Super Soldiers

by Jason Inman

  Years after torturing Parker, Flash received his draft number for the Vietnam War.

  (Due to the Marvel Comics sliding timeline of events, this war has now been retconned to an unknown military conflict. We can’t have Flash be sixty years old in the present, can we?)

  Flash quickly found himself in the Army and overseas. During one mission, Flash was separated from his platoon. Injured and wandering in the jungle, Flash discovered a mysterious temple. Delirious from his wounds, he fell unconscious and soon awoke to find himself inside the temple called the Sacred Hidden Temple (comic books, kids!). An old man and a kind woman tended to his wounds and nursed him back to health. They taught Flash little pieces of their philosophy: “It is written—to save one life is to save the world,” said the kind woman. Flash was impressed by their altruism, but felt himself called back to the outside world, back to his unit. When he made it back to his platoon, he learned his commanding officer was about to begin shelling a new target, an intense bombardment on an area known as Sector B. Thanks to the art form of dramatic storytelling, I invite you to guess what structure sits right in the middle of Sector B. That’s correct, it’s the Sacred Hidden Temple! Flash pleaded with his superiors, demanding they leave the sector alone, while revealing the temple’s location in the middle of their target. They scoffed at him. There was no temple in that sector, so the bombardment would proceed. Flash hightailed it back to the Sacred Hidden Temple, making it there minutes before the barrage was to begin. He tried to appeal to the old man and the kind woman to leave the temple before the fire and fury of the Army dropped on their heads. However, the old man would not budge. He believed that, if Flash was kind, then his compatriots must be as well. They would not leave. Concerned for his own safety too, Flash left just before the shelling began. This event would haunt Flash for years—as readers were able to see when he retold this story to his biggest idol, Spider-Man.

  While serving in foreign countries, it’s very easy to empathize with the citizens there. After all, people are just people. At our most basic level, none of us want to hurt anyone. We just want to live our life and love our families. So, I empathize with Flash.

  While in Iraq, I was fortunate to know a family with three children: Sahaad, Fahadh, and Abbad. These three brothers and their family lived in a hut outside an asphalt plant we were guarding. The boys would come out to our Humvees, and at first, we did not allow them to come anywhere near us. Yet, over time, when they kept coming back day after day, we got close to them and began to chat. They would ask for candy. They would ask for our sunglasses. They were just normal boys curious about the fully armed Army unit parked outside their hut. Eventually, I reached out to some organizations back in the US and asked if they would donate some balls or toys for the kids. Everyone responded with a resounding “yes,” so not only was I able to gift these boys all kinds of footballs, baseballs, and more, but we always kept a small box in our Humvee to toss to any other Iraqi kids we saw along the road on our missions. We played catch with the kids on several days—there was nothing else to do out there. One day, their mother brought us a serving of bread, which I still consider to be one of the kindest gestures I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I have no idea what happened to those boys. Once the asphalt plant mission wrapped up after two months, we never went back there. Every once in a while, we would drive by the plant, but I only saw Sahaad once more, walking down the road. Still, these kids were just kind and I always think it’s helpful to remember that not everyone is the US military’s enemy. Some people are just people.

  Flash returned from his military experiences a changed man. He did suffer regrets about the incident with the temple that led him to become an alcoholic—just like his father. With the help of some his friends, Flash was able to beat addiction, and, through the ordeal, he actually became close friends with Peter Parker. Flash didn’t need to punish Peter anymore once he saw that Peter was just like him—exactly like the nice people in the temple. He would go on to become a PE coach; teaching young kids his love for all sports. However, 9/11 would end Flash’s career in teaching very quickly.

  Unlike some comic book companies, Marvel Comics decided to let their characters experience the tragic events of September 11, 2001. How could they not? A majority of their characters fight crime and live in the heart of Manhattan. It would be hard to write about some of their exploits after that event as if they hadn’t been affected. In a very special issue of Amazing Spider-Man, Spidey helps the firefighters and Captain America in their efforts to rescue people from the rubble of the World Trade Center. It’s a heartbreaking issue and a tough read.

  Flash Thompson, like many Americans after 9/11, felt useless. They needed to do something, to make a difference somehow. Flash rejoined the military and was rapidly sent to the Middle East. Peter and his other friends supported Flash’s decision, although they missed their friend.

  I can remember where I was when I found out about 9/11. It’s an almost cliché statement now—who doesn’t remember where they were when they first learned the terrible news? I was in a very unique situation on that day. I was at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, still in the middle of my Advanced Individual Training.

  Advanced Individual Training is where new enlistees to the Army receive more specialized training for their military jobs. Sometimes AIT can be just like college—a very relaxed atmosphere where learning is slightly more disciplined. Other times, it can be exactly like basic training—drill sergeants yelling in your face every second of the day, on top of the more advanced training that relates to your job. My AIT experience was the latter.

  On September 11, 2001, my AIT involved a day out on the range. This range was specifically designed around minefields and minefield disarmament. I remember enjoying being out there because any day we were away from the barracks was a nice change of pace. That day we had to crawl across fields of dirt, poking and prodding to discover the buried mines the drill sergeants had placed out there. The dirt was dry, and our only tool was a long white stick that looked like a composer’s baton. You need a small object to hit the metal of the mine from the side. Hitting the mine from the side will not activate the explosive charge, nor will the light pressure from the stick. Once you’ve come upon a mine, you have to lightly unbury it from the sides, discovering the edges, then slowly disarm it in a complicated, boring process. Our objective was for recruits to find three mines each. Finding the mines was easy. I remember thinking the drill sergeants should have hidden them harder. Walking from the training minefield, I began to hear the drill sergeants yelling. This wasn’t their normal yelling. I didn’t hear insults about a private’s physical abilities—they were yelling about a war. “We’re going to war! You’re all going to war!” This was the mantra these very frightening men were yelling. None of us knew what they were talking about. In AIT, you’re not allowed to watch television or listen to the radio. We had no idea what had happened. An hour later, the drill sergeants wheeled out a television and gathered all the soldiers. They turned on the news and then we saw it: the World Trade Center towers going down and everything else falling to madness as a result. We didn’t stay in the training field much longer. Ft. Leonard Wood had been put on full alert because of the attack. That meant no more training, no more classes, and everyone go back to your barracks to prepare. As we were driving back to our barracks, I saw the base transform before my eyes.

  Army bases are essentially small towns. There are houses, stores, and churches. Except these normal places are surrounded by weapons depots, barracks, and buildings all dedicated to the art form of war. Several tanks passed our bus. At this time, I had been at Ft. Leonard Wood for about three months. I had seen some of the tanks, but never driving down the street at full speed. At most intersections I saw soldiers in full battle rattle (flak vests and Kevlar helmets) placing giant concrete barricades, blocking off the streets, and forcing all traffic to take a single route. Our trip to the minefield range that morn
ing took a little less than thirty minutes. The return trip was an hour-and-a-half ordeal. We spent the rest of the night in the barracks, talking among ourselves. Would we be going to war? Do you think they’d activate us straight from AIT? We had all joined a peacetime military force that had just transformed into a wartime military force. We had seen it up close with our very own eyes.

  In Amazing Spider-Man #574 (2008), comic book readers got to experience Flash transforming right before their eyes as well. The issue begins with Flash lying in a hospital bed. A man in dress uniform walked into the room; this was General Fazekas. The general revealed he was here to question Flash in relation to whether he deserved the Medal of Honor.

  In case you don’t know, the Medal of Honor is the highest honor any military member can be awarded. There have been 3,522 awarded to the nation’s soldiers, airmen, sailors, marines, and coast guardsmen. The Medal of Honor is normally awarded personally by the President of the United States, so one could say receiving the medal is a “big deal.”

  Flash began recounting his mission, and the comic cut to a flashback (no pun intended). In Mosul, Iraq, Flash and his squad rode in a Stryker ICV, which is an armored vehicle used for breaching unsafe areas. Their mission was to knock on doors and clear the area of any insurgents. A standard “clear and cordon,” as Flash calls it. Before they knew it, the Stryker vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device and overturned. They were trapped in the vehicle until Flash managed to push the door open. This was an attack. The squad evacuated the vehicle while bullets flew in every direction and ricocheted off every surface as they hunted down their target. Flash’s squad had driven straight into a “kill zone.” Flash and a fellow soldier named Santos were able to shimmy their way out of the fallen vehicle and use a nearby building for cover. However, their safety didn’t last. With a terrible shriek, an insurgent leaped from his hiding place and attacked Santos. The two men struggled—fighting, clawing, and shoving each other—both desperately trying to emerge victorious from this intimate battle of life and death. Fate was not going to let either of them decide. The building these men was in collapsed on top of them and a shower of wood and concrete buried Santos. Flash dug through the rubble but discovered that Santos was gravely injured. Our hero tried to radio for help, but no signal got through. Flash was on his own. He moved out to find a medic. He didn’t get fifty yards before he was surrounded by six insurgents this time, each with a weapon pointed straight at him. He leaped to the ground for cover and unloaded every bullet from his M16. Most of their hits were absorbed by Flash’s flak jacket, but the insurgents did land several good shots in his legs. Amidst all that pain, Flash decided to stand up and go back for Santos.

  It is during this story Flash makes the decision that enshrines him as a true comic book hero. Instead of going for a medevac for himself, he turned around and decided to scoop up Santos. To carry his battle buddy out of harm’s way and deliver him to safety. With every painful step, Flash carried Santos on his shoulders, delivering him to a medical helicopter and ensuring his survival.

  In the present, Flash revealed that, if he hadn’t gone back for Santos, his friend would have died. The general asked Flash what was going through his head. Flash replied, “What was going through my head was that the good guys think of others before they think of themselves.”

  Up to this point in comic book history, Flash was nothing more than a supporting character—a cliché archetype of a simple bully who made us, the comic readers, feel sorry for Peter Parker, our protagonist and point-of-view character. Over the course of this story, Flash claims the mantle of hero with a smart turn in the writing. Through flashbacks and various cutaways to past Spider-Man stories, we learn that Flash bases all of his decisions on “What would Spider-Man do?” His entire moral code and his actions come straight from the playbook of a certain webbed wall-crawler. The strength to push through the door, the ability to fight six insurgents by himself, and the decision to save Santos’ life over his own were all inspired by Spider-Man.

  What an amazing example to set for comic book readers. Want to know what’s the morally right thing to do in any situation? Think about your comic book hero; they’ll steer you in the right direction. To pair this moral code with an Army soldier only amplifies the message. The feelings of awe and wonder inspired by the heroics of our protagonist should happen all the time in comics—it’s one of their primary purposes. I’m just surprised that this story comes from Flash Thompson.

  The last panel reveal of this issue is Flash suffering a loss based on his choice. The injuries he sustained in the attack forced an amputation of his legs—a sad turn to an inspiring story.

  When Flash finally returned to New York, his friends surrounded the new Medal of Honor recipient. Flash even reignited his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Betty Brant. All of them helped Flash deal with his physical loss and his time overseas, strengthening his confidence—not that Flash needed any help in that department. This dramatic shift also allowed Flash, the character, to embrace a new air of fearlessness. All the aforementioned elements came together to form an amazing character arc. It’s astounding to see this character, who could never pull his head out of his ass, finally become a real hero and even a real person.

  Flash would soon have another opportunity to serve his country. He was contacted by the Department of Homeland Security. They had a group of scientists who wanted to use a dangerous weapon to create a new kind of super soldier. The weapon? Why, it was the alien symbiote known as “Venom.”

  It’s intriguing to note that so many characters in the Marvel Universe, heroes and villains, receive their powers in experiments that are chasing the super soldier ideal established by Captain America.

  Spider-Man fans know the villain Venom well. With his large black body and aggressive white eyes, his design became iconic the moment it first graced a comic page. Venom was a symbiote from another planet who mostly looked like a pile of black liquid goo. The symbiote was more or less harmless…until it bonded with a host. Its original host was Peter Parker. Parker couldn’t control the symbiote, instead finding its super-aggressive nature troublesome and non-conducive to crime-fighting. Peter forcibly removed the alien by using its weakness—loud sounds in the form of some giant church bells. The Venom symbiote bonded with many other hosts, including Eddie Brock, until the US government captured it and designed this new project.

  Knowing that Flash was a man who had literally risked life and limb to save his fellow soldiers, the DHS scientists believed he was the perfect man to control the Venom symbiote. Plus, his eternal fanboy adoration of Spider-Man made him the ideal candidate. After pumping him full of sedatives, they released the Venom symbiote to bond with Flash. It did, and its first action was to give Flash a new pair of legs. With this small change, they discovered that Flash had abilities far beyond those of a normal soldier. With wall-crawling, web-shooting, enhanced strength, and more, Flash found himself the equal of Spider-Man. The government quickly codenamed him “Agent Venom.”

  Flash jumped at the opportunity to be a hero and to serve. The government was very strict on the regulations and preventive measures they used to keep this new Venom from becoming the aggressive monster it had been in the past. They limited Flash’s total time with Venom to only twenty missions. Once he reached that milestone, he would forever be banned from connecting with the symbiote; this was to prevent their two separate consciousnesses from forming a permanent bond. The government also forced Flash to shed the Venom suit following each mission, forcing it back into a protective tube so host and symbiote could not communicate. Flash didn’t mind these preventive measures. He shrugged it all off. His injuries had changed him. The changes gave him the strength of will to control a powerful alien. If he had survived Iraq and he had survived the loss of his legs, then he could survive whatever this was.

  I know that feeling personally. The confidence of surviving war will do that to you. There
’s no way it can not change you. While I came out the other side of my deployment in Iraq completely different from Flash (no permanent injuries, thank God), I did come out with an inherent sense of confidence I had not had before. A “malaise of steel” is what I like to call it. For the first year after I returned from the combat zone, I was invincible. Nothing could touch me. Nothing could stop me, and I was making decisions fearlessly. Move to a town I had never lived in before? Done. Ask out a girl who’s a complete stranger? Easy. Also, I put more miles on my car during those twelve months than I’d ever drove in the past, simply because I wanted to get out and see more—places I had never been, things I had never done, they were all for the taking because of this confidence. If I could survive Iraq, nothing stateside could touch me. I wish I could tell you that confidence lasts forever. It doesn’t. Little by little, it wears off, until you’re back to your normal routines and fears and foibles. There’s a piece of it still inside me. A tiny shard that screams to be fearless. Sometimes I listen to it and sometimes I don’t. But I can still hear it.

  I imagine that feeling was personified by the Venom symbiote for Flash Thompson. It probably amplified and enhanced those feelings, so he became a wrecking ball of fury when the time arrived for his missions. That’s the true reason he was such an excellent super soldier. In fact, I would even propose that Flash Thompson is a better super soldier than Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America.