Thursday, September 1, 2022

The Invaders and The Haunted Tank

 

I've lamented the lack of a live-action Invaders in the MCU before, and now come to think of it - I'm not sure there's ever been an appearance of the team in animation either.  DC has managed to feature the JSA here and there, it's too bad that Marvel has never shown these WWII heroes in cartoon form.  Or have they somewhere and I missed it?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Some have to a degree, like Miss America, Black Marvel and a few others, but that was in the 1990's Spider-Man cartoon/animated series.

Unknown said...

Really great combo there - a natural mix!

Carycomic said...

The only Captain America cartoon I've ever seen, set during WWII, was a flashback narrated by Cap to the rest of his Kooky Quartet back from those syndicated Marvel cartoons of the mid-1960's. For those too young to remember, it was a program that co-starred Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, and the Submariner in serial adventures taken (more or less) directly from the comics themselves. But, with animation (lamentably) done in the style of Clutch Cargo!

The Cap segment I refer to was an adaptation of the 3 Sleepers story arc. Giant robots developed by the Red Skull toward the tail end of WWII...and programmed to avenge Nazi Germany's defeat twenty years in the future.*

*Of course, with the sliding chronology introduced by 21st century Marvel Comics, that time frame is now purely topical.

Anonymous said...

The Invaders (minus Namor) appeared on The Super Hero Squad Show.

Carycomic said...

What's always astounded me, even more, is the fact that no professional writer (from the Golden Age of Pulp Magazines on up to modern indie comic book publishers who specialize in utilizing public domain characters) has ever done a crossover pitting Dr. Death against the Green Lama!

The latter, of course, was Harvard graduate Jethro Dumont. A crime-fighting wizard who studied Tibetan Buddhism long before Dr. Strange was even a gleam in Steve Ditko's eyes. While Dr. Death--nee Rance Mandarin--was a mad scientist who had orignally been a psychology professor at Yale!

Now, one would think that the inherent collegiate rivalry would serve as a natural inspiration for such a confrontation.* But, alas! Evidently not...and more's the pity. :-(

*Seussian rhyme scheme initially unintended.

Detective Tobor said...

In his first movie, Cap worked with Dum Dum in WWII, but not much of anything else.
As for this cover, Bob Hope take it away...." Tanks for the Memories".

Anonymous said...

@Det. Tobor: GOOD ONE! :-)

@Ross: Tobor's pun reminded me of the title you gave to STF #3739. Which, in turn, made me ask the following questions. "Why are the Invaders so urgently trying to rescue the Haunted Tank's crew? Is it heroic altruism in general? Or something else?"

My guess: the Haunted Tank was sent to rescue one Howard Stark! The latter having been abducted by Gestapo agents; but, with their transport plane shot down just over enemy lines. And all as a result of Machiavellian plotting by Kang the Conqueror (trying once again for an Avengers-free time period).

Carycomic said...

@Anonymous: Either that, or Kang (for some reason) wants to thwart the founding of the post-war Suicide Squad by killing off both Jeb Stuart Smith (godfather of Rick Flagg) and Gus Gray (biological father of Amanda Waller nee Blake).

P.S.---The name of Waller's father has never been canonically revealed. At least, not yet! So my second guess is as good as anybody else's.

Anonymous said...

Btw: how about a sequel reuniting the too-long estranged Dugan Brothers? Stripesey and Dum-dum!

Carycomic said...

I second that emotion! :-)

DeepSeaDawson said...

That's true, now that you mention it, and a shame; the Invaders was one of my favorite monthlies as a kid (leaving Jim Hammond as much the Torch to me as Johnny Storm).
When Namor and Cap showed up in Spidey's two i0's cartoons (teaming up in one) I really had hopes for sat least a mention of the Invaders or even flashback. Even if they couldn't use the Torch (which I didn't know back then).
We lucked out and got a Miss America and the Whizzer in 90s Spidey cartoon (with a not very captivating Cap).
MCU does have Cap and now Namor (with a blink and you miss it bottled Jim Hammond/original Human Torch), and doesn't Marvel now have back the Human Torch rights? So who knows. Maybe an elder Steve and Namor can do at least a closing credits "reunion".
If they do do a live action OHT, I really hope its done by the Vision actor, since he not only has the look of Jim Hammond, but Vizh was made from his deactivated body afterall (unless thats been reretconned out of canon).

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