Overkill | |
---|---|
G.I. Joe character | |
First appearance | 1991 |
Voiced by |
Dale Wilson (DiC) Colin Murdock (Valor vs. Venom) Madeleine Blaustein (Sigma 6) |
Affiliation | Cobra |
Secondary MOS | Unknown |
Overkill is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline from Hasbro, which has spawned comics and cartoon series. He first appeared in the 1989 G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero incarnation of the series. He also appears in G.I. Joe: Sigma 6.
If the file cards that came with the Overkill action figures are to be believed, there are actually two different characters that owned the name Overkill. Both versions of the character are the leader of the B.A.T.s (short for Battle Android Troopers) that are controlled by the ruthless Cobra Organization.
The first Overkill was an experimental prototype of the B.A.T. with an advanced computer system and tactical logic programs but was considered by Cobra as too expensive to move to mass production. Despite being a soulless automaton, this Overkill is frequently referred to as a "he".
The second version appeared in 2003 as part of the G.I. Joe vs. Cobra series. This Overkill is a cyborg, which is half-man and half-machine. The file card spells his name as "Over Kill" rather than one word although news releases and the credits in Valor vs. Venom spelled it as "Overkill".
Overkill made his first comic appearance in the Devil's Due G.I. Joe comics and was revealed to be Robert Skelton, the infamous SAW Viper from the Marvel Comics, who had killed a number of Joes, including the Joes' medical officer Doc, the tank driver Heavy Metal, and the A.W.E. Striker driver Crankcase. Skelton is recruited by Serpentor and his new organization, the Coil. This is after ten men are sent to bring him in, he kills four.
He chooses the name Overkill, in reference to his impressive body count. He participates in the battle against the Joes and Cobra on Cobra Island and fights with General Hawk, and would have killed him had Kamakura not intervened and saved Hawk. Wounded, Overkill made his way onto a submarine with an escaping Cobra Commander and collapses, expressing the desire for power.