President of the United States

The President of the United States is a character from G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra and G.I. Joe: Retaliation whose real name is never mentioned. He is referred to only by his office.

History[]

Rise Of Cobra[]

Portrayed by Jonathan Pryce.

The President of the United States of America learns from one of his staff that Cobra has taken control of four of the nanomite warheads. He asks if they have made any threats or demands and the staffer replies that they haven't, another staffer explaining that they take this to mean that the terrorists are unfocused with no clear goals. He, however, replies that it means they intend to use them.

After the Eiffel Tower is destroyed by one of the warheads, a couple of staffers report to the President. They tell him that they're still trying to locate the three remaining warheads. They say that the Joes have been detained and the French are pretty upset. Not surprised, he asks them to get him the French ambassador.

Following this incident, Cobra launches one of the warheads at the White House in Washington D.C. As the President retreats to the presidential bunker, a staffer informs him that it is estimated the warhead will strike the city in seventeen minutes. He calls it a disaster. He monitors events from the bunker, learning that Ripcord has shot down the warhead heading for Moscow. Just then, however, one of his Secret Service agents, who is secretly a Neo-Viper, shoots and kills the other agents and staff in the room. He shouts at him, asking what he's doing and tries to flee, but the agent shoots towards him to show he's serious. He then radios to someone, saying that it's done.

A figure enters the room and the President stares in shock. The man tells him that "Mr. McCullen sends his regards." "Oh my God," realizes the President. "So that's what this is all about." Later, following the Joes' successfully intercepting the remaining warheads, the President glad-handles a group before entering the Oval Office. He walks to the desks and sits, grinning, cracking his knuckles and whistling the song "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." The man is not the President of the United States at all, but rather the figure from before, Zartan, an agent of Cobra.

Retaliation[]

Upon taking control of the office of the President, Zartan wastes no time in replacing the entire Secret Service team with loyal Neo-Vipers in order to allay suspicion. He continues to keep the real President alive in the underground bunker.

He mocks the President, telling him that he's planning to put the G.I. Joes out of the picture. The President says they'll find him out, but he cuts his own face, showing that the nanomites provide flawless healing. He brags about hanging out with celebrities like Bono and states that his favorite thing is blowing stuff up. He tells him that his approval rating has climbed nine points, that America wants somebody that "looks like you, but acts like me." He even insinuates possible harm to the President's wife, but claims to be yanking his chain. He then demands the location of the prison holding Cobra Commander and Destro and has him tortured when he won't answer.

Following the airstrike, Roadblock and the other Joes realize that they have been betrayed and that the order to take them out could only have come from the very top. Lady Jaye begins analyzing footage of the President and realizes that within the past few weeks, the President is no longer using the same "filler words" that he once used and is also folding his hands differently. They take this information to Joe Colton, the man who originally founded the G.I. Joe organization. While sympathetic to their cause, he tells them that what they have isn't enough for him to go against the President, but agrees to aid them in getting more solid evidence. They then kidnap the President's Chief of Staff, allowing them to get Lady Jaye clearance to an event featuring the President, or rather, Zartan. There, Lady Jaye successfully obtains a sample of Zartan's hair to be analyzed, allowing the Joes to determine the truth. She is detected in the process, however, and forced to flee in a hurry.

Zartan later returns to the President along with Cobra Commander. The two of him force him to submit to a retinal scan in order to gain control to the briefcase that controls the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Later, while the other Joes topple Cobra's plan to take over the world, Lady Jaye and Colton mount an assault to rescue the President. They succeed in neutralizing most of Zartan's men, but Zandar holds a gun to the President's neck, warning Colton that he will shoot him. He orders Colton to stand down, but Lady Jaye fires a shot from behind, distracting him, allowing Colton to take him out. The President is grazed in the shoulder by the shot. He tells Colton it's good to see him and Jaye apologizes for hitting him, but he tells her that it's fine. She then reports to Roadblock that the POTUS is secure.

After the Joes succeed in defeating Cobra, the President invites the G.I. Joe Team to a ceremony on the White House lawn. He declares them to be heroes, overseeing a ceremony in which they are each presented with medals. "Ladies and gentlemen," he tells the group, "the G.I. Joes."