Never failing to capitalize on a pop culture trend, several comics publishers, noticing the 60s popularity of the hit single
Ballad of the Green Berets (by Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler & Robin Moore) quickly launched series featuring the elite Army unit.
Most were standard war comics, but
one stood out from the rest for sheer weirdness...
What do you get when you combine...
1) Green Berets (and the VietNam War) with...
2) Teenagers...
and 3) SuperHeroes?
Why,
SUPER GREEN BERET, of course!
Green
Beret Roger Wilson saves a Vietnamese monk from a wild boar, and in
return the grateful priest attaches a pin to his beret which makes it
glow.
Home on leave, Roger gives the glowing beret to his teenage
nephew Tod Holton, who discovers that, when he puts it on and salutes,
he's transformed into a super-powered adult dressed in a soldier's
uniform!
Using his new-found powers of teleportation, telepathy,
telekinesis, transmutation, time travel, invulnerability, and
super-strength, Tod decides to fight Enemies of Our Country, mostly in
present-day Asia, but also the American Revolution and World War II,
during his two-issue run!
Yes, it's as hokey as it sounds!
We at
Atomic Kommie Comics™ felt that we couldn't let such an outrageous character and concept be forgotten, so, as part of our
War: Past, Present, & Future™ line, we incorporated
Super Green Beret as a light-hearted example of 1960s funkiness to contrast with the seriousness of the
World War II and
Korean Police Action material (plus we wanted an excuse to make some kool
SGB collectibles for ourselves)!
So stick
Super Green Beret
under the tree or in a stocking for your loved one! It's the next best
thing to an original 11.5"
GI Joe! (And I should know, since I received
one of the first Joes at Christmas, many years ago!)
FREE BONUS: An early Christmas present for you:
a link to the never-reprinted origin of Super Green Beret!