A perpetual background character in Marvel's G.I. Joe comics (as well as the toys that they were written to sell), HALO jump expert Wallace A. Weems AKA Rip Cord was always characterised as an experienced, reliable military man. And, oh yeah, he's a pasty looking ginger. In Stephen Sommers' 2009 adaptation G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, however, Ripcord (now all one word) was bumped up to a bigger role, the sidekick to Channing Tatum's protagonist Duke. A new recruit and something of a comic relief joker, the movie Ripcord was virtually unrecognisable from his comic counterpart and that applied even more to his physical appearance after Scary Movie star Marlon Wayans was cast in the role. Rise of Cobra was not what anyone would consider a great movie, nor was Wayans' role deemed worth bringing back for a sequel that culled most of the original cast. However, Wayans' version of the character became the new version. Unsurprisingly, in the wake of the movie the toys were redesigned in Wayans' likeness, but the effect continued afterwards. In both the new IDW G.I. Joe comics and the G.I. Joe: Renegades cartoon Ripcord is now portrayed as an African-American new recruit.
