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Rip Cord

(aka Halo Jumper)

File Name: Wallace A. Weems of Columbus, Ohio.
Grades: Army E-4 (1984-2003)
SNs: RA148231056; 845-99-WA76
Notes: Likely named for Philip Van Horn Weems, inventor of many instruments and methods of air and space navigation, including a watch that made it simple for troops to synchronize their watches to the second. Columbus is in the center of the state, about 100 miles northeast of Cincinnati. Grunt is also from Columbus.



chronological: Spirit<< Rip Cord >>Roadblock
alphabetical: Reservist<< Rip Cord >>Rip It

 

Animated Appearances

Sunbow VoiceAppearancesTime Identifiable On ScreenTotal Lines (In Own Voice)Total Words
Gregg Berger18632 seconds48433

Sunbow's Rip Cord wore his 1984 outfit, with a black belt and vertical chest straps; his parachute and webbing were either white or black. He often had no gloves and sometimes had blue-tinted goggles when wearing his mask. The Revenge of Cobra and Satellite Down featured generic Joes in outfits similar to Rip Cord's.

 

The Revenge of Cobra Opening4 seconds(silent)parachuting into final pose
The Revenge of Cobra, Part 319 seconds(silent)part of team to Palace of Doom
The Revenge of Cobra, Part 542 seconds4 linescutting power to Zartan's hideout
Cobra's Creatures136 seconds13 linesjump test, captured and held in Lucifer's dungeon, rescued by Spirit
Jungle Trap16 seconds2 linesflying Dragonfly against F.A.N.G.s, in Killer W.H.A.L.E. to meet rescue team
Haul Down the Heavens86 seconds7 linesdebriefing Entwhistle, at HQ during sabotage, in Skystriker to rescue Snow Job
Money to Burn194 seconds17 linesplaying poker at HQ; parachuting to Cobra base; planting bomb to destroy base
The Phantom Brigade11 seconds(silent)parachuting to assault castle
Synthoid Conspiracy, Part 15 seconds(silent)in Skystriker during war games
Synthoid Conspiracy, Part 229 seconds(silent)at Scarlett's briefing, attacking island base
Spell of the Siren20 seconds(silent)in Dragonfly searching for mountain hideout; at HQ with Xamot
Twenty Questions32 seconds3 lineswatching Spider-Man in rec room; suspicious of Shipwreck
The Traitor, Part 114 seconds(silent)at briefing
Cold Slither11 seconds2 linesgolfing at HQ
Arise Serpentor Arise Part 28 seconds(silent)guarding Napoleon's tomb in Paris
The Most Dangerous Thing in the World2 seconds(silent)running from crashed Tomahawks (13:45-46)
G.I. Joe: The Movie Opening1 second(silent)flying in J.U.M.P. past Snake Eyes (1:54)
G.I. Joe: The Movie, Part 52 seconds(silent)charging toward palace (7:10-11)

Classic Marvel Comic Appearances

By my count, Rip Cord was discernible in 242 panels in 23 issues from Feb. 1985 to Sept. 1989: #32, 33, Yearbook 1, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 45, Yearbook 2, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, Order of Battle 2, 63, 65, 74, 75, 80, and SM 25.

Figure Releases

Versions: 1. 1984 2. 2003 (Spy Troops)  
Version 1: spring 1984 regular carded figure assortment
HALO Jumper (High Altitude Low Opening)MOS 1: Airborne Infantry [prob. 11B]
MOS 2: Demolitions [prob. 18C]
  • head: Rip Cord (84)
  • arms: Rip Cord (84)
  • torso: Rip Cord (84)
  • waist: Rip Cord (84)
  • legs: Rip Cord (84)
Accessories: light green FN-FAL battle rifle (new), black thick battle helmet (new), black air mask with hose (new), light green parachute harness (new).
Rip Cord joined the Civil Air Patrol in high school. Discovered skydiving and joined the G.I. Joe team so he could jump from much higher altitudes. Qualified expert: M-16; M-1911A1 Auto Pistol; Carl Gustav 9mm parabellum; Browning high-power.
"Let's say you got a trouble spot - you can't sail, walk, or ride in. So you send a plane in so high that it can't be seen or heard. Rip Cord jumps and drops like a rock for thousands of feet, then opens his chute at the last possible moment to avoid visual and electronic detection. What he does once he hits the ground you don't want to hear about."
Variations: Some helmets had visor holes.
Toy Notes: Item #6418. Featured in 1984's Battle Stations commercial. Promotional photos indicate a second version of Rip Cord was originally slated to be in the Tiger Force. As it is, Rip Cord is the earliest male figure not to share parts with any other figure, followed by Blowtorch. (Cover Girl has the earliest unique mold overall.)
Version 2: November 2003 Spy Troops Wave 8 figure two-pack assortment
High Altitude Low Opening Paratrooper
Halo Jumper
MOS 1: Airborne Infantry [prob. 11B]
MOS 2: Demolitions [prob. 18C]
  • head: Halo Jumper (03), Sgt. Airborne (03, 04)
  • arms: Halo Jumper (03), Sgt. Airborne (03, 04)
  • torso: Halo Jumper (03), Sgt. Airborne (03, 04), Cobra Night Viper (08)
  • waist: Halo Jumper (03), Sgt. Airborne (03, 04), Cobra Night Viper (08)
  • upper legs: Halo Jumper (03), Sgt. Airborne (03, 04), Copperhead (07, 09/II), Cobra Night Viper (08)
  • lower legs: Halo Jumper (03), Sgt. Airborne (03, 04), Copperhead (07, 09/II)
Accessories: silver pistol (88 Shockwave's), black rifle (03 Sand Viper's), green "Copperhead" helmet with yellow crest (new), black belt crossing in front and attaching to belly (new), green clip-on breastplate with red Cobra emblem (new), grey square backpack with handle (new).
Jumping out of perfectly good airplanes doesn't make a lot of sense to most rational people. So what are we supposed to make of somebody who jumps out of a plane at an altitude so high he has to use an oxygen mask, and then doesn't open his parachute until he's close enough to the ground to read license plates on passing cards? Halo Jumper, an extremely logical and rational individual, knows exactly what the dangers are in his chosen specialty; he also knows that his personal skill, experience, and coolness under pressure offset the risks to a completely acceptable level. Halo Jumper didn't go airborne just because he likes parachuting. To him, the drop is just the means to an end. The real job of an airborne trooper is on the ground, behind COBRA lines, with black paint streaking your face and your finger on the trigger, danger all around and miles from the extraction site. The parachute just gets you there.
"Free falling on a moonless night above a thick cloud cover is as close to heaven as you can hope to get. Landing in a hot drop zone between two reinforced companies of PIT VIPER troops laying down intersecting fields of fire is another thing altogether."
Toy Notes: Carded in a two-pack with Tele-Viper. Item #55454. The packaging was soon modified to identify the figure as Sgt. Airborne with a different filecard. The figure itself is the same.