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G.I. is the name given to the Genetic Infantry in the Rogue Trooper universe. The name is a play on the original World War II G.I. They were developed by Souther scientists in a bid to create a genetically modified supersoldier. Because of the widespread use of powerful NBC weapons, Nu-Earth had become toxic and conventional troops were weighed down by environmental suits. To overcome this the scientists create a soldier who was immune to virtually every known toxin and noxious agent known - the G.I. Rogue Trooper (and therefore presumably other G.I.s):-
- Are immune to every poison gas known of in the story.
- Can submerge in strong acid unaffected.
- Can hide from enemy by burying themselves for periods without suffocating.
We later discover that Friday had been cloned by a business for their own ends.
Genetic Infantrymen
Genetic Infantrymen (also called "Gene Troopers") were designed for speed and endurance but not intelligence. They were designed as frontline assault troops that would be dropped into a warzone.
Genetic Infantrywomen
Genetic Infantrywomen had a range of uses. The G.I. Dolls were initially designed for covert ops (infiltration and assassination) but this angle was dropped after the Quartz Massacre in favour of bedroom duties, earning them nicknames like "General Issue Bed Warmers" and "Milli-Com R&R Units". Some, like Rafaelle Blue, took up other roles including fighter pilots.
Dog Tags
As the G.I.s body was cloned it was considered expendable. Only the training and experience was thought useful and this was backed up on microchips inserted into the G.I.s' brains. These "dog tags" could then be retrieved from the battlefield and installed into a new body. Due to the betrayals at the Quartz Massacre, Rogue struck out on his own taking with him the tags of three dead comrades, who were installed in his kit to become Helm, Bagman and Gunnar.
Famous G.I.s
- Rogue
- Bagman
- Gunnar
- Helm
- Friday
- Tor Cyan
- Venus Bluegenes
- Rafaelle Blue
- Major Magnum
- Azure
- The old G.I.: Rogue Trooper in one story found in a wilderness an old G.I., who said that "I was one of the first G.I.'s: I was an ordinary Souther man, until I was taken into a laboratory and subjected to some scientific processes, including by men in rad-suits, and I woke to find that I had been changed into what I found later is a G.I.". That implies some sort of advanced gene therapy, followed by inducing some sort of self-repair process to make the physical changes. (This process is somewhat reminiscent of one part of Borg assimilation, but with no implants (except the biochip) and no changes to his mind.)
External links
- The first Rogue Trooper episode which introduced a lot of the background.
- International Heroes page with entries on all the famous G.I.s
