Recent news about the DCU and related movies and series have fans excited for DC’s next chapter. From fan favorites like Superman getting new movies to long-awaited projects like The Authority, there’s something for everyone. To kick off the series, James Gunn chose the Creature Commandos, a team many fans may not be familiar with.
The Monster Militia has been an underrated lineup of heroes for years, popping up here and there across the universe. Before diving into the new series, fans should be aware of the significance and adventures of this eccentric fighting force.
10 monsters for the army
During World War II, Professor Mazursky worked for Project M, a secret American science division specializing in biochemistry and the occult. Mazursky formed the Creature Commandos to create fear among enemy forces, with the most terrifying option for soldiers: monsters.
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Early cast members included Warren Griffith, a farmer with the ability to transform into a werewolf, a disgraced soldier turned vampire Sergeant Vincent Velcro, and the late soldier Elliot Taylor remade into a Frankenstein monster. Led by Lieutenant Matthew Shrieve, the team was a covert ops unit designed to deal with abnormal situations.
9 Created During DC’s Implosion 
Series creator, acclaimed comic book writer JM DeMatteis, developed the series with artist Pat Broderick as part of the military anthology Weird War Tales, combining army action of various genres. Unfortunately, DC was struggling in the late 1970s due to poor marketing and an effort to increase sales by creating more titles to fight Marvel, which ultimately created the “DC Implosion”.
During this time, many titles were cut and several writers and artists were fired. Obscure titles like the Metal Men, Kamandi, and Captain Comet were slowly disappearing during this time, slowly returning over the years. Although the Creature Commandos continued to be part of Weird War Talesdisappeared after the title closed in 1983.
8 Project M Had Created Other Heroes 
Although Project M is best known for creating the Commandos, it is also responsible for the origin of other heroes. One of his first experiments was the GI Robot, a mechanical soldier meant to replace humans on the battlefield. Over time, he gained sensitivity and joined the Commandos on later missions.
Another Project M experience was Joan Dale, a reporter who was kidnapped by the Project and given superpowers. She escaped and ended up becoming Miss America, a crime fighter who joined Uncle Sam’s Freedom Fighters and was a forgotten member of the Justice Society.
7 His Adventures Treated With The Effects Of War 
As part of the military, Creature Commandos often traveled overseas to fight multiple threats before arriving in the United States. Like other soldiers before them, the monsters encountered victims and other creatures ravaged by war, who suffered and yearned for peace, which the Commandos could never achieve.
A mission led the team to take down a friendly scientist who created deadly nerve gas that could have destroyed millions of lives, scarring the team. Discovering lost civilizations made Shrieve want to exploit them for America, with the team often betraying him, wanting to keep them secret and out of reach of any government.
6 They Were Brainiac’s Captives For Years 
During one mission, the group was forced to take control of a rocket aimed at Berlin near the end of World War II. They managed to guide the rocket through space, disappearing from the main continuity for years. It would be revealed that the group had become a trophy for one of Superman’s most powerful enemies: Brainiac.
When Superman arrests Brainiac and takes out his collection, the Commandos are among the souls saved by the Man of Steel. They then teamed up with him to fight Reactron and Metallo. The group mysteriously disappears from Brainiac’s ship, revealing that they have returned to Earth and are once again working for Project M.
5 They Came Back In The 2000s 
Upon their return to Earth, the team continued to work for Project M, now as Team M Alpha. After Shrieve’s death, Captain Hunter, another World War II survivor cursed for his slow aging, took over the team. With new members joining the old War Dogs, the team was tasked with taking down a team of shadowy Justice League villains who planned to invade Earth.
Later, controversial JLA villain Maxwell Lord infiltrated and used his mind control powers on the Commandos, using the group to attack the newly reformed Justice League International. Freed from his control, the team helped the League wipe out Lord’s army of OMAC.
4 His New Member Was On One Of DC’s Forgotten Teams 
One of the group’s recruits at the time was Gunner, a former soldier who became a cyborg after Project M took over his corpse and outfitted it with modern technology. Although he seemed like a new character, Gunner was Gunner Mackay, who belonged to one of DC’s forgotten teams, the Losers.
Appeared on the pages of Our fighting forces, the team consisted of soldiers whose actions always led to misfortune. Gunner was the youngest of the group and fought against Nazi forces during World War II, around the same time as the original Creature Commandos. Like his namesake, most of the team, including Gunner, ended up dying in battle, their peaceful rest interrupted by his monstrous transformation.
3 Appeared in Flashpoint 
During the tragic events of the Flashpoint timeline, some characters were changed due to Barry Allen’s mistakes. This version of the team had fought the Nazis, but ultimately ended the war after killing Hitler. In the end, the group was betrayed by Project M and put into suspended animation, hiding alongside Project Superman.
During the Atlantis/Amazon War, the team thawed out, seeking answers from Professor Mazursky at his hidden base in the Carnage Swamp. Faced with a twisted version of the Commandos led by Shrieve’s daughter, the team ultimately fell apart, with some choosing to wage war, others retreating to a monster sanctuary in Romania.
2 They Reappeared In The New 52 
The New 52 was an opportunity for DC to experiment with beloved and obscure heroes, reintroducing new takes on classic characters into the modern age. The Creature Commandos entered this continuity with a new look, new members, and a different origin story.
Now the machinations of the mysterious organization SHADE, the group consisted of former members and various newcomers introduced into Breaking point. The real Frankenstein monster now led the team, a seasoned warrior, co-led by his equally talented bride. Although its series was short-lived, it eventually became one of the most underrated New 52 series.
1 They’ve Appeared Outside Of The Comics Before 
While the team may seem little known, that hasn’t stopped them from appearing in other DC projects outside of the comics. In live action, General Shrieve made an appearance in Arrowa unique villain who worked for ARGUS, but was defeated by Oliver Queen and ultimately killed by Sarab.
The entire team appeared mostly in animation. In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, they saved the Caped Crusader from the Ultrahuman. during the ephemeral DC Nation Shorts, reappeared as a series combining action and comedy. They also appeared in DC Showcase: Sgt. Rock, helping Rock defeat his old platoon, turned into zombies by Nazi scientists.