Wild Bill (G.I. Joe)

Infobox G.I. Joe character
name = Wild Bill


caption =
affiliation = G.I. Joe
function = Helicopter Pilot
realname = Hardy, William S.
birthplace = Brady, TX
serial = RA056403211
rank = CWO-4
primaryMOS = Helicopter Pilot
secondaryMOS = Fixed Wing Pilot, Aircraft Armorer
subgroup =
series =
voiceby = Frank Welker
Don S. Davis (/)
debut = 1983

Wild Bill is a character from the "" toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s.

Profile

According to Wild Bill's original file card, his real name is William S. Hardy, and his rank is that of army chief warrant officer CW-4. Wild Bill was born in Brady, Texas.

Wild Bill served as a combat infantryman and participated in LRRP operations during the Vietnam War. He reenlisted for Flight Warrant Officer School and has remained in service since. When he first joined the G.I. Joe Team, he was the pilot of the "Dragonfly" helicopter. He is a qualified expert in the M1191A auto pistol (but prefers single action .45 long colt revolvers) and the XM-16 attack rifle.

Wild Bill is the original helicopter pilot for the G.I.Joe team, and is also an expert tracker and can function on the ground as well as any expert infantry scout. He is able to adapt the hunting skills he learned as a boy whenever he's tracking the enemy, saying that sneaking up on a Cobra is easier than sneaking up on most critters.

Wild Bill is an amiable fellow and talks slowly. He fancies himself a country-western singer. He is totally honest in his personal dealings, but he is not yet beyond spinning a tall tale for the amusement of his comrades.

Toy history

The character first appeared as part of the 1983 line of the "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" toy line. His action figure was bundled with the Dragonfly helicopter toy. A second edition action figure was released in 1992 and his function is re-designated as an Air Cavalry Scout.

In 2002, a new figure was made utilizing the newer technology in articulation and detail. It was released as part of the "G.I. Joe vs. Cobra" series.

Fiction

Marvel Comics

In the Marvel comics G.I. Joe series, Wild Bill first appeared in issue #11. While never a major character, he appears prominently throughout the series. He often flies the Joes to their missions, either in the Dragonfly, the Tomahawk helicopter or the C-130 plane.

He has been shown to be a capable leader in a few circumstances such as in the fourth issue of the Special Missions spin-off where he and his team crashland in a Southeast Asian jungle and had to battle the Oktober Guard and river pirates. His team consists of Leatherneck, Roadblock and Lifeline. Wild Bill is badly injured and tensions arise because Leatherneck blames Lifeline, who is a pacifist. Wild Bill recovers enough to see and comment on Lifeline's 'battle', which ultimately wins them their freedom.

Another instance was in G.I. Joe issues #68-71. Crazylegs, Wild Bill and Maverick were forced into evacuating several Dreadnoks out of Rio Vista, the capital of war-torn Sierra Gordo. The Dreadnoks, Zarana, Thrasher and Monkeywrench, had taken several nearby civilians hostage. Eventually, the Joes, Dreadnoks and refugees all work together to get to safety.

Wild Bill is featured in "G.I.Joe Special Missions" #16. He teams up with Maverick and other Joe pilots in a recon mission over Cobra Island. He also shows a talent for Ping Pong.

Devil's Due

Wild Bill is featured in the first story arc of "G.I.Joe: Frontlines", which presents the last adventure of the original squadron. He flies air support in an attack on Destro's castle, which is filled with many Cobra officers. He has to end up dealing with a Cobra "Mamba" all by himself, with a battered and leaking helicopter. Much of this incident is off-panel.

After the reformation of the Joe squadron, Wild Bill is one of the few Joes available, at the time, to assist Jinx. The mission is to infiltrate the organization of Japanese businessman Hayatu Toba, who is thought to be assembling a personal army of his own.

Animated series appearance

Wild Bill first appeared in the animated series in the A Real American Hero mini-series. The character's uniform had a different color scheme than in the comics and toy line. He was voiced by Frank Welker.

Resources

* [http://www.yojoe.com/filecard/83/wildbill.shtml Original 1983 Wild Bill file card]
* [http://www.myuselessknowledge.com/joe/wildbill.html Myuselessknowledge.com Wild Bill entry]