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"BULKHEAD" JONES

Real Name: "Bulkhead" Jones (first name unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Human (World War II era)

Occupation: Sailor (US Navy)

Group Membership: U.S. Navy, crew of the submarine USS Barracuda (SS-333) (seamen Bascombe, Carlson, Carson, Lt. Hardy, Harrison, Sparky (Sparks) Jones, Masters, Miller, Peters, Torpedo Taylor, Yardarm Yancy, Zawecki, others), Lt. Frazer

Affiliations: U.S. Navy

Enemies: Imperial Japanese Navy

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile in the Pacific Ocean aboard the USS Barracuda (SS-333)

First Appearance: Navy Combat#6/1 (April, 1956)

Powers/Abilities: Bulkhead Jones has had basic training in the US Navy. He is familiar with WW II submarine technology. He can handle basic firearms and explosives. Jones is an excellent hand-to-hand combatant, using a mix of WW II US military fighting style and brawling. He has athlete-level fitness and is an excellent swimmer. Jones is brave, reliable and follows commands, and his skills make him a valuable asset on missions away from the submarine. He smokes cigars, despite confined quarters.

Height: 5'9"
Weight: 165 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Dark brown

History:

(Navy Combat#6/6) - <August, 1944> The USS Barracuda submarine was at half capacity and pursued a missing US tanker, which they found under tow by a Japanese destroyer. Not wishing to risk losing the tanker by torpedoing the destroyer, Officer Torpedo Taylor suggested cutting the ropes. At nightfall, Bulkhead Jones joined Taylor and made it (apparently by swimming) to the slowly towed tanker. Clambering aboard, the duo overcame the lazy guards and cut the rope, freeing the tanker. The Barracuda let loose two torpedoes and destroyed the enemy boat, then picked up the saboteurs.

(Navy Combat#10/1) - The Barracuda's torpedoes hit a Japanese destroyer that was hosting an important meeting, yielding a massive explosion. Japanese rescue efforts were stopped in favor of an intensive search-and-destroy against the submarine. With increasing numbers of enemy ships approaching, the Barracuda dived to the seabed, confined to the bay. Depth charges shook the sub's occupants; Jones and Taylor joked about the rocking. The captain ordered a risky but successful dash out of the bay, narrowly missing two charging cruisers that tried to ram the sub (but instead crashed into each other).

(Navy Combat#10/6) - Battle damage to the Barracuda forced a retreat to nearby island bay to effect repairs, but sending a signal flare to the supply PT (patrol torpedo) boat would give away the sub's position. Having found an indigenous people's canoe, Taylor and Bulkhead Jones volunteered and paddled out to the open sea. Stripped down to crumpled shorts, they put on a bizarre display when the Japanese arrived to investigate, shouting gibberish and doing handstands to distract the bemused enemy crew, who thought the duo to be indigenous people. But Jones saw the PT boat in the distance behind the Japanese ship and they sent a flare. Figuring out the situation, the PT boat launched two torpedoes at the enemy destroyer, which exploded, and picked up Taylor and Jones. The duo directed the PT boat's captain to the Barracuda's position.

(Navy Combat#11/6) - The Barracuda was locked in a small bay, blockaded by enemy Japanese warships. A nearby reef-grounded Japanese tanker previously hit by the Barracuda provided a daring opportunity. Lt. Hardy led a small team to overpower the crew on the tanker. Once onboard, several Barracuda crew got the ship's engines working again while Hardy and Taylor laid charges at the oil tanks. Hardy ordered Jones take the ship's helm and he steered the now-blazing tanker at the enemy ships blocking the bay. The team quickly escaped and rejoined the Barracuda, which submerged and followed the path that the fiery tanker had created as the enemy ships tried vainly to escape damage from the blaze.

(Navy Combat#6/1) - <May, 1945> The captain destroyed a Japanese destroyer that had sunk a PT boat and taken five prisoners with important battle information for Task Force 90. They picked up two survivors, who were coerced to reveal the location of the prisoners. The sub headed to Karaki Island, and Taylor and Jones were assigned the rescue mission. The pair made their way to shore by rubber dinghy and quickly overcame the guards, freeing the four sailors and Lt. Frazer, who knew the secret code of the captured battle orders. The seven fled back to the submarine by dinghy and escaped.

Comments: Created by uncredited writer & Don Heck.

Bulkhead Jones could be considered Behind-the-Scenes for many/most/all of the other Torpedo Taylor stories; he's just not mentioned by name or recognizable.

A little odd that a comic would have two characters surnamed Jones (Bulkhead and Sparky) on the same sub, but they're definitely two different characters with different roles and appearances (and appear in the same story); given their different looks (Bulkhead's burly and brown-haired build vs. Sparky's slimmer and blond-haired build), they seem unlikely to be directly related..

I'm sticking with the stories as they were published for Jones' chronology unless stories indicate otherwise (see also Torpedo Taylor's profile); however, #6/1 refers to Task Force 90, which began operations in May 1945.

Navy Combat (and with it the crew of the USS Barracuda) was a casualty of the 1957 Atlas retrenchments, which included artist Don Heck, but then there was also no more call for such purely war titles in the revamped Atlas-Marvel that followed soon after. Nevertheless, it would be great to see a cameo of the USS Barracuda in a WWII flashback for Captain America or Nick Fury or any other such storyline.

This profile was completed on 10/29/2025 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Bulkhead Jones has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
Navy Combat#10/1, p3, pan7 (main image)
Navy Combat#11/6, p5, pan4 (headshot)
Navy Combat#10/6, p4, pan4 (paddling)

Appearances:
Navy Combat#6/1 & 6/6 (April, 1956) - uncredited writer, Don Heck (pencils & inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Navy Combat#10/1 & 10/6 (December, 1956) - uncredited writer, Don Heck (pencils & inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Navy Combat#11/6 (February, 1957) - uncredited writer, Don Heck (pencils & inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 09/20/2026
Last updated: 10/29/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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