Roadblock is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's Heavy Machine Gunner and debuted in 1984. Roadblock is one of the most prominent African-Americans in the series. He is portrayed by Dwayne Johnson in the 2013 film G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Profile Roadblock's real name is Marvin F. Hinton and he was born in Biloxi, Mississippi. His primary function in G.I. Joe is as a heavy machine gunner and his secondary function is as a cook. Roadblock grew up with a large extended family, but was shy despite being a Boy Scout and singing in the church choir. Before he enlisted in the U.S. Army, Roadblock wanted to be a gourmet chef, and was working as a bouncer to earn enough money to attend Escoffier School in France. An army recruiter convinced him that he could learn to be a chef in the Army. After enlisting, Roadblock found Army food appalling, and transferred to infantry where he excelled at using heavy weapons. Roadblock is one of the biggest and strongest members of G.I. Joe, able to carry a fully loaded M2 Browning machine gun as a personal weapon, which can weigh up to 134 lbs, which usually requires a dedicated squad to transport and operate. Despite working in infantry, he still maintains his passion for making good food, and indulges in it while engaging in his secondary duty. He is a qualified expert with the M2 Browning .50 cal heavy machine gun, all Warsaw Pact heavy machine guns, M-16, and the M-1911A1 auto pistol. When the G.I. Joe team temporarily disbanded, Roadblock finally took the opportunity to become a gourmet chef. He wrote several cookbooks that became best-sellers, endorsed a line of cooking products under his name, and briefly hosted his own television cooking show. But when the team was reinstated, he happily hung up his chef's hat and rejoined them once again, staying on when the team was re-activated with a reduced roster. In the UK Action Force toy series, Roadblock is originally from the French Congo. As the Action Force and G.I. Joe toy lines merged, his profile altered to the American variant. In the animated series, Roadblock is inexplicably depicted as speaking in rhyme. He has a cousin named Heavy Duty. Toys Roadblock was first released as an action figure in 1984.