Military Comics #1

(August 1941)

[The Origin of Blackhawk] (Table of Contents: 1)

Blackhawk / comic story / 11 pages (report information)

Script

Will Eisner; Bob Powell

Pencils

Chuck Cuidera [as Charles Cuidera) (signed)

Inks

Chuck Cuidera [as Charles Cuidera] (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Sam Rosen

Genre

adventure; war

Characters

Blackhawks [Blackhawk (introduction and origin); Baker (introduction, no further appearances); at least 6 other unidentifiable members (see Note #3 for possible candidates)]; Jack (Blackhawk's brother, introduction, death); Connie (Blackhawk's sister, introduction, death); Ann (Red Cross nurse, unidentified by name in this story, named in issue #3); one unnamed captured soldier; Captain von Tepp (Nazi villain, introduction, death); Captain von Kreck (Nazi villain, introduction, presumably killed); Nazis (villains, many die)

Synopsis

Warsaw, Poland 1939. The Nazis are massing to rout the Polish Air Force, the only obstacle to their victory over Poland, and are being led by the Nazi commander, Captain von Tepp. However, in his attack, the brother and sister of a lone survivor are killed, and this survivor, later to become The Blackhawk, vows to hunt down von Tepp and make him pay personally for their deaths.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #5 (1974)
• in Secret Origins (DC, 1973 series) #6 (January-February 1974)
• in America at War: The Best of DC War Comics (Simon and Schuster, 1979 series) (October 1979)
• in Blackhawk (DC, 1989 series) #7 (October 1989)
• in Millennium Edition: Military Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (October 2000)
• in The Blackhawk Archives (DC, 2001 series) #1 ([November] 2001)
• in DC Goes to War (DC, 2020 series) ([August] 2020)

Indexer Notes

(1) Writer addition of Bob Powell and letterer credit per Chuck Cuidera.
(2) Introduction of Blackhawk. Introduction and death of Blackhawk’s brother Jack and sister Connie (both buried by Blackhawk). Blackhawk (DC, 1957 series) #242 (Aug-Sep 1968) reveals that Blackhawk's civilian name is Bart Hawk, however the story of Jack's death in that issue is vastly different from the original account, and therefore cannot be considered in the same continuity. Given this, one cannot state unequivocally that the three siblings' last name is "Hawk", or that Blackhawk's first name is "Bart".
(3) A minimum of 8 Blackhawks, including Blackhawk himself, are depicted. Baker, a Cockney Englishman, is the only one named. Based on later revelations of the team's early membership, the 6 unidentified members likely include: Andre, Hendrickson, Olaf, Stanislaus, Zeg, Chuck, and/or Boris. Based on his physical appearance, the prisoner referred to as "Blackhawk's man", seen on page 5 panel 4 between the Red Cross nurse and Captain Von Tepp, could be Andre or Zeg. Based on his physical appearance, the man struck in the head by a rock, seen on page 6 panel 9, could be Stanislaus, Olaf, or Boris.
(4) A small map of Blackhawk's Island is depicted.
(5) The lyrics to the song of the Blackhawks are: "Over land over sea, we fight to make men free, of danger we don't care... we're Blackhawks!"

[Flying with the Red Dragon] (Table of Contents: 2)

Loops and Banks of the Red Dragon Squadron / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Bob Powell ?

Pencils

Bob Powell [as Bud Ernest] (signed)

Inks

Bob Powell [as Bud Ernest] (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

aviation

Characters

Loops McCann (introduction); Banks Barrows (introduction); Gen. Cheng [the Red Dragon] (introduction); the Chinese (villains, some die)

Synopsis

The boys lose their contract as test pilots after a crack-up and find themselves being asked to join a group called the Red Dragon Squadron.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #5 (1974)
• in Millennium Edition: Military Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (October 2000)

[Origin of the Blue Tracer] (Table of Contents: 3)

The Blue Tracer / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

Fred Guardineer ?

Pencils

Fred Guardineer (signed)

Inks

Fred Guardineer (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Fred Guardineer ?

Genre

aviation; war

Characters

Captain William "Wild Bill" Dunn (introduction); Private Boomerang Jones (introduction); a white woman (introduction); the M'Bujies (villains, introduction for all, some die)

Synopsis

"Wild Bill" Dunn, an American engineer, survives a British scouting expedition in Ethiopia, meets an Australian named Private Jones, and for months they work together to create a war machine from the remains of Fascist equipment that they call the Blue Tracer, and which they hope will provide the capabilities to overcome a local enemy tribe.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #5 (1974)
• in Millennium Edition: Military Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (October 2000)

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

[Episode with a Goat] (Table of Contents: 4)

Archie Atkins, Desert Scout / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Harry Campbell ?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

war

Characters

Archie Atkins (introduction); Jack Bailey (introduction); Achmed (introduction); Billy (a goat, introduction); Major Douglas (introduction)

Synopsis

Three British soldiers, looking for help for their battalion under seige, are saved, ironically, by a billy goat, and soon find help with a group of French soldiers.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #5 (1974)
• in Millennium Edition: Military Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (October 2000)

Indexer Notes

The Millennium Edition lists Frank Frollo as the artist.

[Enlisting the Hard Way] (Table of Contents: 5)

Shot and Shell / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

Klaus Nordling [as Nordling] (signed)

Pencils

Klaus Nordling [as Nordling] (signed)

Inks

Klaus Nordling [as Nordling] (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

aviation

Characters

Colonel Sam Shot (introduction); Slim Shell (introduction); Herr von Slobben (villain, Nazi military attache)

Synopsis

An unlikely duo team up to foil the attempts of a Nazi attache who is interested in obtaining information on a secret U.S. fighter.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #5 (1974)
• in Millennium Edition: Military Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (October 2000)

[The Coming of the Yankee Eagle] (Table of Contents: 6)

Yankee Eagle / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

John Stewart

Pencils

William Smith

Inks

William Smith

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure

Characters

Jerry Noble (introduction); Sam [the Yankee Eagle] (an eagle, introduction); Senator Noble (Jerry's father, introduction); Captain Webb; Chalky; Nazi spies (villains)

Synopsis

A group of Nazi spies work their way into the ranks of America's military services, attempting to turn over to the enemy some of the U.S.'s best ships.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #5 (1974)
• in Millennium Edition: Military Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (October 2000)

Keywords

U.S.S. America

Indexer Notes

Sam the eagle is referred to as the Yankee Eagle once in this issue only, however Jerry Noble is referred to as the Yankee Eagle multiple times in issue #8.

Not the same character featured in SMASH COMICS #38-47.

Script and art credits from Craig Delich.

[Origin of the Death Patrol] (Table of Contents: 7)

Death Patrol / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Jack Cole (signed)

Pencils

Jack Cole (signed)

Inks

Jack Cole (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

humor; aviation; war

Characters

Death Patrol [Del Van Dyne (introduction, origin); Butch O'Keefe (introduction, origin); Peewee (introduction, origin, death); Hank (introduction, origin); Slick Ward (introduction, origin); Gramps (introduction, origin)]; the Nazis (villains, some die)

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #5 (1974)
• in Millennium Edition: Military Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (October 2000)

Sabotage (Table of Contents: 8)

comic story / 0.75 page (report information)

Script

Tex Blaisdell (signed)

Pencils

Tex Blaisdell (signed)

Inks

Tex Blaisdell (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Tex Blaisdell ?

Genre

humor

Characters

O'Rourke (former Brooklyn taxi driver)

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #5 (1974)
• in Millennium Edition: Military Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (October 2000)

Indexer Notes

Comprised of 4 independent gag cartoons.

The Machine Gun Drill (Table of Contents: 9)

Camp Capers / cartoon / 0.25 page (report information)

Script

Lane French (signed)

Pencils

Lane French (signed)

Inks

Lane French (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Lane French ?

Genre

humor

Characters

un-named Army Sergeant

Synopsis

Sarge orders his men to dismantle, then re-assemble their machines guns inside of ten minutes.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #5 (1974)
• in Millennium Edition: Military Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (October 2000)

[The Origin of Miss America] (Table of Contents: 10)

Miss America / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Elmer Wexler ?

Pencils

Elmer Wexler [as El Wexler] (signed)

Inks

Elmer Wexler [as El Wexler] (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

Miss America [Joan Dale] (introduction, origin, reporter); un-named FBI Chief Inspector; Mr. Grost (villain, factory owner)

Synopsis

Joan is imbued by the famed Statue of Liberty with special powers in order to help the country against her enemies, foreign and domestic, gaining her name from a man she saved from an attack by thugs. She uses her new powers to deflect a bomb and crush the getaway car of the spies involved.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #5 (1974)
• in Millennium Edition: Military Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (October 2000)

Gone with the Draft (Table of Contents: 11)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Dick Scopes (signed)

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

non-fiction; war

Characters

Dirk

Synopsis

After discussion of the draft, a letter from a trainee at Fort Wadsworth Training Center in New York discusses what went on during his first week in basic training.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #5 (1974)
• in Millennium Edition: Military Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (October 2000)

Indexer Notes

The text story has three spot illustrations, as well as an illustrated drawing with text about the Garand Rifle, and also an illustrated chart of U.S. Army rank insignias.

[Sink the Kaiser Adolf] (Table of Contents: 12)

Q-Boat / comic story / 9 pages (report information)

Script

Henry Kiefer ?

Pencils

Henry Kiefer

Inks

Henry Kiefer

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

war

Characters

Capt. Foghorn (introduction, origin); Bob Wayne (introduction, origin); Dick Martin (introduction, origin); Freckles [Marmaduke Van Weyden] (introduction, origin); Captain von Marz (villain); the Nazis (villains)

Synopsis

The schooner "Albatross" succeeds in capturing the Battleship "Kaiser Adolf," then must take on the Nazis' new battleship, "Kronzprinz Albrecht."

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #5 (1974)
• in Millennium Edition: Military Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (October 2000)

Keywords

Albatross; Beryl M; Kaiser Adolf; Navy