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Considering that most of our favorite DC Comics heroes have their origins in World War II (or, at least, became popular during the early 1940s), it makes sense that James Gunn‘s upcoming DC Universe franchise would want to revisit the past as well. In fact, Luca Guadagnino and Daniel Craig have reportedly been tied to a potential project that would do just that: Sgt. Rock. If you haven’t heard of Sgt. Rock before, it’s okay, we forgive you. This is one DC Comics character who shouldn’t be ignored, and is one who has plenty of history to go along with him.
Sergeant Rock Is a World War II DC Comics Hero
Despite his adventures taking place during WWII, Sergeant Franklin John Rock (Sgt. Rock, to you) first appeared in 1959. After a few prototype versions of the character (“The Rock” and “Sgt. Rocky”) made their rounds, Our Army at War #83 officially introduced the character to the DC Universe. World War II comics were popular at the time, and Our Army at War (which was actually an anthology book) ran until 1977, when it was officially renamed Sgt. Rock, inheriting the numbering as well as the characters. Though the series technically ended just over a decade later with Sgt. Rock #422 in 1988, the series lived on through various Sgt. Rock Special reprints and annuals through the end of the century. The character has since appeared in various limited series and other comic appearances.
This Max Show Will Be James Gunn’s “First Expression” of New DC Universe
‘Creature Commandos’ will hit Max later this year.
But what about the character himself? Well, Sgt. Rock lives up to his name. He’s a tough-as-nails sergeant in the U.S. Army who always notes that “Nothin’s easy in Easy Company.” Though he had no super-powers of his own, the warrior always had plenty of grit, and was willing to put his life on the line for his men and his country. IGN once wrote that Sgt. Rock was the “epitome of DC’s often-times overlooked World War II comics,” and they were right. Not only is the hardened battle sergeant a man of honor and a true patriot, one willing to lay his life down for his country, but he’s arguably the best shot in the entire DC Universe. Following the disaster at Pearl Harbor, Rock wasted no time enlisting, and found himself in Africa first before paving his way along the European front. Despite having fought his way through many historical battles, Rock hated the conflict itself, and only pressed on to ensure the war’s end.
Sgt. Rock Became Leader of the Suicide Squad
As for Sgt. Rock’s fate, well, it’s somewhat undetermined. Some DC stories imply that Rock survived the war. The “Our Worlds At War” crossover event has Rock as a member of President Lex Luthor’s inner circle, and he eventually takes the Suicide Squad from Amanda Waller. Things only got weirder in Suicide Squad (Vol. 2) #12, when Rock was later revealed to have died in 1945 during the war, with only a mask of his face left behind by the apparent impostor. DC Legacies #4 later confirms this, as per the wishes of Sgt. Rock co-creator Robert Kanigher. Kanigher famously believed that Sgt. Rock died in World War II. He once wrote in the letter section of Sgt. Rock #374 that, “as far as I’m concerned, ROCK is the only authentic World War II solider.” He continued, “He and Easy Company lives only, and will eventually die, to the last man, in World War II.” Of course, that doesn’t mean that the character hasn’t lived on…
Sgt. Rock has appeared in animation in episodes of Justice League and Batman: The Brave and the Bold, each time encountering time-traveling heroes (such as Green Lantern and Batman) while fighting his way through war-torn Europe. Blair Penner even played an unnamed version of the character in the Legends of Tomorrow episode “Legendary.” At one point, Quentin Tarantino almost made a Sgt. Rock movie… In all of these cases, as well as plenty of comic book stories (usually in The Brave and the Bold comic series), Rock has expanded into the greater DC Universe. And he has a history of battling (and fighting alongside) monsters as well.
Apart from working with the Creature Commandos in the world of DC Comics, the Rock-centered short film, DC Showcase: Sgt. Rock, featured the World War II hero (voiced by Karl Urban) alongside this monster squad. Likewise, in 2022, Bruce Campbell penned his own DC horror comic, Sgt. Rock vs. the Army of the Dead, which is exactly what it sounds like. If all of this sounds like we may get a Sgt. Rock appearance in Creature Commandos, then you may just be right. Given that Sean Gunn is voicing G.I. Robot in the animated series (the pair once worked together in Batman: The Brave and the Bold), it seems likely that any flashbacks the robot may have could include DC’s most famous World War II hero. In fact, we hope they do.
Creature Commandos premieres December 5 on Max in the U.S.
“}]] This war hero may be just the right call for the DC Universe. Read More