With the upcoming release of DC’sCreature Commandosshow, it’s about time to celebrate one of DC’s creepiest and most obscure teams. The majority of this unconventionally horrific team is, in reality, simply human. However, these soldiers all underwent significant physical transformations, turning them into classic movie monsters, as a tactic of psychological warfare. Over time, the team has expanded, with truly monstrous allies chosen to fill the ranks.
Originally introduced inWeird Tales #93 (1980) -by J.M. DeMatteis and Pat Broderick - and later rebooted inCreature Commandos (2000)- by Tim Truman and Scot Eaton - the team has remained in relative obscurity for the last two decades. But now, as the DC Studios’ television series is set to premiere on June 03, 2025, there’s no better time than to take a glance at some of the team’s strongest members. Here are theten most powerful members of the Creature Commandos team.
1Nina “Mermaid” Mazursky
Debuted InFrankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1 (2011)by Jeff Lemire, Alberto Ponticelli, & José Villarrubia
Nina Mazursky is arguably the most influential member of the modern Creature Commandos. Her father, Myron,created the first iteration of the teamthat served during WWII. While changing continuities make her origin difficult to grasp, it’s commonly accepted that she first turned herself into a monster before applying her father’s work to the rest of the team.
Outside of her supergenius intellect,her amphibious physiology makes her especially usefulfor, obviously, aquatic-based missions. Nina continues to work on her experiments,pushing to create even stronger Commandos.She and her father are some of the very few minds that understand the complex genetic science necessary to create the Commandos. While it may be easy enough to write off her expertise, it’s worth noting that other scientists who have attempted similar experiments,such as Man-Bat, have only failed spectacularly.
2Aten
Debuted InCreature Commandos #1 (2000)by Tim Truman, Scot Eaton, Ray Kryssing, & John Kalisz
Not to be confused with the Egyptian god of the same name, Aten is based on the real-world pharaoh Akhenaten. If Aten is the same as his real-world counterpart, his rule abandoned Egypt’s polytheistic culture to purely focus on the god Aten and himself. Thousands of years later,he was resurrected and drafted onto the Creature Commandosas one of the team’sfew true-supernatural entities.
This classic monster-movie-mummy is a supernatural powerhouse, undead and undying. While he, like most of the Commandos, is stronger than the average human, his greatest power is drawn from his mystical nature. Aten is able topass his regenerative powers onto othersby wrapping them in his bandages. While it’s never been explicitly stated that his ability is magical, it’s implication may suggest that Aten possesses other magical powers.
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3Doctor Phosphorus
Debuted InDetective Comics #469(1997)by Steve Englehart and Walt Simonson
Doctor Alexander Sartorius is anincredibly dangerous and insane super-criminalwho served on an alternate iteration of the team in the Flashpoint Timeline. An upcoming member of James Gunn’s Commandos team, Doctor Phosphorus has traditionally beenone of Batman’s villains. The once-Gotham debutant was a respected nuclear physicist who wished to construct a power plant in the middle of Gotham. His proposal was denied and the poor infrastructure of the reactor’s new home led to a crack, resulting in a severe accident thatbombarded his body with molten phosphorus.
Now, his radioactive body is an immediate threat to everyone around him and maintains seemingly infinite levels of energy. Phosphorus has since gained some control over his powers as well as a new ability to control relative temperature. Only emboldened by his extreme rage, Doctor Phosphorus is easilythe upcoming Creature Commandos’ most threatening member.
4Frankenstein
Debuted InDetective Comics #135 (1948)by Edmond Hamilton and Bob Kane
Based on Mary Shelley’s novelFrankenstein,this version of the popular movie monster has a similar backstory up until his apparent “death.” Instead, Frankenstein found his way to America where he would later bedrafted into the original Creature Commandos. Despite his monstrous appearance,Frankenstein is a genuine heroand is credited with personally killing Adolf Hitler, at least in the Flashpoint continuity.
The powerfully undead zombie is an immortal who needs nothing to sustain himself. The large bolts lodged in his body allow him some range of electrokinetic and telepathic abilities. However, most interestingly,Frankenstein can interface his mind with computersand other technology thanks to cybernetic implants given to him by S.H.A.D.E.
5G.I. Robot
Debuted InStar Spangled War Stories #101 (1962)by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru, & Mike Esposito
“G.I. Robot” is mostly considered a title rather than any singular person. During WWII, a series of prototype artificial soldiers were created by Myron Mazursky to help turn the tide of the war. The first G.I. Robot to join the Creature Commandos is named J.A.K.E. 1, although the team would later get ahold ofan army of these automaton soldiers.
G.I. Robots are designed for war.Equipped with the full spectrum of superhuman traits, the androids are also stocked with an arsenal of internal weapons and enhanced sensory systems. These robots truly have no major weaknesses. Their most interesting quirk, however, is therepeated suggestion that they are capable of developing souls. Some of the original versions of the android, Joe, Mac, and J.A.K.E. 1, have all shown signs of emotional sentient life.
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6Gunner
Debuted InAll-American Men of War #67 (1959)by Robert Kanigher and Jerry Grandenetti
Gunner MacKay was once an honorably decorated war hero who served in WWII before being killed in action in 1943. Decades later,Project M would resurrect Gunner,transforming him into a cyborg out of time. Gunner is one of the few characters on this list who has actually served in the military prior to joining the Commandos.
His knowledge of warfare is only made more deadly by his cybernetic elements thattransform into any weapon at whim. However, the soldier’s mental state often makes him unpredictable. Gunner still carries the heavy burden of his death and revival, transforming into a blazing rage of bullets. Although, he has always had a wild side. Gunner first gained his nickname during the war because he wasalways seen armed with a machine gunand hundreds of bullets.
7Warren “Wolfpack” Griffith
Debuted InWeird War Tales #93 (1980)by J.M. DemAtteis and Pat Broderick
Private Warren Griffith was one of the first members ofthe original Creature Commandos. Like many of the original team, Warren was secretly experimented on, artificially transformed him into a “werewolf.” Unlike the traditional lycanthrope,Warren isn’t affected by the moon.
With all of a werewolf’s strength and none of its weaknesses, Werewolf is a hulking beast whose canine body towers over those around him. In nearly every depiction of Warren’s transformation,his face is locked in a vicious and frothy snarlwhile he hunches down to pounce his prey.
8Lady Frankenstein
Debuted InSeven Soldiers: Frankenstein #3 (2006)by Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke
As with her cinematic counterpart, Lady Frankenstein was originally constructed to be the bride of Frankenstein’s Monster. However, Lady Frankenstein, or Bride for short, wanted nothing to do with it. Bride spent centuries wandering the Earth until shecrossed paths with S.H.A.D.E.
She would develop intoone of S.H.A.D.E.’s most valuable tactical assets.While she, like her male counterpart, is gifted with enhanced strength and near-immortality, her greatest asset is her tactical skills. Bride is a master at espionage and a terrifying marksman. While the rest ofthe Creature Commandosthrow around their heavy weight and superpowers, Bride makes all the moves that matter behind the scenes.
9Man-Bat
Debuted InDetective Comics #400by Frank Robbins, Neal Adams, & Julius Schwartz
Doctor Kirk Langstrom is a medical doctor who, much likedMarvel’s Morbiusand Lizard, attempted to cure a disability by using the genetic structure of an animal. After a failed self-tested experiment, Langstrom was transformed into a monstrous human/bat chimera. While in most continuities Man-Bat never served in the Creature Commandos, he did have a place on the teamin the Flashpoint Timeline.
In his Man-Bat form,Kirk is a superhuman brute, capable of flight, echolocation, and animal telepathy. Outside his scientific genius, Langstrom has developed a curious mind for the occult. After years of practice,Man-Bat has even been able to cast a spellor two. The well-rounded behemoth of brute strength and smarts has always been one of Batman’s most lethal threats.
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10Solomon Grundy
Debuted InAll-American Comics #61 (1944)by Alfred Bester and Paul Reinman
Another member of the alternateFlashpoint TImeline’s Creature Commandos, this longtime DC villain is easily one of the most powerful creatures on this list. Like the Commandos’ other zombies, Grundyis practically immortalbut to the next degree. Solomon’s body acts like a conduit of energy, absorbing and transforming opponents attacks into his own raw power.
The zombie aslo possesses a Deadpool-level healing factor with the added ability to still move severed limbs. And of course, when Grundy dies,he’s always reborna few days later.Solomon Grundy is unmatched; he’s a force of nature bound in a human body. Grundy comes and goes as he pleases, toppling his obstacles along the way, which pushed him to the very top of this list.
