Major Bludd

G.I. Joe character
Major Bludd
Affiliation	Cobra
Specialty	Mercenary
File name	Bludd, Sebastian
Birthplace	Sydney, Australia
Rank	O-4
Primary MOS	Terrorist
Secondary MOS	Weapons and Tactics
Subgroups	Super Sonic Fighters, Python Patrol
Voiced by	Michael Bell (Sunbow) André Sogliuzzo (Renegades)
Year introduced	1983

Major Bludd (Sebastian Bludd), is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series of the 1980s. Appearing in both the comic books and the cartoons, Major Bludd is one of the series villains, a mercenary working for the Cobra Organization.

Toy

Major Bludd first appeared in 1983,^[1] he has had 6 figures in the 3 3/4" scale and one convention exclusive figure. Bludd has commanded the Super Sonic Fighters, Python Patrol, and the Skull Squad for Cobra. The original Bludd figure is notable for having a right arm that is one solid piece of black plastic with no joints. It has been speculated that this was meant to represent an artificial or mechanical limb, though it was not portrayed as such in any fiction. Later releases altered the arm to the normal multi-jointed Joe style.

A version of Major Bludd was released as part of the Super Sonic Fighters line in 1991.^[2] Another version of Major Bludd was released in 1994 as part of the Battle Corps line. The 2000 figure is a repaint of his Sonic Fighters uniform mostly brown, black and silver in some parts. The 2003 figure uses the 94 head and another figure mold in the Python Patrol color scheme. The 2005 JvC/ST/VvV update uses the Blackout mold, Firefly arms and a new head w/ removable helmet. The 2006 version is part of the 2006 Joe Con Mercenaries set. The first 25th/Modern Era Bludd figure uses the first 25th Zartan mold, the right arm that is reminisent of the V1 figure. Later Modern Era versions have him in his true V1 mold and a cartoon version.^[3]

Fictional character biography

An Australian, he served in the Australian Special Air Service Regiment and French Foreign Legion before becoming a mercenary. He is wanted on almost every continent for numerous war crimes and even a few crimes against humanity. Bludd is easily identified by his eyepatch and Snidely Whiplash-style mustache. He was also something of a poet at heart, albeit a very bad one, and was possibly the only poet to ever utilize the word "Uzi" in a poem, as seen in this poem from his file card: "When you're feeling low and woozy/slap a fresh clip in your uzi/assume the proper firing stance/and make those suckers jump and dance".

Comic books

Marvel Comics

Major Bludd first appeared in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #15 (September 1983), and is named in issue #16.

In the Marvel comic book series, Cobra Commander hires Bludd to kill Destro, fearing that Destro would try to usurp the commander's authority. The Baroness, who was in love with Destro, foils the attempt.^[4] Afterward he was apprehended by an injured Hawk and brought to Joe headquarters.^[5] In issue #19 he escapes during a Cobra attack on Joe's Headquarters. He leaves behind the Cobra Trooper known as Scar-Face. During the escape he shoots and kills General Lawrence Flagg, the Joe's original commanding officer.^[6] He remains in Cobra employment despite Destro's knowledge of his attempted murder. Bludd eventually leaves Cobra to resume his career as a mercenary. Bludd has no contact with Cobra for the next few years, excepting a brief period where he poses as Destro in order to infiltrate Destro's Scottish castle.^[7] Later, he is hired by a corrupt General to kill Snake Eyes, who is trying to rescue an American prisoner in a Borovian gulag, but chooses not carry out the assassination after the American prisoner is killed.^[8]

Devil's Due Publishing

He was captured and sent to Leavenworth, but he escapes during a prison riot. Cobra Commander offers him a chance to rejoin Cobra, and he accepts.^{[volume & issue needed]} Bludd was captured following the battle against The Coil on Cobra Island and sent to Blackwater Prison. He and Scrap-Iron were broken out of jail by Wraith.^{[volume & issue needed]} He continued to serve with Cobra until the terrorist group was defeated. Bludd rejoins Cobra during Destro's brief period of leadership, serving as the Coil's field commander with Mistress Armada, but secretly working for the Commander.^{[volume & issue needed]} During this time, his hand was cut off by General Philip Rey and replaced with a cybernetic hand.^{[volume & issue needed]} Following Cobra's defeat at the Monolith Base, Major Bludd disappears and is still at large working as a mercenary.^{[volume & issue needed]}

America's Elite

In the G.I. Joe: America's Elite comics, Major Bludd attempts to kill the Vice President of the United States. Storm Shadow stops him. During the battle his cybernetic hand is blown off.^[9]

Bludd later returns when his hideaway in Switzerland is found by the presumed dead Baroness. She enlists his help, promising him power and a chance to kill Joes.

Bludd journeys to Saudi Arabia, recruiting a local anti-West faction in an attack on an oil refinery. The Joes trail him and stop his assault. Bludd allows himself to be captured by Duke. During this incident, Bludd claims to have killed the G.I. Joe member Recondo. What Bludd and the Baroness' plan is remains to be seen.

In G.I. Joe: America's Elite #26 Stalker and Flint escort Major Bludd to his "new home", a prison in Greenland nicknamed The Coffin created special to house Cobra's elite operatives. Bludd is extracted from the facility by Tomax in #30. Major Bludd is approached by Zartan, who paid him to take his place so the Dreadnok leader could payback Cobra Commander for having Monkeywrench killed. Major Bludd took the money but appeared during the final battle in the Appalachian Mountains. He tried to kill Sparks but was ironically knocked out by Recondo, who had faked his death in order to battle Cobra more efficiently. In the aftermath of the battle, Major Bludd was returned to the Coffin.

G.I. Joe: Reloaded

In the reboot series G.I. Joe Reloaded, Bludd was hired by Cobra Commander to train the forces of Cobra. He also leads the attacks on Blue Mountain and a Joe stronghold located in Hawaii. He has a fear of the dark.^{[citation needed]}

G.I. Joe vs. Transformers

Major Bludd also made a brief appearance in the first G.I. Joe/Transformers crossover from Devil's Due. Bludd had control of a jet during an Autobot invasion and attempts to use it to fight back. The jet turns out to be Thundercracker who had ideas of his own. He transforms into robot mode, crushing Bludd inside his cockpit.

G.I. Joe animated series

Sunbow

Major Bludd makes his debut in the first G.I. Joe miniseries as a Cobra Field Commander. He appeared frequently throughout the first season, but was not seen at all in the second season. Major Bludd appeared mainly loyal to Cobra Commander, and The Commander once made a reference to Major Bludd being in charge of recruitment for Cobra. He was a conniving character, and usually only hung around when he was being paid enough.

Movie

He appeared briefly in the beginning of G.I. Joe: The Movie, in the attack on the Statue of Liberty, just before his glider was shot down by the Joes. He is shown to survive this when he appears in the Cobra Terrordrome with the other members of the High Command. He was absent for the rest of the movie, however.

DiC series

Major Bludd is absent in the first DiC produced season of G.I. Joe, but appears frequently in the second season. He once again serves as Cobra's primary field Commander, working alongside Cobra Commander and The Baroness. Whereas some characters had very different appearances and voices in the DiC series, Major Bludd is very accurate to his previous portrayal. He now wears a blue Cobra uniform, unlike his previously brown officer's outfit to match his toy counterpart.

Resolute

Major Bludd's body is discovered in the opening of the first episode of G.I. Joe: Resolute, apparently assassinated by another Cobra operative. His body is identified by Scarlett. Cobra Commander later refers to him as a "traitor" hinting that Bludd was killed for trying to usurp authority.

Renegades

Major Bludd first appeared in the G.I. Joe: Renegades episode "The Package." He is hired by Cobra to take down Breaker and the Joes. In his first encounter with the Joes, Major Bludd locates his target, but Kibbey is saved by the Renegades. Major Bludd tracks them to a SSS mart warehouse (part of Cobra illegal weapons business) and manages to hit Kibbey with a knife seemingly killing him. Fortunately, the knife hits Kibbey's backpack and not him, but it hit the stolen Cobra scanner it contained. He was going to use a bazooka to destroy the fleeing Joes only that the bazooka was wired to a bomb in Cobra's warehouse and explodes when Major Bludd was behind the store. After calling Baroness about the situation, he is shown to have a scar across his face. As he holds his hand over his injured left eye, Major Bludd tells Baroness that he will do any job to take on the Renegades for free (as he blames them for his new injury).

In "Cousins," Major Bludd returns and attacks Roadblock and Heavy Duty at the cemetery following a funeral causing Roadblock and Heavy Duty to be handcuffed to each other. Major Bludd ends up following Heavy Duty and Roadblock in a car chase which results in Major Bludd blowing up a bridge. He then follows them into the swamp when riding a swamp boat. Major Bludd contacts Baroness telling them that he requires a raise in the bounty while tracking Roadblock and Heavy Duty. Major Bludd catches up to Roadblock and Heavy Duty and traps them. He then proceeds to set a trap for the other Joes. Major Bludd is then joined in the fight by Baroness and some Cobra Soldiers. When Major Bludd tries to fire on them, he is attacked by an alligator. He emerges from the swamp without a right arm shocking Baroness.

Video games

Major Bludd is one of the featured villains in the 1985 G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero computer game.^[10]

Major Bludd appeared as a boss in 1992's G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and in the G.I. Joe arcade game.

Other media

• Major Bludd appears in the Robot Chicken episode "Joint Point" voiced by Seth Green. In a segment that parodies the Terrordrome in the style of The Office, Major Bludd explains how he serves as a bridge between the "blokes at the top of the ladder" (like Cobra Commander and Serpentor) and the "peons at the bottom." When a Cobra Cadet hands him the report he wanted, Major Bludd angrily said "I told you not to staple it, wench" and slaps him hard. In "The Ramblings of Maurice," Major Bludd's name was shown under the Injured section of Cobra's Wall of Fallen Villains due to a root canal problem on February 1985. Simon Pegg voices Major Bludd in the episode "Cannot Be Erased, So Sorry." He is shown with Baroness, Destro, and Cobra Commander when they go to a drive-thru restaurant.

References

1. ^ Santelmo, Vincent (1994). The Official 30th Anniversary Salute To G.I. Joe 1964-1994. Krause Publications. p. 98. ISBN 0-87341-301-6. 
2. ^ Santelmo, Vincent (1994). The Official 30th Anniversary Salute To G.I. Joe 1964-1994. Krause Publications. p. 133. ISBN 0-87341-301-6. 
3. ^ G.I. JOE Brand Introduces New Look for the Next Generation Of Kids; G.I. JOE International Collector's Convention Will Be the First Place Fans Can See New 8-Inch G.I. JOE SIGMA SIX Line, Business Wire, June 23, 2005
4. ^ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #16 (October, 1983)
5. ^ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #17 (November 1983)
6. ^ "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" #19 (1984)
7. ^ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #57 (March 1987)
8. ^ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #104-106 (1990)
9. ^ G.I. Joe: America's Elite #9 (March 2006)
10. ^ Roberts, Matt. "G.I. Joe for Personal Computers". YoJoe.com. http://www.yojoe.com/archive/games/joepc.shtml. Retrieved 2010-03-20. 

External links

• Major Bludd on Joepedia, an external wiki
• Major Bludd at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page
• Major Bludd at The Inner Sanctum fansite