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The name or term Rampage refers to more than one character or object. For a list of other uses, see Rampage.
Heavy Metal is a G.I. Joe character from the A Real American Hero series.
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Heavy Metal didn't join the Army to become a tank driver. He signed up so he could go to Finance School. That section of Brooklyn he grew up in is home to America's poverty-stricken. Just reaching middle-class is like becoming a billionaire. In many other ways, he is like his teammate Bazooka. He's smart and practical and found something during his enlistment that changes his life. While Bazooka thought a rocket-propelled grenade is a perfect weapon, Heavy Metal found joy in driving tanks.

Fiction[]

Comics[]

A Real American Hero continuity[]

Marvel Comics continuity[]

Heavy Metal was one of a group of prospective Joes who were tested in the Nevada desert by Lady Jaye. During the course of the test the group came under attack from Cobra.[1] Later when stationed at the Pit Heavy Metal worked in the motor pool when he was one of the Joes who greeted the newly arrived Sgt. Slaughter. Not having been told of any new arrivals, Heavy Metal and Clutch decided to poke Slaughter's bag. They soon learnt this was a mistake.[2] Heavy Metal subsequently participated in other missions, including the assault on Springfield.[3] Back at the Pit he was part of a team unsuccessfully sent to recapture the escaping Zartan.[4] Not long afterwards Hawk announced the grim news that the G.I. Joe team was being shut down and Heavy Metal was temporarily quartered up in Fort Wadsworth.[5]

Heavy Metal was one of the tragic casualties in the infamous Trucial Abysmia conflict. He bravely sacrificed himself by jumping in front of Breaker and Quick Kick and shielding them from a S.A.W.-Viper's hail of gunfire.

Devil's Due Comics continuity[]
   Write up

G.I. Joe vs. Transformers[]

   Write up

Action Force (British) Comics continuity[]

Heavy Metal's real name was "Steve". When he was at school he told on two pupils who cheated at a maths test so they beat him up. But another pupil called Tony Lander stopped them, saying "Look upon it as a personal favour you owe me, Steve."[6]

Heavy Metal was initially part of a group of prospective new Action Force members tested by Lady Jaye.[7] Subsequently he assigned to the European branch of Action Force and was in charge of the Mauler M.B.T.s. When testing one at Salisbury Plain he came under attack from Cobra F.A.N.G.s but destroyed them.[8]

Heavy Metal was shocked when he learned that Tony Lander had become a Cobra Trooper who went rogue and stole a canister of lethal nerve gas, threatening to release it into the atmosphere. He confronted Lander on the roof of a warehouse and tried to talk his old friend out of it but could not. Heavy Metal found himself aiming his gun at Lander and saying he would use it if he had to. Suddenly Lander was shot dead by the newly arrived Destro, who claimed to have done Heavy Metal a favour but the latter was not convinced.[9]

When the Decepticon Megatron rampaged through London, Heavy Metal led a squad of Maulers to attack but they were unsuccessful.[10] He subsequently participated in missions in the Americas.[11] He was also part of a squad who liberated an oil terminal in the Gulf of Arabia from Cobra.[12]

Animated continuity - Sunbow[]

Toys[]

Generation 1
Heavy Metal A Real American Hero (1985)

Heavy Metal was released as part of the 1985 series, packaged exclusively with the Mauler M.B.T. He was also sold in 1986, then was discontinued domestically in 1987.


Appearance: green helmet with chinstrap and black goggles; green open-collared shirt with black vest; green gloves and pants; black belt and brown boots

Accessories: long brown mic attaching to hole in helmet; black submachine gun with trigger guard and sling.

Variations: the original release has a dirty face; the 1989 mailaway "Rampage" version has a clean face


YoJoe.com page/Filecard

Trivia[]

  • Working names for the character included Fast Track, Road Iron, Rolling Jack and Bogie Wheel.
  • Heavy Metal's filename - "Sherman Guderian" - is a nod to the Sherman tank and the German general Heinz Guderian, famous for leading his tank divisions in the Nazi invasion of Moscow during World War II.
  • Heavy Metal's face was designed to resemble Hasbro employee Greg Berdeston.
  • The mail-order version of Heavy Metal was renamed Rampage. "Rampage" had brighter colors and no microphone, and all occurrences of the code name on his filecard were altered. However, he is not to be confused with the 2003 Rampage figure.
  • 1985 Heavy Metal's brown microphone is the single hardest to find accessory from the entire Generation 1 line.
  • An alternate personality profile was written by Larry Hama: "Heavy Metal likes order. When a page long column of figures adds up correctly, that's order. When a long column of tanks line up to face the enemy, that's order on another scale."
  • Despite being from New York, Heavy Metal wears a Confederate Soldier beltbuckle.

See Also[]

External links[]

   Write up

Footnotes[]



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