Our Army at War #85
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeOur Army at War #85 (August 1959) contains the first appearance and origin of Phil 'Ice Cream Soldier' Mason, the earliest named, recurring supporting member of Easy Company beyond Sgt. Rock himself — making it the issue where Robert Kanigher began the deliberate ensemble-building that would define the series for nearly three decades. The story establishes Easy Company's signature storytelling template: a reluctant outsider, mocked by his comrades, proves himself in a moment of raw battlefield improvisation, then earns his nickname as a badge of honor rather than shame. That structural formula — the underdog redeemed under fire — became the engine behind dozens of Easy Company introductions, giving the Sgt. Rock strip a depth of recurring cast that set it apart from competing war anthologies. Ice Cream Soldier himself remained a fixture of the company roster all the way through the title's 1988 conclusion and carried over into animated adaptation, underlining how consequential this single issue was to the long-term identity of DC's flagship war feature.
In "Ice Cream Soldier!", timid Private Phil Mason—mocked by his comrades as too soft for war—faces his greatest test on a frozen lake, where his courage is put to the ultimate trial. Written by Robert Kanigher and brought to life with gritty precision by Joe Kubert, this powerful tale from Our Army at War #85 (1959) turns a nickname into a testament of unexpected strength. The cover by Jerry Grandenetti captures the moment with stark, evocative detail.
In "Ice Cream Soldier!" from Our Army at War #85 (1959), timid Private Phil Mason—mocked by Easy Company as the "Ice Cream Soldier" for his nervous demeanor—faces his toughest test yet when a frozen lake becomes the battlefield. When a sudden enemy assault forces him to act, his unshaken courage on the ice reveals a strength no nickname could ever predict.
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The issue arrived just two months after Our Army at War #83 (June 1959) established Sgt. Rock's definitive form under writer-editor Robert Kanigher and artist Joe Kubert, meaning Kanigher was already consciously expanding Rock's world at speed. The lead story, 'Ice Cream Soldier!', is scripted by Kanigher and drawn and signed by Kubert — the same creative partnership that drove the title's rise — with lettering by Gaspar Saladino; the cover and backup anthology content were handled by Jerry Grandenetti, with a second backup story ('Something for the Sarge!') written by Bob Haney and drawn by Russ Heath, the same team whose earlier OAAW #81 had contributed a Sgt. Rock prototype. The issue thus represents a creative snapshot of DC's war-comics bullpen at full strength, with three distinct artistic voices in a single 36-page package.
Trivia · 7 facts
- First appearance and origin of Phil Mason, a.k.a. 'Ice Cream Soldier' (real name Phil Mason), in the lead story 'Ice Cream Soldier!' — written by Robert Kanigher, penciled and inked by Joe Kubert (signed), lettered by Gaspar Saladino.
- The origin story: Mason earns his derisive nickname because Easy Company believes he will 'melt' under pressure; he redeems himself by standing on a frostbitten foot atop a frozen lake and destroying two enemy tanks with a bazooka, after which he chooses to keep the nickname.
- Ice Cream Soldier (later shortened to 'Ice' in post-2000 stories) became one of the most enduring members of Easy Company's ensemble roster, appearing consistently in the series through its 1988 conclusion.
- The issue also contains an anthology backup, 'G.I. Cage!' (script: Hank Chapman; art: Jerry Grandenetti) and 'Something for the Sarge!' (script: Bob Haney; art: Russ Heath) — the latter reprinted in G.I. Combat #144 (Oct–Nov 1970).
- The Sgt. Rock lead story 'Ice Cream Soldier!' was reprinted in G.I. Combat #150 (Oct–Nov 1971), in Sgt. Rock Archives Vol. 1 (DC, 2002), in Showcase Presents: Sgt. Rock Vol. 1 (DC, 2007), and in DC Finest: Sgt. Rock — The Rock of Easy Co. (DC, 2025 paperback).
- Ice Cream Soldier was included in DC's Justice League animated episode 'The Savage Time' (Season 1, 2002), one of only four Easy Company members depicted in that story.
- This issue is considered, alongside OAAW #83 through #96, part of the foundational run collected as Sgt. Rock Archives Vol. 1, which DC published in May 2002 as the first hardcover archival collection of the series.
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Reprinted in G.I. Combat #144 (1970), G.I. Combat #150 (1971), Sgt. Rock Special #7 (1990), The Sgt. Rock Archives #1 (2002), Showcase Presents: Sgt. Rock #1 (2008)
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