Soviet Super-Soldiers

The Soviet Super-Soldiers are a fictional team of super heroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #258 (April 1981).[1] The team's storylines are a reflection of the American public's understanding of US/Soviet relations during the Cold War era.[2]

"Supreme Soviets" redirects here. For the real-world political term, see Supreme Soviet.
Soviet Super-Soldiers
Soviet Super Soldiers #1 (November 1992)
Cover art by Angel Medina and Jeff Albrecht
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceThe Incredible Hulk #258 (April 1981)
Created byBill Mantlo
Sal Buscema
In-story information
Member(s)

Fictional team history

The Soviet Super-Soldiers were a superteam that was brought together by the Soviet government of Russia to be the counterpart of American teams such as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four.[1] Professor Phobos founded this government program to locate and train superhuman beings in service of the state.[3] The school's first student was Mikhail Ursus, who became known as Ursa Major. He was soon followed by siblings Laynia Petrovna and Nikolai Krylenko, who became known as Darkstar and Vanguard, respectively. These three mutants joined with Dmitri Bukharin, the fifth Crimson Dynamo, to form the initial lineup of the Soviet Super-Soldiers.[4][5]

The Super-Soldiers played an active role as a pawn in a competition between Grandmaster and Death.[6][7][8] The Soviet government sent the Super-Soldiers to Khystym to battle the Gremlin, and then fought Rom and Starshine.[9] Allied with Rom and Starshine, the Soviet Super-Soldiers fought the Dire Wraiths. The team became allies of the Gremlin, and took over the Dire Wraith base in Khystym as the new Soviet Super-Soldiers headquarters.[10] The Soviet Super-Soldiers later agreed to bring Magneto to justice. They fought the Avengers, and expelled the Crimson Dynamo as he was still loyal to the KGB.[11][12][13] The Gremlin joined the team for a time while wearing the Titanium Man armor, but he was killed in action.[14]

The three mutants Vanguard, Darkstar, and Ursa Major later decided to sever their ties with the Soviet government, and arrived at Avengers Island, and asked Captain America to help them seek political asylum in America. However, the three were beaten nearly to death, captured and returned to the Soviet states by the government-sponsored Supreme Soviets, who had been joined by the Crimson Dynamo.[15] The comatose subconscious minds of the injured Vanguard, Darkstar, and Ursa Major formed a "Great Beast" that attempted to drain the life energies of the Supreme Soviets. Captain America stopped the Beast, and Vanguard, Darkstar, and Ursa Major regained consciousness and began recovery from their injuries.[16]

Eventually, the team took on new members Blind Faith, Stencil, and Sibercat, and added former members of the Supreme Soviets: the third Red Guardian, Fantasia, Perun, and Sputnik, and the returning Crimson Dynamo.[17] This team became known as the Winter Guard not long afterwards.[18]

References
  1. DeFalco, Tom; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2008). "1980s". Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 201. ISBN 978-0756641238. The Soviet Super-Soldiers, the Russian equivalent of the Avengers, were a team of super-powered individuals assembled by the Soviet government in this issue by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Sal Buscema.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  2. Donovan, John (2013). "Cold War in Comics: Clobberin' Commies and Promoting Nationalism in American Comics". In Chambliss, Julian C.; Svitavsky, William; Donaldson, Thomas (eds.). Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men: Superheroes and the American Experience. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 79–80. ISBN 1-4438-4803-4.
  3. Mantlo, Bill (w), Buscema, Sal (p), Buscema, Sal; Milgrom, Al (i). "The Family That Dies Together...!" The Incredible Hulk v2, 259 (May 1981)
  4. Mantlo, Bill (w), Buscema, Sal (p), Buscema, Sal (i). "To Hunt the Hulk!" The Incredible Hulk v2, 258 (April 1981)
  5. Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Supervillains. New York: Facts on File. pp. 402–403. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
  6. Gruenwald, Mark; Mantlo, Bill; Grant, Steven (w), Romita Jr., John (p), Marcos, Pablo; Layton, Bob (i). "A Gathering of Heroes!" Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions 1 (June 1982)
  7. Gruenwald, Mark; Mantlo, Bill; Grant, Steven (w), Romita Jr., John (p), Marcos, Pablo (i). "Chapter 2 First Contest: Frenzy In the Frozen North! Chapter 3 Second Contest: Ghost Town Showdown!" Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions 2 (July 1982)
  8. Gruenwald, Mark; Mantlo, Bill; Grant, Steven (w), Romita Jr., John (p), Marcos, Pablo (i). "Chapter 4 Third Contest: Siege In the City of the Dead! Chapter 5 Fourth Contest: Struggle in the Jungle! Chapter 6 Winner Takes None!" Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions 3 (August 1982)
  9. Mantlo, Bill (w), Buscema, Sal (p), Akin, Ian; Garvey, Brian (i). "Cry, the Mother Country!" Rom 45 (August 1983)
  10. Mantlo, Bill (w), Buscema, Sal (p), Akin, Ian; Garvey, Brian (i). "Bestiary!" Rom 46 (September 1983)
  11. Stern, Roger (w), Silvestri, Marc (p), Rubinstein, Joe (i). "Justice For All" X-Men vs. the Avengers 1 (April 1987)
  12. Stern, Roger (w), Silvestri, Marc (p), Rubinstein, Joe (i). "Uneasy Allies" X-Men vs. the Avengers 2 (May 1987)
  13. Stern, Roger (w), Silvestri, Marc (p), Rubinstein, Joe (i). "The Soviets Strike Back!" X-Men vs. the Avengers 3 (June 1987)
  14. Michelinie, David; Layton, Bob (w), Bright, M. D. (p), Layton, Bob (i). "Stark Wars Chapter 5: Red Snow" Iron Man 229 (April 1988)
  15. Gruenwald, Mark (w), Dwyer, Kieron; Milgrom, Al (p), Milgrom, Al (i). "Refuge" Captain America 352 (April 1989)
  16. Gruenwald, Mark (w), Dwyer, Kieron; Milgrom, Al (p), Milgrom, Al (i). "The Great Bear" Captain America 353 (May 1989)
  17. Nicieza, Fabian (w), Medina, Angel; Saltares, Javier (p), Albrecht, Jeff (i). "The Red Triangle Agenda" Soviet Super Soldiers 1 (November 1992)
  18. Busiek, Kurt (w), Chen, Sean (p), Cannon, Eric; Parsons, Sean (i). "Field of Honor" Iron Man v3, 9 (October 1998)
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