The amiable pilot with the Texas drawl is one of the most experienced and well respected members of the G.I. Joe team. William Brady grew up in Texas, where he learned to love country western music and to spin tall tales for his friends. He joined the army during the Vietnam war where he served as a combat infantryman and took part in Long Range Recon Patrol (LRRP) operations. It wasn't long before his buddies -- who saw him as the stereotypical cowboy -- nicknamed him Wild Bill. After a tour on LRRP, Wild Bill decided his was tired of staying on the ground and reenlisted for Flight Warrant Officer school. He became a skilled pilot. He started flying transport and medevac choppers into some of the most dangerous places in the world. In that capacity, Wild Bill flew several missions with the Joe team, including flying a medevac chopper during the mission on which Snake-Eyes was disfigured. When the Pentagon authorized an expansion of the G.I. Joe team, Hawk made Wild Bill a permanent member of the team. Over the years, Wild Bill flew even more missions for the Joes. Whether behind the stick of the Dragonfly attack helicopter or a C-130 transport plane, he was a vital part of many of the Joes most important operations. He even ferried Hawk to the Pentagon when the high command called for him.

    Among some of Wild Bill's more important missions were flying air support during the invasion of the Cobra controlled town of Springfield and assisting Russian Captain Bulgakov defect from the Soviet Navy during a battle between the Joes, Cobra and the October Guard. During a mission in Southeast Asia, Wild Bill flew a C-130 transport plane that was carrying a stolen Cobra Firebat aircraft and a small team of Joes. The plane was shot down by the October Guard, forcing the Joes to bail out into the jungle below. Wild Bill barely survived and had to be carried by Roadblock as the Joes evaded the October Guard and local river pirates. On another mission into Southeast Asia, Lift-Ticket and Wild Bill discovered that the Joes they had just dropped off on a mission had been sold out by CIA agent Anderson, who foiled the Joes' ambush of a Soviet convoy. Wild Bill and Lift-Ticket had to "work him over" before Anderson told them that the mission was intended to be a failure. Fortunately, the pilots rescued the Joes in just in time for them to avoid the enemy's attack.

    On a mission to rescue the U.S. ambassador to Sierra Gordo during a revolution, Wild Bill was waiting for the rescue team to return to the C-130 when a group of Dreadnoks led by Zarana hijacked the plane as it sat on the runway. Along with Crazylegs and Maverick, Wild Bill was forced at gunpoint to abandon the Joes in Sierra Gordo, and take off in a plane full of refugees who were hostages of the Dreadnoks. Anti-aircraft fire downed the plane as Wild Bill survived another crash into another jungle. Trapped in the war torn country, Wild Bill's team had to work with the Dreadnoks to save themselves and the refugees from the revolutionary armies. With the help of some disguises and the hijacking of a bus, the team eventually got out of the jungle and stole an old seaplane, escaping Sierra Gordo and giving Wild Bill the chance to fly one of his favorite vintage aircraft. A short time later, Wild Bill's Tomahawk helicopter was shot down during the Cobra Island civil war. Wild Bill escaped with only minor injuries, surprising Lifeline, but Doc noted, "Wild Bill's had a lot of practice at crashing and burning, Lifeline!" Wild Bill replied with his usual good humor, "Yeah. I'm a regular expert..." Wild Bill's long career with the Joes went on for years. Over that time, he helped rescue Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow from the collapsing Cobra Consulate building in New York City, took part in the Battle of Benzheen, and assisted in the Joes' attack on the town of Millville, which had been taken over by Cobra. Throughout his time on the Joe team, Wild Bill made Joes feel comfortable on even the most difficult missions with his trademark good humor and gained their trust and respect, not to mention their friendship. It's been said that Wild Bill can get along with anybody, and the Joes know Wild Bill has more years combat experience behind him than most of them. Wild Bill continued on with the team until it was disbanded in 1994.

    In 2001, the G.I. Joe Team was reinstated by the government in reponse to Cobra's return to the United States. Duke brought many of the older Joes to help train and lead a batch of new recruits and Wild Bill is part of the new team. Wild Bill served the new team, attacking Dreadnoks in the Everglades during the nano-mite crisis, and continuing on a number of missions after that. Wild Bill flew the helicopter that extracted a team of Joes from a disastrous mission in the Cobra-infiltrated town of New Moon, Colorado. Some time later, after the Joes stopped a plot by Cobra to unleash the weapon known as the Tempest, and defeated a new threat, the Red Shadows, the military again disbanded the team.

    One year later, the Joe team was reformed with a smaller roster of active members. Wild Bill, like most former Joes, was made a reserve member of the new team. Wild Bill was called back to the team to assist Jinx in infiltrating the Tokyo headquarters of Hayatu Toba -- a Japanese businessman who was secretly building an Army to topple his country's government. Though the mission called for stealth and subterfuge, the only Joes available to assist Jinx were Clutch, Rock & Roll, Gung-Ho and Wild Bill -- none of whom are noted for their stealth or subtlety. Instead, they all posed as obnoxious businessmen meeting with Toba and started to fight amongst themselves in his office to distract security. They were soon captured and learned that Toba's group was involved with Destro's forces, represented by Armada. When Toba refused to follow her orders, she killed him and started the coup without him. As the rebel forces rolled through the streets of Tokyo, many of the soldiers turned on each other. Budo had worked to subvert many of them away from Toba's control, and they and the Joes put a stop to the attempted coup. Wild Bill and his teammates decided to spend some extra time in Tokyo after the mission, no doubt getting into trouble on their own.


Artwork: G.I. JOE #74 (interior) by Ron Wagner and Randy Emberlin; G.I. JOE #69 (interior) by Tony Salmons and Randy Emberlin; G.I. JOE Battle Files #1 (interior) by Eric Wolfe Hanson.