Stalker (G.I. Joe)
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This article is about the human member of G.I. Joe. For the Decepticon Predator, see Stalker (G1). |
- Stalker is a human from the G.I. Joe portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
Stalker is the code name of Army Sergeant Lonzo R. Wilkinson, a long time member of the G.I. Joe team. Stalker grew up on the mean streets as a gang member but made good after joining the US armed forces. Despite a questionable code name he still manages to be cool rather than creepy.
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Fiction
Marvel Generation 2 comic
Scarlett had to blow up Stalker's jeep to convince Cobra that she'd genuinely defected. She worried he might be actually dead, but luckily he was not! Unfoldings! He later traveled to Cobra Island with Wild Bill, Hawk, Storm Shadow, Destro, and the Baroness to scope out what technology was left behind by Doctor Mindbender. Realignments
G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
As part of the United States military, Sergeant Lonzo Wilkinson was sent to keep an eye on things during a peace summit in Washington, D.C., although he found it ironic that a peace talk would require the military to uphold order. With the demonstrators in the area relatively calm, Lonzo found himself wishing that something exciting would happen. Unfortunately, his wish was granted when the summit came under attack by the terrorist organization Cobra. He attempted to organize his troops to fight back against the attacking HISS tanks, but they were ultimately unable to stop Cobra from wrecking the place. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #1 | When G.I. Joe was created to counter the threat of Cobra, Lonzo joined under the codename Stalker. He was present when the Cobra defector, Mercer, explained that his former allies had gotten their hands on alien robots. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2 He later briefed the other Joes on the SPS Satellite, a powerful energy-collecting satellite that Cobra were intending to steal. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3 Though the Joes failed to stop Cobra from gaining control of the satellite, they wound up allying themselves with the Autobots Bumblebee and Wheeljack. Acting against orders from their superiors, the Joes travelled to Cobra Island to rescue the rest of the Autobots under Cobra control. They arrived on the island already in chaos as the Autobots, Decepticons, and Cobra troops fought in a three-way brawl. Stalker paraglided down to earth, and joined the scuffle on the Autobots' side. G.I. Joe vs. The Transformers #5 Two years later, Stalker, Beachhead and Scarlett captured the Dreadnoks in Boston. After learning of more Cobra activity in the area, he drove a truckload of Joes to an apparently abandoned building. They stormed in and attacked the terrorists, only to for a stray shot to hit Cobra's wormhole-generating machinery, causing it to malfunction and send Stalker and the others to Cybertron. There, they learned that the malfunction had also put Earth in danger, requiring teams of Joes and Cobras to travel through time and save their planet. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1 Stalker stayed behind, waiting inside the force field Ultra Magnus had erected around Teletran 3. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2 However, the field went down before all teams could return, giving Shockwave's troops a chance to attack. The Autobots were defeated, and Stalker and the other humans were forced to run and hide in Cybertron's smaller holes and passages. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3 While waiting for Roadblock and Lady Jaye to save the day, Stalker offered to help Destro with the arms dealer's belief that he would one day die in Scotland. Destro was unamused. After Shockwave's army was defeated by the Dinobots, Stalker negotiated a one-hour truce between G.I. Joe and Cobra before returning to Earth with his comrades. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4Along with many other Joes, Stalker was sent back to Cybertron to help the Autobots defeat Serpent O.R.'s new Decepticon army. The Art of War #4 Once they got the O.K. from Hot Rod, the lot of them charged in, guns ablaze. Through much effort, they pushed the Decepticons back, and Cybertron remained under Autobot control. The Art of War #5
Transformers/G.I. Joe
In 1939, Sgt. Lorenzo Wilkinson was taken off his regular base by General Hawk, given the codename "Stalker" and placed in the newly created G.I. Joe. A day later, as the Joes were flown to Cobra's headquarters on the Fera Islands, Stalker thought he saw "a shadow like a man's" buzz by their plane's window. After parachuting onto enemy territory, he was wounded by a sniper and almost killed by Stormshadow, but Snake-Eyes saved him. The Line Stalker later helped Snake-Eyes fight Stormshadow, but despite emptying an entire clip towards the enemy ninja, he didn't hit him once. He was shocked to see Snake-Eyes's face all cut up, but failed to convince him to seek medical care from Scarlett. As the ninja ran off on his own, Stalker picked up his dropped dice and reflected on how he knew Snake-Eyes and Scarlett were into each other. Transformed
Alone, Stalker made his way across the island in search of the other Joes. After running into a giant plane robot who told him not to get in the way, he found the rest of Strike Team One, which he was a part of. Apparently not too shocked that they had allied themselves with the Autobots, Stalker reported that Snake-Eyes would likely not be returning. Trial by Fire As they advanced towards Cobra's fortress, however, Stalker became very pessimistic, certain that the US fleet would never come to their aid and that were all going to die. Despite this, he happy to have fought alongside the other Joes, with "nobody caring who was what color". Grimlock was not impressed that the human acted like a quitter so close to the end, and pointed out that the fleet was, in fact, just arriving. While Stalker threatened that he'd break Grimlock's face if he could reach it, his mood did improve some. He later witnessed Bruticus's activation and the subsequent death of all Transformers present. The Iron Fist
Some 45 years later, two new Transformers crashed on Earth. Deciding that the current incarnation of G.I. Joe needed to know about the past, the retired Stalker got together with Duke and Scarlett to show Flint and Spirit footage from the battle on the Fera Islands. Targets of Opportunity
Transformers vs. G.I. Joe
Stalker was part of a G.I. Joe strike force that stormed a Cobra hideout housing deadly Creeper bombs. Within the enemy base, he used his jetpack to mow down the creeper vines that infested the place, prompting fellow Joe Bazooka to do likewise. Though the mission ran into some complications when the Transformers Bumblebee and Starscream got embroiled in the conflict, it ultimately culminated in Cobra Commander's apparent demise, signaling a victory for the Joes. The Golden Boys
Later, Stalker was part of another Joe strike force, this one raiding the town of Springfield, secretly yet another Cobra hide-out. After rounding-up the Cobra agents in the town, Stalker and the Joes received their next assignment; to travel to and infiltrate the planet Cybertron, its inhabitants having proved themselves hostile. I Saw Three Ships After an attack against the Decepticon city of Trypticon ended with the Joes on the run, Stalker and the others regrouped at Green Zone 0-8-6, their temporary camp on the hostile alien planet. Targetmasters
When Wheeljack stumbled into one of the perimeter traps protecting the Joes' camp, Stalker stood guard while his fellow Joes vivisected the Cybertronian. The operation was tabled just in time for Wheeljack's friends to burst in on the scene and launch an offensive against the Joes. The humans returned fire, until blasts from both sides rendered all combatants unconscious. Funeral for a Friend
Both teams eventually awakened and readied to take up arms once more when Grimlock showed up, accompanied by Breaker, Jinx, Cover Girl, and Clutch. Grimlock declared a truce between the Joes and the Autobots had been reached, and both factions partied together to cement their alliance. Form Follows Function After the Joes set up base camp within the Autobots' mobile city, Metroplex, Stalker confided in Cover Girl that he still didn't feel entirely at ease with their new allies. He nonetheless rode atop of Slag into combat when the Decepticobra alliance attacked the city. Everybody Hates Metroplex
When Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron to liberate the Autobots, Stalker witnessed him be slain by Mega-Megatron, and subsequently plummet down into the bowels of Cybertron. He tried to establish radio-contact with Earth, only for there to be no response. Pax Megatronus The Joes went on to set up a base on Cybertron, which was infiltrated by Zartan in the guise of Wild Bill. When Zartan's cover was blown and he started killing Joes, Stalker ended his life with a sniper shot. Earth: R.I.P. He then witnessed the formation of Defensor before joining a united front of Joes and Autobots that marched on the Decepticon base for one final battle to stop them from consuming the sun. Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12 During the battle, Stalker worried about how they'd fight Mega-Megatron without harming the Autobots he was wearing as a body, but the "Jotobots" were victorious in the end. Returning to an intact Earth, Stalker saved General Flagg from being hung for war crimes by sniping the noose, then told the general he'd been pardoned. The War Never Ends
2005 IDW continuity
Lonzo Wilkinson spent his youth in Detroit with his two brothers. When his middle brother fell in with a local gang, his eldest sibling attempted to intervene, which ended with both brothers dead. Hoping to find a better life, Lonzo joined the Army and soon graduated from Monterey Army Languages School to become the youngest Army Ranger in history. His skills caught the attention of Joe Colton, and after joining Colton's elite Adventure Team he received the nickname "Stalker" for his uncanny tracking abilities. Stalker would have a contentious relationship with later recruits Mike "Atomic Man" Power and Richard "Bulletman" Ruby, whose flashy technology ran counter to Stalker and Colton's conventional weaponry. Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook #3
In 1984, the Adventure Team travelled to the Tomb of Amtoltec to rescue Garrison Kreiger. On arrival, Joe headed deeper into the tomb while Stalker and Mayhem held off an army of robotic mummiess. Outmatched and outnumbered by the drones, Stalker radioed Atomic Man and Bulletman for backup. As the two superhumans held off the mechanical attackers, Stalker received a transmission from Joe, and made the connection to a similar situation that Sgt. Savage had faced in World War II. Stalker regrouped inside the tomb with the other members of the team as they contended with Soundwave, who had investigated the tomb disguised as a cassette player. Stalker rammed the Decepticon with the Adventure Team's vehicle, which did little - but, working together, they were able to drive the Cybertronian into a retreat. The team was saved from a falling boulder by Atomic Man, whose limbs had been enhanced by a mysterious Talisman that Kreiger had discovered inside. The Secret of the Mummy's Tomb
On a later mission, the team encountered more IRON Troopers as they attempted to rescue Dr. Emil Burkhart, the Adventure Team was pinned down by IRON Troopers. Stalker was doubtful at their chances of success; though the team survived, they were unable to save Burkhart, which sent Atomic Man into a depression. Atomic Man would later seek out the services of Kreiger in the hopes of upgrading his body further and disappeared. Power and Glory
With their most powerful asset gone, the Adventure Team became the "Adventure Force," and, in 1994, tracked Atomic Man's last known location to a secure facility in Brasnya. The team discovered that Kreiger had used their teammate as a guinea pig in a battery of experiments aimed at activating the Talisman and had succeeded, pulling the alien ship Axalon into the future along with the lost Sgt. Savage. Stalker pulled Mike Power's body from the rubble but confirmed that he had no heartbeat, seemingly confirming that he had died. In spite of their contentious relationship, Power would hold a grudge against Kreiger for harming one of his teammates. When Eagles Scream
The disillusioned Adventure Force collapsed, and the team's remit was transferred to "Special Counter-Terrorist Group Delta—" G.I. Joe. Now a respected senior agent, Stalker was among the earliest members of the G.I. Joe team, alongside Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Heavy Duty, and Rock 'n Roll. Secret Raiders Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook #3
One on early mission, he, Scarlett, and Hawk were deployed to Mount St. Helens to contain another mechanical extraterrestrial. Though they were initially unable to bring down the runaway alien, they received backup in the form of Sgt. Savage and Centurion. Stalker, who had briefly encountered Savage in Brasnya, vouched for his character and accompanied Centurion into a retrofitted bunker overseen by Skywatch. They were met by Colton — who had struck up a partnership with Kreiger in the interim — and told them that only Savage was cleared for further access into the facility. A dejected Stalker mused that Colton wasn't the same man he once was. When Eagles Scream
In 2017, Stalker was part of a mission force aimed at retrieving Astrotrain's severed head, which had become infected with an alien virus. The Deathstone He would later meet with fellow Joe operative Ayana "Mayday" Jones to discuss her hunt for the Talisman; though he was coy about his involvement, he introduced her to Scarlett's outside contractors Matt Trakker and Gloria Baker. Power and Glory
Games
Transformers Roleplaying Game
Stalker was a founding member of G.I. Joe and their original wilderness ranger. While stationed at a G.I. Joe field camp in La Grande Dune du Pilat, he and his team encountered the Autobots Bulkhead and Minerva, with the wounded Bumblebee in tow. After some diplomacy, Stalker made the decision to call in Cover Girl, Doc, and Mainframe in the hopes that their unique specializations would allow them to effectively treat a wounded alien robot. Once the Joes and their new allies got Bumblebee back on his feet, Stalker pointed them in the direction of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, where Swindle and his Cobra contact had been sighted. Cobra/Con Fusion
Toys
Collaborative
- Bumblebee A.W.E. Striker with Sgt. Stalker (2023)
- Accessories: Turret, rifle
- Known designers: Evan Brooks (original concept),[1] Mario Carreiro (packaging)[2]
Notes
- IDW continuity established a young Lonzo "Stalker" Wilkinson as the unnamed African American "Adventurer" figure from the pre-A Real American Hero Adventure Team toyline.
- Stalker has been voiced by Transformers alumni Arthur Burghardt, Charlie Adler and Andrew Kishino.
External links
References
- ↑ "As for the A.W.E. striker, it was based off a sketch I did but handled by a different designer who works on our collabs."—Evan Brooks, Instagram in correspondence with Onyxstrike, 2023/03/07
- ↑ The Hasbro Transformers Panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 with Mario Carreiro, John Warden, Evan Brooks and Nate Purswell, recorded at the "Memo's Collection" YouTube channel.