Joepedia
(Adding categories)
(13 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{Disambig2|the boxer who used to punch meat|the machine gunner who used to surf|Rock 'n Roll}}
 
{{Disambig2|the boxer who used to punch meat|the machine gunner who used to surf|Rock 'n Roll}}
 
:''Rocky was (not) a [[G.I. Joe Team|G.I. Joe]] personal combat instructor in the [[A Real American Hero]] series.''
 
:''Rocky was (not) a [[G.I. Joe Team|G.I. Joe]] personal combat instructor in the [[A Real American Hero]] series.''
 
 
{{Joe character infobox
 
{{Joe character infobox
|imageBG=
 
 
|image=[[File:Rocky2.jpg|center]]
 
|image=[[File:Rocky2.jpg|center]]
 
|name=Rocky
 
|name=Rocky
|hidep=
 
 
|realname=Robert Balboa
 
|realname=Robert Balboa
|gender=
+
|gender=Male
 
|birthplace=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
 
|birthplace=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
|alias=
+
|alias=The Italian Stallion
|hidem=
 
 
|branch=
 
|branch=
 
|graderank=E-5 (Enlisted Reserves)
 
|graderank=E-5 (Enlisted Reserves)
Line 17: Line 13:
 
|training=
 
|training=
 
|weapon=
 
|weapon=
|hideo=
 
 
|factions=[[G.I. Joe Team]]
 
|factions=[[G.I. Joe Team]]
 
|subteams=
 
|subteams=
Line 24: Line 19:
 
}}
 
}}
   
Robert "'''Rocky'''" Balboa was the only child to a Roman Catholic Italian-American family. He never graduated high school, and his father told him he wasn't born with much brain, so he had better use his body. This encouraged him to take up boxing. He trained very hard so he could grow up to be like his idol Rocky Marciano. His nickname is "The Italian Stallion," spawning from his Italian-American heritage.
+
Robert "'''Rocky'''" Balboa was the only child of a Roman Catholic Italian-American family. He never graduated high school, and his father told him he wasn't born with much brain, so he had better use his body. This encouraged him to take up boxing. He trained very hard so he could grow up to be like his idol Rocky Marciano. His nickname is "The Italian Stallion," spawning from his Italian-American heritage.
   
 
==Fiction==
 
==Fiction==
Line 36: Line 31:
 
|style="border:1px solid black" align=center|[[File:Rockyproto.jpg|115px]]
 
|style="border:1px solid black" align=center|[[File:Rockyproto.jpg|115px]]
 
|style="border:1px solid black" valign=top|'''A Real American Hero'''
 
|style="border:1px solid black" valign=top|'''A Real American Hero'''
No toys were produced. A licensing agreement fell through, and pre-production on the Rocky figure was cancelled.
+
No toys were produced. A licensing agreement fell through, and development on the Rocky figure was cancelled. According to ''Action Figure Collector'' magazine, the figure was sculpted by Bill Merklein.
  +
 
----
 
----
 
'''Appearance:''' black hair; dark headband; tank top; grey sweatpants with red, white and blue stripes around the lower legs; athletic shoes.
 
'''Appearance:''' black hair; dark headband; tank top; grey sweatpants with red, white and blue stripes around the lower legs; athletic shoes.
Line 46: Line 42:
 
|}
 
|}
   
  +
== Background ==
 
[[Image:Rocky.jpg|right|thumb|Order of Battle profile image]]
  +
The Herb Trimpe artwork in ''Order of Battle'' #2 was not drawn with Sylvester Stallone's likeness, since the deal was not yet official. In addition to appearing inside the issue, Rocky appears on the back half of [[:File:GJ_OB02wrap.jpg|the wraparound cover]], near [[Rock 'n Roll (RAH)|Rock 'n Roll]], [[Short-Fuze]], and [[Slaughter's Renegades]]. Rocky's appearance was retracted in [[Order of Battle 3|''Order of Battle'' #3]] and [[Order of Battle 4|#4]], and removed entirely in the [[Order of Battle (TPB)|trade paperback]]. Thus, he no longer exists in [[A Real American Hero comics continuity|G.I. Joe continuity]]. It is likely that the character art's lack of resemblance to Stallone is why Marvel only had to run retractions, not recall and destroy the issues, since only the name was an infringement.
   
 
[[Big Boa (RAH)|Big Boa]] was created as a Cobra nemesis for Rocky. Since Big Boa was not based on a real person, he survived the cancellation of his foe, and was released in [[1987]].
   
==Trivia==
+
== Notes ==
  +
*While Rocky never made it into G.I. Joe, another Sylvester Stallone character became a competitor of the line. In 1986, Coleco released the toy line Rambo: The Force of Freedom and supported it with a cartoon on the ABC network. In the story line, Rambo led a group of specialists (the Force of Freedom) against an international paramilitary terrorist organization (S.A.V.A.G.E.).<ref>https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-02-21-vw-10463-story.html</ref><ref>https://www.cbr.com/rambo-cartoon-dark-secrets/</ref>
[[Image:Rocky.jpg|right|thumb|Order of Battle profile image]]
 
* According to ''Action Figure Collector'' magazine, the figure was sculpted by Bill Merklein.
 
* The Herb Trimpe artwork in ''Order of Battle'' #2 was not drawn with Sylvester Stallone's likeness, since the deal was not yet official.
 
** Which is likely why Marvel only had to run retractions, not recall and destroy the issues, since only the name was an infringement.
 
* In addition to appearing inside the issue, Rocky appears on the back half of [[:File:GJ_OB02wrap.jpg|the wraparound cover]], near [[Rock 'n Roll (RAH)|Rock 'n Roll]], [[Short-Fuze]], and [[Slaughter's Renegades]].
 
* Rocky's appearance was retracted in [[Order of Battle 3|''Order of Battle'' #3]] and [[Order of Battle 4|#4]], and removed entirely in the [[Order of Battle (TPB)|trade paperback]]. Thus, he no longer exists in [[A Real American Hero comics continuity|G.I. Joe continuity]].
 
* [[Big Boa (RAH)|Big Boa]] was created as a Cobra nemesis for The Italian Stallion - surprisingly, he survived the cancellation of his foe, and was released in [[1987]].
 
   
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
Line 66: Line 60:
 
[[Category:G.I. Joe Team]]
 
[[Category:G.I. Joe Team]]
 
[[Category:Character Stubs]]
 
[[Category:Character Stubs]]
[[Category:Non-toy characters]]
 
[[Category:Real People]]
 
[[Category:Sport-themed characters]]
 

Revision as of 18:39, 26 April 2020

This article is about the boxer who used to punch meat; for the machine gunner who used to surf, see Rock 'n Roll.
Rocky was (not) a G.I. Joe personal combat instructor in the A Real American Hero series.
Joe banner

Robert "Rocky" Balboa was the only child of a Roman Catholic Italian-American family. He never graduated high school, and his father told him he wasn't born with much brain, so he had better use his body. This encouraged him to take up boxing. He trained very hard so he could grow up to be like his idol Rocky Marciano. His nickname is "The Italian Stallion," spawning from his Italian-American heritage.

Fiction

A well-known boxing champion, Rocky enlisted in the military in a secret posting with the G.I. Joe Team. He was specifically recruited by Hawk in order to train the Joes in pugilism and "how to take a beating."[1] It is said that no one could touch him, even with pugil sticks.[2]

Toys

Generation 1
Rockyproto A Real American Hero

No toys were produced. A licensing agreement fell through, and development on the Rocky figure was cancelled. According to Action Figure Collector magazine, the figure was sculpted by Bill Merklein.


Appearance: black hair; dark headband; tank top; grey sweatpants with red, white and blue stripes around the lower legs; athletic shoes.

Accessories: boxing gloves; pugil stick with boxing gloves on each end.


YoJoe.com page/Filecard

Background

Rocky

Order of Battle profile image

The Herb Trimpe artwork in Order of Battle #2 was not drawn with Sylvester Stallone's likeness, since the deal was not yet official. In addition to appearing inside the issue, Rocky appears on the back half of the wraparound cover, near Rock 'n Roll, Short-Fuze, and Slaughter's Renegades. Rocky's appearance was retracted in Order of Battle #3 and #4, and removed entirely in the trade paperback. Thus, he no longer exists in G.I. Joe continuity. It is likely that the character art's lack of resemblance to Stallone is why Marvel only had to run retractions, not recall and destroy the issues, since only the name was an infringement.

Big Boa was created as a Cobra nemesis for Rocky. Since Big Boa was not based on a real person, he survived the cancellation of his foe, and was released in 1987.

Notes

  • While Rocky never made it into G.I. Joe, another Sylvester Stallone character became a competitor of the line. In 1986, Coleco released the toy line Rambo: The Force of Freedom and supported it with a cartoon on the ABC network. In the story line, Rambo led a group of specialists (the Force of Freedom) against an international paramilitary terrorist organization (S.A.V.A.G.E.).[3][4]

External links

References

  1. In the movie Rocky, Apollo Creed notes that although Rocky can't match his skill, he has a punch like a concrete block and was determined not to quit.
  2. Order of Battle #2
  3. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-02-21-vw-10463-story.html
  4. https://www.cbr.com/rambo-cartoon-dark-secrets/