Lifeline's Medical Corps

Lore & Background

His real name is Edwin C. Steen, and his rank is that of sergeant E-5. Lifeline was born in Seattle, Washington. Lifeline's primary military specialty is medic. Lifeline spent five years as a paramedic with the Seattle Fire Department, until he learned that EMS personnel could not collect their pensions if they became disabled while giving aid when they are not on duty. Since he figured that rescue personnel were never actually off duty, he decided to instead join the army as a medic. Lifeline is also an avowed pacifist; he's a black belt in 'aikido', the martial art of directing violent energy away from oneself.

Reader's Guide

In the Sunbow animated series, Lifeline appeared in the second-season episode 'Arise, Serpentor, Arise!: Part I', in which he refuses to help Lift-Ticket arm a Tomahawk. During missions, Lifeline is often seen with Lift-Ticket in the latter's Tomahawk, for if rescue is needed. His strict pacifism also puts himself and his fellow Joes in danger at times; for example, in the episode 'Cobrathon', when Lifeline fell into a pool of piranhas, he refused to be pulled to safety by touching Sci-Fi's rifle.

Lifeline plays a major role in the episode 'The Million Dollar Medic', in which he saves Brittany 'Bree' Van Mark and her father, wealthy business owner Owen Van Mark when their yacht gets caught in a crossfire between G.I. Joe and Cobra. Bree then falls in love with Lifeline and keeps sending gifts to him. Lifeline does not want them, but is reluctant to tell her. Cobra uses Bree's infatuation on Lifeline to launch a deadly attack on G.I. Joe.

Lifeline protects her when Cobra threatens Owen to relinquish his company to them, and they eventually kiss. In 'Second Hand Emotions', it is revealed that Lifeline comes from a family of pacifists, and that he has been estranged from them, especially his father, as they disapprove of him joining G.I. Joe. In the same episode, Lifeline attends his sister's wedding with several Joes, hoping to reconcile with his father, but runs into complications when the Dreadnoks implant a small device on him and other Joes that allows Doctor Mindbender to control their emotions with music.

As a consequence, Lifeline objects the marriage and fights with the other Joes, then hijacks a trolley. Realizing his emotions caused him to act out of control, Lifeline apologizes to his sister. He later saves Hawk and Scarlett by disabling a bomb, and brings the injured Joes to stay a night at his family home. Lifeline and his father eventually make up. After stopping Cobra's scheme, the Joes attend Lifeline's sister's wedding again.

Did You Know?

• In the Devil's Due series, Lifeline used a pistol for the first time against mutated humanoids.
• The 2002 Real American Hero Collection version of Lifeline changed his real name to Greg Scott, derived from Hasbro's design manager at the time.