The Rocket Men - Jeff King, Commando Cody and Larry
Martin
  Rocketman
Real Name: Jeff King
Identity/Class: Human, technology user
Occupation: Detective
Affiliations: Professor Millard
Enemies: Dr.Vulcan
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: U.S.A.
First Appearance: King of the Rocketmen (Republic Pictures, 1949)
Powers/Abilities: A good fighter and excellent shot. Has a ray gun
more dangerous than a normal pistol.
His main power comes from the atomic powered rocket pack he wears.
 Designed by Professor Millard, it allows him to fly at great
speed (estimated to be around 50mph). It is controlled by dials on his vest,
deceptively simple controls including one which switches between "Up" and
"Down", and one which controls his speed, labelled "Fast".
 History:
When Science Associates, a group of top scientists, is plagued by a series
of murders, Jeff King is brought in to investigate. He learns that Dr.Vulcan,
a criminal genius, is behind the deaths, plotting to steal the group's
discoveries and take over the world using a "Sonic Decimator". Figuring that
Vulcan is secretly one of the surviving scientists, King enlists the assistance
of Professor Millard, believed by the rest of Science Associates to be among
those who have died. Seeking to even the odds between King and the forces
of Dr.Vulcan, the Professor equips his ally with a ray gun and a prototype
rocket pack. With his foe hidden behind anonymity, King responds in kind,
creating the identity of the Rocketman.
Comments: Played by Tristram Coffin.
In 1991 Innovation released a comic adaptation
of the serial, Rocketman: King of the Rocketmen, written and drawn by Chris
Moeller.
|
Rocketman
 Real
Name: ? Cody
Identity/Class: Human, technology user
Occupation: Scientist
Affiliations: Unnamed assistants
Enemies: Retik, the Radarmen, the Ruler
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Commando Cody
Base of Operations: Earth and the Moon
First Appearance: Radar Men from the Moon (Republic Pictures, 1952)
starring George Wallace as Commando Cody and "Commando Cody, Sky Marshall
of the Universe" (Republic Pictures, 1953) starred Judd Holdren.as Cody
Powers/Abilities: A good fighter and excellent shot. Has a ray gun
more dangerous than a normal pistol.
His main power comes from the atomic powered rocket pack he wears. It allows
him to fly at great speed (estimated to be around 50mph). It is controlled
by dials on his vest, deceptively simple controls including one which switches
between "Up" and "Down", and one which controls his speed, labelled "Fast".
 History: (Radar Men from
the Moon) Cody was a scientist working for a top government agency. Along
with his colleagues, he learned of unusual atomic activity on the moon, and
apparently related incidents of sabotage taking place on Earth. Having somehow
come into possession of the Rocketman suit, Cody and his fellows invent an
atomic rocket to allow him to travel to the lunar satellite and investigate
things more closely. On Luna he discovers a race of beings, the Radarmen,
led by the megalomaniac Retik. In his guise as the Rocketman, Cody manages
to thwart their plans to invade the Earth.
(Commando Cody, Sky Marshall of the Universe) When an alien calling
himself The Ruler invades and conquers much of the solar system, Cody and
his fellow scientists again form the backbone of Earth's resistance.
Comments: Played by George Wallace in the original serial, and Judd
Holdren in the subsequent 12 part series. |
Rocketman
Real Name: Larry Martin
Identity/Class: Human technology user
Occupation: Scientist
Affiliations: Unknown
Enemies: Marex
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Earth and Mars
First Appearance: Zombies of the Stratosphere (Republic Pictures,
1952) starring Judd Holdren as Larry Martin
Powers/Abilities: A good fighter and excellent shot. Has a ray gun
more dangerous than a normal pistol.
His main power comes from the atomic powered rocket pack he wears. It allows
him to fly at great speed (estimated to be around 50mph). It is controlled
by dials on his vest, deceptively simple controls including one which switches
between "Up" and "Down", and one which controls his speed, labelled "Fast".
History: When the forces of the Martian villain Marex threaten the
Earth, Larry Martin dons the Rocketman outfit to combat him.
Comments: Originally the character in this serial was intended to
be Commando Cody, but this was changed at the last minute. As a result, little
or no explanation is given for how Larry Martin laid his hands on the rocket
pack.
General Comments Pertaining to All Three Rocketmen: All the Rocketmen
gleefully ignored such minor things as the laws of inertia, able to fly at
a moving vehicle at top speed and then effortlessly land on them, instantly
slowing down without any problems.
Made in the last days of the cinema serials, where each weekly episode would
end on a cliffhanger, King of the Rocketmen saw the introduction of one of
the most distinctive superheroes who originated in this medium. Made as a
response to Columbia Pictures' hit Superman serial, Rocketman proved to be
Republic's most popular original character, guaranteeing his return.
Seeking to get maximum usage out of the money spent making the
Rocketman outfit, Republic reused it it in three subsequent serials - Radar
Men from the Moon (1952), Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952) and Commando
Cody, Sky Marshal of the Universe (1955). Tristram Coffin played Jeff King,
while George Wallace played Commando Cody in "Radar Men from the Moon" and
Judd Holdren played both Larry Martin in "Zombies of the Stratosphere" and
Commando Cody in "Commando Cody, Sky Marshall of the Universe".
Rocketman's flying abilities were created by running a life-sized dummy along
hanging from invisible wires. Special effects men Howard and Theodore Lydecker
would place one end of the wires atop a hill, and the other in a valley,
then let the dummy slide smoothly down to create the illusion of flight -
once the film was sped up and sound added, it proved quite effective. Putting
the dummy on facing backwards, so that it slid down feet first, and then
printing the film backwards, gave them their take-off
sequences.
The legacy of the Rocketmen would later inspire the
Rocketeer.
CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with
Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.
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