Sgt. Fury #5

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: November 5, 1963
Cover: January 1964
12 cents
Written by: Ex-Sgt. Stan Lee, U.S. Army
Illustrated by: Ex-Infantryman Jack Kirby, U.S. Army
Inked by: G. Bell
23 pages

Last issue gave us the death of a Howler. The series hasn’t forgotten that, and the opening of the issue shows Sgt. Fury processing the death of Junior Juniper in his own way.

They also haven’t forgotten about the girl Nick met last issue. We see the Sergeant and Lady Hawley on a date. She encourages more gentlemanly behavior on his part. They seem to be an item.

Baron Strucker is the most significant villain to be introduced in this series. He will be a regular foe of Sgt. Fury’s, continuing to menace him in the present.

He even made his way into the movies. Here he is in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Strucker challenges Fury to a duel, but wins through cheating. This hands the Nazis a great propaganda victory. (Not the cheating part; they edited that out of the footage.)

Since Fury accepted the duel against orders, he is demoted to Private. Corporal Dugan will now lead the Commandos.

Fury gets his chance for a rematch on a mission into Dorstadt (which seems pretty deep into Germany to me). He has another duel with the Baron. The Baron’s scheme to drug his drink fails this time because Manelli recognizes the ruse from his own movies. In a fair fight, Nick is the victor.

Nick gets his rank reinstated.

Army slang:

• K.P. — Kitchen Patrol.
• Section 8 — Army discharage due to mental causes

Rating: ★★★½, 61/100
Significance: ★★★★☆

I read this story in  Sgt. Fury Epic Collection vol. 1: The Howling Commandos. Except for the feature image, the scans are taken from a reprint in Sgt. Fury Annual 1.

You can also find the story in Marvel Masterworks: Sgt. Fury vol. 1. Or on Kindle.

Characters:

• Izzy Cohen
• Rebel Ralston
• Dino Manelli
• Sgt. Nick Fury
• Gabe Jones
• Corporal Dum-Dum Dugan
• General Stroheim
• Baron Strucker
• Captain Sawyer
• Lady Pamela Hawley

Story notes:

• Cohen notes that Nick is acting like Junior was his own son.
• Strucker has castle in Bavaria.
• Strucker’s orders to destroy and humiliate Sgt. Fury come from Hitler.
• Strucker is concerned Fury is an unworthy foe. He is neither an officer nor an aristocrat.
• Strucker is wing commander of the Fuehrer’s Death-Head Squadron.
• Izzy’s favorite pair of long johns destroyed.
• Baron Strucker launches lone air raid on Fury’s camp.
• Duel on Isle of Norse-Haven, in the English Channel near Jutland. I don’t think this is a real island.
• Sgt. Fury frequently turns down battlefield commissions.
• Nick Fury and Pam Hawley now seem to be an item.
• Nick and Pam have date at Ye Royale Dragoon.
• Strucker and Fury will fight according to Heidelberg rules.
• Strucker drugs Nick before their fight.
• Fury transported back in German JU-88.
• Fury demoted to private; Dum-Dum now ranking soldier.
• Air battle between B-17 Heavy Bombers and Nazi Focke-Wolfe fighters
• Mission to knock out rocket base at Dorstadt.
• Rebel refers to Dino as a northerner.
• Dino recognizes Strucker’s gambit from B-movies.
• B-36 Mitchell Marauder transports Commandos home.
• Weapons of war feature on light machine guns.

#138 story in reading order
Next: X-Men #3
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