| Navigation: |
| A |
|---|
| B |
| C |
| D |
| E |
| F |
| G |
| H |
| I |
| J |
| K |
| L |
| M |
| N |
| O |
| P |
| Q |
| R |
| S |
| T |
| U |
| V |
| W |
| X |
| Y |
| Z |
| accessory guide |
| episode guide |
| timeline |
| lists & stats |
|
Tunnel RatFile Name: Nicky Lee of Brooklyn, New York. Grade: Army E-5 (1985-2009) Various SNs: 367-87-9090; 367-490-ZX90; 367-84-NL90 Notes: Brooklyn, on the western end of Long Island, is New York City's largest borough. Also from Brooklyn are Heavy Metal and Nunchuk.
|
Animated Appearances
| Sunbow Voice | Appearances | Time Identifiable On Screen | Total Lines (In Own Voice) | Total Words |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurie Faso | 4 | 196 seconds | 9 | 53 |
| DiC Voice | Appearances | Time Identifiable On Screen | Total Lines (In Own Voice) | Total Words |
| Doron Bell Jr. | 2 | 312 seconds | 19 | 156 |
Sunbow's Tunnel Rat wore his 1987 outfit, with dark blue-grey pants and bandana. His skin was painted in light grey splotches. The Reel FX films used an outfit based on the 2003 version.
| G.I. Joe: The Movie, Part 2 | 82 seconds | 4 lines | with Rawhides; at obstacle course with Big Lob |
| G.I. Joe: The Movie, Part 3 | 12 seconds | 2 lines | eavesdropping during court-martial |
| G.I. Joe: The Movie, Part 4 | 30 seconds | 1 line | in Tomahawk during lab battle; with injured Duke |
| G.I. Joe: The Movie, Part 5 | 72 seconds | 2 lines | at HQ; meeting Flint; in Swampfire to assault ice dome; cheering after battle |
| Spy Troops: The Movie | 142 seconds | 3 lines | in food line, at 3 briefings, driving Smoke Screen, flying Air Assault, storming Cobra Mountain |
| Valor vs. Venom | 170 seconds | 16 lines | at Brazil citadel, captured while spying, tied to launcher |
Classic Marvel Comic Appearances
By my count, Tunnel Rat was discernible in 173 panels in 23 issues from Jan. 1987 to Aug. 1994: Order of Battle 2, #69, 63, SM 7, 64, SM 8, 67, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 86, SM 21, SM 23, SM 24, 113, 131, 140, 141, 144, and 151.
Figure Releases
| Versions: | 1. 1987
2. 1988 (Night Force) 3. 1990 (Sonic Fighters) | 4. 2003 (Spy Troops)
5. 2004/I (Night Force) 6. 2004/II (VvV Wave 3) 7. 2004/III (Desert Patrol) | 8. 2005/I (VvV Wave 6)
9. 2005/II (Comic #74) 10. 2009 (Comic) |
| Version 1: spring 1987 regular carded figure assortment | |
|---|---|
| EOD | MOS 1: EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) [89D] MOS 2: Combat Engineer [21B] |
|
|
| Accessories: black machine gun with large scope and long grip (new), large olive cube-shaped backpack with holes on top for lights (new), olive TNT pouch with thick strap (new), two olive upright flashlights (new). | |
| Tunnel Rat's family tree is Trinidadian Chinese with branches of Irish, Spanish, and Indian thrown in. He grew up mean on the streets of Brooklyn, got tough on the Ranger Course at Fort Benning, and honed his skills in Grenada. He is a qualified expert with all NATO small arms and is familiar with most Warsaw Pact explosive devices. "Tunnel Rat believes that anything that doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. His feeling about crawling into an enemy tunnel with a knife in one hand, a pistol in the other, and a flashlight in his mouth is simple—he can shoot straighter, bite harder, and run faster than anything he's ever encountered in a tunnel, so why worry." | |
| Toy Notes: Featured in 1987's Coastal Defender commercial. Item #6481. Tunnel Rat's face was modeled after Marvel comics and filecard writer Larry Hama. | |
| Version 2: fall 1988 Night Force figure two-pack assortment | |
|---|---|
| EOD | MOS 1: EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) [89D] MOS 2: Combat Engineer [21B] |
|
|
| Accessories: black machine gun (87 Tunnel Rat), black backpack (87 Tunnel Rat), black pouch (87 Tunnel Rat), two black flashlights (87 Tunnel Rat's). | |
| TUNNEL RAT's family tree is Trinidadian Chinese with branches of Irish, Spanish, and Indian thrown in. It was on the mean streets of Brooklyn where he developed his fearless attitude. Later, he got even tougher on the Ranger Course at Fort Benning and honed his skills in Grenada. He is a qualified expert with all NATO small arms and is familiar with most Warsaw Pact explosive devices. "Nothing is darker than a tunnel at night! The darkness exerts a suffocating pressure like the bottom of a great, black sea. In that awful absence of light, imagination becomes a fearsome enemy. Tunnel Rat glides through stygian tunnels with the surety of a natural denizen. The dark assumes the role of an ally and his weapon becomes his friend!" | |
| Toy Notes: Carded in a Toys 'R Us-exclusive two-pack with Psyche-Out. Item #6709-3. This figure is considered a moderately high-demand item. | |
| Version 3: fall 1990 Sonic Fighters premium carded figure assortment | |
|---|---|
| EOD | MOS 1: EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) [89D] MOS 2: Combat Engineer [21B] |
|
|
| Accessories: black pistol (87 Cobra Commander's), black pistol (87 Knockdown's), black machine gun (87 Tunnel Rat's), black mortar and stand (85 Snow Serpent's), brown-grey sonic backpack with "AMMO" label and engraved weaponry (new). | |
| TUNNEL RAT'S been listed for years as a qualified expert with NATO small arms and all WARSAW PACT explosive devices. His superior hand-to-hand combat fighting ability above and below the ground made him an ideal recruit for the Sonic Fighters' detachment. And after five years of using standard issue weapons in makeshift combat situations, Tunnel Rat jumped at the chance to work with a crack unit of veteran soldiers armed with some of the most sophisticated and highly advanced weaponry available. "When Tunnel Rat heard about the Sonic Fighters, he came out of the tunnel so fast, the backdraft caused a cave-in. I guess he couldn't wait to see the look on the enemy's face when he started unloading 1000 rounds a minute, six feet underground." Assigned Armaments: FIM 92-A Surface-To-Air Rocket Launcher, 7.62mm M60 GPMG [General Purpose Machine Gun], Pulse Beam Laser Pistol and modified 9mm pistol. Weapons Qualification: Expert | |
| Variations: Some backpacks had a raised edge around the buttons. | |
| Toy Notes: Item #6311. Face paint appears on the character art but not on the figure. | |
| Version 4: late January 2003 Spy Troops Wave 5 figure two-pack assortment | |
|---|---|
| Explosive Ordnance Disposal | MOS 1: Explosive Ordnance Disposal [89D] MOS 2: Combat Engineer [21B] |
|
|
| Two-Pack Accessories: brown AICW AWS sniper rifle with scope and triangular stock (new), graphite machine gun (90 S.A.W.-Viper's, with Sound Attack tab), purple armored helmet with silver goggles and red Cobra emblem (new), purple clip-on breastplate with red Cobra emblem (new), brown teardrop-shaped shield with cobra hood design (new), purple pair of gauntlets (new), purple clip-on leg armor (new).
Single Pack Accessories: black silencer pistol (02 Shipwreck's), black submachine gun (86 Beach Head's), black rifle (91 Red Star's), olive backpack (85 Flint's). | |
| A tough kid from the mean streets of Brooklyn, TUNNEL RAT got even tougher going through the Ranger course at Fort Benning and on numerous top-secret missions. He has a special love for demolitions. He earned his code name by crawling into enemy tunnels with a cocked .45 in one hand, a trench knife in the other, and a flashlight clenched in his teeth. DUKE thought that TUNNEL RAT was the perfect G.I. JOE to infiltrate COBRA underground systems since he was already poking around down there anyway. Most people would feel claustrophobic in a dim, narrow tunnel, especially if they knew that there might be mines and booby-traps imbedded in the walls and that heavily armed enemy troops might be lurking around the next bend. At the very least, they would feel threatened, trapped, and totally insecure. TUNNEL RAT feels none of that. He feels at home. "This job is great. I get to go to weird and exotic places, meet interesting people who are all out to surprise me, and at the end of the month I get paid. What more can I ask for?" | |
| Variations: The single-pack variant has slightly darker colors and black boots, and its filecard is identical to that of version 5. | |
| Toy Notes: Carded in a two-pack with Over Kill. Item #57220. | |
| Reissues: Carded in March 2004 in the Wave 1 discount figure single-pack assortment (Item #58180). Also included in August 2004's Costco-exclusive Battle-in-a-Box set with Dart, Nunchuk, Pit Viper, Tele-Viper, Cobra Coils, and the vehicles Smoke Screen Transport and Cobra Ringneck. | |
| Version 5: February 2004 Night Force carded set (04/I) | |
|---|---|
| Explosive Ordnance Disposal | MOS 1: E.O.D. (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) [89D] MOS 2: Combat Engineer [21B] |
|
|
| Accessories: black rifle (91 Red Star's), black backpack (84 Firefly's), black walkie-talkie (84 Firefly's). | |
| A tough kid from the mean streets of Brooklyn, TUNNEL RAT got even tougher going through the Ranger course at Fort Benning and on numerous top-secret missions. He earned his code name by crawling into enemy tunnels with a cocked .45 in one hand, a trench knife in the other, and a flashlight clenched in his teeth. Most people would feel claustrophobic in a dim, narrow tunnel, especially if they knew that there might be mines and booby-traps imbedded in the walls and that heavily armed enemy troops might be lurking around the next bend. TUNNEL RAT feels none of that. He feels at home. "This job is great. I get to go to weird and exotic places, meet interesting people who are all out to surprise me, and at the end of the month I get paid. What more can I ask for?" | |
| Toy Notes: Carded in a Toys 'R Us-exclusive set with Flint, Short-Fuze, Action Man, Roadblock, and Beachhead. Item #50802. | |
| Version 6: May 2004 Valor vs. Venom Wave 3 figure two-pack assortment (04/II) | |
|---|---|
| Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) | MOS 1: Explosives and Demolitions [prob. 18C] MOS 2: Combat Engineer [21B] |
|
|
| Accessories: black pistol (91 Dusty's), black rifle (03 Cross Hair's), grey goggles with cut out eyes (new), green pair of C-shaped belt straps with pegs to fit onto belt (new), yellow U-shaped backpack with blue mounted lights (new), black communications gauntlet (04 Duke's). | |
| There isn't a mine, booby-trap, or bomb in the world that TUNNEL RAT can't disarm, defuse, or otherwise deactivate in less than thirty seconds. This comes from constant practice on dummy devices, or whatever he can get his hands on that ticks. Once the entire G.I. JOE team missed formation because TUNNEL RAT had deactivated all the alarm clocks. TUNNEL RAT is one of the team who clears the way for the others. A qualified expert with most heavy assault weapons, he is in the forefront of every attack on fortified COBRA positions, and can be counted on to deal with any traps, or other nasty surprises that might brunt the attack. "Somebody once said that a soldier is somebody who is very good at breaking things. That's me all right, only when I break things, they become safer." | |
| Toy Notes: Carded in a two-pack with Electric E.E.L.. Item #55950. | |
| Version 7: November 2004 Desert Patrol Squad carded set (04/III) | |
|---|---|
| Explosive Ordnance Disposal | MOS 1: Explosives and Demolitions [prob. 18C] MOS 2: Combat Engineer [21B] |
|
|
| Accessories: black pistol (88 Shockwave's), black rifle (03 Flint's). | |
| There isn't a mine, booby-trap, or bomb in the world that TUNNEL RAT can't disarm, defuse, or otherwise deactivate in less than thirty seconds. This comes from constant practice on dummy devices, or whatever he can get his hands on that ticks. Once the entire G.I. JOE team missed formation because TUNNEL RAT had deactivated all the alarm clocks. TUNNEL RAT is one of the team who clears the way for the others. A qualified expert with most heavy assault weapons, he is in the forefront of every attack on fortified COBRA positions, and can be counted on to deal with any traps, or other nasty surprises that might brunt the attack. "Somebody once said that a soldier is somebody who is very good at breaking things. That's me all right, only when I break things, they become safer." | |
| Toy Notes: Carded in a Toys 'R Us-exclusive set with Dusty, Sgt. Stalker, Gung Ho, Snake Eyes, and Ambush. Item #00676. | |
| Version 8: January 2005 Valor vs. Venom Wave 6 figure two-pack assortment (05/I) | |
|---|---|
| Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) | MOS 1: Explosives and Demolitions [prob. 18C] MOS 2: Combat Engineer [21B] |
|
|
| Accessories: grey bazooka-shaped water cannon with clear tube attached to backpack (new), grey gun sight (new), grey knife (91 Low-Light's), grey goggles (04 Tunnel Rat's), green pair of belt straps (04 Tunnel Rat's), grey water tank backpack (new), black communications gauntlet (04 Duke's). | |
| There isn't a mine, booby-trap, or bomb in the world that TUNNEL RAT can't disarm, defuse, or otherwise deactivate in less than thirty seconds. This comes from constant practice on dummy devices, or whatever he can get his hands on that ticks. Once the entire G.I. JOE team missed formation because TUNNEL RAT had deactivated all the alarm clocks. TUNNEL RAT is one of the team who clears the way for the others. A qualified expert with most heavy assault weapons, he is in the forefront of every attack on fortified COBRA positions, and can be counted on to deal with any traps, or other nasty surprises that might brunt the attack. "Somebody once said that a soldier is somebody who is very good at breaking things. That's me all right, only when I break things, they become safer." | |
| Toy Notes: Carded in a two-pack with Razorclaw. Item #00281. | |
| Version 9: June 2005 Wave 3 comic three-pack assortment (05/II) | |
|---|---|
| Explosives Expert | MOS 1: Explosives and Demolitions [prob. 18C] MOS 2: Combat Engineer [21B] |
|
|
| Accessories: black rifle (03 Cross Hair's), black grenade pouch (91 Big Ben's). | |
| There isn't a mine, booby-trap, or bomb in the world that TUNNEL RAT can't disarm, defuse, or otherwise deactivate in less than thirty seconds. This comes from constant practice on dummy devices, or whatever he can get his hands on that ticks. Once the entire G.I. JOE team missed formation because TUNNEL RAT had deactivated all the alarm clocks. TUNNEL RAT is one of the team who clears the way for the others. A qualified expert with most heavy assault weapons, he is in the forefront of every attack on fortified COBRA positions, and can be counted on to deal with any traps, or other nasty surprises that might hinder the attack. "Somebody once said that a soldier is somebody who is very good at breaking things. That's me all right, only when I break things, they become safer." | |
| Toy Notes: Carded in a three-pack with Gen. Abernathy, Flint, and a reprint of Marvel #74. Item #61207. | |
| Version 10: January 2009 Wave 8 comic two-pack assortment | |
|---|---|
| Explosives Expert | MOS 1: Explosives and Demolitions [prob. 18C] MOS 2: Combat Engineer [21B] |
|
|
| Accessories: silver revolver with black grip (08 Snow Job's), black machine gun with large stock and scope, clip on barrel for bipod (new), black narrow bipod with long legs (new), dark blue neckerchief tied in front (new), brown chest holster with attached grey shells (new), brown satchel with red "TNT" on flap (new), black Joe figure stand. | |
| TUNNEL RAT grew up on the streets of Brooklyn and comes from a family whose background includes Trinidadian Chinese, Irish, Spanish, and Indian ancestry. He got tough on the Ranger Course at Fort Benning then honed his skills at missions around the world. There isn't a mine, booby-trap, or bomb in the world that he can't disarm, defuse, or otherwise deactivate in less than thirty seconds. This comes from constant practice on dummy devices, or whatever he can get his hands on that ticks. He's an expert at negotiating his way through tunnels, air ducts, and other tight places where bombs and booby-traps are likely to be planted.
"Crawling through small, dark places without knowing who or what is up ahead - well, you need a lot of courage and some dumb luck. Most of all, you have to believe that you're smarter and faster than whatever you find." | |
| Toy Notes: Carded in a two-pack with Storm Shadow and an original comic (Resolute #2). Item #37447. | |