The Losers (comics)

Supercbbox| title = The Losers
comic_color = background:#c33301


caption = The Losers
schedule = Monthly
format =
publisher = Vertigo
date = August 2003 – March 2006
issues = 32
main_char_team = Clay Roque Jensen Cougar Pooch Aisha
writers = Andy Diggle
artists = Jock Shawn Martinbrough Nick Dragotta Ale Garza Ben Oliver
pencillers = Clem Robins
inkers =
colorists = Lee Loughridge
creative_team_month =
creative_team_year =
creators = Andy Diggle
Jock

"The Losers" is the name of two largely unrelated series of comics stories published by DC Comics.

The earlier incarnation was a war comics feature set during World War II. It was created by Robert Kanigher and became a regular feature in DC's long-running war comic book "Our Fighting Forces" beginning with issue #123, dated January/February 1969.

A new "The Losers" series launched in 2004, created by writer Andy Diggle and artist Jock and published under DC's Vertigo imprint. The new series, set in the present day, concerns a team of special forces soldiers who declare war on the Central Intelligence Agency after their Agency handler tries to assassinate them.

The Losers (1969)

Upon America's entry into the European theatre of the Second World War, a Special Forces group composed of personnel from all branches of the armed forces was formed. The members were Captain William Storm, a former PT Boat commander with a wooden leg and an eye-patch; Johnny Cloud of the U.S. Army Air Force, known as "The Navajo Ace"; Sarge Clay, one of the oldest serving Marines, and Gunner Mackey, one of the youngest. Because each member had suffered the deaths of personnel under their command for which they felt responsible, they dubbed themselves The Losers.

Beginnings

Prior to the formation of the group, each character had his own adventures in DC's war anthology comics. Captain Johnny Cloud had appeared in "All-American Men of War" #82-115 (1960-1966); the two-men team of Gunner and Sarge had first appeared in issue 67 of the same title (March 1959) before transferring to "Our Fighting Forces" for a fifty-issue run, #45-94 (May 1959-Aug. 1965). Captain Storm had his own title which lasted 18 issues from 1964 to 1967.

Their first appearance as a group was with The Haunted Tank crew in issue 138 of "G.I. Combat" (October/November 1969), in a story titled "The Losers." Prior to that, Captain Storm, Gunner and Sarge (along with Fighting Devil Dog) had teamed up once before to fight some Japanese naval officers in "Captain Storm" #13. They got their own series a few months later (January/February 1970), as the lead feature in "Our Fighting Forces", beginning with issue 123. Their stories as a team were written by Robert Kanigher and illustrated by a variety of artists, most notably Sam Glanzman, Russ Heath, John Severin and Joe Kubert.

The group served in Europe, Africa and the Pacific, meeting other DC World War II characters such as the Haunted Tank and Sergeant Rock. The team briefly had a female member named Ona Tomsen who was part of the Norwegian Resistance movement, who joined the team in issue 135. At the same time, the team briefly lost Captain Storm, who suffered amnesia (and lost an eye) due to a bomb blast. They reunited in issue 141, when Capt. Storm reappeared as a one-eyed, peg-legged pirate. Gunner's pet dog Pooch also joined the team for some missions.

eries authors

Robert Kanigher was the original writer for the series, and he emphasized the group's hard-luck outlook. They were, in a sense, anti-heroes, and the stories cast light on the negative impact of war. At the height of the Viet Nam War, Kanigher wove this outlook into many of the DC war books. Also in common with most DC war books of the time were spectacular covers by Joe Kubert. Ken Barr handled the artist's chores on the first issue, with Ross Andru and Mike Esposito picking up in issue 124. John Severin, a veteran of Marvel Comics' "Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos" came in by issue 132 to handle the art chores. This run lasted until Jack Kirby took over as artist/writer with issue 151 in the autumn of 1974. While Kirby enjoyed working on the series [http://www.povonline.com/jackfaq/JackFaq1.htm] , he took them in an entirely different direction that wasn't favored by fans, judging by comments in the book's letter pages. There have been favorable comments on his run in recent years [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17741] [http://kirbymuseum.org/kirby-l/off152-01.html] and DC will release it in collected form [http://www.amazon.com/Losers-Jack-Kirby/dp/1401221653/ref=pd_bbs_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220347196&sr=8-7] .

With issue 163 Bob Kanigher was back writing the book with Jack Lehti handling the art. Issue 164 saw Ric Estrada penciling and George Evans inking, and Evans handling all of the artistic duties by issue 166. He continued on the strip until the final issue, 181 (September/October 1978). A story that was originally set to run in issue 182, written by Kanigher and drawn by Evans and entitled "Young Losers - Young Lions," finally saw print four years later in "The Unknown Soldier" #265 (July 1982).

The end

According to "Crisis on Infinite Earths", the team met its end in Markovia in 1945. Along with others, they were attacking the towers created by the series villain, the Anti-Monitor. His minions, shadow demons, touch each one, destroying them.

The re-ordering of the DC Universe resulted in a different ending for the team. In "The Losers Special" #1, written by Kanigher and illustrated by Glanzman, the Losers (along with Pooch) died in action in 1945 while destroying a German missile site: Sarge was bayonetted, Captain Storm fell on a grenade, and the remainder were strafed by aircraft fire. The Special was published in 1985, during "Crisis"' initial run, and remained the definitive ending for the group for many years.

In the late 1990s, a short-lived revival of the Creature Commandos resurrected Gunner as a cyborg warrior member of the new team. Gunner and Sarge turn up alive and out of their own time in "Birds of Prey", trapped in a POW-camp in the time-fluctuating Dinosaur Island...now with a "pooch" that is a trained velociraptor. It is not known if they somehow went back in time to conclude their lives or if this brings them into the present.

An alternative ending was presented in the out-of-continuity 2004 miniseries "". In it, the group was sent to Dinosaur Island in December 1945, where one by one they die due to the dangers of the island. Their epitaph, of sorts, was written by Johnny Cloud: "Ask my family and they'll tell you I was a Navajo. Ask the Army Air Force and they'll say I was an American. But if you ask my brothers, they'll set you straight. John Cloud was a Loser."

The Losers (2004)

The Losers

The Losers were reimagined in 2004, set against events surrounding and including the War on Terror. Originally a Special Forces team seconded to the C.I.A. in the 90s, the Losers were betrayed by their handler, Max, and left for dead following the conclusion of their operation. Eager for revenge and the opportunity to remove their names from a secret CIA death list, the Losers regroup and conduct covert operations against the CIA and its interests, uncovering startling operations spearheaded by the enigmatic Max, whose influence within the CIA and US Government is unparalleled.

*Clay - The Leader, easily identified by a consistent use of black suits without ties. Commonly referred to as 'the Colonel,' perhaps alluding to his rank prior to the team's "death." A meticulous planner, initiative-taker and an excellent leader, Clay harbors the largest grudge against Max, at times appearing visibly angry at the mention of his name.

*Roque - The second-in-command, easily identified by the large, vertical scar down the right side of his face and icy demeanor. His ruthless thirst for money motivates a majority of his actions, including the serial betrayal of the Losers and many of his underlings.

*Jensen - The hacker, characterized by his spiky bonde hair, glasses and a conspicuous beard on his chin. Known for his nonstop motormouth that often leads him into trouble and a variety of conversational tangents.

*Cougar - The sniper, identified by his cowboy hat and haunted demeanor. Morose and laconic as a result of a traumatic combat incident in Afghanistan. An absolute genius with the rifle.

*Pooch - The pilot, identifiable by his shaved head and laid-back appearance, has been known to pilot any ground, air or sea vehicle with ease. Despite his involvement with the CIA and Special Forces, is also married with children.

*Aisha - The loose cannon, identified by her eyebrow piercing and tied-back hair. Partners with the Losers in light of their common goal of killing Max. Skilled in all combat skills, with particular emphasis on melee and reconnaissance, stemming from a harsh upbringing in Afghanistan and Pakistan, primarily fighitng as a child against Soviet soldiers during the Soviet war in Afghanistan. A cold-blooded killer who prefers to leave corpses rather than survivors when she engages the enemy.

upporting Characters

*Max - An enigmatic man wielding unprecedented, covert influence over various governmental and military institutions. Organized the assassination of Aisha's father, a slave trader and local warlord, and the subsequent "accident" of the Losers when they went off-mission. Although the current Max enjoys substantial influence over the CIA and infamy throughout the Black Ops community, the "Max" codename predates the CIA itself by several years.
*Robert Sanderson - Deputy Director of Operations, CIA. Originally assigned to negotiate with the Losers during an intense standoff, Sanderson comes to realize the true motives and identity of Max, whom he initially regards as an expired decoy identity "used to lure enemy agents out of hiding." Sanderson recruits Marvin Stegler to conduct a clandestine intra-Agency investigation of the MAX identity.
*Marvin Stegler - A veteran CIA agent who as of late has been relegated to desk work. Although initially ordered to investigate the Max identity, Stegler frequently crosses paths with the Losers and comes to offer Agency support to them after he stops receiving orders from Sanderson.

Publication

Original Team

*"G.I. Combat" #138 (October/November 1969) "The Losers" 14 pages
*"Our Fighting Forces" #123-181 (January/February 1970-July/August 1978)
*"The Unknown Soldier" #250 (April 1981) "The Traitor Without a Face!" 25 pages
*"The Unknown Soldier" #265 (July 1982) "Young Losers - Young Lions!" 8 pages
*"Crisis on Infinite Earths" #3 (June 1985) "Oblivion Upon Us" 25 pages
*"The Losers Special" #1 (1985) "Losers Die Twice" 40 pages
*"DC: The New Frontier" #1 (March 2004) "Our Fighting Forces" 64 pages
*"The Losers" (2009) 240 pages

2004 Team

The ongoing monthly comic concluded in 2006, however it remains available in trade paperback form all published by Vertigo. All stories are written by Andy Diggle, with Jock on the majority of art duties:

*"Ante Up" (collects #1-6, 158 pages, 2004 ISBN 1-4012-0198-9)
*"Double Down" (with Shawn Martinbrough, collects #7-12, 144 pages, 2004 ISBN 1-4012-0348-5)
*"Trifecta" (with Nick Dragotta and Alé Garza, collects #13-19, 168 pages, 2005 ISBN 1-4012-0489-9)
*"Close Quarters" (with Ben Oliver, collects #20-25, 144 pages, 2006 ISBN 1-4012-0719-7)
*"Endgame" (with Colin Wilson, collects #26-32, 168 pages, September 2006 ISBN 1-4012-1004-X)

In other media

*The original Losers are seen in a newspaper photograph Batman is looking at in the animated film "".

*A movie adaptation of the Vertigo series is in development with a screenplay by Peter Berg and James Vanderbilt, to be directed by Tim Story for Warner Brothers [cite news | last = | first = | coauthors = Pamela McClintock, Michael Fleming | title = Tim Story to direct 'Losers' | work = | pages = | language = | publisher = Variety | date = June 8, 2007 | url = http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117966583.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 | accessdate = 2007-06-08 ] .

Notes

References

*

External links

* [http://www.comicscode.net/interviews/diggle/indexen.htm Andy Diggle interview] at Comics Code