Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins
- Thread starter Gimpdiggity
- Start date
Gimpdiggity
Master Member
Before we get any complaints that Snake Eyes in this isn’t white, let’s address that.
Snake Eyes was seen once without his mask, in issue 94 of the Hamas run of comics for Marvel in 1989. He is depicted as a blonde haired white guy. Other than that, he’s been masked in all 80s source material.
The action figure was released in 1982, with a classified file name and a classified birthplace.
He is listed as an expert in multiple martial arts with particular skills in edged weapons. He’s also had training in holistic medicine. These are all, obviously, hallmarks of a ninja...which he is.
These clues about his training, and the simple fact that he’s a ninja suggest there’s an extremely high chance that he was an Asian.
The fact that he appears in one comic, in as best I can tell one panel, as a white guy seems to contradict the character itself as it was introduced 7 years before this page of the comic.
As a kid with an EXTENSIVE collection of GI Joes, Snake Eyes was decidedly Asian. All of my friends knew he was Asian. My dad who was as avid of a collector as me knew he was Asian.
In my opinion, that panel in that comic really did a disservice to the character by making him white. So, as far as I’m concerned, having an Asian play him in this simply corrects a mistake made on a page in a comic.
Snake Eyes was seen once without his mask, in issue 94 of the Hamas run of comics for Marvel in 1989. He is depicted as a blonde haired white guy. Other than that, he’s been masked in all 80s source material.
The action figure was released in 1982, with a classified file name and a classified birthplace.
He is listed as an expert in multiple martial arts with particular skills in edged weapons. He’s also had training in holistic medicine. These are all, obviously, hallmarks of a ninja...which he is.
These clues about his training, and the simple fact that he’s a ninja suggest there’s an extremely high chance that he was an Asian.
The fact that he appears in one comic, in as best I can tell one panel, as a white guy seems to contradict the character itself as it was introduced 7 years before this page of the comic.
As a kid with an EXTENSIVE collection of GI Joes, Snake Eyes was decidedly Asian. All of my friends knew he was Asian. My dad who was as avid of a collector as me knew he was Asian.
In my opinion, that panel in that comic really did a disservice to the character by making him white. So, as far as I’m concerned, having an Asian play him in this simply corrects a mistake made on a page in a comic.
B-Movie Zombie
Sr Member
Hard pass. Doesn't look good at all. Snake-eye is supposed to be disfigured and mute. G.I. Joe should be in my opinion an assemble cast style movie, Not MCU were everyone gets their own movie before the big come together big event movie.
This feels like what Michael Bay did to the Transformers. Use familiar characters, have said characters look sort like the original designs (if we are lucky), but hardly pay any attention to the characters backstory and personality.
Just my thoughts.
This feels like what Michael Bay did to the Transformers. Use familiar characters, have said characters look sort like the original designs (if we are lucky), but hardly pay any attention to the characters backstory and personality.
Just my thoughts.
B-Movie Zombie
Sr Member
Also remember there was an issue (#26) that was a flash back (via Stalker) about his time with Storm Shadow, Snake-Eyes, himself and one other guy (I don't remeber his name) durning their time in veitnam where Snake-eye was shown to be white.
Below is hasbro figure base off that issue
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Gimpdiggity
Master Member
Do we have any pictures from inside the book? I can’t find any from any of the actual pages. On the cover, the photo in the upper right still seems pretty ambiguous...Storm Shadow is 100% Asian, and to me the two look similar in the jaw line, cheeks, and color tone...but the hat seems to block Snake Eyes’ eyes (thats awkward to say lol) so you can’t see how similar/different they look.
That issue came out in 84, so it would be much closer to the release of the original figure. It looks like the toy based on it wasn’t released until the 2000s, which is well after issue 94 had a very clear image of him as a white guy.
B-Movie Zombie
Sr Member
Gimpdiggity
Master Member
Alright, I stand corrected.
It still seems like such an...odd...choice for the character.
It still seems like such an...odd...choice for the character.
I think it kinda adds to his character. A gaijin that gets accepted in the dojo, then excelled to the point of becoming the best & favorite student. All this against the odds, gives an indication of the adversity he's willing to face.
CadetTK2386
Sr Member
Snake Eyes was always my favorite GI Joe growing up, but, for the mystery of who he was, what he looked like, what he sounded like. The fact that he never spoke and we never saw his face, except for those vague pictures in the Flashback Comic, where a huge part of his appeal to me, and something that has been kept pretty consistent in all the various iterations of the character. So, to get a movie explicitly showing his face, his voice, his "normal" life, kind of misses the mark on why I personally liked the character. I might get it from the library for free, but, I have no real interest in this movie, which is weird, since like I said I was a huge Snake Eyes fan and used to collect a bunch of the Snake Eyes figures and Merch.
He was definitely shown to be Caucasian in the 80s Marvel comics. Even though we didn't see much if his face, we saw a picture of his TWIN sister quite clearly, so there you go.
That said, there's nothing about his character that says he has to be Caucasian. Just going by the story from the comics, the main thing is that he's American with little or no martial arts training until he goes to Japan and joins the Arashikage clan.
Clearly this movie is not a 100% adaptation of the backstory Larry Hama conceived for the character and that's fine. Making him a Vietnam vet would turn this into a period piece and that's really not necessary. It seems like this is an update to the character while still remaining true to the spirit. I'm withholding judgment until I see more, but as a longtime fan of the franchise, I like what I see so far.
Assuming I go see this in the theatres, I wonder if anyone will notice a particular tattoo I've had for a long time.
That said, there's nothing about his character that says he has to be Caucasian. Just going by the story from the comics, the main thing is that he's American with little or no martial arts training until he goes to Japan and joins the Arashikage clan.
Clearly this movie is not a 100% adaptation of the backstory Larry Hama conceived for the character and that's fine. Making him a Vietnam vet would turn this into a period piece and that's really not necessary. It seems like this is an update to the character while still remaining true to the spirit. I'm withholding judgment until I see more, but as a longtime fan of the franchise, I like what I see so far.
Assuming I go see this in the theatres, I wonder if anyone will notice a particular tattoo I've had for a long time.
firesprite
Master Member
I think it looks pretty good. The two huge fans of Snake-Eyes in my life (husband and brother) are SUPER excited about this and also think it looks fantastic.
I don't care what race he is, there's absolutely nothing about that trailer that says it's GI JOE. It looks like a completely generic martial arts movie. Yeah it's only a minute long, but from that it looks like they might be making the same mistake as the previous GI JOE movies, where they are going the realistic route when what we want is the toys we played with.
I agree. It's very generic. It would have been so refreshing to see something more ambitious, especially with a character like Snake Eyes. Why not take a more methodical approach like Batman Begins? A sophisticated story set in a comic book world. Just look at those comic panels. The material is there. Then later on in an Avengers type ensemble movie, you can have more straight up action.
Too bad.
Too bad.
Is he a mute? I remembered him as taking a vow of silence.
CadetTK2386
Sr Member
Solo4114
Master Member
I think ,at this point, it's been pretty well established that Snake Eyes is white in the comics. Issues 26, 27, and 94 and I think 104 and others, he's a blond haired white guy. When he wears his "human" mask, he's also blonde, as he appears in Annual #4.
All that aside, I really don't care if they change the character. I used to get bent out of shape about this, but now I just...don't care. Representation is important and there's plenty of white dude characters out there already, so....yeah. Don't care.
All THAT aside, didn't they try this with X-men and it didn't exactly launch a new franchise? This feels like the G.I. Joe film franchise (such as it is) is just limping along.
All that aside, I really don't care if they change the character. I used to get bent out of shape about this, but now I just...don't care. Representation is important and there's plenty of white dude characters out there already, so....yeah. Don't care.
All THAT aside, didn't they try this with X-men and it didn't exactly launch a new franchise? This feels like the G.I. Joe film franchise (such as it is) is just limping along.
enterprise0216
Sr Member
I am looking forward to it myself. The fact Snake Eyes identity is shrouded in mystery just add allure of the Ninja side of him. It also be great to gain more clarity on the clan tattoo.
I think G.I.Joe works best as an ensemble. That's part of why I loved the toys because there were so many characters to choose from. Without the rest of the cast this could feel really off.
Considering how much I loved this property as a kid I have little to no interest in the live action films and this is no exception. It doesn't look bad or anything, I just feel mostly indifferent to it.
Honestly I think this is one franchise that would benefit from going all out to replicate the cartoon and toys. I'm all for realism and believable character arcs but this is one of the few stories I would be more interested in if it recaptured the fun absurdity of the 1980s material. Not every story has to be dark and serious.
Considering how much I loved this property as a kid I have little to no interest in the live action films and this is no exception. It doesn't look bad or anything, I just feel mostly indifferent to it.
Honestly I think this is one franchise that would benefit from going all out to replicate the cartoon and toys. I'm all for realism and believable character arcs but this is one of the few stories I would be more interested in if it recaptured the fun absurdity of the 1980s material. Not every story has to be dark and serious.
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CadetTK2386
Sr Member
I think Snake Eye's Creator, Larry Hama summed it up best, "He's the most successful character I've ever created because his mysterious appearance and persona means he becomes a universal blank slate for projection of fantasy for anybody."
Never seeing his face, or hearing his voice, meant that anyone could identify with Snake Eyes. I started with the Toys and Cartoon and only scattered issues of the Comic I found at "Half Price Books." It wasn't until long after I was a fan of the character, that I found out he was supposed to be a Blonde White Guy under the mask. I loved the character for years without knowing who he was because he looked cool, he did cool stuff, and he had a cool backstory, even if I wasn't ware of what he was supposed to exactly look like, or his race.
So, I don't care that Snake Eyes is not the Blonde White guy from the various incarnations, and in today's world I can totally understand and respect making him Asian. It just doesn't matter to me because a hyper focus on his life before being "Snake Eyes" and devoting extensive screen time to it misses the mark of what I feel is the best part of the character. That's just me though, and I will admit there are other characters from other Franchises who I am eager to learn their back stories and know more about, but, for me, Sake Eyes was always the super cool enigma.
But, you very well can't make a movie in Hollywood today where the main character has their face obscured the whole time, let alone never speaks. That would never sell as a blockbuster in today's market, or at least no studio is willing to take that risk.
Never seeing his face, or hearing his voice, meant that anyone could identify with Snake Eyes. I started with the Toys and Cartoon and only scattered issues of the Comic I found at "Half Price Books." It wasn't until long after I was a fan of the character, that I found out he was supposed to be a Blonde White Guy under the mask. I loved the character for years without knowing who he was because he looked cool, he did cool stuff, and he had a cool backstory, even if I wasn't ware of what he was supposed to exactly look like, or his race.
So, I don't care that Snake Eyes is not the Blonde White guy from the various incarnations, and in today's world I can totally understand and respect making him Asian. It just doesn't matter to me because a hyper focus on his life before being "Snake Eyes" and devoting extensive screen time to it misses the mark of what I feel is the best part of the character. That's just me though, and I will admit there are other characters from other Franchises who I am eager to learn their back stories and know more about, but, for me, Sake Eyes was always the super cool enigma.
But, you very well can't make a movie in Hollywood today where the main character has their face obscured the whole time, let alone never speaks. That would never sell as a blockbuster in today's market, or at least no studio is willing to take that risk.
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I know the genre is almost played out, but I think a JOHN WICK-esqe film would've served Snake Eyes well. By that I mean, we learn absolutely nothing from John Wick as a character by anything he says, it's all by those that know him telling others about him.
Come to think of it, another of my favorite films, LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL, achieved almost the same thing, & even though Keanu Reeves & Jean Reno are both fine actors, in those particular films their faces weren't fountains of emotion. Look at what Pedro Pascal & his movement double are able to convey while acting in a helmet.
I just think they could've taken some chances & done the character & the creators a service with a great film.
Come to think of it, another of my favorite films, LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL, achieved almost the same thing, & even though Keanu Reeves & Jean Reno are both fine actors, in those particular films their faces weren't fountains of emotion. Look at what Pedro Pascal & his movement double are able to convey while acting in a helmet.
I just think they could've taken some chances & done the character & the creators a service with a great film.
ScourgiousJinx
Master Member
Calling him Snake Eyes, wearing the outfit (eventually) and labeling this as G.I. Joe are not enough for me. Actual substance is necessary, this seems to have the same amount as the previous movies. No more generic martial arts films or shows from anyone are needed, specially big franchises. Would be great if this was similar to the cartoon but it doesn't look like they even made an effort. G.I. Joe needs to be G.I. Joe not MCU, Mortal Kombat or anything else. Disappointing but not surprising.
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