Wild Dog (comics)

Wild Dog is a fictional vigilante based in the Quad Cities published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Wild Dog #1 (September 1987), and was created by Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty.

Publication history

Wild Dog first appeared in a four issue mini-series (issue #1, cover date September 1987). The series is credited to Max Allan Collins, Terry Beatty and Dick Giordano. Shortly thereafter, the character appeared in Action Comics Weekly. Normally a Superman title, at the time Action Comics was going through an incarnation as a high page count weekly anthology title with serialized episodes of various characters' ongoing stories appearing in each issue. There were three major Wild Dog story arcs in Action Comics Weekly; after the third, the character appeared in his own one-shot Wild Dog Special. Wild Dog's final appearance in Action Comics Weekly was issue #641 (cover date March 7, 1989). The last issue of Action Comics Weekly was #642, after which the book went back to its standard format of monthly Superman stories.

Fictional character biography

Jack Wheeler went to college on a football scholarship. He dropped out due to an injury and spent some time in the Marines. He quit that after most of his squad was killed by a terrorist bomb. He returned to the Quad Cities and began taking night classes. His new girlfriend was targeted and slain by hitmen as she was secretly the daughter of a Chicago crime boss.

Armed with a Jatimatic GG-95 PDW and a pair of electrified "shock gloves", his costume consists of camouflage pants, combat boots, a local college football jersey emblazoned with a snarling red dog (hiding his protective body armor), and a hockey mask to conceal his identity.

In the first issue of his limited series, he barges in on a hostage situation and kills all the criminals. He successfully rescues the endangered reporter.^[1] His actions in the beginning are mainly directed against domestic American terrorists led by the "Committee for Social Change". He faces other threats, like a social group, the National Legion for Morality, willing to use arson to destroy pornographic material.^[2]

Wild Dog changes opponents when he becomes a small part of the effort to resist an earth-wide alien invasion.^[3] Later, the alien Lobo is sent to New York to kill the comic book editor Mike Carlin. Wild Dog is one of many recruited to stop Lobo. This group includes Black Condor, El Diablo, Garryn Bek, Human Flea, Strata, Velvet Tiger and Wotan.^[4]

Infinite Crisis

Wild Dog was recently seen, alongside the current Vigilante and the current Crimson Avenger on a Metropolis rooftop. This group, joining in on a hundreds-strong effort to protect the city from the Secret Society of Supervillains, is seen raining bullets down on the Trigger Twins, Madmen and other villains in Infinite Crisis #7.

In an alternate timeline accidentally created by Booster Gold in Booster Gold #6 Wild Dog is part of a resistance cell against Maxwell Lord, being one of the only heroes still alive or uncaptured. Lord forces Wild Dog to shoot himself.

See also

• Nite-Wing

References

1. ↑ "Wild Dog" #1 (1987)
2. ↑ "Action Comics Weekly" #603 (1988)
3. ↑ "Invasion!" #2 (1988)
4. ↑ "Lobo" Vol 2 #62 (May, 1999)

External links

• Wild Dog at the DC Database
• Wild Dog at the DCU Guide