As part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s push to fully realize DC as a strong presence in superhero entetainment, the co-CEOs announced the studio’s first chapter of 10 exciting movies and TV shows arriving within the next several years. Among them are well-known figures such as Superman, Supergirl, and Batman, but other lesser-known characters are what we’re here to talk about, namely Creature Commandos.
Now that the eccentric group of DC characters is on their way to HBO Max in the form of a seven-episode animated series – written by James Gunn, no less – it’s time to shine a spotlight on their obscurity.
The Creature Commandos have been around since the 1980s, but because they’ve been slightly underappreciated until recently, not many people know who they are, what they stand for, how they were created, and most important of all whether or not their name implies a lack of undergarments.
It’s a valid question, and we’re here to help you out, lest you go searching for the answer in all the wrong places.
What is a Creature Commando and does their name imply a love for neither boxers nor briefs?
A Creature Commando is first and foremost a creature, as we’re sure you’ve already guessed. This includes everything from werewolves and vampires to Frankenstein monsters and mummies. The commando part of their name is in reference not to their undergarments but to the team’s affiliation with the military (commando is another word for a military unit.)
The Creature Commandos are a group of eccentric creatures created within the DC comics by the fictional character Lt. Matthew Shrieve and written by the actual American writer Tim Truman. The team was formed in order to fight against Nazis and protect America from the impending arrival of the second world war.
At the time of their formation, which occurred in Weird Tales #93 in 1980, the team included a werewolf (Warren Griffith), a robot (soldier J.A.K.E.), a snake-haired doctor (Dr. Medusa), a Frankenstein-like monster (Pvt. Elliot “Lucky” Taylor), and a vampire (Sgt. Vincent Velcro.)
After the events of the New 52 – DC’s revamp of its entire line of comics in 2011, a new Creature Commando team was formed. The mummy Khalis joined the team as well, as the Bride of Frankenstein and Dr. Nina Mazursky.
When we meet the Creature Commandos in the new HBO Max series, the team is unlikely to look and act exactly as readers of the comics may expect. That’s because Gunn has promised a more “modern take on the concept,” one that may not even take place during the Second World War. Gunn has also confirmed that DC plans to cast actors and actresses who can not only voice the animated characters, but play their live-action counterparts should a live-action project eventually happen.
There you have it. Now you know what – or better yet who – the Creature Commandos are. You may proceed with retrieving your head from inside the gutter.