G.I. Joe (Franchise)

G.I. Joe is a long-running American toy and media franchise created by Hasbro, first launched in 1964 as a line of realistic military action figures representing different branches of the U.S. armed forces. The brand later evolved in 1982 into the “Real American Hero” series, which introduced a fictional storyline about the G.I. Joe team battling the evil Cobra organization. This version expanded into vehicles, playsets, and a detailed universe that helped define the modern action figure concept. Over time, G.I. Joe became a major pop culture icon and was recognized in the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2004.