In 1995, an animated Action Man series with live-action segments was released by DiCnote It wouldn't be the first time they've done such a show. where Action Man was part of a Global Defense team called Action Force (including Knuck, Natalie, Jock, and their dog Raid) but has complete amnesia and only tends to have minor flashes of memory at various times. The Action Force is often called upon to deal with the threat of a paramilitary organization lead by Dr. X.
Tropes associated with the 1995 cartoon series include:
- Action Girl: Natalie of course.
- Adaptational Skimpiness: Dr. X usually had clothes on his torso in the action figure line, but he’s a Walking Shirtless Scene here.
- All There in the Manual: Action Man's lost past was detailed in the series bible. One page is available here.👁 Image
One noticeable detail that wasn't clarified in the actual show is that Dr. X is Action Man's adoptive brother. - And Knowing Is Half the Battle: Every episode ends with a live-action segment of Action Man giving a life lesson to the audience, such as not watching too much television and to be respectful towards people with disabilities.
- Big Bad: Dr. X is the main antagonist, given that pretty much every episode involves Action Man and friends thwarting his plans.
- Bald of Authority: Secretary Norris only has hair on the sides of his head and is the leader of the World Security Council (a fictional version of the UN and parent organisation of Action Man's team). Dr X is the leader of an international terrorist organisation and has shaved most of his head with the exception of his ponytail.
- Bald of Evil: Dr X and Gangrene.
- Canon Immigrant: Natalie Poole was the only original character from the series incorporated into the comics, she appears as a member of Action Force in G. I. Joe versus Cobra #3 (2010) and as a member of Team Extreme alongside Action Man in Revolutionaries #7 (2017), part of the Hasbro Comic Universe published by IDW Publishing.
- Every Episode Ending: Each episode ends with Action Man reflecting about the missing memory he has recovered during that episode.
- Evil Brit: Subverted. Action Man and Natalie are both from the UK and are two of the show's three main heroes. One of the villains Gangrene has a voice that can be interpreted as received pronunciation though it's not clear if he's meant to be British. Dr X was born to a British Father and an American Mother, but has a Dutch accent as his voice actor was Dutch.
- Expy: Dr X is one of Blofeld, given he’s the Bald and partially sighted leader of a terrorist organisation.
- Fictional United Nations: The World Security Council.
- Fiery Redhead: Knuck has red hair and is tough, brash and assertive.
- Genius Cripple: Jock/Jacques is a Young computer whiz in a wheelchair, and he even has some hand-to-hand abilities due to AM training him in a zero gravity scenario.
- Giving Them the Strip: In the episode "Fountain of Youth", Knuck is forced to take off his boot before running away from a pressure mine he stepped on.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Natalie exhibits a warm and caring side throughout the show, and is particularly protective of Action Man.
- Kick Chick: Natalie kicks frequently during fight scenes. This was acknowledged by her 12" action figure which has the ability to kick.
- Land Mine Goes "Click!": In "Fountain of Youth", Knuck steps on a pressure mine. To escape, he unties his boot and does an unnecessarily impressive backflip as the mine goes off.
- Large Ham: Dr. X who is a standard megalomaniac looking to rule the world.
- Mad Scientist: Professor Gangrene is a demented scientist assisting with Dr. X's schemes.
- Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: Dr. X is of the "evil" variety.
- Militaries Are Useless: The unnamed military forces featured throughout the series (presumably World Security Council peacekeepers) are incapable of containing Dr X's army which compels Action Man to get involved.
- Multinational Team: Among the good guys, Action Man and Natalie are British, Knuck is American, and Jacques is French. Dr X is British (but with a Dutch accent) and recruits operatives from all over the world for his evil organisation.
- No Ending: The series ends without the core story of Action Man's former past life being resolved.
- Not Quite Dead: At the end of the series, Dr. X appears to be wiped out in a grenade explosion with only his robotic hand left, but later the hand is shown moving by itself while Dr. X is heard laughing maniacally.
- Not Even Bothering with the Accent: Rolf Lendeers used his native Dutch Accent to voice Dr X, who was supposed to be British.
- Quest for Identity: Action Man has no memories of his past life, and the connecting plot of the series is his unending journey to piece together his past.
- Repulsive 'Roids: In the episode, X Factor, Knuck enlists Action Man to investigate why his nephew Tom dropped out of school and finds him bulked up in a gym. Immediately suspicious, they have the X-Vitamin he's been taking examined and find out it's actually a powerful highly addictive steroid and adrenalin substitute, created by Professor Gangren, for a trial run on the public. Soon, Tom begins suffering withdrawal and runs back to Gangrene for more, however while the drug does increase muscle mass it also causes Doctor X's soldiers to eventually burn out and go to sleep. After the Action Force prevents X from dropping a vial of the drug in the water supply out of spite, Tom vows to get clean, no matter how sick he gets.
- Semper Fi: Knuck was a US Marine before joining the World Security Council.
- The Big Guy: Knuck is the largest of the trio, even bigger than Action Man who is powerfully built himself.
- Toyless Toyline Character: Jacques and Ursula were the only prominent characters to never have their own toy.
- Tomboy: Natalie is fairly muscular for an otherwise feminine looking woman, and is into thrill seeking and fighting.
- Tank-Top Tomboy: Natalie sports a Tank Top as part of her Lara Croft-esque attire.
- Tuxedo and Martini: Follows this style of Spy Fi.
