Modern Comics (1945) #73

"Blackhawk: "The Saboteur"": An international terrorist calling himself "Nitro" wages a terrorist campaign of bombing against the United States, blowing up the Grand Canyon Dam, the "Silver Rocket" crack express train on the New York Central, a steel mill, and several other high-profile targets

Blackhawk: "The Saboteur"
Cover
Modern Comics Vol 1 #73
May, 1948
Publisher	Quality Comics
Executive Editor	Everett M. Arnold
Cover Artists	Reed Crandall
Blackhawk: "The Saboteur"
Pencilers	Reed Crandall
Inkers	Chuck Cuidera
Editors	George E. Brenner
Torchy: "The Murderous Model Gig"
Writers	Bill Ward
Pencilers	Bill Ward
Inkers	Bill Ward
Dogtag: "The Royal Exiles of Slombodka"
Writers	Bart Tumey
Pencilers	Bart Tumey
Inkers	Bart Tumey
Will Bragg: "The Tiger Hunt"
Writers	Paul Gustavson
Pencilers	Paul Gustavson
Inkers	Paul Gustavson
Letterers	Paul Gustavson
Ezra: "Ezra's Double"
Writers	Harry Sahle
Pencilers	Harry Sahle
Inkers	Harry Sahle
Choo Choo: "Tip-Top Employment Agency"
Writers	Gill Fox
Pencilers	Gill Fox
Inkers	Gill Fox
Previous Issue	Modern Comics # 72
Next Issue	Modern Comics # 74

Yes my men are foreign born or of foreign descent -- but what American isn't? Does that make them less loyal, less patriotic than you or others? My men bear allegiance to only one ruler ... JUSTICE!

— Blackhawk

Modern Comics #73 is an issue of the series Modern Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of May, 1948.

Synopsis for Blackhawk: "The Saboteur"

An international terrorist calling himself "Nitro" wages a terrorist campaign of bombing against the United States, blowing up the Grand Canyon Dam, the "Silver Rocket" crack express train on the New York Central, a steel mill, and several other high-profile targets including a suspension bridge, a shipping wharf, a factory, and some office buildings. Terror spreads everywhere. The Blackhawk squadron participates in the search for the perpetrators, in cooperation with the USAF, but gets framed for starting a forest fire. (Drop tanks from their XF5Fs are found at the scene of a timber fire in a region they had been patrolling just moments earlier. A very powerful political official, who later turns out to be "Nitro," makes the accusation in a secret meeting in Washington DC.) Soon back at Blackhawk Island, Chop Chop spots a masked saboteur (Angie) planting a bomb on a Skyrocket; the team fans out and attacks him, taking him down, but as soon as he's dragged into the HQ building, he detonates some nitro, flees the building, and rejoins his backup team (two snipers) to flee the island in a speedboat. Soon at the bad guys' secret island base, "Angie" is exposed by Nitro (wearing a fright mask) as Blackhawk in disguise; Nitro punctuates his displeasure by gunning down the two fools who brought Blackhawk to the island. Meanwhile Hendrickson and the Blackhawks have used radar to find Nitro's base, and are flying to the rescue. Nitro rants long enough about his grandiose takeover scheme to allow them time to arrive. In the final fight scene, hemmed in by Blackhawks, Nitro refuses to surrender and tries to rally his henchmen; he's killed with a submachine gun by one of his own henchman.

Appearing in Blackhawk: "The Saboteur"

Featured Characters:

• Blackhawk Squadron
  • Andre
  • Blackhawk
  • Chop Chop
  • Chuck Wilson
  • Hans Hendrickson
  • Olaf
  • Stanislaus

Antagonists:

• Nitro (Dies)
  • unknown large number of henchmen ("Gunner," "Angie," and "Shivvy" named)

Locations:

• Washington, D.C.
• Blackhawk Island
• Northwest National Park

Vehicles:

• Blackhawk Squadron's Grumman XF5F Skyrockets
  • rigged with pontoon landing gear
    

Appearing in Torchy: "The Murderous Model Gig"

Featured Characters:

• Torchy Todd
  

Appearing in Dogtag: "The Royal Exiles of Slombodka"

Featured Characters:

• Dogtag
  

Appearing in Will Bragg: "The Tiger Hunt"

Featured Characters:

• Will Bragg
  

Appearing in Ezra: "Ezra's Double"

Featured Characters:

• Ezra Jones
  

Appearing in Choo Choo: "Tip-Top Employment Agency"

Featured Characters:

• Choo Choo LaMoe

Supporting Characters:

• Cherry Lane

Notes

• Blackhawk:
  • The formerly-secret location of Blackhawk Island, or at least this particular version of it, is known to the villains before this story starts. Over the years there have been many bases called "Blackhawk Island."
  • Nitro's extremely destructive series of bomb demolitions are never mentioned again afterward.
  • Blackhawk gets head-konked unconscious, for his 27th concussion, with a club. Being a Blackhawk is dangerous.
• Also appearing in this issue of Modern Comics were:
  • Poodle McDoodle
  • Blackhawk: "The Red Balloon" (text story)

See Also

• Cover gallery for the Modern Comics series

Links and References

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