Roadblock (RAH)

The name Roadblock refers to several versions of the same character.
For a list of the other versions, see Roadblock.

Roadblock is a G.I. Joe character from the A Real American Hero and G.I. Joe vs. Cobra series.

Roadblock
Personal information
Real name	Marvin F. Hinton
Birthplace	Biloxi, Mississippi
Military information
Service branch	US Army
Grade / Rank	Staff Sergeant (E-6)
Specialty	Infantry; Heavy Weapons; Cook
Weapon / Vehicle expertise	M-2 Browning .50 cal
Organizational information
Faction(s)	G.I. Joe Team
Subteam(s)	Tiger Force Battle Corps Star Brigade Night Force
Media information
First comic appearance	G.I. Joe #22
First cartoon appearance	In the Cobra's Pit

Within the heart of a man lies the desire to become a gourmet chef. You wouldn't know that by looking at Roadblock. With his size and brawn, he can carry a .50 Browning machine gun with accompanying 50 lbs. ammo and still endure the powerful recoils. That fact alone is enough to scare the enemy. In actuality, he's one of the most amiable members of the Joe Team and a great source of camaraderie. Aside from his impressive strength, he could take your K-rations and whip up something more appetizing.

Roadblock was setting to go to France's Escoffier School by working as a bouncer until a recruiter convinced him the Army can train him just as well. He was so appalled by the menu and preparation techniques in the Army kitchen that he requested a transfer. And that is how Roadblock got into infantry.

Fiction

A Real American Hero comics continuity

Marvel Comics continuity

Roadblock and Duke were introduced during the Funeral of General Flagg. Cobra Commander had used this event to knock out the remaining Joes and also to test Cobra's new combat aircraft. As the funeral proceedings were taking place, the new combat aircraft approached the procession. Cover Girl was the first to acknowledge its presence and alert the others. The Cobra pilot got a drop on the Joes and was about to launch a missile strike against them when it was blown out of the sky. The perplexed Joes looked around and saw that Duke and Roadblock had shot it out of the sky, with Roadblock holding his .50 Caliber machine gun. The Joes were surprised that Roadblock could lift the gun so easily.

Devil's Due Comics continuity

IDW RAH continuity

After G.I. Joe was disbanded, Roadblock was re-assigned as a cook. When Cobra enacted a plan that put them at the forefront of providing security for the United States, the Joes were declared renegades and were hunted down. Roadblock was among the first Joes to resurface. Upon instructions from Hawk, he met with other Joes for a rendezvous and led a strike team into the Silent Castle, battling B.A.T.s. With Rock 'n Roll, he bought Mainframe the time the latter needed to hack into Cobra's computers and provide evidence of Cobra's goal and clear the Joes of charges.

G.I. Joe Reloaded

Write up

G.I. Joe vs. Transformers

Write up

Action Force (British) Comics continuity

During the Vietnam War Roadblock served with the future Action Force members Gung-Ho, Wild Bill and Leatherneck.

Roadblock was part of a team who tricked Tomax and Xamot into leading a team of B.A.T.s into Action Force's London base, both to test security and secure samples of B.A.T. technology. He was then was one of many Action Force members deliberately sent to Rhodes to get them out of the country when Trent was being blackmailed by the Dreadnoks. Subsquently he was part of Action Force teams who were sent to recover a Northrod B2 bomber crew who crashed on an island with top secret information, who stopped Cobra obtaining a powerful laser driven by diamonds, who dealt with a siege in a British village when the bank manager was revealed as a Crimson Guard and who dealt with a Cobra bomb planted on Tower Bridge in London. He was part of the assault force who recaptured an Arabian oil terminal from Cobra and prevented it from being exploded to ignite the oil fields, and was then part of a team who travelled to Vietnam after Gung-Ho went in search of his former comrades. Roadblock subsequently became part of Tiger Force and was present for an early mission to Jordan to destroy a shot down Phantom X-19 and rescue Ghostrider and Scarlett.

Blackthorne Comics continuity

Write up

Dreamwave Comics continuity

Write up

Animated continuity

Sunbow animated series

Voiced by: Kene Holliday

Roadblock from the A Real American Hero animated continuity second miniseries and 1st season.

Roadblock as he appeared in the A Real American Hero animated continuity from the 2nd season on.

DiC animated series

Write up

Toys

Generation 1
	A Real American Hero (1984) Roadblock is included in the 1984 series of the A Real American Hero series. Appearance: bald with black mustache and goatee; light and dark green camouflage vest with black belt and straps; bare arms; green gloves and holster; rust-orange pants; black boots Accessories: light olive-green "Duke" helmet; squarish, reddish brown backpack with handle, peg for tripod, and detachable ammo box; light olive-green M-2HB Browning .50 cal. machine gun and M3 tripod. YoJoe.com page/Filecard
	A Real American Hero (1986) Roadblock becomes the second character to get a new action figure design that wasn't a recolored version. Appearance: bald with black mustache and goatee; off-white short-sleeved shirt; light green vest with beige strap and red pads; black gloves and boots; light grey pants with beige belt and boots Accessories: large, silver heavy machine gun with long pole for tripod; tall, silver tripod with single horizontal support. YoJoe.com page/Filecard
	Tiger Force (1988) The Tiger Force version of Roadblock was released in the 1988 series of A Real American Hero toys. Appearance: bald with black mustache and goatee; dark green camouflage vest with light green belt and straps; bare arms; brown pants with yellow stripes; grey gloves and boots Accessories: yellow "Duke" helmet (no holes) with black tiger stripes; light green "Roadblock" backpack and ammo box; black "Roadblock" M-2 and tripod. YoJoe.com page/Filecard
	A Real American Hero (1992) This version of Roadblock was released carded in the 1992 series of A Real American Hero toys. Appearance: bald with black mustache and goatee; black short-sleeved shirt with olive-green vest; red-brown straps; black gloves and belt; light blue pants; black and red-brown boots Accessories: black machine gun with huge scope, single grip at rear, and mounting pin in middle; conical blue spring-loaded disc launcher with black trigger; black fan-shaped disc; flat, black knife with distinct pommel and quillen; black figure stand. Variations: The disc launcher was recalled due to safety concerns, and so most Roadblocks were sold without it. YoJoe.com page/Filecard
	Battle Corps (1993) Roadblock was released carded in the 1993 series of A Real American Hero toys, as Battle Corps figure #7. Appearance: bald with black mustache and goatee; black short-sleeved shirt with purple vest; neon green straps; black gloves and belt; light blue pants; black and red-brown boots Accessories: black "Shockwave" pistol; black "Hit & Run" submachine gun; black "Bullhorn" machine gun; black "Hit & Run" knife; blue-green "Cross-Country" spring-loaded missile launcher with black trigger; two black "Bazooka" missiles. YoJoe.com page/Filecard
	Star Brigade (1993) Roadblock heads to outer space when he is included in the Star Brigade subset of 1993. Appearance: bald with black mustache and goatee; white flight suit with light blue helmet support, straps, gloves, and boots; red stripes on arms, side, and legs Accessories: blue '91 Hawk" helmet with red face shield; gold "Muskrat" shotgun; gold "Tracker" submachine gun; gold "'91 Grunt" machine gun; gold "Muskrat" machete; black "'93 Duke" missile launcher; two gold "Bazooka" missiles; gold figure stand. YoJoe.com page/Filecard
Generation 2
	Sound Attack (2002) Roadblock is included in a eight-pack set exclusive only to BJ's Wholesale Club and Fred Meyer stores. It utilized the original body mold from 1984. A note of interest is that the file card contains a profile that is attributable to Double Blast, including the name. Sound Attack filecard
	SpyTroops (2003) As with all characters in the main Spy Troops line, Roadblock is made in the all-new body architecture. He is part of a two-pack wherein his accompanying rival is Ripper. Later in same year, this figure was redecoed and carded with Wild Bill as part of Tiger Force. Spy Troops filecard
	Valor vs. Venom (2004) The same Spy Troops mold is used again in Valor vs. Venom but this time he is packaged together with Cobra C.L.A.W.S.. Valor vs. Venom filecard
	Night Force (2004) The 1984 version of Roadblock was redecoed as part of a Toys "Я" Us exclusive Night Force six-pack. Roadblock was joined by Action Man, Flint, Beachhead, Short-Fuze, and Tunnel Rat (RAH).
	Anti-Venom Task Force (2004) A redeco of version four Roadblock, this figure was part of a Toys 'R' Us exclusive Anti-Venom Task Force six-pack. He was bundled with Duke, Barricade, Charbroil, Mutt, and Sgt. Lifeline.
	Comic Pack (2005) A retool of the 1984 version, Roadblock came with Duke, Destro, and a reprint of Marvel's 'G.I. Joe, Issue #24: The Commander Escapes'.
	Heavy Assault Squad (2005) Another redeco of the version four mold was used as part of a Toys 'R' Us exclusive Heavy Assault Squad six-figure set. Included in the set was Duke, Snake Eyes, and three different Infantry Division figures.
Generation 3
	G.I. Joe Battle Pack (2007) The first new Roadblock mold since 2003, this 1984-inspired figure was part of the 25th Anniversary G.I. Joe Battle Pack. Also included was Duke, Snake Eyes, Scarlett, Gung-Ho, and a G.I. Joe Logo Music Box, which played sections of the Sunbow cartoon theme song.
	A Real American Hero (2008) A 1986-inspired redeco of the 2007 Roadblock mold, this figure was sold on a single card.
	DVD Battles: The Revenge of Cobra (2008) Another redeco of the 2007 version of Roadblock, this figure was packaged with Lady Jaye, Destro, the Weather Dominator device, strangler vines, and a piece of the M.A.S.S. Device.

Merchandise

• Mini-bust

A Roadblock mini-bust was released in 2002. It is 6 inches tall and based on Jon Matthew's sculpt design. The box art is provided by Dave Dorman. The basic appearance is based on Roadblock's 1986 design.

• Combat Heroes (2008)

A juniorized version of Roadblock was included in a two-pack with Cobra Commander in the Combat Heroes preschool line from Hasbro. Roadblock appeared in his original animated series colors.

Trivia

• In the cartoon, Roadblock very rarely talks without rhyming. In "The Revenge of Cobra" mini-series, Roadblock only occasionally speaks in rhyme. That changed, however, when G.I. Joe became a full-fledged animated series.

Marvin Hinton is a wanted man

• The Season 5 episode of the CBS television program NCIS that aired October 16, 2007 - "Identity Crisis" - assigned many of the guest stars and incidental characters the names of G.I. Joe characters. The team was investigating the death of Marvin Hinton, played by an uncredited actor. The character also went by the alias "Frederick LeClaire."
• In the 2000s, Hasbro was unable to secure the trademark on the name "Roadblock" or to find a suitable alternative, and so his role on the team was filled by less-known member Heavy Duty. The IDW G.I. Joe series features a character known as "Heavy Duty," who looks like and wears Roadblock's attire.
• British releases of the figures changed Roadblock's birthplace. His first figure was altered to be from French Congo, whilst the Battle Corps version came from Brixton, London. In between, the second and Tiger Force versions were from Biloxi.
• Roadblock's working names included "Steamroller," "Hardball" and "Bubba."
• A 1984 Roadblock action figure appears in the first season Fringe episode Inner Child from 2009. It is specifically referenced in the dialog. The Roadblock action figure returns in the fourth season episode Alone in the World in 2011.

See Also

• Appearances of Roadblock (RAH)
• Image Gallery: Roadblock (RAH)

External links

• My Useless Knowledge biography

Footnotes

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