Wrong, Chop Chop! You're my personal secretary! Hop in here and help me do about a million things at once! We have to rig up a Constitution, American style! But my first job will be this presidential pardon for Zorillo! 
Blackhawk #43 is an issue of the series Blackhawk (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1951.
Synopsis for "Terror from the Catacombs"
In an eastern city, an election is being help in which candidates for the Reform Party promise to destroy the Catacomb Society, which has freely plundered the city for a thousand years. The Blackhawks are in town for this event, and they stop some members of the Society from stealing ballots and replacing them with fakes. Chop Chop is shot in the arm in the process.
The Reform Party mayor is elected, but as he is being sworn in, a trap door in the floor opens and masked assassins crawl out from the Catacombs. Police Chief Marzan kills them before the Blackhawks can subdue them. Marzan recognizes one of them to be his assistant Orlando. Just then word arrives that Catacomb forces have captured the city's arsenal.
Attacking from the air, the Blackhawks retake the arsenal, but on returning to City Hall they discover that the Catacomb Society has attacked there, killing everyone except Marzan, who had a bullet crease his skull, but quickly regained consciousness. Marzan has some knowledge of the Catacombs, so he agrees to lead the Blackhawks underground to confront the Society. With Chop Chop still recovering, Blackhawk has him stand at the entrance to the Catacombs, holding on to the end of a spool of wire, so they can find their way back out. One by one, the Society captures Chuck, Stanislaus, and Hendrickson. Marzan leads Blackhawk, Andre, and Olaf into a trap. The woman leading the society has the three Blackhawks tied to a pillar, but Blackhawk tells her that he gave Chop Chop instructions that if the wire stopped unreeling, to blast a hole in Lake Riomo, flooding the catacombs. Hearing an explosion, the catacomb leader and Marzan run for the surface. Blackhawk, Andre, and Olaf break their ropes and follow. Blackhawk captures the leader and Marzan. Chop Chop and another Blackhawk have a hose running water into a manhole to make people think the catacombs are flooding. The leader states that she sounded an alarm to get her people out of the water. Blackhawk says that they have vigilante committees rounding them up.
Appearing in "Terror from the Catacombs"
Featured Characters:
- Blackhawk Squadron
- Andre
- Blackhawk
- Chop-Chop
- Chuck
- Hendrickson
- Olaf
- Stanislaus
Antagonists:
- Police Chief Marzan
- Queen of the Catacombs
- Catacomb Society (Catacomb Killers) (many die)
- Orlando (Dies)
- Catacomb Society (Catacomb Killers) (many die)
Other Characters:
- Reform Party
- New Mayor
- Riomo Police (many die)
Locations:
- Eastern Europe
- old European eastern city near Lake Riomo
- City Hall
- City Arsenal
- Catacombs under Riomo, 60 acres of them
- old European eastern city near Lake Riomo
Vehicles:
- Blackhawk Lockheed F-90Bs
Synopsis for "Mr. President Blackhawk"
In Fusang, where the economy is based on government-run mines, the people, led by Mirrano, are revolting against the tyrant, Trolo. The bandit Zorillo doesn't trust either side, but has great respect for Blackhawk, who is fighting with the rebels. One day, one of Mirrano's officers attempts to bribe Chop Chop to spy on Blackhawk. The following evening, Zorillo comes to Blackhawk's camp. His spies have discovered that Trolo has bribed Mirrano and offered him a place in his administration in exchange for ending the war. Because the Blackhawks can't be bribed, Mirrano has made plans to kill them during the night. The rebels' best force, the Mountain Regiment< is camped next to the Blackhawks and their colonel is a friend of Blackhawk's. The colonel tells Blackhawk that they have been ordered to march away from this site at dawn. Together, Blackhawk and the Colonel, and their troops, go to see Mirrano about this. They catch him in a meeting with Trolo. They overpower Mirrano's guards, but he and Trolo escape.
The next morning, the Blackhawks, the Mountain Regiment, and Zorillo's bandits arrive in the capital. Blackhawk asks the colonel to oversee establishing a provisional government, but he curtly insists he is a soldier, not a politician. Blackhawk addresses the citizens from the steps of the capitol, telling them of the need for a new government. Zorillo nominates Blackhawk as provisional president, and the people vociferously agree. Blackhawk goes along with that, but tries to get Zorillo to be an advisor, no dice, on his way out of town Zorillo insists he is still a criminal and it is now Blackhawk's job to try to capture him, if he can!
Blackhawk drafts his men to assist him: Andre as Vice-President and Secretary of Defense, Hendrickson as Secretary of Commerce, Olaf as Secretary of Labor, Stanislaus as Attorney General, Chuck as Treasury Secretary, and Chop Chop as Blackhawk's personal secretary. He then draws up a pardon for Zorillo and begins work on a new constitution.
A woman named Orpha insists on seeing Blackhawk. She reveals that she actually runs the mines and pays off the government. Blackhawk refuses to make a deal with her and throws her man out of the building. Orpha begins spreading rumors that Blackhawk drove Mirrano off so he could seize power. Mirrano returns and gathers an army. They send an assassin after Blackhawk. When they hear him fire his shot the army will march on the capitol building. The Blackhawks stop the assassin, but not before he fires. They show him proof of Mirrano's treachery and he reveals the plan to them, but by this time the Blackhawks are surrounded. Fortunately Zorillo has heard the plans and leads an army of his men, peasants, and country people against Mirrano. Mirrano and Orpha are captured.
Once again, Blackhawk and Zorillo address the people from the steps of the capitol, but this time it is Zorillo's name the people are shouting. Blackhawk informs him that he has been pardoned and nominates him to be president.
Appearing in "Mr. President Blackhawk"
Featured Characters:
- Blackhawk Squadron
- Andre
- Blackhawk
- Chop-Chop
- Chuck
- Hendrickson
- Olaf
- Stanislaus
Antagonists:
- Trolo, military tyrant
- his troops
- Mirrano, rebel general
- his guerillas
- Mountain Regiment
- Orpha (w/ cigarette holder)
- her manager
Other Characters:
- Zorillo, outlaw
- his bandits
- their peasant army
- Colonel of the Mountain Regiment, an old friend of Blackhawk
Locations:
Vehicles:
- Blackhawk Lockheed F-90Bs
Synopsis for "Captain Ravage and Valshazar"
The Blackhawks pursue a smuggler calleed Captain Ravage, and catch up with him as he is sashing hashish on an island in the Mediterranean Sea. His men are captured, but Ravage escapes in Chuck's plane. While Chuck guards the prisoners until either the Turkish or Syrian Coast Guard arrive, the others pursue Ravage, relying on their radar. Realizing that the Blackhawks are tracking him, but cannot see him yet, Ravage sets the autopilot to land in 200 miles, then bails out over Lebanon. The Blackhawks retrieve the F-90B, then return to the island with Chop Chop piloting Chuck's plane.
Several weeks later in Alexandria, an Asian man calling himself Ah Fong sits at a table with another man. Ah Fong says that he did business with Captain Ravage for many years in the opium trade. He is willing to pay the other man to lead him to Ravage. When he does, Ah Fong tells Ravage that Valshazar, priest of Baal, has captured the Blackhawks and is willing to allow Ravage the privilege of killing them, for a price.
Ah Fong leads Ravage to Damascus, and into Valshazar's temple on the Street Called Straight. There they find Andre, Chuck, Hendrickson, Olaf, and Stanislaus, all apparently drugged, along with Valshazar and several women. Valshazar explains that Blackhawk is in another room, so that they can save him for last. Ravage pays. Valshazar then pulls a gun, but Valshazar gives him a scimitar, suggesting that it will be quieter and more satisfying. Ravage stabs Hendrickson, but the scimitar is rubber. Valshazar suggests that Blackhawk must have switched it. Valshazar hands Ravage his gun back, but it now has no ammunition. Valshazar then reveals that he is Blackhawk and Ah Fong is Chop Chop. Captain Ravage is captured.
Appearing in "Captain Ravage and Valshazar"
Featured Characters:
- Blackhawk Squadron
- Andre
- Blackhawk, as "Valshazar"
- Chop-Chop, as "Ah Fong"
- Chuck
- Hendrickson
- Olaf
- Stanislaus
Antagonists:
- Captain Ravage (arrested)
- his crew (arrested)
- shady underworld patsy in Alexandria
- shady underworld lady in Alexandria
Other Characters:
- girl servants in Baal Temple
Locations:
- Captain Ravage's island in the Mediterranean Sea, between Turkey and Syria
- Lebanon
- Egypt
- Syria
- Damascus
- Street Called Straight
- Temple of Baal (fake)
- Street Called Straight
- Damascus
Vehicles:
- Blackhawk Lockheed F-90Bs (one stolen and recovered)
Synopsis for Chop Chop: "Cooking is More Fun"
Chop Chop buys a cookbook, Cooking is More Fun than Anything to find some new recipes. As he is reading by the docks, he is shanghaied by a ship bound for India whose cook just quit. Chop Chop decides to make the food as bad as possible, so he puts soap in the soup. When the crew threatens to mutiny, the captain lets Chop Chop go in a rowboat.
Appearing in Chop Chop: "Cooking is More Fun"
Featured Characters:
- Chop-Chop
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items: Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Izmar's Invasion of Earth"
The Blackhawks spot a strange structure on a mountain top and land to investigate. Inside the structure, aliens from the planet Ur, led by Izmar, have built a machine to remove oxygen from the atmosphere. Once the humans have died, Izmar will rule the Earth. On the way up the mountain, the Blackhawks defeat alien guards, but they manage to warn Izmar. The aliens cause an avalanche, but the Blackhawks find shelter in a cave. The Blackhawks arrive at the building three minutes before all oxygen will be gone. Despite the lack of oxygen, they defeat the aliens, reverse the machine, then turn the aliens over to world authorities.
Appearing in "Izmar's Invasion of Earth"
Featured Characters:
- Blackhawk Squadron
- Andre
- Blackhawk
- Chop-Chop
- Chuck
- Hendrickson
- Olaf
- Stanislaus
Antagonists:
- Izmar
- aliens from Ur
- aliens from Ur
Locations:
- Planet Ur (Behind the scenes)
Vehicles:
- Blackhawk Lockheed F-90Bs
Notes
- Catacombs
- The ancient, eastern, European city, with the Catacombs, which resembles Rome in almost every particular, has an attractive landmark, the nearby Lake Riomo. The Catacombs span at least sixty acres under the city.
- Chop Chop got shot, for the second time.[1] Hendrickson and Stanislaus both get head-konked unconscious with the butts of pistols; these are Hendrickson's third,[2] and Stan's fifth blunt instrument head traumas. Chuck gets choked unconscious. Blackhawk gets konked out with a rifle stock; this is at least his forty-fourth concussion.[3] Andre gets head-konked with a lot of clubs; this is at least his eleventh concussion.[4] Olaf gets head-konked with a lot of clubs; this is at least his sixth concussion.[5]
- Captain Ravage
- Ravage figures out how to pilot an F-90B, and how to use the robot landing system, very quickly.
- Chop Chop, in the role of "Ah Fong," speaks normal English with no trace of his outlandish usual accent.
- Also appearing in this issue of Blackhawk was:
- "Duty Makes a Capture" (text story)
See Also
Links and References
- ↑ Military Comics #22 & Blackhawk #43 1st story
- ↑ Military Comics #22, Blackhawk #22 2nd story, & Blackhawk #43Blackhawk #43 1st story
- ↑ Military Comics #7, Military Comics #30, Military Comics #36, Military Comics #39, Military Comics #41, Military Comics #42, Modern Comics #47, Blackhawk #11, Modern Comics #51, Modern Comics #52, Modern Comics #53, Blackhawk #12, Modern Comics #54, Blackhawk #13, Modern Comics #56, Blackhawk #14, Modern Comics #60, twice in Blackhawk #15, Blackhawk #16, thrice in Blackhawk #17, Modern Comics #67, Modern Comics #69, Modern Comics #71, Modern Comics #73, twice in Blackhawk #21, Modern Comics #78, twice more in Blackhawk #22, Blackhawk #23, Modern Comics #84, Modern Comics #89, Blackhawk #27, Modern Comics #91, Modern Comics #93, Blackhawk #31, Modern Comics #98, Blackhawk #32, Blackhawk #35, Blackhawk #42, & Blackhawk #43
- ↑ Military Comics #3, Modern Comics #67, Blackhawk #18, Modern Comics #71, Blackhawk #20, Blackhawk #23, Modern Comics #94, Modern Comics #101, twice in Blackhawk #33, & Blackhawk #43
- ↑ Blackhawk #15, Blackhawk #25, Modern Comics #89, Modern Comics #94, Blackhawk #31, & Blackhawk #43