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in: Comics Published by Quality Comics, Everett M. Arnold/Executive Editor, Chuck Cuidera/Cover Artist,
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Military Comics Vol 1 2

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"Blackhawk: "The Coward Dies Twice"": The Blackhawks jump into a dogfight over the channel between German and British planes. As they destroy the Germans, one of the British fighters deserts. When the dogfight is finished, the Blackhawks find the runaway Spitfire and escort it to [[Blackhawk Isl

Quote1 Boys and girls, Vladim, our Blackhawk designer has just revamped our Grumman Skyrockets to suit our own needs .. Here are the plans, we'll use them in our next adventure! Quote2
— Blackhawk

Military Comics #2 is an issue of the series Military Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1941.

Synopsis for Blackhawk: "The Coward Dies Twice"

The Blackhawks jump into a dogfight over the channel between German and British planes. As they destroy the Germans, one of the British fighters deserts. When the dogfight is finished, the Blackhawks find the runaway Spitfire and escort it to Blackhawk Island. There, Blackhawk treats the young Brit with kindness but the rest of the team want nothing to do with a coward. A message arrives saying the Germans are going to seize secrets that could help them build an atomic bomb, from a French scientist at the Radium Institute in Paris. The Blackhawks take off and after a series of aerial dogfights, they rescue the scientist. But back on Blackhawk Island, they get another message, one that tells of a German Luftwaffe raid on its way to wipe out the Blackhawks. The British deserter finds his courage and takes off, arriving just in time to crash his Spitfire into the German bombers, redeeming himself in his death.

Appearing in Blackhawk: "The Coward Dies Twice"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Walt (Single appearance; dies)

Antagonists:

Locations:

Vehicles:


Synopsis for Archie Atkins, Desert Scout: "Surprise Attack"

Far out in the Libyan desert, Archie, Jack, and Achmed happen across a German camp. Their mascot, Billy the goat, distracts the Germans while they plant explosives and otherwise keep the Germans busy until reinforcements arrive.

Appearing in Archie Atkins, Desert Scout: "Surprise Attack"

Supporting Characters:

  • Sgt. Jack Bailey, Royal Fusiliers
  • Pvt. Achmed, Sudanese Camel Corps

Animals:

  • Mascot Billy, Light Battalion, a goat

Antagonists:

  • Major von Hoffenberg (wears a monocle)
    • many German Soldiers

Other Characters:

  • Major Douglas
    • Light Tank Battalion

Locations:

Vehicles:

  • British armored car
  • many British tanks
  • Bren infantry carriers

Synopsis for Loops and Banks: "Back to Flight School"

"Banks" Barrows and "Loops" McCann join the US Marines in the Philippine Islands. While on a training flight, they are forced down by a typhoon. They go to a nearby shack and discover that is the base for Japanese agents who are planning an attack on an American aircraft carrier due to arrive any minute. The new Marines overcome the Japanese and save the carrier.

Appearing in Loops and Banks: "Back to Flight School"

Featured Characters:

Antagonists:

Locations:

Vehicles:

  • training airplanes
  • U.S. aircraft carrier

Synopsis for Miss America: "At the Wax Museum"

Miss America uses her magical powers to defeat a gang of saboteurs, and their gorilla.

Appearing in Miss America: "At the Wax Museum"

Featured Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Hugo Wolsak, fugitive refugee

Animals:

  • Garbo, caged gorilla

Locations:

Synopsis for Shot and Shell: "The Boobs in the Bomber"

Bantam Colonel Sam Shot and his sidekick, Slim Shell, are delivering bombers from America to Britain, as navigator and radio operator, respectively. Once in the air, they discover that their pilot and copilot are actually enemy agents. The agents land the bomber (which is not a seaplane) on the ocean near a German submarine. The good guys get back control of the plane, blow up the sub, and somehow manage to take off from the water. They find their way back to their original destination by following the sun, but at this late hour of the day, this method leads them to Canada instead of Britain, which gets them both fired from their bomber-delivery job.

Appearing in Shot and Shell: "The Boobs in the Bomber"

Featured Characters:

Antagonists:

Locations:

Vehicles:

  • U.S. bomber
  • German submarine (Destroyed)

Synopsis for Yankee Eagle: "The Von Weissman Affair"

A German espionage agent is picked up at sea by a fishing trawler. He soon seizes control of the trawler and sails it to Washington, DC, so he can attack Senator Noble. Meanwhile, Jerry Noble, the Yankee Eagle and the senator's son, is using his unusual ability to communicate with animals at the zoo. When he learns that his father has been kidnapped, he and the animals execute a rescue, amidst which a biplane is forced down by an eagle.

Appearing in Yankee Eagle: "The Von Weissman Affair"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Sam the eagle

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Senator Noble

Locations:

Vehicles:

  • Fishing Trawler

Synopsis for Death Patrol: "The Battle of Bordeaux"

The Death Patrol convicts save a cargo ship from a German submarine. On shore, they discover that the Red Cross ship's cargo of food is being stolen by German agents, and is to be sent to Germany, instead of the starving French people. Waiting until the stolen food is loaded aboard a freight train, they board the heavily-guarded train, and methodically toss out the food alongside the tracks, to be picked up by Frenchman. When the guards catch wise, there's a shoot out, and they uncouple some cars to improve the odds, but a lot of soldiers are stationed atop the front end also. Stoney gets shot dead. The Death Patrol fights their way past the soldiers and into the cab of the locomotive. Butch kind of knows how to operate a steam locomotive, but not really, and soon the train is racing forward out of control. Very luckily the tracks take them directly to a German air base, into which the train crashes, to extremely destructive effect. The Death Patrol steals an airplane, and make their escape, then are almost shot down by friendly fire when they approach their own aerodrome in the German plane, but manage to land it safely.

Appearing in Death Patrol: "The Battle of Bordeaux"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Colonel Rider

Antagonists:

  • Nazi military

Locations:

  • 50 miles west of Bordeaux
  • Bordeaux

Vehicles:

Synopsis for The Blue Tracer: "Message in a Mirage"

A British recon plane is forced down in the African desert, and the crew is soon under attack by Axis forces. They send up some smoke signals which are seen, hundreds of miles away, by Wild Bill and Boomerang, due to the atmospheric conditions that produce mirages. They fly the Blue Tracer to the rescue, defeating the enemy forces, with Boomerang capturing an Italian general, then they deliver the recon plane's important photographs back to Royal Army headquarters. To get there, they defeat some enemy tanks on the ground and enemy aircraft in the sky.

Appearing in The Blue Tracer: "Message in a Mirage"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • two British aviators (wounded)

Locations:

Vehicles:

  • Blue Tracer
  • British scouting plane (damaged, abandoned)
  • Italian scouting planes and dive bombers (Destroyed)
  • Fascist armored troop carriers and patrol cars (Destroyed)

Synopsis for Secret War News: "British Mystery Squad"

June 20, 1940: A British motorcycle commando unit raids the French coast, where they kidnap a German general and a traitorous French general.

Appearing in Secret War News: "British Mystery Squad"

Featured Characters:

  • Captain Ranson Swift

Supporting Characters:

  • his commando team: Hanley, others

Antagonists:

  • German Soldiers
    • German General (wears a monocle)
    • French General

Locations:

Vehicles:

  • British trawlers
  • British motorcycles
  • German torpedo boat
  • German Stukas
  • British Spitfires
  • British bombers

Notes

  • Published monthly by Comic Magazines, Inc.
  • Blackhawk: The Coward Dies Twice is reprinted in The Blackhawk Archives, Volume One.
    • Blackhawk Squadron regulars Olaf, Andre, Stanislaus, and Hendrickson (here named "Hendrick") make their first appearances in this issue.
    • The Blackhawks are flying Grumman XF5F Skyrockets in this issue, and will be again in later issues, but the next four issues will show them flying a very modified version of this warplane, with a single rudder. Blackhawk directly addresses the readers, at the end of the story, to display blueprints of these aircraft. He mentions "Vladim", who is apparently Blackhawk Squadron's resident aircraft designer, but who never actually appears.
    • This is the first story in which Blackhawk Island is called by that name. (In the previous issue, it was referred to only as "Blackhawk's island".)
  • Blue Tracer
    • Dunn and Jones keep the Blue Tracer in a hidden hangar in a hillside in Ethiopia.
    • British soldiers recognize the Blue Tracer right away, implying that this is not their first encounter.
    • According to one British senior officer (who wears a monocle), Captain Dunn and Private Jones are both officially listed as A.W.O.L., and subject to court-martial, but they are also listed as dead, so no action is taken.
  • Unlike several other dead Death Patrol members, Stony Rock will not be coming back.
  • Last issue for Ed Wexler art on Miss America, replaced next issue by Tom Hickey.
    • The villains recognize Joan Dale as Miss America. Joan does her heroing in ordinary office attire, and wears no mask or logo, so these guys are pretty good recognizers.
  • First issue for Secret War News by Al McWilliams. This series ran until Military Comics #35.
    • This issue's "Hero Stamp" commemorates Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Allard, Royal Air Force.
  • Also featured in this issue of Military Comics were:

Trivia

  • Bob Powell is credited as "Bud Ernest" in this issue.
  • Bill Smith is credited as "John Stewart" in this issue.


See Also

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