History:
BUZZ BRAND
Real Name: Burgess Bennington "Buzz" Brand
Identity/Class: Human (Post-World
War II Era)
Occupation: Soldier
Group Membership: U.S. Army
Affiliations: Augie, General Brand, Jim, Lorna La Valle, Sgt. Steel, Peggy Steel, Whitey
Enemies: Olga and other spies
Known Relatives: Aloysius A. Brand (father)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Fort Hix, USA
First Appearance: Young Men I#21 (June, 1953)
Powers/Abilities: Buzz is an able athlete and soldier. He has used grenades, rifles, bayonets and .50 caliber machine guns. He has also learned how to construct fire bombs.
Height: Unrevealed
(approximately 5'11")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 170 lbs.)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Red
History:
(Young Men I#21/4 (fb) - BTS) - Son of the famous General Aloysius A Brand, Buzz Brand became a famous celebrity, known in the newspapers for yachting, polo playing, pub crawling and romancing women (including the movie star Lorna La Valle). He was also noted for getting into fight at nightclubs. Eventually Buzz was drafted into the U.S. Army.
(Young Men I#21/4) - At basic training Buzz found other draftees had a low opinion of him, having heard of his exploits. Buzz himself wasn't certain whether he could fit into the army. As Augie and other soldiers continued to mock him Buzz tried to make peace by being friendly to the others, even sharing a cake with them but nothing changed. One day the soldiers were assigned to a live fire exercise, crawling through a field of barbed wire while a machine gun fired overhead. During the exercise Augie panicked and became confused about where he was. Buzz crawled to Augie and helped guide him through the rest of the exercise. Afterward Augie finally accepted Buzz and became his staunchest defender.
(Young Men I#22/4) - While practicing on the .50 caliber machine gun, Buzz was distracted by the sight of Peggy Steel and accidentally fired a shot that hit Sgt. Steel's helmet. Peeved, Steel taught Buzz how to use grenades and explained how he served under Buzz's father during World War II. After the exercise Buzz found Peggy and invited her to the G.I. Dance in town that evening. Peggy accepted. As they were dancing that night Buzz made a joke about Sgt. Steel and Peggy responded by slapping his face, only then revealing to him that she was his sergeant's daughter. Leaving the dance Buzz was approached by another woman, Olga, who invited him into a shadowy spot. Once Buzz entered the shadows a man struck him over the head. Olga was a lure, a communist agent looking for army intelligence. Buzz was tied up and brought to a remote garage to be interrogated by the spies, who hoped Buzz could be enticed to release information about his father's role in the atomic weapon project. Sgt. Steel was also captured and put in the garage but when the two were left alone they freed each other from their bonds. Seeing a gasoline can Buzz suggested they create a makeshift fire bomb using equipment in the garage. When one of the spies entered the garage Buzz threw his makeshift weapon at him, causing him to burst into flames. Buzz punched the second male spy while Olga attempted to flee in her car. Buzz threw a second makeshift fire bomb at the car and set it on fire, causing Olga to crash. She survived and Military Police soon arrived to receive the three spies and return Buzz and Steel to Fort Hix. On the ride back Sgt. Steel asked about Buzz's date with Peggy and he admitted he had fouled up by speaking ill of her father. Steel answered that it served him right.
(Young Men I#23/4) - Sgt. Steel instructed Buzz in how to wield a bayonet then sent him and the other draftees through the army obstacle course. When Buzz fell from a greased rope Sgt. Steel jeered him and told Buzz to stay away from his daughter. Ignoring Steel's warning, Buzz went to see Peggy at her home and finally apologized for what he said about her father. Peggy accepted the apology but reminded Buzz that her father didn't want her to see him. Just then Sgt. Steel came home and began chasing Buzz, demanding he stay away from Peggy. Buzz used everything he learned on the obstacle course to help him quickly outpace the sergeant. Finally pursuing Buzz across a suspended rope, Sgt. Steel grew too fatigued and fell. Buzz helped bring Steel back to his house but when Peggy saw her father roughed up she assumed Buzz had been fighting with him. She slapped Buzz in the face a second time and said she never wanted to see him again. Buzz mused the only obstacle he could overcome was women.
(War Comics I#24/2) - Buzz and Augie participated in a booby-trapped obstacle course run by Sgt. Steel in which wooden shacks were equipped with smoke bombs. Buzz tried to kick down the door to a shack but tripped the bomb. Sgt. Steel declared both men "dead" and explained how booby traps were used in the field to trick soldiers. Just then General Brand arrived at Fort Hix on a secret mission and paused to greet his son before moving on. That night Buzz went to the Steel home to ask Peggy's forgiveness for the obstacle course struggle with her father. Just then a trio of spies emerged from the shadows and captured both of them. The spies explained that General Brand was carrying secret papers with him and they wanted Buzz to bring them the papers or they would harm Peggy. When Buzz agreed to do as they asked for Peggy's sake, Peggy believed Buzz had become a traitor. Instead of guiding them to his father's office, Brand led the spies to the obstacle course and tricked them into setting off the booby traps. The spies were defeated and Peggy kissed Buzz. Sgt. Steel arrived in time to see his daughter kissing Buzz and was dumbfounded.
Comments: Created by Hank Chapman, Dick Ayers and Ernie Bache.
His final appearance was published in War Comics no doubt because Young Men had shifted its focus to super heroes.
This profile was completed on 11/24/2025 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Buzz Brand should not be confused with:
Augie was a truck driver before being drafted into the U.S. Army. Of all the soldiers who mocked Buzz Brand, Augie was the loudest and most obnoxious. Augie constantly belittled Buzz for his sophisticated upbringing and refused to call him by his nickname. During a live fire exercise Augie panicked on the field. Buzz helped guide Augie through the course to safety. Afterward Augie finally began calling him "Buzz" and became Buzz's staunchest defender.
--Young Men I#21/4 (22/4, 23/4, War Comics I#24/2
General Aloysius A. Brand is the father of Buzz Brand. During World War II his rank was major and Sgt. Steel served under his command. He frequently told stories about his son Buzz to Sgt. Steel. During the Korean War General Brand was the head of the U.S. Army's atomic weapon project. General Brand once visited Fort Hix carrying secret papers that communist spies were interested in capturing but rather than help the spies Buzz tricked them into setting off booby traps in an obstacle course.
--War Comics I#24/2
Jim was an officer who observed Buzz Brand's training at Fort Hix. He noted the difficulty Buzz was having as other soldiers mocked him but also observed that Buzz had the right character for the army.
--Young Men I#21/4
Lorna La Valle was a famous movie star. She went on dates with Buzz Brand "once or twice."
--[Young Men I#21/4]
Comrade Olga was a communist spy active in the United States. Seeking army intelligence on the atomic weapons project, Olga and two other spies arranged to kidnap Buzz Brand and Sgt. Steel to interrogate them for information. Olga waited outside a G.I. Dance to entice Buzz into a shadowy spot where one of her allies could club him from behind. The two men were brought to a garage for the interrogation but they escaped their bonds then used items in the garage to build fire bombs. When Buzz bested both of her allies Olga attempted to flee in her car but Buzz threw a fire bomb at it and set the vehicle ablaze. Olga crashed her car into a tree but survived the fire and crash. She and her allies were arrested by Military Police.
--Young Men I#22/4
Sgt. Steel oversaw some of Buzz Brand's training at Fort Hix. During World War II he had served under Major Brand and heard the major talk about his son. Steel fought in North Afica, France and Germany during World War II. He also served in the Korean War but was then sent stateside to train soldiers at Fort Hix. Sgt. Steel taught using .50 caliber machine guns, grenades, bayonets, obstacle courses and booby traps. He took a dim view of Buzz's interest in his daughter Peggy and told Peggy to have nothing to do with him. Despite this tension, when Sgt. Steel and Buzz were both kidnapped by spies the two men worked together to fashion makeshift fire bombs to make their escape. When Sgt. Steel later caught Buzz with Peggy at his house he began to chase him, a chase that became a veritable obstacle course and ended when Sgt. Steel fell from a rope. Peggy assumed Buzz had injured her father and rejected him. Later, Buzz tricked three spies into setting off booby traps on the obstacle course and Peggy was so impressed that she kissed him. Sgt. Steel arrived in time to witness the kiss and was left dumbfounded.
--Young Men I#22/4 (23/4, War Comics I#24/2
Peggy was Sgt. Steel's daughter. When Buzz saw her at Fort Hix he was immediately smitten with her and invited her to the G. I. Dance but when he insulted her father she slapped his face and left him. Buzz sent her flowers to no avail as her father had told Peggy to have nothing to do with Buzz. Buzz finally went to her home and apologized in person to her but just as Peggy accepted the apology her father returned and chased Buzz off the property. Her father injured himself trying to catch Buzz and when Buzz returned him to Peggy she assumed Buzz had hurt her father and again rejected him. Buzz apologized a second time only for he and Peggy to be captured by three spies who wanted Buzz to lead them to his father's secret papers. To force his compliance the spies threatened to harm Peggy. Peggy insisted Buzz resist but he seemed to comply for her sake, making Peggy fear Buzz had become a traitor. Buzz led the spies to the Fort Hix obstacle course and tricked them into setting off booby traps. Impressed by Buzz's valor, Peggy kissed him. Her father witnessed the kiss and was dumbfounded.
--Young Men I#22/4 (23/4, War Comics I#24/2
Whitey had been a farmer in Vermont before being drafted into the U.S. Army. He entered basic training alongside Buzz Brand. Whitey joined the other new draftees in mocking Buzz for his refined background until Augie befriended him.
--Young Men I#21/4
images: (without ads)
War Comics I#24/2, page 1, panel 4 (main)
Young Men I#21/4, page 1, panel 1 (head)
Young Men I#21/4, page 1, panel 1 (Augie)
War Comics I#24/2, page 3, panel 1 (General)
Young Men I#21/4, page 2, panel 2 (Jim)
Young Men I#22/4, page 4, panel 1 (Olga)
Young Men I#22/4, page 1, panel 4 (Sgt.)
Young Men I#22/4, page 1, panel 1 (Peggy)
Young Men I#21/4, page 3, panel 1 (Whitey)
Appearances:
Young Men I#21-23 (June, 1953) - Hank Chapman (writer), Dick Ayers
(penciler), Ernie Bache (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
War Comics I#24/2 (March, 1954) - unidentified writer, Dick Ayers
(penciler), Ernie Bache (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 09/09/2026
Last updated:
11/24/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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