The Greatest 1950s Stories Ever Told: "Raid on Blackhawk Island"

The Blackhawks was originally an elite air squadron composed of the most heroic pilots from the countries fighting the Axis during World War II. After the war, and a later publishing switch-over from their home at Quality Comics over to DC, the flying aces liked each other soooo much they stuck together in the name of high-flying adventure! I have to admit I was never really interested in them (they all looked the same to me, even though each character was some sort of national stereotype), but I decided to give this story a try!

Reprinted from Blackhawk #109 (Februrary 1957):

The gist of this story is that their leader, Blackhawk is apparently killed and suddenly some mysterious jerk comes to Blackhawk Island, raids their Blackhawk war museum, and takes command of the super-weapons and tries to murder them all! Can they persevere without their commander???

The story starts off with the saucy caws of Blackie, of whom I first thought of as a sassy, noisy crow, but after I mulled it over, realized he/she is black hawk. Duh!

The next morning, the day starts off like any other, in their overcrowded, smelly bedroom with all of them jumping out of bed in their Blackhawk underwear.

There has been a raid, and Blackhwawk (the main one) is dead! And some guy who calls himself the Question Mark (Riddler, call your lawyer!) is out to annihilate the rest of them!

Blackie won't stand for it!

So all the remaining Blackhawks are almost all maimed and killed throughout the rest of the story. The Question Mark dude has taken control of a War Wheel and an actual flying tank!

But the killing spree is halted! Why?

Because the whole time it was Blackhawk!!! What the....!!!!

Apparently, Blackie was spazzing out like a fiend the whole time! Nothing can fool that bird!

Soooo, Blackhawk pretended he was dead, disguised himself in a laaaaame costume, raided the super-weapons, went on a rampage on the Island, destroyed a bunch of property, nearly killed everyone on the island, and then they all end up in a group hug!!!

That asshole better make everyone breakfast!