The Losers (comics)

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The Losers was a comic published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics, written by Andy Diggle and drawn by Jock. Based on an obscure old DC Comic following a team of soldiers in WWII, this new series brings the concept up to date with a present day setting and a team of special forces soldiers who declare war on the CIA after their Agency handler tries to assassinate them.

It has been noted that the update bears more than a passing resemblance to the A-Team.

Contents 1 Original Team 2 2004 Team 2.1 The Losers 2.2 Other Characters 3 Publication 4 In other media

[edit] Original Team

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 Mackay, one of the youngest. Because each member had suffered the deaths of personnel under their responsibilities, they dubbed themselves The Losers.

Prior to the formation of the group, each character had his own adventures in DC's war anthology comics (with Gunner & Sarge sharing their adventures). Captain Storm had his own title, which lasted 18 issues from 1964 to 1967. Their stories were written by Robert Kanigher and illustrated by a variety of artists, most notably Sam Glantzman, Russ Heath and Joe Kubert.

The group served in Europe and the Pacific, meeting other characters of the period such as the Haunted Tank and Sergeant Rock. The team briefly had a female member named Ona Tomsen who was part of the Resistance movement, and Gunner's pet dog Pooch also joined the team for some missions.

According to Crisis on Infinite Earths, the team met its end in Markovia in 1945 at the hands of the anti-Monitor's shadow demons.

In The Losers Special #1, written by Kanigher and illustrated by Glantzman, the Losers (along with Pooch) died in action in 1945 while destroying a German missile site. The Special was published in 1985, during Crisis's 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.

An alternative ending was presented in the 2004 miniseries DC: The New Frontier. In it, the group was sent to Dinosaur Island, a typical superhero location, in December 1945. The team was destroyed. 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."

[edit] 2004 Team

[edit] The Losers

• Clay - Leader. Caucasian. Identified by constant use of suits without ties. Referred to as 'the Colonel,' perhaps indicating his rank prior to the team's "death." Meticulous planner, initiative-taker, excellent leader. Harbors the largest grudge against Max, and appears visibly angry at the mention of his name.
• Roque - Second-in-command. Caucasian. Identified by the large scar down the right side of his face and icy demeanor. His thirst for money motivates a majority of his actions, including the eventual betrayal of the team.
• Jensen - Hacker. Caucasian. Characterized by blond hair and glasses, as well as a distinguishable beard beneath his lower lip and his always running motormouth.
• Cougar - Sniper. Hispanic. Identified by his large cowboy hat and quiet demeanor. Anything he says is usually deeply relevant to the situation at hand and limited to one or two words.
• Pooch - Pilot. African-American. Identified by his shaved head and laid-back appearance. Can pilot any ground, air or sea vehicle.
• Aisha - Loose Cannon. Middle Eastern. Experienced in close combat and reconnaissance. Middle Eastern descent. Characterized by multiple piercings. Background suggests harsh upbringing in Afghanistan, primarily against Soviet soldiers during the Soviet war in Afghanistan- "I was born in a desert place. War was my only mother. As a child I moved through the battlefield and slit the throats of screaming Russian boys. I firebombed my first tank when I was twelve years old and machine-gunned the crew as they fled, burning."

[edit] Other Characters

• Max - An enigmatic man wielding extensive influence over various governmental and military institutions. Organized the assassination of Aisha's father, a slave trader and local warlord, and the subsequent "murder" 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.
  Spoilers end here.

[edit] Publication

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)

[edit] In other media

A movie adaptation is being slated for production soon.