Creature Commandos
Summary
Since the earliest solar day of comics , monstershave been a repair of the medium , with the upcoming DCU seriesCreature Commandosbeing a testament to their endure popularity . Whether it was zombie , Solomon Grundy , or the mossy hero Heap , puppet of all shapes and sizing have brought out the best creativity the business enterprise has to offer . Through the adventure and horror of these lusus naturae , writer and creative person have craft tales of empathy , fearfulness , action mechanism and more , leaving a lasting wallop on reader .
monster offer an unlikely versatility and compass to comics , whether they ’re adapted from literature or created as unique animate being for the comic page . From legends like vampire and werewolves to mutate swamp monsters and even dinosaurs , these brute provide a sense of dark dangerous undertaking , with child threats and a vehicle for socially - conscious storytelling . hero , scoundrel and everything in between make up the deep story of comic account book colossus . James Gunn’sCreature Commandoswill serve as a great monitor of the entertainment value these monstrosities offer audiences .
10Adventure Into FearHoused Some Great Marvel Horror
1970-1975, 31 Issues
First Issue Date
November 1970
Notable Maker
Jack Kirby , Steve Ditko , Steve Gerber , Val Mayerik , Paul Gulacy , Mike Friedrich
Main Characters
Man - Thing , Howard the Duck , Ka - Zar , Morbius
The Bronze Age was an era replete with horroranthologies , and one of the most interesting and important was Marvel’sAdventure Into Fear . This serial is noteworthy for , among other things , the introduction of Howard the Duck , the first color Man - matter story , and some reprint of erstwhile tale , notably featuring work by Jack Kirby . Until he was spin out into his own solo title , this serial was the mainstay Man - affair title , and domiciliate some of his best stories .
escapade Into Fear(originally titledFear ) cover a range of short horror history , including the terror of a sentient , malefic tree , ghostly pirate and foreign attackers . With some of the reprinted material including the talents of industry picture like Steve Ditko , Jack Kirby and Gil Kane , it ’s a must - read for devotee of the other years of comic book monsters . The title even functioned as Morbius ' own book in the last outcome .
9The Monster Of FrankensteinAdapted Mary Shelley’s Classic
1973-1975, 18 Issues
January 1973
Gary Friedrich , Mike Ploog , John Buscema , Doug Moench
Frankenstein ’s Monster , Doctor Frankenstein
One of the strength of Marvel Comics , especially as it pertains to monster , is how creatively public arena characters have been reimagined to agree Earth-616 . One of the best examples of this can be found inThe Monster of Frankenstein , which altered the initiation of the eponymic tool of science for Bronze Age Marvel . Here , the tool is found frozen and wake up in the present daylight .
The Monster of Frankensteinfollows the creature as he travels in solitude , though he befriend a range of fellow outcasts along his journey . Also piece on foes like evil sorcerers , giant spider , descendants of Victor Frankenstein and more , the serial publication center on the man of one of literature ’s most compelling monster . In classic Marvel mode , the serial even throws in Count Dracula for good quantity , as the creature save humans from the lamia ’s bloodlust .
The Monsterverse ’s terrifying Skullcrawler gain Godzilla - level power thanks to a surprising raise from Ra ’s al Ghul and the Lazarus Pits .
8KamandiCombines Science Fiction And Creature Feature
1972-1978, 59 Issues
November 1972
Jack Kirby , Gerry Conway , Mike Royer , Dennis O’Neil , Keith Giffen , Martin Pasko , Chic Stone
Kamandi , Prince Tuftan , Doctor Canus , Ben Boxer
One of Jack Kirby ’s more obscure institution , Kamandi : The Last Boy On Earthtells the story of a lone human boy in a humanity ravaged by calamity and populated by humanoid creature . From the Tiger Empire in the due east to the sea - fare leopard pirates and gorilla warrior , Kamandi ’s travelling across the new America are parlous . Along the direction , he team up with Tiger Prince Tuftan , Doctor Canus , a dog - man , and Ben Boxer , a human scientist and cosmonaut who offers his help .
Kamandidoesn’t just feature talking animal races , but also grievous mutation of everything from insects to ocean life . Locations like Monster Lake are self - explanatory , and the combined scourge pose by the various civilizations , mutated menace and sea monsters make the futurity of Kamandi almost inhospitable for human race . When considering the likes of the bat - military personnel , even the intelligent species on the major planet ’s open can be full - bluster repugnance .
1981-1984, 34 Issues
August 1970
Roy Thomas , Mark Waid , Stan Lee , Jack Kirby , John Cassaday , Andy Kubert
Ka - Zar , Shanna , Zabu
Both Marvel and DC have demonstrated a penchant for create their own , often superscript , analogs of pre - existent number from literature and older comics . One of the first of these characters ever create by Marvel was Ka - Zar , a clean analogue of Edgar Rice Burroughs ' Tarzan . During Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’sX - Menseries , the case was reinvented as Kevin Plunder , a boy maroon in the Savage Land , where his parents die , and he was raised by the cavalry sword - toothed Panthera tigris , Zabu .
Ka - Zar ’s escapade range from fighting the giant of the Savage Land to his journey into civilization , including a brush with the Man - Thing duringAdventures Into Fear . In his own titles , fan were throw a authoritative hobo camp - based action book , replete with gargantuan snake , fly sharks and even dinosaur . A country preserve in Antarctica by alien , the Savage Land houses an array of terrifying , intelligent and perfidious creatures , and the hero ’s story are at their best when determine there . The seriesKa - Zar the Savageremains a devotee - darling for the fictional character .
1972-1977, 43 Issues
September 1972
Gerry Conway , Mike Ploog , Mike Friedrich , Gil Kane , John Romita , Don Perlin , Doug Moench
Jack Russell / Werewolf By Night , Moon Knight , Lissa Russell
Werewolf By Nightfollows the story of Jack Russell , the modern descendant of an ancient tribe of loup-garou with a story of battling Dracula . After Russell direct possession of the Darkhold , he gains the unwanted attending of a salmagundi of mystical and supernatural characters , begin with his capture at the hand of Mark Cephalos . From there , he break loose and carry on his twofold aliveness as a mage by day and , as the serial publication states , werewolf by Nox .
Werewolf By Nightfollows Jack Russell in his adventure and battles against a serial of monsters and organisation , all of whom are interested in the host of magical artifacts he possesses , such as the Bloodstone . As the series that introduced Moon Knight , the volume hold a limited spot in Marvel chronicle , and is full of creature feature fun .
5Man-ThingBlends Horror With Fantasy
1974-1974, 22 Issues
January 1974
Steve Gerber , Val Mayerik , Chris Claremont , Mike Ploog , John Buscema
Ted Sallis / Man - Thing , Howard the Duck
Man - Thingfollows the story of Ted Sallis , a scientist transformed into a stick-in-the-mud swamp creature follow an attack by AIM , which results in the man falling into the swampland while on fire . After returning asthe monster reader hump and love , he seeks retaliation on the men responsible for , and is cast into a life of solitude in the muck of the Everglades . begin in a short story inSavage Tales , the hero remain his adventures under comics ikon Steve Gerber , who had the reference take on prejudice , mysticism and more .
Man - Thing would later become the Guardian of the Nexus of Realities , a portal site that connects various planes of universe , through which he experienced fantastic adventures . While dwelling in his swamp , the hero fights off demons , such as the Nether - Spawn , Wiccan , and the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle . The series run from stories that channel the dark fantasy of Robert E. Howard to old - school monster horror , and it only got better when Howard the Duck came along .
4Weird War TalesGave The World The Creature Commandos
1971-1983, 124 Issues
September 1971
J.M. DeMatteiss , Robert Kanigher , Mike W. Barr , Pat Broderick , Jerry Ordway , Joe Kubert , Len Wein , Howard Chaykin
Frankenstein ’s Monster / Elliot Taylor , J.A.K.E. , Lt . Matthew Shrieve , Velcro , Dr Myrra Rhodes
The Creature Commandos have let in members such as Frankenstein ’s Monster , the Wolf Man and a lamia , often diversify out to include other classical Universal devil . In many style , the series is a variety of Addams Family meets superheroes , creatively adapting the stuff of nightmares into an elite military unit . Weird War Talesremains a bully anthology for fans of warfare stories , creature features and science fiction likewise , with the Creature Commandos rest the title ’s good legacy . The team has since take shape into the Agents of S.H.A.D.E.
3Tomb Of DraculaPut A Fun Spin On Bram Stoker’s Villain
1972-1979, 70 Issues
April 1972
Archie Goodwin , Gene Colan , Tom Palmer , Gil Kane , Gardner F. Fox , Marv Wolfman
Dracula , Blade , Doctor Strange , Frank Drake , Deacon Frost
Count Dracula is perhaps the most notable monster ever created for amusement . He stands as an icon of on-key wickedness , and is the de facto business leader of vampire fiction . Under Marvel , the villain was break his own serial publication , Tomb of Dracula , which follows the unintentional awakening of the bloody-minded numeration by Frank Drake . When the monstrosity walks the Earth once more , Drake feels compelled to set up thing correct , especially as the puppet leaves Transylvania and seek a new bride .
Tomb of Draculafollows the repugnance of its titular villain as he travel the world and pack on a variety of Marvel heroes , eventually leading to the debut of Blade the Vampire Hunter . The serial was one of the few compelling titles dedicate to the adventures of a villain , though he did occasionally team up up with his vampire hunting watch enemies . The series belong to as much to its mystic monster as his desperate foes .
It was n’t that long ago that Bloodline was introduced into the Marvel Universe as Blade ’s first girl . Now , he ’s necessitate in a second .
2Swamp ThingIs A Monster With Heart
1972-1976, 24 Issues
Len Wein , Bernie Wrightson , Alan Moore , Rick Veitch , Stephen Bissette , Nancy Collins , Mark Millar , Grant Morrison , John Totleben
Alec Holland / Swamp Thing , Abby Arcane , Matt Cable , John Constantine
First introduce inHouse of Secrets#92 by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson , Swamp matter received his first solo book in 1972 , with Wein and Wrightson fleshing out his origins . Although Alan Moore would later revise this series ' traditional knowledge , the initial run follow the creation of the monster when Alec Holland and his married woman , Linda , are attack while wreak on a bio - recuperative formula . In a hell have by a pair of henchmen influence for the puzzling " Mister E , " a burning Holland falls into the nearby swampland , with the recipe transforming him into the tool .
The 1972Swamp Thingrun is something of a lusus naturae - based odyssey , as it follows Holland as he ’s channelize by mystical creatures called " UnMen " to Eastern Europe . There , he meets the magician , Arcane , who attempts to take the monstrous body for himself . After dare the dark mage , Holland get down his recollective journey back to Louisiana . During his travels , he come across Batman , a werewolf , a Lovecraftian being and much more , with the series toy up Holland ’s deathless human race and quest for justice . Alan Moore ’s later run is a great read for fans of Gothic and supernatural repugnance , but the original series is pure creature lineament .
1The Incredible HulkMasterfully Borrows The Tale Of Jekyll And Hyde
1962-2009, 380 Issues
May 1962
Stan Lee , Jack Kirby , Sal Buscema , Len Wein , Peter David , Herb Trimpe , Archie Goodwin
Bruce Banner / Hulk , Betty Ross , General Ross , Rick Jones
create by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby , the Incredible Hulk quickly became one of Marvel ’s most recognisable sub , as well as a symbol of the company ’s style of superhero . When Bruce Banner is exposed to gamma radiation , it cause him to morph into the Hulk whenever he ’s angry , with the concept being a clear analog for Robert Louis Stevenson’sJekyll and Hyde . As the series shape up , the devil started to take more of the spotlight , with some eras concentrate almost only on Hulk .
When it add up to finding a merriment monster comic , it ’s surd to do better thanThe Incredible Hulk , which did n’t just settle on on the unripe behemoth , but also showcased other Marvel monsters . From crossovers with Man - matter and the launching of Wolverine to the hero ’s brawl with the Wendigo and Abomination , the serial remains iconic for honest reason . Peter David ’s run , which lasted from 1987 to 1998 , remains a buff - favorite , especially for its inscription to natural process . In many of Hulk ’s subsequent books , such as the Maestro trilogy and Phillip Kennedy Johnson ’s current run , fans have been treated to a non - stop onslaught of epicmonsteraction .
