Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: July 9, 1964
Cover: September 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee (the ol’ three-striper himself)
Illustrated by: Dick Ayers ( the ol’ high-flyin’ corporal)
Inked by: Geo. Bell
Lettered by: S. Rosen
22 pages
A feature of this comic has been a desire to send the Howlers to every theater of the war. They are based in England, but have already fought in Germany, Italy, Africa… now they’re off to Japan. Does it make any actual sense that a single squadron would have such geographically disparate missions? I don’t think we’re supposed to worry about it.
Captain Sawyer describes Okinawa as Japanese-occupied. An odd phrasing. Japan had conquered it over 60 years earlier. At some point, it’s just part of Japan. At the time the comic was published, Okinawa was occupied by America, but has since been returned to Japan. It remains part of Japan to this day.
Captain Sawyer and the other characters refer to the Japanese as “Japs”. Today, this is generally recognized as a racial slur that was prevalent among 1940s Americans. Having the characters use such language is likely historically accurate.
The plan is for the Howling Commandoes to infiltrate Okinawa and rescue Colonel Phil “Pillbox” Parker from a Japanese prison camp before the Allies bomb the island. Fury and Parker had served together in the Battle of the Bulge. It is not clear whether there is any relation between Colonel Parker and Peter Parker. Also, there is a historical Colonel Parker, Colonel Edwin Parker Jr. fighting in Europe in World War 2, but I see no connection to Marvel’s Colonel Parker.
We’ll note the reference to the Battle of the Bulge, but I suspect that’s going to turn out to be problematic. If this story does indeed take place after the Battle of the Bulge, then it’s already 1945. Generally speaking, these stories seem set in 1943. Stan had generally seemed pretty careful with his World War II history prior to this reference.
The Howlers are transported to Okinawa by a submarine with a distinctive Skipper.
He creates a diversion that allows them to reach the island safely, at risk to his own ship. We don’t see what becomes of that submarine. The captain is unnamed in this issue, but we will eventually learn his name is Captain Savage.
They manage to capture the station commander and have Izzy take his uniform, then attempt to disguise him to look Japanese. It’s a cringeworthy scene.
Colonel Parker wants to give Nick a battlefield commission, not for the first time, but Fury prefers to remain a sergeant. “I figure someone’s gotta do the dirty work in this man’s war.”
Recall that Ben Grimm had been a Marine fighter ace over Okinawa, presumably in the famous 1945 battle.
We don’t look at the letters pages often enough, mostly because I’m reading these stories in reprints that don’t include them. But this one has a letter from one Dave Cockrum. Dave Cockrum will one day get together with Len Wein and create the New X-Men. If we’d been looking closer, we might have already seen several letters from Cockrum in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four.
Dear Stan and Dick,
SGT. FURY is the only war comic I ever read and issue #7 reminded me why it’s the only one I ever read. It’s only great, that’s why. There wasn’t much of the old Howler-style humor this ish, but then it was more than made up for in the courtroom excitement and the finger-nail chewing. We, the fans, got an interesting insight into the life of Nick Fury, something that we usually don’t get from one of our heroes whether super or ordinary. I don’t think I could ever say all the things I think about Sgt. Fury– it’s simply one of the best comic mags anyone has ever put out in any field on any subject.
Dave Cockrum
Rating: ★★☆☆☆, 37/100
Significance: ★★★★☆
I read this story in Sgt. Fury Epic Collection vol. 1: The Howling Commandos. You can also find the story in Marvel Masterworks: Sgt. Fury vol. 1. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Percival Pinkerton
- Rebel Ralston
- Izzy Cohen
- Sgt. Nick Fury
- Dino Manelli
- Gabe Jones
- Cpl. Dum-Dum Dugan
- Happy Sam Sawyer
- Colonel Phil “Pillbox” Parker
- The Skipper
- Colonel Yamabishi
- Lady Pamela Hawley
Story notes:
- G2 had landed intelligence colonel in Okinawa with mission to infiltrate Japanese lines and get info on their strength and defenses. He had almost completed his mission and rendezvoused with a sub, when he was shot, injured and captured by the Japanese. In 72 hours, the US will bomb the island.
- Fury and Parker served together in Battle of the Bulge.
- Howlers take B-17 to Pacific; attacked by Nazi airplanes en route; later they join up with refueling plane.
- Pinkerton objects to his bumbershoot being called an umbrella.
- Howlers land on flat-top (aircraft carrier) then meet rendezvous sub.
- The Skipper of the ship isn’t named; we eventually will learn his name is Captain Savage.
- Sub can’t move because of Japanese destroyer; Howlers shot to island through torpedo tubes while sub provides a distraction.
- Izzy masquerades as a Japanese officer: Colonel Yamabishi commanding officer for station.
- Marines also prisoners; slated for death march tomorrow.
- Fury captures Japanese Destroyer.
- Parker knows Fury doesn’t want battlefield commission. He has refused to become an officer before, preferring to remain a sergeant.
- We never learn what became of the submarine or its Captain.
- Upon returning home, Nick and Pam have a date.
#245 story in reading order
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