Gristle File Name: Danimal J. Rogers of Montego Bay, Jamaica. Notes: The 2008 filecard adds a known alias of Brutus Vandalo. Montego Bay is a duty-free man-made peninsula on the northwest shore of the island, with an extremely high crime rate. chronological: Long Arm << Gristle >> Headhunter Stormtrooper alphabetical: Grim Skull << Gristle >> Grunt

Animated Appearances

Notes: DiC's Gristle bore no resemblance to the figure. He wore a modified 1992 Headhunter outfit without the helmet, and his jacket lacked sleeves, but he wore a long-sleeved red shirt underneath. He had yellow hair and did not wear sunglasses.

Classic Marvel Comic Appearances

To my knowledge, Gristle did not appear in the vintage comic.

Figure Releases

Version 1: late summer 1993 Battle Corps Wave 4 carded figure assortment, #32
Urban Crime Commander
	head: Gristle (93, 08) arms: Gristle (93, 08) torso: Gristle (93, 08) waist: Gristle (93, 08) legs: Gristle (93, 08)
	Accessories: dark red machine gun (92 Destro's), dark red rifle (90 Rock-Viper's), yellow spring missile launcher with dark red trigger (93 Astro Viper's), two dark red spring missiles (93 Astro Viper's), dark red knife (88 Shockwave's), dark red figure stand (common).
	When you think of grease, slime, and dirt, you are basically thinking about GRISTLE. Not only is he a corrupt crime boss, his personal hygiene is absolutely disgusting. During the months he spent training to be in the Headhunters, he didn't bother to shower once! But because he was big and bad, he became the right-hand man to some major crime lords who operated illegal warehouses disguised as legitimate comedy clubs. Eventually Gristle started his own criminal activities and then joined up with Cobra, but even those snakes admit he's just too grungy to deal with. Gristle is easily recognized by his blood-shot eyes, or by the sunglasses he uses to shield them from the daylight. Motto: "I go crazy when those G.I. Joes come after me, they just keep chasing, and chasing, and chasing..."
Variations: Some missile launchers had a loop for a string.
Toy Notes: Originally intended as part of 1993's D.E.F. line, but moved into Battle Corps when it was canceled. The Australian release retained the D.E.F. packaging. Item #6762.

Version 2: late June 2008 Cobra Headhunters boxed set
Headhunters Commander
	head: Gristle (93, 08) arms: Gristle (93, 08) torso: Gristle (93, 08) waist: Gristle (93, 08) legs: Gristle (93, 08)
	Accessories: black pistol with square trigger guard and large silver toothlike blade (new), black shotgun with brown grip and fore-end (03 Destro's), clear figure stand (common).
	When you think of greasy, slime ball types, you are basically thinking about GRISTLE. Like his namesake, he is a disgusting but resilient individual who has evaded capture from civilian authorities for over a decade. Rumored to have relocated to South America, he somehow masterminded the exponential growth of the newly motivated HEADHUNTERS into a powerful worldwide crime organization. Now both respected and feared in the underworld, GRISTLE commands the legions of HEADHUNTERS working as an international syndicate of smugglers for COBRA, specializing in goods deemed too dangerous or questionable for the tastes of his peers. Fearing a fate similar to that of his short-sighted predecessor, GRISTLE personally trained his underlings in rarely-seen street fighting styles to maximize their skills as bodyguards. This protection is especially needed as the HEADHUNTERS ensure the clandestine manufacture of chemical-firing weapon modules for COBRA. The G.I. JOE team will soon discover they have never faced a more ruthless crime boss, or one with a more impressive private army of vicious, highly trained guards. "Don't waste your time...you'll never get your hands on me!"
Toy Notes: Boxed in a Convention-exclusive set with two copies of Headhunter Guard, six copies of Headhunter Stormtrooper, and six copies of Headhunter B.A.T..