Gary Frank is rockin the clock. The Doomsday Clock artist tweeted a drawing of Sgt. Rock, an unexpected yet beloved character in the DC Universe, suggesting the character will appear in an upcoming issue. Next to the Sergeant appears to be Ice Cream Soldier, another member of Easy Company, a WWII unit led by Rock, but it’s hard to know for sure.
If Sgt. Rock, who appeared in live action on the first season of Legends Of Tomorrow, wasn’t enough to get you excited, Johns responded to Frank with confirmation a certain “red-headed speedster” would appear in addition to many other forgotten DC characters.
Johns attached a photo of Clayface and added, “Just about everybody will show up in Doomsday Clock at one point or another. Characters you forgot you even knew… drawn my @1moreGaryFrank.”
There were many versions of Clayface, but the one above appears to be the fourth iteration, Sondra Fuller aka Lady Clay. She has the ability to shapeshift and transform herself to look like nearly anyone or anything -- she can even change her color. She’s also been known to be able to duplicate the powers of others. Lady Clay first appeared in the Outsiders #21(July 1987) and was created by Mike W. Barr Jim Aparo.
Created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert, Sgt. Rock’s first appearance was in Our Army at War #83 (June 1959). He’s known for his signature helmet, a relic that has sat behind glass on the Waverider since the first season of Legends. It’s unclear how Johns plans on working him into the storyline but the cover of Sgt. Rock Vol 1 #352 certainly has some Doomsday Clock vibes.
The appearance of speedsters in Doomsday Clock has been teased since The Button crossover event where Barry Allen and Batman investigate a mysterious button (The Comedian’s badge from Watchmen). Since Rebirth is proof Johns cares about Wally West just as much as he does Barry Allen, we can’t rule out the appearance of at least one or both of them. Batman is already set to appear and Doomsday Clock picks up in the year 1992 (seven years after the events of Watchmen). According to Johns, by story’s end, we’ll see the timeline link up with the rest of the DC Universe. Some sort of time travel could be at play, and Doctor Manhattan’s presence in DC continuity may be related.
How do you think Geoff Johns could incorporate Sgt Rock, Clayface or Wally West into the story? Let us know in the comments. Doomsday Clock #2 arrives Dec. 26.
...and in case you want to read up on Sgt. Rock, his latest appearance is in this month’s DC Universe Holiday Special 2017 #1 by Tom King with art by Francesco Francavilla. The description says: “Sgt. Rock fights the Nazis on Hanukkah.”