Franklin E. Talltree

Franklin E. Talltree is a member of the G.I. Joe team, the elite U.S. military unit dedicated to combating the terrorist organization Cobra. He is better known by his code name Airborne, a airborne trooper of Native American heritage.

Introduced in the pages of G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #11 back in 1983, Franklin E. Talltree is a Bronze Age creation from the legendary Larry Hama, a character who stepped onto the Marvel stage during one of the most beloved runs in action-adventure comics. Over more than four decades — an impressive stretch from 1983 all the way through 2025 — he's proven himself a durable presence in the G.I. Joe universe, sharing pages with heavy hitters like Hawk, Cobra Commander, Wild Bill, and Airborne. With 7 collector-recognized key issues among his appearances, Talltree is the kind of figure that rewards dedicated fans who dig deep into the longboxes — a testament to Hama's knack for crafting characters with real staying power.