Leatherneck
| Strength 6c |
Agility 5c |
Intellect 4x |
Willpower 7c |
| Hand Size: Edge: |
4 (25) 2 |
Powers:
(none)
Equipment:
Grenades (i): most of the time, Wendell is carrying grenades on his person, in the event that he can't just blast a foe with his shotgun. These explosives will inflict intensity 10 damage (fragmentary) to whoever Wendell chucks 'em at, as well as everyone else within striking (near missile) range.
Knife (s): you never know when you'll need to cut something in the field, whether it be a rope, parachute strap, or a Cobra operative. Made from strength 12 materials, this serrated blade can be used to cut through materials of like strength, and can also be used to inflict damage per a +2 weapon in melee.
Rocket Launcher (i): something he used for a time in the nineties, this heavy duty offensive item allows Wendell to fire small (yet deadly) rockets at his many Cobra foes. Aided by an infra-red targeter (for a +1 to hit), these rockets will inflict intensity 10 damage to whoever they strike.
Semi-Automatic Shotgun (a): this heavy duty weapon can tear most targets to shreds in seconds. Wendell can fire this beast to inflict his Agility +6 damage in a single shot, or his Agility +7 damage in a semi-automatic burst of shells - as long as his foe is within near missile range.
Smith & Wesson Revolver (a): something of a non-standard military personal piece these days, this weapon is nonetheless one that Wendell feels comfortable with as a back-up for his other gear. In battle, he can fire it to inflict damage like any other +4 weapon with each shot (though it's not a semi-automatic piece).
Hindrances:
(none)
Skills:
Artillery (a): in addition to his skill with guns of all non-advanced stripes, Wendell is also well-versed in the use of heavier weaponry, such as his M-203's grenade launcher. Not only does he fire such weapons at a reduced difficulty level, Wendell suffers no range penalties with such hard core hardware.
Boxing (s): Wendell has received basic unarmed combat fighting training thanks to the Marines, a skill he has lovingly refined over the years in combat - and in countless bar brawls. When fighting unarmed he can divide his pre-cardplay action score between two attacks - the last of which occurs as a contingent action.
Brawling (s): a true brawler at heart, Wendell has shown a prowess for beating on things over the years that is above and beyond that of your regular, garden variety Marine. In unarmed melee, if Wendell reduces a foe to zero cards (Health), he will render him comatose - if not having a 'friendly' brawl.
Marksmanship (a): one of those basic skills the Marines instill within their troops, Wendell has the almost innate ability to wield firearms in battle. Whether brandishing a standard, semi-automatic, or fully automatic rifle or pistol at somebody, he can do so at a reduced difficulty level.
Military / United States (w): having made the Marines his beloved way of life for years and years, Wendell has this skill as a general matter of course. In addition to acting as an 'origin' for his other talents, this skill provides him the ability to lead fighting men, as well as an understanding of military protocols.
Teaching (w): a Marine drill instructor, Wendell knows how to hammer a lesson into somebody's head, no matter how obstinate or otherwise unmotivated they may be. This is because his skill in Marine matters, in addition to his incredibly stubborn attitude, makes him an effective - if loud - educator.
Calling:
Soldier, with a secondary calling of Mentor: Wendell is the quintessential soldier. He gleefully eats, drinks, breathes, and sleeps with the Marine Corps. However, he also enjoys raising his fellow Marines - and Joes, where the newer ones are concerned - to his intense level of perfection and performance.
Costume:
Wendell's third Joe outfit was more out there than his first two. It is made up of yellow pants with brown camo patches all over, a brown collared, long sleeve shirt (with a yellow T-shirt beneath it), brown leather boots, a yellow belt, yellow holsters and webbing for his gear, and a brown Marine Ranger hat.
Personality:
The man is an animal. He is uncouth, opinionated and overbearing. He'd just as soon fight than talk. And he has no patience at all with the indecisive, the lazy, and the dishonest. Men that have gone through his training say they'd rather crawl over broken glass than be on his bad side.
Real Name: Wendell A. Metzger, grade E-7 (Gunnery Sergeant)
Occupation: drill sergeant, infantryman
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'
Hair: black
Eyes: brown
Weight: 180 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: Wendell usually wears a thick, bushy moustache whenever active as a Joe.
Story:
Wendell has a long history in the Marines - he's about as intense a 'Jar Head' as you can get. He's been known as the meanest corporal in Gitmo, the roughest tech sergeant in the 1st Recon Battalion in 'Nam, the toughest drill sergeant on Parris Island, and hardest gunny in Camp Lejeune.
The man was born hard, having been downright mean before joining the Corps, and would probably have been almost as nasty had he not become a Marine... almost. The Marine Corps just managed to focus Wendell's meanness into a laser-like intensity of raw, coarse surliness - and how!
While bad-tempered and highly opinionated, Wendell is also highly motivated, and he mastered most infantry functions well before anyone else in his basic training course. Heck, he was usually awake before his drill sergeant, getting ready for the day long before his fellow recruits.
This intense focus on all things Marine got Wendell noticed, and since he was so darn good at what he did, he earned a place on the Gi Joe team in time - they are always on the lookout for the military's best, after all. With his personality, though, it didn't take him too long to get noticed there, either.
Wendell's continual ranting on the superiority of the Marines finds itself constantly challenged by his Navy counterpart, Wet-Suit, who joined the Joes at about the same time. While these two Joes are of totally different specialties and histories, they are far more alike than they will ever admit.
And despite the fact that these two guys are almost always engaging in shouting matches with each other, they're nonetheless friends, and have saved each other's lives on more occasions than they can count. They remained antagonistic friends, in fact, until the Joe team was disbanded in '94.
What Wendell was up to while the team was inactive is as of yet unknown, but the threat of Cobra didn't rest when the Joes were inactive. When the group was reformed years later, Wendell eventually rejoined, though he didn't do it as early as the others; it took him awhile, but he eventually showed up.
And just in time for World War III! A plan years in the making, Cobra had finally attempted its mass invasion of every major world power in an attempt to take over the entire globe in one fell swoop. Thanks to Wendell and his compatriots, however, this plot ultimately failed in the end.
With Cobra broken yet again, Wendell is presumably staying on with the Gi Joe team, helping them to round up all the Cobra operatives who managed to escape in the wake of their latest, greatest failure.
Note:
Personality snippet written by Larry Hama!
Extra Goodies:
Gi Joe directories featuring a version of Leatherneck:
| 1986 | 1993 | 2001 | 2003 | 2004 |
* Note: 1986 saw two versions of Leatherneck: His standard figure (Version 1), and his Special Missions: Brazil figure (Version 2).