Rocket Red
Rocket Red | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
First appearance | Pushkin Justice League #3 (July 1987) Ivanovich Justice League: Generation Lost #4 (August 2010) |
Created by | Pushkin Steve Englehart (writer) Joe Staton (artist) Ivanovich Judd Winick (writer) Joe Bennett (artist) |
In-story information | |
Full name | Dimitri Pushkin Gavril Ivanovich |
Team affiliations | Justice League Rocket Red Brigade Justice League International Justice League Europe |
Notable aliases | Rocket Red #4 |
Abilities |
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Rocket Red (Russian: Ракетно-Красный, romanized: Raketno-Krasnyy) is a superhero appearing in the DC Comics universe. Created by Steve Englehart and Joe Staton, he first appeared in Green Lantern Corps #208 (January 1987),[1] appearing shortly afterward in Justice League in issue #3 (July 1987); Rocket Red was inducted into the Justice League in Justice League #7 (November 1987).
The term "Rocket Reds" refers to any member of the Rocket Red Brigade; the name in the singular is used to refer to the three individual characters named Rocket Red who were members of the Justice League. These comprise the original Rocket Red #7 (later revealed as an android), Dmitri Pushkin (Rocket Red #4) and Gavril Ivanovich.
Fictional character biography
Dmitri Pushkin
Dmitri Pushkin (Rocket Red #4) became a member of the Justice League International after the previously assigned Rocket Red #7 was revealed to be a Manhunter android. A kind-hearted and jolly man with a taste for American culture, Dimitri served with the Justice League International for many years.
When his armor was destroyed by
Dmitri is featured in the second Captain Atom Annual, helping to defend the country of Bialya from various threats.[2]
In Justice League Europe #28, Dimitri was part of the resistance against Starro because his armor prevented the alien from controlling his mind. Dmitri was neutralized when Starro threatened to harm his family. He willingly surrendered to the alien's control to keep them safe. Other Justice League members eventually defeated the menace.
Later, Dmitri and most of the Reds are taken over by the sound-using criminal Sonar. In the same issue, Russian government reports have him listed as retired.[3]
Dimitri was the only European on the team initially. He retired from super-heroics for a long time before dying in The OMAC Project, self-destructing to save the other members of the old JLI. His last words to Booster Gold were "My wife and children, Michael ... tell them I love them".
In the
In Blackest Night #3, Rocket Red was reanimated as a member of the Black Lanterns and is shown attacking the Rocket Red Brigade.[5]
Gavril Ivanovich
The 2010 ongoing series Justice League: Generation Lost introduced a new Rocket Red named Gavril Ivanovich. In this title, several members of the erstwhile JLI, pursuing a group of OMACs controlled by the resurrected Maxwell Lord, encounter a fight among a group of Rocket Reds, whose infighting was triggered by renegade Rocket Red (Gavril Ivanovich), who remains loyal to the old Communist cause and is resistant to the capitalist values of the modern Rocket Red brigade. He also sports a bulkier, outdated suit of armor that resembles Pushkin's armor rather than the sleek, modern suits worn by the other members of the brigade. The Justice League members intervene to prevent collateral damage, and Ivanovich joins the group (somewhat to their initial reluctance) in a move that paralleled Pushkin's choice to join the original JLI years earlier.[6] Gavril cements his membership in the new group during a fight against the Checkmate organization, suffering serious injuries but earning the team's respect.[7] While the team deals with the apparent loss of Blue Beetle, Gavril bonds with Fire. He shares his insecurities about being thought of as a joke by his teammates due to his poor grasp of the English language, and the two grow close, eventually sharing a passionate kiss.[8] During the final battle against Lords' army of OMACs, Gavril's armor is heavily damaged. Once Lord is temporarily defeated and the battle ends, the injured Gavril sets out to repair his suit.[9]
In September 2011,
Powers and abilities
The Rocket Reds were originally created for the Soviet Union by Kilowog and the Rocket Red Brigade — normal human beings enhanced using "forced evolution" and armored battle suits — proudly defended the USSR.
Their abilities included super strength, invulnerability, rocket-powered flight, the ability to project powerful energy blasts, and "mecha-empathy", the ability to sense and control computers and machines.
Other versions
Rocket Red Brigade is featured in the Smallville Season 11 digital comic based on the TV series.
In other media
Television
- An unidentified Rocket Red resembling Dmitri Pushkin / Rocket Red No. 4 makes non-speaking appearances in Justice League Unlimited as a member of the Justice League.
- The Dmitri Pushkin incarnation of Rocket Red makes a non-speaking appearance in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Crisis: 22,300 Miles Above Earth!" as a member of Justice League International.
- The Dmitri Pushkin incarnation of Rocket Red appears in the Young Justice episode "Leverage", voiced by Steve Blum. This version is a new member of the Rocket Red Brigade.
Merchandise
- Rocket Red received an action figure in Justice League Unlimited DC Superheroestoy line.
- Rocket Red received an action figure in Mattel's Signature Series, available through Mattel's online outlet at MattyCollector.com.
See also
References
- ISBN 978-1-4654-8578-6.
- ^ Captain Atom Annual #2 (1988)
- ^ Justice League Europe #52 (December 1992)
- ^ Booster Gold (vol. 2) #20 (July 2009)
- ^ Blackest Night #3 (September 2009)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #4 (August 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #8 (September 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #21 (March 2011)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #24 (April 2011)
- ^ Justice League International (vol. 3) #1 (September 2011)
- ^ Justice League International (vol. 3) #5 (January 2012)
- ^ Justice League International (vol. 3) #7 (March 2012)