In the fictional world of 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...

, Skystriker refers to two things: a jet fighter and a character

Fictional character

A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

.

Toys

The Skystriker XP-14F is a variable wing fighter aircraft, which first appeared in the 1983 edition of the hit cartoon series and toyline. It featured two each of the S3 Sidewinder, S3 Sparrow and S3Z Phoenix missiles, two ejection seats with working parachutes, and two Vulcan cannons. It was actually a version of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. This jet fighter is frequently piloted by the G.I. Joe member Ace

Ace (G.I. Joe)

Ace 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 fighter pilot and debuted in 1983.-Profile:...

.

The Skystriker was recast in black and red, and released as the Night Force Night Boomer in 1989, as a Toys "R" Us exclusive.

Comics

Its first 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...

 appearance was in issue #14 of the G.I. Joe comic published by Marvel Comics

Marvel 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...

 and appeared in every issue featuring a dogfight

Dogfight

A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane...

.

It was the central focus in issue #34, as Ace pilots a Skystriker in a dogfight against the Cobra pilot Wild Weasel

Wild Weasel (G.I. Joe)

Wild Weasel is a fictional character appearing in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series and comic-books. He is a member of Cobra and pilot of the Cobra Rattler...

. Neither pilot wins.

It often appears in relation to the USS Flagg

USS Flagg

The USS Flagg is a fictional U.S. Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier from the toy line, comic and cartoon series, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. It is the G.I. Joe Team's primary sea going vessel...

, the Joe's fictional aircraft carrier. For example, several Skystrikers are lost over the carrier's side during a tsunami.

Its final appearance was in issue #115, after which Ace has traded it for the newer more sophisticated Ghoststriker X-16; a craft based on F-16 Fighting Falcon

F-16 Fighting Falcon

The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...

.

Cartoon

In the animated series, it was used by every qualified Joe member until it was replaced by the Conquest X-30 in 1986. In the episode "The Wrong Stuff", several Skystrikers were modified for space travel. In "Battle for the Train of Gold", many Skystrikers were destroyed in a strafing run outside of Fort Knox

Fort Knox

Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence to include the Army Human Resources Command, United States Army Cadet...

.

Video game

The Skystriker is featured in the 1985 G.I. Joe computer game.

Character

Skystriker is also a code name used by a member of the G.I. Joe team. He is a member of the special G.I. Joe group Tiger Force, and serves as the jet fighter pilot tasked with operating the "Tiger Rat", a G.I. Joe assault plane. His real name is Alexander P. Russo, and he was released as an action figure in the 1988 edition of the toyline. Skystriker was born in Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

, and grew up around planes on a military base. He is noted for destroying more than fifteen Cobra planes during attacks on 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...

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External links

• Skystriker (Russo) at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page