Jacques "Frenchy" LaRocque

Born into the gritty world of Silver Age Marvel war comics, Jacques "Frenchy" LaRocque made his debut in the very first issue of Capt. Savage and His Leatherneck Raiders in 1968, brought to life by writer Gary Friedrich and artist Dick Ayers. He's a fixture of that hard-charging series, sharing the battlefield with a colorful roster of fighters including Captain Simon Savage, Sgt. Sam "Yakkety" Yates, Jay Little Bear, Roy "Blarney" Stone, and Lee Baker — exactly the kind of vivid ensemble that made Marvel's war books such a distinctive corner of the Bronze Age frontier. With 19 catalog appearances and two recognized key issues to his name, Frenchy is a genuine piece of Marvel's military comics heritage, the sort of character who rewards collectors digging into a too-often-overlooked genre. If you have a soft spot for the era when Marvel proved superhero ink wasn't the only thing worth fighting for, LaRocque and his Leatherneck comrades are well worth your attention.