Blackhawk #38 is an issue of the series Blackhawk (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 1951.
Synopsis for "Vulcanar, High Priest of Fire"
The West German Autobahn, the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, London Bridge, the Pyramid at Giza, Hawaii's Diamondhead, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Canadian Parliament Building all catch fire on the same day, with stone and steel burning just like wood would. World-wide panic ensues, and the United Governments sends a desperate message to Blackhawk Island.
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Appearing in "Vulcanar, High Priest of Fire"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- President of the Universal Security Cabinet
Antagonists:
- Vulcanar, the High Priest of Fire (Dies)
- henchmen: Raoul, Sammy, Marx, others (Dies)
Locations:
- West Germany
- Paris, France
- New York City
- London
- Giza, Egypt
- Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
- Parliament Building, Ottawa, Canada
- Pacific Ocean
- Diamond Head, Oahu, Hawaii
- Blackhawk Island
- Vulcanar's Base, in a live volcano, on a remote island (Destroyed)
Items:
- Vulcanar's Flame Crystals
- Some are planted in various world capitals but the radio equipment to detonate them was destroyed.
Vehicles:
- Blackhawk Lockheed F-90Bs
- with retractable pontoons
- with retractable pontoons
Synopsis for "Golden Swarm"
Queen Bee teams up with Reglo, the dictator of Valga, to take over Luonia, but clearly she is in charge of this enterprise. He brings an armored division, at the Luonian border, into the deal; she brings her Golden Swarm. Per her directions, the Valgan tanks sit still at the border, almost long enough for the Blackhawk Squadron to arrive, at which time, Queen Bee double crosses Reglo. Her Golden Swarm of fighter jets swoop out of nowhere, using rockets to smash Reglo's tanks, then using machine guns on his infantry. Then the Golden Swarm, led by Queen Bee's aide Marla, flies to Luonia's capital city, to pose as its defenders. Queen Bee herself, meanwhile, flies to Valga's capital, where she meets with Reglo, kills him with a poisoned sword, and takes over his nation's government. Her secret Golden Swarm agents, already infiltrated into the Valgan government, organize a Women's Government, and within 24 hours drive male officials out of every important post in Valga.
The Golden Swarm use their new-found influence, in Luonia to agitate for a Women's Government in that country also. President Trand and his cabinet are already hunted outcasts by the time the Blackhawks arrive, just one hour after the the one-sided battle at the border. Marla, soon joined by Queen Bee, have sparked widespread discontent among the female half of Luonia's population, and the Blackhawks are actually driven out of the country by mob action. Luonian broadcasting, and newspapers worldwide, carry the news of the Golden Swarm's embarrassment of the Blackhawks, inspiring women all over the world to rise up and join the Swarm.
Two weeks of this go by, with the Golden Swarm smashing several other antidemocracy plots here and there, with the Blackhawks increasingly sidelined by their growing movement. But meanwhile in Luonia and Valga, the Queen Bee's rule grows increasingly dictatorial. Blackhawk cooks up a plan, then the team flies to confront the Queen Bee at her Golden Hive. A detachment of beauties, in skimpy outfits, accompany them to Her Highness's beehive-shaped citadel. Blackhawk and the Queen Bee have a conversation, and she overconfidently lets slip the true scope of her ambitions, while Blackhawk's belt radio acts as open microphone. Her sleazy plan is broadcast across the world, and her new fans are quick to turn against her. Infuriated, Queen Bee sics Marla and her bodyguards, armed with poisoned swords, onto the Blackhawks, knowing full well that these guys would never use their fists against women. But that's why they brought along a bag of mice, which they dump onto the floor and send the girls shrieking away. A squad of male guards rushes into the throneroom with rifles, but are quickly fisticuffed into submission. The Blackhawks run to the airport, and while the women of Luonia are pulling each other's hair and scratch-fighting, they jump into their F-90Bs and fly away!
Appearing in "Golden Swarm"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Queen Bee (First appearance)
- Golden Swarm (First appearance)
- Marla (First appearance)
- Reglo, dictator of Valga (First appearance) (Dies)
Other Characters:
- President Trand, of Luonia
- Sardis, aide
Locations:
Items:
- Queen Bee's "Stinger", a Poisoned Sword
Vehicles:
- Blackhawk Lockheed F-90Bs
Synopsis for "The Plague of Tabor"
Appearing in "The Plague of Tabor"
Antagonists:
- Dr. Claw (First appearance)
- his assassins
- Carnes, corrupt official
Other Characters:
- J.D. Leighton, American Red Cross
- Dr. White, Rakor
- Dr. Roko, Tabor
Locations:
- Tabor, remote isolated city
- Rakar, fueling stop, halfway to Tabor
Items:
- anti-epidemic serum
Vehicles:
- Blackhawk Lockheed F-90Bs
Synopsis for Chop-Chop: "Taxi Driver"
Chop-Chop has a hard time getting rid of an incriminating briefcase only it's really not incriminating after all.
Appearing in Chop-Chop: "Taxi Driver"
Featured Characters:
Other Characters:
- Chariot Taxi manager
- helpful waiter
- helpful sanitation worker
- stern mother & gullible child
- cops
Locations:
- large U.S. city
Items:
- empty briefcase
Vehicles:
- Chariot Taxis
Synopsis for "The Pirates of the Sky"
Appearing in "The Pirates of the Sky"
Antagonists:
- Jonathan Fogg
- Pirates of the Sky
Vehicles:
- Blackhawk Lockheed F-90Bs
- Pirate 1-engine jet fighters, at least 3
- Pirate 2-engine prop bomber, at least 1
Notes
- Vulcanar
- The West German Autobahn, the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, London Bridge, the Pyramid at Giza, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Canadian Parliament Building are all severely damaged by chemical fires, and require enormous repairs and rebuilding. Afterward this is never mentioned again.
- The Quality Universe version of the United Nations is called, this time around, the "United Governments". In other issues, it's been called "United Democracies", "United World", and "World Council". The logo on the U.G.'s flag looks exactly like that of the real-world U.N., and in practice the UG acts in the combined roles of the early real-world UN and NATO and SEATO. Seemingly no dictatorships are members of UG.
- The Blackhawk Lockheed F-90Bs are equipped with retractable pontoons, and can land on water when necessary.
- Queen Bee
- Blackhawk Island is "half the world around" from Luonia, which for them equals six hours of flying time.
- Chop Chop: "Taxi Driver" is incompletely reprinted in Blackhawk #72, minus page 2.
- Also featured in this issue of Blackhawk was: "Troublesome Doubloon" (text story)
Trivia
- Paris Gendarme in 6th panel of 2nd page of 1st story: "Muerde! The tower it burns!" In 1951 the Comics Code Authority didn't exist yet.
See Also