Mercenaries in Popular Culture - Magazines and Comics

Magazines and Comics

A magazine ostensibly written for mercenary soldiers is Soldier of Fortune (SOF). The popularity of SOF led to a several similar magazines with titles such as Survive, Gung Ho!, New Breed, Eagle, Combat Illustrated, Special Weapons and Tactics, Combat and Survival, and Combat Ready that have mostly ceased publication.

Captain Easy Soldier of Fortune was an American comic from the 1930s to the 1980s.

The manga Hellsing features a band of mercenaries known as The Wild Geese, led by Pip Bernadotte. It is unclear whether the mercenaries are intended to be representing the same group as in the Daniel Carney novel, though this is possible. It is also likely that the group takes its name from The Wild Geese, the Irish who left Ireland following the Treaty of Limerick, since it was the Wild Geese serving France who finally broke the back of the English army at the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745.

The manga Berserk promeniently features a group of mercenaries, the Band of the Hawk. The main character, Guts, is also raised by mercenaries.

The popular anime series Full Metal Panic! and its various sequels focus largely on a mercenary organization known as Mithril.

The manga and now anime series Black Lagoon focuses on mercenaries/pirates in present-day South-East Asia.

The Marvel Comics universe features many mercenary character, most notably Deadpool, the "Merc with a Mouth". Others include the Taskmaster, Agent X, Luke Cage, Silver Sable and Bullseye. The mercenary character Deathstroke is part of the DC Comics universe. Mercenaries can make convenient enemies for super heroes because, plot-wise, they require no further motivation than to have been hired by another enemy.

The webcomic Schlock Mercenary follows the galactic adventures of a 31st-century mercenary company.