This December, Cliff Secord heads to the front lines of World War II in "The Rocketeer at War!" a new IDW series written by Marc Guggenheim and drawn by Dave Bullock. The creators send Cliff to Europe to battle the Axis powers in the series, and though he's now a military man, he can't help but bring along his helmet and jet-pack along for the ride.

Debuting in 1982, Dave Stevens' "The Rocketeer" took inspiration from vintage pulp magazines and movie serials. The independent comic eventually led to a 1991 Disney film starring Billy Campbell and Jennifer Connelly. While the movie didn't do amazing numbers at the box office, it became a cult hit, garnering critical acclaim and a creating a fanbase for the character that other creators would love to get for their creations.

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After reprinting all of the late Stevens' original comics in 2009, IDW moved the character's mythology forward with new stories presented in miniseries from creators including Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, J. Bone, Roger Langridge and more. Now, with Guggenheim and Bullock set to take the character on his next adventure, we spoke with the writer about Cliff's time as a soldier rather than a high-flying superhero -- and how the former is quickly set aside for a return to the latter.

CBR News: You contributed to "Rocketeer Adventures" a few years ago. Did that prime the pump for "The Rocketeer at War?"

Marc Guggenheim: Most definitely. My "Rocketeer Adventures" story was, as they all were, quite short. Eight pages -- that's like stopping just when you're finding your groove. It's great to be able to stretch my legs with the character for an ongoing series.

Cliff signs up to fight in World War II in this series. How does he balance soldiering with his superhero career?

Ah, well that's the fun of the book. I don't want to spoil too much, but I will say that at the start of the series, Cliff isn't the Rocketeer anymore. He's just an average soldier, an average "joe." Obviously, we'll correct that by the end of the first issue, but I find it fun to see Cliff in a different environment, stripped of his jetpack and supporting cast. It makes it all the more exciting when we get the band back together.

What kind of threats to Cliff and the Rocketeer find themselves up against aside from all those enemy soldiers?

Well, they're not just any regular enemy soldiers, they're Nazis! And Nazis are always fun to fight. And who knows? The Nazi's just might have a "Rocketeer" of their own to vex Cliff with...

Can readers expect to see any familiar faces either from the real world or Rocketeer's other adventures?

Peevy and Betty, for sure. I don't have any plans at the moment to see any real life historical figures, but that could certainly change if the dictates of the story lead us in that direction.

Do you remember your first exposure to the Rocketeer character?

I was, I guess you could say, aware of the character from reading magazines like -- and I'm dating myself here -- "Amazing Heroes." But it wasn't until the movie that I really found out who the character was.

When working on a character like this, one with a history that spreads over decades and through multiple mediums, do you look at those other offerings for inspiration?

Absolutely. And the property itself is such an homage to the serials and pulp heroes of the era that I feel like the Rocketeer works best when the writing and art are steeped in those influences.

"The Rocketeer at War!" by Marc Guggenheim and Dave Bullock arrives in December from IDW.