Windchill

Origin:

As is the case with most of the Gi Joe team, Windchill is but a normal human being, lacking special powers of any stripe. He is a rather sturdy athlete, however, having almost been an Olympic competitor before he was recruited onto the Gi Joe team by Blizzard...

Known Powers:

(none)

Equipment:

Arctic Blast: this small, aggressive vehicle is Jim's current ride, and he can do an astounding amount of damage with the thing. Primarily consisting of two huge wheels with a small, heavily armed chassis wedged in between, the Arctic Blast is described in its own entry.

Arctic Gear: when on the job in the cold, Jim always wears an insulated, fur-lined winter coat, some sort of face protection (goggles usually), a knitted hat of some sort, insulated boots, insulated trousers, and if without a vehicle, skis and ski poles.

Knife: a vital tool for those who work in the wilderness, Jim carries one of these on a boot sheath at all times. It's built from Incredible (40) m.s. materials, and can be used to cut through items of like m.s. or to inflict Edged Attack damage in melee combat.

Machine Gun: his primary armament outside his current vehicle of choice, this weapon has some kick. Jim can fire it to inflict Typical (6) Shooting damage in a single shot, Good (10) Shooting damage in a short burst, and Excellent (20) Shooting damage full auto.

Semi-automatic Pistol: a backup for his main piece, Jim keeps this sidearm in a holster on his waist. He can fire this hand cannon to inflict Typical (6) Shooting damage in a single shot, raised to Good (10) Shooting damage if he fires a semi-automatic hail of lead.

Quirks:

(none)

Talents:

Guns: even before he was convinced to join the military, Jim was a crack shot with most guns - now he's just got official training with them. He can fire standard, semi-automatic or fully automatic rifles or pistols as though his Agy was +1 CS higher than is listed above.

Martial Arts type B: one skill Jim did pick up once joining the Army was the ability to defend himself should he be disarmed. Whenever attempting any unarmed melee attack, from punches to kicks or whatever, Jim may do so as though his Ftg score was +1 CS in rank.

Military / United States: though it never occurred to him to join the military at first, Jim was recruited by Blizzard himself. As such, Jim has learned an almost instinctual understanding of the S.O.P., and can easily function in a military environment.

Pilot / Ground: Jim was good with snow vehicles before he enlisted, and has only gotten better with professional training. When driving any ground-based vehicles, Jim may attempt Control FEATs with them at +1 CS higher than an unskilled person would be able to.

Survival: an avid hunter before joining the military, Jim has only had his skills enhanced to the point that he can survive just about anywhere - he's so good he can serve as a cold weather survival instructor! No matter where he winds up, Jim has the skills to persist in that environment.

Contacts:

Jim is a member of the Gi Joe team, and can naturally rely upon them - especially his recruiter, Blizzard - for assistance should he but ask. Of course, Jim also has additional contacts in athletic circles, since the man was this close to being an Olympic athlete at one time.

Costume:

While on the job, Jim wears a terrain-appropriate uniform. It includes light gray trousers, a white jacket with black accessories over a black T shirt, black leather gloves, black leather boots, black belts and holsters for his gear, a white cap, and white and black goggles.

Personality:

Jim is a very active kind of guy. When he's not working he's engaging in some sport or another, usually to keep himself busy... or just to prove how good he is at whatever he's doing. He could've been a world-famous athlete, but he preferred to blow things up for Uncle Sam instead.

Real Name: Jim Steel, Grade E-6
Occupation: cold weather survival instructor
Legal Status: citizen of the United States with no known criminal record
Marital Status: single
Alias(es), if any: none
Group Affiliation: Gi Joe

Height: 6' 1"
Hair: strawberry blonde
Eyes: blue
Weight: 200 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: Jim wears a thick, bushy moustache at all times, and has a truly legendary chin.

Story:

Jim's not the kind of guy you find hanging out inside. No, he's quite the competitor, being an avid skimobiler and a hunter. He was okay with simply pursuing these two aims until he learned of the Biathlon, at which point he was hooked on the idea.

Shooting and skiing - at the same time? He was all over that. In fact, Jim quite possibly could have qualified to be on the Olympic team if not for the intervention of Blizzard. This Joe was at the National Elimination Tournament, and liked the promise Jim showed.

So naturally, Blizzard told Jim about the group he was in, and just how he could have even more fun shooting at people - all the while operating heavily armored machinery in the thickest of snows. This idea spoke to Jim even more than the Biathlon did.

Having been successfully recruited, Jim had to of course go through the standard military training, and then prove he had what it takes to be a Joe as well. His considerable skills aided Jim in this, and though he likely had a hard time of it (as does everyone else), Jim made it.

Upon finally qualifying for membership on the Gi Joe team, Jim got a brush-up on his skills from Blizzard, and was eventually put in charge of the team's Arctic Blast vehicle, a small, heavily armed thing they break out on missions in snow-covered territory.

Jim served in this capacity for several years, at least until he was given a much larger cold weather vehicle to drive towards the end of the Gi Joe team's first phase - the Blockbuster. He operated this until the Joes were returned to conventional military service in 1994.

It's unknown what Jim got up to after this point; he wasn't even in the military until Blizzard talked him into joining. He may have returned to Biathlon competition, considering that's what he was going to do before he enlisted in the first place.

However, the man has returned when the Joes needed him, the team coming back into existence as soon as Cobra realized nobody was bothering to stop them from doing what they do best any longer. He's helped them out on major operations, such as during the second Cobra Island Civil War.

And of course during World War III, a conflict triggered by those terrorists that almost saw them taking over the entire world. They were narrowly defeated by the Gi Joe team, but while their leaders were captured many of their operatives remain at large to this very day.

As such, Jim may be continuing on with the Joes as Windchill yet, helping his former teammates hunt those villains down...!

Extra Goodies:

Gi Joe directories featuring a version of Windchill: