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The Unknown Soldier (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Unknown Soldier is fictional
war comics
character in the DC Comics
universe
. The character was created by Robert Kanigher
and Joe Kubert
, first appearing in Our Army At War #168 (June 1966).
The series originally takes place during World War II
, and focuses on the missions of an United States
intelligence agent code-named "The Unknown Soldier," whose head and face are so severely disfigured that he typically has it completely wrapped in heavy bandages. Despite this, he is a master of disguise
who can assume the identity of almost any man using latex masks and make-up. However, his disguises occasionally itch where they meet the scar
tissue of his face, forcing him to be conscious not to give himself away by scratching. He is also prone to loss of temper at enemy atrocities and has been seen to blow his cover in this manner.
The character is named after The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
at Arlington National Cemetery
, Virginia
(which occasionally makes appearances in the series). The character of the Unknown Soldier is symbolic of the nameless soldiers that have fought throughout America's wars; as stated in his first featured story "They Came From Shangri-La!" (Star Spangled War Stories #151, June-July 1970), he is the "man who no one knows — but — is known by everyone!" Another nickname for the character used in the series is "The Immortal G.I.
"
Other writers contributing stories to the original run included Bob Haney
, Frank Robbins
, Archie Goodwin
and David Michelinie
. Artists also included Dick Ayers
, Doug Wildey
, Dan Spiegle
, Jack Sparling and Gerry Talaoc
. Backup features included "Enemy Ace
" by Robert Kanigher and John Severin
, and "Captain Fear
" by David Michelinie and Walt Simonson
.
The second series, also titled The Unknown Soldier, was a twelve-issue limited series
published in 1988
and 1989
, written by Jim Owsley
and drawn by Phil Gascoine
. It was a top vote getter for the Comics Buyer's Guide
Fan Award for Favorite Limited Series for 1988. However, its depiction of the Soldier is radically different from the original comics, with the Soldier being literally immortal
and more cynical about the United States than the patriotic character of the original series. As a result its place in "official" continuity is unclear.
In 1997
Garth Ennis
wrote Unknown Soldier, a four-issue mini-series under the Vertigo imprint, featuring art by Kilian Plunkett. A much darker portrayal of the Soldier, the story is about a CIA
agent tracing the post-war activities of the Soldier and the Soldier searching for a replacement for himself. This story appeared to ignore the 1988–89 mini-series, and was collected into a trade paperback
in 1998.
A "DC Showcase" black and white trade paperback collection, The Unknown Soldier Volume One, reprinting stories between 1970 and 1975, was published in 2006
.
A new Unknown Soldier series from Vertigo, set in Uganda
, is currently written by Joshua Dysart
, with art by Alberto Ponticelli. It began publication in October 2008. In 2009 this run was nominated for an Eisner for "Best New Series of the Year".
A figure, similar in appearance to the original Unknown Soldier, appears to exit The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Blackest Night issue #3 and is seen again in issue #4 battling Wonder Woman
.
together with his brother Harry less than two months before the Japan
ese attack on Pearl Harbor
. Assigned to the Philippines
when the Pacific War
breaks out, he and Harry are present when the Japanese sweep across the islands. In their foxhole
, Harry tells his brother not to lose hope even though they are outnumbered, because "one guy can affect the outcome of a whole war! One guy in the right place... at the right time..."
The two are fighting off wave after wave of invading Japanese soldiers when a hand grenade
lands near their foxhole. Harry throws himself on the grenade and is killed instantly, but the explosion also injures the unnamed soldier's face. In a rage, the soldier defeats the remaining Japanese single-handedly, but his face has been obliterated by the grenade and doctors are unable to restore it. Turning down a Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions, the soldier instead volunteers to be that "one man in the right place" that Harry spoke of. His previous identity is erased and he undergoes intensive training to become an intelligence operative code-named "The Unknown Soldier".
The series does not take place linearly, but has individual stories scattered throughout all the years of the war and in various theaters
. Over the course of the series, the Unknown Soldier also builds up a supporting cast, including Sergeant Chat Noir, an African American
soldier and former French Resistance
leader whom the Soldier first encounters a few days prior to D-Day
. The Soldier also occasionally uses the services of an informant known only as Sparrow, who works behind enemy lines.
, the Unknown Soldier is sent on a mission to stop a Nazi super-weapon, vampiric
octopi called "Nosferatu
". During the course of the story both Sparrow and Chat Noir are killed. On April 29, 1945, the Soldier infiltrates Adolf Hitler
's bunker, killing him and assuming the dictator's identity to call off the weapon's deployment. He then makes Hitler's death look like a suicide so people will assume Hitler took the coward's way out. As the Soldier makes his way to the Allied lines, he saves the life of a civilian girl from a bomb blast, apparently being killed himself. However, the last panel, taking place on May 7, 1945 after the city's surrender, shows an American staff sergeant
scratching his face in the Soldier's distinctive manner, suggesting that he survived.
In DC Comics Presents #42 (February 1982), "The Specter of War!", Superman
's alter-ego Clark Kent
receives a mysterious note from an unidentified soldier that leads him to uncover a plan by a renegade Army officer to cause a nuclear holocaust. Throughout, Superman is assisted at key moments by the mysterious soldier, whom he later believes could be the legendary immortal G.I. However, it is left ambiguous if the Unknown Soldier is still alive or a ghost. At the end of the story, Kent visits the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, while a gardener in the background is seen scratching his face as the Soldier used to do.
In Swamp Thing #82 (January 1989), "Brothers In Arms Part Two", it is revealed that the Soldier did survive World War II, but his continued existence is kept top secret, having been officially declared dead by his superiors.
During the Blackest Night event, the Soldier is depicted as one of the Black Lanterns
, attacking his tomb in Washington proclaiming "I have a name." The Unknown Soldier appears in the Arlington National Cemetery
, alongside the Black Lantern Maxwell Lord
attacked with Wonder Woman
. Wonder Woman uses her Lasso to reduce Unknown Soldier, Max, and the soldiers to dust; However, as she leaves, the dust begins to regenerate.
In the backup story "Snapshot: Remembrance" in the retrospective mini-series DC Universe: Legacies #4, set during a reunion on July 4, 1976, it is implied that the Soldier did survive the war, when the bartender at the reunion vanishes leaving behind a mask. The other attendees are Jeb Stuart of the Haunted Tank
, the Losers, Gravedigger
and Mademoiselle Marie
.
in 2008, under DC
's Vertigo
imprint. This new version moves the story to Africa
, set against the backdrop of the ongoing Lord's Resistance Army insurgency of Uganda
in 2002.
The series features artwork by Alberto Ponticelli, Pat Masioni, Oscar Celestini, José Villarrubia
, Dave Johnson; and lettering by Clem Robins.
-minded doctor. Born in Uganda
, his family fled to the United States
when he was a child, escaping the rule of Idi Amin
. A born pacifist, Moses excelled academically in America, eventually becoming a medical doctor. In 2000, Moses returned to Uganda to work with the disadvantaged people of his native land. There, he met his wife, Sera, a Christian
doctor from the Ganda
people. Moses and Sera work together to help the Acholi people of Northern Uganda, refugees caught in the middle of the Lord's Resistance Army
insurgency in Acholiland. During the conclusion of the series, it is revealed that Moses Lwanga is in fact a replacement for the original Unknown Soldier, who tells him that the Unknown Soldier is more than just a figure, he is the very face of violence and conflict who must throw out morality and conscience in favor of becoming a force more than human to fight because war is an eternal reality. In the final issue, Lwanga infiltrates the camp of Joseph Kony
, intending to kill him once and for all. He manages to plant his knife in Kony's eye, killing him, and all his subordinates and wives celebrate at his demise. Sera appears, telling Lwanga that no matter who he is, she always loved him, and the two embrace; however, this pleasant vision is a dream, and it is shown that Moses has actually been killed, shot in the head by a child soldier, a smile on his face from his dream. Sera remarries to a Muslim
journalist several years later, the two have several children and live as a family. The story then cuts to Tumbura
, Sudan
in 2010, where several child soldiers are gearing up for combat. One of the children wraps his face in bandages like the Unknown Soldier.
Moses is constantly haunted by dreams of him killing the people around him easily and brutally, including his wife. Disturbed by these nightmares, the violence surrounding the field hospital and his treatment of various injuries caused by the fighting strip away his deteriorating moral compass. As the series progresses, Moses continues struggling to do what is right, his two personalities constantly battling. While he wants to do good and protect the innocent from those who would seek to exploit and harm them, he cannot repress his violent thoughts upon seeing how low mankind can sink.
had plenty of time to sing it out right. I actually really, really like the way the series is going to end and feel like it should end...
This way. Keep reading! Five more issues!"
:
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
war comics
War comics
War comics is a genre of comic books that gained popularity in English-speaking countries following World War II.-American war comics:Shortly after the birth of the modern comic book in the mid- to late 1930s, comics publishers began including stories of wartime adventures in the multi-genre...
character in the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. The character was created by Robert Kanigher
Robert Kanigher
Robert Kanigher was a prolific comic book writer and editor whose career spanned five decades. He was involved with the Wonder Woman franchise for over twenty years, taking over the scripting from creator William Moulton Marston. In addition, Kanigher spent many years in charge of DC Comics' war...
and Joe Kubert
Joe Kubert
Joe Kubert is an American comic book artist who went on to found The Kubert School. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawkman...
, first appearing in Our Army At War #168 (June 1966).
Publication history
The Unknown Soldier's first appearance in Our Army At War #168 was in a Sgt. Rock story, "I Knew The Unknown Soldier!", written by Kanigher and drawn by Kubert. Kubert, who also edited the DC Comics line of war comics at the time, decided that the character was interesting enough to be featured in his own series, which began some years later in Star Spangled War Stories, running from #151 (June-July 1970) to #204 (February 1977). Eventually, Star Spangled War Comics began featuring the Soldier exclusively. With #205 (May 1977), the book changed its title to The Unknown Soldier, continuing the numbering and running for another 64 issues, ending with #268 (October 1982).The series originally takes place during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and focuses on the missions of an United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
intelligence agent code-named "The Unknown Soldier," whose head and face are so severely disfigured that he typically has it completely wrapped in heavy bandages. Despite this, he is a master of disguise
Disguise
A disguise can be anything which conceals or changes a person's physical appearance, including a wig, glasses, makeup, costume or other ways. Camouflage is one type of disguise for people, animals and objects...
who can assume the identity of almost any man using latex masks and make-up. However, his disguises occasionally itch where they meet the scar
Scar
Scars are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin after injury. A scar results from the biological process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process. With the exception of very minor lesions, every wound results in...
tissue of his face, forcing him to be conscious not to give himself away by scratching. He is also prone to loss of temper at enemy atrocities and has been seen to blow his cover in this manner.
The character is named after The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknowns
The Tomb of the Unknowns is a monument dedicated to American service members who have died without their remains being identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery in the United States...
at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
(which occasionally makes appearances in the series). The character of the Unknown Soldier is symbolic of the nameless soldiers that have fought throughout America's wars; as stated in his first featured story "They Came From Shangri-La!" (Star Spangled War Stories #151, June-July 1970), he is the "man who no one knows — but — is known by everyone!" Another nickname for the character used in the series is "The Immortal G.I.
GI (term)
G.I. is a noun used to describe members of the United States armed forces or items of their equipment. The term is now used as an initialism of "Government Issue" , but originally referred to galvanized iron....
"
Other writers contributing stories to the original run included Bob Haney
Bob Haney
Robert G. "Bob" Haney was a US comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. He co-created the Teen Titans as well as characters such as Metamorpho, Eclipso, Cain, and the Super-Sons.- Early life and career :...
, Frank Robbins
Frank Robbins
Franklin "Frank" Robbins was a notable American comic book and comic strip artist and writer, as well as a prominent painter whose work appeared in museums including the Whitney Museum of American Art, where one of his paintings was featured in the 1955 Whitney Annual Exhibition of American...
, Archie Goodwin
Archie Goodwin (comics)
Archie Goodwin was an American comic book writer, editor, and artist. He worked on a number of comic strips in addition to comic books, and is best known for his Warren and Marvel Comics work...
and David Michelinie
David Michelinie
-Biography:Some of his earliest work is for DC Comics's House of Secrets and a run on Swamp Thing , following Len Wein and preceding Gerry Conway, illustrated by Nestor Redondo. Michelinie did a run on Aquaman in Adventure Comics which led to the revival of the Sea King's own title in 1977...
. Artists also included Dick Ayers
Dick Ayers
Richard "Dick" Ayers is an American comic book artist and cartoonist best known for his work as one of Jack Kirby's inkers during the late-1950s and 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comics, including on some of the earliest issues of Marvel Comics' The Fantastic Four, and as the signature...
, Doug Wildey
Doug Wildey
Douglas S. Wildey was a cartoonist and comic book artist best known for his co-creation of the 1964 animated television series, Jonny Quest for Hanna-Barbera Productions.-Early life and career:...
, Dan Spiegle
Dan Spiegle
Dan Spiegle is an American comic book and cartoon artist and illustrator . He has had a long career in drawing comics based on movie and television characters, and has worked for companies including Dell Comics, DC Comics and Marvel Comics.-Life and career:In his second year of high school,...
, Jack Sparling and Gerry Talaoc
Gerry Talaoc
Gerry Talaoc is a Filipino comic-book artist best known for his 1970s work for DC Comics' war and horror anthology titles. Talaoc was among the vanguard of Filipino comics artists — including Alfredo Alcala, Nestor Redondo, and Alex Niño — recruited in 1971 for American comic books by...
. Backup features included "Enemy Ace
Enemy Ace
Enemy Ace is DC Comics property about the adventures of a skilled but troubled German anti-hero and flying ace in World War I and World War II, Hans von Hammer, known to the world as "The Hammer of Hell."-Overview:...
" by Robert Kanigher and John Severin
John Severin
John Powers Severin is an American comic book artist noted for his distinctive work with EC Comics, primarily on the war comics Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat; for Marvel Comics, primarily on its war and Western comics; and for the satiric magazine Cracked...
, and "Captain Fear
Captain Fear
Captain Fear, a Caribbean pirate captain, is the official mascot of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He has blue eyes, black hair, thick eyebrows and a full beard. He has been the mascot of the Buccaneers since June 2000.-Personal:...
" by David Michelinie and Walt Simonson
Walt Simonson
Walter "Walt" Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist. After studying geology at Amherst College, he transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1972. His thesis project there was The Star Slammers, which was published as a black and white promotional comic book...
.
The second series, also titled The Unknown Soldier, was a twelve-issue limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published in 1988
1988 in comics
-Events and publications:* Jack Binder, creator of the original Daredevil, dies at c. age 86.* Tarpé Mills, creator Miss Fury, dies at c. age 73....
and 1989
1989 in comics
-Year overall:* "Inferno" company-wide Marvel Comics crossover continues, involving the mutant titles The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, The New Mutants, and Excalibur, as well as the X-Terminators limited series and various other Marvel titles...
, written by Jim Owsley
Christopher Priest (comic book writer)
Christopher James Priest is a writer of comic books who is at times credited simply as Priest. He changed his name legally circa 1993.-Biography:...
and drawn by Phil Gascoine
Phil Gascoine
Phil Gascoine was a British comics artist, best-known for his work in girls' comics such as Jinty and Bunty, and in boys' comics such as Battle Action, for which he drew The Sarge.-Biography:...
. It was a top vote getter for the Comics Buyer's Guide
Comics Buyer's Guide
Comics Buyer's Guide , established in 1971, is the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry...
Fan Award for Favorite Limited Series for 1988. However, its depiction of the Soldier is radically different from the original comics, with the Soldier being literally immortal
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
and more cynical about the United States than the patriotic character of the original series. As a result its place in "official" continuity is unclear.
1997 in comics
-January:*Avengers #3 - Marvel Comics*Captain America #3 - Marvel Comics*Fantastic Four #3 - Marvel Comics*Iron Man #3 - Marvel Comics-February:...
Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series Preacher with artist Steve Dillon and his successful nine-year run on Marvel Comics' Punisher franchise...
wrote Unknown Soldier, a four-issue mini-series under the Vertigo imprint, featuring art by Kilian Plunkett. A much darker portrayal of the Soldier, the story is about a CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
agent tracing the post-war activities of the Soldier and the Soldier searching for a replacement for himself. This story appeared to ignore the 1988–89 mini-series, and was collected into a trade paperback
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
in 1998.
A "DC Showcase" black and white trade paperback collection, The Unknown Soldier Volume One, reprinting stories between 1970 and 1975, was published in 2006
2006 in comics
-January:*January 1, 2006: Newsweek offer a look back at 2005 through editorial cartoons. *January 2, 2006: The Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist Jim Borgman starts a blog to detail his creative process...
.
A new Unknown Soldier series from Vertigo, set in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, is currently written by Joshua Dysart
Joshua Dysart
Joshua Dysart is an Eisner Award-nominated, New York Times Best Selling American comic book writer known for dark themes, humanist horror and a fascination with the roots of violence...
, with art by Alberto Ponticelli. It began publication in October 2008. In 2009 this run was nominated for an Eisner for "Best New Series of the Year".
A figure, similar in appearance to the original Unknown Soldier, appears to exit The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Blackest Night issue #3 and is seen again in issue #4 battling Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
.
Fictional character biography
The origin story in Star Spangled War Stories #154 (December–January 1970–1971) reveals that the Unknown Soldier is an unnamed young man who joins the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
together with his brother Harry less than two months before the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
. Assigned to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
when the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
breaks out, he and Harry are present when the Japanese sweep across the islands. In their foxhole
Defensive fighting position
A defensive fighting position is a type of earthwork constructed in a military context, generally large enough to accommodate at least one person.- Terminology :...
, Harry tells his brother not to lose hope even though they are outnumbered, because "one guy can affect the outcome of a whole war! One guy in the right place... at the right time..."
The two are fighting off wave after wave of invading Japanese soldiers when a hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
lands near their foxhole. Harry throws himself on the grenade and is killed instantly, but the explosion also injures the unnamed soldier's face. In a rage, the soldier defeats the remaining Japanese single-handedly, but his face has been obliterated by the grenade and doctors are unable to restore it. Turning down a Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions, the soldier instead volunteers to be that "one man in the right place" that Harry spoke of. His previous identity is erased and he undergoes intensive training to become an intelligence operative code-named "The Unknown Soldier".
The series does not take place linearly, but has individual stories scattered throughout all the years of the war and in various theaters
Theater (warfare)
In warfare, a theater, is defined as an area or place within which important military events occur or are progressing. The entirety of the air, land, and sea area that is or that may potentially become involved in war operations....
. Over the course of the series, the Unknown Soldier also builds up a supporting cast, including Sergeant Chat Noir, an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
soldier and former French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
leader whom the Soldier first encounters a few days prior to D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. The Soldier also occasionally uses the services of an informant known only as Sparrow, who works behind enemy lines.
Final issue
The last issue of the first series, The Unknown Soldier #268, "A Farewell to War" relates how during the Battle of BerlinBattle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin, designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, was the final major offensive of the European Theatre of World War II....
, the Unknown Soldier is sent on a mission to stop a Nazi super-weapon, vampiric
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
octopi called "Nosferatu
Nosferatu (word)
The name Nosferatu has been presented as a Romanian word, synonymous with "vampire". However, it seems to be largely a literary creation and its basis in Romanian folklore is uncertain.- Origins of the name :...
". During the course of the story both Sparrow and Chat Noir are killed. On April 29, 1945, the Soldier infiltrates Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's bunker, killing him and assuming the dictator's identity to call off the weapon's deployment. He then makes Hitler's death look like a suicide so people will assume Hitler took the coward's way out. As the Soldier makes his way to the Allied lines, he saves the life of a civilian girl from a bomb blast, apparently being killed himself. However, the last panel, taking place on May 7, 1945 after the city's surrender, shows an American staff sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
scratching his face in the Soldier's distinctive manner, suggesting that he survived.
In DC Comics Presents #42 (February 1982), "The Specter of War!", Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
's alter-ego Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
receives a mysterious note from an unidentified soldier that leads him to uncover a plan by a renegade Army officer to cause a nuclear holocaust. Throughout, Superman is assisted at key moments by the mysterious soldier, whom he later believes could be the legendary immortal G.I. However, it is left ambiguous if the Unknown Soldier is still alive or a ghost. At the end of the story, Kent visits the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, while a gardener in the background is seen scratching his face as the Soldier used to do.
In Swamp Thing #82 (January 1989), "Brothers In Arms Part Two", it is revealed that the Soldier did survive World War II, but his continued existence is kept top secret, having been officially declared dead by his superiors.
During the Blackest Night event, the Soldier is depicted as one of the Black Lanterns
Black Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
, attacking his tomb in Washington proclaiming "I have a name." The Unknown Soldier appears in the Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
, alongside the Black Lantern Maxwell Lord
Maxwell Lord
Maxwell Lord IV is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is a shrewd and powerful businessman who was very influential in the formation of the Justice League International in DC Comics.-Before the League:...
attacked with Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
. Wonder Woman uses her Lasso to reduce Unknown Soldier, Max, and the soldiers to dust; However, as she leaves, the dust begins to regenerate.
In the backup story "Snapshot: Remembrance" in the retrospective mini-series DC Universe: Legacies #4, set during a reunion on July 4, 1976, it is implied that the Soldier did survive the war, when the bartender at the reunion vanishes leaving behind a mask. The other attendees are Jeb Stuart of the Haunted Tank
The Haunted Tank
The Haunted Tank is a comic book feature that appeared in the DC Comics anthology war title G.I. Combat from 1961 through 1987. It was created by writer and editor Robert Kanigher and artist Russ Heath in G.I. Combat #87 ....
, the Losers, Gravedigger
Gravedigger (comics)
Gravedigger is a codename used by two fictional soldiers published by DC Comics. Captain Ulysses Hazard the first Gravedigger debuted in Men of War #1 , and was created by David Michelinie and Ed Davis. Tyson Sykes the second Gravedigger debuted in Checkmate vol...
and Mademoiselle Marie
Mademoiselle Marie
Mademoiselle Marie is the name of two fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics...
.
The Second Unknown Soldier
Unknown Soldier was re-imagined by writer, Joshua DysartJoshua Dysart
Joshua Dysart is an Eisner Award-nominated, New York Times Best Selling American comic book writer known for dark themes, humanist horror and a fascination with the roots of violence...
in 2008, under DC
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
's Vertigo
Vertigo (comics)
Vertigo is an imprint of the American comic-book publisher DC Comics. Its books are marketed to a sophisticated audience, and may contain graphic violence, substance abuse, frank depictions of sexuality, profanity, and controversial subjects...
imprint. This new version moves the story to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, set against the backdrop of the ongoing Lord's Resistance Army insurgency of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
in 2002.
The series features artwork by Alberto Ponticelli, Pat Masioni, Oscar Celestini, José Villarrubia
José Villarrubia
José Antonio Villarrubia Jiménez-Momediano – known professionally as José Villarrubia – is a Spanish artist and art teacher who has done considerable work in the American comic book industry, particularly as a colorist....
, Dave Johnson; and lettering by Clem Robins.
Fictional character biography
Dr. Moses Lwanga is a philanthropicPhilanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
-minded doctor. Born in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, his family fled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when he was a child, escaping the rule of Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
. A born pacifist, Moses excelled academically in America, eventually becoming a medical doctor. In 2000, Moses returned to Uganda to work with the disadvantaged people of his native land. There, he met his wife, Sera, a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
doctor from the Ganda
Baganda
The Ganda are an ethnic group native to Buganda, a subnational kingdom within Uganda. Traditionally comprising 52 tribes the Ganda have a rich history and culture...
people. Moses and Sera work together to help the Acholi people of Northern Uganda, refugees caught in the middle of the Lord's Resistance Army
Lord's Resistance Army
The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is an ongoing guerrilla campaign waged since 1987 by the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, operating mainly in northern Uganda, but also in South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo...
insurgency in Acholiland. During the conclusion of the series, it is revealed that Moses Lwanga is in fact a replacement for the original Unknown Soldier, who tells him that the Unknown Soldier is more than just a figure, he is the very face of violence and conflict who must throw out morality and conscience in favor of becoming a force more than human to fight because war is an eternal reality. In the final issue, Lwanga infiltrates the camp of Joseph Kony
Joseph Kony
Joseph Kony is an African terrorist who is the head of the Lord's Resistance Army , a guerrilla group that is engaged in a violent campaign to establish theocratic government based on the Ten Commandments in Uganda...
, intending to kill him once and for all. He manages to plant his knife in Kony's eye, killing him, and all his subordinates and wives celebrate at his demise. Sera appears, telling Lwanga that no matter who he is, she always loved him, and the two embrace; however, this pleasant vision is a dream, and it is shown that Moses has actually been killed, shot in the head by a child soldier, a smile on his face from his dream. Sera remarries to a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
journalist several years later, the two have several children and live as a family. The story then cuts to Tumbura
Tumbura
Tumbura, sometimes spelled Tambora or Tambura, is a town in South Sudan.-Location:The town is located in Tumbura County, Western Equatoria State, in the western part of South Sudan, near the International borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and with the Central African Republic...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
in 2010, where several child soldiers are gearing up for combat. One of the children wraps his face in bandages like the Unknown Soldier.
Moses is constantly haunted by dreams of him killing the people around him easily and brutally, including his wife. Disturbed by these nightmares, the violence surrounding the field hospital and his treatment of various injuries caused by the fighting strip away his deteriorating moral compass. As the series progresses, Moses continues struggling to do what is right, his two personalities constantly battling. While he wants to do good and protect the innocent from those who would seek to exploit and harm them, he cannot repress his violent thoughts upon seeing how low mankind can sink.
Publication history
The series started in October of 2008, and was planned as an ongoing series. However, as of May 22, 2010, the series is being canceled due to lack of readers. The series is scheduled to run another five issues, which will bring the series to end at 25 issues, spanning a run of two years. Joshua Dysart had this to say on the cancellation: "The gig is, literally, up. Since Rich Johnson posted the news yesterday that Unknown Soldier will end with #25 I've been swamped with... loving emails from readers. The outpouring of affection and praise has been amazing. Thank you. The book may not have moved "enough" of... You to keep it alive, but it moved enough of you for me. Thank you. I promise the book will end in an awesome, natural way and that when... read in trades, will feel like it was always meant to conclude this way. I've been preparing for this cancellation for a while and have...had plenty of time to sing it out right. I actually really, really like the way the series is going to end and feel like it should end...
This way. Keep reading! Five more issues!"
Collected editions
The series has been collected into a number of trade paperbacksTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Haunted House collects issues #1-6; released: August, 2009
- Easy Kill collects issues #7-14; released: March 17, 2010
- Dry Season collects issues #15-20; released: November 11, 2010
- Beautiful World collects issues #21-25; released: May 25, 2011