USS Flagg

The USS Flagg is a fictional U.S. Navy aircraft carrier from the toy line and cartoon series, . It is the G.I. Joe Team's primary sea going vessel. It is named for the team's original commanding officer, General Flagg, who was slain in combat against Cobra. As a toy, it is the largest G.I. Joe playset and, at the time, the largest boy's playset, measuring in at just under 7'6".

The hull classification symbol of this ship is often mistakenly identified as CV-66, but is actually CV-99, as based on the artwork on the box and the instructions for the toy [http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/85/ussflagg/] , which call for the numbers on the command tower to be placed as 99. The numbers on the deck are upside down based on true configuration of the active carriers for the U.S. Navy. Small errors exist like this with-in the G.I. Joe toy line due to cost of hiring experts or researchers was unnecessary when "close enough" is, more often than not, acceptable in toy lines.

In both the toy and comic book series, the USS Flagg's commander is "Admiral Keel-Haul". However, the commander in the cartoon series is "Admiral Ledger". While there is no known explanation of why there is a discrepancy, it is speculated that perhaps Hasbro, in rushing to have the toys introduced quickly in the cartoon series, the show's writers may not have been aware of the characters associated with the vehicles released during that particular wave of toys, so they created one. Many new vehicles were introduced without their particular drivers that were released with the toy of it.what?

Later episodes of the cartoon would focus on what happened after the Flagg was sunk. Salvage attempts by both Joe and Cobra happened and it was learned there was at least one person still living on board.

When the Flagg was initially released, it sold for a retail price of $109.99 [http://www.wishbookweb.com/1985_SearsWishbook/pages/SearsWishbook.1985EC.P443.htm] . It is now traded among serious collectors for anywhere from a few hundred dollars for sets in poor condition with missing pieces (individual pieces/parts are vigorously traded/bought as well) to over a thousand dollars for a product still in its original, unopened box.

Marvel Comics

The Flagg is featured in "G.I.Joe Special Missions" #28 as the focus of a concentrated Cobra effort to destroy it. It suffers a missile hit straight to the steam lines, rendering all conventional aircraft unlaunchable. Thanks to the intervention of the Joe pilot "Dogfight" with his prop plane and the Joe spacecraft the USS Defiant, the Flagg is saved from further damage. The Defiant then lands on the Flagg, where both ships are featured in a fourth wall breaking 'farewell' scene as #28 was the last issue of the series.

External links

* [http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/85/ussflagg/ USS Flagg] at YoJoe.com