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Host Derek Coward takes a quick look at Dial H for Hero concept in general, and Dial H #2, specifically.

Dial H #2

Why Buck Wild? Why not?

Buck Wild makes his first appearance in Icon 13.

From Icon’s Wikipedia Entry:

Rufus T. Wild/”Buck Wild, Mercenary Man” – First appeared in Icon #13 “It’s Always Christmas” (May 1994); Buck Wild possessed “belief defyin’ strength” and “tungsten hard skin”, but spoke as if he came from a blaxploitation film. He was a hero to the local folks, but he also took money for his work. It was revealed in his first appearance that when he received his powers in 1972, his brain had been frozen, which explains his outdated speaking patterns. Wild was clearly a parody of Marvel’s Luke Cage, complete with afro, gold headband and yellow shirt unbuttoned to the navel. In his next appearance, he is recruited to take Icon’s place—costume included—when Icon returned to his home planet. Rocket (Darnice) used her Inertia Belt to carry him, making him appear to fly. Buck’s time as Icon II was short-lived, as he gave his life in order to stop Oblivion, a mass murdering alien foe of Icon. In an issue devoted to his funeral, it is revealed in a series of eulogies from his enemies (although it is unclear how trustworthy these eulogies are) that he had taken several other costumed identities, all of them parodies of other famous black superheroes. According to these eulogies, Buck once used an experimental growth serum which turned him into the gigantic “Buck Goliath” (a pastiche of Black Goliath). While working with a Captain America-type known as Patriot, he called himself “Jim Crow” and wore a winged costume allowing him to fly (as with Falcon). As “Buck Lightning” (Black Lightning), Buck wore a wrist apparatus that generated lightning bolts. At the funeral, Kingfish (a take on Kingpin) used the legendary Ruby Begonia gemstone to bring him back to life, now able to generate green smoke, the sound of drums tolling doom, and a ghost-like double which could possess others and make them do his bidding (Brother Voodoo). Darnice, however, tells him that his time on earth is over, at which Buck removes the Begonia stone and allows himself to die. Icon recounts that Buck serves as an example to all of us of how we can be heroes wherever we are.

I was reading Invincible Iron Man #172, which happened during the Demon In A Bottle/Iron Man Rhodey phase, when I came across this bit of Bully Rogers living up to his name.

Bully Rogers

At this time Tony Stark is drinking on a dirty mattress in the poor part of town. The last thing he needs is Steve Rogers (in full costume) walking in and knocking the bottle out of his hand. When faced with a steroid rage bully with an indestructible shield that he uses as a weapon on a regular basis, Tony just wants to be left alone to drink.

Bully Rogers throws his father under the bus.

As pitiful as Tony is at this moment, Rogers turns around and walks out of the room (after spilling the man’s booze). Before he leaves, Rogers casually throws out there that his father was an alcoholic. However, Rogers’ father died when he was a child. So Rogers made it up to make a broken man feel even worse or he took time out to admit his father was a criminal who was an alcoholic during Prohibition. Either way, Steve Rogers proved in that one panel that he was a scumbag on top of being a bully.

This story happened back in 1983, so I have to wonder how long as Steve Rogers been a bully. I will keep reading older comics and each time I come across Bully Rogers, I will be sure to share it.

BTW: The villain Firebrand was also in that Skid Row flophouse without his costume on. When he saw Captain America stroll in there, he assumed the jackass was looking for him, so he suited up and set fire to a bunch of stuff. None of which would have happened if it wasn’t for a Bully on the Stroll.