Dinosaur Island
Encyclopedia
Dinosaur Island is an island
that has appeared in various comic book
series published by DC Comics
. The island is not the same "Dinosaur Island" that appeared in Batman
#35 (June 1946). That story by Bill Finger
and Bob Kane
involved a "Dinosaur Island" amusement park that contained robotic dinosaurs.
created the Dinosaur Island that is in use in the DC universe today for his feature The War That Time Forgot
. It is located in the South Pacific
of DC's main shared universe
and it is populated by living dinosaurs.
in 1927 when he flew Bat Lash
, Biff Bradley
, General
Joseph Stilwell
, and "Chop-Chop" (presumably the father of the Blackhawks
member) to the island on a mission for Chiang Kai-shek
. The island had long been a legend to the Chinese
people (known as Dragon Island at the time) and was believed to hold the mystical Swords of Fan. During this mission, the adventurers encounter Vandal Savage
and Miss Fear, in addition to the dangerous dinosaur
s. This tale appears in the Guns of the Dragon mini-series.
During the World War II
, several United States submarine
s seemingly disappear after encountering an area of seismic disturbances. Marines land on a nearby island hoping to find survivors, but instead find that the earthquakes has awakened the remote island's resident dinosaur population. The prehistoric beasts had been preserved via suspended animation
for centuries. With their weapons essentially useless, the squad of Marines barely escapes to tell the tale.
Despite the presence of dinosaurs, the U.S. government
consider the island a valuable strategic location in its war against Japan
. Several expeditions and operations take place at the island. The island is also used as a proving ground for the automated soldiers designated G.I. Robot
, which prove to be no match for the dinosaurs' ferocious might. The Creature Commandos
, the Flying Boots, and the original Suicide Squad
all take part in missions on the island during World War II.
Post-War expeditions have theorized that the island exists in a state of temporal flux. Black Canary
of the Birds of Prey lands on the island in modern times only to find it still inhabited by Japanese soldiers who are keeping Gunner and Sarge of "The Losers" in a P.O.W. camp.
The Suicide Squad
series reveals that a post-War mission to the island by Sgt. Rock (allegedly) and Bulldozer explains why they haven't aged as much since World War II due to temporal fluctuations. The veracity of this story may be in dispute, as Bulldozer later cryptically announces that Sgt. Rock died in World War II.
Writer/artist Darwyn Cooke
uses the island in his out-of-continuity series DC: The New Frontier
, where he connects the island with the dawn of the Silver Age
. In this series, the island is portrayed as the main antagonist, a sentient being called the Centre which has existed on the Earth since before the dawn of the human race. Feeling threatened by humanity's development of nuclear weapons, the Centre decides to end all life on Earth. In New Frontier, the Centre is portrayed as a living island with the ability to hover over great distances and spawn grotesque mutant dinosaurs to attack or defend itself.
The island is currently the setting of the twelve-part series The War That Time Forgot
.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
that has appeared in various comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. The island is not the same "Dinosaur Island" that appeared in Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
#35 (June 1946). That story by Bill Finger
Bill Finger
William "Bill" Finger was an American comic strip and comic book writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series' development...
and Bob Kane
Bob Kane
Bob Kane was an American comic book artist and writer, credited as the creator of the DC Comics superhero Batman...
involved a "Dinosaur Island" amusement park that contained robotic dinosaurs.
Publication history
In Star-Spangled War Stories #90 (April 1960), Robert KanigherRobert Kanigher
Robert Kanigher was a prolific comic book writer and editor whose career spanned five decades. He was involved with the Wonder Woman franchise for over twenty years, taking over the scripting from creator William Moulton Marston. In addition, Kanigher spent many years in charge of DC Comics' war...
created the Dinosaur Island that is in use in the DC universe today for his feature The War That Time Forgot
The War that Time Forgot
The War that Time Forgot was a comic book feature published by DC Comics beginning in 1960 in the title Star Spangled War Stories, created by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito...
. It is located in the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
of DC's main shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
and it is populated by living dinosaurs.
Fictional history
Dinosaur Island seems to have first been discovered by Enemy AceEnemy Ace
Enemy Ace is DC Comics property about the adventures of a skilled but troubled German anti-hero and flying ace in World War I and World War II, Hans von Hammer, known to the world as "The Hammer of Hell."-Overview:...
in 1927 when he flew Bat Lash
Bat Lash
Bartholomew "Bat" Alouysius Lash is a fictional Western character in the DC Universe. A self-professed pacifist, ladies' man, and gambler, Bat Lash's adventures have been published by DC Comics since 1968.-Character origin:...
, Biff Bradley
Slam Bradley
Samuel Emerson "Slam" Bradley is a fictional character that has appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. He is a private detective who exists in DC's main shared universe, known as the DC Universe...
, General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Joseph Stilwell
Joseph Stilwell
General Joseph Warren Stilwell was a United States Army four-star General known for service in the China Burma India Theater. His caustic personality was reflected in the nickname "Vinegar Joe"...
, and "Chop-Chop" (presumably the father of the Blackhawks
Blackhawk (comics)
Blackhawk, a long-running comic book series, was also a film serial, a radio series and a novel. The comic book was published first by Quality Comics and later by DC Comics. The series was created by Will Eisner, Chuck Cuidera, and Bob Powell, but the artist most associated with the feature is Reed...
member) to the island on a mission for Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
. The island had long been a legend to the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
people (known as Dragon Island at the time) and was believed to hold the mystical Swords of Fan. During this mission, the adventurers encounter Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 1 #10 , and was created by Alfred Bester and Martin Nodell....
and Miss Fear, in addition to the dangerous dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s. This tale appears in the Guns of the Dragon mini-series.
During the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, several United States submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s seemingly disappear after encountering an area of seismic disturbances. Marines land on a nearby island hoping to find survivors, but instead find that the earthquakes has awakened the remote island's resident dinosaur population. The prehistoric beasts had been preserved via suspended animation
Suspended animation
Suspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
for centuries. With their weapons essentially useless, the squad of Marines barely escapes to tell the tale.
Despite the presence of dinosaurs, the U.S. government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
consider the island a valuable strategic location in its war against Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Several expeditions and operations take place at the island. The island is also used as a proving ground for the automated soldiers designated G.I. Robot
G.I. Robot
G.I. Robot is the name of a series of fictional robots that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics. The very first G.I. Robot, nicknamed Joe, first appeared in Star Spangled War Stories #101 , created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru, with a second one named Mac in Star Spangled War...
, which prove to be no match for the dinosaurs' ferocious might. The Creature Commandos
Creature Commandos
The Creature Commandos are a fictional DC Comics team of military superhumans originally set in World War II. The original team, created by J. M...
, the Flying Boots, and the original Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
all take part in missions on the island during World War II.
Post-War expeditions have theorized that the island exists in a state of temporal flux. Black Canary
Black Canary
Black Canary is the name of two fictional characters, DC Comics superheroines created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino. The first Black Canary debuted appeared in Flash Comics #86 . The first Black Canary was the alter-ego of Dinah Drake, who took part in Golden Age adventures...
of the Birds of Prey lands on the island in modern times only to find it still inhabited by Japanese soldiers who are keeping Gunner and Sarge of "The Losers" in a P.O.W. camp.
The Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
series reveals that a post-War mission to the island by Sgt. Rock (allegedly) and Bulldozer explains why they haven't aged as much since World War II due to temporal fluctuations. The veracity of this story may be in dispute, as Bulldozer later cryptically announces that Sgt. Rock died in World War II.
Writer/artist Darwyn Cooke
Darwyn Cooke
Darwyn Cooke is an Eisner Award-winning comic book writer, artist, cartoonist and animator, best known for his work on the comic books Catwoman, DC: The New Frontier, The Spirit and Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter.-Career:...
uses the island in his out-of-continuity series DC: The New Frontier
DC: The New Frontier
DC: The New Frontier is an Eisner, Harvey, and Shuster Award-winning six-issue comic book limited series written and drawn by Darwyn Cooke, published by DC Comics in 2003-2004. It was then collected into two trade paperback volumes from 2004–2005 and then an Absolute Edition in 2006...
, where he connects the island with the dawn of the Silver Age
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
. In this series, the island is portrayed as the main antagonist, a sentient being called the Centre which has existed on the Earth since before the dawn of the human race. Feeling threatened by humanity's development of nuclear weapons, the Centre decides to end all life on Earth. In New Frontier, the Centre is portrayed as a living island with the ability to hover over great distances and spawn grotesque mutant dinosaurs to attack or defend itself.
The island is currently the setting of the twelve-part series The War That Time Forgot
The War that Time Forgot
The War that Time Forgot was a comic book feature published by DC Comics beginning in 1960 in the title Star Spangled War Stories, created by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito...
.
Television
- Dinosaur Island is featured in the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "Terror on Dinosaur Island". Gorilla GroddGorilla GroddGorilla Grodd is a supervillain appearing in DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of The Flash. He debuted in Flash v.1 #106 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino....
and his followers used it as the base for their headquarters. Grodd comments that the Bahamas, West Indies, and Florida are within a 500-mile radius of Dinosaur Island. The island is also featured in the team-up with the Challengers of the UnknownChallengers of the UnknownThe Challengers of the Unknown is a group of fictional characters in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, or co-created with Dave Wood , this quartet of adventurers explored science fictional and apparent paranormal occurrences and faced fantastic menaces.Scripts for the first...
in "Revenge of the Reach" and in a team-up with the Creature CommandosCreature CommandosThe Creature Commandos are a fictional DC Comics team of military superhumans originally set in World War II. The original team, created by J. M...
in Four Star Spectacular.
Film
- The Centre is featured as the main antagonist in Justice League: The New Frontier voiced by Keith DavidKeith DavidKeith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
. This version is a gigantic psychic entity swarming by its monster minions. It is mistaken for an island full of dinosaurs by explorers.