[2] In the first issue, the team's official codename is "Special Counter – Terrorist Unit Delta".

[3] Its founding leader is Vietnam A-Team veteran, Lieutenant General Joseph Colton, chosen by John F. Kennedy just before the president's assassination.

[4] The members of the team as of issue 1 in 1982 were Hawk, Stalker, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Breaker, Clutch, Rock 'n Roll, Steeler, Grand Slam, Flash, Short-Fuze, Grunt and Zap.

In the comics series by Devil's Due Publishing, the existence of the Joe team is known to the general public but its missions remain covert.

In order to remain covert, new members of the team must fake their own deaths and completely leave their former lives.

Joe animated movie expanded on the function of what the show's opening describes as a "special mission force".

Known members include Red Star, Big Bear, Colonel Brekhov, Daina, Dragonsky, Lt. Gorky, Horrorshow, Misha, Schrage, Stormavich, and Wong.

The original Marvel comic book series takes a fairly realistic approach to the military command hierarchy.

Joe team falls to brigadier general Lawrence J. Flagg, who serves as liaison with the Pentagon.

Hawk is the field leader, with Stalker as the senior non-commissioned officer and de facto second-in-command.

The Real American Hero animated series produced by Sunbow Entertainment mainly focused on newer characters.

This continued with the newer series produced by DIC Entertainment that took place after the animated film.

Joe Extreme was a relaunch of the toy line that features a new team assembled by the mysterious Mr. Clancy to battle SKAR (Soldiers of Khaos, Anarchy and Ruin), an organization led by Iron Claw, who sought to use the instability of post-Cold War Eastern Europe to launch a campaign for world domination.

A cartoon series was produced by Sunbow and Gunther-Wahl Productions and distributed by Claster Television which was broadcast for two seasons.

The first, continuing from the cartoon series, sees the team defeat SKAR, which was established as having been initially founded in the 1960s but only becoming a threat after Iron Klaw took control in a coup.

Army (a reorganization of the remnants of SKAR) was mentioned in the last issue, but the series was canceled before the story could continue.

Joe: Sigma 6 series, the team is smaller and new characters are introduced gradually rather than en masse.

Joe is an acronym for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity and the team include Hawk, Duke, Rip Cord, Scarlett, Breaker, Heavy Duty and Snake Eyes.

[6] In this series, the team, called the "Renegades", is founded by Lieutenant Scarlett O'Hara and her ninja sensei Snake Eyes.

In the sequel to The Rise of Cobra, the team include Roadblock, Flint, Lady Jaye, Snake Eyes and Jinx with support from General Joseph Colton and Storm Shadow.

In the film, Scarlett is a major of the Joes who assisted the Arashikage Clan in their fight against Cobra.

Scarlett asks Snake Eyes to join the team, but chooses to first find Tommy, who cast himself out of the Arashikage.

At the end of the film, Noah Diaz is recruited by Agent Burke, who learns about the Autobots' existence, to join G.I.