History Main / MilitarySuperhero

* The character must be a bonafide superhero. ComicBook/ThePunisher, for example, doesn't count: he's more of an anti-hero than a hero.

** ComicBook/CaptainAmerica is one of the best examples of this trope. Loyal to his teammates, a born leader, [[TheParagon a paragon of virtue]] and a bona-fide ass-kicker. He was an actual captain during his time of service with the airborne rangers during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, same goes for Bucky, Cap's onetime sidekick, since the revelation that his background was a cover story to hide his status as a covert assassin, and his [[SidekickGraduationsStick later acceptance]] of the Captain America mantle.
** The Falcon is a U.S. Air Force officer in the ''ComicBook/HeroesReborn'' continuity, and a retired member of the U.S. Army in the [[ComicBook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate]] continuity. His ''Heroes Reborn'' background was used for ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier''.
** Colonel ComicBook/NickFury. Former sergeant in charge of the Howling Commandos during World War II and concurrent leader of SHIELD. Nick's son Marcus Johnson (AKA, Nick Fury Jr.) is a Ranger in the US Army.
** ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} has served countless times in the military, most notably he was a corporal for the Canadian army paratroopers during World War 2, and he has picked up a great many habits and skills with the years. Interestingly enough, he's always shown to be VERY serious and professional in that role, contrary to his usual authority-sticking personality.
** Mister Fantastic and the Thing from the ComicBook/FantasticFour were originally vets of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, though because of ComicBookTime, it was later dropped. The ever-loving blue-eyed Thing even had one of the most prestigious military careers in comic book history, having served as a pilot for both the Air Force and the Marine Corps. His exemplary service ultimately earned him the right to serve as an astronaut, which eventually led to that [[SuperheroOrigin fateful cosmic radiation shower]]. Reed Richards on the other hand was part of O.S.S. during World War 2. Ben and Reed's service was originally in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII (Ben had even fought with the Howling Commandoes at one point), though for a long time, it was dropped from canon. That said, ''ComicBook/HeroesReborn'' tried to update it by making the time of service be in UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar, eventually it was retconned with them fighting in the fictional Siancong war.
** James Rhodes/War Machine from ''ComicBook/IronMan'' was originally a lieutenant in the USAF, and saw action in Southeast Asia. The ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' retconned him into a Lieutenant Colonel serving in South''west'' Asia. Later, it was dropped due to the sliding time scale and replaced with the fictional Siancong war due to the sliding time scale.
** Like War Machine, ComicBook/ThePunisher was originally presented as a vet of Vietnam (the comic book ''ComicBook/TheNam''[='=]s later issues even featured Frank). That said, while this still holds true for the Castle of ''ComicBook/ThePunisherMAX'', an earlier attempt to update this for the mainstream Frank happened in 2011 by Creator/GregRucka with Frank in a desert setting, suggesting either a background in UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar or UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror. Later, it was dropped due to the sliding time scale and replaced with the fictional Siancong war due to the sliding time scale.
** From the ''ComicBook/XMen'' book, a part of Professor X's backstory is being a soldier (originally in UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar, though thanks to ComicBookTime, it's now an unnamed conflict), where he got a DearJohnLetter from [[Characters/XMenMutants Moira Kinross]] before she married Joseph [=MacTaggert=] ([[DomesticAbuse which ended badly for everyone involved]]), saw his stepbrother become the Juggernaut in a temple they found, and met ComicBook/KittyPryde's father. That said, the only incarnation outside of the original comics that touched upon the idea that Xavier was in the armed forces was ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries''.
** ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}} (Carol Danvers, formerly ComicBook/MsMarvel) was a Colonel in the United States Air Force and served with the Thing back when he was human.
** ComicBook/{{Venom}}'s fourth host, [[Characters/MarvelComicsFlashThompson Flash Thompson]], was an US Army volunteer soldier who lost his legs in combat and volunteered to become the symbiote's host when the military asked him to. In this case, it's kinda literal: Flash wears the symbiote like military combat armor, instead of the famous "overly muscular black Spider-Man with razor teeth and monster tongue" version (though he occasionally takes that form on from time to time, when his control over the symbiote slips).
** Similarly Adrian Toomes, The Vulture of ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' fame, was a World War 2 fighter pilot before he founded his company, which is where he picked up some of his more acrobatic flying tricks.

->''"Central to my administration's response to this terrorist event is a newly minted resource. I know him as [[ComicBook/WarMachine Colonel James Rhodes]]. The American people will soon know him as the Iron Patriot."''

** ComicBook/CaptainAmerica is one of the best examples of this trope. Loyal to his teammates, a born leader, [[TheParagon a paragon of virtue]] and a bonafide ass-kicker. He was an actual captain during his time of service with the airborne rangers during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, same goes for [[ComicBook/BuckyBarnes Bucky]], Cap's onetime sidekick, since the revelation that his background was a cover story to hide his status as a covert assassin, and his [[SidekickGraduationsStick later acceptance]] of the ComicBook/CaptainAmerica mantle.
** ComicBook/TheFalcon is a U.S. Air Force officer in the ''ComicBook/HeroesReborn'' continuity, and a retired member of the U.S. Army in the [[ComicBook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate]] continuity. His ''Heroes Reborn'' background was used for ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier''.

** ComicBook/MisterFantastic and ComicBook/TheThing were originally vets of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, though because of ComicBookTime, it was later dropped. The ever-loving blue-eyed Thing even had one of the most prestigious military careers in comic book history, having served as a pilot for both the Air Force and the Marine Corps. His exemplary service ultimately earned him the right to serve as an astronaut, which eventually led to that [[SuperheroOrigin fateful cosmic radiation shower]]. Reed Richards on the other hand was part of O.S.S. during World War 2. Ben and Reed's service was originally in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII (Ben had even fought with the Howling Commandoes at one point), though for a long time, it was dropped from canon. That said, ''ComicBook/HeroesReborn'' tried to update it by making the time of service be in UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar, eventually it was retconned with them fighting in the fictional Siancong war.
** James Rhodes, aka Comicbook/WarMachine, was originally a lieutenant in the USAF, and saw action in Southeast Asia. The ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' retconned him into a Lieutenant Colonel serving in South''west'' Asia. Later, it was dropped due to the sliding time scale and replaced with the fictional Siancong war due to the sliding time scale.

** A part of ComicBook/ProfessorX's backstory is being a soldier (originally in UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar, though thanks to ComicBookTime, it's now an unnamed conflict), where he got a DearJohnLetter from [[Characters/XMenMutants Moira Kinross]] before she married Joseph [=MacTaggert=] ([[DomesticAbuse which ended badly for everyone involved]]), saw his stepbrother become the Juggernaut in a temple they found, and met ComicBook/KittyPryde's father. That said, the only incarnation outside of the original comics that touched upon the idea that Xavier was in the armed forces was ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries''.
** Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers, formerly ComicBook/MsMarvel) was a Colonel in the United States Air Force and served with the Thing back when he was human.

** DC's Comicbook/CommanderSteel was Hank Haywood, a US Marine who, after being injured during WWII, volunteered for special bionic upgrades that turned him into a Captain America {{Expy}}.

** More of a military ''[[{{Supervillain}} supervillain]]'', but ComicBook/{{Deadshot}}'s ComicBook/{{New 52}} incarnation is a former Marine. And as rotten as he is, he DOES save the world as a member of the ComicBook/SuicideSquad.

* Taylor Earhardt in ''Series/PowerRangersWildForce'' was an Air Force pilot before encountering an AnimalMecha and crashing on a FloatingContinent. She's one of the toughest Rangers on the team, and easily the most no-nonsense (at least until Merrick shows up), "drafting" Cole in the season premier by gut-punching him. Oddly, she basically goes AWOL as a result - the guys at her old base have no idea where she is, and she even hides her identity when a Ranger mission takes her there. She resumes duty at the end of the series, dismissing the idea of her landing on an island in the sky as people [[YouWatchTooMuchX reading too many children's stories.]] The exact same backstory also applies to her [[Series/HyakujuuSentaiGaoranger male Japanese counterpart]], Gaku Washio, who was similarly a JASDF pilot.

* In the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode [[Recap/SupernaturalS02E21AllHellBreaksLoosePartOne "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One" (S02, Ep21)]], one of the Special Children with SuperStrength is Private Jake Talley of the US Army, who was fighting in Afghanistan.
* ''Series/TheBoys2019''. In Season One, [[MegaCorp Vought International]] is seeking to get at this trope from the other direction: namely, convince the US government to use their roster of superheroes (initially employed only in law enforcement) as {{Super Soldier}}s, and are willing to use blackmail and apparently create super-powered terrorists as a GenghisGambit. It's then revealed the latter is a rogue operation by superhero Homelander, and the CEO of Vought is furious that he destroyed their monopoly of the SuperSerum in the process. By then however events have progressed too far to prevent superheroes being used in the War on Terror.

** ComicBook/MisterFantastic and ComicBook/TheThing were originally vets of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, though because of ComicBookTime, it was later dropped. The ever-loving blue-eyed Thing even had one of the most prestigious military careers in comic book history, having served as a pilot for both the Air Force and the Marine Corps. His exemplary service ultimately earned him the right to serve as an astronaut, which eventually led to that [[OriginStory fateful cosmic radiation shower]]. Reed Richards on the other hand was part of O.S.S. during World War 2. Ben and Reed's service was originally in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII (Ben had even fought with the Howling Commandoes at one point), though for a long time, it was dropped from canon. That said, ''ComicBook/HeroesReborn'' tried to update it by making the time of service be in UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar, eventually it was retconned with them fighting in the fictional Siancong war.

** A part of ComicBook/ProfessorX's backstory is being a soldier (originally in UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar, though thanks to ComicBookTime, it's now an unnamed conflict), where he got a DearJohnLetter from [[Characters/XMenMutants Moira Kinross]] before she married Joseph [=MacTaggert=] ([[DomesticAbuse which ended]] [[ChildByRape badly for]] [[KickTheSonOfABitch everyone involved]]), saw his stepbrother become the Juggernaut in a temple they found, and met ComicBook/KittyPryde's father. That said, the only incarnation outside of the original comics that touched upon the idea that Xavier was in the armed forces was ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries''.

** ComicBook/{{Venom}}'s fourth host, [[Characters/VenomFlashThompson Flash Thompson]], was an US Army volunteer soldier who lost his legs in combat and volunteered to become the symbiote's host when the military asked him to. In this case, it's kinda literal: Flash wears the symbiote like military combat armor, instead of the famous "overly muscular black Spider-Man with razor teeth and monster tongue" version (though he occasionally takes that form on from time to time, when his control over the symbiote slips).

** ComicBook/GreenLantern: Hal Jordan wouldn't become an Air Force pilot until the 2000's, and his ''[[ComicBook/DCTheNewFrontier The New Frontier]]'' incarnation is the one that most fits this trope. His experiences as a pilot during the Korean War heavily influenced his attitude towards his later job as a test pilot and his role as the newest Green Lantern of Earth's sector. Hal's character is a typical hotheaded ace flyboy, similar to Chuck Yeager.

** Hal Jordan wouldn't become an Air Force pilot until the 2000's, and his ''[[ComicBook/DCTheNewFrontier The New Frontier]]'' incarnation is the one that most fits this trope. His experiences as a pilot during the Korean War heavily influenced his attitude towards his later job as a test pilot and his role as the newest Green Lantern of Earth's sector. Hal's character is a typical hotheaded ace flyboy, similar to Chuck Yeager.

** While Hal Jordan has always been a former Air Force pilot, his ''[[ComicBook/DCTheNewFrontier The New Frontier]]'' incarnation is the one that most fits this trope. His experiences as a pilot during the Korean War heavily influenced his attitude towards his later job as a test pilot and his role as the newest Green Lantern of Earth's sector. Hal's character is a typical hotheaded ace flyboy, similar to Chuck Yeager.

* ComicBook/CaptainAmerica is one of the best examples of this trope. Loyal to his teammates, a born leader, [[TheParagon a paragon of virtue]] and a bonafide ass-kicker. He was an actual captain during his time of service with the airborne rangers during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII.
** Same goes for [[ComicBook/BuckyBarnes Bucky]], Cap's onetime sidekick, since the revelation that his background was a cover story to hide his status as a covert assassin, and his [[SidekickGraduationsStick later acceptance]] of the ComicBook/CaptainAmerica mantle.

* Captain Nathaniel Adam of the United States Air Force, better known as ComicBook/CaptainAtom. Interestingly, Captain Atom did not start this way: he was a full-time soldier who received his powers as the result of an experiment, and was ordered by the military into infiltrating the superhero community to spy on them a keep them in check. However, as can be expected, Captain Atom eventually did grow to appreciate his role as a superhero, but not without serious conflict between both aspects of him. This is explored heavily in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited''.
* John Stewart, aka Franchise/GreenLantern, is a former member of the United States Marine Corps. Originally, John's backstory had him as merely an architect before becoming a Green Lantern. The DCAU re-imagined him as a Marine veteran, and this version proved popular enough that his DCU incarnation was {{retcon}}ned [[{{Retcanon}} to have been a Marine as well]] (while leaving his existing backstory intact; he became an architect after returning to civilian life). In his modern incarnation, his training in the Corps has been a defining part of his character and has served him in his job as a superhero. His experience as a sniper helped him take down [[ComicBook/SinestroCorpsWar Sinestro Corps member Bedovian]] by sniping him ''three sectors away'', and in the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' animated series, he battled alongside US Army soldiers (among them, Comicbook/SgtRock himself) in WWII when he didn't have access to his ring's powers.
* While Hal Jordan has always been a former Air Force pilot, his ''[[ComicBook/DCTheNewFrontier The New Frontier]]'' incarnation is the one that most fits this trope. His experiences as a pilot during the Korean War heavily influenced his attitude towards his later job as a test pilot and his role as the newest Green Lantern of Earth's sector. Hal's character is a typical hotheaded ace flyboy, similar to Chuck Yeager.
* David Reid, a.k.a. Lance, of the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica. He's a member of the Marines when he's recruited and served as a kind of liasion between the two groups. Then he gets killed and comes back as [[ChromeChampion Magog]] (yep, the same character from ''Comicbook/KingdomCome'').
* Colonel ComicBook/NickFury. Former sergeant in charge of the Howling Commandos during World War II and concurrent leader of SHIELD.
** His son Marcus Johnson (AKA, Nick Fury Jr.) is a Ranger in the US Army.
* Captain Metropolis from ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' is a former Marine lieutenant, while the Comedian is an inversion; he joined the US Army after ''leaving'' the titular superhero team, on bad terms.
* Kate Kane was honorably discharged from West Point under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. She sees her vigilante activity as ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} as a form of replacement military service that gives her life meaning.
* ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} has served countless times in the military, and has picked up a great many habits and skills with the years. Interestingly enough, he's always shown to be VERY serious and professional in that role, contrary to his usual authority-sticking personality.
* Even outside of Captain America and Nick Fury, several Marvel heroes had their backstories tied into wars. These examples were retconned in the series ''History of the Marvel Universe'', which introduced a GreatOffscreenWar with the FictionalCountry of Siancong and retconned their histories into that conflict:
** ComicBook/MisterFantastic and ComicBook/TheThing were originally vets of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, though because of ComicBookTime, it was later dropped. The ever-loving blue-eyed Thing even had one of the most prestigious military careers in comic book history, having served as a pilot for both the Air Force and the Marine Corps. His exemplary service ultimately earned him the right to serve as an astronaut, which eventually led to that [[OriginStory fateful cosmic radiation shower]]. Ben's service was originally in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, though for a long time, it was dropped from canon. That said, ''ComicBook/HeroesReborn'' tried to update it by making the time of service be in UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar.
** James Rhodes, aka Comicbook/WarMachine, was originally a lieutenant in the USAF, and saw action in Southeast Asia. The ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' retconned him into a Lieutenant Colonel serving in South''west'' Asia.
** Like War Machine, ComicBook/ThePunisher was originally presented as a vet of Vietnam (the comic book ''ComicBook/TheNam''[='=]s later issues even featured Frank). That said, while this still holds true for the Castle of ''ComicBook/ThePunisherMAX'', an earlier attempt to update this for the mainstream Frank happened in 2011 by Creator/GregRucka with Frank in a desert setting, suggesting either a background in UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar or UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror.
* Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers, formerly ComicBook/MsMarvel) was a Colonel in the United States Air Force and served with the Thing back when he was human.
* DC's Comicbook/CommanderSteel was Hank Haywood, a US Marine who, after being injured during WWII, volunteered for special bionic upgrades that turned him into a Captain America {{Expy}}.

* The [[BadassArmy World Army]] in ''ComicBook/Earth2'' has a few: ComicBook/TheAtom, Wesley Dodds and his Sandmen, [[ComicBook/GreenArrow Red Arrow]], and Captain Steel. ComicBook/RedTornado is "in progress," and Hawkgirl has gone AWOL.
* ComicBook/{{Venom}}'s fourth host, [[Characters/VenomFlashThompson Flash Thompson]], was an US Army volunteer soldier who lost his legs in combat and volunteered to become the symbiote's host when the military asked him to. In this case, it's kinda literal: Flash wears the symbiote like military combat armor, instead of the famous "overly muscular black Spider-Man with razor teeth and monster tongue" version (though he occasionally takes that form on from time to time, when his control over the symbiote slips).
* The DC Comics version of Creator/ArchieComics' The Shield was a U.S. Army soldier turned into a superhero through a PoweredArmor grafted onto his body after terrorists nearly killed him in an ambush. He served as the Army's top superhuman operative.
* More of a military ''[[{{Supervillain}} supervillain]]'', but ComicBook/{{Deadshot}}'s ComicBook/{{New 52}} incarnation is a former Marine. And as rotten as he is, he DOES save the world as a member of the ComicBook/SuicideSquad.
* Similarly Adrian Toomes, The Vulture of ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' fame, was a World War 2 fighter pilot before he founded his company, which is where he picked up some of his more acrobatic flying tricks.
* ''ComicBook/Trinity2008'': One of the various retcons that occur because of the reality shift that results from [[spoiler:Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman (the titular "trinity") being removed from the universe by the villains of the story]] is that ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'s escape pod was found upon crashing by Navy S.E.A.Ls and she grew up as a MilitaryBrat, eventually becoming an Army colonel and superpowered agent answering directly to the President of the United States code-named "Interceptor".
* A part of ComicBook/ProfessorX's backstory is being a soldier (originally in UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar, though thanks to ComicBookTime, it's now an unnamed conflict), where he got a DearJohnLetter from [[Characters/XMenMutants Moira Kinross]] before she married Joseph [=MacTaggert=] ([[DomesticAbuse which ended]] [[ChildByRape badly for]] [[KickTheSonOfABitch everyone involved]]), saw his stepbrother become the Juggernaut in a temple they found, and met ComicBook/KittyPryde's father. That said, the only incarnation outside of the original comics that touched upon the idea that Xavier was in the armed forces was ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries''.
* Skyrocket (Celia Forrestal), who eventually joined the ComicBook/PowerCompany, was a Navy lieutenant who left the service after being denied transfer to a combat squadron by a superior who disliked the idea of women in combat and realized that with the armored defense harness her parents had been working on at the time of their murders she could work as a superhero instead.

See also MilitaryRankNames, when a character who may or may not have served incorporates the rank into their alias.

[[folder:Film]]

* ''Literature/SuperPowereds'' has Captain Starlight, the first Hero, who had fought in UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo before approaching the US Government about his powers. Averted with most other Heroes, since obtaining a Hero license in the US requires going to one of five colleges with an HCP department, none of which are military colleges.