Question about The Unknown Soldier

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Manhunter2070

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So I was wondering if I should make a separate page for the New 52 version of the Unknown Soldier?

One the one hand, the Unknown Soldier currently appearing in Suicide Squad, a soldier that was fighting in Afghanistan, is clearly a separate character from the one that operated during WW2 / Vietnam in the old DCU war comics and Vertigo revival. The GI Combat #0 issue even shows that there were unknown soldiers in those wars before this one.

The problem is that the #0 issue also introduces a magical aspect to the character. The implication is that there is an unknown soldier "spirit" from a cursed viking age dude who inhabits dead soldiers in every war, making out like there is an unknown soldier ghost separate from the bodies that it takes over, which obviously makes things a but more complicated.

I personally feel they should have separate pages, but I was wondering what others think

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pikahyper

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#2 pikahyper  Moderator

@manhunter2070: you should probably leave it as is for now, the Unknown Soldier page has always been a mantle page as there have been at least five that I can remember, if they expand on the whole avatar thing and it looks like it will be around for a while then I guess it can be branched off.

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Manhunter2070

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@pikahyper: Fair enough. I'm not sure there have been five, there was a recent African one under Vertigo, but I assumed every other appearance was the same guy with the WW2 comics plus the Garth Ennis revival in the 90's revealing he had lived on into the Vietnam war.

But hopefully the Suicide Squad goes into his history a bit more.

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pikahyper

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#4 pikahyper  Moderator

@manhunter2070: in WWII there was one primary one but others took on the mantle for short periods, then there was the first Vertigo one but other past ones were mentioned and then in the last Vertigo series there was just the one but they made him like Marvel's Moon Knight in the fact that he was the avatar for a spirit who was working through him and influencing him, in the Vertigo version it made it a lot like what you are describing for this current New 52 version so I'm guessing this new one is mostly influenced by the Vertigo version but still sounds too much like Moon Knight.

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Manhunter2070

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@pikahyper: ah I see. I actually haven't read too much unknown soldier so I'll take your word for it.

Hope DC gets to republishing some of the older stuff in trade.

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pikahyper

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#6 pikahyper  Moderator
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Manhunter2070

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@pikahyper: I actually do have that one, right under a pile of other unread showcases I've yet to get around to.

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Dysart's run is the definite take on the character :p

BB