Tim Wilkes is a minor but important character in a four part arc of American Century titled “The Protector”, set in 1950s  in which Senator Ted McRand, an analog for Joseph McCarthy, and his assistant Ray Kline, likely a stand in for Roy Cohn, are bringing an “anti-American/ communists” witch hunt to Hollywood.

Harry Kraft, American Century’s central character, is renting a room from Tina Wilkes, recently widowed and mother to her only child Tim. Tina mentions her concern to Harry that her teenaged son has acted strangely for the past few weeks and Harry offers to intervene. The two males have a man to man talk and Tim successfully leads Harry to believe he’s shy with girls with some ambiguous comments.

The truth is far different as later that same night Tim is seen standing near two male hookers positioned outside a popular night club. A sedan pulls up and a man in profile is shown asking directions from none other than Tim who’s been standing learns from a work acquaintance is a “homo nearby. Tim gets into the car and they drive off, the implication is to have sex.

Tina expresses some concern that Tim didn’t come home to Harry, who promises her he’ll look into things. What he’s unprepared to find while searching Tim’s room is a small packet with several pills and a matchbook from Moulin Rouge, which he learns is a “homo bar”. Later that night Kraft arrives at the bar and finds Tim wearing makeup and having drinks with an older man at a table. Tim is horrified to be found out, and calls his mother as Harry instructs, leaving the two men alone to talk. Kline threatens to have Tim arrested and thrown in jail on a morals charge unless Harry gives him info about the politics of Hollywood actors. Harry appears to give in to keep Tim from being arrested and his life potentially ruined as often happened when names and addresses of arrested homosexuals were printed in newspapers.

On the drive home, Tim is understandably distraught at the prospect of Harry revealing he’s a “fairy” to his mother. Harry informs the boy he doesn’t “give a shit” and to “stop apologizing for who you are” and “be a man about it.” Tim says he overheard Kline threaten Harry, to which Harry reassures him not to worry about it. He doesn’t, but Tim quickly takes Harry’s advice to heart and devises a plan to turn the tables on Kline and McRand. Tim puts his gambit in play later that day by lying his way into McRand’s office. Instead, Tim shocks the senator with various accounts that incriminate McRand for his abuses of power and Kline for taking liberties with him, a minor. Tim backs up his play by threatening to tell everything he knows to Hollywood reporter Eloise (think Hedda Hopper). A worried Kline passes Tim leaving the office.

Tim is last seen as Harry is packing up to leave the Wilkes home and Hollywood for other parts. Kraft tells Tim he’s a hero  and proud of what he did earlier (apparently Kraft told him about McRand’s indiscretions on the drive home) and Tim appears genuinely happy.

Wilkes first appeared in American Century #5 and was confirmed gay in #6. To my knowledge Tim didn’t appear after the story’s conclusion in #8.

This story arc which touches on homosexuality in 1950s America and social and sexual politics of Hollywood is collected in the second and last trade of American Century, currently available for a couple bucks on Amazon.

© and ® Howard Chaykin, Inc and DC Comics. All rights reserved.

Art by Roger Petersen

Agent Orange is an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture in its risk management department. He’s content to deal with food stamp trafficking and investigating fraudulent livestock auctions, and making jokes. As far as he’s concenred, the dangerous work involving “Jason-Woodrue-slash-Black-Orchid shit” should be left to the DDI agents. His argument fails when fellow agent Kilroy shows him alarming footage of Tefe Holland (the plant/human child of Swamp Thing and Abby Holland) and she persuades him to launch a search for her in the hopes of enlisting her to help the economy and world hunger.

As the search begins, Orange continues to be doubtful and reluctant while Kilroy takes the initiative, such as when she commandeers a government car, an electric hybrid, and comes up with a cover story for their boss. Their first step is to interview a couple who witnessed Tefe’s actions first hand, which leads them to further clues across the country. While getting information in New York City, the reader is shown that the agents are being tracked by Kudzu, another plant/ human hybrid tasked with finding Tefe and killing her for her actions (which I won’t outline here).

Stopped for the night in a motel, the pair overhear a news story involving a presidential candidate’s daughter and Kilroy teases Orange that he thinks Secret Service agents are cuter than the male USDA agents. Their banter continues until Orange is scared to find Kudzu appear behind Kilroy. He reaches for a gun and shoots several rounds at the large figure before he calms them and reveals his quest to bring Tefe to justice. He orders them to stop before disappearing. They’re undeterred by his command, or rather Kilroy is as Orange is still averse to the plan. Kilroy uses a computer at an internet cafe to search a government database while Orange jokes about his teenaged sexual fantasies involving the Fruit of the Loom guys, Mr. Peanut, and the Jolly Green Giant. Orange offers moral support and a shoulder to lean as Kilroy attempts to buy a large quantity of chemical defoliants to use as a weapon against Kudzu. Their paths cross again as a lead takes them to southern California. Kudzu has captured two men who were traveling with Tefe. Kilroy sprays him with the defoliant, but he lashes out in anger and mortally wounds her with his sword. Knowing that the wound is fatal, she convinces Orange to turn the electric car’s ignition, thereby hoping to electrocute the attacker (the sword’s metal piercing her body and the car’s hood acting as conductor). The idea fails though his demise is assured when Tefe appears before them and decapitates Kudzu.

Thanks to witnessing Kilroy’s gruesome death, Orange finally finds the strength to become a hero by honoring Kilroy’s last wish to protect Tefe. Orange comes to rescue Tefe after she was captured by rival DDI agents (who’ve been on her trail the whole time as well). Orange seemingly aims badly, his shots missing DDI Agent Romero, who thinks she can still salvage her mission, until it becomes apparent the wild shots were intended not to kill her, but to free Tefe. Romero does die at Tefe’s hands. Orange (who reveals his first name is Todd) and Tefe begin to deal with the immediate consequences until Swamp Thing arrives to have a heart to heart with his daughter. Orange is visibly perturbed at Tefe’s detachment though they share some last words before he figuratively drives off into the sunset.

Agent Orange’s first appearance is Swamp Thing #6, vol 3. While his and Kilroy’s comments make it clear he’s gay, Orange uses “gay” to describe himself in #16. Todd was give the “Agent Orange” nickname because he can’t keep plants alive. Created by Brian K. Vaughn.

© and ® DC Comics. All rights reserved.