| Destroyer Duck | |
|---|---|
 Cover toDestroyer Duck #5 by Jack Kirby and Alfred Alcala. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Eclipse Comics Image Comics |
| Genre | Action Satire |
| Publication date | 1982 |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Steve Gerber Jack Kirby |
| Written by | Steve Gerber (issues #1-5) Buzz Dixon (issues #6-7) |
| Penciller(s) | Jack Kirby (issues #1-5) Gary Kato (issues #6-7) |
| Inker(s) | Alfred Alcala (issues #1-7) Steve Leialoha (issue #1) |
| Letterer(s) | Tom Orzechowski (issues #1-2) Adam Kubert (issue #3) Ken Bruzenak (issue #4) Peter Iro (issue #5) Gary Kato (issues #6-7) |
Destroyer Duck was ananthologycomic book published byEclipse Comics in 1982, as well as the title of its primary story, written bySteve Gerber and featuring artwork byJack Kirby andAlfredo Alcala.[1][2]
The book was published as a way to help Gerber raise funds for a lawsuit he was embroiled in at the time,[3] in which he was battling industry giantMarvel Comics over the ownership of the characterHoward the Duck,[4] which Gerber created for the company in 1973.
The main story of the comic told of Louis "Duke" Duck, a resident of a typicalanthropomorphic comic-book world, who witnessed his best friend, identified only as "The Little Guy" or "TLG", vanish into thin air before his eyes. Some years later, TLG reappeared only to die at Duke's feet—but not before telling the tale of how he was exploited and destroyed by a thoughtless conglomeration, "Godcorp." Swearing revenge, Duke vowed to take down Godcorp no matter what the cost.[5]
SubsequentDestroyer Duck tales would reveal that the Little Guy who died at Duke's feet was in fact a clone, and the original was still held captive by Godcorp; eventually, Gerber (by that point on better terms with Marvel, the lawsuit having long since been settled) revealed that The Little Guy's real name was actually "Leonard" - a new duck character who, for all intents and purposes, was identical in every way (except in name and character ownership) to Howard.
The stories introduced sentient scented dolls and Wobblina Strangelegs, who nearly got her ownone-shot. After five issues, Gerber gave up writing the title, but remained itseditor.Buzz Dixon wrote the last two issues, about aSTD-infected parody ofGilligan’s Island.Frank Miller drew the cover of the final issue. The seven issues of the comic were published very sporadically.
Issue #1 of the originalDestroyer Duck series, labeled the "Special Lawsuit Benefit Edition", is notable for containing the first appearance ofSergio Aragonés’sGroo the Wanderer and also featuring additional stories byMark Evanier,Dan Spiegle,Shary Flenniken,Martin Pasko, andJoe Staton.[6]The rest of the series contained the back-up featureThe Starling, written bySuperman co-creatorJerry Siegel, with art byVal Mayerik.
In 1994, while Gerber was working at Image forTop Cow Studio onCodename: Strykeforce, Gerber planned for issue #14 to include Destroyer Duck. At the last minute,Marc Silvestri declined, forcing Gerber and his editor,David Wohl, to revise the story. Destroyer Duck does not appear as such in the story, but Gerber introduces Specimen Q, a mysterious character imprisoned in his armor who is Destroyer Duck, as revealed in theSavage Dragon/Destroyer Duck one-shot in 1996.
