Scarlett (G.I. Joe)
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Scarlett (aka Agent Scarlett) is a fictional main character in the G.I. Joe series and is generally regarded as its leading lady. She was the first female action figure in the G.I. Joe toy line and is also the only member of the original team to see much action in both cartoon and comic incarnations. The official line on Scarlett is that her full name is Shana M. O'Hara (a play on the Gone with the Wind character Scarlett O'Hara, and actually how she got her code name). She was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Although she is as adept with standard weapons as any of her comrades, her weapon of choice is the crossbow which fires various bolts with specialized functions. Her rank is E-8 (Master Sergeant) and serves from time to time as team leader. Her primary specialty for the team is counter intelligence and is additionally skilled in martial arts and acrobatics. Of note, her secondary military specialty remains classified in all of her file cards.
She learned her martial art skills from her father, who trained her and her three brothers as he was an instructor. She has several black belts in various forms of martial arts. She has long red hair, which she tends to put up into a pony tail. In some of her appearances, it is shown she may speak with a southern drawl or localized Georgian Accent. She also graduated Summa Cum Laude from a prestigious University, and passed her Bar Exams to practice law before moving into the military.
Her quote: "Beauty may only be skin deep, but lethal is to the bone"
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[edit] Hasbro Toys
Scarlett is the first female member of the G.I.Joe team to be given an action figure. Her first figure was made back in 1982, making her one of the only figures of that year to have a completely unique mold. At some points during the releases of figures, the trademark on the name Scarlett was lost, so she has been released as Scarlett and as Agent Scarlett. As of 2006, she has 12 figures in the 3 and 3/4 inch line. She is usually packaged with some form of crossbow. She usually is part of the regular line of figures, but has been a member of the Ninja Force (which used a synthetic hair material to make her pony tail). Although she is a member of the Sigma Six team, she has not yet been made as a figure for the 8 inch figures. She is rumored to be released at some point as a member of the 2 and a 1/2 in figure line with a vehicle.
[edit] Comics - Original Reality/Continuity
[edit] Origin - Devil's Due Scarlett: Declassified
This one-shot reveals that before she joined the G.I. Joe team, she was a member of many branches of the military. She was given training above and beyond what a female was allowed to received at the time. It is revealed that during her time on the CIA she is first given a Cross Bow, which eventually becomes her weapon of choice. Also, much of her history with martial arts are revealed. Her last mission before joining the G.I. Joe team faces her off against Destro for the first time. It is because of the intelligence that she gathers, as well as her skills, that she is brought into the team. This story takes place before the events in G.I. Joe Declassified as she is shown at the end of the story to be talking to an unmasked, uninjured Snake-Eyes.
[edit] Real American Hero - Marvel
Updated and changed slightly by Devil's Due in Snake-Eyes Declassified Scarlett's first assignment on the G.I. Joe team was to train the new team in hand-to-hand combat. During the exercises, she met Snake-Eyes for the first time. While she bested most of the team's members, she recognized that Snake-Eyes was a superior fighter despite the fact that he had allowed her to beat him, allowing her to keep her dignity and respect with the other Joes. Scarlett was intrigued by his actions, and as a result, they became very close. On a mission in the Middle East, Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Rock 'n' Roll, and Grunt were sent to save George Strawhacker from Cobra. On the way, the helicopter in which they were traveling began to malfunction, forcing Rock 'n' Roll and Grunt to bail out before it crashed. Scarlett remained stuck in the burning helicopter, however, and Snake-Eyes stayed behind to save his lover. He rescued her, but a window exploded right in his face, scarring him and damaging his vocal cords. Despite his injuries, Snake-Eyes convinced Hawk to let him continue with the mission.
Scarlett recovered from her injuries but Snake-Eyes harbored no ill will and the two became even closer. She almost died when a vengeful Baroness, who thought Snake-Eyes had killed her brother, shot her in the midst of kidnapping Snake-Eyes. Scarlett eventually recovered from her coma and was reunited with Snake-Eyes. The two would continue to serve G.I. Joe, even becoming members of the Ninja Force special team, until the Joe Team disbanded.
[edit] Master & Apprentice
Scarlett and Snake-Eyes were slated to be married until circumstances (his first apprentice is killed) forcing Snake-Eyes to leave her.
[edit] Reinstatement - Devils Due
When the team reformed, the two were forced to work together. Scarlett was initially angry at Snake-Eyes but came to forgive him in the end. In 2002, Snake-Eyes proposed to Scarlett a second time and they are again engaged to be married in the current storylines. They continued to serve on the team together through the final wake of the Red Shadows, the death of Lady Jaye and the eventual second disbandment of the team.
[edit] America's Elite - Devils Due
Scarlett again joined the team with Snake-Eyes as part of the much smaller, specialized G.I. Joe team. During one of her early missions to find a terrorist, she was kidnapped and eventually brought onto one of Destro's Subs. He wished for her to be killed, so that G.I. Joe would know the loss he felt as Destro believed them to have killed his beloved Baroness. Snake-Eyes revealed that he and Scarlett had implanted tracking devices into one another for special circumstances. He was able to use this to find her location. However, during the mission to resuce Scarlett, Snake-Eyes was killed in action. His body was not recovered as it was washed out to sea. Scarlett later used the same tracking device implanted in Snake-Eyes to find him. She went with the team to recover his body, but was shocked to learn he was somehow alive. During a final battle that Storm Shadow (now a member of G.I. Joe) knew he could not win, Storm Shadow took Scarlett as a hostage and threatened to kill her. This caused Snake-Eyes to regain his senses. After this, Snake-Eyes is training when Scarlett walks in on him. She discovers that he is only using his commando training, and not his Ninja Skills. She later takes his mask off and asks what they have done to his face. This has not yet been revealed. Scarlett, Snake-Eyes and Stalker next confront General Joseph Coloton about information Storm Shadow told Snake-Eyes while recovering. They have learned that the Baroness is being held prisoner in the new base.
[edit] Upcoming
- Still serves on the team in America's Elite
- Will be a member of the team in Special Missions Antartica
[edit] Comics - Alternate Realities/Continuities
[edit] G.I. Joe Reloaded
This series has a drastically different approach to G.I. Joe's creation. Scarlett is still working with her father and brothers when he receives a mysteryous package and is killed by the poisonous contents. She later joins the new team, and eventually leads the team in its final mission to liberate Hawaii before the US Army bombs the state after Cobra takes it over. Because the series was ended early, the relationship with Snake-Eyes in the continuity was not completely fleshed out. She does trust him but not completely as he was a traitor from Cobra.
[edit] G.I. Joe vs. Transformers
This is made up of three mini-series as of 2006. This series takes a drastically different approach to the formation of the G.I. Joe team as being a special missions team to defend earth against Cobra who has Cybertronian technology. Scarlett appears during the third mini series (not sure if earlier). During the third miniseries it is shown that Snake-Eyes has a love interest with Scarlett. Scarlett returned those feelings to Snake-Eyes with a passionate kiss. In the final issue of the third miniseries, Scarlett is looking for Snake-Eyes as Arcee is synthesizing a meal. He is hiding up in the ceiling behind her and sticks a note on her back. Scarlett responds to his message by saying do you want to continue playing our little game.
[edit] G.I. Joe - Sigma Six
This comic series was a 6 issue mini series released by Devils Due with direct connection to the new Animated TV Series. Like the Animated TV Series, this comic line does not tie into the continuity of the original G.I. Joe universe.
[edit] Cartoon
[edit] A Real American Hero
[edit] Sunbow
Scarlett first appeared in the MASS Device mini-series. She was portrayed as the typical tough female member of the team. Like Duke and Flint, she was almost characteristically interchangeable with Lady Jaye when the latter woman was introduced in the series. Generally, though, if Flint is not present, she takes command after Duke. She was primarily responsible for calling the Joes into action against orders from their superiors who were actually synthoid duplicates. She was the only one to suspect that the Duke that led the mission was a synthoid himself. She tested that idea in battle by pretending that her Skystriker jet fighter was losing control. The fake Duke was her co-pilot and she pleaded him to save himself. When he ejected instead of staying to help her, it proved to Scarlett that he was an imposter and moved to later stop him.
All through the Sunbow-produced series, Scarlett was voiced by actress B.J. Ward.
[edit] G.I. Joe: The Movie
Like many of the characters from the pervious seasons, Scarlett is shown in a small part of the movie. Her primary role was caring for Duke after he is nearly killed by Serpentor.
[edit] DiC
Unknown...
[edit] G.I. Joe Direct to Video Movies
Scarlett was a member of the G.I. Joe team in both Direct-to-video movies, Spy Troops and Valor vs. Venom. These movies seem to be more associated with the continuity in Sigma Six, and do not really seem to have any direct ties to previous animated continuity.
[edit] Spy Troops
Serves as a second in command to the team. She is taken hostage by Zartan when he steals a helicopter. She is later Rescued by Snake-Eyes and the team.
[edit] Valor vs. Venom
To Be Completed...
[edit] Sigma 6
In the new series, G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 , Scarlett's background is substantially altered. This version of Scarlett is more of a hard charger and appears younger (although that may be due to the anime-influenced art style of Sigma 6). She serves as the team's second in command under Duke. The 4Kids TV website for Sigma 6 also mentions her expertise as a helicopter pilot while at the same time dropping any mention of her specialty in counter-intelligence. Tunnel Rat seems to have a crush on her (which is based on nothing from the comic book and ignores the Snake-Eyes and Scarlett relationship) after a mission they were on and after TR tried on cologne that was suppose to attract women but failed after he was covered in trash. Scarlett also appears to have a rougher edge to her as said by herself explaining she hasn't worn a dress since senior prom.
[edit] Snake-Eyes & Scarlett relationship
A debate rages on differences between the cartoon and comic continuities. One of these is the argument as to where Scarlett’s true romantic intentions lie. In the comics, it is with Snake-Eyes while in the Sunbow-produced cartoon, she and Duke are clearly in a relationship. Some fans of the comic book series are dismayed at this seeming discrepancy. Speculations ranged from the TV show's writers inability to work around Snake-Eyes' limitations to Hasbro having a greater dictate and control over the show.
Television and comics production remain independent. While it is true that the comics debuted a year ahead, the show's writers only had a handful of issues of the comic series to draw inspiration from. The character dynamics were still being worked out. The introduction of new characters from the toyline meant that the show's writers could not rely on the comics to provide personalities for them. The show had to come up with its own continuity.
When Duke was introduced in the comics, no attempt was made to pair him with Scarlett. In the comic, series writer Larry Hama gave a more definite answer in a letter column stating "Scarlett's heart belongs to Snake-Eyes." Then in 1984 in issue #27, Scarlett admitted her feelings that she had always loved Snake-Eyes from the very first time they met. This is seen again in Snake-Eyes origin, Snake-Eyes: Declassified. When the duo once again appeared in animated form in the DiC -produced series, their relationship is corrected and followed the pattern in the comics.
In issue #95 Scarlett wanted to tell Snake-Eyes one more time that she loved him. This was the issue that Scarlett was shot in the head by the Baroness. Then in #119, guest writer Herb Trimpe playfully takes the Snake-Eyes/Scarlett relationship a bit further when at the end of that story Storm Shadow was asking the two who were at the back of the Tomahawk helicopter how they were doing. All the response he received was a silence. G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 competely ignores the Snake-Eyes/Scarlett relationship altogether.
