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Combat Kelly

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Combat Kelly is the name of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Both appear in war comics titles: Combat Kelly, published by Marvel's 1950s iteration, Atlas Comics, and set during the Korean War; and the 1970s series Combat Kelly and the Deadly Dozen, set earlier during World War II.

Hank Kelly

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Combat Kelly
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceCombat Kelly #1 (November, 1951)
In-story information
Alter egoHank Kelly
SpeciesHuman

Combat Kelly starred in the 44-issue, Korean War-set Combat Kelly (Nov. 1951 to Aug. 1957), published by Atlas Comics, the 1950s forerunner of Marvel Comics.[1] The character also made two appearances in the Atlas war comics series Battle comics.[2] Kelly is accompanied by his sidekick Cookie Novak; Kelly is of Irish heritage,[3] while Novak is a Polish immigrant. Combat Kelly stories were drawn by artists including Dave Berg,[4] Joe Maneely,[4] and Gene Colan,[5] with at least one cover drawn by Russ Heath.[6]

Michael Kelly

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Combat Kelly
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceCombat Kelly and the Deadly Dozen #1 (June, 1972)
Created byGary Friedrich, Dick Ayers
In-story information
Alter egoMichael Kelly
SpeciesHuman

Corporal Michael Lee Kelly starred as the leader of group of military convicts paroled for special missions in a nine-issue series cover-billed as Combat Kelly and the Deadly Dozen (June 1972 - Oct. 1973).[7] The series name and premise are similar to those of the 1960s film The Dirty Dozen.[8] With issue #5 (Feb. 1973), the cover title changed slightly to Combat Kelly and his Deadly Dozen. In issue #3, Kelly is described as a U.S. Army boxer who in 1940 killed a man in the ring. He was convicted and sentenced for manslaughter, and was later paroled. In the final issue, almost the entire cast is murdered by Nazis.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017). Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History. DK Publishing. p. 49. ISBN 978-1465455505.
  2. ^ Conroy, Mike. 500 Great Comic Book Action Heroes (Collins and Brown, 2002), p. 313
  3. ^ Rashap, Amy. "You've Come a Long Way, Baby: Ethnic Superheroes in Comic Books," in Ethnic Images in the Comics, edited by Charles Hardy and Gail F. Stern (The Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies,1986) p. 34.
  4. ^ a b Combat Kelly (Marvel, Atlas [Sphere Publications] imprint, 1951 Series) at the Grand Comics Database
  5. ^ Field, Tom, & Gene Colan. Secrets in the Shadows: The Life and Art of Gene Colan (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2005), p .43
  6. ^ Grand Comics Database: Combat Kelly #31 (June 1955)
  7. ^ a b Sacks, Jason; Dallas, Keith (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 75. ISBN 978-1605490564.
  8. ^ Booker, M. Keith (2014). Comics through Time : A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas [4 volume set]. Greenwood Publishing. p. 704. ISBN 978-0313397509 – via Google Books.

Sources

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