31 Days of Character Creation #24 – G.I. Joe

Ironically, I was a huge G.I. Joe fan as a kid. Jump to 43 and I think the U.S. military is one of the most evil institutions on the planet. Life is funny that way. I decided to make a character for the G.I. Joe, but with my take. I wanted this to be G.I. Joe as if it was continuing on in 2025 after being started in the 1960s. In this political climate things are not so black & white.

Here’s how G.I. Joe the Roleplaying Game is described on its official website:

In the G.I. JOE Roleplaying game, create your own Joe by choosing your military training origin, personal traits, and role within the G.I. Joe organization to become a Real American Hero and save the day!

This book contains everything you need to create your own G.I. JOE character and play the game – just add dice, some friends, and your imagination.

Meet Crosscurrent, a marine Joe.

Born and raised in a small town on Hawaii’s Big Island, Leilani “Crosscurrent” Kahele grew up surrounded by the ocean. Her father, a local fisherman, taught her how to navigate the waves. Her mother, a marine biologist, instilled in her a deep respect for the sea and its ecosystems. Leilani’s idyllic childhood was shattered at 16 when Cobra launched a covert operation to establish a toxic waste dumping site in a remote reef near her town. While surfing with friends, Leilani discovered strange barrels submerged near the reef and alerted her parents. When Cobra agents attempted to intimidate the locals into silence, Leilani secretly recorded their threats and handed the evidence to a visiting Navy officer. This sparked an operation that exposed Cobra’s activities in the Pacific.

Inspired by that encounter, Leilani joined the Navy right after high school and pursued a career in Naval Intelligence, specializing in aquatic tech and underwater reconnaissance. Her ability to analyze underwater threats and deploy cutting-edge marine equipment quickly made her indispensable. She worked on high-risk missions tracking Cobra’s undersea operations, proving herself a skilled fighter and tactician. When GI Joe took notice of her work, she was recruited to join the team at just 23, adopting the codename “Crosscurrent.”

Now 26, Crosscurrent is among the Joe team’s foremost marine combat specialists. She pilots advanced submersibles, disables Cobra’s underwater bases, and works to protect Earth’s oceans from ecological devastation. Despite her contributions, however, she’s begun to question her place in the team. As America’s actions in the global sphere grow increasingly aggressive, Crosscurrent finds herself wondering whether GI Joe is still on the side of good—or simply a tool for power. Watching Cobra exploit this disillusionment to recruit the disenfranchised, she fears that her fight may be part of a larger cycle of destruction rather than a force for change.

Crosscurrent wrestles with her doubts every time she dons her gear, but she stays in the fight, driven by the hope that she can steer her team toward a more just path—and ensure that no one else’s hometown becomes a battleground.

Check out the complete character sheet here.