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Gravedigger (comics)
Encyclopedia
Gravedigger is a codename used by two fictional soldier
s published by DC Comics
. Captain Ulysses Hazard the first Gravedigger debuted in Men of War #1 (August 1977), and was created by David Michelinie
and Ed Davis. Tyson Sykes the second Gravedigger debuted in Checkmate
vol. 2 #25 (June 2008), and was created by Greg Rucka
, Eric Trautmann and Joe Bennett
.
to ever lead DC Comics' version of Easy Company
.
, Ulysses joined the army but found himself in a segregated military, in which all Black soldiers were put to work in menial units: burying bodies, supply delivery, or kitchen work. Frustrated that he has overcome polio, but is not allowed to fight, he invades The Pentagon
to show that he has the skills necessary to fight. He is made into a special one-man unit by the Pentagon, codenamed "Gravedigger". Later, during combat with the Nazis, he receives a scar across his face that resembles a cross. Also, Ulysses had at least one son, Achilles Hazard, who joined the United States Marine Corps.
In the backup story "Snapshot: Remembrance" in the retrospective mini-series DC Universe: Legacies #4, set during a reunion on July 4, 1976, it is revealed that Ulysses Hazard did survive the end of the war, staying in the Army and reaching the rank of Colonel
. The other attendees are Jeb Stuart of the Haunted Tank
, the Losers, Mademoiselle Marie
and possibly the Unknown Soldier.
if he should ever turn rogue. He does not use the codename Gravedigger.
operative whose field designation is Rook Alpha. Tyson gains special telepathic abilities by injecting himself with a solution called Apocritic made from Starro
DNA
.
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. Captain Ulysses Hazard the first Gravedigger debuted in Men of War #1 (August 1977), and was created by David Michelinie
David Michelinie
-Biography:Some of his earliest work is for DC Comics's House of Secrets and a run on Swamp Thing , following Len Wein and preceding Gerry Conway, illustrated by Nestor Redondo. Michelinie did a run on Aquaman in Adventure Comics which led to the revival of the Sea King's own title in 1977...
and Ed Davis. Tyson Sykes the second Gravedigger debuted in Checkmate
Checkmate (comics)
Checkmate, a division of Task Force X, is a fictional covert operations agency within the DC Comics universe. It first appeared in Action Comics #598 and proceeded to have its own ongoing title in Checkmate!...
vol. 2 #25 (June 2008), and was created by Greg Rucka
Greg Rucka
Gregory "Greg" Rucka is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman: Detective Comics, and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton for DC Comics, and for novels such as his Queen & Country series.-Career:Rucka's writing career...
, Eric Trautmann and Joe Bennett
Joe Bennett (penciller)
Benedito José Nascimento , better known as Joe Bennett, is a Brazilian comic book artist.-Biography:Joe Bennett was born in Belém....
.
Publication history
Captain Ulysses Hazard appeared in every single one of the original twenty-six issue run of DC Comics' Men of War. He is also the only fictional character other than Sgt. RockSgt. Rock (comics)
Sgt. Frank Rock is a fictional infantry non-commissioned officer during World War II in the . He first appeared in Our Army at War #83 , and was created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert.-Publication history:...
to ever lead DC Comics' version of Easy Company
Easy Company (comics)
Easy Company is a fictional comic book World War II US Army infantry unit led by Sgt. Rock in stories published by DC Comics. The group first appeared in Our Army at War #81 , and were created by Bob Haney and Ross Andru.-Publication history:...
.
Ulysses Hazard
Ulysses Hazard suffered from polio as a child, and was tormented by bullies. After a regimen of exercise he was able to condition his body to an optimum. When the United States entered World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Ulysses joined the army but found himself in a segregated military, in which all Black soldiers were put to work in menial units: burying bodies, supply delivery, or kitchen work. Frustrated that he has overcome polio, but is not allowed to fight, he invades The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
to show that he has the skills necessary to fight. He is made into a special one-man unit by the Pentagon, codenamed "Gravedigger". Later, during combat with the Nazis, he receives a scar across his face that resembles a cross. Also, Ulysses had at least one son, Achilles Hazard, who joined the United States Marine Corps.
In the backup story "Snapshot: Remembrance" in the retrospective mini-series DC Universe: Legacies #4, set during a reunion on July 4, 1976, it is revealed that Ulysses Hazard did survive the end of the war, staying in the Army and reaching the rank of Colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
. The other attendees are Jeb Stuart of the Haunted Tank
The Haunted Tank
The Haunted Tank is a comic book feature that appeared in the DC Comics anthology war title G.I. Combat from 1961 through 1987. It was created by writer and editor Robert Kanigher and artist Russ Heath in G.I. Combat #87 ....
, the Losers, Mademoiselle Marie
Mademoiselle Marie
Mademoiselle Marie is the name of two fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics...
and possibly the Unknown Soldier.
Perseus Hazard
Perseus Hazard is Ulysses's grandson, and the son of Achilles Hazard. He is the former leader of Squad K a special response team tasked with apprehending SupermanSuperman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
if he should ever turn rogue. He does not use the codename Gravedigger.
Tyson Sykes
Tyson Sykes, is the second African-American fictional character known to use the codename Gravedigger. He is a CheckmateCheckmate (comics)
Checkmate, a division of Task Force X, is a fictional covert operations agency within the DC Comics universe. It first appeared in Action Comics #598 and proceeded to have its own ongoing title in Checkmate!...
operative whose field designation is Rook Alpha. Tyson gains special telepathic abilities by injecting himself with a solution called Apocritic made from Starro
Starro
Starro is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Brave and the Bold #28 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky....
DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
.