Golden Age Destroyer Appreciation

[MajorHoy]

Okay, this one may get a bit screwy since there were variations in how the character's secret identity was spelled and in who later claimed the identity of The Destroyer. But let's try it anyway!

Keen Marlow (also sometimes spelled "Marlowe") first appeared in Mystic Comics #6 (October 1941). Not only did he rate the cover spotlight, but he got two separate stories featured in that issue!





Created in part by young Stan Lee for Timely Comics, The Destroyer was a bit different than many typical American heroes at the time because, unlike many who primarily had their stories set in the United States or other Allied countries, Marlow(e) was an American who was operating against the forces of the Axis powers in Nazi Germany!

[The Cool Thatguy]

I really wish someone would pick the V-Battlion up again. That was an awesome concept that's been sitting in limbo way too long.

[Digifiend]

V-Battalion was last used... in the original late 90s Thunderbolts? It's unfortunate that U.S.Avengers was so shortlived, as Sunspot was using the Citizen V identity there, which the Battalion might have objected to.

[CaptCleghorn]

Okay, this one may get a bit screwy since there were variations in how the character's secret identity was spelled and in who later claimed the identity of The Destroyer. But let's try it anyway!

Keen Marlow (also sometimes spelled "Marlowe") first appeared in Mystic Comics #6 (October 1941). Not only did he rate the cover spotlight, but he got two separate stories featured in that issue!

Created in part by young Stan Lee for Timely Comics, The Destroyer was a bit different than many typical American heroes at the time because, unlike many who primarily had their stories set in the United States or other Allied countries, Marlow(e) was an American who was operating against the forces of the Axis powers in Nazi Germany!

It's amazing to imagine these things being published before we were at war with Germany and many people were still opposed to another European conflict. It's a good thing comic books weren't political back then.

[Digifiend]

Yeah, Pearl Harbor was in December that year, and Captain America had been fighting the Axis since the previous year. Obviously the Timely Comics editors didn't agree with the US government's neutral stance.

[danielsan52]

Always thought he looked cool.

Too bad there isn’t a modern version.

[MajorHoy]

Always thought he looked cool.

Too bad there isn’t a modern version.

Well, he did get a five-issue series in the Marvel MAX line back in 2009 (recently collected again in a tpb), but as to if/how much in continuity any of that may have been is another question.


One of the characters who were later retconned (in the 1970s) into the role was seen back in the 2014 Invaders (by James Robinson) series.


And Marvel has re-used the name "Destroyer" for other characters throughout the years, including a suit of enchanted Asgardian armor that's fought Thor a few times, not to mention Drax the Destroyer (one who was part of Jim Starlin's 1970s cosmic stories with Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock and more recently revamped for Guardians of the Galaxy).