Mirage

F Ex 20

A Gd 10

S Ty 6

E Rm 30

R Gd 10

I Ex 20

P Ex 20

Res Ex 20

Pop Sh 0

Health: Karma:

66 50

Origin:

As are the vast majority of his fellow Joes, Joseph is but a normal human, physically speaking. He lacks any sort of super human powers, whether they come from genetic mutation or experimentation, mystic or psionic schooling, or even divine province - all he's got handy is high tech gear and sheer gumption.

Known Powers:

(none)

Equipment:

Baseball Grenades: strapped to a bandolier worn about his chest, these potent explosives can be thrown by Joseph at anybody within one area of his person. They 'pop' to inflict either Remarkable (30) Edged Attack (fragmentary) or SD Energy (incendiary) damage to all non-covered targets in their detonation area.

Exoskeleton Armor: situated about his uniform, the components of this advanced heuristics system are almost unnoticeable unless you're looking for 'em. Nonetheless, they provide Joseph Typical (6) protection from physical attack - and enhance his Strength score by +2 CS (to Excellent (20)).

Furthermore, an additional feature was added to Joseph's exoskeleton this year. A sort of light-bending camouflage system has been tacked onto his strength-boosting armor, allowing him to make use of the Blending power with Excellent (20) ability; this comes in very handy while in the field (in various environs).

the Joe-Com: this is a new device given to all Joes since the group's reactivation. This high-tech wristband functions as an audio/video transceiver with various other goodies built in to help a soldier on the go, and is described in greater detail in its own equipment entry.

Laser Rifle: a recent addition to his high tech arsenal, this weapon can be used to devastating effect to otherwise hardened targets. Joseph can fire this standard Joe weapon to inflict Good (10) Armor Piercing Energy damage, which is enough to give even the pilots of Cobra mechs pause.

Knife: Joseph always carries one of these on a mission, for you never know when you need to cut something - whether or not it's trying to cut you back. Made from Incredible (40) m.s. metals, this blade can cut through items of like m.s. - or inflict Joseph's Strength in Edged Attack damage.

Machine Guns: since he doesn't always need more devastating hardware while on a mission, Joseph always carries at least one of these weapons, which can inflict Typical (6) Shooting damage in a single shot, +1 CS in a short, controlled burst, and +2 CS in a full-auto hail of leaden doom.

Video Equipment: finally, Joseph carries a compact, micro-miniaturized video recording system on his headset, which captures everything he sees (while it's active) in order to document whatever he's doing on a mission - especially useful for proving the existence of Cobra's various 'monsters'.

Quirks:

(none)

Talents:

Guns: gained during his Army basic training, and honed through years of practice (both in and out of the field), this talent represents Joseph's mastery of most firearms. Whether he's wielding a standard, semi-automatic, or fully automatic rifle or pistol, he should do so at his Agility score +1 CS.

Marksman: his primary military specialty, Joseph's exemplary use of weapons of this type is what got him on the Joe team in the first place - as well as membership in the team's elite Mega Marines. When using line-of-sight weaponry (like mortars, rocket launchers, etc...), Joseph does so at a +1 CS.

Martial Arts type B: another talent that he picked up in his basic training, this skill describes Joseph's ability to defend himself should he be rendered unarmed. He should receive a +1 CS on all unarmed melee attacks, whether he's punching, kicking, elbow dropping, knee smashing, or even head butting a foe.

Military / United States: the basis for his other skills, and what one could consider a 'background talent', Joseph's military training is more than just the ability to kill things. It includes an in-depth understanding of military protocols and procedures, as well as various leadership techniques.

Contacts:

Though he signed on late in the game, Joseph is nonetheless a member of the elite Gi Joe team, and as a result, he can rely upon all members of that organization for assistance should he require it while on the job - and often when not on a mission. He also has several additional, still-undisclosed military contacts, too.

Costume:

Joseph's fifth uniform is another variant on his first (first four, in fact). It consists of a white pair of trousers, a white jacket, light gray leather boots, black leather gloves, a green bandoiler to hold his grenades and such, a green leather belt, and the chromed components of his exoskeleton.

Not that you can tell. For the most part Joseph will remain 'cloaked' while on a mission, making him incredibly hard to spot for both allies and enemies alike. This makes it very hard for snipers to get a 'bead' on him while on the job, since light seems to harmlessly pass through him and his equipment.

Personality:

Joseph is a highly skilled and effective marksman, whether he's using standard arms or rocket launchers. He takes great pride in his skills, and truly delights in using them against those who bear arms without the talent to back them up. It's not an ego thing so much as... on-the-job satisfaction, really.

Real Name: Joseph R. Baikun, grade E-6
Occupation: Gi Joe soldier, artillerist
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: blonde
Eyes: brown
Weight: 190 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: none

Story:

Joseph is a man who takes great pride in his skills, and since he had joined the Army to be all he could be, he had pushed them to their very limits. As such, he'd proven himself time and time again in the use of both standard and heavy firepower, which got him noticed by various Gi Joe recruiters.

Once they got him on the team, they gave him to Roadblock for awhile, who taught him how to effectively use his heavy duty weaponry while in the field, fighting various highly-motivated opponents. It only took Joseph a short while to apply his skills to such punishing conditions, as he's a highly competitive fellow.

This, in turn, made him one of the Joe team's first choices for membership in one of it's elite units - the best of the best of the best, as it were. This unit, the so-called Mega Marines, was a very small detachment of Joes assigned to deal with the genetic horrors designed by Doctor Mindbender and created by Cobra.

These monstrosities, former Cobra Vipers and Eels who discarded their humanity for the promise of great powers, were very difficult to deal with... but this didn't stop the Mega Marines. Led by Gung-Ho, they managed to put a stop to these horrors before they could be put to use against innocent civilians.

Shortly after Cobra's stock of highly expensive, genetically enhanced things were taken care of, the Mega Marines, along with the rest of the Gi Joe team, was put on mothballs due to budget cuts and the belief that 'standard personnel' could take care of the threat that Cobra posed to the world.

Unfortunately, this proved to be untrue, and the team was reactivated several years later. While he wasn't needed at first, Joseph was eventually called back to work with his former teammates against Cobra. Naturally, with the likes of Neo-Vipers bolstering Cobra's ranks, his skills are vital to the fight for freedom...!

Extra Goodies:

Gi Joe directories featuring a version of Mirage:

1993

2002

2003

2005

* Note: 2002 saw two versions of Mirage (Versions 2 and 3).