Alpine (G.I. Joe)

Alpine is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's mountain trooper and debuted in 1985.

Profile
His real name is Albert M. Pine, and his rank is that of corporal E-4. Alpine was born in Minidoka, Idaho.

He grew up in the "Snake River Plain", where mountains surrounded on all four sides. This affected his childhood, and he took up mountain climbing as a symbolic representation of overcoming his life. He continued this while working as an accountant for a large publishing firm. Alpine graduated from Ranger School at Fort Benning, and is a qualified expert with M-16, M-14, M-60 and M-1911A1 auto pistol.

Alpine is an expert climber, having mastered the challenge of climbing encumbered with weapons, armor, ammunition, communications equipment and other military gear. He has also made good use of his secondary military specialty, applying his refined approach to bookkeeping as a finance clerk. Alpine likes to remind his teammates that the FBI has brought in more bad guys through accounting, than by kicking down doors. During his time with G.I. Joe, Alpine has also forged a strong friendship with Bazooka.

Toys
Alpine was first released as an action figure in 1985.

Marvel Comics
In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe series, he first appeared in issue #45 (March 1986). He works with Quick Kick, Flint and Spirit; they invade Cobra Island in an attempt to rescue the rogue soldier Ripcord. Alpine then takes part in the G.I. Joe invasion of the Cobra-controlled town of Springfield. He is part of a Joe team that chases Zartan when he escapes from G.I. Joe headquarters. The team is thwarted by the Dreadnoks's new vehicle, the Thunder Machine.

He works closely with Airtight in the second issue of Special Missions. They work to neutralize a gas-weapon from WW II that was lost in a Greenland glacier. Alpine also appears in issue #25 of Special Missions. He assists other Joes, such as Lightfoot in neutralizing the threat of bomb-carrying terrorists from the fictional country of Darklonia.

Action Force
Alpine is part of a G.I. Joe squad that stops a Crimson Guard plan to blow up the Eiffel Tower.

Devil's Due comics
In the Devil's Due G.I. Joe series, he has a wife and one child. Alpine meets up with three of his friends in his new hometown of Delhi Hills. He spends some time drinking with Rock 'n Roll, Bazooka and Mutt at "Old Clyde's", a Delhi Hills bar. He talks about how he's not sure he wants to answer General Hawk's call to return to G.I. Joe, because he has a child now, an accounting job and a life at Delhi Hills. The four Joes soon learn that Old Clyde's and most of the town are a Cobra front, and are captured.

The four Joes manage to escape, partly due to the assistance of Mutt's dog Junkyard Junior. In the ensuing battle, they destroy the bar and many vehicles in the parking lot. However, when they call in backup, there is no evidence of any Cobra involvement. The group's veteran status assures that they are believed. Alpine and his friends are cleared of all doubt, when anonymous information leads to Cobra influence being discovered in Delhi Hills. Alpine is one of the many Joes to take part in the invasion of Cobra Island during the second Cobra civil war.

Sunbow
Alpine appears in the Sunbow G.I. Joe cartoon voiced by Lee Weaver.

Partial appearance list:
 * Bazooka Saw A Sea Serpent
 * Where the Reptiles Roam
 * Twenty Questions
 * The Viper Is Coming
 * An Eye for an Eye
 * The Wrong Stuff
 * Cold Slither
 * Nightmare Assault
 * The Greenhouse Effect
 * The Fun House

G.I. Joe: The Movie
He plays a minor but critical role in G.I. Joe: The Movie. Bazooka, Alpine, and Gung-Ho are charged with guarding the captured Serpentor. Lt. Falcon is supposed to be guarding the front, but leaves his post. As a result, all three Joes are attacked by the Dreadnoks and Nemesis Enforcer resulting in the three of them getting injured by Nemesis Enforcer.

Other media
Alpine is mentioned as an "unique character" in an essay, in the non-fiction book Integrating English: developing English language and literacy in the multilingual classroom.