Line #22 Main/MilitarySuperhero


1	[[quoteright:297:[[ComicBook/GreenLantern https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/john-stewart_7629.jpg]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:297:Before he was a ComicBook/GreenLantern, John Stewart [[SemperFi wore green for another Corps. OORAH!]]]]
3
4	->''"Central to my administration's response to this terrorist event is a newly minted resource. I know him as Colonel James Rhodes. The American people will soon know him as the Iron Patriot."''
5	-->-- '''President Matthew Ellis''', ''Film/IronMan3''
6
7	For many, being a superhero is something they fell into by accident. For others, it's a calling. But for ''these'' guys, it's just a day job.
8
9	A Military Superhero is a character who is or was a member of the armed services, and his experience as a soldier has colored his attitude towards the cause for the greater good. The discipline and training of the armed forces lends itself well to producing a pretty badass individual, and their codes of ethics and duty compliment the higher calling of heroism in such a way that they will, undoubtedly, stand out amongst their peers as someone who is reliable and sincerely committed to the cause.
10
11	This doesn't mean the hero is perfect by any means: military heroes tend to be pretty old-fashioned and stubborn in their beliefs, and also have a tendency to shun heroes who take authority lightly. They also often harbor disdain for authority themselves when serving under what they think is a weak leader, leading them to either try to take charge or just do things on their own. However, they are also the definition of ''esprit-de-corps'' within their organization's ranks, and will be the first to volunteer for any mission if it means keeping their teammates away from harm, as well as be the one guy you can ''always'' count on to never leave a man behind.
12
13	Very often, the character's background can actually come back to bite him. Their military superiors might come to them with a mission that goes against their current ideals as a hero. Perhaps a teammate does something that goes against the ethics he learned in the military. The bottom line is that this character can face many moral quandaries revolving around the conflict between his military background and his current status as a hero, which will always be played for drama as a way to deepen the story or make it more interesting.
14
15	Military heroes often exhibit stereotypes of the branch of service they serve/served with: an Air Force hero can be expected to be an AcePilot and love to fly, a Marine hero will be tough and have a little bit of the BloodKnight in him (or, sometimes, even a KnightTemplar), an Army hero will be very patriotic, etc. It's pretty much expected of a military hero to also be a CaptainPatriotic, but this is not always the case. If they have a rank as part of their name, they ''will'' possess that rank.
16
17	There are a few specific characteristics a hero must meet to qualify for this trope:
18	* The hero's military background is an essential part of the character. He can't just merely be or have been a soldier. If you could substitute the character's background for, say, law enforcement or being a fireman, it's not this trope.
19	* The character must be a bonafide superhero. ComicBook/ThePunisher, for example, doesn't count: he's more of an anti-hero than a hero.
20	* The work the character is featured in must not revolve around the military. Military fiction, no matter how fantastic, has soldiers as protagonists by default, so their military background is obviously not something that makes the character stand out. As such, the hero's deeds will not revolve around a military mission. He performs heroism for its own sake, not because of following orders.
21
22	Often a subtrope of SuperSoldier. See also MilitaryRankNames, when a character who may or may not have served incorporates the rank into their alias.
23	----
24	!!Examples:
25	[[foldercontrol]]
26
27	[[folder:Comic Books]]
28	* Creator/MarvelComics
29	** ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'':
30	*** Steve Rogers is one of the best examples of this trope. Loyal to his teammates, a born leader, [[TheParagon a paragon of virtue]] and a bona-fide ass-kicker. He was an actual captain during his time of service with the airborne rangers during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, same goes for Bucky, Cap's onetime sidekick, since the revelation that his background was a cover story to hide his status as a covert assassin, and his [[SidekickGraduationsStick later acceptance]] of the Captain America mantle.
31	*** The Falcon is a U.S. Air Force officer in the ''ComicBook/HeroesReborn'' continuity, and a retired member of the U.S. Army in the [[ComicBook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate]] continuity. His ''Heroes Reborn'' background was used for ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier''.
32	** ''ComicBook/NickFury'': Colonel Nick Fury, former sergeant in charge of the ComicBook/HowlingCommandos during World War II and concurrent leader of SHIELD. Nick's son Marcus Johnson (AKA, Nick Fury Jr.) is a Ranger in the US Army.
33	** ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'': Logan has served countless times in the military, most notably he was a corporal for the Canadian army paratroopers during World War 2, and he has picked up a great many habits and skills with the years. Interestingly enough, he's always shown to be VERY serious and professional in that role, contrary to his usual authority-sticking personality.
34	** ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': Mister Fantastic and the Thing were originally vets of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, though because of ComicBookTime, it was later dropped. The ever-loving blue-eyed Thing even had one of the most prestigious military careers in comic book history, having served as a pilot for both the Air Force and the Marine Corps. His exemplary service ultimately earned him the right to serve as an astronaut, which eventually led to that [[SuperheroOrigin fateful cosmic radiation shower]]. Reed Richards on the other hand was part of O.S.S. during World War 2. Ben and Reed's service was originally in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII (Ben had even fought with the Howling Commandoes at one point), though for a long time, it was dropped from canon. That said, ''ComicBook/HeroesReborn'' tried to update it by making the time of service in UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar, eventually it was retconned with them fighting in the fictional Siancong war.
35	** ''ComicBook/IronMan'': James Rhodes/War Machine was originally a lieutenant in the USAF, and saw action in Southeast Asia. The ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' retconned him into a Lieutenant Colonel serving in South''west'' Asia. Later, it was dropped due to the sliding time scale and replaced with the fictional Siancong war due to the sliding time scale.
36	** ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'': Frank Castle was originally presented as a vet of Vietnam (the comic book ''ComicBook/TheNam''[='=]s later issues even featured Frank). That said, while this still holds true for the Castle of ''ComicBook/ThePunisherMAX'', an earlier attempt to update this for the mainstream Frank happened in 2011 by Creator/GregRucka with Frank in a desert setting, suggesting either a background in UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar or UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror. Later, it was dropped due to the sliding time scale and replaced with the fictional Siancong war due to the sliding time scale.
37	** ''ComicBook/XMen'': A part of Professor X's backstory is being a soldier (originally in UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar, though thanks to ComicBookTime, it's now an unnamed conflict), where he got a DearJohnLetter from [[Characters/XMenMutants Moira Kinross]] before she married Joseph [=MacTaggert=] ([[DomesticAbuse which ended badly for everyone involved]]), saw his stepbrother become the Juggernaut in a temple they found, and met ComicBook/KittyPryde's father. That said, the only incarnation outside of the original comics that touched upon the idea that Xavier was in the armed forces was ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries''.
38	** ''ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel\|MarvelComics}}'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsCarolDanvers Carol Danvers]], formerly ComicBook/MsMarvel) was a Colonel in the United States Air Force and served with the Thing back when he was human.
39	** ''ComicBook/{{Venom}}'': Venom's fourth host, [[Characters/MarvelComicsFlashThompson Flash Thompson]], was an US Army volunteer soldier who lost his legs in combat and volunteered to become the symbiote's host when the military asked him to. In this case, it's kinda literal: Flash wears the symbiote like military combat armor, instead of the famous "overly muscular black Spider-Man with razor teeth and monster tongue" version (though he occasionally takes that form on from time to time, when his control over the symbiote slips).
40	** ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Adrian Toomes, The Vulture, was a World War 2 fighter pilot before he founded his company, which is where he picked up some of his more acrobatic flying tricks.
41
42	* Creator/DCComics
43	** Captain Nathaniel Adam of the United States Air Force, better known as ComicBook/CaptainAtom. Interestingly, Captain Atom did not start this way: he was a full-time soldier who received his powers as the result of an experiment, and was ordered by the military into infiltrating the superhero community to spy on them a keep them in check. However, as can be expected, Captain Atom eventually did grow to appreciate his role as a superhero, but not without serious conflict between both aspects of him. This is explored heavily in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited''.
44	** John Stewart, aka Franchise/GreenLantern, is a former member of the United States Marine Corps. Originally, John's backstory had him as merely an architect before becoming a Green Lantern. The DCAU re-imagined him as a Marine veteran, and this version proved popular enough that his DCU incarnation was {{retcon}}ned [[{{Retcanon}} to have been a Marine as well]] (while leaving his existing backstory intact; he became an architect after returning to civilian life). In his modern incarnation, his training in the Corps has been a defining part of his character and has served him in his job as a superhero. His experience as a sniper helped him take down [[ComicBook/SinestroCorpsWar Sinestro Corps member Bedovian]] by sniping him ''three sectors away'', and in the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' animated series, he battled alongside US Army soldiers (among them, Comicbook/SgtRock himself) in WWII when he didn't have access to his ring's powers.
45	** ComicBook/GreenLantern: While Hal Jordan has canonically been an ex air force pilot since the 80's, his ''[[ComicBook/DCTheNewFrontier The New Frontier]]'' incarnation is the one that most fits this trope. His experiences as a pilot during the Korean War heavily influenced his attitude towards his later job as a test pilot and his role as the newest Green Lantern of Earth's sector. Hal's character is a typical hotheaded ace flyboy, similar to Chuck Yeager.
46	** Commander Steel from ''ComicBook/AllStarSquadron'' was Hank Haywood, a US Marine who, after being injured during WWII, volunteered for special bionic upgrades that turned him into a Captain America {{Expy}}.
47	** David Reid, a.k.a. Lance, of the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica. He's a member of the Marines when he's recruited and served as a kind of liasion between the two groups. Then he gets killed and comes back as [[ChromeChampion Magog]] (yep, the same character from ''Comicbook/KingdomCome'').
48	** Captain Metropolis from ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' is a former Marine lieutenant, while the Comedian is an inversion; he joined the US Army after ''leaving'' the titular superhero team, on bad terms.
49	** Kate Kane was honorably discharged from West Point under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. She sees her vigilante activity as ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} as a form of replacement military service that gives her life meaning.
50	** The [[BadassArmy World Army]] in ''ComicBook/Earth2'' has a few: ComicBook/TheAtom, Wesley Dodds and his Sandmen, [[ComicBook/GreenArrow Red Arrow]], and Captain Steel. ComicBook/RedTornado is "in progress," and Hawkgirl has gone AWOL.
51	** The DC Comics version of Creator/ArchieComics' The Shield was a U.S. Army soldier turned into a superhero through a PoweredArmor grafted onto his body after terrorists nearly killed him in an ambush. He served as the Army's top superhuman operative.
52	** More of a military ''{{supervillain}}'', but Deadshot's ''ComicBook/New52'' incarnation is a former Marine. As rotten as he is, he ''does'' save the world as a member of the ComicBook/SuicideSquad.
53	** ''ComicBook/Trinity2008'': One of the various retcons that occur because of the reality shift that results from [[spoiler:Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman (the titular "trinity") being removed from the universe by the villains of the story]] is that ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'s escape pod was found upon crashing by Navy S.E.A.Ls and she grew up as a MilitaryBrat, eventually becoming an Army colonel and superpowered agent answering directly to the President of the United States code-named "Interceptor".
54	** Skyrocket (Celia Forrestal), who eventually joined the ComicBook/PowerCompany, was a Navy lieutenant who left the service after being denied transfer to a combat squadron by a superior who disliked the idea of women in combat and realized that with the armored defense harness her parents had been working on at the time of their murders she could work as a superhero instead.
55	* ComicBook/{{Hellboy}} originally was a member of the ComicBook/{{BPRD}}, a private agency that functioned much like a government military agency..
56	* ComicBook/RexTheWonderDog started out as a bomb sniffing dog in WWII that was given an experimental serum meant to increase his intelligence and agility as a pup. His handler took him home with him after the war ended and Rex eventually gained immortality and fully human level intelligence, or above, after drinking from the fountain of youth.
57	* Al Simmons, the title character of ''ComicBook/{{Spawn}}'' was a soldier turned black ops agents before he died and became the titular hellspawn and even despite having super powers now, he still prefers using guns.
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Fanfic]]
61	* In ''Fanfic/TheInstituteSaga'', the USA is noted to have formed an entire company of powered individuals, including two Serum-enhanced supersoldiers.
62	[[/folder]]
63
64	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
65	* The ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' has many of the heroes listed in the Comics section above sharing the same military background, sometimes updated for the setting, updated to be contemporary with the films' release.
66	[[/folder]]
67
68	[[folder:Literature]]
69	* ''Literature/WearingTheCape'':
70	** Blackstone, a superhero/stage-magician, is a former US Marine (he mustered out and began his stage-magic career some time after a battlefield injury rendered him incapable of field operations). He appears to have worked in military intelligence, and is the security/intelligence specialist of the Sentinels.
71	** After the events of the first book, a former military operative who ''trained supersoldiers'' is brought in under the code-name Watchman as the newest [[FlyingBrick big hitter]].
72	** There are also a number of superpowered soldiers appearing in various books; one source is special military programs where volunteers are put in high stress situations, which may trigger "breakthroughs" (the advent of powers). The military also actively recruits civilians showing useful powers as well as using supercriminals for high-risk missions in exchange for reduced sentences.
73	* In ''Literature/ShadowOps'', the central protagonist Oscar Britton was formerly an officer in the Army National Guard before he turned up Latent with his [[PortalCut portal magic]] and was forcibly recruited into the US military's Supernatural Operations Corps. Britton's military training gives him an edge over the other members of his "coven" (supernatural squad), and after witnessing the excesses and violence and hypocrisy of the SOC, he falls back to his military upbringing and sense of honor and duty and finally rebels.
74	* ''Literature/SuperPowereds'' has Captain Starlight, the first Hero, who had fought in UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo before approaching the US Government about his powers. Averted with most other Heroes, since obtaining a Hero license in the US requires going to one of five colleges with an HCP department, none of which are military colleges. It's mentioned that some of the other nations used Supers as cops and soldiers, and it usually didn't end well due to the people seeing them as oppressors instead of protectors. It's why American Heroes are civilians, to avoid that image.
75	* In ''Literature/ExSuperheroes'', after the discovery of [[SuperSerum Ephemera]], which can grant a person superpowers, the seven largest economies (known as the S7) signed a treaty that made it illegal for any other nation to have superpowered individuals, while creating specialized military units composed of powered individuals. The main character Hunter [=McNeil=] is an ex-Army Ranger and a former member of the Super-Powered Combatant Corps. He joined the SPCC after taking Ephemera and becoming a BarrierWarrior. However, he eventually grew disillusioned with his role after realizing that all they were doing was enforcing America's oppressive foreign policy and brutally punishing nations that simply wanted to level the playing field (or whose governments weren't willing to toe the line with the rules imposed by the S7). After yet another massacre of "rebels", Hunter resigned and became an Ephemera smuggler, trying to atone for his actions by providing the means for the downtrodden to defend their way of life. The novels also feature Lieutenant Angelica "Nova" Smith, who is a relatively new member of the SPCC with fire powers. She is assigned to accompany Hunter on his mission to stop the world's supervillains [[spoiler:and later begins to sleep with him... and other members of Hunter's [[HaremGenre harem]]]].
76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
79	* Taylor Earhardt in ''Series/PowerRangersWildForce'' was an Air Force pilot before encountering an AnimalMecha and crashing on a FloatingContinent. She's one of the toughest Rangers on the team, and easily the most no-nonsense (at least until Merrick shows up), "drafting" Cole in the season premier by gut-punching him. Oddly, she basically goes AWOL as a result -- the guys at her old base have no idea where she is, and she even hides her identity when a Ranger mission takes her there. She resumes duty at the end of the series, dismissing the idea of her landing on an island in the sky as people [[YouWatchTooMuchX reading too many children's stories]]. The exact same backstory also applies to her [[Series/HyakujuuSentaiGaoranger male Japanese counterpart]], Gaku Washio, who was similarly a JASDF pilot.
80	** Also, Kai and Mike of ''Lost Galaxy'' were members of the soldiers protecting the Terra Venture colony before getting their shiny suits, and appear to still keep that role during it all (with Commander Stanton allowing it unofficially while never quite coming out and saying he knows.)
81	* In the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode "[[Recap/SupernaturalS02E21AllHellBreaksLoosePartOne All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One]]", one of the Special Children with SuperStrength is Private Jake Talley of the US Army, who was fighting in Afghanistan.
82	* ''Series/TheBoys2019'': In Season One, [[MegaCorp Vought International]] is seeking to get at this trope from the other direction: namely, convince the US government to use their roster of superheroes (initially employed only in law enforcement) as {{Super Soldier}}s, and are willing to use blackmail and apparently create super-powered terrorists as a GenghisGambit. It's then revealed the latter is a rogue operation by superhero Homelander, and the CEO of Vought is furious that he destroyed their monopoly of the SuperSerum in the process. By then however events have progressed too far to prevent superheroes being used in the War on Terror.
83
84	[[/folder]]
85
86	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
87	* Bunker in ''TabletopGame/SentinelsOfTheMultiverse'' is a serviceman working with the latest in a long line of armored suits built by the US military. According to his backstory, he's the first one to actually work as a superhero, all previous uses of the armor being in military combat actions.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Web Comics]]
91	* ''Webcomic/GrrlPower'': ARCHON occupies a gray area between the military and police, they're organized as a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces but their primary duties encompass domestic superpowered crime, which makes them closer to a [[SuperCop superpowered FBI]]. However one of the main reasons they organized under the DOD was to make it easier to transfer supers already enlisted in other branches, for instance Maxima served in some sort of Army black ops unit in Afghanistan and Iraq.
92	* ''Webcomic/WhiteHeron'': Kim Jeong was part of a North Korean supersoldier program before she defected, only to be co-opted by the South Koran military as a supersoldier of their own, with her white bodysuit and red cape being used as propaganda.
93	[[/folder]]

Context Main / MilitarySuperhero