. Unlike the Generation 1 UK comic, which also reprinted US material, very little effort was put into making the UK stories jibe with their US counterparts. Many of the characters had their histories and sometimes names changed to be make them more international (usually European). While the original Transformers strips tied into and reflected the US reprints, the unique Action Force plots were fairly independent and focused on the West Europe branch of Action Force (i.e. the ones in the shops). Some token revisions were made to the US scripts, such as replacing all instances of "G.I. Joe" with "Action Force" and rewriting Flint's first US appearance to make him a visiting foreign agent.

As for Transformers, the US G.I. Joe crossover was not reprinted in the UK until long after its original publication, and its principle effect on Transformers (the transformation of Bumblebee into Goldbug) occurred in a completely different manner in the UK continuity. So when Action Force later crossed over with the UK Generation 1 comic, it was for the first time in that market, and US readers never heard a thing about it.

The upshot of all of that is that this wiki considers the Action Force comic's unique storylines to be a separate continuity from G.I. Joe and the Marvel US Generation 1 comics. It is only in continuity with the Marvel UK Generation 1 comics, and even then probably to a limited degree.


Action Force issues with Transformers content:
#24-27

Overview

The Action Force / Transformers crossover was set up in the Generation 1 comic, which began the storyline with a clone of Megatron being spotted by an archaeological team in ancient sewers beneath London. The second issue of the story, which was the first part under the Action Force title, featured Flint leading a team of Action Force soldiers into the sewers in search of the "monster". But what they found first was the Protectobot Blades, whom they mistook for the hostile robot they were searching for. Explosions and misunderstandings ensued, but when Megatron actually appeared, allegiances were quickly sorted out. Through three more Action Force issues, the battle escalated above ground, where Grimlock, Centurion, and more Action Force operatives joined the fray. It ended with an airstrike on a natural-gas storage facility that sent the flame-engulfed Megatron and Centurion into the River Thames. This plotline was very much in continuity with the UK Generation 1 comic, and its conclusion would have consequences later in that series. However, the other Action Force stories never made reference to it, and in fact one earlier issue featured an ad for the Transformers comic... in the background of one of its panels![1]

Starting with Generation 1 UK issue #153, Action Force (actually G.I. Joe reprints) became the book's backup strip. Not long after, another comic called Action Force Monthly started up, featuring new stories, reprints of old UK-originated Action Force stories, and even reprints of the Generation 1 UK crossover (in issues #1-6). This book was published in the US as G.I. Joe: European Missions, though within the stories the term "Action Force" was always used.

Some time after Action Force Monthly ended, Hasbro decided to gradually rebrand everything as G.I. Joe. A promotional comic, reprinted in #245 of the UK Generation 1 comic, had representatives from the American G.I. Joe team and the specifically British (sorry rest o' Europe) Action Force joined together to form "G.I. Joe the Action Force" to better fight the global Cobras.[2] This came complete with a treaty on the merger that required you as a signatory. Unfortunately this strip made no sense with any established continuity, but the comic quickly returned to G.I. Joe reprints, and the only real change from then on was that the stories were branded "G.I. Joe the Action Force".

Eventually "the Action Force" would be dropped altogether and the comic ended as "G.I. Joe" with #332 of Transformers.

Marvel UK reprints

The Marvel UK Transformers comic ran a number of Action Force stories as back-up strips.

Issues Story G.I. Joe at Marvel Database
#99 - #102 "Improvisation on a Theme" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 44
#122 "Dummy Run!" Action Force #18
#153 - #156 "Slaughter" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 48
#157 - #160 "Serpentor" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 49
#161 "Road Safety - From the Air!" in-house story
#161 "Battle Island!" in-house story
#162 - #165 "The Battle of Springfield" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 50
#166 - #169 "Thunder Machine" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 51
#170 - #173 "Snap Decisions" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 52
#174 - #177 "Pit-Fall" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 53
#178 - #181 "Launch Base" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 54
#191 -#194 "Unmaskings" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 55
#195 - #198 "Jungle Moves" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 56
#199 & 201-203 "Hush Job" G.I. Joe: Yearbook Vol 1 3
#204 - #207 "Strange Bedfellows" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 57
#208 - #212 "Desperate Moves" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 58
#220-224 "Divergent Paths" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 59
#225 - #229 "Cross Purposes" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 60
#230-231 & 233-235 "Airshow" G.I. Joe Special Missions Vol 1 12
#236 - #240 "Beginnings and Endings" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 61
#241 - #245 "Evasion" G.I. Joe Special Missions Vol 1 6
#246 - #247 "Law of the Jungle" Action Force #40 - #41
#248 - #249 & #251 - #253 "The Lower Depths" G.I. Joe Special Missions Vol 1 21
#254 - #257 "Transit" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 62
#258 - #261 "Going Under" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 63
#262 - #265 "Maneuvering for Position" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 64
#266 - #269 "Shuttle Complex" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 65
#270 - #273 "The Tenth Letter" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 66
#274 - #277 "Cold Snap" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 #67
#278 - #281 "Cut and Freeze Dried" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 68
#282 - #285 "Into the Breach" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 69
#286 - #289 "Fair Trade" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 70
#290 - #293 "Bailout" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 71
#294 - #297 "Stiletto" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 72
#298 - #301 "Divided We Fall" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 73
#302 - #305 "Alliance of Convenience" G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 74

Items of note

  • Some specific character-related discrepancies between Action Force and G.I. Joe include:
    • Flint's real name is David R. Faireborn, and he was born in Lincoln, England.[3] Also he spends pretty much all of his time in Europe.
    • Lady Jaye, Wild Bill, Quick Kick, Airtight, and several others didn't have their names changed, but their birthplaces and personal histories were altered to be more international in scope.[3] Perhaps most extreme is Outback, who became a revenge-obsessed, borderline-psychotic[4] Scotsman raised in Australia.[3]
    • Destro appears to be disfigured under his mask.[5]
  • The issues of the UK Generation 1 comic containing Action Force as a backup strip are #99–102, #153–181, #191–212, and #220–248. Then the name changed to "G.I. Joe: The Action Force" from #249–305.
  • A mini-strip in #245 (also given away in comic shops) detailed that Europe's Action Force and its American counterpart G.I. Joe were unifying to better beat up Cobra. Which doesn't fit the previous Action Force strips and reprints, where they already have a US branch!

Creative team

Simon Furman wrote and Geoff Senior drew the entire Action Force / Transformers crossover, both being regular contributors to the comic.

References

  1. ↑ Scan of an Action Force comic page showing Transformers as a fictional entity within that universe.
  2. ↑ "Divided We Fall!"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Character profiles from several Action Force issues
  4. ↑ "Wild, Wild-Life" from Action Force Monthly #11
  5. ↑ "The Prisoner" from Action Force Monthly #13
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