G.I. Robot


G.I. Robot
Aliases:	GI Robot J.A.K.E. J.A.K.E. I J.A.K.E. II Joe Jungle Automatic Killer - Experimental Japanese Attack Killer Elite Joint Allied Killer Elite
Continuity:	DC Universe
Notability:	Supporting character
Type:	Military personnel
Occupation:	Soldier
Gender:	Masculine persona
Race:	Robot
Associations:	Creature Commandos Project M United States Marine Corps S.H.A.D.E. Easy Company
First:	Star-Spangled War Stories #101
Actor:	Sean Gunn

G.I. Robot is the catch name referring to multiple characters featured in comic books published by DC Comics. As it's name suggests, it is a specially designed robot utilized as a field combatant on behalf of the United States Military. The original G.I. Robot was nicknamed Joe and first appeared in a story called "The Robot and the Dinosaur" from Star-Spangled War Stories #101 in March, 1962. A second G.I. Robot, code named "Mac" made a single appearance in Star-Spangled War Stories #125 in March, 1966 in a tale called "Tidbit for a Tyrannosaurus". The third G.I. Robot held the designation of Jungle Automatic Killer - Experimental, or J.A.K.E., for short. He appeared in the first story from Weird War Tales #101 called "My Buddy -- The Robot" from July, 1981. The fourth G.I. Robot, who was the second in the J.A.K.E. line, is the most well known. J.A.K.E. II was introduced in "The Robot and the Samurai!", which was the first feature in Weird War Tales #113 from July, 1982. This issue is the first time that the character had a title feature.

Biography[]

Joe[]

During World War II, US scientists created the first G.I. Robot in the hopes of replacing live soldiers in the battle field so as to reduce human casualties. The first design of the robot was nicknamed "Joe", and was programmed to follow orders. It could follow basic commands such as marching, or firing a gun, deploying a parachute etc. It also responded to military slang such as "taking cover" would make it dive down, or telling it to "open up" would make the robot open fire.

On its initial test, the G.I. Robot was sent with a soldier named Mac to destroy an enemy weapon depot on what was latter dubbed Dinosaur Island. Although Mac had misgivings about the robot and it took a while to learn how to command it properly, they succeeded in their mission and Mac began to form a bond with the robot, treating it like a fellow soldier and even going so far as to think that the robot had a personality. ^[1]

Following his first successful mission, "Joe" was upgraded and given a special panel on his chest that would allow for a light beam to initiate programmed commands in the situation where a soldier is unable to verbally command the robot. This proves invaluable when Mac is sent out on another mission to Dinosaur Island with the robot to field test this new modification. Armed with his special flashlight, Mac is able to command Joe to defend him against both Dinosaurs, and the Japanese armies gigantic robot warrior when Mac is submerged in water. ^[2] During the mission, Joe displays what appears to be independent action when he pushes Mac to safety, the duo eventually manage to destroy the Japanese robot, by luring it into a cave and shooting out its eyes, a feat that Joe somehow deduces on his own. ^[3]

Subsequently, there are no other recorded missions involving the original G.I. Robot, the final fate of this early prototype remains unrevealed. Later on in the war, a second model G.I. Robot nicknamed Mac was briefly active with the Suicide Squad. ^[4]

J.A.K.E. I[]

In the spring of 1942, a top-secret government think tank known as Project M made great advances in the field of robotics. Helmed by luminaries such as Professor Mazursky and Doctor Charles Grayson, Project M developed one of the world's first fully-functional robotic automatons, which was colloquially referred to as the G.I. Robot. The Jungle Assault Killer Experiment (or J.A.K.E. for short) was nearly destroyed before ever coming online, however. In May of that year, Mazursky's traitorous assistant, Per Degaton, provided egress into the Project's Bedloe's Island facility to fellow super-villains Deathbolt and the Ultra-Humanite. Thanks to the presence of the Young All-Stars, however, the villains were defeated and J.A.K.E. I was eventually activated. Project M programmed J.A.K.E. I for jungle combat and outfitted him with various weaponry including machine guns, anti-aircraft missiles, rocket jets and miniature torpedoes. J.A.K.E. I was partnered with a young Marine named Sgt. Coker and together the two embarked upon several missions on behalf of the United States during World War II. Along the way, Project M provided J.A.K.E. I and Coker with a robotic canine named Cap who accompanied them on several missions. J.A.K.E. I saved Sgt. Coker's life on several occasions in the South Pacific, and was ideal for surveying battle fields in search of land mines. At one point, J.A.K.E. I even encountered Krakko the Samurai Robot, a Japanese version of himself, but was able to defeat him in physical combat. In 1943, J.A.K.E. I sacrificed his own existence to save the lives of a crew of Marines. Although J.A.K.E. I was destroyed, a subsequent model, aptly named J.A.K.E. II, was pressed into service shortly afterward. This version of the G.I. Robot served throughout the remainder of World War II and went on to become an unofficial member of the Creature Commandos.

J.A.K.E. II[]

J.A.K.E.'s full designation is Jungle Automatic Killer - Experimental II. He was designed by the scientists of Project M to aid U.S. military personnel during World War II. When the first G.I. Robot was destroyed saving a crew of Marines in the Pacific, the War Department deployed a fighter plane to Tattu island to deposit his replacement, J.A.K.E. II. Sgt. Blaney of Green Patrol found the crate containing J.A.K.E. II's robotic components, and his men worked feverishly to assemble him. At first, J.A.K.E. II failed to activate, and Blaney believed that they had made a mistake in piecing him together. Shortly thereafter, the Japanese soldiers stationed on Tattu Island unleashed their own version of the G.I. Robot - Krakko the Samurai Robot. Krakko attacked Green Patrol's camp and it appeared that all was lost. Fortunately for Sgt. Blaney's men, J.A.K.E. II activated and rose to their defense. Disconnecting his own head, he wielded it like a flail and used it to utterly destroy Krakko. Blaney and the rest of Green Patrol were confident now that J.A.K.E. II would be just as valuable to them as his predecessor. ^[5]

Soon afterward, the administrators at Project M united the G.I. Robot with its predecessor's colleague, Sgt. Coker. They were stationed briefly on the mysterious Dinosaur Island, which was used as a proving ground for experimental combat exercises. J.A.K.E. II later became an unofficial member of the covert military detachment dubbed the Creature Commandos. He also later acquired a robotic canine companion known as C.A.P. ^[6]

J.A.K.E. II was decommissioned in 1945 after the war had ended, and has remained in a state of dormancy. He is still operational, however, and may be called upon again for service at some future point in time.

The G.I. Robot was seen helping fend off Justifiers and other Anti-Life Drones in Bludhaven during the Final Crisis event.

J.A.K.E. III[]

The Japanese Attack Killer Elite robot, abbreviated as J.A.K.E., was a robot that the World War II ally scientist Robert Crane was forced to create when he was a prisoner of war to the Japanese army. However, despite finishing the robot for the Japanese, when Crane was finally rescued by the Bride of Frankenstein, he revealed that he really programmed the robot to work for the Allies. The robot became partners with the S.H.A.D.E. agent Frankenstein. Becoming the G.I. Robot, J.A.K.E. continued to work alongside Frankenstein for the rest of World War II and even during the Korean War. ^[7]

Notes & Trivia[]

The character of G.I. Robot was created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru.
A version of G.I. Robot made appearances on the Batman: The Brave and the Bold animated television series as well as the Batman: The Brave and the Bold comic book series. He first appeared in Batman: The Brave and the Bold #6 in August, 2009. On the cartoon series, he appeared in "Plague of the Prototypes" and "Mitefall!". He was voiced by James Arnold Taylor.
A version of G.I. Robot made regular appearances in the Creature Commandos animated series on HBO Max where he was voiced by actor Sean Gunn.
G.I. Robot is shown to exist in the continuity of the Stargirl television series. A photograph of him appeared in the tenth episode of season one, "Brainwave Jr." in July, 2020.
G.I. Robot received a character profile in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #9.