As a veteran of countless military campaigns and death-defying adventures, G.I. Joe has seen it all.
He's captured pygmy gorillas and hunted white tigers, fought terrorists at home and worked to save the world from environmental disaster. Through it all, several generations of boys and girls have commanded his every move.
Whether he's parachuting into a living room fortress made of cushions, or dodging enemy fire in back-yard foxholes, America's first action hero has become a legend in his own time.
"I have G.I. Joe to thank for a lot in my life," said Ace Allgood, a Minneapolis superfan who's been collecting G.I. Joe memorabilia for as long as he can remember. "He could be anyone I wanted him to be — a tiger hunter on Monday, a soldier on Tuesday, or go in search of mummies on Wednesday."
Like his physical appearance, which changed dramatically over the years, G.I. Joe's career is filled with ups and downs. But one thing has remained constant — for decades, he has been a political weather vane, pointing toward the country's mood on war.
"He is the great American hero and, as long as there is the United States of America, there will be G.I. Joe," said Jordan Hembrough, host of the Travel Channel's "Toy Hunter." "It's that lasting love that we have for patriotism that makes him so popular."
But as G.I. Joe enters his fifth decade, the once indestructible soldier is at a crossroads. Superheroes, transforming robots and intergalactic star warriors rule the hearts and minds of kids across the country. Is there still room for this real American hero?
The birth of a hero
In 1964, G.I. Joe enlisted in the U.S. military and quickly became the emblem of the courageous American soldier. Standing 12 inches tall, he looked like an everyman soldier yet with a ruggedly scarred face. So adept at combat was he that he represented all four branches of the armed forces.