Corto Maltese (DC Comics)

For the Italian comic book, see Corto Maltese.
Corto Maltese
Type Country
Notable locations South America
First appearance The Dark Knight Returns (February 1986)
Publisher DC Comics

Corto Maltese is a fictional country appearing in DC Comics.

Fictional history

Corto Maltese is a small island off the coast of South America. It has been referenced in two non-canonical DC sources. Corto Maltese is confirmed to exist in the mainstream DC Universe, where there was a tossed-off reference in a newspaper headline: "More Arms to Corto Maltese".[1]

The Dark Knight Returns

Corto Maltese appears in Frank Miller's graphic novel Batman: The Dark Knight Returns as an island off the coast of South America. The island is in a state of rebellion, and an armed uprising against the government occurs. The war escalates when the United States supports the government and the Soviet Union supports the rebels. With tension increasing between the United States and the Soviet Union, the U.S. President dispatches Superman to subdue the uprising. The Soviets respond to Superman's presence by launching a nuclear warhead called Coldbringer. Superman diverts the warhead to an uninhabited desert area before it detonates, but damage is done nonetheless: the warhead disrupts all electronics and communications in the Western Hemisphere, causing mass chaos.[2]

It can be assumed that Miller's use of the name is a tribute to Hugo Pratt's Corto Maltese. It could also be rendered as a name, both in Spanish and Italian, in which it could mean a short (corto) person from Malta (Maltese) but the meaning of the name seems unsettled.

In other media

Map from Arrow episode "The Climb" showing Corto Maltese off southeast coast of South America.

Television

Film

References

  1. Time Masters Vol. 1 #4 (May 1990)
  2. The Dark Knight Returns (February 1986)
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