The Top Ten Greatest Joe Lines in Sunbow G.I. Joe

Number 10:

"Showtime!" - Low-Light

G.I. Joe:  The Movie

Low-Light was a fearless and introspective individual who didn't seek the spotlight.  Still, he made his presence felt at times and didn't need tons of screen time to do it, such as this quote in G.I. Joe: The Movie when Lt. Falcon "faced the music."

Nightmare Assault was an excellent Season 2 episode.  Sunbow explored themes of childhood abuse and PTSD through Low-Light's perspective, handling these subjects with great care, especially for a children's cartoon.

In the episode, Cobra deploys a dream machine that traps the Joes in their worst nightmares.  Low-Light is the only Joe who remained unaffected, thanks to his past trauma and his ability to confront his fears.  When Lifeline asked him how he copes with nightmares, Low-Light responds, "You make do; you have no choice."

In his own nightmare, Low-Light relived his abusive father, who once locked him in a dark room and forced him to kill thirty rats to "make him a man."   This trauma shaped his stoic demeanor and enhanced his night-fighting skills.  

Ultimately, Low-Light used this experience to help guide the other Joes through their nightmares, turned the tables on Dr. Mindbender, and made him, surprisingly, the emotional anchor of the G.I. Joe team.

Low-Light's sister appears, Una, in the Sunbow episode Glamour Girls, and she's portrayed as outgoing, stylish, and socially vibrant, which was very different from Low-Light’s quiet, brooding demeanor.  

It reflected a real-life truth:  Siblings often grow up in the same environment but develop very different personalities. 

Through Una, the show illustrated that Low-Light wasn't just a loner but someone with family ties and looked out for his little sister (which makes sense, given their father).

Number 9:

"Possibility and impossibility are states of mind.  In my mind, there is only the possible." - Spirit

The Revenge of Cobra Part 3:  The Palace of Doom

G.I. Joe and Cobra forces end up stalemated on sections of the reef surrounding the island, and Spirit told Cutter he and Freedom would go to the Island of No Return to retrieve the Weather Dominator fragment.  

Cutter didn't seem too keen on the idea, "I'm tempted to let you try it, but it's impossible."  Spirit didn't flinch and reframed things with his response.  Spirit's resolve was greater than the danger.

"Ah, Freedom, so much anguish over a piece of wreckage," Spirit said as he pulled the Weather Dominator fragment to land.  Spirit consistently reframed his screentime with moral clarity and reminded the audience what was truly at stake: human lives.

One reason Storm Shadow was such an intriguing character is Sunbow G.I. Joe, despite working for Cobra, he adhered to a higher moral code, perhaps inspired by his encounters with Spirit?  He demonstrated a surprising moment of honor by allowing the Spirit to keep one of the pieces that Cobra was after; this gesture came about because Spirit saved him from drowning in a cave. 

Number 8:

"You're going nowhere, space-case!  You're here because you're an industrial-strength foul-up!  My job is to whip you into shape, and I'm talking whip!  There's only two ways out of my command, on your feet like a man or in a ditty-bag.  An itty, bitty, ditty-bag. Got it?" - Sgt. Slaughter

G.I. Joe:  The Movie

Lt. Falcon represented the worst-case scenario of military values gone soft.  Charm over duty; ego over team.  His actions allowed Serpentor to be freed and three good Joes to be injured (Alpine, Bazooka, and Gung-Ho).

"Lt. Falcon, I can't understand how an arrogant misfit like you ever got into this outfit in the first place!"  General Hawk said bluntly, "Your record is a shameful parade of insubordination and gross dereliction of duty.  We searched your file in the hope of finding some act of merit to offset the maximum penalty. We found... none."

The only thing that saved Lt. Falcon from being turned over to a full court-martial was his nepotism connections to Duke, who vouched for him, "I just know underneath it all, there's a Joe worth saving.  Falcon is my half-brother."  

Duke had an excellent reputation and emotional credibility with the decision-makers; he put that all on the line because of a promise he made to their mother.  But I imagine Duke also saw the potential, buried under arrogance and immaturity.  Instead of being held over for a full court-martial, they sent Lt. Falcon to The Slaughterhouse.

It's where the worst screw-ups, the most undisciplined recruits, and the borderline cases went to either break or become Joes; Sgt. Slaughter was also working on his own pet project, The Renegades.  

Sgt. Slaughter's Training Philosophy:

• Discipline - "You're going to work till you wish you were dead, and then keep goin', 'cause you're afraid if you don't, I won't let you die!"  Falcon got pushed to his limits and beyond.  

• Fair - Slaughter judged by effort, not rank.  If you showed heart, you earned respect.  Duke did ask about his kid bro and Slaughter replied, "It's too soon to tell yet, but I think the kid's got potential."

• Camaraderie -  This was the secret sauce.  Slaughter didn't just build soldiers, he built brothers.  The Renegades, and now Lt. Falcon, learned to rely on each other, joke through pain, and fight as one. "It's time you learned we're a team, Red Dog.  We all go home, or nobody goes home!"

By the end, Lt. Falcon wasn't just a better Joe, he was a better man. This stuff in the movie was some of the most enjoyable moments, for all the Sarge quotes and his training methods. 

Number 7:

"Well, nobody's perfect," Breaker admitted.  "No, but we do ok," Duke added.

The M.A.S.S. Device Part 5:  A Stake in the Serpent's Heart

Breaker, as a stock across-the-board tech guy, used the remaining elements with the  Joe's M.A.S.S. Device to return all the stolen landmarks Cobra had snatched across the globe.  But mistakenly, he sent the Eiffel Tower to London instead of Paris.

"London?  You put the Eiffel Tower in London?" Duke asked, astonished by Breaker's mess-up. "I guess I goofed.  But there's nothing I can do, all the elements are used up."

So, the Joes towed the Eiffel Tower back. It was a light-hearted beat and it reinforced the show's tone: even in victory, the Joes aren't perfect, but they're always ready to make good.  

The ending of The Revenge of Cobra replayed these quotes, with Breaker using the Weather Dominator to revert the weather globally to its proper state, except at Joe HQ, where he accidentally caused it to snow. "Well, nobody's perfect," Breaker admitted.  "No, but we do ok," Flint finished this time.  

Replaying this quote built continuity and emotional rhythm across the G.I. Joe mini-series.  By echoing the exchange again, Sunbow tapped into a kind of serialized comfort.  It rewarded viewers who've been along for the ride, reinforcing the camaraderie and humor that define the Joes.  

Number 6:

“So, it's okay to risk your life for revenge, but to save Leatherneck's life, you won't square off against a snake?  Some of the guys make fun of me because I don’t carry weapons, but saving lives takes courage, too.  And if you're too scared to help, then I'm going after that snake alone." - Lifeline

My Favorite Things

This episode was sort of a mini-22-minute condensed version of the Arise mini-series. 

Arise, Serpentor, Arise! ... Cobra sought out the DNA of history's greatest conquerors to create a composite clone to be their Emperor.  My Favorite Things... Serpentor sought ancient artifacts tied to his genetic past to increase his power.  

Serpentor’s "favorite things" were weapons of conquest, statues of tribute, and symbols of tyranny.  These items changed Serpentor's facial features and triggered memories/personality traits from those lives, reinforcing his belief that reclaiming them would make him stronger.  "For my power to be complete, I must collect all of my favorite things," he said.

There was a hyper-masculine quality to much of the 1986 G.I. Joe line-up.  That year leaned toward gruff, no-nonsense military types, many of whom embodied the "tough-as-nails" persona that dominated mid-80s action media.  Think Rambo, Predator, and Full Metal Jacket.

• Beachhead:   Drill instructor, always barking orders, humorless
• Leatherneck:  Gruff Marine, proud of his military branch, often clashing with Wetsuit
• Low-Light:   Haunted sniper, quiet and intense, with a childhood trauma backstory
• Wetsuit:  Aggressive SEAL, constantly needling Leatherneck, full of bravado

Then came Lifeline, the pacifist medic in Sunbow.  His perspective gave G.I. Joe some much-needed ideological diversity in a line otherwise dominated by brute force and bravado.

In the episode, Wetsuit's buddy, Leatherneck, was injected with the most deadly venom on Earth, Serpentor's blood.  So, Wetsuit and Lifeline went on a mission to get some of Serpentor's blood, but Life-Line got something better: the pure form of the venom in Serpentor's blood from his giant pet snake.  

Well, that was before Wetsuit tossed it at a Cobra BAT out of petty revenge.  

Hey, just go back to the original plan, Wetsuit reasoned, but Lifeline explained, "Wrong.  That was only clutching at straws.  The pure venom was our best bet."  Of course, Wetsuit had a big fear of snakes; even little ones gave him the creeps, that big one, no way, lol.

Lifeline had to shame Wetsuit a bit by reframing heroism.  His line, "saving lives takes courage, too," was a direct challenge to the hyper-masculine ethos that Wetsuit could often get caught up in; the call-out forced Wetsuit to confront the difference between fighting for pride and risking self for compassion.

Even the toughest SEAL could be humbled by a medic's moral clarity, and Wetsuit did put his arm on the line for the snake to bite into, hoping/reasoning, it'd supply enough venom to save both his and Leatherneck's lives.  Which, of course, Lifeline did, and the two were back to their bickering selves!

Number 5:

"Figures, Shipwreck!  You would be in the sleaziest hole in Hollywood!" - Cover Girl 

Lights! Camera! Cobra!

I had to work in Shipwreck somewhere in this list, as he was sort of the secondary lead G.I. Joe character behind Flint and Lady Jaye.  The sailor had a lot of great lines himself, but sometimes the fun, irreverent humor with Shipwreck came from others reacting to him.  The fact that this was how others see Shipwreck said a lot, and to his credit, he usually owned it.  Cover Girl definitely enjoyed needling him.  

In Twenty Questions, Shipwreck said to Flint, "Oh, sorry.  Can't take it, Flint.  I was killed in action during maneuvers,"  referring to their war games training session.  Shipwreck would rather be lounging in the rec room than whatever job Flint had for him.  Flint, not in the mood, replied, "Look, stow it, Shipwreck.  I have three civilians who need babysitting."  

Shipwreck, of course, was the kind of Joe who'd get stuck with this assignment until Duke got back to give "that TV news reporter" Hector Ramirez, known for his sensationalist reporting and dramatic flair, a proper quote.  Shipwreck wasn't in high command or needed on the ready at G.I. Joe HQers, so sticking him with "babysitting duty" was a logical choice by Flint.

Then, there was in Sunbow Season 2, the episode The Most Dangerous Thing in the World.  Cobra Tele-Vipers infiltrated the main database with a false order promoting Lifeline, Dial-Tone, and Shipwreck to the rank of Colonel.

This resulted in one of my favorite Beachhead quotes, "These three, promoted to Colonel?  This doesn't make sense!  Shipwreck isn't even in the army!"

It went straight to Shipwreck's head almost immediately, and he threw his rank around from the start,  "Boy oh boy, someone finally realized my potential.  You sorry sons of dogfaces are really going to snap to now that Coronal Shipwreck is here!"

Cobra did attack G.I. Joe HQers and was winning, until General Hawk showed up and provided the leadership needed to turn the tide.  In the aftermath, he explained several things. 

All promotion requests had to go through General Hawk's office, so he knew it had to be from Cobra.  "They had you three pegged from the start," Hawk explained.  Cobra had hoped to create utter confusion, destroy G.I. Joe morale, and its effectiveness as a fighting force. 

Lifeline could be an effective officer, but did not have the desire (would rather be a humble medic).  Dial-Tone had the desire, but not the ability (not every soldier is cut out for leadership; nothing to be ashamed about).  "And as for Shipwreck," General Hawk sighed, "Well, what can I say?  He has neither the desire nor the ability."

"Ok, ok!  You proved your point!  Now cut me loose," Shipwreck begged from below the wreckage he was trapped in.  

This was a part of RodZD's more critical view of Season 2 of Sunbow.  Shipwreck, one of his favorite characters, mostly played the fool now, much to RodZD's annoyance.  While in Season 1, Shipwreck was also a bold hero.

Though it should be said, he did have a hero moment in Once Upon a Joe, a Season 2 episode.  The reality was, even though the likes of Flint, Lady Jaye, and Shipwreck were Season 1 fan favorites, the show had to promote the new 1986 assortment of figures, so there was less time for the old guard from 1985.

Number 4:

"G.I. Joe is dedicated to saving lives, even Cobra Commander's." - Flint

The Gamesmaster

In this episode, Flint, Lady Jaye, Cobra Commander, and Baroness were abducted by the eccentric villain, The Gamesmaster, who pit them against the dangers on his island in a twisted survival contest "game."   When Cobra Commander was in mortal danger, Flint stepped in to save him, prompting this line.

Cobra Commander, who routinely endangered lives, was saved by one of the very people he sought to destroy.  That underscored the difference between heroism and villainy.

Even G.I. Joe's sworn enemy, Cobra Commander, deserved protection under their code in this moment, when the Gamemaster's robot dinosaur was about to, well, eat him. 

There was sort of a replay of this line in the episode,  An Eye for an Eye.

An ordinary civilian named Charles Fairmont,  whose life was upended by Cobra, sought revenge.  He did have the showdown he wanted, but Cobra Commander was able to turn the tables.

The Joes, who had Cobra Commander in their sights, lowered their weapons to protect the hostage.  There was never a question of how they'd respond.

Fairmont was furious, "Are you crazy?  Why did you let that manic go?"  and Lady Jaye responded, "Because our job is saving lives, not helping good men throw their's away."

Fairmont and his family symbolized the collateral damage caused by Cobra's evil actions. However, Lady Jaye's words reaffirmed that G.I. Joe's mission was to "protect human freedom," just as the opening theme song lyrics went.  Capturing/taking down a villain was not worth sacrificing a good man.

Number 3:

"The price of liberty is always eternal vigilance." - Sgt. Slaughter

Arise, Serpentor, Arise! Part 5

That was the core truth of G.I. Joe's entire ethos.  Freedom wasn't a one-time victory; it was a constant defense.  As the theme song said, "G.I. Joe is the codename for America's daring, highly trained, special mission force. Its purpose:  To defend human freedom against Cobra, a ruthless, terrorist organization determined to rule the world."

Whether Cobra was led by the scheming Cobra Commander, the imperial Serpentor, or even the bio-terror of Cobra-La, the Joes could never afford to stand down. The enemy evolved, but the threat remained.

With Serpentor, the genetically engineered Cobra Emperor, finally rose.  He instantly seized command from Cobra Commander, battled Sgt. Slaughter one-on-one and then invaded Washington, DC.  

Cobra Commander, clearly coded as chaotic evil throughout season one, actually became a voice of reason, speaking alone, "You don't have the experience to lead Cobra, you insufferable egomaniac!  You know nothing of our struggle against G.I. Joe!  Nothing of our relative strengths, weaknesses, or strategies!"

Sgt. Slaughter himself was the embodiment of vigilance throughout the mini-series.  A great soldier, gruff, relentless, and unyielding.  He tried to prevent the creation of Serpentor and even got captured.  Dr. Mindbender even intended to use his DNA as a substitute for Sun Zu's DNA, which was lost.  But that failed as well, and so Serpentor was created somewhat "flawed."

G.I. Joe represented the idea that liberty must be actively protected, not passively enjoyed.  Every mission, every sacrifice, every watchful eye was part of that cost.

Number 2:

"Didn't you read my green sheet?  I'm a man of action." - Duke

The M.A.S.S. Device Part 1:  The Cobra Strikes

At the beginning of the mini-series, Duke's love life was put into motion. Instead of simply warning Scarlett about the danger, Duke heroically tackled her out of harm's way. Scarlett asked, "Why didn't you just yell, 'Look out?'"

This exchange established their dynamic throughout the series, showcasing them as the heroic male and female leads.  Duke and Scarlett were the quintessential It-Couple straight out of Hollywood casting:  a masculine blonde man and a feminine redheaded woman. 

Cobra had seized control of a remote region for their operations, likely somewhere in South America, as a base of operations for their M.A.S.S. Device and had enslaved the locals for mining work deep within their hideout.  

Selina was introduced as a slave of Cobra, serving as a water bearer for both the slaves and in Cobra Commander's command room.  

She was portrayed as an attractive woman, "exotic," and her position as a captive in need of rescue (as well as her people) set up a classic hero/damsel-in-distress dynamic with Duke.  Selina helped Duke escape; of course, she fell for him.

Selina also stopped Cobra Commander from destroying New York City, and later, when Scarlett was imprisoned, they got into a scuffle, giving the viewers some "fan service" panty shots during the catfight.

"Duke will be proud of me for this, Scarlett!" Selina exclaimed when she and Scarlett prepared to lead a slave revolt against Cobra Commander and Destro. 

Scarlett was aware of Selina's infatuation with Duke, but didn't feel it warranted much concern.  She replied casually, "Sure thing, kid."  Scarlett seemed accustomed to this kind of "interest" for Duke, so it didn't really faze her.

"We'll have a threesome later, sister, 

but right now we've got a war to win."

The Joes, of course, did win the day, and Selina was back at G.I. Joe HQers with Duke and Scarlett.  Seemed like they'd be celebrating together.  Because that's how Duke and Scarlett rolled!  

Didn't you read Duke's green sheet?  He had that rizz!   Yo Joe!

Number 1:

"Psst, Flint.  We made a slight miscalculation.  I think I've grown a little too big for my britches."  - Lady Jaye

Grey Hairs and Growing Pains

After Mainframe secured the testing site, with a little help from his girlfriend Zarana, who secretly provided the information on how to work it, the Joes returned to their normal ages.

The animators knew exactly what they were doing, ending on a visual gag that was playful and a bit risqué by cartoon standards, maybe?   But it was the '80s, and it fit perfectly with Lady Jaye's character coding.  The camera started with her bare legs stepping out so Flint could see her "predicament."

Once out of the prototype aging room, Lady Jaye held down the hem of her workout coat, displaying a mix of modesty and embarrassment.  Her facial expression was reserved and slightly shy, reinforcing the comedic tone of the scene.

A pan shot starting at her toes up to her head ended the episode.  

Lady Jaye understood the absurdity of the situation; it was self-deprecating and meta-aware, delivered with that sheepish pose.  Clearly flustered, Lady Jaye was only wearing a top and panties underneath, and she was fully aware of it.  Most importantly, the viewers at home knew it, too.  

It was not played for seduction; instead, it embodied a sense of "How did I end up in this situation?" or "Sigh, why is it always me?" 

The character was created, in part, to appeal to young boys watching G.I. Joe, to crush on her.  Just look at her packaging artwork!  

This was all cleaver on the part of Sunbow, and gave boys a reason to watch reruns, a chance to see Lady Jaye in different fan service moments, frankly, "a cheap thrill," and boy, were there a lot of 'em.

A top 10 list of fan service moments could easily be made of Lady Jaye.  

For now, the Cobra Television Network had altered the ending to further embarrass Lady Jaye.  Another attempt to impact G.I. Joe morale, no doubt.