GI Joe File Card Friday Official Series

Back on Friday, July 5, 2024, the @gijoe official Instagram account started their official GI Joe File Card Friday series! Debuting with Scarlett and following up with Metal-Head, this series is sure to please fans as GI Joe file cards bring back the nostalgia we all know and love from the vintage line, with an updated look and feel plus we get to see some amazing illustrations. We’ve also included the vintage file cards so you can see the similarities and differences.

July 12, 2024: Metal-Head

Meet Metal-Head, the Iron Grenadier’s mad genius of destruction! Unlike your run-of-the-mill anti-tank specialists, Metal-Head doesn’t just stop at enthusiasm. He’s a craftsman, perfecting both his skills and his gear. His joy for obliterating enemy armor—or even just tinkering with his equipment—sends chills down the spines of his fellow Grenadiers. Metal-Head’s efficiency is unmatched, thanks to his ultra-light, super-portable launchers. Whether strapped to a special backpack or holstered on his hip, he moves with ease and precision. His high-tech visor is no ordinary eyewear—it’s a deadly targeting system. By simply looking at a target, he feeds coordinates directly to his missiles. And the pièce de résistance? Metal-Head doesn’t need to pull a trigger. With a voice-activated weapons system, all it takes is a sinister whisper: “Bang.”

METAL-HEAD is a walking anti-tank weapon. He can launch high-explosive missiles from his backpack racks or from his “hip-swivel” holster tubes and guide
them to their objectives via laser targeting. His voice-activated weapons’ command system is built into components of his blast suit. He just needs to
make visual contact, have the system read the range, plot a trajectory and yell “bang” to fire. “The real targeting system computer is upstairs in his brain, and it doesn’t have an ‘off’ switch. When he looks you in the eye, you feel as if you have bullseye on your forehead.”

Metal Head Vintage 1989 File Card

METAL-HEAD is a walking anti-tank weapon! He can launch high-explosive missiles from his backpack racks or from his “hip-swivel” holster tubes and guide them to their objectives on a laser beam, without the use of his hands or his feet. His voice-activated weapons’ command system is made up of circuits and targeting computer modules built into various components of his blast suit. All he has to do is make visual contact with the target, let the computer “read” the range, plot the trajectory, wait for the green light to flash, then yell “bang” to complete the firing sequence.

“The real targeting computer is upstairs in his brain, and it doesn’t have an ‘off’ switch. This guy is so wrapped-up with his work that even when he sits down for dinner he’s preparing for battle. He tests his visual acquisition sensors by locking onto the mash potatoes as they are passed from one end of the table to the other. He calculates wind deflection by observing how the steam rises off the meat loaf. He even measures the diameter of the green peas, seeing them as micro-targets. If he looks you straight in the eye, you’ll feel as if you have a bullseye on your forehead.”

July 5, 2024: Scarlett

Meet Scarlett — a powerhouse wrapped in a red-hot package of talent and tenacity! From the tender age of 9, she was molded into a martial arts prodigy by her father and her three brothers, Brian, Frank, and Sam—all top-tier instructors. At just 15, she snagged her first black belt, and that was only the beginning. Shana O’Hara’s journey didn’t stop there. She marched into the Army, cut her teeth in the jungles of Vietnam, and stacked up an arsenal of elite training: Ranger School, Covert Ops at Langley, Marine Sniping at Quantico, SASR exchange, and even a Tae Kwon Do symposium with the ROK Marines. Talk about a résumé! But Scarlett didn’t just blend in—she carved out her own path in the shadowy world of intelligence. She’s the only Joe whose missions are so classified, even her teammates are left in the dark. And despite her lethal skill set and top-secret tasks, she’s always got a joke up her sleeve and a smile on her face. Scarlett is the unstoppable force every Cobra soldier should fear, and every hero wants on their side!

A martial arts expert who started practicing at age 9, Scarlett graduated summa cum laude from two Ivy League universities and went on to excel in training courses at all four branches of the armed forces. “Scarlett is confident and resilient…it’s remarkable that a person so deadly can still retain a sense of humor.”

Scarlett Vintage 1982 File Card

Scarlett’s father and three brothers were martial arts instructors. She began her training at age 9 and was awarded her first black belt at age 15. Graudated: Advanced Infantry Training and Ranger School. Special Ed.: Covert Ops School; Marine Sniper School; Special Air Service School; Marine Tae Kwan Do Symposium; Qualified Expert: M-14; M-16; M-1911A1; M-79; M-3A1; M-700 (Remington Sniper Rifle); Mac-10; XK-1 Power Crossbow; Throwing Stars; Garotte; Ka-Bar.

“Scarlett is confident and resilient…it’s remarkable that a person so deadly can still retain a sense of humor.”