The Oktober Guard (or October Guard) (Russian: Октябрьская Гвардия, Oktyabr'skaya Gvardiya, lit. October Guard) is a fictional special operations unit first introduced in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comics and cartoon, and subsequently the toyline itself. The name is a reference to Russia's October Revolution. Usually thought to be the Soviet (Russian after the Cold War) equivalent of G.I. Joe, they are in fact composed of members from several Warsaw Pact countries. Unlike the Joes, the team is composed of just a small squad and most do not use code names.
Contents
Creation
Originally, the Oktober Guard was to be called the Pravda Patrol (Russian: Патруль Правды, Patrul' Pravdy, may be translated as Truth Patrol or by the name of the main CPSU newspaper Pravda) with the members sporting far different costumes. The designs were created by Tom DeFalco and Herb Trimpe, but Hasbro did not approve of the design. The Pravda Patrol made a brief appearance in Bizarre Adventures #31, in the short story "Let There Be Life". Further revisions led to the final design, as seen in #6 of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comics. The team name was initially spelled October with a "c", but was written as "Oktober Guard" in all subsequent appearances.
The Oktober Guard often operates internationally, protecting and promoting Soviet and Warsaw Pact interests. Despite the fact their respective countries are rivals with the United States during the Cold War, the members of the Oktober Guard are never portrayed as evil, but as military professionals doing their job and serving their country. Their missions often put them at odds with G.I. Joe, but opposing Cobra is a major objective for the squad, and when the situation arises, they often find themselves temporarily allied with the Joes against a common foe.
Marvel Comics
In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe series, they were first featured in issues #6 and 7. They fought and then allied themselves with the G.I. Joe team, in pursuit of a technologically advanced plane that Cobra takes into Afghanistan. Joe member Clutch saves the lives of the Guard on two different occasions. The plane parts are ultimately taken by the Joe team, who leave the Guard in a diversionary battle with Cobra.
The Oktober Guard are featured in two issues of the annual G.I. Joe Yearbook. In Yearbook #2, their laser cannon is stolen by Cobra. The Oktober Guard get it back, but the train they are using to transport the laser cannon is rerouted by the G.I. Joe team. The G.I. Joe team takes possession of the cannon at the train's final destination, the port of Karachi, Pakistan. In Yearbook #4, the Oktober Guard invade Cobra Island in a mission to abduct Cobra Commander. Stormavik and Schrage are captured by Joe forces, before the others land and come into conflict with Croc Master. With the assistance of two Joes who had followed, Wet Suit and Torpedo, they escape with whom they believed to be Cobra Commander. He turns out to be a disguised Battle Android Trooper, which destroys itself during the escape, in the helicopter blades of the Cobra Mamba the Oktober Guard had stolen. The two prisoners are allowed to return, in exchange for the damaged helicopter.
The Guard comes into conflict with the Joes in the fourth issue of the Special Missions series. Both teams are pursuing a lost technological device. They are captured by river pirates and Horrorshow is forced to fight the pacifist medic Lifeline. The medic uses a martial art that minimizes the damage to Horrorshow. Impressed, the pirates let the soldiers go, but dump the device. The Guard works in concert with the Joes later, in a conflict against Cobra at the Bering Strait.
The Oktober Guard travels to Sierra Gordo to free "El Jefe", a revolutionary leader that the Russians support. In order to accomplish this, they battle the Iron Grenadiers, Voltar and other Cobra forces. The group learns that El Jefe has been consumed with power and greed, but they attempt to escape with him and a train full of his supporters. Voltar and the Iron Grenadiers confront the group, with the Joes Recondo, Shockwave and Lt. Falcon hiding on the train. Stormavik and Schrage sacrifice themselves to flip much needed train switches. Col. Brekhov and Horrorshow are shot while in their transport vehicle, but manage to still fight to an explosive end that destroys the Iron Grenadier forces. Diana, Dragonsky and the Joes are captured by yet another faction looking to gain control in Sierra Gordo, but are rescued later.
The group gains new members to replace the fatalities. This new group works with the Joes and their allies, the Tucaros. The three-part alliance again confronts Iron Grenadiers. Their last known mission prior to being disbanded, is a joint operation with the G.I. Joe subgroup Star Brigade. The two groups work together to successfully destroy a robot-filled asteroid, which threatens to crash into Earth.
Devil's Due
The Oktober Guard's presence is felt in the Devil's Due production of G.I. Joe comic books. Flint and Baroness are kidnapped by criminal forces opposed to Cobra's activities. The Joes, Destro and the Iron Grenadiers team with Guard veterans Lt. Gorky and Volga. Volga later joins the G.I. Joe team as Vorona; she develops a friendship with the new Joe recruit Barrel Roll. the Guard members re-unite and confront Cobra operatives during the World War III storyline. They are assisted by the Joe operative Lt. Falcon.
IDW Publishing
In the continued A Real American Hero comics written by Larry Hama, issue #173 and #174 deals with a Russian T-90 tank crew and a G.I. Joe M—1 Abrams crew, as the two sides fight a mock battle promoting potential sales of either the T-90 or M—1 units to the Emirate of Benzheen. The Russian crew is composed of two new characters: Colonel Chikatilo and Malyenkiy; as well as original member, Daina. Later, when facing a real incoming surprise attack by Cobra armor, Colonel Chikatilo agrees to fight with the G.I. Joe team, stating: "We are no longer the Oktober Guard, but we still have our honor."
In issues #17-#21 of IDW's Cobra series, a new version of the Oktober Guard appears. They are led by Colonel Shtern and their members are Horrorshow, Daina, Gorky, and 2nd in command Shturmovik. In issue #21, their base is attacked by Cobra, and during the battle Major Bludd manages to grab Colonel Shtern's pistol, and tells Shtern to release him from his cell. Shtern tells him he will die with all of them, and Major Bludd then shoots and kills him. Major Bludd uses Shtern's super weapon "The CZAR Cannon" to destroy Cobra's base, and hit Colonel Shtern's government contacts. He tells the rest of the team that they are now considered traitors and fugitives.
The Oktober Guard is later seen in Revolutionaries #1 in the wake of the Revolution event. They were led by the ex-Cobra Major Bludd and tried to capture obelisk—codename: "Talisman"—was originally found by G.I. Joe's predecessor, the Adventure Team, and given to the British Secret Intelligence Service for study. During the Conflict Major Bludd arm is mutated into Dire Wraith Diana is forced to amputate it.
Action Man and his Autobot Kup manga to immobilize the Guard but Major Bludd uses his teleportation device and ports himself his team and Action Man to parts unknown.
Original members
Replacement members
New Members
Sunbow
The Oktober Guard first appeared in the Sunbow G.I. Joe episode "The Invaders" as a five-person squad, featuring: Col. Brekhov, Sergeant Horrorshow, Daina, Stormavik, and Wong. They are described as the "Russian version of G.I. Joe, an elite combat force" and often scream "Nu Pogodi" ("Ну Погоди") (Just you wait!) when going into battle.
They were also featured in the episodes: "The Great Alaskan Land Rush" and the "Arise, Serpentor, Arise!" miniseries Part 2.
Daina also made an appearance in an episode of sister series The Transformers, "Prime Target", when professional game hunter Lord Chumley steals a top-secret Soviet jet that she was piloting (forcing her to eject), in an attempt to capture Autobot leader Optimus Prime for his hunting collection. (Similarly, frequent Marvel/Sunbow newscaster Hector Ramirez, a parody of Geraldo Rivera, and a fixture on G.I. Joe, Jem, and most notably Inhumanoids also made an appearance in that episode, which was written by Flint Dille and Buzz Dixon, the story editors for G.I. Joe.)
DiC
Red Star (Col. Krimov) and Big Bear appeared in the animated series during the DIC Series (1989-1991). They were often teamed with British member Big Ben.
G.I. Joe: Renegades
In the G.I. Joe: Renegades episode "Union of the Snake", Captain Anatoly Krimov (AKA Red Star) makes a guest appearance as a member of an underground resistance movement opposed to the rule of the Baroness' Cisarovna family, who described the group as a terrorist organization. His attempts to blow up the Baroness' family castle coincide with the Joes' attempts to stop her and Doctor Mindbender from using Tomax and Xamot's psychic abilities, to brainwash a party of telecommunications corporation owners competing with Cobra. While Red Star is willing to blow up the castle with the civilians still in it in order to prevent further mind controlling of the public, he gives time to destroy a satellite dish relaying the signal. He then leads them to an escape tunnel having earned some respect for the group's methods, though not agreeing with them. Red Star then reports to his superiors that the mission was aborted. His appearance is quite different from all other appearances; he has a black goatee and a scar on his lip.
Toys
Despite the Oktober Guard's debut in the comic book in 1982, and their animated debut in 1985, the Oktober Guard were not featured in the related action figures until Red Star was initially released in 1991. An early packaging error listed him as a member of Cobra. However, this was soon corrected, and the package color and logo represented his alliance with G.I. Joe, although he was listed as an Oktober Guard character on his file card.
Big Bear was initially released in 1992. It should be noted that despite Red Star's resemblance to Colonel Brekhov, both Red Star and Big Bear were entirely new characters developed for the action figure line.
Big Bear was recolored in 1993, and offered as part of an "International Team" mail-order set, which also featured re-colorations of Big Ben (representing England), Spirit (representing the U.S.), and Budo (representing Japan).
An Oktober Guard three-pack was produced in 1998, which consisted of Colonel Brekhov (a re-coloration of Red Star); Lt. Gorky (a re-coloration of Big Bear despite little resemblance); and Lt. Volga, initially intended to be Daina.
The original Oktober Guard was released in 2004, as part of the comic-based sets, in conjunction with sets #6 and 7, which were the issue numbers in which they originally debuted. The three-packs featured Colonel Brekhov, Daina, Stormavik, Schrage, Horrorshow, and G.I. Joe Team member Stalker, who played a significant role in the comic book story.
A Dragonsky figure, was part of the 2005 Official G.I. Joe Collectors' Club series of figures in a separate three-pack, which also featured Gung-Ho and a new character called Steel Brigade Commander.
The remaining members of the Oktober Guard were released in 2006, in a comic-based set based on issue #101, which featured the debut of the "new" Oktober Guard, and featured figures of Dragonsky, Lt. Gorky, and Sgt. Misha, using entirely different molds.
A 25th Anniversary-style version of Red Star was produced, and sold in a comic-based two-pack alongside Duke. The comic story, entirely original, features Red Star, Daina, and Horrorshow teaming up with Duke and other Joes to fight Cobra. Red Star seems to have assumed Colonel Brekhov's role as leader of the Guard.
The 2012 G.I. Joe convention featured a convention box set with an Oktober Guard theme, producing many new convention exclusive Oktober Guard figures in the 25th Anniversary molds. The set is called Operation: Bear Trap, and the Oktober Guard will be facing the Iron Grenadiers. The Oktober Guard members in the set includes Colonel Brekhov, Daina, Stormavik, Schrage, Horror-Show, and new Oktober Guard member General Iron Bear. An Oktober Guard Convention T-shirt and Pin were also available as attendee exclusives.
In 2014, The G.I. Joe Collectors Club Will have Big Bear and Dragonsky available through their Figure Subscription Service.
Vehicles
Note: All vehicles were from the 2012 G.I. Joe Convention.