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JOSEF DUDEK

Real Name: Josef Dudek

Identity/Class: Normal human (Polish national) (1950s Era)

Occupation: Sailor, political refugee 

Group Membership: Crew of the cargo ship, "the Rak"

Affiliations: Captain Kognovich, fellow crew members aboard the Rak, English naval authorities

Enemies: Communist governments

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: England;

formerly mobile in the Baltic Sea;
formerly Poland

First Appearance: Battlefront#44/6 (January, 1957)

Powers/Abilities: Josef Dudek was a normal human with a knowledge of a cargo ship's operations.

History:

(Battlefront#44/6 (fb) - BTS) - Born in Poland, Josef Dudek eventually found himself a worker on board "the Rak", a cargo ship that plied the waters between communist nations. Like his fellow ship mates, he found that there was no escape from the ship and suspicion muted the crew. 

(Battlefront#44/6) - Desiring freedom, Dudek plotted his escape and at night recovered a life jacket he had hidden earlier. Despite being confronted by the ship's captain, Kognovich, who leveled a revolver at him, he still jumped over the side into the water, only to find that the captain had already sabotaged any means of escape. Dudek was brought back on board and warned of the futility of any such attempt. Every new voyage was likewise stifling for the crew. Setting out for the next voyage, Captain Kognovich banished his crew to their quarters. Dudek, as well as his fellow crew members, felt as if they were in prison and suggested mutiny. However, they all heard cheering and a band playing, and the crew, including Dudek, soon realized that Kognovich had in fact defected to England, taking his ship and crew with him. Dudek and the others were happy with their newfound freedom.

Comments: Created by uncredited writer and artist (see comments).

He's also called Joseph in part of the story.

Special thanks to Star-Studded War Comics for the scans!

Gene Colan may have been the artist for this story, although the Atlas Tales website suggests that it may have been Mort Drucker.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Josef Dudek has no known connections to:


Captain Kognovich

Captain Kognovich

Kognovich was the harsh captain of the cargo ship "the Rak", a vessel that traversed the Baltic Sea between communist nations. He was proud that no member of his crew had escaped his vessel, but secretly tried to protect them by defecting and taking his ship to England to seek sanctuary from communist regimes.

 

--Battlefront#44/6


images: (without ads)
Battlefront#44/6, p1, pan2 (main image)

p2, pan6 (head shot)
p1, pan1 (Kognovich)


Other Appearances: None


Last updated: 01/07/10

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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