USA Comics 70th Anniversary Special #1
By Andy Frisk
July 7, 2009 - 08:00
Marvel Comics
Writer(s): John Arcudi, Stan Lee
Penciller(s): Steve Ellis
Inker(s): Steve Ellis
Colourist(s): Steve Ellis
Letterer(s): Dave Sharpe
Cover Artist(s): Clint Langley
$3.99 US
The Destroyer, created by Stan Lee, is a Golden Age hero who was a sort of foil to Captain
Briefly, Kevin “Keen” Marlowe was an American journalist who was imprisoned by the Nazis in
Very little, if any, of this history is recapped in
We have to assume that this Destroyer is the original. His back story and continuity get a little confusing over the years, as most hero’s histories do, but at one point there was a Destroyer, or two, who weren’t even Marlowe. As this Destroyer’s tale opens, a German reporter named Emil Hansen, who we learn is not a Nazi, is interviewing one of Gobbel’s "ministry of public enlightenment” Colonels on the decision to invade
The rising tension, swift action, and poignant finale to
The bluish, ashen hue of his face mask and skull emblem serves as a reminder, to the Nazis he kills, of the bodies they have burned at the concentration camps. It’s almost as if The Destroyer, through this symbol, is meant to convey the return of the dead as an avenging soldier. His red gloves reflect the blood spilled at the camps, and his “circus pants” serve as a symbol, in memoriam, of all who wore the striped, camp prisoner outfits.
Steve Ellis’ art captures the menacing stature, and fearful look of The Destroyer. Rarely is there a shot of his face where it isn’t contorted into an angry snarl. His movements and stances are powerful and confident. He literally is a super-soldier. Where Captain
The reprinted tale, from All-Winners Comics # 3, published in the winter of 1942, is a good choice for inclusion in this special. It contains many similarities in action with the new tale, which obviously served as an inspiration for Arcudi. In the Golden Age tale, The Destroyer sabotages railway lines, knocks down several Nazis, and “splats” them from the passenger side of a truck, much like he does in the new tale. An interesting aspect of the Golden Age tale is that it mentions concentration camps. Obviously, at the time of its publication, the full extent of the camps’ horrors were not widely known. The Destroyer himself will always be linked to the horrors of the camps’ victims, of which he is an avenger of. This early mention of the camps would forever be a part of the myth of The Destroyer, and have a direct influence on his development.
Overall, USA Comics 70th Anniversary Special # 1 is easily one of the best specials thus far celebrating 70 years of Marvel heroes. While not as lighthearted as Miss
Rating: 9/10
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