Quick Kick is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

expert, and debuted in 1985.

Profile

His real name is MacArthur S. Ito, and his rank is that of corporal E-4. Quick Kick was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Quick Kick's

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

father and

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

mother owned a grocery store in

Watts Watts is plural for ''watt'', the unit of power. Watts may also refer to: People *Watts (surname), list of people with the surname Watts Fictional characters *Watts, main character in the film '' Some Kind of Wonderful'' *Watts family, six chara ...

. He found difficulty being accepted by either the Japanese or Korean community because of his mixed heritage. Quick Kick also has a passion for

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

, but was always turned down because of his height. Therefore, he turned to martial arts, and has earned black belts in

Tae Kwon Do ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...

, Goju Ryu,

Judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...

Southern Praying Mantis Southern Praying Mantis () is a Chinese martial art originating with the Hakka people. It is most closely associated with Hakka-origin styles such as Southern Dragon Kung Fu and Bak Mei. Despite its name, the Southern Mantis style is unrelate ...

Kung-Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...

Tai-Chi Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called " shadowboxing", is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and meditation. T ...

Sword, Zen Sword, and Wing-Chun fighting arts. He later worked in Hollywood as a stuntman, where the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

noticed his skills and recruited him for the elite Rangers. After the Army, he went on to join the G.I. Joe Team. Quick Kick is also a qualified expert with all

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

and

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republic ...

small arms.

Toys

* A Real American Hero (1985) :The first Quick Kick action figure to come out was part of the 1985 wave of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toys. He was part of the series of carded action figures to come out that year. * The Incredible Shrinking Joes (1990) :Quick Kick was a part of miniature statues of G.I. Joe characters in a toy-only storyline The Incredible Shrinking Joes. * G.I.-Joe 25th Anniversary Series (2008) :A Quick Kick figure was included in the Pyramid of Darkness box set along with Snake Eyes, Major Bludd,

Cobra Commander Cobra Commander is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' franchise. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra and the archenemy of the G.I. Joe Team. He was portrayed by Josep ...

and a Pyramid of Darkness control cube.

Comic Books

Marvel Comics

In the

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

G.I. Joe series, Quick Kick first appeared in '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' #45 (March 1986). His first mission involved aiding

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and start fir ...

Alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National Pa ...

, and

Spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...

on a mission to Cobra Island to retrieve Ripcord, who had parachuted to the island, against orders, in search of his girlfriend, Candy Appel. Quick Kick, Stalker,

Outback The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a n ...

and Snow Job are in a mission to Borovia when they are cornered by corrupt aspects of its military. Outback, protesting, is ordered to escape and does so. The other three spend many months in a Borovian gulag, rescued only by an unsanctioned G.I. Joe team. The ex-prisoners reassure Outback they hold no hard feelings. Later, Quick Kick and Outback are stuck in a bus full of Mexican tourists that is under siege by terrorists. Though the enemy is defeated, two of the tourists are killed. Quick Kick's final appearance was issue #109. Several Joes, including Quick Kick, are captured by Cobra during a mission in Trucial-Abysmia. A misinterpreted order from Cobra Commander leads the

Crimson Twins Tomax and Xamot Paoli (also called the Crimson Twins or Crimson Guard Commanders) are fictional characters from the ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toyline, comic books and animated series. They are the co-leaders of Cobra (G.I. Joe), Cobra's e ...

into thinking they are now obligated to have the Joes killed. Noting their reluctance, a S.A.W.-Viper steps up to volunteer for the task. He first kills the medic '

Doc DOC, Doc, doc or DoC may refer to: In film and television * ''Doc'' (2001 TV series), a 2001–2004 PAX series * ''Doc'' (1975 TV series), a 1975–1976 CBS sitcom * "D.O.C." (''Lost''), a television episode * ''Doc'' (film), a 1971 Wester ...

', then opens fire on the subdued, captured Joes, killing

Thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...

and Heavy Metal. A well-aimed knife, previously hidden, allows the survivors to escape. They steal a Cobra Rage tank. Cobra forces pursue and destroy the tank, killing Quick-Kick,

Breaker Breaker may refer to: Objects * A breaking wave on water, or a "breaker", a shallow over which waves break * Circuit breaker, an electrical overload switch * Breaker (hydraulic), a percussion hammer attached to an excavator People * Breaker Mo ...

and Crazylegs.

Devil's Due

Quick is seen in a photo in Snake Eyes' home in the first issue of the Devil's Due series. He receives a profile in the Battlefiles Sourcebook. Even though this is not shown, it is implied Quick-Kick's name is part of the memorial to deceased Joes located at Arlington National Cemetery.

Action Force

Quick Kick appears in many issues of the alternate continuity 'Marvel UK' series "

Action Force Action Force is a brand of European action figures released in the 1980s that was based on the ''Action Man'' toyline. It was also used to introduce '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toys to European markets. Several publishing companies have ...

". He rescues his friends from imprisonment on the Argent Oil Platform, a move that fits into

Destro Laird James McCullen Destro XXIV, usually referred to simply as Destro, is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books, and cartoon series. He is the leader of the Iron Grenadiers, and founder of M.A.R.S. ...

's plans to publicly discredit 'Action Force'. He is the focus of a three-part issue where he defies the team to rescue an old friend from a cult. It turns out the man is a leader of a Cobra splinter group and Quick Kick is forced to take the organization down from the inside. The third part has a secondary story where Quick Kick remembers meeting the

martial artists Iron Fist, Elektra,

Batroc the Leaper Georges Batroc the Leaper (french: Batroc le Sauteur) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Tales of Suspense' ...

and

Shang Chi Zheng Shang-Chi ( ), also known as the Master of Kung Fu and Brother Hand, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin, debuting in '' ...

. This contradicts regular G.I. Joe continuity as those characters do not exist there.

Animated series

Sunbow

Quick Kick first appears in the Sunbow ''

G.I. Joe ''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), Ac ...

'' animated series in "The Pyramid of Darkness" mini-series. He is depicted as a karate movie actor filming a commercial for Frozen Fudgy Bars who had been abandoned in the arctic by his director. He saves Alpine and

Bazooka Bazooka () is the common name for a Man-portable anti-tank systems, man-portable recoilless Anti-tank warfare, anti-tank rocket launcher weapon, widely deployed by the United States Army, especially during World War II. Also referred to as the ...

from

leopard seal The leopard seal (''Hydrurga leptonyx''), also referred to as the sea leopard, is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic (after the southern elephant seal). Its only natural predator is the orca. It feeds on a wide range of prey incl ...

s, then fights and defeats

Storm Shadow Storm Shadow is an Anglo-French low-observable, long-range, air-launched cruise missile developed since 1994 by Matra and British Aerospace, and now manufactured by MBDA. Storm Shadow is the weapon's British appellation. In French service, it is ...

. He joins the G.I. Joe Team afterwards and leads them to the Cobra Temple, where he plays a role in their victory by yodeling with Alpine and Bazooka, causing a large rock to fall and destroy a Cobra weapon. In the episode "Lasers in the Night", Quick Kick finds a girlfriend, a college student named Amber, and protects her from Cobra when she tries to join the Joe team. In the two-part episode "Captives of Cobra", he is one of the Joes whose families are captured and brainwashed by Cobra. Throughout the series, Quick Kick also served as a counterpart to Storm Shadow. In "Cobra Quake", he trains martial arts students in Japan, and is one of the Joes who stop a Cobra plot to use earthquake bombs on Japan. In "Excalibur", he is one of the Joes setting up an anti-Cobra radar system in Britain. Quick Kick breaks his leg in an encounter with Storm Shadow; though it is healed instantly by Spirit, he breaks it again in another confrontation with Storm Shadow. Quick Kick is featured in one of the series' PSAs, in which he saves a kid falling from a poorly built treehouse and teaches him the importance of planning before doing. He is voiced by

François Chau François Chau (born October 26, 1959) is a Cambodian American actor. He is known for his roles as Dr. Pierre Chang in ABC's ''Lost'', Quick Kick on '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'', Dr. Chang in the film '' 21 & Over'', The Shredder in '' ...

. All of his appearances in Season 2 are silent.

''G.I. Joe: The Movie''

Quick Kick also appeared briefly in the 1987 animated film '' G.I. Joe: The Movie''. He is part of a unit of Joes led by

Roadblock A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be: *Roadworks *Temporary road closure during special events *Police chase *Robbery * Sobriety checkpoint In peaceful circumstances ...

who go after the fleeing Cobra forces after Cobra's first attempt to steal the Broadcast Energy Transmitter (B.E.T.) and become captives of Cobra-La.

Video games

Quick Kick is one of the featured characters in the '' Action Force II'' computer game.

Other media

Quick Kick is mentioned as a 'unique character' in an essay in the non-fiction book 'Integrating English: developing English language and literacy in the multilingual classroom'.

References

External links

Quick Kick
at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page {{DEFAULTSORT:Quick Kick (G.I. Joe) Fictional characters from Los Angeles Fictional corporals Fictional Gōjū-ryū practitioners Fictional kenjutsuka Fictional Nán Tángláng practitioners Fictional taekwondo practitioners Fictional tai chi practitioners Fictional Wing Chun practitioners Fictional stunt performers Fictional swordfighters Fictional United States Army Rangers personnel Male characters in animated series Male characters in comics G.I. Joe soldiers Television characters introduced in 1985