Ayana Jones

Ayana Jones is aG.I. Joe-alignedhumanfrom theIDW portionof theGeneration 1 continuity family.

"Do I know you?"
"O'Brien from theEnterprise."
"Enterprise?Oh yes. Weren't you one of the little people? "

Ayana Jones,codenameMayday,is an ex-member ofSkywatchturned member ofG.I. Joeturned ex-member of G.I. Joe turned member ofEarth Defense Commandturned ex-EDC turned Joe again. As you can guess from that CV, she prefers being in the thick of the action. In her long history she's worked with top officers likeDukeandMarissa Faireborn,but nowshe'sthe one who gets to run squads.

Fiction

2005 IDW continuity

What? Afros were the style back then.

Ayana Jones was born inBrighton Beach,New Yorkand grew up nearConey Island.She attended theUniversity of California, Berkeley,where her thesis on "ancient aliens" attracted the attention ofJoshua Red.Intrigued by her aptitude, she was swiftly recruited into Skywatch, the agency aimed at investigatingTransformeractivity on Earth. By the time that Joshua Red went rogue, however, Ayana's skills had already attracted the attention ofConrad "Duke" Hauser,who had her transferred into the top-secret G.I. Joe program.Mayday profile

Now operating under the codename "Mayday," Ayana was based out ofBerlinduring her first years with the agency, serving under the command ofDavid "Big Ben" Bennet."She remained a G.I. Joe soldier during theDecepticon invasion of Earth;when both factions of Cybertronians abandoned the planet, the soldiers of G.I. Joe turned their attention to battling the forces ofCobraafter the ancient conspiracy went public and invadedNanzhao.Mayday's unit was one of the last to extricate themselves from the region before Cobra'snuclear weaponsannihilated the country, but safely managed to evacuate thanks to the efforts of her teammateHeavy Duty.Mayday profileThe Iron Klaw

Over the next few years, a series of escalating crises — including a public hack that led to the outing of the formerly secret organization — eventually led to the mothballing of the team. Though the Joes were able to take down Cobra from the inside, the team was decommissioned shortly afterwards.Mayday profileShe and several other Joe soldiers transferred to GeneralDaniel Witwicky'sEarth Defense Command,the successor to Skywatch.Crisis InterventionFor the next few years, Ayana worked out of the EDC's headquarters in theMarshall Islands.Full Fathom Five

When a group of Decepticons led byGalvatronarrived on Earth, the EDC cut a deal with the Cybertronians: if they worked with the EDC to protect the Earth fromAutobotaggression,Detonation Boulevardthey would provide the aliens with the resources and infrastructure required to build acommunewhere they could live in peace.Full Fathom FiveThe EDC's predictions would come true some six months later, when the Autobots returned to Earth in search ofAlpha Trion,who had been taken prisoner by the EDC some time before. AsOptimus Prime's forces stormed the EDC base, Ayana monitored the situation, and was surprised when the Decepticons revealed their trump card, theNemesis.Full Fathom Five

Ayana and the other members of the base continued to watch the battle play out, but when theProwl-controlledDevastatorattacked the building, the humans were knocked unconscious and thus failed to witness Galvatron execute General Witwicky in retaliation for unleashing the EDC's anti-Transformermindbomb.I Dream of WiresIn the aftermath, former EDC operativeMarissa Fairebornbecame the new director of the EDC, and Ayana rose to become herde factosecond-in-command.

"I checked the rear vision mirror like three times."

FollowingSpike Witwicky's hack ofOnyx's new product launch, Jones accompanied Marissa Faireborn to Onyx'sTokyoHQ as the EDC's response toGarrison Blackrock's angry phone call.Signals, Calls, and MarchesAs a battle between Prowl's Autobots and Galvatron's Decepticons broke out in the city, the EDC took Blackrock to safety in an aircraft despite Jones' desire to intervene. She instead ended up trying to talk theChineseout of invadingJapan.Vs.

On Blackrock's request, they headed for Onyx'sWanmufacility, where Garrison showed them the collection of Cybertronian artifacts he'd built up, including the crown jewel of his collection: theEnigma of Combination,an artifact that had supposedly guided the course of human civilization. Jones was skeptical of Blackrock's claim that he was descended fromGilgamesh;as the tour continued, however, the building was attacked by Devastator and Spike Witwicky.ONoffONAs Spike dropped in and grabbed Faireborn, Jones was ready to shoot him, but didn't get the chance before Devastator breached the walls. She and Faireborn ended up hauling Spike clear as the battle continued to rage between Devastator, the Decepticon forces, and their temporary allyArcee.The Obliterati

At one point, Marissa and Ayana listened toThundercracker's attempt to write aChristmasstory. It went as well as could be expected.The Thirteenth Day of Christmas

Some time later, Faireborn and Jones accompanied Blackrock and the Decepticons on a visit to the satellite commune which Onyx was building for the Decepticons inJupiter's orbit, and Jones expressed her dislike of spacesuits. During the tour, the pair discussed Blackrock's mysterious origins and wondered if he was on the level.South of Heaven

Back onEarthat E.D.C. HQ, Jones waited with Faireborn outside Spike's cell as Blackrock visited the prisoner. The pair were forced to listen to Thundercracker's latest script until Blackrock eventually emerged.The Nothing ManLearning that Blackrock had been running several side bets of his own, including the revelation that he had captured several Autobots and imprisoned them beneath the EDC base, Ayana held him at gunpoint after Marissa and Spike took him down. Before they could take him into custody, however, Galvatron arrived and took Blackrock hostage, revealing that the man was a Cybertronian sleeper agent and a servant ofOnyx Prime.Helden

Galvatron's arrival led to a tense stand-off with the E.D.C. and the newly revealed captive Autobots untilSkywarpteleported Galvatron and his hostage away. His objectives realized, Galvatron mustered his assets to begin a full-scale invasion of Earth, beginning by shooting down theArk-7.Jones tracked the crashing shuttle toShanghaiand the EDC prepared to mobilize against the Decepticons,Perihelionbut were unable to coordinate a response before Optimus Prime arrived and announced that Earth was now a protectorate ofCybertron'sCouncil of Worlds.In the ensuing crisis, Ayana and Faireborn stayed behind at the EDC headquarters, overseeing the detonation of a full-spectrummindbombto temporarily incapacitate all the Transformers around theArk-7.Once Upon a Time on Earth

With Galvatron's forces in retreat, Jones and Faireborn were called to theWhite Houseto meet with the furiousPresident,who blamed the EDC for allowing Optimus to get this far. Ayana urged Marissa to keep a cool head, which proved futile.New Worlds OrderFollowing the White House'sneworders, to reclaim Earth before the Transformers could colonize it any further, Ayana picked up Spike Witwicky in an EDC jet as part of a joint operation withChina'sPeople's Liberation Army Mecha Force.The two teams stormed Prime's last known base of operations — Thundercracker's old home in theSierra Nevadas— but found that the Transformers had anticipated their arrival and evacuated, leaving behind graffiti that read "we are here to help."Edge of the Earth

Having tracked the Autobots toMonument Valley,the alliance launched a blitz on Prime's bivouac there, with Marissa and Ayana supervising from. Alerted to the position of Blackrock via secret signal, the duo headed underwater to the wreckage of theNemesisto extract their asset. Though the two had a brief standoff againstArcee,Skywarp,having struck a deal with Blackrock previously, used his powers to teleport all three humans away.As Above...So BelowThey arrived on the White House lawn just in time to learn that Optimus Prime had raiseda titanfrom beneath the desert; the President was not pleased with this turn of events, concluding that they'd lost Monument Valley. Jones tried to stick up for her commander, pointing out that the EDC had secured several Cybertronian assets, though the President didn't want to hear it and stormed out to meet with theUnited Nations.No Fair Fights

As a result of the EDC's disastrous attempts to contain the extraterrestrial threat, the President made the decision to replace Marissa Faireborn with celebrated special-ops legendJoe Colton,former head ofG.I. Joe.Ayana was not pleased with the change, even as she tried to console Faireborn on her recent demotion.White LightFollowingSentinel Prime's rampage across Earth, deposits ofOre-13all across the planet began destabilizing, threatening Earth with nuclear annihilation. Believing that the Transformers were at fault, the President opted to disband the EDC, reinstituting G.I. Joe as Earth's new international peacekeeping force.

Ayana was transferred back into the forces of G.I. Joe, taking up her oldnom de guerreof Mayday. She joined the team for their first mission against Autobot relief efforts inPortland,Oregon,but the op went poorly; Mayday attempted to talk downMainframewhen the latter attempted to kill Soundwave, prompting the Decepticon to knock out G.I. Joe's mechanized forces with an EMP wave. While the Joes reeled from this attack, theSpace KnightRomarrived and began vaporizing Joes — unbeknownst to the humans, they had been replaced byDire Wraithimposters, including "Joe Colton"himself.Concorde Hymn

FollowingM.A.S.K.'s capture ofKupinGreece,The Divine Source of Liberty,Jones was stationed at Joe headquarters onGovernor's Islandwhen the British special agentAction Manbreached the perimeter, intending to liberate Kup from his prison. Though she initially mistook Kup for an attacker, a few brief words with Action Man made her realize that Kup was escaping, and Action Man and Kup were able to escape unscathed.The Modern WorldAfterBaron Karzaarrived unannounced in Monument Valley, Mayday was one of the many Joes who joined the battle against the monstrous alien by riding into battle aboard a fleet of mothballed Joe hardware.Valley Forge

In the aftermath of the Ore-13 crisis, Mayday was promoted and began leading a team of her own. On her very first command, Mayday led a team, consisting ofHeavy Duty,Flash,Quarrel,to theSchletevancity ofVerenyato investigate a mysterious communications blackout. They soon discovered that the city's inhabitants had somehow been transformed into monstrousDire Wraithhybrids, which drew the attention ofRom.The heroes joined forces, using Rom'sEnergy Analyzerto trace the energy to an abandonedI.R.O.N.bunker underneath the city. There, Mayday found the body of anOktober Guardmercenary, which led the group to Blackrock and Action Man, fighting for control of an enigmatic"Talisman".When the rest of the Oktober Guard intervened, the Talisman activated again; while Rom used hisNeutralizerto shield her, Blackrock, and Action Man from the energy surge, her teammates weren't so lucky and became Wraiths. The Oktober Guard absconded with the Talisman, and once back on the surface Mayday joined forces with Kup and Blackrock in the hopes of finding a way to return her teammates to normal... a quest that began with retrieving a kidnapped Action Man from the clutches of theIron Ring.Crisis InterventionWhile her teammates were taken into the custody of theAction Man Programmeuntil a cure could be found,When Eagles ScreamG.I. Joe commanderScarlettauthorized her to work outside the G.I. Joe's parameters during the subsequent adventure.Power and Glory

"Ms. Jones? There's a lawyer representing a Martha Washington holding on line 1." "Take a message!"

Searching for a lead on the Talisman, the team managed to corner the alienMicronautsat thePacific Science CenterinSeattle,and after some initial tensions the two groups managed to reach an understanding while confirming Blackrock's suspicions that the Talisman was extraterrestrial in nature. Using the sensors of theHeliopolis,the group were able to track Action Man to anabandoned Cobra baseon theMoon.Despite the best effortsBaron Ironbloodand his forces, they were able to retrieve the Talisman and destroy the base, with Kup sheltering the two humans in his chest to protect them from the explosion.Enter the Shadow

Using data from the British National Security archives, the team,The Secret of the Mummy's Tombat Action Man's urging,Enter the Shadowtracked down formerAdventure Teamoperative and movie directorRichard "Bulletman" Ruby.He told them the story of a mission inEgyptthat led them to the Talisman; learning thatI.R.O.N.founderGarrison Kreigerhad connection to the Talisman, the group headed off to investigate the company's largest stockholder:KalistaniandictatorCount van Rani.The Secret of the Mummy's TombOn the way to hiscastle,they learned that the villain had found a way to recruit thePredacons,and so the team recruitedSnake-Eyesfor help infiltrating the base, using Blackrock as a Trojan horse. When their cover was blown, Ayana and the others stormed the castle, and while Kup and Action Man grappled withPredaking,Mayday linked up with Blackrock and Snake-Eyes, and hatched a plan to take down the artificial Talisman responsible for keeping the Predacons combined... only for an impatient Snake-Eyes to smash the machine, forcing the Decepticons apart. The trio subsequently fought their way back to the castle'sM.A.S.S. Deviceand used its teleport function to escape. Thanks to Snake-Eyes masquerading as Ironblood's agentTomax Paoli,the team learned that Ironblood and Kreiger had been involved in "Project: Ice Man,"and set out to intercept therealTomax as he arrived inSan Franciscoto retrieve data related to the "Ice Man".The Iron Klaw

The team managed to catch up with Tomax outside I.R.O.N.'s headquarters, discovering that Kreiger had forewarned him of their arrival and provided him with aCobra Commanderuniform. While Kup battledTomax's limousine,Mayday and Action Man chased Tomax through the building. Mayday eventually managed to incapacitate Tomax by firing a bullet at his throat and grazing it. Tomax had little to offer the team, but Blackrock had learned from Kreiger's files that the base containing the "Ice Man" could be found inBrasnya.Strange VisitorsRealizing that their team would need extra muscle to break in, Ayana contacted Adventure Team veteran and G.I. Joe memberStalkerfor more information regarding the "Ice Man." Impressed by her idealism, he called inMatt TrakkerandGloria BakerofM.A.S.K.for assistance. During the subsequent mission to Brasnya, Mayday waited outside with the two M.A.S.K. operatives until until Action Man flooded the network of tunnels, at which point she hitched a ride aboard Matt'sThunderhawkas they battled the reanimated bodies of the "I.R.O.N. Cybertronians".The heroes and villains engaged in a running battle across the breadth of the base until they reached the nexus of the base; discovering that the" Ice Man "was, in reality, the barely-conscious remains ofMike "Atomic Man" Power,Mayday was able to take Kreiger into custody after his cybernetic asset committed suicide, deactivating the base with him.Power and Glory

With Kreiger now in their custody, the group brought him and the temporally-displacedSgt. Savageback to Blackrock'sOnyxtower inBuenos Airesso that the villain could be picked up by a G.I. Joe squadron. While they waited for them to arrive, Savage filled in Ayana on how he came to be transported fifty years in the future. As the G.I. Joe unit arrived, however, Centurion revealed himself as a traitor and hacked the building so that Ironblood and his forces could teleport in. In the ensuing battle between theIron Ring,the Joes, and the Revolutionaries, Ironblood was revealed as none other thanJoe Colton,who had survived his run-in with the Dire Wraiths.When Eagles ScreamMayday joined Action Man to fightStorm Shadow,but were unable to overpower the ninja before Kup ran Storm Shadow over. Though the villains ultimately absconded with the Talisman, the heroes found that Blackrock was able to engineer a means of returning the mutated Verenyans to normal, while the Talisman's energy had somehow fused Centurion's consciousness with Mike Power's. Down but not out, the Revolutionaries vowed that, on their next adventure, they'd have to try even harder. Ghost in the Machine

Dance into the fire
When all we see is the view to a kill...

As Earth prepared to formally join the Council of Worlds, the group travelled toIaconto watch the ceremonies. Mayday joined Marissa, Earth's first interstellar diplomat, in the initial procession through the streets of Iacon. When Colton's forces attacked not long afterwards, the heroes battled their way throughRed ShadowsandIron Grenadiersbefore learning that Centurion had kidnapped Blackrock and absconded with the bounty hunterColditz.Unification Day: DawnTracking him through the Cybertronian wilderness, the team caught up with the two Cybertronians, prompting Colditz to detonate a stash of explosives... and Kreiger, working his way down to the core of the planet, to remotely transmit a surge of destructive Talisman energy through Centurion, a bid to deliberately goad the Revolutionaries into eliminating Centurion and tying up another loose end in Kreiger's larger scheme. The team were able to convince Centurion to stand down, at the cost of temporarily knocking him into stasis lock. Deprived of their best shot to end the invasion, the team returned Centurion to Iacon too late to prevent Colton and his crew from advancing to the core.Unification Day: Dusk

After the invasion had been thwarted and communications reopened with Earth, Ayana returned home.The Dead Come Home, Part 1

Notes

• Jones as a Joe was aretcondone for theRevolutioncrossover.
• The codename Mayday comes fromG.I. Joe Extreme,the short-lived mid-1990s revamp. Mayday also appeared in theDevil's Due PressJoecomics, wherein her real name was "Paige Adams".
• Her surname is taken fromDavid Bowie's birthname, David Robert Jones.^[1]Coincidentally enough, she would later go on to work alongside Action Man (the name "Action Man" appeared in the lyrics to Bowie's song "Ashes to Ashes" ).

References