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10-16-2009, 10:50 AM | #9551 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 2,157
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I figure Stalker would have enlisted at 19 or 20. Not only was he in a gang but he was the leader of a gang. A big one according to his filecard. In order to get to that point, he'd probably have to be in his late teens or early 20s, which I guess can be old by gangbanger standards.
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10-16-2009, 10:52 AM | #9552 |
EQ-Viper
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 4,343
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I think it's easy to explain his language background given the context of the times. I think it's hinted at that his "gang background" is tied into the militant Black Power movement of the 1960s. That could easily explain his fluency in Arabic, Spanish, Swahili, and French (as they were all languages that were popular among the black youth at the time looking to reconnect with their Old World roots).
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10-16-2009, 10:56 AM | #9553 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 2,157
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I just want to point out that I think it's fantastic that Hama had the stones to make references to gangs, Vietnam, and the Black Power movement on the packages of kids toys in the early 1980s. Very controversial and it would NEVER happen today. One of the reasons I'm glad I grew up when I did. And I love how he did it in a subtle way that didn't smack you in the face when you first read it. Brilliant.
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10-16-2009, 10:58 AM | #9554 |
Hog Driver
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 12,235
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Quote:
Maybe the death of Eugene De Cobray was pinned on him not only by the Baroness but also by her govt? So he's a wanted man in both SE Asia and parts of Europe and some very rich and disturbed people ????
Btw, Snakes being involved in assassinating a Cambodian or Laotian General reeks of awesomeness... Doesn't it say in one of his early file cards that all his records were destroyed in a "mysterious" fire ??? |
10-16-2009, 11:05 AM | #9555 |
Hog Driver
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 12,235
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Quote:
I figure Stalker would have enlisted at 19 or 20. Not only was he in a gang but he was the leader of a gang. A big one according to his filecard. In order to get to that point, he'd probably have to be in his late teens or early 20s, which I guess can be old by gangbanger standards.
Quote:
I think it's easy to explain his language background given the context of the times. I think it's hinted at that his "gang background" is tied into the militant Black Power movement of the 1960s. That could easily explain his fluency in Arabic, Spanish, Swahili, and French (as they were all languages that were popular among the black youth at the time looking to reconnect with their Old World roots).
This is a very interesting take, zulu. I hadn't made that possible connection. This could explain a lot. |
10-16-2009, 11:17 AM | #9556 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 2,157
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Quote:
Yeah, I thought of several ways to handle his gang involvement. The use of "warlord" is interesting because it doesn't sound like the title given to some inner-city gang leader. Warlord makes be think of Somalian Warlords and the like. Maybe his gangbanging wasn't just in the US. Maybe he was born in the US but grew up in the Middle East, which exposed him to various languages and hostilities.
As for Stalker's language skills, has it been established that he was fluent before he joined the service? It was my understanding that he studied language after he joined the army. |
10-16-2009, 11:52 AM | #9557 |
Hog Driver
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 12,235
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It's ambiguous. The file card mentions his gang involvment, then states his fluency in languages, then states his Army service, which doesn't mean that he knew all these languages before enlisting but I doubt he studied them all at the Army's Language School, where he probably would have studied only Vietnamese if he attended during the Vietnam War. Perhaps he knew some and then studied others in the Army. He is an interpreter, but during what part of his service did he pick this up. He's also a medic. Everything about him says Special Forces to me. I believe he went to Ranger school, but I think that he later joined the 5th SF Group, where he became a SF medic.
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10-16-2009, 11:56 AM | #9558 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 2,157
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Quote:
It's ambiguous. The file card mentions his gang involvment, then states his fluency in languages, then states his Army service, which doesn't mean that he knew all these languages before enlisting but I doubt he studied them all at the Army's Language School, where he probably would have studied only Vietnamese if he attended during the Vietnam War. Perhaps he knew some and then studied others in the Army. He is an interpreter, but during what part of his service did he pick this up. He's also a medic. Everything about him says Special Forces to me. I believe he went to Ranger school, but I think that he later joined the 5th SF Group, where he became a SF medic.
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10-16-2009, 11:59 AM | #9559 |
W.O.R.M.S. Commander
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Back in the US of A! (NoVA)
Posts: 10,649
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I'll agree with Lister. I think he developed the language skills in the military.
YOJOE.COM | Filecard Gallery - Stalker I'm sure we can make up a list of buddies he had in Detroit that were say, immigrant children, who gravitated to his Gangs. I like Zulus theory that it was popular for African Americans of the 70s to explore their roots through language study. Swahili in particular. But almost every African I've met speaks French, and I think Detriot has a large Iraqi community as well. Spanish well that's almost a second language these days. Still going back to the Timeline, I also like my Stalker and Snake-Eyes to be in country say 72-75. I think they did a bulk of their activities in Laos and Combodia. These were truly the most secret of activities the US was involved in. The CIA in particular. I know this confuses the Tet offensive time placement, but really what does that add to their characters? It really was about Jan and Feb 68. I suppose there would have been beaucoup LRRP patrols looking for VC, but those LRRP patrols in Laos and Cambodia always sounded more off the books. |
10-16-2009, 11:59 AM | #9560 |
#voteblackjack
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Northwood, NH
Posts: 35,747
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I figured that Stalker learned the languaged after 'Nam and pre-Joe. Working Origins into it, maybe after the incident Hawk took a liking to him and kind of nudged him into the languages and receiving more Special Ops training.
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