"G.I. JOE: ENTER THE NINJA FORCE"
by Alden R. Davis
Disclaimer: This is a fan-made story finds G.I. Joe's sub-team "Ninja Force" was formed in their fight against Cobra.
The characters of G.I. Joe's "Ninja Force" is owned by Hasbro.
Members of the Ninja Force:
SNAKE-EYES - Snake-Eyes is the code name of a member of the G.I. Joe team. He is the team's original commando, and much of his history and information, including his real name, place of birth and service number, have remained "CLASSIFIED" throughout all depictions of the origin. All that is known for certain is his rank/grade (originally U.S. Army Sergeant/E-5, eventualy reaching Sergeant First Class/E-7 before it was too late "CLASSIFIED"), his primary military specialty is Infantry, and his secondary military specialty is hand-to-hand combat instructor. Snake Eyes served in Long Range Recon Patrols in Southeast Asia with Stalker and Storm Shadow, eventually leaving the service to study martial arts with Storm Shadow's ninja family. He has underdone Drill Sergeant training, and is a former U.S. Army Special Forces and Delta Force operator. Very little else about his past has been revealed.
Snake-Eyes was living a life of strict self-denial and seclusion in the High Sierras with a pet wolf named Timber, when he was recruited for the G.I. Joe Team. He is an expert in all NATO and Warsaw Pact small arms, and a black belt in 12 different fighting systems. He is also highly skilled in the use of edged weapons, especially his Japanese sword and spike-knuckled trench knives, but is equally qualified with and willing to use firearms and explosives. Snake-Eyes is quiet in his movements, and rarely relies on one set of weapons to the exclusion of others.
During one of his first missions for G.I. Joe, Snake-Eyes' face was severely disfigured in a helicopter explosion. Since then, Snake Eyes has had extensive plastic surgery to repair the damage, but his vocal cords cannot be repaired. He usually wears a black bodysuit, along with a balaclava and visor to cover his face. When out of uniform, Snake-Eyes is shown to be Caucasian with an athletic build, blonde hair, and blue eyes.
Snake-Eyes has been shown in most continuities to be romantically involved with fellow team member Scarlett. He has also had several apprentices, including Kamakura, Tiger Claw and Jinx. His personal quote is "Move with the wind, and you will never be heard."
STORM SHADOW - Storm Shadow's real name is Thomas S. Arashikage (Arashi meaning "Storm" and kage meaning "shadow" in Japanese), a Japanese American. Storm Shadow served in the U.S. Army special operations group along with Snake-Eyes, and later invited him to train as a ninja with his family in Japan. The duo have been everything to one another from the bitterest of enemies, to the most loyal of friends, who would fight and die for one another.
Storm Shadow can trace his family history through thirty generations of assassins. He is an 8th degree black belt in several martial arts, and can endure unimaginable amounts of hardship and pain. Storm Shadow moves with blinding speed, can scale sheer walls with bare hands and feet, and is an expert with a long bow, katana, throwing stars and nunchaku sticks. He usually wears a white uniform and mask. When out of uniform, he is shown to be Japanese, with black hair and dark eyes.
SCARLETT - Scarlett's real name is Shana M. O'Hara, and she was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Her rank is Master Sergeant, and she serves from time to time as team leader.
Her primary specialty for the team is counter intelligence, but her secondary military specialty has remained classified in all of her file cards. Scarlett is additionally skilled in martial arts and acrobatics. She started training at age 9 with her father and three brothers, who were all instructors, and earned her first black belt at age 15. She has several black belts in various forms of martial arts. Scarlett also graduated summa cum laude, and passed her Bar Exams to practice law, before moving into military. She graduated from Advance Infantry Training and Ranger School, and received special education in Covert Ops School, Marnie Sniper School, Special Air Service School, and Marnie Tae Kwon Do Symposium. Although she is as adept with standard weapons as any of her comrades, her weapon of choices is the XK-1 power crossbow, which fires various bolts with specialized functions. Scarlett is also a qualified expert with M-14, M-16, M1911A1 Auto Pistol, M79 grenade launcher, M3A1, M-700 Remington sniper rifle, MAC-10, throwing stars, garotte and KA-BAR (Combat Knife).
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. Her personal quote is, "Beauty may only be skin deep, but lethal is to the bone."
JINX - Jinx is one of the few G.I. Joe Team members whose real name is top secret. She has been studying and competing in several forms of martial arts since she was seven. She grew up in Los Angeles, California, and is a Bryn Mawr graduate. On a vacation trip to Japan, she discovered her familial ties to a ninja clan known as the Arashikage, and was officially initiated into the clan. She was then recruited by Snake-Eyes, a fellow ninja and member of the G.I. Joe Team. She has since undergone training with the Blind Master, a ranking ninja sensei, and studied the seven silent forms, including the "Eye That Pierces", the "Iron Hand" and the "Heart That Waits".
After the temporary dissolution of the G.I. Joe Team, Jinx became a freelance agent, and is believed to have spent time serving in the CIA. She also started a romantic relationship with her teammate Budo, and the two of them form a successful bounty hunting business together.
T'JBANG - T'Jbang is the G.I. Joe Team's ninja swordsman. His real name is Sam LaQuale, and he was born in East Greenwhich, Rhode Island. A former member of the Arashikage ninja clan founded by Storm Shadow, who is also his second cousin, and the only other person who knows the reasons behind his self-imposed oath of silence. He has crafted his own personal sword, for he was Onihashi's pupil, designed for his secretive "Silent Backslash" technique inspired by the bats' flapping. T'Jbang is also known in piloting helicopters when he is not in deep meditation.
NUNCHUK - Nunchuk's real name is Ralph Baducci, and his code name is a variation on the word nunchaku, his preferred weapon. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and he is a former student of the Blind Master in Denver. He felt that he needed to improve and moved to San Francisco, where he caught Storm Shadow's attention, who trained him and supervised his acceptance into G.I. Joe's "Ninja Force". Nunchuk prefers to drive the "G.I. Joe Battle Wagon", and favors the fighting form known as "Samurai Smash".
Nunchuk later moved to training other Joe students in various forms of hand-to-hand combat, and developed a grudge against the Cobra operative Firefly, because he is angry that the man would use martial arts for evil purposes.
DOJO - Dojo is the G.I. Joe Team's silent weapons ninja. His real name is Michael P. Russo. Born is San Francisco, California, he was the Soft Master's last disciple. Impressed by his skills and integrity, Storm Shadow recruited Dojo for the G.I. Joe's new sub-team, "Ninja Force". He is noted for using "patter" to distract his opponents, therefore he is often referred to as "the talkative one". His weapons of choices are Kusarigama and the G.I. Joe vehicle "Brawler", and his fighting style is named "Lightning Strike".
BANZAI - Banzai is the G.I. Joe Team Rising Sun ninja. His real name is Robert J. Travalino, and he was born in Hartsdale, New York. Banzai's primary military specialty is first-strike commando. His secondary military specialty is nunchaku instructor. Banzai trained for some time in the hostile mountains of Tibet; training with a reclusive ninja master. He is noted for training while blind-folded. His technique is called "Banzai Bash".
BUSHIDO - Bushido is the G.I. Joe Team snow ninja. His real name is Lloyd S. Goldfine, and he was born in Hollis, Queens, New York. Bushido's primary military specialty is cold weather specialist. His secondary military specialty is strategist. He has trained in Iceland, and continues to prefer to train in cold weather environments. He wears a helmet similar to the one his father wore and he had master the "Teisho Chop" technique. He considers fellow Ninja Force member Banzai his "blood brother".
T'GIN-ZU - T'Gin-Zu is the G.I. Joe Team's "Pile Driver" operator. His real name is Joseph R. Rainone, and he was born in Somers, New York. T'Gin-Zu's primary military specialty is Pile Driver vehicle operator. His secondary military specialty is ninja swords master. T'Gin-Zu has studied martial arts more than two decades. He has learned some of the secrets of the Arashikage ninja clan, and has spent time as a student of Storm Shadow, who considers him his most talented pupil. T'Gin-Zu has developed a deep desire to single-handedly capture Cobra's band of "Red Ninjas". His fighting form is known as "Samurai Shave".
History of the Ninja Force
Led by Storm Shadow, a group of ninjas affiliated with the Arashikage clan forms the Ninja Force as a part of the G.I. Joe Team, in order to combat Cobra. Its inaugural members are Nunchuk, T'Jbang, and Dojo. For their first mission, Ninja Force goes to Beirut, Lebanon in order to help arms dealer Destro to avoid bounty hunters sent by Cobra Commander. On this mission, the Ninja Force clashes with a group of "corporate ninja" mercenaries known as the Night Creepers, who become a recurring enemy. Ninja Force's roster is later expanded to included Snake Eyes, Jinx, and Scarlett.
After leaving Beirut, Snake-Eyes (appointed as their new leader) and the Ninja Force head to Trans-Carpathia, the home of Destro's ancestral Silent Castle. Before they arrive, Firefly disguises himself and summons the Red Ninjas, a group of renegade Arashikage ninja clansmen, to the castle. Two Cobra Ninjas, Slice and Dice, would become recurring antagonists. Firefly convinces the Red Ninjas to accept him as their leader before they begin a battle with the Ninja Force.
Firefly eventually reveals his true identity and defeats both the Red Ninjas and the Ninja Force, with knockout gas and robotic Battle Android Troopers. He uses the Brainwave Scanner to brainwash them into serving him and takes them to Cobra Island, the former headquarters of Cobra Command. Firefly uses the ninjas to take over Cobra Island, but Snake-Eyes frees himself and the Ninja Force from the brainwashing, and the Ninja Force defeats Firefly, leaving the island.