Rocketeer (comics)

The Rocketeer
Cover of Rocketeer Adventures 1 (May 2011 IDW). Art by Alex Ross.
Publication information
Publisher	Pacific Comics Eclipse Comics Comico Comics Dark Horse Comics IDW Publishing
First appearance	Starslayer #1 (cameo) (February 1982) Starslayer #2 (full) (April 1982)
Created by	Dave Stevens
In-story information
Alter ego	Cliff Secord
Notable aliases	The Flying Man
Abilities	Above-average hand to hand combatant Excellent athlete Highly skilled pilot and marksman Flight via rocket backpack

Starslayer #1 (cameo)
(February 1982)

The Rocketeer is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books originally published by Pacific Comics. Created by writer/artist Dave Stevens, the character first appeared in 1982 and is a homage to the Saturday matinee serial heroes from the 1930s through the 1950s.

The Rocketeer's secret identity is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jetpack that allows him to fly. His adventures are set in Los Angeles and New York in 1938, and Stevens gave them a retro, nostalgic feel influenced by the King of the Rocket Men and Commando Cody movie serials (both from Republic Pictures), and pinup diva Bettie Page.

The character was adapted into the 1991 Walt Disney Pictures film The Rocketeer by director Joe Johnston.

In 1938 Los Angeles, Cliff Secord, a local racing pilot and barnstormer, discovers a rocket pack hidden by two gangsters fleeing the police. When he decides to take it for a spin, his life is turned upside down - in more ways than one!

The Rocketeer's first adventure appeared in 1982 as a backup feature in issues #2 and #3 of Mike Grell's Starslayer series from Pacific Comics. Two more installments appeared in Pacific's showcase comic Pacific Presents #1 and 2. The fourth chapter ended in a cliffhanger that was later concluded in a special Rocketeer issue released by Eclipse Comics. The complete story was then collected by Eclipse in a single volume titled The Rocketeer (ISBN ). It was published in three versions: a trade paperback edition, a trade hardcover, and a signed, limited edition hardcover. Noted fantasy author Harlan Ellison, a fan of the Rocketeer and also an acquaintance of Dave Stevens, wrote the introduction to the collection; both Dave Stevens and Harlan Ellison signed the limited edition on a specially bound-in bookplate.