The Appeal of Sgt. Rock

Sgt. Rock may be a steady, unfazeable tough guy, but what makes him unique is the intention behind his attitude. Rock is not steady in the face of danger because he's just written to be "cool", or because he's a hyper-efficient soldier, or because he's compensating for insecurities.

Rather, he's tough and stable so he can emotionally support the people around him when they're breaking down. Early Sgt. Rock stories make it extremely clear that he was named "The Rock of Easy Company" because he's the "rock" of the unit in emotional terms (the way that a spouse is referred to as a "rock"). Thus it makes sense that we often see him with his shirt open: you'd think it's just to show off his strong, manly chest, but it actually means he has an open heart and is emotionally available.

Possibly my favorite example of Sgt. Rock's emotional intelligence comes in just his fourth appearance (Our Army At War #83): a very macho soldier gets shot and internally feels guilty that he can't help the team anymore. Even though the soldier doesn't say it out loud, Rock can tell what he's feeling, and he proceeds to grab the man, push him up to a cannon, hold him there because he can't stand up on his own, and gets him to fire on enemy planes to restore his confidence.

But there are plenty more examples of the toughness combined with emotional sensitivity that makes Sgt. Rock special to me: he helped a mother deliver her baby despite enemies patrolling nearby (Sgt. Rock #310), he's ventured alone into an occupied area just to recover the body of a squadmate to send back to his mother (Sgt. Rock #329), he routinely gives pep talks to struggling soldiers (Sgt. Rock #342), and he bears the emotional weight of all the soldiers that have died under his command, even keeping all their dog tags (Sgt. Rock #368). He's a rare tough-guy character whose toughness stands alongside and reinforces his emotional sensitivity, rather than replacing it.

The character's blend of toughness and compassion can be summed up in this page from Our Army At War #88, in which he steadies himself and acts tough for the sake of reassuring Easy Company after a traumatic ordeal:

(And for a full story that comprehensively encapsulates Sgt. Rock's character, check out Sgt. Rock #342: "The Six Sides of Sgt. Rock", where the members of Easy Company each talk about one aspect of his personality.)

Rock is one of the greatest leaders I've seen in comics because he knows exactly what his teammates need emotionally and he provides it quietly, through actions or well-chosen words. And his rough exterior is what gives him the stability to support the people around him in this way. Therefore, he makes the case for the true reason for us to be tough:

Don't be strong just to feel cool or powerful; be strong for others. People need support, so try to be their rock.