The Howling Commandos were a legendary team in Marvel's comic history. Set up during the Second World War, the group has consisted of some of the most heroic and capable men that have ever stepped foot on the battlefield. They have greatly evolved over time and have remained relevant despite the fact that they are essentially a team taken from history.
While they are not recognized as one of the most powerful groups to have ever fought crime in the Marvel Universe, they have a history of being incredibly useful in difficult situations. They are a crack group of operatives with some incredibly famous members including Dum Dum Dugan and Nick Fury, but there's plenty of other things fans don't know about them.
10 Sam Sawyer's Mission
Originally the Howling Commandos were actually created by a military man by the name of Samuel Sawyer. Nicknamed Happy Sam, the Commandos were governed in the field by Sawyer, who has continued to hold major military roles ever since.
He's been an integral part of the security of the United States and has even worked alongside Nick Fury in S.H.I.E.L.D. The MCU iteration of Happy Sam is a member of the Howling Commandos, rather than its former leader.
9 Leadership Changes
Leadership is incredibly important for any group, with a range of heroes certainly suitable to step up to the plate as the head of the Howling Commandos. However, only a few have actually lead the group into battle, either in the field or behind the scenes.
Asides from Happy Sam, Nick Fury is the best-known leader of this group. Agent Coulson has also lead his own version of the team down the line and a capable government official and an iteration of the character Sidewinder, Adam Torchia, has also been head of the organization.
8 The Titular Howl
The Howling Commandos is quite an iconic title. They gained the name Commando thanks to their military position, but the howling aspect of their name they actually earned in the midst of a terrible battle.
In order to intimidate their enemies while causing a distraction, the Commandos let out a loud "wah-hoooo", mimicking a werewolf in many ways. This howl worked in the heat of the moment, garnering them the title Howling Commandos, despite the fact they have rarely used the tactic since.
7 Members Of The British Army
The Commando title was also given to them by Winston Churchill. The Commandos served across seas for a number of years, fighting on the beaches of France and serving alongside the British military in impressive fashion.
The Prime Minister at the time, Churchill himself, was so impressed with their work that he made them an official part of the British military in the Commando role. They still technically hold some sort of position in Britain but usually work on behalf of the US with the PM resorting to heroes like Captain Britain instead.
6 War Records
The Howling Commandos are usually recognized for their work in World War II. Indeed, the characters have also been portrayed in the MCU as part of the second war of all wars and are usually depicted during some of these deadly battles.
However, the Howling Commandos have also served in a number of wars since then, either on the front lines or in an espionage role. Much more dangerous than Marvel's Civil War, whether it's the Cold War as a whole, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War, the Commandos have certainly served their country many times.
5 Black Ops Team
Eventually, as the members of the group changed and the terms of warfare also shifted, the Howling Commandos were turned into a Black Ops group, known instead for their elite training and capabilities in the fields of espionage and sabotage.
They continued to roll through missions for the US and allied governments and took on a number of security threats. They also worked in conjunction with S.H.I.E.L.D. with Nick Fury once again offering up some form of leadership.
4 KIA
Unfortunately for the team, the killed in action list is incredibly long. A huge number of Howling Commandos have been shot at, mortally wounded, or captured and killed during combat. Some quite recognizable names are on that kill list.
Dino Manelli, Gabriel Jones, Erik Koenig, Duane Willson, Rebel Ralston, Jerry Larkin, Pinky Pinkerton, George Stonewall, Jonathon Juniper, and Hans Klaus are members of the team who were sadly defeated and killed in the line of duty.
3 Nick Fury On Screen
Nick Fury has appeared on screen a couple of times, with the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. holding a number of animated appearances to his name. However, in live-action, he has been portrayed twice, once by David Hasselhoff and multiple times by Samuel L. Jackson.
What's interesting to note that despite the Howling Commandos existing in the MCU and even though Hasselhoff's version had his own team, no version of the live-action Nick Fury has been linked to the military group. This is strange considering how closely tied Fury is to the Howling Commandos in the comics.
2 James Falsworth
In terms of the MCU iteration of the group, there are a few changes to the roster. One interesting on-screen difference is the inclusion of James Falsworth into the original group. In the comics, the character actually takes on the moniker of Union Jack.
The British hero is actually taking the place of Pinky Pinkerton though, who would then later show up as part of the Howling Commandos during Agent Carter's time with the team. Falsworth supposedly died after the war, suggesting he may have suited up as the British hero in the MCU.
1 Coulson's Team
Agent Coulson needed a very specific kind of team to face some of the supernatural threats that were emerging in the Marvel Universe. Dusting off an old team, he decided to call his new group the Howling Commandos, perhaps a joke on the werewolf nickname.
The team consisted of some of Marvel's most terrifying monsters. From The Living Mummy, Man-Thing, and Frankenstein's Monster, the group brought some classic horror characters together and had them fight as a dysfunctional, yet powerful unit.