Tunnel Rat 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 Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialist and debuted in 1987.
Profile
His real name is Nicky Lee, and his rank is that of sergeant E-5. Tunnel Rat is a Trinidadian Chinese who lived in Brooklyn, New York prior to joining the US Army. He graduated from the Army Ranger School at Fort Benning and served time in Grenada. Tunnel Rat specializes in explosive ordnance disposal, and is familiar with most NATO and Warsaw Pact explosive devices and small arms.
The character's facial appearance is based on G.I. Joe comic book writer Larry Hama.
Comics
Marvel Comics
Tunnel Rat made his Marvel Comics series debut in Issue #59 (May 1987) of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, in which he was assigned for security to Thunder, Clutch, and Grand Slam. The entire team had been out for some time testing equipment. Tunnel Rat teaches Grand Slam all about the Joe credit cards, as the latter had been having problems with receiving his pay. The group joins up with Dusty, Crankcase, Hawk, Cross-Country, and Outback to take the equipment to Fort Carson, but Tunnel Rat's new payment method gets them attacked by Cobra forces. The Crimson Guardsman Fred VII, Raptor, and Cobra Commander track down the Joe convoy via Tunnel Rat's credit records, old intelligence and the abilities of Raptor's birds. Cobra Commander attacks the entire team in a Pogo Plane. Due to the limited maneuverability of the mountains, the battle is precarious for both sides. Clutch's driving skills saves the day but Cobra Commander escapes with the knowledge that Tunnel Rat has unwittingly given him.
Tunnel Rat often serves as pointman in missions where the Joes have to travel through tunnels and sewer channels. He does so during the Cobra Island civil war in Issues #74-76; his expertise helps his fellow recon teammates escape from Cobra soldiers, and, in other instances, Iron Grenadiers. He and other Joes come into conflict with the Iron Grenadiers in Special Missions #23, when the Joes give their newest recruit, Scoop, a hard time because he barely meets Joe standards. However, Scoop later saves the life of a wounded Tunnel Rat by defeating an Iron Grenadier in hand-to-hand combat, which earns him the respect of all the other Joes.
Devil's Due
When G.I. Joe was reinstated as seen in the Devil's Due comics, Tunnel Rat returned as a reservist. He was called into action to help battle the returned Serpentor. When Joe, Cobra, and the Coil battled it out on Cobra Island, Tunnel Rat was part of Assault Team Beta. After the conflict, Tunnel Rat was part of a group of Joes tracking down a mysterious invasion in Sierra Gordo. Tunnel Rat was wounded during the mission and had a lengthy recovery. By the time he fully healed, the team had disbanded in the wake of the battle against the Red Shadows.
America's Elite/Devil's Due
Tunnel Rat returned to reserve status. He was called into action to help a group of Joes infiltrate an abandoned Cobra facility in New York City. During the World War 3 storyline, Tunnel Rat was reactivated again, this time he deployed to South America alongside Footloose, Beach Head, Lift Ticket, Rapid Fire, and Windmill. As the main team moved to attack Cobra forces in the Appalachian Mountains, Tunnel Rat redeployed to New York City where he battled Alley Vipers in the sewers.
IDW Publishing
Tunnel Rat appears in issue #4 of the IDW Publishing G.I. Joe series. He assists his teammates when The Pit comes under siege by robotic adversaries.
Toys
A Real American Hero
The first Tunnel Rat figure was released as part of the 1987 series of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. A second version was made available a year later as part of the Night Force sub-set, packaged with Psyche-Out. A third Tunnel Rat figure was part of the Sonic Fighters sub-set in 1990, and came with an oversized backpack that featured electronic sounds.
G.I. Joe vs. Cobra/Valor vs. Venom
The original Tunnel Rat sculpt was revived as part of a new "Night Force" set released in 2004. That same year, he was released as part of the "Desert Patrol Squad" set, which also included the figures Ambush, Dusty, Gung Ho, Snake Eyes and Stalker. Both sets were only available at Toys "R" Us stores.
Two all-new sculpted Tunnel Rat figures were released as well. The first (G.I. Joe vs. Cobra) portrayed him as being much taller than previously seen in other media. This was corrected in the second version (Valor vs. Venom).