Who's This? A soldier with terrible duties.
The facts: Ulysses Hazard - Codename: Gravedigger - was created by David Michelinie and Ed Davis in Men of War #1 (August 1977), his home for all 26 issues of the title. An updated version of Gravedigger would appear in Men of War's second series in 2012, but only in issues 4 through 6. Other characters have briefly used the codename, like Tyson Sykes of Checkmate and G.I. Zombie's Mr. Anderson.
How you could have heard of him: The Tyson Sykes modern-day version appeared on the Black Lightning TV show, a super-soldier played by Wayne Brady. I don't think he sings on the show, no.
Example story: Men of War #16 (May 1979) "Hide and Seek the Spy" Jack C. Harris, Dick Ayers and Romeo Tanghal
North Africa. We start our tale with Ulysses Hazard tied to a Nazi tank cannon, a "human shield" no self-respecting tank commander needs (Von King is a Nazi, so we know he has no self-respect), but if you haven't figured out from Gravedigger's entry that he's World War II's punching bag, you didn't pay attention.
Every time the tank fires a shell, the cannon gets hotter. Which will give out first, Hazard's wrists or the ropes that have him hog-tied?
That is some exciting boot removal! And instead of running away, Gravedigger runs TOWARDS the tank to blind the driver with his shirt (he'll be naked at the end of the issue, at this rate) so the Brits can fire on it with impunity. But Von King is still in the wind, and Hazard refuses medical help and instead directs his British allies to drive after him and "Defense Packet 6". Would you believe Gravedigger is on Goebbels' radar? Well, he is.
Hitler's Minister of Propaganda (so the Elon Musk of his day - I SAID IT!) goes out to visit a scientist who could fix his problem (is he a P.R. scientist?), but this is a plot thread for another day. Back to Africa where Hazard accidentally sets off a land mine at an oasis, giving him hope that Von King is nearby. Let's also not leave a minefield in the desert where oasis seekers could accidentally trip over it.
Sort of announcing their presence though. But also maybe Von King shouldn't have stopped to dig a pit trap. Or maybe that WAS a good idea...
...especially considering he also set an explosive charge to bury the tank completely! Oh, but remember the cover? I think someone's about to pop out of his desert grave like a Nazi-killing zombie.
The two antagonists both shoot, but only Von King is hit, and dies. Unfortunately, Gravedigger can't catch a break and the secret information packet is empty. That Nazi prick made the hand-off already! A submarine in the Nile? Hazard isn't calling HQ for new instructions, he's going after it. He quickly gets rid of his bandages, and it looks like his facial wound didn't heal well. And that's the origin of his distinctive scar.
He only gets it on issue 16?! Well, either way, these are very exciting war comics. Lots of action, a hero who is beaten up again and again, but survives... Yeah, I'm into it. Will seek out more.
Who's Next? The battling bowman.
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