Did you know that the 37th president of the United States, Richard Milhous Nixon, was once depicted as a comic book villain? Well, the writer, Steve Englehart, wrote a suspenseful storyline that would ultimately unveil 'Tricky Dicky' to be the mastermind behind a top-secret, evil organization. But to avoid slander, when the aforementioned scene was conveyed on the comic book page, namely, in 'Captain America and The Falcon' #175 (circa 1974), Nixon's face isn't clearly seen, even though the dialogue spoken indicates who he actually is. Along similar lines, a number of other American presidents have also starred in a superhero comic book. This includes...
DC Special #29
Cover date: September 1977 / Written by: Paul Levitz / Illustrated by: Joe Staton / Published by: DC Comics / Name of the story: The Untold Origin of the Justice Society
American president starring in the comic book: The 32nd president of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who served in office from 1933 until he died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1945. He was a member of the Democratic Party and the only American president to have served more than two terms in office, partly due to the outbreak of World War II / Summary of the story: To prevent Adolf Hitler and the German Army from overpowering Allied forces, President Roosevelt helps to form a team of heroes, eventually called, the Justice Society of America, so they can take on Hitler's numerous machinations during World War II.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #4
Cover date: December 1986 / Written by: Frank Miller / Illustrated by: Frank Miller / Published by: DC Comics / Name of the story: The Dark Knight Falls
American president starring in the comic book: The 40th president of the United States, Ronald Wilson Reagan, who served in office from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party and the first American president who was originally a famous Hollywood actor / Summary of the story: While Batman deals with the aftermath of the Joker's latest killing spree, the whole wide world suddenly faces a major nuclear disaster caused by political unrest between the United States and the USSR.
Superman: The Man of Steel #20
Cover date: February 1993 / Written by: Louise Simonson / Illustrated by: Jon Bogdanove / Published by: DC Comics / Name of the story: Funeral Day
American president starring in the comic book: The 42nd president of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, who served in office from 1993 to 2001. He's a member of the Democratic Party and the first American president to be born in the Baby Boomer generation / Summary of the story: Heroes, villains, and civilians alike, all mourn the death of Superman at the hands of Doomsday either by attending a funeral in his honor or by recollecting a past encounter they had with the well-known Kryptonian.
The Amazing Spider-Man #583 (Volume 1)
Cover date: March 2009 / Written by: Zeb Wells / Illustrated by: Todd Nauck / Published by: Marvel Comics / Name of the story: Spidey Meets the President!
American president starring in the comic book: The 44th president of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama II, who served in office from 2009 to 2017. He's a member of the Democratic Party and the first African-American president in American history / Summary of the story: On Inauguration Day, the Chameleon tries to trap the president-elect, Barack Obama, so he can impersonate him and then become the next president of the United States. But as luck would have it, a couple of people at the White House manage to stop the Chameleon in his tracks.
Savage Dragon #226
Cover date: August 2017 / Written by: Erik Larsen / Illustrated by: Erik Larsen / Published by: Image Comics / Name of the story: Trumped
American president starring in the comic book: The 45th president of the United States, Donald John Trump, who served in office from 2017 to 2021. He's a member of the Republican Party and the first American president who hosted and co-produced a hit reality TV series, namely, 'The Apprentice' / Summary of the story: When a tyrant assumes command of the United States of America, all of the aliens living there are deemed a threat to national security and targeted for elimination, including Malcolm Dragon and his family. So, what's next for Malcolm and company? Fight or flight?
So, there you have it, folks, five American presidents who've starred in a superhero comic book. Out of curiosity, have you read any of the comics listed? And if not, will you want to read one of them now? Either way, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below. Or if you prefer, let us know of other famous people who've shared a story with a comic book character.
DC Special #29
Cover date: September 1977 / Written by: Paul Levitz / Illustrated by: Joe Staton / Published by: DC Comics / Name of the story: The Untold Origin of the Justice Society
American president starring in the comic book: The 32nd president of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who served in office from 1933 until he died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1945. He was a member of the Democratic Party and the only American president to have served more than two terms in office, partly due to the outbreak of World War II / Summary of the story: To prevent Adolf Hitler and the German Army from overpowering Allied forces, President Roosevelt helps to form a team of heroes, eventually called, the Justice Society of America, so they can take on Hitler's numerous machinations during World War II.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #4
Cover date: December 1986 / Written by: Frank Miller / Illustrated by: Frank Miller / Published by: DC Comics / Name of the story: The Dark Knight Falls
American president starring in the comic book: The 40th president of the United States, Ronald Wilson Reagan, who served in office from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party and the first American president who was originally a famous Hollywood actor / Summary of the story: While Batman deals with the aftermath of the Joker's latest killing spree, the whole wide world suddenly faces a major nuclear disaster caused by political unrest between the United States and the USSR.
Superman: The Man of Steel #20
Cover date: February 1993 / Written by: Louise Simonson / Illustrated by: Jon Bogdanove / Published by: DC Comics / Name of the story: Funeral Day
American president starring in the comic book: The 42nd president of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, who served in office from 1993 to 2001. He's a member of the Democratic Party and the first American president to be born in the Baby Boomer generation / Summary of the story: Heroes, villains, and civilians alike, all mourn the death of Superman at the hands of Doomsday either by attending a funeral in his honor or by recollecting a past encounter they had with the well-known Kryptonian.
The Amazing Spider-Man #583 (Volume 1)
Cover date: March 2009 / Written by: Zeb Wells / Illustrated by: Todd Nauck / Published by: Marvel Comics / Name of the story: Spidey Meets the President!
American president starring in the comic book: The 44th president of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama II, who served in office from 2009 to 2017. He's a member of the Democratic Party and the first African-American president in American history / Summary of the story: On Inauguration Day, the Chameleon tries to trap the president-elect, Barack Obama, so he can impersonate him and then become the next president of the United States. But as luck would have it, a couple of people at the White House manage to stop the Chameleon in his tracks.
Savage Dragon #226
Cover date: August 2017 / Written by: Erik Larsen / Illustrated by: Erik Larsen / Published by: Image Comics / Name of the story: Trumped
American president starring in the comic book: The 45th president of the United States, Donald John Trump, who served in office from 2017 to 2021. He's a member of the Republican Party and the first American president who hosted and co-produced a hit reality TV series, namely, 'The Apprentice' / Summary of the story: When a tyrant assumes command of the United States of America, all of the aliens living there are deemed a threat to national security and targeted for elimination, including Malcolm Dragon and his family. So, what's next for Malcolm and company? Fight or flight?
So, there you have it, folks, five American presidents who've starred in a superhero comic book. Out of curiosity, have you read any of the comics listed? And if not, will you want to read one of them now? Either way, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below. Or if you prefer, let us know of other famous people who've shared a story with a comic book character.
FIVE AMERICAN PRESIDENTS WHO'VE STARRED IN A SUPERHERO COMIC BOOK
Reviewed by David Andrews
on
February 26, 2024
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