F Gd 10

A Ex 20

S Ty 6

E Gd 10

R Ex 20

I Gd 10

P Gd 10

Res Ex 20

Pop Sh 0

Health: Karma:

46 40

Origin:

Like the vast majority of the G.I. Joe team, Sergeant Franklin E Talltree is merely a normal human, not gifted with superheroic powers, sorcerous knowledge, or even high tech gear; unless you count his 'cartoon variant powers' below. For a 'lowly' human, he's a highly skilled combatant, effective as both a paratrooper and as a helicopter gunner / pilot, and he uses these skills in the defense of freedom!

Known Powers:

Natural Psi-Powers (psipathic, cartoon variant):

Danger Sense (a): one of the psionic abilities that Franklin has demonstrated is the ability to sense whether or not he - or people he feels a strong bond to - are in immediate or imminent danger. While using this power (it is not automatic), Franklin can get an advanced notice of direct or potential danger to himself or his comrades up to thirty seconds before it manifests; this is a Remarkable (30) ranked power.

Nonapparent Vision (t): in addition to being able to sense danger in the environment around him or his friends, Franklin is rumored to have the so-called 'far-seeing look'. Of course, this is no mere rumor, and that's not just because of the way Franklin seems to be looking through you all the time. He can use this psipathic talent to dispel illusions, should he believe something is such, with Remarkable (30) ability.

Natural Psi-Powers (psimotive, cartoon variant):

Telelocation (s): Franklin has also shown that he has the ability to 'tune in' to the general location of people or things. When attempting to get a fix on something he's very familiar with, Franklin need only make a green power FEAT. Yellow FEATs are required for less familiar things, and red FEATs are required when tracking an object that he's only been seen or handled once. This is a Remarkable (30) ranked power.

Equipment:

Assault Rifle: Franklin's trusty firearm, this modified M-16 rifle can be fired in combat to inflict Good (10) Shooting damage in a semi-automatic burst, Excellent (20) Shooting damage in a fully automatic hail of lead. This gun also has a convenient bayonet mounted on the front, one that can be used by Franklin in a pinch (i.e., sudden melee) to inflict Typical (6) Edged Attack damage.

Colt M1911A1 Pistol: should Franklin find himself in extended combat, and expend all the ammunition he's carrying for his assault rifle, he also carries a backup piece, one he holsters on his right leg. This standard issue military firearm can be fired to inflict Typical (6) Shooting damage (+1 CS semi-auto), and has a clip that can be accessed eight times before it needs to be swapped out.

Grenade: like most of the Joes, Franklin carries at least one grenade on his person at all times, allowing him to blow up something really big should Cobra throw it at him. This grenade, most likely fragmentary in nature, can be thrown at a target to inflict Remarkable (30) Edged Attack damage to it, as well as every other exposed person and object within the target area.

Helmet: since he jumps out of airplanes for a living, Franklin can use all the protective gear he can get his hands on. This headgear offers him Good (10) protection against physical attacks, which does nonetheless give Franklin a chance of survival in the event of a head shot. Furthermore, the attached goggles provides him Typical (6) ranked protected senses (sight) while he wears them.

Knife: in the event that he's got to cut his parachute straps in an emergency, or should he have to fight an opponent without the benefit of his guns, Franklin always carries a blade with him, usually strapped onto his vest. He can use this serrated blade to inflict Typical (6) Armor Piercing Edged Attack damage with each deadly strike, or he can cut through items of up to Incredible (40) material strength.

Parachute: being a paratrooper, Franklin naturally has a parachute on his person while he's on missions - this is because he's usually assisting in the execution of an airborne combat mission. When he's falling through the sky, Franklin can open the 'chute in order to break his fall, reducing the speed of his descent to three stories per turn - assuming it has proper time to open...

Spy Troops Disguise (v2): shortly after resuming his membership in the G.I. Joe team, Franklin was given a special disguise that he could use on missions where he would be dropped into Cobra territory. While it provides him no special combat perks, per se, Franklin's Spy Troops disguise allows him to pose as Copperhead, one of Cobra's elite, water-based operatives.

Quirks:

(none)

Talents:

Aerial Combat: Franklin's primary claim to fame, this skill represents his ability to effectively battle the forces of evil while in the air, whether he is a gunner in a helicopter, piloting a glider, or even parachuting in on a foe from above. While fighting in the air, Franklin gains a +1 CS to any combat FEAT that he must roll, whether it be based on his Ftg or Agy score.

Guns: one of Franklin's essential Army-given skills is his ability to competently wield a gun or rifle in battle, whether it be a standard, semi-automatic, or fully automatic weapon. While firing a pistol or rifle, Franklin may do so as though his Agility score were +1 CS in rank. Naturally, this bonus is cumulative with those that are offered by the above skill, making him a demon combatant in the skies...

Law: before he actually signed up with the Army, Franklin went to college at Arizona State, where he studied law for years. He managed to pass the Arizona Bar exam, though he doesn't actually practice law right now; he IS a Joe, after all. Though he doesn't use this skill actively, Franklin does make any law-based Rsn FEATs (including legal actions) at +1 CS.

Martial Arts types B: another of Franklin's required combat skills is his basic training in hand to hand fighting. Whenever he's engaging in unarmed melee combat, whether he's throwing punches, dealing out kicks, flinging head-butts, or even perpetrating knee or elbow smashes, Franklin does so as though his Ftg score were +1 CS in rank (and he dodges such attacks with a similar bonus).

Military: though he could have easily remained a lawyer and gotten relatively rich, Franklin decided that he'd rather jump out of airplanes for a living, and as such, he hooked up with the only outfit that would pay him to do so - the Army. In addition to his knowledge of basic military protocols, this talent has given Franklin several Military contacts - above and beyond those in the Joe team.

Pilot / Air: in addition to being a competent aerial combatant, Franklin is also quite good at operating aircraft all by his lonesome. While he does excel in regards to being a pilot's assistant, gunner, etc..., he has the ability to fly various air vehicles, such as helicopters and gliders, with ease. When he does so, Franklin makes all applicable Agy or Control FEATs at +1 CS.

Contacts:

Having been a member of the G.I. Joe team for years, Franklin can easily count on that group for aid should he need it - the Joes have simply been through too many near-death experiences together to leave each other to the wolves. In addition to the Joes, Franklin can always depend on several additional Army contacts, as well as his ridiculously rich relatives, to give him assistance in a pinch.

Costume:

While in action with the Joe team, Franklin wears a tan jumpsuit, one that he couples with black boots, brown kneepads, brown gloves, and a brown parachute harness. On top of this, he wears a blue vest, green straps to hold various essential supplies and, most strikingly, a green helmet with a pair of wind-resistant goggles mounted on top. This, of course, doesn't include his tan backpack.

Franklin adopted a new uniform when he returned to the G.I. Joe team after its temporary deactivation. His second field uniform includes green trousers with blue padding in places, brown boots with extra blue padding on the ankles, a green jacket over a green T-shirt with brown shoulder pads, green boots with blue padding, blue webbing for his gear, and a green helmet with blue goggles strapped on top.

Of course, once he's on the ground, Franklin occasionally makes use of his Spy Troops disguise in order to confuse and befuddle Cobra forces. This gear includes a green and yellow helmet, a green vest, and various other accessories that allow him to pose as Copperhead, one of Cobra's water moccasin pilots. Most people don't pay attention to Copperhead much, so this disguise is perfect for spy work...!

Personality:

Franklin is generally known as something of a joker while he's hanging out with his fellow Joes, being good-natured and quite the team player. However, he's got the tendency to get serious in combat - deadly serious - a trait that spooks those not prepared for his 'far-seeing look'. This isn't a bad thing, though; those that have fought beside him in the past actually tend to appreciate this in a firefight.

Real Name: Franklin E. Talltree, Grade E-5
Occupation: Airborne Infantry, Helicopter Gunner
Legal Status: American citizen with no known criminal record
Marital Status: single
Alias(es), if any: none
Group Affiliation: G.I. Joe

Height: 6'
Hair: black
Eyes: brown
Weight: 170 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: none

Story:

Franklin was born on the Navaho Reservation in Nevada to exceptionally oil-rich parents. Being the eldest son of this family, his parents tended to indulge all of his odd whims, which included oodles of sky-diving lessons. Going through college, he passed the Arizona State Bar exams, though he quickly found that the life of a lawyer wasn't one he wished to pursue. He wanted to jump out of airplanes.

Of course, there are very few people who will pay a body to do this, one of which happened to be the Army. So, discarding his legal career, Franklin enlisted and attended the Airborne School at Fort Benning, graduating at the top of his class. In fact, his exceptional performance in school and in the field gained him the notice of his superiors, and he was offered a position on the G.I. Joe team.

Finally hooking up with the group during its second year of operation, Franklin's first mission involved his helping various Joes to prevent the villainous Destro, who'd recently hooked up with Cobra, from sabotaging the Alaska Pipeline. After proving himself during this operation, Franklin saw action in several subsequent operations against that clandestine terrorist organization.

One such mission involved rescuing Snake-Eyes from an assault launched by Destro, Firefly, and Crimson Guardsman Fred I, during which Franklin was wounded in action - even if his ally, Spirit, managed to slay his would-be killer, Fred I. Though their enemies managed to destroy Snake-Eyes' log cabin home in the mountains in the High Sierras, they ultimately failed to kill the Joe commando.

Several of Franklin's subsequent missions involved activity on or around Cobra Island, that chunk of Caribbean sea floor that Cobra Commander had managed to raise from the depths to serve as a real, legitimate nation from which he could conquer the world. These missions took place before, during, and after the rising of this island nation, and included the infamous Cobra Island Civil War.

Most of Franklin's missions are highly classified, of course, and have yet to be revealed to the general public. However, he continued to serve the Joe team for the duration of its existence, despite the appearance of a second paratrooper using his code-name. When the G.I. Joe team was disbanded back in '94, it is presumed that he returned to regular service with the Army.

When the Joes were re-activated back in '97, however, Franklin returned to the fold, rejoining the battle against Cobra that rages to this very day...