Joe the Condor

Joe Asakura (originally George Asakura) also known as Joe the Condor is the teams second-in-command, marksman & weapons expert. His birdstyle is based off the condor. He usually lives alone in a camping trailer.

Background
Joe was originally named George Asakura (Rendered as 'Joji' in Japanese) and was the son of two Sicilian scientists of Japanese descent, Giuseppe & Katarina. The Asakuras were actually members of Galactor that were planning to defect, but they were killed when they tried to escape the organization, with only George surviving. He was found by Dr. Nambu (who certified to the goverment that the child was dead) and was placed under his wing with the name Joe Asakura so that Galactor would not recognize him.

Appearance
Joe has shoulder-length brown hair and eyes that either appear as blue or gray, depending on the cel colorist. His facial features are much more harsh and rough when compared to Ken, although earlier episodes were not as consistent with his face.

His civilian clothing usually consists of a red-and-blue t-shirt with the number "2" on it, blue bellbottom jeans, and occasionally a pair of black driving gloves. In the sequels, he wears a navy blue crew-neck T-shirt with lighter blue sleeves, as well straight-legged jeans.

In his Gatchaman Bird Style, the condor-based suit is colored mainly burgundy with dark blue gloves & boots. The outside of his feather cape is colored a deeper blue, with a lighter shade of blue on the inside. His helmet is black, with red markings patterned after eyes and a condor's beak. His visor is colored a gray-lavender shade.

OVA
Joe was redesigned heavily for this remake, and was depicted with slightly darker skin, reddish-brown hair, and much more narrow facial features. He wears a leather jacket and jeans as part of his civilian outfit, with no shirt. The "2" symbol is relegated to being on a necklace that he wears. This version of Joe also sports a crucifix, as well as a skull tattoo on his left arm.

His Bird Style's color scheme is changed to be primarily navy blue, with burgundy accents on the suit. The "G" symbol is also relegated to being by itself and not attached to any belt.

Cancelled Imagi Film Project
Joe's civilian look would have taken heavy inspiration from the OVA, with him having a more overt "bad boy" appearance. His Bird Style, as seen in an early trailer, was to be an armored gray-and-black uniform.

Other pieces of concept art mostly had the Bird Style patterned after the OVA version, although with the coloring changed back to being primarily burgundy (as in the original series).

Personality
Joe is more headstrong compared to the rest of his teammates, and is always ready for a fight rather than negotiate. He is willing to fight against overwhelming odds and even launch the God Phoenix's missiles at the first sign of a threat. However, despite his cynical first look and loner appearance, Joe is actually quite friendly and likes being on the team.

=Weapons and Arsenal==

Fighting Style
Joe's Condor style of Kagaku Ninpo involves acrobatic movement while using projectile weaponry like his trademark feather shuriken, pistol fire, and thin wires.

Weapons
Feather Shuriken: Joe's signature weapon, a white feather dart with a razor sharp tip. In Gatchaman Fighter, he was given an upgraded version of his shurikens with metal bladed tips that had rocket propulsion and could release concentrated knockout gas.

G-2 Mecha
 G-2-The Condor Machine: This is a high speed race car in the original series. It is based on a 1970's Nissan Skyline when its in civilian mode. The Condor Machine has a 16mm Gatling gun as its main weapon as well as armoured bulletproof shielding & incredible speed has the shape of a 1970's racing car; long & low with large tyres.

Condor Attacker: A high performance race car used in Gatchaman II. Armed with a Type 2 Bird Missile and equipment for subterranean missions. The Condor Attacker also had a hover mode for traveling on water and rough terrain. The Mecha was destroyed along with the New God Phoenix in Gatchaman Fighter

Gatcha Two: Joe's mecha in Gatchaman Fighter. A blue and white racecar armed with a gatling gun on the front, a concealed Bird Missile launcher and equipped with flight capability. The car is one of the five mechas that form the Gatchaspartan, forming the vertical stabilizer of the ship.