G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero first aired on Sept. 16, 1985

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is the iconic animated series that follows the Joes, a special operations team fighting against the terrorist organization called Cobra.

Created by Ron Friedman and based on the Hasbro toy line and the Marvel Comics series, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero debuted as two miniseries in 1983 and 1984, before becoming a regular series in 1985. The series, produced by Sunbow Production and Marvel Productions, was cancelled in 1986. A direct-to-video movie was released in 1987, and the series was revived by DiC in 1989.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero constantly introduced new character in order to provide new material for the toy line. These characters were adapted into live action film franchise beginning with 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.