T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Struck

The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents have had an interesting history to say the least.  The characters have been around for almost 50 years and have bounced around from publisher to publisher, disappearing for years at a time before suddenly reappearing.  I have been a big fan of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents since I first discovered them in the early 1980's, and in honor of their recent relaunch at IDW here's a quick look back at some of the many faces of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents.

Introducing Menthor, Dynamo, and NoMan

The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents first appeared in 1965.  Published by Tower Comics, each issue was double the size of regular comics and carried a price of 25 cents. The Agents consisted of Dynamo, Menthor, NoMan, Lightning, Raven, Undersea Agent, and the Thunder Squad.  The art was done by a who's who of silver age legends: Mike Sekowski, Gil Kane, and Wally Wood.  I don't think Wally Wood doesn't get enough credit these days, if it wasn't for him Daredevil would have been running around in that hideous red and yellow outfit.  Anyways, back to the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, the series introduced the comic world to The Higher United Nations Defense Enforcement Reserves were people whose occupations were super heroes, and the devices that gave them their powers come with a price.  Wally Wood's pencils are some of the best of the silver age, and the stories in many ways were a precursor to the modern type of storytelling that we take for granted today.  Back issues are still very affordable, do yourself a favor and track these down, they are worth it.  After issue 20 in 1969 the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents stopped publication and quietly faded away.

 

For almost 15 years the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents were dormant, then in 1983  they returned in John Carbanaro's JC Comics.  As great as it was to have them back, the series only lasted 2 issues, and once again the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents were off the shelves, but this time the hiatus was very short lived.

Some time in 1983 the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents appeared in the Justice Machine Annual #1 published by Texas Comics.  This was the only comic ever published by Texas Comics, and its more known for being the first appearance of Bill Willingham's the Elementals. I own two copies of this book, and this is the issue that got me hooked on the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents.

N.D

 Less than a year after JC Comics folded, the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents returned, this time published by Deluxe Comics.  Like the original Tower Comics version int he 1960's, the art was done by some of the best artists of the 1980's.  George Perez, Dave Cockrum, Keith Giffen, Steve Ditko, Jerry Ordway and others contributed to the fantastic art in every issue, but as with all other versions, this one didn't last long either.  John Carbonaro sued Deluxe Comics for copyright infringement and with that, this versionof the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents was done after five issues.

In 1987 an outfit named Solson Publications published one issue of a series titled T.H.U.N.D.E.R..  It was a black and white book, which told a different tale of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and to be honest, its the weakest of all stories involving the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, if you can find it in a quarter bin it might be worth the two bits, but not any more.

The 80's saw quite a few versions of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, but as the decade drew to a close, so did their adventures, and for over 20 years nothing more was heard from them.

In 2010 the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents got their most high profile release to date when DC Comics published their first adventures in the 21st Century.  This is the only version of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents I have never read, but thanks to IDW my interest have been renewed and I look forward to tracking these down at a convention real soon.




  

  
Now in 2013 it's IDW's turn to publish the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and I am extremely excited for this.  Not only because of the characters, but for who will be writing this series.  I have known Phil Hester for over 20 years, ever since he first came into the comic store I was part owner of.  He is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet in the comics industry and always has time to meet with the fans.  In fact, the logo I use for the Next Great Adventure was drawn by Phil, as part of a trade I made with him for a customized action figure.  The figure? Dynamo.  I still remember having conversations with him about Wally Wood and the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and I could tell back than what reverence he had for the characters, and that's how I now the book is in excellent hands.

My quest to find this cover begins.....now!

Another reason Phil Hester is one of the nicest people around is the endless patience he has shown in accommodating my many requests for sketches.  One of the sketches he did for me 20 years ago was Dynamo and Magnus Robot Fighter making scrap metal our of a bunch of robots, and it remains one of my favorite pieces in my collection.  

Do yourself a favor, pick up IDW's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents and track down some of Wally Wood's originals, you won't be sorry!