The Rocketeer is a fictional character, a superhero created by writer-illustrator Dave Stevens. The character first appeared in 1982 and is a homage to the Saturday matinee serial heroes of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
The Rocketeer is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack that allows him to fly. His adventures are set in 1938 Los Angeles and New York, and Stevens gave them a retro, nostalgic feel influenced by the King of the Rocket Men movie serial, the syndicated Commando Cody TV series (both from Republic Pictures), and pinup diva Bettie Page.
In 1991, The Rocketeer was released as a feature film by Walt Disney Pictures and was directed by Joe Johnston. Rocketeer creator Dave Stevens has a small cameo in the movie as the German test pilot who dies when the Nazis' version of a rocket backpack explodes during its take-off sequence; this is shown as part of stolen and smuggled black-and-white Nazi film footage showing their top secret rocket backpack tests.
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